Tuesday, Feb. 07, 2012

Arts Notes

Talent show

The annual Garner Showcase of Talent is scheduled for 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Garner Performing Arts Center, 742 W. Garner Road. Admission is free.

Performers this year include martial-arts exhibition Flying Tiger; The Hall Sisters; Julie Hamilton; the dance group G-Squad; Teeghan Wiggins with Will Wei on piano; Grace and Katie Regittko; Christine Olson; Donovan Harrell; Dave Kamphuis and Denise Nowell, joined by Dancing with Wolves, a ballroom dance club from N.C. State University; Scott Barton; The Josh Pepper Band; Leilani Carr; and Savannah Richmond with her band.

The emcee for this year’s talent show will be Katie Mills, Miss Fayetteville 2011. She works at White Deer Park.

For more information, visit garnerperformingartscenter.com or call 661-4602

Art, photography

The sixth annual Mill as Muse Art and Photography Exhibit is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 11-12, at Historic Yates Mill County Park, 4620 Lake Wheeler Road, Raleigh. For more information, call 856-6675.

Upcoming shows at Ice House

Here are upcoming shows at the Ice House Theater, a country music venue at 112 N. Webb St., Selma: Without Further Ado, Feb. 10; Thick as Thieves, Feb. 17; and Rocky Cross, Feb. 24. All shows are at 7:45 p.m. Admission is $12. For reservations, call 943-1182.

Molly Hatchet in Smithfield

Molly Hatchet will headline this year’s Ham & Yam Festival in downtown Smithfield. The Southern rock band will perform at 8:30 p.m. Friday, May 4, on the stage by the Neuse River on Front Street.

Formed in Jacksonville, Fla., in 1975, Molly Hatchet released its self-titled debut album in 1978. The band has released 11 studio albums since then, including last year’s “Justice.”

The Ham & Yam Festival is trying to line up a country act for Saturday, May 5.

Clayton Center adds shows

The Clayton Center has added several events to its February calendar.

Here is the schedule for the first Clayton Piano Festival: “Romantic Fantasies” with Jonathan Levin, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10; “Fables & Poetry” with Angelo Rondello, 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 13; “A Night at the Theater” with Matthew Harrison, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16; and “Piano Music of the 21st Century” with Christian McLeer, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17. Admission is $12 per show.

Also in February, Cat’s Cradle will present Todd Snider with Rosi Golan at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11. Tickets are $20 in advance and $23 at the door.

The Clayton Center is located at 111 E. Second St. Tickets are available online at theclaytoncenter.com, by phone at 553-1737 and at the box office, which is open from 10 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

‘Dixie Swim Club’

The Neuse Little Theatre will present “The Dixie Swim Club,” a comedy, in February at The Hut on Front Street in downtown Smithfield. Show times and dates are 8 p.m. Feb. 10-11, 3 p.m. Feb. 12 and 8 p.m. Feb. 17-18. In the play, five women whose friendship began on their college swim team come together every August for a long weekend. Free from husbands, kids and jobs, they meet at the same beach cottage on North Carolina’s Outer Banks to catch up, laugh and meddle in each other’s lives. Tickets are $12 in advance and $14 at the door. For reservations, call 934-1873 or visit neuselittletheatre.org.

Coming up at JCC

Here are upcoming shows in the Paul A. Johnston Auditorium at Johnston Community College, 245 College Road, Smithfield. For tickets, visit jccperformingarts.com or call 209-2099 between 1:30 and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Leanne Morgan, comedian – 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11. Tickets are $21 in advance and $22.50 at the door. Morgan’s comedy combines Southern charm and storytelling about her life. She was a finalist on Nick at Nite’s “Funniest Mom in Knoxville” and toured three years with the Southern Fried Chicks. She is under contract with Warner Brothers and ABC to develop a sitcom based on her comedy. For more information, visit leannemorgan.com.

“Are You My Mother?” – 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 19. At long last, Baby Bird emerges from her shell and expects to be greeted by her mother’s song. But her mother is not there. Where is she? Why isn’t she home? With the help of Dog, Cat and Hen, Baby Bird sets out in search of Mother Bird in this musical adventure based on P.D. Eastman’s picture book. This 55-minute musical is recommended for children in grades K-2. Tickets $11 in advance and $12.50 at the door. For more information, visit artspower.org.

The Cleverlys – 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25. The Cleverlys are a concept act that mixes bluegrass music with sardonic and mildly risqué humor. Tickets are $18.50 in advance and $20 at the door. For more information, visit thecleverlys.com.

“Skippyjon Jones” – 3 p.m. Saturday, March 17. Skippyjon Jones is a little kitten with big ears and even bigger dreams. Sometimes he pretends to be a bird, sometimes he pretends to be a llama, and sometimes he pretends to be a whale – anything but a Siamese cat. Based on the book by Judy Schachner, “Skippyjon Jones” is a musical about unleashing imagination and following dreams. Recommended for grades K-3. Tickets are $11 in advance and $12.50 at the door. For more information, visit theatreworksusa.org.

Juan Siddi Flamenco Theatre Company – 7 p.m. Thursday, April 19. Under the artistic direction of Spanish choreographer Juan Siddi, musicians, singers and dancers from Spain and the United States will bring their talents to Smithfield. Tickets are $21 in advance and $22.50 at the door. For more information, visit artfegan.com.

Masters of Motown –7 p.m. April 21. The show includes songs by the Temptations, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Four Tops, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Jackson Five, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Stevie Wonder and The Commodores. Tickets are $21 in advance and $22.50 at the door. For more information, visit eastcoastentertainment.com/artist/Masters_of_Motown.html.

Open Mic Night

Tuesdays are Open Mic Night at Orchard House Booksellers, 117 N. Third St., Smithfield. The stage is open from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. for singers, musicians, actors, prose readers, etc.

Author in Wilson

Author and comedic performer Jane Borden will sign copies of her book from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, in the Willis N. Hackney Library on the Barton College campus in Wilson. Borden is the author of “I Totally Meant to Do That,” a memoir in essays. Copies will be available for purchase during the book signing.

Borden is a native of Greensboro and a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.