Upcoming events and things to do in Asheville, NC. Below is a list of events for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, group meetups and more.

Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.

Saturday, May 20, 2023
An Improper Royal Tea Murder
May 20 @ 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Hendersonville Theatre

Written and directed by Jimmy Ferraro

Approximate Run Time: 2 hour

Rating: PG — some material may not be suitable for children.

The Lord Chamberlain is commanded by Her Majesty to invite You to the Palace Garden Tea…
Each summer Her Majesty hosts the Palace Garden Tea. This year an UNinvited guest has eluded Palace Security, and the arrival is causing panic! As the mystery unravels, we find the Royals worried about the intruder and the staff with something much more important on their minds! MURDER!!! The suspects are lined up…WHO DONE IT? Could it have been our beloved Queen? Her American nephew? The Queen’s Escort? The Cook? The Maid? The Housekeeper? or perhaps The Inspector, himself? YOU identify the culprit and YOU solve the crime!

Big Fish
May 20 @ 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm
HART Theatre
By Andrew Lippa and John August
On the Steve Lloyd Stage
Directed by Candice Dickinson

What tall tales will we tell to be the hero of our own stories? 

When Will finds out his father is dying of cancer, he is on a mission to find the truth behind the tall tales his father has always told him. Audiences will be in awe as they travel back and forth from Will and Edward’s stark reality to the beautiful and larger than life fantasies of Edward Bloom’s past. This charming, warm hug of a musical features Southern-fried music from Andrew Lippa and is based on the 1998 novel by Daniel Wallace that also inspired the 2003 big-screen adaptation directed by Tim Burton. A musical for dreamers, this show has sweeping melodies, gorgeous dance numbers, and celebrates the imagination, culminating in a thrilling theatrical experience. Full of giants, witches, mermaids, and, of course, an exceptionally large fish, Big Fish is about what’s real and what’s fantastic, what’s true and what’s not true, what’s partially true and how, in the end, it’s all true.

Suitable for all audiences.

Cymbeline
May 20 @ 7:30 pm
The Bebe Theatre

Possibly Shakespeare’s wackiest play, CYMBELINE features a panoply of Shakespeare’s greatest hits: orphaned royalty, mistaken identities, a cross-dressing heroine, a beheading, a war against Rome, poison that doesn’t really kill you, and more! Modern-day added characters Actor 1 and Actor 2 provide much-needed plot recaps and commentary on the action, and a rewritten ending provides some necessary catharsis. This whirlwind performance is one you won’t want to miss!

 

 

With: Molly Graves, Zak Hamrick, Christine Hellman, Erin McCarson, Alex McDonald, Jon Stockdale, Eric Vik, and Paul Vonasek.

Written (mostly) by: William Shakespeare.

 

Directed by: Melon Wedick.

Montford Park Players: Wendy + Peter – A Peter Pan Story
May 20 @ 7:30 pm
Montford Park Players

All shows will be at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheater in the Montford District of Asheville, and all will be presented absolutely FREE of charge!
Written and Directed by Skyler Goff
This World Premiere was penned by local playwright Skyler Goff and tells of the continuing adventures of our favorite Lost Boy. A fantastical way to kick off our season!

All shows will run Fridays through Sundays and all will be presented at 7:30pm and prime seats can be reserved.

Montford Park Players has been bringing some of theater’s greatest works to Western North Carolina for over 50 years. Montford Park Players continues its mission of bring free theater to the community. The summer season allows everyone to come spend an evening under the stars, seeing some of the best live performances presented in Asheville.

Montford Park Players allows patrons to bring their favorite food and beverages to their shows and sells beer, wine and concessions at the shows. If you’ve never been to the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre for a Montford show, there’s no better season than this one. If you have been, you know why you should come back and catch everything we have to offer!

The Revolutionists (produced by Immediate Theatre Project)
May 20 @ 7:30 pm
NC Stage Company

By Lauren Gunderson

Produced by Immediate Theatre Project

Four badass women lose their heads in this irreverent, girl-powered comedy set during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. Playwright Olympe de Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday, former queen (and fan of ribbons) Marie Antoinette, and Haitian rebel Marianne Angelle hang out, murder Marat, and try to beat back the extremist insanity in 1793 Paris. It’s a true story. Or total fiction. Or a play about a play. Or a raucous resurrection…that ends in a song and a scaffold.

From the people who brought you Silent Sky comes this grand and dream-tweaked comedy about violence and legacy, art and activism, feminism and terrorism, compatriots and chosen sisters, and how we actually go about changing the world.

 

Discretionary Content: Adult themes and badass ladies

Steel Magnolias
May 20 @ 8:00 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse

“Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.” Written in just 10 days as a tribute to his sister Susan by playwright Robert Harling, Steel Magnolias explores the relationships between a tight-knit group of Louisiana southern ladies who gather in Truvy’s small-town beauty parlor, celebrating the milestones in each other’s lives. Filled with hilarious repartee and humorously acerbic verbal lacerations, the play deepens when the spunky Shelby (who is diabetic) contradicts her doctor’s advice and risks pregnancy. Steel Magnolias exemplifies the universal and unconditional strengths of sisterhood, resilience, and love.

Sunday, May 21, 2023
Cinderella Magic Package
May 21 all-day
online w/ Flat Rock Playhouse

We are excited to bring this special package to you and your loved ones. It’s super easy!

  1. Pick your show date – June 14, 17, 21, 24 (Evening only)
  2. Choose 2 Adult Seats and 2 Student Seats
  3. At Checkout, discount will be applied

Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!

Your wish is granted!

TICKETS + INFO

If you have any problems, our Box Office is happy to help!

828.693.0731

Playhouse Jr. Summer Camps
May 21 all-day
Flat Rock Playhouse

The Education program at Flat Rock Playhouse is undergoing a name change! We are excited to streamline our program and we can’t wait to share the news with you!

Our new name will be Playhouse Jr.!

 

This new name will encompass many things. You might ask….what is Playhouse Jr.?

• Playhouse Jr. is classes and camps for K-12th Graders and Adults.
• Playhouse Jr. is mainstage shows performed by our Playhouse Jr. students and families.
• Playhouse Jr. is our touring company that visits our local schools and is performed by our fall apprentices.
• Playhouse Jr. is a licensing program for our new and exciting Playhouse Jr. touring shows!

Playhouse Jr. means many things and we are excited to share this news with our community!

We are introducing a new software system for our Playhouse Jr. families! This new system will make your life easier! Once you have registered you are in our system for good. That means that once you register all you have to do is access your account to purchase any classes and camps moving forward. No need to register every time!

To register for our new system and to enroll in classes please visit this link: https://app.jackrabbitclass.com/regv2.asp?id=548849

Questions? Please email [email protected]!

Want to register over the phone? No problem! You can call our Education Director, Lauren Hopkins at (828)693-0403 ext. 246 starting Monday March 6!

Tryon Fine Arts Center Summer Art Camps Registration Open
May 21 all-day
Tryon Fine Arts Center
Summer Art Series for Youth (SASY) Camp
Summer Art Series for Youth (SASY) 2023
June 19 – 23
Our Summer Arts Camp is a one-week encounter with visual as well as performing arts. Our campers will be given the flexibility to choose their own art experience. They may want to dabble in the performing arts or take part in the visual arts or perhaps do a bit of both.
Ages 5 – 12 years. Cost: $180 – $225
PacJAM Camp
PacJAM Camp 2023
June 26 -30
Students will experience group lessons, jams, music theory, traditional art, songs, stories, and dancing, with an impressive lineup of regular and guest artists. Scholarships and instrument rentals are available.
Ages 6 year and up. Cost: $150
Theater Camp
Theater Camp 2023
July 31 – August 5
Presented in collaboration with Tryon Little Theater, the annual Summer Theater Camp allows students to put on a fully-staged production in just one week! Students learn about the ins and outs of theater-from auditions Monday morning to a fully-staged public show with lights, sound, sets,
props & costumes on Saturday!
Cost: $180 – $225
BURLESQUE BRUNCH
May 21 @ 12:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

-AGES 18+
-SEATED SHOW
-LIMITED VIP TICKETS AVAILABLE

BURLESQUE BRUNCH

Burlesque Brunch is a monthly burlesque and bellydance show with a classic speakeasy feel. Join our dancing dames and dandies every third Sunday of the month for a little singin’, strippin’, and sippin’ starting at noon. It’s a Sunday afternoon to delight the senses!

**Ticket price covers entry, brunch is not included in price.

Burlesque Brunch
May 21 @ 12:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

Burlesque Brunch is a monthly burlesque and bellydance show with a classic speakeasy feel. Join our dancing dames and dandies every third Sunday of the month for a little singin’, strippin’, and sippin’ starting at noon. It’s a Sunday afternoon to delight the senses!

Big Fish
May 21 @ 2:00 pm
HART Theatre
By Andrew Lippa and John August
On the Steve Lloyd Stage
Directed by Candice Dickinson

What tall tales will we tell to be the hero of our own stories? 

When Will finds out his father is dying of cancer, he is on a mission to find the truth behind the tall tales his father has always told him. Audiences will be in awe as they travel back and forth from Will and Edward’s stark reality to the beautiful and larger than life fantasies of Edward Bloom’s past. This charming, warm hug of a musical features Southern-fried music from Andrew Lippa and is based on the 1998 novel by Daniel Wallace that also inspired the 2003 big-screen adaptation directed by Tim Burton. A musical for dreamers, this show has sweeping melodies, gorgeous dance numbers, and celebrates the imagination, culminating in a thrilling theatrical experience. Full of giants, witches, mermaids, and, of course, an exceptionally large fish, Big Fish is about what’s real and what’s fantastic, what’s true and what’s not true, what’s partially true and how, in the end, it’s all true.

Suitable for all audiences.

Steel Magnolias
May 21 @ 2:00 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse

“Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.” Written in just 10 days as a tribute to his sister Susan by playwright Robert Harling, Steel Magnolias explores the relationships between a tight-knit group of Louisiana southern ladies who gather in Truvy’s small-town beauty parlor, celebrating the milestones in each other’s lives. Filled with hilarious repartee and humorously acerbic verbal lacerations, the play deepens when the spunky Shelby (who is diabetic) contradicts her doctor’s advice and risks pregnancy. Steel Magnolias exemplifies the universal and unconditional strengths of sisterhood, resilience, and love.

The Revolutionists (produced by Immediate Theatre Project)
May 21 @ 2:00 pm
NC Stage Company

By Lauren Gunderson

Produced by Immediate Theatre Project

Four badass women lose their heads in this irreverent, girl-powered comedy set during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. Playwright Olympe de Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday, former queen (and fan of ribbons) Marie Antoinette, and Haitian rebel Marianne Angelle hang out, murder Marat, and try to beat back the extremist insanity in 1793 Paris. It’s a true story. Or total fiction. Or a play about a play. Or a raucous resurrection…that ends in a song and a scaffold.

From the people who brought you Silent Sky comes this grand and dream-tweaked comedy about violence and legacy, art and activism, feminism and terrorism, compatriots and chosen sisters, and how we actually go about changing the world.

 

Discretionary Content: Adult themes and badass ladies

Cymbeline
May 21 @ 2:30 pm
The Bebe Theatre

Possibly Shakespeare’s wackiest play, CYMBELINE features a panoply of Shakespeare’s greatest hits: orphaned royalty, mistaken identities, a cross-dressing heroine, a beheading, a war against Rome, poison that doesn’t really kill you, and more! Modern-day added characters Actor 1 and Actor 2 provide much-needed plot recaps and commentary on the action, and a rewritten ending provides some necessary catharsis. This whirlwind performance is one you won’t want to miss!

 

 

With: Molly Graves, Zak Hamrick, Christine Hellman, Erin McCarson, Alex McDonald, Jon Stockdale, Eric Vik, and Paul Vonasek.

Written (mostly) by: William Shakespeare.

 

Directed by: Melon Wedick.

An Improper Royal Tea Murder
May 21 @ 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Hendersonville Theatre

Written and directed by Jimmy Ferraro

Approximate Run Time: 2 hour

Rating: PG — some material may not be suitable for children.

The Lord Chamberlain is commanded by Her Majesty to invite You to the Palace Garden Tea…
Each summer Her Majesty hosts the Palace Garden Tea. This year an UNinvited guest has eluded Palace Security, and the arrival is causing panic! As the mystery unravels, we find the Royals worried about the intruder and the staff with something much more important on their minds! MURDER!!! The suspects are lined up…WHO DONE IT? Could it have been our beloved Queen? Her American nephew? The Queen’s Escort? The Cook? The Maid? The Housekeeper? or perhaps The Inspector, himself? YOU identify the culprit and YOU solve the crime!

Monday, May 22, 2023
Tryon Fine Arts Center Summer Art Camps Registration Open
May 22 all-day
Tryon Fine Arts Center
Summer Art Series for Youth (SASY) Camp
Summer Art Series for Youth (SASY) 2023
June 19 – 23
Our Summer Arts Camp is a one-week encounter with visual as well as performing arts. Our campers will be given the flexibility to choose their own art experience. They may want to dabble in the performing arts or take part in the visual arts or perhaps do a bit of both.
Ages 5 – 12 years. Cost: $180 – $225
PacJAM Camp
PacJAM Camp 2023
June 26 -30
Students will experience group lessons, jams, music theory, traditional art, songs, stories, and dancing, with an impressive lineup of regular and guest artists. Scholarships and instrument rentals are available.
Ages 6 year and up. Cost: $150
Theater Camp
Theater Camp 2023
July 31 – August 5
Presented in collaboration with Tryon Little Theater, the annual Summer Theater Camp allows students to put on a fully-staged production in just one week! Students learn about the ins and outs of theater-from auditions Monday morning to a fully-staged public show with lights, sound, sets,
props & costumes on Saturday!
Cost: $180 – $225
Tuesday, May 23, 2023
Cinderella Magic Package
May 23 all-day
online w/ Flat Rock Playhouse

We are excited to bring this special package to you and your loved ones. It’s super easy!

  1. Pick your show date – June 14, 17, 21, 24 (Evening only)
  2. Choose 2 Adult Seats and 2 Student Seats
  3. At Checkout, discount will be applied

Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!

Your wish is granted!

TICKETS + INFO

If you have any problems, our Box Office is happy to help!

828.693.0731

Tryon Fine Arts Center Summer Art Camps Registration Open
May 23 all-day
Tryon Fine Arts Center
Summer Art Series for Youth (SASY) Camp
Summer Art Series for Youth (SASY) 2023
June 19 – 23
Our Summer Arts Camp is a one-week encounter with visual as well as performing arts. Our campers will be given the flexibility to choose their own art experience. They may want to dabble in the performing arts or take part in the visual arts or perhaps do a bit of both.
Ages 5 – 12 years. Cost: $180 – $225
PacJAM Camp
PacJAM Camp 2023
June 26 -30
Students will experience group lessons, jams, music theory, traditional art, songs, stories, and dancing, with an impressive lineup of regular and guest artists. Scholarships and instrument rentals are available.
Ages 6 year and up. Cost: $150
Theater Camp
Theater Camp 2023
July 31 – August 5
Presented in collaboration with Tryon Little Theater, the annual Summer Theater Camp allows students to put on a fully-staged production in just one week! Students learn about the ins and outs of theater-from auditions Monday morning to a fully-staged public show with lights, sound, sets,
props & costumes on Saturday!
Cost: $180 – $225
JAGGED LITTLE PILL the musical
May 23 @ 7:30 pm
Peace Concert Hall

SOME SHOWS YOU SEE. THIS SHOW YOU FEEL.

Joy, love, heartache, strength, wisdom, catharsis, LIFE—everything we’ve been waiting to see in a Broadway show— is here in the exhilarating, fearless new musical based on Alanis Morissette’s world-changing music.

Directed by Tony Award® winner Diane Paulus (Waitress, Pippin, upcoming 1776) with a Tony-winning book by Diablo Cody (Juno) and Grammy-winning score, this electrifying production about a perfectly imperfect American family “vaults the audience to its collective feet” (The Guardian). “Redemptive, rousing and real, JAGGED LITTLE PILL stands alongside the original musicals that have sustained the best hopes of Broadway” (The New York Times).

You live, you learn, you remember what it’s like to feel truly human… at JAGGED LITTLE PILL.

Please note there is no Sunday evening performance of Jagged Little Pill.
Beginning mid-July, Sunday evening subscribers will be placed into the best available seats in alternate performances of Jagged Little Pill based on preference. 
Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Steel Magnolias
May 24 @ 2:00 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse

“Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.” Written in just 10 days as a tribute to his sister Susan by playwright Robert Harling, Steel Magnolias explores the relationships between a tight-knit group of Louisiana southern ladies who gather in Truvy’s small-town beauty parlor, celebrating the milestones in each other’s lives. Filled with hilarious repartee and humorously acerbic verbal lacerations, the play deepens when the spunky Shelby (who is diabetic) contradicts her doctor’s advice and risks pregnancy. Steel Magnolias exemplifies the universal and unconditional strengths of sisterhood, resilience, and love.

PEACE TALK: JAGGED LITTLE PILL
May 24 @ 6:00 pm
Peace Center-Ramsaur Studio

Broadway Peace Talks give audiences a deeper dive into the history, inspiration and people who bring our shows to life on stage.  Join Dr. Kristin Pressley (Dr. Broadway) and other Broadway lovers every month at the Peace Center for these presentations.

Adults Only Trivia Night Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company
May 24 @ 6:30 pm – 8:15 pm
Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company

EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 6:30 pm ~ FREE!

AGES 18+ ADULTS ONLY ~ NO KIDS ALLOWED

ON OUR HUGE SCREEN IN THEATER 2!

ENJOY DINNER & DRINKS (FULL BAR) WHILE PLAYING

There are 3 rounds with new winners each round so you can show up late, miss a round and still be a winner. Plus, we have mid-round prizes to create as many winners as possible.

The questions are presented by a hilarious host on our giant movie screen and includes fun videos in each round.  You haven’t played a trivia night like this one!

Improv Level One: Communicate. Collaborate. Play
May 24 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Whitmire Activity Center

Enrollment is now open for two adult improvisation acting classes offered by Hendersonville Theatre (HT). Classes will be taught by professional improvisation actor and comedian Emily Swindal. Both classes are open to anyone over the age of 18, regardless of experience level.

Improv Level One: Communicate. Collaborate. Play. meets on Wednesdays from April 5 to May 24. Tuition is $180. In the class, students will work at getting comfortable on stage while having fun doing it. Students will learn to have compassion for themselves and their classmates as performers as they learn the fundamentals of improvisation and develop support and spontaneity. Together, they will learn the importance of “yes-and-ing,” heightening the absurdity and raising the stakes. They will also cover the differences between short form and long form improv. This is a short form class similar to Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Witty Wednesday Trivia
May 24 @ 6:30 pm
Sweeten Creek Brewing

Beat the mid week grind with some fun trivia! Win a $25 gift card for our taproom along with a $25 gift card from our resident kitchen, Bears Smokehouse BBQ!

Trivia Night
May 24 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Hickory Tavern

Every Wednesday

Trivia Night

JAGGED LITTLE PILL the musical
May 24 @ 7:30 pm
Peace Concert Hall

SOME SHOWS YOU SEE. THIS SHOW YOU FEEL.

Joy, love, heartache, strength, wisdom, catharsis, LIFE—everything we’ve been waiting to see in a Broadway show— is here in the exhilarating, fearless new musical based on Alanis Morissette’s world-changing music.

Directed by Tony Award® winner Diane Paulus (Waitress, Pippin, upcoming 1776) with a Tony-winning book by Diablo Cody (Juno) and Grammy-winning score, this electrifying production about a perfectly imperfect American family “vaults the audience to its collective feet” (The Guardian). “Redemptive, rousing and real, JAGGED LITTLE PILL stands alongside the original musicals that have sustained the best hopes of Broadway” (The New York Times).

You live, you learn, you remember what it’s like to feel truly human… at JAGGED LITTLE PILL.

Please note there is no Sunday evening performance of Jagged Little Pill.
Beginning mid-July, Sunday evening subscribers will be placed into the best available seats in alternate performances of Jagged Little Pill based on preference. 
Steel Magnolias
May 24 @ 7:30 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse

“Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.” Written in just 10 days as a tribute to his sister Susan by playwright Robert Harling, Steel Magnolias explores the relationships between a tight-knit group of Louisiana southern ladies who gather in Truvy’s small-town beauty parlor, celebrating the milestones in each other’s lives. Filled with hilarious repartee and humorously acerbic verbal lacerations, the play deepens when the spunky Shelby (who is diabetic) contradicts her doctor’s advice and risks pregnancy. Steel Magnolias exemplifies the universal and unconditional strengths of sisterhood, resilience, and love.

The Revolutionists (produced by Immediate Theatre Project)
May 24 @ 7:30 pm
NC Stage Company

By Lauren Gunderson

Produced by Immediate Theatre Project

Four badass women lose their heads in this irreverent, girl-powered comedy set during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. Playwright Olympe de Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday, former queen (and fan of ribbons) Marie Antoinette, and Haitian rebel Marianne Angelle hang out, murder Marat, and try to beat back the extremist insanity in 1793 Paris. It’s a true story. Or total fiction. Or a play about a play. Or a raucous resurrection…that ends in a song and a scaffold.

From the people who brought you Silent Sky comes this grand and dream-tweaked comedy about violence and legacy, art and activism, feminism and terrorism, compatriots and chosen sisters, and how we actually go about changing the world.

 

Discretionary Content: Adult themes and badass ladies

Improv Level One Showcase
May 24 @ 7:45 pm
Hendersonville Theatre

7:45 PM – 8:30 PM
DOORS OPEN 7:30 PM
A show brought to you by our Hendersonville Theatre Level One Improv Class! Come check out this student show and see what our educational program is all about! This is a free event open to the public! Donations will be accepted to benefit educational programs at Hendersonville Theatre.

Improv photo courtesy of Jules Buckman: www.julsbuckmanphotography.com
Improv Level One: Communicate. Collaborate. Play.
Teacher: Emily Swindal

Featuring:
Laura Altomare
Michele Belknat
Julia Cohen
Stan Coss
Jerry Fitzgerald
Renae Gregoire
Craig Gregoire
Andrew Mundhenk
Adam Safer
Margo Santoro