2011-2012 Mainstage

Upright Citizens Brigade Touring Company

Catch the Upright Citizens Brigade (NYC and LA), the greatest producer of comedians in America and whose touring troupe brings its very funny improv and sketch comedy to the stage.

Doc Watson & David Holt

Seven-time Grammy winner and national treasure Doc Watson is joined by four-time Grammy winner and folk icon David Holt in two intimate performances featuring bluegrass, country, gospel and blues, and storytelling.

Shakespeare on Trial

Writer Bill Shakespeare encounters four of his own most famous characters up-close, personal, and ticked-off as they challenge him to write in a more modern way.

Julie Fowlis: Music of the Scottish Isles

Named BBC Radio 2’s Folk Singer of the Year in 2008, Julie Fowlis is a remarkable performer whose pure, crystalline vocals "… make magic out of thin air."

The Adam Growe Quiz Show

Join the much-lauded host of Discovery Channel Canada’s Cash Cab, Adam Growe as he brings his delightful and clever wit to Asheville for the first time.

L.A. Theatre Works in The Rivalry

There was a time when political candidates’ words mattered, their ideas were essential, and their booming oratorical debates were crucial to the shaping of the nation.

L.A. Theatre Works in The Rivalry

There was a time when political candidates’ words mattered, their ideas were essential, and their booming oratorical debates were crucial to the shaping of the nation.

A Swannanoa Solstice

Plan to gather with family and friends for this holiday tradition, headlined by world renowned musicians Al Petteway, Amy White, and Robin Bullock.

The DePue Brothers Band

Watch out, as in freight-train-a-comin’, for this band of classically trained brothers and their symphonic friends who give real meaning to the term progressive bluegrass.

Susan Werner & David Wilcox

Two incredible singer-songwriters share a lively musical conversation from stage, playfully returning each other’s serves with their respective takes on life: Her philosophical stance is wry, his more sweet.

Selected Shorts

An unforgettable evening of Selected Shorts with founder and host Isaiah Sheffer. Co-hosted by writers, literary producers, and other interesting characters, this public radio series has been delighting listeners for years.

Aquila Theatre in The Importance of Being Earnest

Crammed full of larger-than-life characters and with comic timing as sharp as Wilde’s witticisms, Aquila’s Earnest is unmistakable fun.

Aquila Theatere in Shakespeare's Macbeth

Aquila breathes fresh life and fire into this wickedly troubled work, made ever relevant by its theme of the destruction wrought when ambition goes unchecked by moral constraints.

Solas

Magically contemporary yet timeless, this Irish-American super group is a lightning rod of talent and inspiration, electrifying crowds of all musical tastes.

Rennie Harris Puremovement

The pre-eminent hip hop dance company in the world. Puremovement is pure, contagious stage magic, a celebration of life, or as The Village Voice describes their show: “Hip hop dance to a higher power, in both the mathematical and the metaphysical senses.”

Rennie Harris Puremovement

The pre-eminent hip hop dance company in the world. Puremovement is pure, contagious stage magic, a celebration of life, or as The Village Voice describes their show: “Hip hop dance to a higher power, in both the mathematical and the metaphysical senses.”

Christopher O'Riley

Host of National Public Radio’s popular music show, From the Top, O’Riley stretches the piano beyond conventional boundaries with infectious passion.

Danny Ellis: 800 Voices

“Just learn how to wink and curse and cheat at cards and you’ll be grand.” Irish-born and now-Asheville resident Danny Ellis mesmerizes audiences with his powerful work 800 Voices, a musical journey that explores his youth spent in a Dublin orphanage.

Danny Ellis: An Irishman in America

Ellis and his band perform his newest music from his 2011 release The Space Between the Lines, a stunning collection of powerful songs showcasing Ellis’s sheer musicality.

Diavolo Dance Theater

Diavolo Dance Theater's renowned dancers, gymnasts, and actors deliver a magnificent cinematic experience, thrilling audiences with one powerful image after another.

Diavolo Dance Theater

Diavolo Dance Theater's renowned dancers, gymnasts, and actors deliver a magnificent cinematic experience, thrilling audiences with one powerful image after another.

Sagapool

Sagapool’s music travels without borders, sharing the exuberance of its first loves – gypsy music, gypsy swing, and klezmer – layered with rhythms of a world at-large.

Lúnasa

Dubbed “the hottest Irish acoustic group on the planet” by Irish Voice, Lúnasa wrapped up the past decade with recognition as Performers of the Decade by liveireland.com, as featured artists on Natalie Merchant’s landmark project, Leave Your Sleep, and with its own new CD - Lá Nua, which was in Irish Echo’s Top 10 Albums of 2010.

Keigwin + Company

The smart, sexy, and entertaining works of Larry Keigwin gorgeously blend contemporary dance and cabaret flare with the verve of New York Fashion Week and MTV.

Keigwin + Company

The smart, sexy, and entertaining works of Larry Keigwin gorgeously blend contemporary dance and cabaret flare with the verve of New York Fashion Week and MTV.

Special Benefit Performance: Ann Hampton Callaway

Tony-nominated singer and pianist Ann Hampton Callaway Salutes Great Ladies of Song in a benefit performance for Diana Wortham Theatre.

The Teetotallers featuring John Doyle, Martin Hayes and Kevin Crawford

Marvel at the sound of these three world-class performers, each an amazing artist in his own right - together for a rare, triple threat evening of their combined talents.

Téada with Special Guest Séamus Begley

One of Irish music’s leading exponents on the international world music stage, Téada is driven by a fascination with the ageless, expressive force of traditional tunes inherited from previous generations of musicians.

Yellow Brick Road

In this new musical loosely based on “The Wizard of Oz,” Dora is caught between her Latino family’s traditions and her life as a contemporary American teenager.

Yellow Brick Road

In this new musical loosely based on “The Wizard of Oz,” Dora is caught between her Latino family’s traditions and her life as a contemporary American teenager.

Seussical The Musical

“Oh, the thinks you can think” when Dr. Seuss’s best-loved stories collide and cavort in an unforgettable musical caper!

Shakespeare on Trial

An uproarious greatest hits of famous Shakespeare quotes and speeches featuring scenes from Romeo & Juliet, Othello, Macbeth, and Hamlet.

Shakespeare on Trial

An uproarious greatest hits of famous Shakespeare quotes and speeches featuring scenes from Romeo & Juliet, Othello, Macbeth, and Hamlet.

The Rivalry - The Lincoln Douglas Debates

The Rivalry uses dialogue from the original Lincoln Douglas debate transcripts to bring to life their oratory and the epic clash of ideas that forged a President and a nation.

The Rivalry - The Lincoln Douglas Debates

The Rivalry uses dialogue from the original Lincoln Douglas debate transcripts to bring to life their oratory and the epic clash of ideas that forged a President and a nation.

Madeline and the Bad Hat

When the Spanish Ambassador moves into the house next door, Madeline quickly discovers that his son Pepito is a true horror!

Madeline and the Bad Hat

When the Spanish Ambassador moves into the house next door, Madeline quickly discovers that his son Pepito is a true horror!

Billy Jonas

Making innovative use of “found objects” (buckets, broom handles, bottles, keys, and more) as well as traditional instruments, Billy Jonas helps audiences discover the music within common items and within themselves.

Macbeth

“Fair is foul and foul is fair” in Aquila’s rendering of the chaotic world of Shakespeare’s “cursed play” where nothing is as it seems, and men combat their own folly and fates.

Rennie Harris Puremovement

A favorite of local students, Rennie Harris shares an appreciation for diversity and hip-hop culture through this hour-long performance and lecture/demonstration.

Diavolo

This renowned company of dancers, gymnasts, and actors uses magnificent sets and props as the backdrop for dramatic and daring works that will leave students speechless.

Charlotte's Web

Based on E.B. White’s loving story of the friendship between a pig named Wilbur and a little gray spider named Charlotte, this treasured tale explores bravery, selfless love, and the true meaning of friendship.

Charlotte's Web

Based on E.B. White’s loving story of the friendship between a pig named Wilbur and a little gray spider named Charlotte, this treasured tale explores bravery, selfless love, and the true meaning of friendship.