WTA’s Gateway First Bluegrass Night

 WTA’s Gateway will present its first evening devoted exclusively to traditional bluegrass music on Friday, February 24.  Featured will be Allegheny Blue and Blue Mountain Sunrise.  Performance will begin at 8 pm at 329 West Main in downtown Waynesboro.

Blue Mountain Sunrise has been playing to the enjoyment of Bluegrass and Bluegrass Gospel fans in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and beyond for over 30 years. The band’s current line-up includes two brothers who provide harmonious vocals. Roy Kiser (known by some as Danny) keeps time on the upright bass and Jeff Kiser holds his own with great licks and background work on the 5-string banjo. Darrell Weaver, the only original member band member, rips on the resophonic guitar. Brent Burkholder, the newest member works the guitar with good rhythm and leads. Band members have played in various Bluegrass and Gospel groups over the years and are seasoned veterans of the Bluegrass scene.

Allegheny Blue characterizes itself as hard-driven, progressive traditional bluegrass band with a whole lot of edge.  “We don’t want to sound country, nor modern,” says the band’s leader, “but bluegrass the way it ought to be [performed].”  The band’s lead singer and guitarist is Caleb Bailey.  Joining him are Daniel and Darren Howdshell.  The group’s bassist is Brandon Kyle.  The newest member of Allegheny Blue is Spencer Blankenship who plays fiddle and guitar but is known for his mandolin leads.

Tickets for WTA’s Bluegrass Night are $10 and are available online or by calling 540-943-9999.  Remaining tickets will be available at the door.  Beverages and snacks are available during the performances.

Featured at the 8 pm performance is Johnny Mac. Mac is a director/performer who has appeared in improvisational theatre and stand-up comedy from Dallas to New York City. In the last three years, he has made the writing of stand-up comedy material his focus. Mac currently lives in Charlottesville where he has taught comedy seminars.

Completing the evening will be short comic turns by local comedians. Jim Zarling will host the Comedy Night.

Tickets for the February 27th performance are $10. They are available online or by calling 540-943-9999. Tickets are also available at the door on the evening of performance.

Shows are at 7 pm at WTA’s Gateway, 329 West Main in downtown Waynesboro.  Admission is Pay-What-You-Will.

The program is open to all performers and all styles of entertainment.   To reserve a spot on the show, performers need to call the WTA office at 540-943-9999.  Remaining spots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis on the night of the performances.

Lynn Ruehlmann will be performing “Almost Grown” a one-person show on Saturday, March 3.  Performance starts at 8:00 pm.  Tickets. $10

More information on both of these events is coming soon.

The February River City Radio Hour will feature Samuel Johnson and Llyn Walker as guest vocalist along with the Boogie Kings and Marsha Howard.  Also on the bill is Chapter Two of Judge Not, the new mystery serial by Chris Graham.   The River City Radio Hour is at 6:30 and 8:00 pm at WTA’s Gateway in Downtown Waynesboro onFebruary 17, 2012.

Headlining the February performances is Samuel Johnson, a lyrical tenor who has traveled the world specializing in chamber music and early opera. He began his education at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey and Johnson continued his studies at Shenandoah University where he earned a Masters Degree in vocal performance, studying with the renowned Metropolitan Opera tenor, Michael Forest. After graduation, he became the first American to work as a full time singer at the Mittelsächsisches Theater inFreiberg, Germany.   Johnson is also recognized as a singer song-writer. Touring as ‘The Tukker Music Show’, he can be heard at festivals and on radio stations in theUS as well as in Europe. This summer he will join the German country band ‘Bandanas’ for a series of concerts throughout Germany.

Continuing at the Radio Hour is Chris Graham’s serial Judge Not. In the first chapter, the local investigative reporter, Scoop Blitzer, worked his way through the political briar patch of Mt. Tisdale, Georgia, population seven thousand and forty-two. He discovers that the political powerbroker was perhaps the victim of the vicious car bombing in downtown Mt. Tisdale killed in the attack.  Graham is the award-winning writer who with his wife owns and operates the Augusta County Free Press.

Also featured on the February Radio Hour are Marsha Howard, The First Lady of Comedy, and the ever-popular Boogie Kings led by Richard Adams with William Hayes and J. T. Fauber.

The merchant of the month is Llyn Walker owner of Walker Yogi Studios.  Returning from her latest trip toIndia,Walker will also perform with the Boogie Kings.

Reserved tickets for the Radio Hour are $10 and are available online at www.wtagateway.com, by calling 540-943-9999 or at the box office.

Bert Carlson and Friends at Mojo Saturday Night

Guitarist Bert Carlson will headline the February 18th Mojo Saturday Night. Appearing with him will be Jennifer Kirkland and Ray Cohen. Also on the program will be Kathleen Kraft, Dough Headstrom, and David Connolly. The 8 pm performance will be at WTA’s Gateway, 329 West Main in downtown Waynesboro.

A professional guitarist since 1976, Bert Carlson has played in a wide variety of styles and venues. After nearly fifteen years in the DC area, Carlson moved to the Shenandoah Valley and shifted his attention to blues and jazz. In 2003, he and Jennifer Kirkland began their successful collaboration. The duo has been selected by the Virginia Commission for the Arts for the Commonwealth’s elite touring roster. Kirkland has worked professionally as a vocalist and keyboard player since the late 70’s. She moved to the Valley in the 80’s and for the last decade has focused on performing jazz, pop, and blues vocals. Joining Carlson and Kirkland will be Ray Cohen with his wailing blues harmonica. He has lived and played music in the Valley most of his life, playing with a variety of area blues/rock bands including The Rainmakers and Loose Change.

Also appearing will be vocalist Kathleen Kraft and blues guitarist Doug Hedstrom. Both are members of Kat and the Travelers

The February performance will be hosted by the popular blues singer Lisa Miller. Besides hosting she will pay the first set of the evening with harmonicist David Connolly.

Tickets for the Saturday, February 18th performance are $10 each and are available online, by calling 540-943-9999 or at the box office. Food and Beverages will be available.

The Wayne Theatre Alliance will post a marriage proposal on its marquee for the winner of the WTA Marquee Raffle. The time, date and text of the proposal message will be determined by the winner of the raffle within WTA guidelines.

To enter the WTA Marquee Raffle, send your name, phone number and email address to info@waynetheatre.org by noon on February 13. Winner will be announced at 5pm Feb. 13.

For $5, WTA will post a five-word Valentine’s message on the Gateway Marquee on Feb. 14. Call 540-943-9999 for more information.

The Clan Mhor Organization of researchers will present its lecture/slide show on the building of the tunnel that connected the east side of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Shenandoah Valley.  The presentation is sponsored by the Waynesboro Heritage Foundation, Inc.  The lecture will be held at WTA’s Gateway, 329 West Main in downtown Waynesboroon February 9.  Doors open at 6:30 pm and the lecture is at 7:00 pm.

The lecture will detail the construction of the railroad tunnel through AftonMountain, a 19^th century engineering feat.  The labor force of Irish immigrants and slaves worked from both sides of the mountain using primitive tools to cut slowly through the solid rock.  Under the direction of Claudius Crozet the tunnel met almost perfectly in the middle, an accomplishment much heralded.  However, that success was not without cost, financial and human. The Clann Mhor lecture reveals the hardship and triumphs of those who struggled to bring the enterprise to completion.

A donation of $5 per person to cover the costs of presentation will be appreciated.

For more information call the Heritage Museum at 540-943-3943.

This month’s Richard Adams Variety Show will feature an All-Stars line up on Friday,  February 10, 2012, at WTA’s Gateway, 329 West Main Streetin downtown Waynesboro.  The evening will bring together a cross-section of talents that represent the best in the Valley.  Performance is at 7:30 pm.

Joining the All-Star cast will be The Judy Chops.  Molly and Sally Murphy, William Howard, Jessica Bergh, and Remy Duguet, make up the core members of The Judy Chops.  While popular in Central Virginia, the Group has toured widely inVirginia andWashington,DC, as well asWest Virginia,Kentucky,Tennessee,Maryland,Pennsylvania,New Jersey,New York,Vermont, and theChicago area! Their mixture of styles from blues and hot club & gypsy jazz, to R& B,  and reggae creates a unique new sound they like to call “Modern Vintage” or “The New Old School.”

Also on the program will be Lorie Strother, the Dreaded Blues Lady Strother is host of WTA’s Gateway Open Mic Night as well as an active regional performer. Her powerful voice and mastery of the emotions under girding the traditional American Blues are a signature of her performances.   Strother will be accompanied by “The Most Reverend Bill Howard.”

Back from their appearance on the Youth O’Rama in January are Gwynne Wood and Morgan McDowell.  Both are bright young talents who amaze the audience with their professionalism and voices.  For the February appearance they will join their voices as a singing duo.

The evening’s musical entertainment will also include a prevue of Adams’ musical Woody scheduled for performances at the nTelos Theatre, February 24-26 and March 2-4. Perform songs from the show will be be Brian Holsopple, Bob Wright and Jenny Howard.

The evening will also include Bill Martin’s Continuing Presidential Campaign and the popular “You Can Be on a Talk Show” and “You Can Be the Weather Guy” segments.

Tickets for the Richard Adams Variety show are $9.99.  They may be purchased online or by calling 540-943-9999.  Tickets will also be available at the box office on the night of performance.  Seating is limited.

The 2012 Spring Fashion Debut, presented by Augusta Free Press, has now grown beyond just the doors of The Gateway.

Two other businesses will host vendors and take part in the event. Initial Inspiration, at 412 W. Main St. will host two vendors, and the Shenandoah Valley Art Center, at 126 S. Wayne Ave., will host four vendors. They will join the 15-plus vendors scheduled to appear at The Gateway, 329 W. Main St., in downtown Waynesboro from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Feb. 11.

“It’s very exciting to be a part of an event that has grown from one location to expand to downtown as a whole,” said event organizer Crystal Graham. “I’m thrilled that two other downtown merchants want to be a part of the Spring Fashion Debut.”

The 2012 Spring Fashion Debut will preview new spring lines from more than 20 vendors for companies including Cookie Lee Jewelry, Dove Chocolate, Vault Denim, Jockey, Kelly’s Kids, Perfectly Posh, Stella and Dot, thirty one and more. All who attend will also have the opportunity to win a free Kindle Fire, courtesy of event sponsor Realtor Kathleen Kellett.

The Spring Fashion Debut will be part of a busy Saturday in Downtown Waynesboro which will also play host to a Love Is In The Air promotion including a Chocolate Walk being put on by downtown merchants. There will also be LOVE artwork installed at the corner of Main and Wayne for the community to enjoy.

“I hope that the community will come out and support these local vendors,” said Graham. “And I hope they will take time to enjoy the secondary locations of the Spring Fashion Debut and all of the businesses downtown.”

For more information on the Love is in the Air: Spring Fashion Debut event, visit www.waynesborofashion.com.