Lee Street theatre presents the sixth annual Original 10-Minute Play Festival, “Office Hours.” Tonight at 7:30 p.m. is opening night for these six never-before -produced short comedies. The show continues Friday and Saturday and again next weekend, May 15 to 17.
Tickets are $15 at www.leestreet.org
Lee Street theatre & Performing Arts Center is located at 329 N. Lee St.
Dr. Blockheart’s Family Practice, a musical edutainment comedy that teaches both young and old about the benefit of a heart healthy lifestyle, will take the stage at Spoken Space Theatre May 9 and 10.
The playwright, Alvin F. Borders of Winston-Salem, is a community leadership captain for the American Heart Association and Neighbors In Action (NIA) committee member. Borders also works as an asset-based community organizer.
“I was inspired to write a play called Dr. ‘Blockheart’s Family Practice’ in which the cardiologist, Dr. Blockheart, is concerned about the community and sends out invitations to participants in the community that are at risk for heart disease,” says Borders.
The participants who accept the invitation are Sexy Reggie, Sister Bigbone, “SUYU,” a local attorney, Soul Sister, Know It All and Tay Tay, a local teen mom.
They attend Dr. Blockheart’s quarterly seminar bringing their drama and interesting personalities with them, causing Dr. Blockheart to have a light stroke.
“The class participants have to use what Dr. Blockheart has taught them to revive him and put him back on the right track.”
The show also includes some audience participation that teaches CPR and what to do in case of an emergency.
The Winston-Salem troupe will perform twice in Salisbury: Friday and Saturday, May 9 and 10, at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $10 at the door and are also available at www.eventbrite.com
CONCORD — The Piedmont Prime Time Community Band will present a free concert at 7 p.m. this evening. “Made in America” is the final concert of the spring semester, with the spotlight on American composers past and present. It will be held at Jay M. Robinson High School, 300 Pitts School Road SW. Conducted by Dr. Laurence Marks and Charles Emerich.
St. John’s Lutheran Church Men’s Chorus will present its 19th annual spring concert, “The Gift of Music!,” at 4 p.m. Sunday in the sanctuary of St. John’s Lutheran Church. The Inner Voices, an auditioned ensemble of Men’s Chorus members, will also perform.
The Men’s Chorus is directed by Rosemary C. Kinard. Guest accompanist is Matthew Brown. Instrumentalists will include Michelle Trivette, saxophone; Deanna Rattray, flute; Ken Mowery, synthesizer, Daniel Trivette, percussion; and Rob Durocher, minister of music, organist. Also featured will be the St. John’s LutherRingers Handbell Choir, directed by Kimberly Lentz.
One special piece that will be sung is “One Faith, One Hope, One Lord,” by Craig Courtney. The family of Dr. Gordon Senter donated copies of this music to the chorus in his memory. Senter, a longtime men’s chorus member, died in 2013.
A special offering will benefit the Community Care Clinic, which offers free medical and dental care to adults in need. This benefit performance is free and open to the public. A nursery will be provided. In honor of Mother’s Day, a flower will be presented to the women in the audience.
The final Relay for Life event of this year, the Sheriff’s Relay for Life celebration Gospel concert, will be held at the Rowan County Fairground this Saturday beginning at 6 a.m.
At 1 p.m. the live Gospel music concert begins, featuring the groups Strings of Victory, Darrell Connor and the Country Legends, By His Blood, Michael Thomas “Elvis,” Heirline and Driven.
Food will be sold throughout the day and there will be a silent auction. Proceeds go to Rowan County Relay for Life to continue the fight against cancer.
“Look Homeward, Angel” the Pulitzer Prize- winning story by Thomas Wolfe about the coming of age of Eugene Gant in the small town of Altamont, is the final show of Piedmont Players’ season.
Auditions for the show will be held Tuesday, June 3 and Wednesday, June 4 at 7 p.m. at the Norvell Theater at 135 E. Fisher St.
Performance dates are July 24 through Aug. 2.
“Look Homeward, Angel” is part of PPT’s Summer Swap, so auditions, rehearsals and performances will take place at the Norvell Theater, 135 E. Fisher St.
For more information call 704-633-5471 or email md@piedmontplayers.com
CONCORD — Next Thursday, May 15, is the Union Street Live concert featuring The Tams on Means Avenue. The concert will take place after the Haulers Parade, where more than 40 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series haulers will make their way down Union Street, from 6 to 7 p.m. The Tams performance at Union Street Live will begin immediately after the final hauler exits historic downtown en route to Charlotte Motor Speedway. See http://600festival.com/haulers-on-union and www.concorddowntown.com for details.
The Salisbury Symphony Orchestra offers a concert with music that is “Out of this World!” on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Science fiction aficionado and music director David Hagy has programmed a concert of music from Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate and themes from movies “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “E.T.,” and “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
The concert will be in Keppel Auditorium on the Catawba College campus. Tickets are $22 for ages 19 and older, $6 for students ages 9-18, and $4 for children ages 8 and younger. Tickets are available at the Rowan County Visitors Center and Sidewalk Deli in Salisbury, Green Goat Gallery in Spencer, Crescent Pharmacy in Rockwell, and Corriher Springs Florist in China Grove. You may also order tickets at salisburysymphony.org call the Symphony office at 704-637-4314.
GOLD HILL — This Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the village of Historic Gold Hill will host the annual Gold Rush Days festival. There will be local artists and crafters, village shops, live music, gold panning, a silent auction and lots of food and fun for the family.
The event is at 840 St. Stephen’s Church Road. Visit www.goldhillnc.com for more details, or email goldhillmerchantsassociation@gmail.com
SPENCER — The Spencer Doll And Toy Museum invites kids to come in and make a card for Mom. All moms will be entered into a contest to win a special prize.
Light refreshments will be served. On this day, all moms are eligible for a special discount.
The event is this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For details call 704-762-9359 or visit www.spencerdollandtoymuseum.com
This week’s Outside the Lines & Labels event at Center for Faith & the Arts is a chance to drop-in, meet, support and encourage some of the local and regional “outsider” artists.
The opening reception, held Friday from 5:30-8 p.m., will be a chance to meet some of the artists, view and purchase work, and meet the planning committee from ARC of Rowan, Salisbury High School EC dept., Rowan Helping Ministries, and experts in the fields of art and “differently abled” communities.
Local artists include Joseph Heilig (as featured recently in the Salisbury Post), Alison Holshouser and Sarah Beth Wertz. Additional works on paper and jewelry made by Lincolnton UMAR group will be available the night of the opening only. Concurrent show of Wiili Armstrong’s work.
Visit faithart.org or call 704-647-0999. CF&A located at 207 W Harrison St, lower level of Haven Lutheran church.
A call for artists: Gallery Gallop, a gallery crawl in Downtown Salisbury, will be held during First Friday on June 6 from 5 until 8 p.m.
This is an opportunity for artists to feature and sell their works during the Gallery Gallop throughout the downtown in front of merchants.
Artists willing to do live art demonstrations are also needed. Locations will be assigned and preferences will be considered.
Deadline for entry is May 16. Participation requests received after that will be accepted but will not be included on promotional materials. Contact project coordinator Mollie Ruf by May 16 at mollie@visitsalisburync.com or 704-637-7814.
MOCKSVILLE — Most theater historians consider “Oklahoma” the first musical as we’ve come to know them today. But before the 1943 classic, there were more than 50 years of Broadway hits from revues, Vaudeville and operettas. Many of those songs have become American standards and “Before Oklahoma” will offer some of the favorites for all ages. In two acts, the talented performers will present songs by dozens of composers and from over 50 shows.
Opening night for Broadway’s Best Theatre Company’s “Before Oklahoma” is Friday, with additional performances on Saturday, and also May 15 through 18. On May 11, a special gala performance especially for Mother’s Day features a build-your-own Sundae Bar (reservations required).
Opening night tickets are 10 percent off regular prices and include a patrons reception. Tickets are $20 adults, $16 seniors and $12 students. All evening performances are at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday matinees start at 2 p.m.
Broadway’s Best Theatre Company is located in Davie County. For tickets and to get more information visit www.broadwaysbest.biz
Night on the Stage, a PPT fundraiser featuring four-time Tony award nominee Gregg Edelman will be held Friday, May 30 and Saturday, May 31 at 6:30 p.m.
The cocktail reception at 6:30 p.m. is followed by a catered meal by Salisbury’s own Chef Santos. Afterward is the performance by Edelman, and the evening concludes with a VIP reception for Presenting and Broadway level sponsors.
This year, for the first time, Piedmont Players Theatre will make Night on the Stage raffle tickets available to all PPT supporters. The winning ticket will receive a trip for two to New York City. The trip includes round trip airfare, hotel accommodations for two nights and tickets to a Broadway show. Raffle tickets are for $60 or two for $100, at the PPT offices, Meroney Theater or by calling 704-633-5471.The winner need not be present.
In the next Cheerwine Music Hour series, Wayne Henderson will return to the stage on Thursday, May 15.
The free concert will be held in the Stanback Auditorium of RPL. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the show starts at 7 p.m.
Visit www.rowanpubliclibrary.org or call 704-216-8240.
DENTON — The maestro of the mandolin, Doyle Lawson, one of the lions in the bluegrass industry, is returning to the Denton FarmPark the weekend of May 8-10 for the 34th annual Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver’s Bluegrass Music Festival.
Denton FarmPark is located at 1072 Cranford Road. For prices, call 366-859-2755 or visit www.farmpark.com
CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte Folk Society Gathering free concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday features the New Southern Ramblers, an old-time stringband from the mountains of North Carolina.
In addition to lively dance tunes and traditional harmonies, audiences can expect flatfoot dancing, too.
Doors open at 7 p.m. Great Aunt Stella Center is located at 926 Elizabeth Ave., Charlotte, www.folksociety.org

Rockwell Museum shows private bicycle collection
ROCKWELL — The “HighWheeler” collection of historic bicycles from 1864 through 1895 is now on display at the Rockwell Museum in celebration of National Bicycle Month.
This program is dedicated to the preservation of a nostalgic era that ushered in a new world of transportation. Salisbury resident Buddy Farnan’s display represents the largest private traveling collection of antique and unusual bicycles in the United States.
The presentation showcases classic machines with wooden wagon wheels to wheels over six feet tall. It includes wooden bicycles from the 1860s, Hi-Wheels, Boneshakers, Velocipedes, and innovative shaft-driven cycles, all from the 19th century.
Historically, the bicycle began in the 1860s as a “rich man’s toy,” costing hundreds of dollars. In France, it became an object that could be raced for fun and profit. It crossed the waters to the U.S. and the race began, not only in the original sense, but in more than 3,000 factories eager to cash in on the novelty.
In the last quarter of the 19th century, it became one of the nation’s most powerful influences, not unlike the internet of today. The mechanical device brought about the first major change in women’s fashion in four hundred years and its social aspects began the liberalization of women’s rights.
Bicycle Clubs lobbied congress for the beginning of the nation’s road system, “paving” the way for the automobile’s success.
The Museum display at 102 E. Main St. will continue for the entire month of May from 6-8 p.m. weekdays and noon-6 p.m. on Saturdays. Call 704-279-4979 for details.