Arts and entertainment briefs

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, April 13, 2011

The theme for the Salisbury Symphony’s upcoming concert on Saturday, April 16, is “Fantasy.”
The concert is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Keppel Auditorium at Catawba College. Ticket prices are $20 for adults, $6 for students, and $4 for children 8 years and younger.
The concert will begin with a birthday tribute to Franz Liszt with Preludes, followed by pianist Teresa Walters performing Liszt’s Hungarian Fantasy, folk-like melodies that evoke music performed by Gypsy bands.
Teresa Walters is known worldwide as “the International First Lady of Piano” and is the first American pianist invited by Hungary to perform recitals honoring the 200th anniversary of Liszt’s birthday. She has performed all over the world, and her Lincoln Center recital in New York was sold out and won a standing ovation.
After intermission, “feel” the lush beauty of Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis. Conductor David Hagy will have some members of the strings section play from the balcony so that the audience experiences it in “surround-sound.”
The program ends with a finale of the well-loved Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland.
Prior to the concert, the Salisbury Symphony Guild will be holding the “Basket Bonanza” fundraiser. A hundred themed baskets have been donated to the Guild and the public is invited to the Crystal Lounge from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on the afternoon of April 16 to view the baskets, buy tickets for chances to win, and help support the Salisbury Symphony. Two door prizes – an iPad and a weekend at Myrtle Beach – are included in the event. More information about “Basket Bonanza” is available by calling the Symphony office at 704-637-4314.
Tickets to the concert are available at the Symphony office and locations around town. They are $20 for adults, $6 for students and $4 children 8 and younger. .Call 704-637-4314 or visit www.salisburysymphony.org for details.
Planetarium event
“The Mars Story” will be presented at the Margaret C. Woodson Planetarium on Saturday, April 16, at 5 p.m. The show will present spectacular detailed views of the Red Planet.
Doors will open at 4:30 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for guests 12 and under.
The planetarium is located at 1636 Parkview Circle. Park and enter in the back of the building accessible from Lilly Avenue. For information, contact Horizons Unlimited at 704-639-3004.
‘Being There’ screening
The film “Being There” will be shown at Tom Smith Auditorium in Ketner Hall, on the Catawba College campus, at 3 p.m, Sunday, April 17. It is sponsored by the Religion and Philosophy Department at Catawba College as well as by Center for Faith & the Arts.
Though the screening of the film is for a course at the college, anyone is welcome to attend and to participate in the discussion afterwards. There will be light refreshments available. Note that the film was rated PG due to language and some sexual content.
This 1979 feature is directed by Hal Ashby (“Harold and Maude”, “Coming Home”) and stars Peter Sellers. The story comes from a novella by Jerzy Kosinski.
For more information about this event, contact Dr. Seth Holtzman at Catawba College at 704-637-4229 or Sarah Hall at Center for Faith & the Arts at 704-647-0999.
Library anniversary
Rowan Public Library celebrates its centennial this year. 2011 marks the one hundredth anniversary of the public library in Rowan County.
April is also the anniversary of General George Stoneman’s Civil War offensive in Rowan County, an attack which included razing the Salisbury Confederate Prison in 1865.
As part of a series of centennial events, Rowan Public Library hosts Chris Hartley, author of “Stoneman’s Raid, 1865,”on Tuesday, April 19 at 7 p.m. at the Salisbury location for a lively talk about Stoneman and his incursion though six southern states and his capture of cities including Salisbury and Christiansburg.
Hartley’s work has been praised as filling a “woeful gap in North Carolina’s Civil War history.” A reception and book signing follow the program.
‘Farnsworth’ auditions
Piedmont Players Theatre (PPT) announces auditions for the next mainstage production, “The Farnsworth Invention,” a new play from Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin.
It’s 1929. Two ambitious visionaries race against each other to invent a device called “television.” Who will unlock the key to the greatest innovation of the 20th century: the ruthless media mogul, or the self-taught Idaho farm boy?
Auditions are April 19-20 at 7 p.m. in the third floor Meroney Theater Rehearsal Hall. Character listings and breakdowns are available at www.piedmontplayers.com.
Show dates are June 2-5. The Meroney Theater is located at 213 S. Main St. Call 704-633-5471 for details.
Faith Idol competition
FAITH — Registrations are now being accepted for the Faith Idol Competition, which is held during the Faith 4th of July Celebration.
Categories are • 12 and under • age 13 – 18 • adult (19 and up). The registration fee is $10 and the deadline is Wednesday, June 15. Contact Pam Alexander at 704-279-2256 for details.
Canton Jones performs
On Sunday, April 17 at 6 p.m., Canton Jones will perform live in concert at The Event Center, 315 Webb Road.
Part singer, songwriter, producer, vocal arranger and entrepreneur, Canton Jones began his career as a Gospel music artist (hip hop, R&B and urban gospel), and has produced four albums. He can be found at www.cantonjones.net.
Tickets are $ 10. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 704-855-1218 or visit theeventcenter.net.
Pfeiffer Concert Choir
MISENHEIMER — The Concert Choir of Pfeiffer University, under the direction of Joseph Judge, director of choral and vocal music, will present René Clausen’s “A New Creation” on Saturday, April 16 at 7 p.m. in the Henry Pfeiffer Chapel on the Misenheimer campus.
The concert will feature student soloists, and an 18 piece orchestra. The concert is free and open to the public.
For more information about the program, contact Judge at joseph.judge@fsmail.pfeiffer.edu.
Taste of Home event
CHINA GROVE — The fourth annual Taste of Home Cooking School, featuring culinary specialist Michelle Roberts, will be held on Tuesday, April 19 in the auditorium of South Rowan High School, 1655 Patterson St.
Doors open 4:30 p.m. and the show starts at 6:30. Tickets and cookbooks are available at the Salisbury Post. Tickets can be purchased by phone (704-797-4220) or by coming to the Post, 131 W. Innes St. Tickets are $10 and three different cookbooks are available.
Tour de Yadkin event
LEWISVILLE — The next in the series of Tour de Yadkin events will begin at 8:30 a.m. on April 16. Earth Day River Cleanup with REI starts at Old US 421 Park in Lewisville and continues to Tanglewood Park.
From 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on April 17 is Paddle and Picnic: paddle from Huntsville to Tanglewood Park in Winston-Salem to picnic on the river.
See YadkinRiverkeeper.org for information.
‘Loosen Up!’ workshop
Professional artist Phyllis Steimel will hold two painting sworkshop for all skill levels. Attendees are invited to bring their choice of art medium and a bag lunch and learn to “loosen up” and have fun with painting.
Theworkshops are May 14 and May 21 from 9:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Waterworks Visual Arts Center, 123 E. Liberty St.
One Saturday workshop is $40 nembers, $55 non-members; for both workhops the cost is $75 members, $90 non-members.
Call 704-636-1882 to register, or email marketing@waterworks.org. Registration deadline is Friday, May 6.