On the Border: Ultimate Eagles Tribute
Sept. 30, 2017 | 7:30 pm
$20/$15/$10/$8 for Students
"The Greatest Eagles Tribute Band in the World" - On the Border, brings their authentic Eagles sound to you. With stunning guitar work and harmonies that capture the feeling of being at an actual Eagles concert, you can check out anytime you like, but you’ll never want to leave.
On the Border - The Ultimate Eagles Tribute from Charlotte, NC, continues to be touted as the most authentic sounding Eagles Tribute band in the country and in 2015, were crowned "The Greatest Eagles Tribute Band in the World" by AXSTV and Katie Daryl! They perform shows all over the U.S. at major Festivals, Music Venues, Casinos, Theaters, Corporate and Private events. Their passion, showmanship and precise attention to replicating the details of The Eagles Music, has earned them critical acclaim, name recognition and a very loyal following. Together, they reproduce the recordings of the Eagles catalog with stunning guitar work, lead vocals and the harmonies have been said to capture the feeling of being at an actual Eagles concert!

Young Frankenstein (Some adult content.)
Oct. 13 & 14, 2017 | 7:30 pm
Oct. 15, 2017 | 3:00 pm
$20/$16/$10/$8 for Students
Grandson of the infamous Victor Frankenstein, Frederick Frankenstein inherits his family’s estate in Transylvania. With the help of a hunch backed side-kick, Igor, and a leggy lab assistant, Inga, Frederick finds himself in the mad scientist shoes of his ancestors. “It’s alive!” he exclaims as he brings to life a creature to rival his grandfather’s. Eventually, of course, the monster escapes and hilarity continuously abounds. Directed by Ray Pearce.

IIIrd Tyme Out
Nov. 3, 2017 | 7:30 pm
$25/$20/$10/$8 for Students
Russell Moore is the International Bluegrass Music Association’s most awarded male vocalist, taking home the award a record five times. Joined by four unequivocally talented musicians with Wayne Benson on mandolin, Justen Haynes on fiddle, Keith McKinnon on banjo, and Jerry Cole on bass, this band continues to bring fresh music to the ears while staying true to the tradition that has made them an industry favorite for over two decades.
Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out is celebrating nearly 25 years as one of the genres most awarded and influential groups in modern day bluegrass. Their a cappella renditions of many songs can rarely be matched and their superb instrumentation provides even more quality sound to their rich vocal blend featuring one of the most respected lead vocalists of all time. The ensemble celebrated tremendous success with the release of their first studio project in five years in 2010 and their latest CD, Timeless Hits From The Past Bluegrassed, sold exclusively through Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, is ranked #5 on Billboard’s Top Selling Bluegrass Albums of 2013. Add it all up, and the future is looking very bright for Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out. Indeed, if one measure of success is the degree to which younger and newer musicians look to a group for inspiration, then Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out are about as successful as a bluegrass group can be, for a whole generation of young pickers and singers can be heard across the country trying their hand at IIIrd Tyme Out classics.

Lucas Bohn
Nov. 18, 2017 | 7:30 pm
$20/$16/$10/$8 for Students
"Lesson Plans to Late Night" is a one-man comedy show about Lucas' transition from elementary school teacher to national touring comedian. “Lesson Plans to Late Night” is truly a one of a kind comedy experience combining live stand-up comedy and visual images.  If you’ve ever worked with children or have kids or grandkids, you don’t want to miss this hilarious show, his comedy is both smart and audacious. Known as the little guy who generates big laughs, Lucas has shared the stage with Dave Chappelle, Jimmy Fallon, and Kevin Hart. Lucas’ high-energy shows and hilarious impersonations make him an instant hit with all audiences!

A Christmas Carol
Dec. 15 & 16, 2017 | 7:30 pm
Dec. 17, 2017 | 3:00 pm
$20/$16/$10/$8 for Students
“Bah. Humbug!” Scrooge, the four ghosts, Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim, and the villagers of London come to life on the Kirby stage this Christmas! Join us and witness how the power of the Spirit of Christmas changes one of the most disagreeable men in all of human history. And “God bless us, every one!” Adapted from the original story and directed by Eddy Daniel.
 
“Bah.  Humbug!”  These immortal words, made famous by Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’ timeless classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL IN PROSE, have come to be associated with one of the most famous and best-loved Christmas classics in the world.  Person County Hee Haw writer / director Eddy Daniel’s new adaptation of Scrooge’s experiences and the menagerie of colorful characters in Dickens’ immortal story come to life on the Kirby stage this year.  Join Scrooge on his spiritual journey from miserable, penny-pinching, despicable old curmudgeon to “as good a man as the old town ever knew,” with help along the way from the ghosts of Jacob Marley, Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future and a large cast of villagers and supporting players from every walk of life in mid-1800s London.  Very few stories have captivated all ages as completely as this heart-warming tale of one man’s transformation by the power of the Spirit of Christmas.  Your Christmas season is guaranteed to be richer when you join us for A CHRISTMAS CAROL!

Spoon River (Dinner Theatre)
Jan. 26 & 27, 2018 | 6:30 pm
Jan. 28,  2018 | 5:30 pm
$30 / $25 (Students)
On a hill just outside the fictional town of Spoon River, in the days following the end of the Civil War, lie generations of townspeople in the town cemetery. These folks – preachers, gamblers, soldiers, poets, saints, scoundrels, and scalawags – rise to tell the stories of their rich lives, intertwined with songs from this most tragic, and yet most hopeful, of time periods in American history. Directed by Eddy Daniel.
 
“Spoon River, Spoon River is calling you home.”  The haunting words and melodies of this song and many like it are interwoven throughout the stories of the individual men, women, and children who lived, loved, worked, and died in the fictional town of Spoon River, Illinois, in the years following the end of the Civil War.  Here are doctors, teachers, preachers, gamblers, soldiers, housewives, expatriates, and scalawags.  Some were immigrants, some were natives.  Some led lives of rich experience, some lived and died in tragic poverty.  Each character tells his or her own story, rising from the town cemetery on a hill overlooking the sleepy little town to speak of death, life, love, laughter, tragedy, comedy, and the conditions of the times.  One of the richest examples of classic American literature, Edgar Lee Masters’ SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY has been adapted by Charles Aidman and enriched with folk music from the time period.  The result is a wonderfully crafted journey back through one of the most tragic, and yet hopeful, times in the history of America. Directed by Eddy Daniel.

Smoke on the Mountain
Feb. 16 & 17, 2018 | 7:30 pm
Feb. 18,  2018 | 3:00 pm
$20/$16/$10/$8 for Students
Smoke on the Mountain tells the story of a Saturday Night Gospel Sing at a country church in North Carolina's Smoky Mountains in 1938. The show features two dozen rousing bluegrass songs played and sung by the Sanders Family, a traveling group making its return to performing after a five-year hiatus. Though they try to appear perfect in the eyes of a congregation who wants to be inspired by their songs, one thing after another goes awry and they reveal their true -- and hilariously imperfect - natures. Directed by Ray Pearce.

Smoke on the Mountain tells the story of a Saturday Night Gospel Sing at a country church in North Carolina's Smoky Mountains in 1938. The show features two dozen rousing bluegrass songs played and sung by the Sanders Family, a traveling group making its return to performing after a five-year hiatus. Pastor Oglethorpe, the young and enthusiastic minister of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, has enlisted the Sanders Family in his efforts to bring his tiny congregation into "the modern world." Between songs, each family member "witnesses" -- telling a story about an important event in their life. Though they try to appear perfect in the eyes of a congregation who wants to be inspired by their songs, one thing after another goes awry and they reveal their true -- and hilariously imperfect - natures. Directed by Ray Pearce.

NCCU Vocal Jazz Ensemble
Mar. 3, 2018 | 7:30 pm
$20/$16/$10/$8 for Students

NCCU’s Vocal Jazz Ensemble was founded in 1992, and is comprised of undergraduate and graduate student vocalists with backgrounds from all over the globe. The award-winning ensemble’s sound is steeped in the American jazz tradition, and the group continues to be noted for their diverse repertoire and performance acumen. With influences such as John Coltrane and Miles Davis, this is sure to be a smooth and soulful experience. VJE is often accompanied by, and performs arrangements from NCCU jazz faculty pianist/arranger Ed Paolantonio. VJE is directed by Lenora Helm Hammonds.

NCCU’s Vocal Jazz Ensemble was founded in 1992, and is comprised of undergraduate and graduate student vocalists with backgrounds from all over the globe. The award-winning ensemble’s sound is steeped in the American jazz tradition, and the group continues to be noted for their diverse repertoire and performance acumen. The North Carolina Central University Vocal Jazz Ensemble debuted their first full-length recording, Arrival, in 2010. Arrival emerged as a culmination of years of performing under the tutelage of then director, Mr. Arnold George, jazz studies department director, Dr. Ira Wiggins, and Lenora Helm Hammonds who joined in 2005. VJE is often accompanied by, and performs arrangements from NCCU jazz faculty pianist/arranger Ed Paolantonio. Other distinctions for the NCCU Vocal Jazz Ensemble include being chosen as the first vocal ensemble invited to perform at the Notre Dame Collegiate Jazz Festival and performances at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York. Additionally, the NCCU Vocal Jazz Ensemble was the recent on-air guest, performing live on Real Jazz on Sirius XM Radio in New York City with host Mark Ruffin.  Finally, Members of the NCCU Vocal Jazz Ensemble were featured guest artists at the 2015 and 2016 Aruba International Jazz. The 2015/2016 academic year marked the 10-year anniversary of VJE director Lenora Helm Hammonds with North Carolina Central University, and in celebration the ensemble will release a new recording in Spring 2017 entitled Take Note. The new recording includes favorites from the vocal jazz standard repertoires of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Take 6. Produced by Lenora Helm Hammonds and Dr. Ira Wiggins, Take Note will be a recording to celebrate the talented students of the NCCU Jazz Studies program.

Dream Girls
Apr. 27 & 28, 2018 | 7:30 pm
Apr. 29,  2018 | 3:00 pm
$20/$16/$10/$8 for Students
Dreamgirls follows the story of a black, all-girl singing trio from Chicago called "The Dreams" and the behind-the-scenes reality of the entertainment industry.
Dreamgirls is the story of three black singers - Deena, Lorrell, and Effie who began as a group called the Dreamettes. They start as three talented, close friends and gradually sharpen their act and rename themselves "The Dreams". They enter a talent show held in New York's Apollo Theatre. Disappointed in their failure to win the contest, they attract the attention of a sly tongued talent agent named Curtis Taylor, Jr. Curtis' connections get the girls hired as a backup act to James Thunder Early, a rising pop singing star. Little do they know of the hard and competitive world of show business. Directed by Fred Motley.