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.

Sunday, February 6, 2022
Flat Rock Playhouse’s 2022 Season
Feb 6 all-day
Flat Rock Playhouse

This year will feature an exhilarating blend of beloved productions, including Million Dollar Quartet, West Side Story, and Mamma Mia! The popular Music on the Rock® series, Studio 52 Family Programming, and a brand new Black Box series round out the 2022 season and mark a renewed beginning for FRP after a long pandemic shutdown.

 

Season subscriptions are on sale now. Music on the Rock® single tickets go on sale on January 24, 2022, and single tickets for all remaining shows go on sale on February 14, 2022.

 

The Music of Tom Petty

Feb. 24-March 5

 

Two Jews, Talking

A Hilarious Staged Reading

March 17-19

A side-splitting piece written by Ed. Weinberger, our characters take us on a rollicking romp through time! The two-act story brings Lou and Bud together in the Biblical past, and Phil and Marty together in contemporary Long Island. They philosophize about women, sex, food, the divine, and destiny in this tale of companionship and friendship.

 

The Music of Elton John

March 31-April 2

 

The Music of Neil Diamond

April 7-10

 

Catch Me If You Can

April 28-May 14

This comedy thriller is a classic gem with exciting twists and turns from beginning to end. “The final 15 minutes will reward you like a murder mystery should.” The New York Times

 

Million Dollar Quartet

May 20-June 19

Back by popular demand, the musical celebrates the historic Sam Phillips studio recording sessions of Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley.

 

The Music of the Eagles

An Outdoor Stadium Concert

June 18

Join Flat Rock Playhouse for another rockin’ evening of outdoor summer fun at West Henderson’s Athletic Stadium, Johnson Field.

 

West Side Story

July 1-30

The Romeo and Juliet inspired love story of Tony and Maria amid the Jets and Sharks gang rivalry. Ranked #1 in the most recent survey of theatre patrons.

 

Mozart to Pop Chart

The Musical Story Continues

August 5-13

Nat Zegree (Jerry Lee Lewis/Amadeus) is back to whisk you away on an all-new musical journey through the history and triumphs of music from Mozart to today’s current hits. Featuring many of the local region’s best rock and symphonic musicians!

 

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

August 19-Sept. 4

Don’t miss this fresh and relevant stage adaptation of the iconic film that starred the inimitable and great Sidney Poitier.

 


 

Introducing The Black Box Series.

September 15-October 9

 You’ve never experienced a play on The Rock like before. The audience and artists share the MainStage for an intimate and immersive theatre experience.  The Black Box Series will feature contemporary works, classics, and stories and playwrights from around the globe. Be among the first to join us on this new and exciting theatrical journey!

 

God of Carnage

Sept. 15-Oct. 8

A triple-Tony Award-winning Broadway sensation the New Yorker called “laugh-out-loud hilarity,” and “ninety minutes of sustained mayhem.”

 

Blood Knot

Sept. 16-Oct. 9

A play that asks us to dig beneath the surface of what makes us kin and what happens when we don’t like what we find there. By renowned South African playwright Athol Fugard.

 


 

Mamma Mia!

Encore Performance

Oct. 21-Nov. 13

The hugely popular mega-Broadway hit featuring the music of ABBA is back for an encore performance. Featuring songs like “Dancing Queen,” “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!,” “Honey Honey” and so many more.

 

A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas

November 25-December 22

The WNC tradition continues. Same great show, all new material. A Playhouse favorite that will leave you feeling merry and bright!

 

A Charlie Brown Christmas (Studio 52)

December 1-4

Everyone’s favorite holiday classic comes to life in a spectacular new production of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Adapted from Charles M. Schulz’s timeless story the whole family can enjoy. Join Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and the whole Peanuts gang as they sing, dance, and learn the true meaning of Christmas!

 

To learn more about the 2022 lineup and how to purchase your tickets, please visit the website at www.flatrockplayhouse.org.

 

FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE

 

In 1937, a group of struggling performers, led by Robroy Farquhar, organized themselves as the Vagabond Players. The Vagabonds worked in a variety of places over the course of three years, and in 1940 found themselves in the Blue Ridge region of Western North Carolina. The local and tourist community welcomed them with open arms when they presented their first summer season of plays in a 150-year-old grist mill they converted into The Old Mill Playhouse at Highland Lake. So successful was that summer, they returned in 1941. After WWII, the Vagabond Players reorganized came back to the region and opened a playhouse in nearby Lake Summit. The Lake Summit Playhouse thrived during the post-war years and soon the Vagabond Players were looking for a larger and permanent home. In 1952, the troupe of performers, and a newly formed board of directors made an offer to buy an 8-acre lot in the Village of Flat Rock. This new home made the Vagabonds “locals” and a rented big top gave birth to Flat Rock Playhouse. As the beautiful Western Carolina region continued to grow, so did the Playhouse and in 1961, by Act of the North Carolina General Assembly, Flat Rock Playhouse was officially designated The State Theatre of North Carolina. What began as a few weeks of summer performances in 1940 is now a nine-month season of plays including Broadway musicals, comedy, drama, and theatre for young audiences. The Playhouse’s dual mission of producing the performing arts and providing education in the performing arts includes a professional series; a summer and fall college apprentice and intern program; and Studio 52, year-round classes and workshops in theatre and film for students from kindergarten through adults. Flat Rock Playhouse now hosts over 98,000 patrons annually and is a significant contributor to the local economy and the Arts in North Carolina.

# # #

 

Go On A Blind Date With a Book at the Library This February
Feb 6 all-day
Buncombe County Libraries

Buncombe County Public Libraries is playing matchmaker in February as Blind Date with a Book returns. The blind date books are easy to spot; they’ll be the ones with the paper-wrapped book covers. Check one out and take it home. Remember, don’t judge a book by its cover, and you might fall in love with a new author, genre, or series you hadn’t tried before.

The Fairview, Swannanoa, Pack, Black Mountain, Leicester, and North Asheville Libraries will be happy to set you up on your blind date anytime in February.

Jeeves Intervenes
Feb 6 @ 2:00 pm
NC Stage Co.

High society playboy Bertie Wooster and his school chum, Eustace, hatch a plan to save Bertie from an unwanted marriage and Eustace from an undesirable job as a respected businessman. Will the ever-faithful manservant Jeeves be able to rescue these bumbling fools from themselves? A delicious romp full of deception and disguise.

Monday, February 7, 2022
Black Legacy Month at the Library
Feb 7 all-day
Buncombe County Libraries

In February, we honor and recognize Black Legacy Month at Buncombe County Public Libraries. We will be celebrating throughout February through several online events, staff-curated booklists, and a collection of online resources and exhibits.

Virtual book clubs will discuss On Girlhood by Glory Edim and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. You can register for either book club on the library calendar.

When you visit your library, look for special Black Legacy Month displays and book selections.

Below, you will find our Librarians’ reading list highlighting Black authors that include selections for all ages.

We look forward to seeing you at the library!

Black Legacy Month Reading List

Books for Families to Share

My Heart Flies Open by Omileye Achikeobi-Lewis

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander

The Electric Slide and Kai by Kelly J. Baptist

Soul Food Sunday by Winsome Bingham

This Is Your Time by Ruby Bridges

Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes

Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renee Watson

The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Hubbard

Recognize! An Anthology Honoring and Amplifying Black Life Edited by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson

Going Down Home with Daddy by Kelly Starling Lyons

My Hair Is Magic by M.L. Marroquin

M is for Melanin by Tiffany Rose

Exquisite: the Life of Gwendolyn Brooks by Suzanne Buckingham Slade

Nina: a Story of Nina Simone by Traci N. Todd

Dream Street by Tricia Elam Walker

Chapter Books For Older Kids

Isaiah Dunn is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist

Blended by Sharon Draper

The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

New Kid by Jerry Craft

From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks

Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood edited by Kwame Mbalia

Betty Before X by Ilyasah Shabazz

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Books for Teens

The Skin I’m In by Sharon G. Flake

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

March by John Lewis and Andrew Ayden

Revolution in Our Time: the Black Panther’s Promise to the People by Kekla Magoon

Loving vs. Virginia by Patricia Powell

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi

Books for Adults

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet

The Yellow House by Sarah Broom

I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown

You Are Your Best Thing edited by Tarana Burke

Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Soul City: Race, Equality, and the Lost Dream of an American Utopia by Thomas Healy

All About Love by bell hooks

Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women that Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall

400 Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Disha Philyaw

How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

Flat Rock Playhouse’s 2022 Season
Feb 7 all-day
Flat Rock Playhouse

This year will feature an exhilarating blend of beloved productions, including Million Dollar Quartet, West Side Story, and Mamma Mia! The popular Music on the Rock® series, Studio 52 Family Programming, and a brand new Black Box series round out the 2022 season and mark a renewed beginning for FRP after a long pandemic shutdown.

 

Season subscriptions are on sale now. Music on the Rock® single tickets go on sale on January 24, 2022, and single tickets for all remaining shows go on sale on February 14, 2022.

 

The Music of Tom Petty

Feb. 24-March 5

 

Two Jews, Talking

A Hilarious Staged Reading

March 17-19

A side-splitting piece written by Ed. Weinberger, our characters take us on a rollicking romp through time! The two-act story brings Lou and Bud together in the Biblical past, and Phil and Marty together in contemporary Long Island. They philosophize about women, sex, food, the divine, and destiny in this tale of companionship and friendship.

 

The Music of Elton John

March 31-April 2

 

The Music of Neil Diamond

April 7-10

 

Catch Me If You Can

April 28-May 14

This comedy thriller is a classic gem with exciting twists and turns from beginning to end. “The final 15 minutes will reward you like a murder mystery should.” The New York Times

 

Million Dollar Quartet

May 20-June 19

Back by popular demand, the musical celebrates the historic Sam Phillips studio recording sessions of Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley.

 

The Music of the Eagles

An Outdoor Stadium Concert

June 18

Join Flat Rock Playhouse for another rockin’ evening of outdoor summer fun at West Henderson’s Athletic Stadium, Johnson Field.

 

West Side Story

July 1-30

The Romeo and Juliet inspired love story of Tony and Maria amid the Jets and Sharks gang rivalry. Ranked #1 in the most recent survey of theatre patrons.

 

Mozart to Pop Chart

The Musical Story Continues

August 5-13

Nat Zegree (Jerry Lee Lewis/Amadeus) is back to whisk you away on an all-new musical journey through the history and triumphs of music from Mozart to today’s current hits. Featuring many of the local region’s best rock and symphonic musicians!

 

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

August 19-Sept. 4

Don’t miss this fresh and relevant stage adaptation of the iconic film that starred the inimitable and great Sidney Poitier.

 


 

Introducing The Black Box Series.

September 15-October 9

 You’ve never experienced a play on The Rock like before. The audience and artists share the MainStage for an intimate and immersive theatre experience.  The Black Box Series will feature contemporary works, classics, and stories and playwrights from around the globe. Be among the first to join us on this new and exciting theatrical journey!

 

God of Carnage

Sept. 15-Oct. 8

A triple-Tony Award-winning Broadway sensation the New Yorker called “laugh-out-loud hilarity,” and “ninety minutes of sustained mayhem.”

 

Blood Knot

Sept. 16-Oct. 9

A play that asks us to dig beneath the surface of what makes us kin and what happens when we don’t like what we find there. By renowned South African playwright Athol Fugard.

 


 

Mamma Mia!

Encore Performance

Oct. 21-Nov. 13

The hugely popular mega-Broadway hit featuring the music of ABBA is back for an encore performance. Featuring songs like “Dancing Queen,” “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!,” “Honey Honey” and so many more.

 

A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas

November 25-December 22

The WNC tradition continues. Same great show, all new material. A Playhouse favorite that will leave you feeling merry and bright!

 

A Charlie Brown Christmas (Studio 52)

December 1-4

Everyone’s favorite holiday classic comes to life in a spectacular new production of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Adapted from Charles M. Schulz’s timeless story the whole family can enjoy. Join Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and the whole Peanuts gang as they sing, dance, and learn the true meaning of Christmas!

 

To learn more about the 2022 lineup and how to purchase your tickets, please visit the website at www.flatrockplayhouse.org.

 

FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE

 

In 1937, a group of struggling performers, led by Robroy Farquhar, organized themselves as the Vagabond Players. The Vagabonds worked in a variety of places over the course of three years, and in 1940 found themselves in the Blue Ridge region of Western North Carolina. The local and tourist community welcomed them with open arms when they presented their first summer season of plays in a 150-year-old grist mill they converted into The Old Mill Playhouse at Highland Lake. So successful was that summer, they returned in 1941. After WWII, the Vagabond Players reorganized came back to the region and opened a playhouse in nearby Lake Summit. The Lake Summit Playhouse thrived during the post-war years and soon the Vagabond Players were looking for a larger and permanent home. In 1952, the troupe of performers, and a newly formed board of directors made an offer to buy an 8-acre lot in the Village of Flat Rock. This new home made the Vagabonds “locals” and a rented big top gave birth to Flat Rock Playhouse. As the beautiful Western Carolina region continued to grow, so did the Playhouse and in 1961, by Act of the North Carolina General Assembly, Flat Rock Playhouse was officially designated The State Theatre of North Carolina. What began as a few weeks of summer performances in 1940 is now a nine-month season of plays including Broadway musicals, comedy, drama, and theatre for young audiences. The Playhouse’s dual mission of producing the performing arts and providing education in the performing arts includes a professional series; a summer and fall college apprentice and intern program; and Studio 52, year-round classes and workshops in theatre and film for students from kindergarten through adults. Flat Rock Playhouse now hosts over 98,000 patrons annually and is a significant contributor to the local economy and the Arts in North Carolina.

# # #

 

Go On A Blind Date With a Book at the Library This February
Feb 7 all-day
Buncombe County Libraries

Buncombe County Public Libraries is playing matchmaker in February as Blind Date with a Book returns. The blind date books are easy to spot; they’ll be the ones with the paper-wrapped book covers. Check one out and take it home. Remember, don’t judge a book by its cover, and you might fall in love with a new author, genre, or series you hadn’t tried before.

The Fairview, Swannanoa, Pack, Black Mountain, Leicester, and North Asheville Libraries will be happy to set you up on your blind date anytime in February.

Matinee Series for Students and Families SHAKESPEARE’S MACBETH
Feb 7 @ 10:00 am
Diana Wortham Theatre

MATINEE SERIES FOR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES

Aquila Theatre

Recommended for Grades 6-12

Supplement your classic literature lesson this semester with a stunning live performance of one of Shakespeare’s most exciting plays. On a deserted moor shrouded in mist, a warrior returning from the battlefield receives a chilling prophecy — leaving students on the edges of their seats as this thrilling tale unfolds.

This is the same full-length production that will be presented at the public performance on Sat. February 5 at 8 p.m. If you have questions or concerns about content, please contact the box office.

Updated safety policy, effective September 1, 2021: To ensure the health and wellness of students, patrons, artists, staff and volunteers, masks are required at all times for all students, patrons and visitors regardless of vaccination status.

MUSICAL THEATRE 3rd – 5th Grades ​(In – Person)
Feb 7 @ 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Studio 52

Picture

Dive into the world of Broadway in this high-energy, low-pressure class exploring the plot, characters, music, and dances of a musical! Learn songs from the show, put your best foot forward with fun musical theatre-style choreography, and explore scene work in this process-based class that builds theatre skills and a sense of ensemble. With an emphasis on creative play, improvisation, and theatre technique, young artists will leave this class having tried their hand at all of the key elements of musical theatre. No experience is necessary.

Production Class: PETER PAN
Feb 7 @ 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Asheville Performing Arts Academy
PETER PAN (the play)

**All Ages**

Rehearsals: Mondays & Wednesdays, 5:30pm – 7:00pm (classes begin in February)

Show: June 3-5, 2022

 

J.M. Berrie’s seminal play that brought us the boy that would never grow up!

It tells the story of Wendy, John and Michael Darling’s adventures in Neverland with the inimitable Peter Pan, “the boy who would not grow up.” In Neverland, the Darlings are introduced to the Lost Boys, Peter’s jealous fairy friend Tinker Bell, the infamous pirate Captain Hook, and the crocodile who swallowed Hook’s hand.

Peter Pan Play3

Register Now

Improv I: The Basics of Inspired Improvisation
Feb 7 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

Taught by Tom Chalmers
Ages 18+
Feb 7-Mar 14, 2022 | Mondays at 6:30-8:30 PM

This class will be offered in person on the ACT Mainstage, following all the recommended protocols for safety and sanitation. Limited to 8 students. In person classes are 50 minutes with an added 10 minutes for temperature checks. For ages 18+.

This course covers the fundamentals of improvisational acting with an emphasis on comedy; such as listening, commitment, intuitive reaction, as well as recognizing and capitalizing on emerging patterns. Final showcase to be held on Friday, March 18th. Tuition will be $180.00 – payment plans and scholarships will both be available.

Neil deGrasse Tyson An Astrophysicist Goes to the Movies – The Sequel
Feb 7 @ 7:30 pm
Thomas Wolfe Auditorium

Derived from an entirely different set of films, from the Wizard of Oz to Mary Poppins to Interstellar to Game of Thrones. An entertaining and enlightening review of all the science that our favorite movies got wrong, combined with some of the stuff they got right. Incorporates the latest films as well as some classics that you may not have known had any science in them at all.

Tuesday, February 8, 2022
Black Legacy Month at the Library
Feb 8 all-day
Buncombe County Libraries

In February, we honor and recognize Black Legacy Month at Buncombe County Public Libraries. We will be celebrating throughout February through several online events, staff-curated booklists, and a collection of online resources and exhibits.

Virtual book clubs will discuss On Girlhood by Glory Edim and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. You can register for either book club on the library calendar.

When you visit your library, look for special Black Legacy Month displays and book selections.

Below, you will find our Librarians’ reading list highlighting Black authors that include selections for all ages.

We look forward to seeing you at the library!

Black Legacy Month Reading List

Books for Families to Share

My Heart Flies Open by Omileye Achikeobi-Lewis

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander

The Electric Slide and Kai by Kelly J. Baptist

Soul Food Sunday by Winsome Bingham

This Is Your Time by Ruby Bridges

Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes

Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renee Watson

The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Hubbard

Recognize! An Anthology Honoring and Amplifying Black Life Edited by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson

Going Down Home with Daddy by Kelly Starling Lyons

My Hair Is Magic by M.L. Marroquin

M is for Melanin by Tiffany Rose

Exquisite: the Life of Gwendolyn Brooks by Suzanne Buckingham Slade

Nina: a Story of Nina Simone by Traci N. Todd

Dream Street by Tricia Elam Walker

Chapter Books For Older Kids

Isaiah Dunn is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist

Blended by Sharon Draper

The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

New Kid by Jerry Craft

From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks

Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood edited by Kwame Mbalia

Betty Before X by Ilyasah Shabazz

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Books for Teens

The Skin I’m In by Sharon G. Flake

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

March by John Lewis and Andrew Ayden

Revolution in Our Time: the Black Panther’s Promise to the People by Kekla Magoon

Loving vs. Virginia by Patricia Powell

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi

Books for Adults

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet

The Yellow House by Sarah Broom

I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown

You Are Your Best Thing edited by Tarana Burke

Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Soul City: Race, Equality, and the Lost Dream of an American Utopia by Thomas Healy

All About Love by bell hooks

Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women that Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall

400 Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Disha Philyaw

How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

Flat Rock Playhouse’s 2022 Season
Feb 8 all-day
Flat Rock Playhouse

This year will feature an exhilarating blend of beloved productions, including Million Dollar Quartet, West Side Story, and Mamma Mia! The popular Music on the Rock® series, Studio 52 Family Programming, and a brand new Black Box series round out the 2022 season and mark a renewed beginning for FRP after a long pandemic shutdown.

 

Season subscriptions are on sale now. Music on the Rock® single tickets go on sale on January 24, 2022, and single tickets for all remaining shows go on sale on February 14, 2022.

 

The Music of Tom Petty

Feb. 24-March 5

 

Two Jews, Talking

A Hilarious Staged Reading

March 17-19

A side-splitting piece written by Ed. Weinberger, our characters take us on a rollicking romp through time! The two-act story brings Lou and Bud together in the Biblical past, and Phil and Marty together in contemporary Long Island. They philosophize about women, sex, food, the divine, and destiny in this tale of companionship and friendship.

 

The Music of Elton John

March 31-April 2

 

The Music of Neil Diamond

April 7-10

 

Catch Me If You Can

April 28-May 14

This comedy thriller is a classic gem with exciting twists and turns from beginning to end. “The final 15 minutes will reward you like a murder mystery should.” The New York Times

 

Million Dollar Quartet

May 20-June 19

Back by popular demand, the musical celebrates the historic Sam Phillips studio recording sessions of Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley.

 

The Music of the Eagles

An Outdoor Stadium Concert

June 18

Join Flat Rock Playhouse for another rockin’ evening of outdoor summer fun at West Henderson’s Athletic Stadium, Johnson Field.

 

West Side Story

July 1-30

The Romeo and Juliet inspired love story of Tony and Maria amid the Jets and Sharks gang rivalry. Ranked #1 in the most recent survey of theatre patrons.

 

Mozart to Pop Chart

The Musical Story Continues

August 5-13

Nat Zegree (Jerry Lee Lewis/Amadeus) is back to whisk you away on an all-new musical journey through the history and triumphs of music from Mozart to today’s current hits. Featuring many of the local region’s best rock and symphonic musicians!

 

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

August 19-Sept. 4

Don’t miss this fresh and relevant stage adaptation of the iconic film that starred the inimitable and great Sidney Poitier.

 


 

Introducing The Black Box Series.

September 15-October 9

 You’ve never experienced a play on The Rock like before. The audience and artists share the MainStage for an intimate and immersive theatre experience.  The Black Box Series will feature contemporary works, classics, and stories and playwrights from around the globe. Be among the first to join us on this new and exciting theatrical journey!

 

God of Carnage

Sept. 15-Oct. 8

A triple-Tony Award-winning Broadway sensation the New Yorker called “laugh-out-loud hilarity,” and “ninety minutes of sustained mayhem.”

 

Blood Knot

Sept. 16-Oct. 9

A play that asks us to dig beneath the surface of what makes us kin and what happens when we don’t like what we find there. By renowned South African playwright Athol Fugard.

 


 

Mamma Mia!

Encore Performance

Oct. 21-Nov. 13

The hugely popular mega-Broadway hit featuring the music of ABBA is back for an encore performance. Featuring songs like “Dancing Queen,” “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!,” “Honey Honey” and so many more.

 

A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas

November 25-December 22

The WNC tradition continues. Same great show, all new material. A Playhouse favorite that will leave you feeling merry and bright!

 

A Charlie Brown Christmas (Studio 52)

December 1-4

Everyone’s favorite holiday classic comes to life in a spectacular new production of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Adapted from Charles M. Schulz’s timeless story the whole family can enjoy. Join Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and the whole Peanuts gang as they sing, dance, and learn the true meaning of Christmas!

 

To learn more about the 2022 lineup and how to purchase your tickets, please visit the website at www.flatrockplayhouse.org.

 

FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE

 

In 1937, a group of struggling performers, led by Robroy Farquhar, organized themselves as the Vagabond Players. The Vagabonds worked in a variety of places over the course of three years, and in 1940 found themselves in the Blue Ridge region of Western North Carolina. The local and tourist community welcomed them with open arms when they presented their first summer season of plays in a 150-year-old grist mill they converted into The Old Mill Playhouse at Highland Lake. So successful was that summer, they returned in 1941. After WWII, the Vagabond Players reorganized came back to the region and opened a playhouse in nearby Lake Summit. The Lake Summit Playhouse thrived during the post-war years and soon the Vagabond Players were looking for a larger and permanent home. In 1952, the troupe of performers, and a newly formed board of directors made an offer to buy an 8-acre lot in the Village of Flat Rock. This new home made the Vagabonds “locals” and a rented big top gave birth to Flat Rock Playhouse. As the beautiful Western Carolina region continued to grow, so did the Playhouse and in 1961, by Act of the North Carolina General Assembly, Flat Rock Playhouse was officially designated The State Theatre of North Carolina. What began as a few weeks of summer performances in 1940 is now a nine-month season of plays including Broadway musicals, comedy, drama, and theatre for young audiences. The Playhouse’s dual mission of producing the performing arts and providing education in the performing arts includes a professional series; a summer and fall college apprentice and intern program; and Studio 52, year-round classes and workshops in theatre and film for students from kindergarten through adults. Flat Rock Playhouse now hosts over 98,000 patrons annually and is a significant contributor to the local economy and the Arts in North Carolina.

# # #

 

Go On A Blind Date With a Book at the Library This February
Feb 8 all-day
Buncombe County Libraries

Buncombe County Public Libraries is playing matchmaker in February as Blind Date with a Book returns. The blind date books are easy to spot; they’ll be the ones with the paper-wrapped book covers. Check one out and take it home. Remember, don’t judge a book by its cover, and you might fall in love with a new author, genre, or series you hadn’t tried before.

The Fairview, Swannanoa, Pack, Black Mountain, Leicester, and North Asheville Libraries will be happy to set you up on your blind date anytime in February.

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz
Feb 8 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
hybrid: Leicester Library and Zoom

Leicester Library Book Discussion Group - ONLINE DISCUSSION

For those patrons who are unable to attend book club in person, we are offering this online discussion of February’s book, The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz. Newcomers welcome!

Please sign up here to receive information for the Zoom link.

Tanglewood Youth Theatre Classes: Journey to Imaginationland
Feb 8 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

Taught by Janice Schreiber
Ages 5-7
Feb 8-Mar 29, 2022 | Tuesdays 

Join us on our way to imaginationland! Students will learn the basics of performance technique, explore exciting characterizations, and use their bodies, voices, and imaginations to bring stories and characters to life. Some of our favorite cartoon and real life characters just might make an appearance! Tuition will be $125.00 – payment plans and scholarships will both be available.

IMPROV 3rd – 5th Grades ​(In-Person)
Feb 8 @ 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Studio 52

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Learn the fundamentals of improv in this fun, on-your-feet class! Learn to think outside of the box, collaborate, and build on a creative idea by saying “yes! and…”  Through exercises, improv games, and high-energy activities students will learn to take risks, access creativity, gain confidence, and discover the FUN in fundamental improvisation. This is a process-based class focused on skill and ensemble building.  

Tanglewood Youth Theatre Classes: Physical Comedy and Clowning
Feb 8 @ 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

Taught by Jon Monastero
Ages 10-13
Feb 8-Mar 29, 2022 | Tuesdays

This weekly workshop is an exciting, challenging, inspiring, and fun way for students to push themselves. We will dance, sing, act, not act, be and not be, immersed in the topsy-turvy, upside-down and messy world of the clown. Please dress to move. Tuition will be $175.00 – payment plans and scholarships will both be available.

Tanglewood Youth Theatre Classes: Youth Acting: And Scene!
Feb 8 @ 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

Youth Acting: And Scene!

Taught by Michael Jorizzo
Ages 8-12
Feb 8-Mar 29, 2022 | Tuesdays

Learn how to bring scripts to life! During this class, students will explore short scenes and learn to analyze scripts, make strong acting choices, and create compelling characters. Students pick their favorite scenes for a showcase during the final class. Tuition will be $175.00 – payment plans and scholarships will both be available.

Auditions: THE GIVER NON-MUSICAL
Feb 8 @ 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

THE GIVER

NON-MUSICAL

Adapted by Eric Coble from the Newbery Award-winning book by Lois Lowry

Co-directed by Robert Dale Walker and Shari Azar

AUDITION DATES: Monday, February 7 and Tuesday, February 8, 2021; 5:30-7:30 pm

PRODUCTION DATES: April 22-May 15, 2022; Performances Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 2:30 pm; Cast must plan to arrive at least 1 hour prior to show time.

REHEARSALS: Full rehearsal calendar available at auditions – you are able to list any conflicts you have with the rehearsal schedule at this time.

DIRECTOR SEEKS: Actors of any gender identity, race or ethnicity will be considered for any desired role indicated on their audition sheet. All roles will be presented as they are gendered in the script.

BROADWAY DANCE 4th – 7th Grades ​(In – Person)
Feb 8 @ 5:45 pm – 6:45 pm
Studio 52

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Boogie to Broadway in this low-pressure, high-energy Broadway Dance Class focusing on fun musical theatre steps and choreography for all levels! With an emphasis on listening and focus, body awareness, musicality, characterization through movement, and picking up steps, young actors will learn choreography from Broadway favorites and leave feeling more confident in their next audition or production. No prior experience is necessary.

Improv II: Beyond the Basics – Learning to Fly
Feb 8 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

Taught by Tom Chalmers
Ages 18+
Feb 8-Mar 15, 2022 | Tuesdays at 6:30-8:30 PM

PREREQUISITE: Improv I or extensive improv experience (*must be pre-approved by instructor)

Improv II reinforces all of the skills learned in Improv 1 by applying those skills to advanced scene work, character creation structures, and at times intentionally conflict-filled scenarios. Final showcase to be held on Friday, March 18th. Tuition will be $180.00 – payment plans and scholarships will both be available.

BROADWAY DANCE 8th – 12th Grades (In – Person)
Feb 8 @ 7:00 pm – 8:15 pm
Studio 52

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Get moving in this fun, high-energy, four-week dance class focusing on Broadway-style choreography and technique. Each class features a full-body warm up, a step-by-step breakdown of theatre dance vocabulary, across-the-floor exercises, and Broadway-style choreography to learn and perfect. Join Studio 52 to get a weekly workout, learn how to fill your movement with character, and step into your next dance audition or production feeling confident. No prior experience is required. Dancers of all levels can expect to learn some new musical theatre moves, break a sweat, and have fun!

PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL
Feb 8 @ 7:30 pm
Peace Concert Hall

“Irresistible! A romantic fantasy. A contemporary fairy tale.” (The Hollywood Reporter)

After an incredible run on Broadway, Audience Choice Award-winner Pretty Woman: The Musical is coming to Greenville! One of Hollywood’s most beloved stories of all time, Pretty Woman: The Musical is brought to life by a powerhouse creative team representing the best of music, Hollywood, and Broadway. Featuring direction and choreography by two-time Tony Award® winner Jerry Mitchell (Hairspray, Kinky Boots, Legally Blonde), an original score by Grammy® winner Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance (“Summer of ’69,” “Heaven”), and a book by the movie’s legendary director Garry Marshall and screenwriter J.F. Lawton, Pretty Woman: The Musical will lift your spirits and light up your heart. “If you love the movie, you’ll love the musical!” (BuzzFeed News).

Featured in the musical is Roy Orbison and Bill Dee’s international smash hit song “Oh, Pretty Woman,” which inspired one of the most beloved romantic comedy films of all time. Pretty Woman the film was an international smash hit when it was released in 1990. Now, 30 years later, Pretty Woman: The Musical still “Dazzles!” (Deadline) and is “Big romance and big fun!” (Broadway.com). Pretty Woman: The Musical delivers on all the iconic moments you remember. Get ready to experience this dazzling theatrical take on a love story for the ages.

Official Website

 

Wednesday, February 9, 2022
Black Legacy Month at the Library
Feb 9 all-day
Buncombe County Libraries

In February, we honor and recognize Black Legacy Month at Buncombe County Public Libraries. We will be celebrating throughout February through several online events, staff-curated booklists, and a collection of online resources and exhibits.

Virtual book clubs will discuss On Girlhood by Glory Edim and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. You can register for either book club on the library calendar.

When you visit your library, look for special Black Legacy Month displays and book selections.

Below, you will find our Librarians’ reading list highlighting Black authors that include selections for all ages.

We look forward to seeing you at the library!

Black Legacy Month Reading List

Books for Families to Share

My Heart Flies Open by Omileye Achikeobi-Lewis

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander

The Electric Slide and Kai by Kelly J. Baptist

Soul Food Sunday by Winsome Bingham

This Is Your Time by Ruby Bridges

Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes

Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renee Watson

The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Hubbard

Recognize! An Anthology Honoring and Amplifying Black Life Edited by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson

Going Down Home with Daddy by Kelly Starling Lyons

My Hair Is Magic by M.L. Marroquin

M is for Melanin by Tiffany Rose

Exquisite: the Life of Gwendolyn Brooks by Suzanne Buckingham Slade

Nina: a Story of Nina Simone by Traci N. Todd

Dream Street by Tricia Elam Walker

Chapter Books For Older Kids

Isaiah Dunn is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist

Blended by Sharon Draper

The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

New Kid by Jerry Craft

From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks

Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood edited by Kwame Mbalia

Betty Before X by Ilyasah Shabazz

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Books for Teens

The Skin I’m In by Sharon G. Flake

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

March by John Lewis and Andrew Ayden

Revolution in Our Time: the Black Panther’s Promise to the People by Kekla Magoon

Loving vs. Virginia by Patricia Powell

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi

Books for Adults

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet

The Yellow House by Sarah Broom

I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown

You Are Your Best Thing edited by Tarana Burke

Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Soul City: Race, Equality, and the Lost Dream of an American Utopia by Thomas Healy

All About Love by bell hooks

Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women that Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall

400 Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Disha Philyaw

How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

Flat Rock Playhouse’s 2022 Season
Feb 9 all-day
Flat Rock Playhouse

This year will feature an exhilarating blend of beloved productions, including Million Dollar Quartet, West Side Story, and Mamma Mia! The popular Music on the Rock® series, Studio 52 Family Programming, and a brand new Black Box series round out the 2022 season and mark a renewed beginning for FRP after a long pandemic shutdown.

 

Season subscriptions are on sale now. Music on the Rock® single tickets go on sale on January 24, 2022, and single tickets for all remaining shows go on sale on February 14, 2022.

 

The Music of Tom Petty

Feb. 24-March 5

 

Two Jews, Talking

A Hilarious Staged Reading

March 17-19

A side-splitting piece written by Ed. Weinberger, our characters take us on a rollicking romp through time! The two-act story brings Lou and Bud together in the Biblical past, and Phil and Marty together in contemporary Long Island. They philosophize about women, sex, food, the divine, and destiny in this tale of companionship and friendship.

 

The Music of Elton John

March 31-April 2

 

The Music of Neil Diamond

April 7-10

 

Catch Me If You Can

April 28-May 14

This comedy thriller is a classic gem with exciting twists and turns from beginning to end. “The final 15 minutes will reward you like a murder mystery should.” The New York Times

 

Million Dollar Quartet

May 20-June 19

Back by popular demand, the musical celebrates the historic Sam Phillips studio recording sessions of Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley.

 

The Music of the Eagles

An Outdoor Stadium Concert

June 18

Join Flat Rock Playhouse for another rockin’ evening of outdoor summer fun at West Henderson’s Athletic Stadium, Johnson Field.

 

West Side Story

July 1-30

The Romeo and Juliet inspired love story of Tony and Maria amid the Jets and Sharks gang rivalry. Ranked #1 in the most recent survey of theatre patrons.

 

Mozart to Pop Chart

The Musical Story Continues

August 5-13

Nat Zegree (Jerry Lee Lewis/Amadeus) is back to whisk you away on an all-new musical journey through the history and triumphs of music from Mozart to today’s current hits. Featuring many of the local region’s best rock and symphonic musicians!

 

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

August 19-Sept. 4

Don’t miss this fresh and relevant stage adaptation of the iconic film that starred the inimitable and great Sidney Poitier.

 


 

Introducing The Black Box Series.

September 15-October 9

 You’ve never experienced a play on The Rock like before. The audience and artists share the MainStage for an intimate and immersive theatre experience.  The Black Box Series will feature contemporary works, classics, and stories and playwrights from around the globe. Be among the first to join us on this new and exciting theatrical journey!

 

God of Carnage

Sept. 15-Oct. 8

A triple-Tony Award-winning Broadway sensation the New Yorker called “laugh-out-loud hilarity,” and “ninety minutes of sustained mayhem.”

 

Blood Knot

Sept. 16-Oct. 9

A play that asks us to dig beneath the surface of what makes us kin and what happens when we don’t like what we find there. By renowned South African playwright Athol Fugard.

 


 

Mamma Mia!

Encore Performance

Oct. 21-Nov. 13

The hugely popular mega-Broadway hit featuring the music of ABBA is back for an encore performance. Featuring songs like “Dancing Queen,” “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!,” “Honey Honey” and so many more.

 

A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas

November 25-December 22

The WNC tradition continues. Same great show, all new material. A Playhouse favorite that will leave you feeling merry and bright!

 

A Charlie Brown Christmas (Studio 52)

December 1-4

Everyone’s favorite holiday classic comes to life in a spectacular new production of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Adapted from Charles M. Schulz’s timeless story the whole family can enjoy. Join Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and the whole Peanuts gang as they sing, dance, and learn the true meaning of Christmas!

 

To learn more about the 2022 lineup and how to purchase your tickets, please visit the website at www.flatrockplayhouse.org.

 

FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE

 

In 1937, a group of struggling performers, led by Robroy Farquhar, organized themselves as the Vagabond Players. The Vagabonds worked in a variety of places over the course of three years, and in 1940 found themselves in the Blue Ridge region of Western North Carolina. The local and tourist community welcomed them with open arms when they presented their first summer season of plays in a 150-year-old grist mill they converted into The Old Mill Playhouse at Highland Lake. So successful was that summer, they returned in 1941. After WWII, the Vagabond Players reorganized came back to the region and opened a playhouse in nearby Lake Summit. The Lake Summit Playhouse thrived during the post-war years and soon the Vagabond Players were looking for a larger and permanent home. In 1952, the troupe of performers, and a newly formed board of directors made an offer to buy an 8-acre lot in the Village of Flat Rock. This new home made the Vagabonds “locals” and a rented big top gave birth to Flat Rock Playhouse. As the beautiful Western Carolina region continued to grow, so did the Playhouse and in 1961, by Act of the North Carolina General Assembly, Flat Rock Playhouse was officially designated The State Theatre of North Carolina. What began as a few weeks of summer performances in 1940 is now a nine-month season of plays including Broadway musicals, comedy, drama, and theatre for young audiences. The Playhouse’s dual mission of producing the performing arts and providing education in the performing arts includes a professional series; a summer and fall college apprentice and intern program; and Studio 52, year-round classes and workshops in theatre and film for students from kindergarten through adults. Flat Rock Playhouse now hosts over 98,000 patrons annually and is a significant contributor to the local economy and the Arts in North Carolina.

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Go On A Blind Date With a Book at the Library This February
Feb 9 all-day
Buncombe County Libraries

Buncombe County Public Libraries is playing matchmaker in February as Blind Date with a Book returns. The blind date books are easy to spot; they’ll be the ones with the paper-wrapped book covers. Check one out and take it home. Remember, don’t judge a book by its cover, and you might fall in love with a new author, genre, or series you hadn’t tried before.

The Fairview, Swannanoa, Pack, Black Mountain, Leicester, and North Asheville Libraries will be happy to set you up on your blind date anytime in February.

Pack Memorial Library Book Club
Feb 9 @ 10:30 am – 11:30 am
online

Pack Library Book Club - ONLINE ONLY in February

The Pack Library Book is a book discussion group that meets the second Wednesday of each month at 10:30AM  at the library. PLEASE NOTE: due to rise in Covid in our community the February meeting will only be held online. To register for the online session, please go to: us06web.zoom.us…

This month we will be reading Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro.

From her place in the store that sells artificial friends, Klara–an artificial friend with outstanding observational qualities–watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass in the street outside. She remains hopeful a customer will soon choose her, but when the possibility emerges that her circumstances may change forever, Klara is warned not to invest too much in the promises of humans. In this luminous tale, Klara and the Sun, Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro looks at our rapidly changing modern world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator to explore a fundamental question: what does it mean to love?

Discussion Bound: Off the Wall: A Portrait of Robert Rauschenberg by Calvin Tompkins
Feb 9 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Free for Members or included with Museum admission

Calvin Tomkins first discovered the work of Robert Rauschenberg in the late 1950s, when he began to look seriously at contemporary art. While gazing at Rauschenberg’s painting Double Feature, Tomkins felt compelled to make some kind of literal connection to the work, and it is in that sprit that “for the last forty years it’s been [his] ambition to write about contemporary art not as a critic or a judge, but as a participant.” Tomkins has spent many of those years writing about Robert Rauschenberg, whom he rapidly came to see as “one of the most inventive and influential artists of his generation.” So it seemed natural to make Rauschenberg the focus of Off the Wall, which deals with the radical changes that have made advanced visual art such a powerful force in the world.

Off the Wall chronicles the astonishingly creative period of the 1950s and 1960s, a high point in American art. In his collaborations with Merce Cunningham and John Cage, and as a pivotal figure linking Abstract Expressionism and Pop art, Rauschenberg was part of a revolution during which artists moved art off the walls of museums and galleries and into the center of the social scene. Rauschenberg’s vitally important and productive career spans this revolution, reaching beyond it to the present day. Featuring the artists and the art world surrounding Rauschenberg—from Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning to Jasper Johns, Frank Stella, and Andy Warhol, together with dealers Betty Parsons, Leo Castelli, and the patron Peggy Guggenheim—Tomkins’s stylish and witty portrait of one of America’s most original and inspiring artists is fascinating, enlightening, and very entertaining.

Moderated by Judy Upjohn, touring docent. Presented in conjunction with Ruminations on Memory.

DISCUSSION BOUND

This monthly discussion is a place to exchange ideas about readings that relate to artworks and the art world, and to learn from and about each other. Books are available at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café for a 10% discount. To add your name to our Discussion Bound mailing list, click here or call 828.253.3227 x133.

ACTING Class: ​​K – 2nd Grades (In – Person)
Feb 9 @ 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Studio 52

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In this high-energy acting class, young artists will use their voices, bodies, and imaginations as tools to create new characters, atmospheres, and narratives inspired by books! With fun exercises, games, and activities rooted in creative play, students will learn the fundamentals of theatre while also gaining confidence, sensory awareness, focus, and the ability to collaborate within a group. This is a process-based class focused on skill and ensemble building.