There’s a few things happening during the holidays at North Buncombe Elementary School (251 Flat Creek Church Road) right now, including their Annual Cookie Dough Sale and the 2nd Graders performance of The Nutcracker. Information from North Buncombe Elementary PTO:

Cookie Dough Sale
North Buncombe Elementary School is currently doing our annual Cookie Dough Sale again. We decided to do it prior to Christmas this year so people could buy cookie dough for their holiday baking and Christmas gifts.  We are still selling the cookie dough, coffee, cocoa, brownies, and candles.  In addition, this year we have Auntie Anne’s soft pretzels and pretzel dogs and Country Creations Gourmet Pumpkin Cake Rolls.  The sale will run through Monday, December 7, 2009.  Anyone interested can contact the school at (828) 645-6054.   All proceeds will go towards the PTO Budget for this year.

The Nutracker
The second grade will be performing The Nutcracker next week at the school.  The evening performance will be on Thursday, December 10, 2009 at 7 p.m. and it is always a packed house. They will also be doing performances on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at 9 a.m.  There is no admission to any of the performances.

Used Shoe Drive
We are also conducting a Used Shoe Drive at NBES.  The shoes that we collect will be sent overseas to the needy.  The Preferred Shoes are Children’s/Women’s/Men’s Shoes and Sneakers.  Unacceptable Shoes:  NO Bedroom shoes, Golf shoes, flip flops, steel toe shoes, women’s boots, or women’s heels greater than 3″.  Shoes may be dropped off at North Buncombe Elementary School or the collection box at Food Lion (130 Weaver Blvd).

North Buncombe High School, in collaboration with the Asheville Lyric Opera Education and Outreach Department, will be performing the opera Hansel and Gretel on Friday, November 6, 2009, 7:30 p.m., at the school (890 Clark’s Chapel Road).  Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for seniors, and $6 for students and children. They can be purchased at Blue Mountain Pizza in Weaverville, Malaprop’s in Downtown Asheville or by calling the Opera offices at (828) 236-0670.  More info and the cast list provided by the Asheville Lyric Opera:

This production of Hansel and Gretel is the culmination of many hours of work and collaboration between the Asheville Lyric Opera and North Buncombe High School.  All roles, with the exception of three principal roles, will be played by North Buncombe High School students. The North Buncombe choral director will join her students in the cast, singing a principal role. These students will be guided by our musical director, the choral director and other applicable staff from the opera company in learning their music. In addition to traditional rehearsals during after school hours and on weekends, educational seminars will be taught about the composer of the opera, style of music, performance practices and character development. Professional artists will also help lead the project and will assist students in the creative process. Students of the technical theatre department will have the opportunity to work with our production staff as assistant stage managers, wardrobe crew, lighting operators and properties coordinators. Once the opera has been musically rehearsed and staged, students will have the opportunity to work with the conductor and orchestra in rehearsals to bring the piece together in its intended form. Students will perform live on stage with professional singers and professional set and costumes. They will have an active, creative and important voice in the success of the project.

Cast List
Hansel: Amanda Gardner-Porter
Gretel: Amanda Horton
Witch: Simone Vigilante
Mother: Jeannie Graeme (NBHS choral teacher)
Dew Fairy: Jessica Savitt (NBHS student)
Sandman: Mollie Wilson (NBHS student)
Gingerbread Children (NBHS Students): Hayley Lusk, Krystal Catron, Masami Oshita, Emory Carpenter, Caitlin Kelley, Brenna Herrick, Melissa Reavis, Emily Truesdell, Racheal Courtney, Nicolle Bremner, Estefania De Alba, Justin Fisher, Ryan Silver, Megan Cox, Zachary Quinn.
Angels (NBHS Students): Samantha Wharton, Megan Cox, McKenzie King, Krystal Catron, Caitlin Kelley, Emory Carpenter, Melissa Reavis, Brenna Herrick, Racheal Courtney, Emily Truesdell, Estefania De Alba, Nicolle Bremner, Masami Oshita, Hayley Lusk.

Music Director/Conductor: Vance Reese
Stage Director/Choreographer: Kristen Yarborough
NBHS Choral Director: Jeannie Graeme
NBHS Theatre Director: Rick Webb

Just found this on North Buncombe High School’s website. Student auditions are taking place the end of this month. Sounds like a neat opportunity:

The Asheville Lyric Opera has invited NBHS to join with them in presenting Hansel and Gretel, a Opera by Engelbert Humperdinck this fall.  This will be an ensemble cast and a chance for NB students to work alongside professional opera singers to bring this show to the stage in November.

According to the Asheville Lyric Opera website there will be a public performance at the school on Saturday, November 6, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $18 for Adults, $15 for Senior Citizens and $6 for Students and Children. To purchase tickets call the opera office at (828) 236-0670.  This show is part of their Education Opera, described as “a collaboration between ALO and the Asheville area high school choral programs, this project prepares and presents a one act opera for youth audiences. This presentation will be made available to students across Buncombe County as a cultural and artistic introduction to opera and classical music.”

Since we don’t have a playhouse of our own, here’s this season’s offerings from the Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre (44 College Street, Mars Hill ).  Tickets start at $25 for single shows, or they have season passes starting at $130. The box office phone number is 689-1239.  More info and ticket information available on their website:

FUNNY GIRL
June 3 – 14
produced by Weaverville Eye Associates
Tony-Award Winning Musical
Semi-biographical musical based on the life and career of Broadway and film star and comedienne Fanny Brice and her stormy relationship with entrepreneur and gambler Nicky Arnstein.

BIG CRIMINALS
June 17 – June 28
A new comedy by Steve Wisniewski
A World Premiere production and Winner of SART’s 27th annual ScriptFEST playwright’s festival of October 2008.
Three desperate men plan a kidnapping, never realizing that their jobs as school crossing guards haven’t quite prepared them for a life of crime.

DEATH OF A SALESMAN
July 1 – 12
Arthur Miller’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning masterpiece

BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS
July 15 – 26
Neil Simon’s semi-autobiographical coming-of-age comedy
Part One of the “Eugene Trilogy” which includes Biloxi Blues and Broadway Bound

HOME AGAIN
July 29 – August 9
a World Premiere by William Gregg and Perry Deane Young
A SART Heritage Series production about Thomas Wolfe from the time he wrote Look Homeward Angel until his untimely death at the age of 37.

THE FOREIGNER
August 12 – 23
produced by Asheville Savings Bank
A Southern Comedy of Manners by Larry Shue
At a fishing lodge in rural Georgia, things are not what they seem to be in this hilarious farce of absurd situations and homespun American characters!

Just received this performance info from Buncombe County Schools:

Music teacher Robin Smathers will bid “adieu” to staff, students and families as she directs her final children’s music performance before bowing out for retirement. “Let’s Go to the Movies” is sure to be a delight and will occur this Thursday, April 30. Dress Rehearsal will be held at 1:15 p.m. with a free evening performance at 7 p.m. at Weaverville Elementary School (129 South Main Street ).

The 2nd grade musical will include selections from many beloved musical movies, including Annie, Charlotte’s Web and Mary Poppins. “So Long, Farewell,” from The Sound of Music, has appropriately been chosen as the final song. Families, friends and community are invited to come out and enjoy the talent of Ms. Smathers’ students, some fun choreography and a touching slide show of photos from her music classes. She will even step out from behind the conductor’s stand to sing a popular Sarah McLachlan song, “Ordinary Miracle,” from the movie Charlotte’s Web.

Ms. Smathers has been teaching music for 32 years, 29 of which she served at Weaverville Elementary and Primary Schools.

March 26-29 the North Buncombe High School Theatre Department will be putting on a production of The Pajama Game, a musical based on the novel 7-1/2 Cents by Richard Bissell.  Performances will take place in the DeBruhl Theatre at NBHS (890 Clark’s Chapel Road ).  There will be 7 p.m. performances on March 26, 27, and 28, and a 2 p.m. performance on Sunday, March 29.  Tickets will be available at the door, $6 for students and $8 for adults, or you can purchase them in advance (before March 25) for $5. All seating is general admission.  For further information or to reserve advance tickets call Mr. Webb at 828-645-4221 ext. 200.

If you would like a chance to win free tickets to the show, I have a pair to give away courtesy of Brown’s Floral Design.  These tickets are good for any performance.  For your chance to win, click the Comment link below and leave any comment.  Entries will be accepted until midnight ET Tuesday, March 24.  A winner will be randomly chosen and notified on Wednesday, March 25.

Here’s more about the production:

The Story of The Pajama Game takes place around a small mid-west town in 1954. A strike is imminent at the Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory. The Union is seeking a wage raise of seven and a half cents an hour. Sid and Babe are in opposite camps yet a romance is born between them. Many famous ballads and dance numbers, such as “Hey There” and “Hernando’s Hideaway” bring back memories as we watch the factory workers play around at a picnic, in a nightclub and even stop the show with Bob Fosses’ unforgettable dance, “Steam Heat”. Hines, the popular efficiency expert, is in love with Gladys the President’s secretary. Periodically, he brings a more optimistic outlook to the life of the factory, when he is not becoming too jealous of Gladys and throwing knives. The plot develops with Sid trying to find a way to get his boss, Hasler’s, consent to a pay raise for the workers. Come out to see this two-time Tony award winning musical, The Pajama Game, and find out if Babe, Sid, Gladys, Hines, Prez, Mabel and Hasler can “sew back together” the situations that make up this musical comedy, The Pajama Game.

North Buncombe High School’s Theatre Department will be performing William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing beginning October 9 at the NBHS auditorium (890 Clark’s Chapel Road ).  Here’s the details:

North Buncombe High School Theatre Department will present William Shakespeare’s most famous romantic comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, Thursday, October 9 and Friday, October 10 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, October 12 at 2 p.m. at the NBHS auditorium. The story is set in 2008 at an Italian villa and includes dances and original songs written by current and alumni students from NBHS. Join us as we cheer for Benedick and Beatrice to give up the single life to accept their passionate dormant love or wait to see if Claudio and Hero can wade through a sea of jealousy to end up together. It will take the help of family, friends and a band of bumbling security guards, you will never forget, to find this conclusion. Ticket prices at the door are $5 for students and senior adults, $8 for adults.

The Weaverville Primary and Weaverville Elementary Schools annual Spring Fling fundraiser is happening Friday, May 9 from 4:30-8 p.m. at Weaverville Primary School in downtown Weaverville (note that some are reporting the event is at Weaverville Elementary School, but I’ve been told it will be held there only in the event of rain).

Activities for the day include:

• Inflatables, games, food and drink!
• The first 400 kids get a free Asheville Tourists gift.
• Live auction featuring 96.5 WOXL morning DJ, Tammy Jones at 6:30 p.m. Auction items includes fine jewelry and spa packages.
• Music by children’s singer/songwrite Vince Junior at 7 p.m. His range of musical styles includes blues, zydeco, pop and country.

Parking is limited, so a free shuttle bus will be available from Balcrank on 115 Reems Creek Road.  It’s also suggested that you bring a lawn chair.  Proceeds from the event are used for school and classroom needs and activities, such as computers, library books, playground updates, field trip costs, books and supplies, at Weaverville Elementary and Weaverville Primary Schools.

For more information contact Weaverville Elementary at 645-3127 or Weaverville Primary at 645-4275.

The North Buncombe High School Theatre Department will be presenting the Tony-award winning musical Bye Bye Birdie beginning Thursday, April 17. Tickets are $8 adults, $6 seniors and children, and may be purchased at the door. Performances are scheduled for:

• 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 17
• 7 p.m. on Friday, April 18
• 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 19

North Buncombe High School’s Theatre Department will be holding auditions for a variety show called “A Night At The Movies”.  The auditions are open to the community and will be held 6-9 p.m. on January 22 at North Buncombe’s theatre.

Auditions will also be held for the musical “Bye Bye Birdie” 6-9 p.m. on February 11 and February 12.  Bye Bye Birdie will be limited to North Buncombe students at first, but director and teacher Ricky Webb says he may audition some younger kids or adults to fill out the look of the show.

The North Buncombe High School Drama Club presents its production of the comedy “Noises Off” beginning Friday, December 14.  There will be 3 performances:

• Friday, December 14 at 7 p.m.
• Saturday, December 15 at 7 p.m.
• Sunday, December 16 at 2 p.m.

Tickets will be sold at the door.  Cost is $8 for adults and $6 for students.