Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010

Arts Notes

Country music showcase

The music of the 1950s and '60s will be featured at Johnston Community College's 17th annual Country Music Showcase on Feb. 5 and 6. The show marks the opening of the 2010 showcase season and is a homecoming for past performers. The anniversary show will feature Tina Seldin Cash, the North Carolina Education Lottery drawing host. Cash sings professionally with various groups and as a solo artist, freelancing as a scriptwriter for educational videos, and writing, producing, and appearing in commercials for WRAL-TV. The show opens at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5, in the Paul A. Johnston Auditorium on the Smithfield campus. Additional shows are scheduled at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6. Other guest performers include Sarah Disorbo, Kaitlyn Flythe, Scotty McCreery, Alvin Smith, Mary Surles and Mel Thompson. Advance tickets are $10 for the evening performances and $8 for the Saturday matinee. At the door, tickets are $12 for evening shows and $10 for the matinee. Tickets are available online at www.jccperfomringarts.com and through the JCC box office by calling 919-209-2099 1:30 till 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Open house in Clayton

An open house is scheduled from 10 a.m. till 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, at Eye of the Eagle Art Center, 131 E. 1st St., Clayton. A number of artists will demonstrate their work. Admission is free.

Art going on display

Paintings by Kathleen Nobles of Clayton and Ruth Ogle of Raleigh will be on display Feb. 2-28 at The Clayton Center, 111 E. 2nd St., Clayton. A reception for the artists is scheduled from 6 till 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4. The Clayton Center gallery is open from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Benson group to sing

Black Creek, a gospel music group from Benson, will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28, at Ron's Barn on N.C. 55 between Coats and Angier. Also, the group will perform at 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31, at Full Gospel Tabernacle on Raleigh Street in Coats.

Jazz guitarist at JCC

Jazz guitarist Frank Vignola will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, in the Paul A. Johnston Auditorium at Johnston Community College, 245 College Road, Smithfield. Tickets are $20 in advance and $22.50 at the door. For tickets, visit johnstoncc.edu/performingarts or call the auditorium box office at 919-209-2099.

Variety show

The Town of Garner will present Gift 4, the town's fourth annual talent showcase on Feb. 13.

Gift 4 will offer more than 20 acts, including Michelle Forbes Howell, Phillip McFadden and his gospel group Constellations of Apex, Garner Senior Center's G-Squad, Clayton's American Idol Scotty McCreery, Towne Players of Garner, Center Stage, Christy's DancExplosion, DanZe Zone, All About Ballroom, Miss Garner Brianna Tracy, Miss Garner Outstanding Teen Rachel Chavez, Miss Eastern Carolina Outstanding Teen Arlie Honeycutt, shadow puppets by Garner High School art students and more.

The show will take place at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, at the Garner Historic Auditorium, 742 W. Garner Road. The event is free. For more details, call Britt Crews, Garner Historic Auditorium's manager, at 661-4602.

Black History Month

To celebrate Black History Month, the Town of Garner's Parks and Recreation Department has joined the nonprofit group God's International Mission for an evening of entertainment. The night will include the mission's performance dancers, drums, costumes, songs and stories. The performance will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, at Garner Historic Auditorium, 742 West Garner Road. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and $5 for children. Proceeds will benefit God's International Mission's work to feed, clothe, house, educate and provide medical treatment to orphaned and abandoned African children.

For more details, call Britt Crews at the Historic Auditorium at 661-4602.

Tenors in Clayton

The Canadians tenors Destino will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, at The Clayton Center, 111 E. 2nd St., Clayton. The trio performs what it calls "popera," pop music with an opera flair. Tickets are $22, plus a service fee, and they are available online at theclaytoncenter.com. Also, they're available in the box office or by calling 919-553-1737. The box office is open from 10 a.m. till noon and from 1 till 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Film festival in Smithfield

The sixth annual Riverkeeper Film Festival is coming to Smithfield on Friday, Jan. 29. A wine and cheese reception will begin at 6 p.m. at The Hut at the corner of Market and Front streets. The following films will screen starting at 6:30 p.m.: "Pier," "Beneath the Blue," "Incident at Tower 37," "Oktapodi," "Heather and Goliath," "Lost and Found," "Gone Fishing," "Change of Life" and "Goldfish."

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. For tickets, or to learn more about the films, go to neuseriver.org/neuselittletheater.html.

Bentonville tickets

Advance tickets are on sale for the 145th anniversary of the Battle of Bentonville, the largest Civil War battle fought on North Carolina soil. The event will take place March 20-21, 2010. Tickets purchased before March 1, 2010, are $8 for adults and $4 for children ages 7-12. After March 1, tickets will be $10 for adults and $5 for children. Children 6 and younger attend free.

More than 3,500 re-enactors and 30,000 spectators are expected to attend the event, which will include two battles, military and civilian encampments and special educational programs.

For tickets, go to bentonvillebattlefield.com or mail a check to Bentonville 145th Event Tickets, P.O. Box 432, Newton Grove, N.C. 28366. Checks should be payable to the Bentonville Battlefield Historical Association.