http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com?source=rss Latest arts & entertainment stories from The Mountaineer. Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:55:30 EDT Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:55:30 EDT en-us Copyright 2011 Mountaineer Publishing http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/stinas-picks/950514?source=rss ]]> It doesn’t matter if you’re leaving town for a day or a decade; the problem is always the same. There is only so much time. I am an eternal optimist, always thinking I’ll get things done in advance and that I’ll be sitting pretty by the time I’m set to leave. In reality, of course, I’m usually shoving the damp clothes I didn’t have time to fully dry into a bag as I head out the door. I’m sure my leaving Waynesvill... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/stinas-picks/950514 Mon, 21 Jan 2013 08:40:00 EST news@themountaineer.com (Stina Sieg ) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/pickin-through-the-winter/950497?source=rss ]]> CANTON — When the weather turns warm in Haywood County, people know where to turn for their mountain music and dance fix. Every Friday, all summer long, pickers and singers and cloggers meet at Canton's Rec Park for a few hours of listening, visiting and jamming. For more than two decades, Pickin’ in the Park has been quite the party, with a diverse, all-ages group and a vitality that can't be beat. It's a big ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/pickin-through-the-winter/950497 Mon, 21 Jan 2013 05:09:00 EST news@themountaineer.com (Stina Sieg ) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/a-moment-with-margaret-cho/950357?source=rss ]]> It's hard to put Margaret Cho in a box — or a paragraph, for that matter. She sings, writes, designs clothes, models and — at least in a few episodes of "30 Rock" — becomes Kim Jong Il. But above all and everything, she captivates/shocks/delights audiences with her stand-up shows. The comedian is known for addressing all kinds of taboo topics, from her love and support for the LGBT community her lack of it for ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/a-moment-with-margaret-cho/950357 Sun, 20 Jan 2013 09:15:00 EST news@themountaineer.com (Staff) Features http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/stinas-picks/947745?source=rss ]]> This is my third January editing The Guide, and so this is my third January worrying about the same issue — of not having much going on in the county. While this definitely poses a problem when creating a weekly guide of what to do, I’ve always, actually, kind of relished these doldrums. This might not be music festival time, but it is prime knitting, soup making and indoor potluck weather. It’s time, if you so ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/stinas-picks/947745 Mon, 14 Jan 2013 09:28:00 EST news@themountaineer.com (Stina Sieg ) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/a-weekly-dose-of-dance/947687?source=rss ]]> FINES CREEK — The stars seem brighter out here. Maybe that’s a romantic notion, or maybe it’s simply true, as little Fines Creek is miles away from all those well-lit grocery stores, gas stations and parking lots in Waynesville, Canton and Clyde. Even on a Saturday night, the tucked-away township is often nearly silent, with only a few glowing houses illuminating the pitch black. At least, that’s how it used to ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/a-weekly-dose-of-dance/947687 Mon, 14 Jan 2013 07:29:00 EST news@themountaineer.com (Stina Sieg ) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/on-the-bus-with-21a/947680?source=rss ]]> As we go about our daily lives — with all our mistakes, revelations and lessons learned — it’s easy to feel like many people live in our heads. Doesn’t everyone have an inner old lady, drunk and socially awkward youngster? Tim Stoeckel certainly does — especially as he nears the end of the rehearsal process for “21A.” In the one-man show, the 25-year-old plays no less than eight characters, all of whom happen to ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/on-the-bus-with-21a/947680 Mon, 14 Jan 2013 00:50:00 EST news@themountaineer.com (Stina Sieg ) Features http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/br-welcomes-john-driskell-hopkins/942736?source=rss ]]> Folks tuning in to today's country music channels know the Grammy-award-winning Zac Brown Band. Atlanta's John Driskell Hopkins has been doing vocals and playing guitar with ZBB since 2005 and enjoys engineering and songwriting credits on the band's platinum-selling "You Get What You Give" and "The Foundation" albums. When the multi-talented Hopkins decided to produce a solo project featuring his own songs, he ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/br-welcomes-john-driskell-hopkins/942736 Mon, 31 Dec 2012 07:57:00 EST news@themountaineer.com (Mary Ann Enloe) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/stinas-picks/935467?source=rss ]]> Do you know those movies that pick you up, shake you around and don’t let you go until you get a mildly life-altering understanding of the world? Yes? No? I think I do, or least I’m always chasing that. It draws me to art-house cinemas in far-away cities and the less popular aisles of video stores. This weekend, it drove me to Netflix, and I still haven’t fully recovered. Due to some pretty racy stuff and ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/stinas-picks/935467 Mon, 10 Dec 2012 11:03:00 EST news@themountaineer.com (Stina Sieg ) Features http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/a-close-knit-community/935334?source=rss ]]> With knitting needles in her hands and purple yarn wrapped around her finger, Pam Ring looked at home. An unfinished linen skirt was growing slowly, stitch-by-stitch, in her lap, and she had far yet to go. But Ring, the outgoing president of the Smoky Mountain Knitting Guild, wasn’t bothered. She, like everyone in the group, doesn’t knit for instant gratification. She does it, in part, because she simply can’t ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/a-close-knit-community/935334 Mon, 10 Dec 2012 08:18:00 EST news@themountaineer.com (Stina Sieg ) Features http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/the-music-of-gentlemen/932403?source=rss ]]> ASHEVILLE — The music industry is awash in niche genres these days. Between newgrass (Sam Bush, anyone?) and K-Pop (think Psy of “Gangnam Style”) and so many others, you’ve probably heard more of them than you know. But have you listened to “Two Man-Music” yet? Well, time’s a wasting. Andy Bean and Fuller Condon, aka The Two Man Gentleman Band, have an old-timey, upbeat aura that doesn’t fit neatly into any ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/the-music-of-gentlemen/932403 Mon, 03 Dec 2012 06:55:00 EST news@themountaineer.com (Stina Sieg ) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/balsam-range-ignites-colonial/932385?source=rss ]]> The Balsam Range Winter Concert Series started up Saturday night with a sold-out show at the Colonial Theater in Canton. BR welcomed Nashville artist Shawn Camp and his band, the first of many guests in this five-part monthly concert series, and the crowd greeted them all with jubiliation. Wish you'd been there? Check out tickets and more information about the rest of the series at www.balsamrange.com. http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/balsam-range-ignites-colonial/932385 Sun, 02 Dec 2012 11:00:00 EST news@themountaineer.com (Stina Sieg ) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/stinas-picks/932139?source=rss ]]> Sometimes helping others and telling them what to do can seem awfully similar. “You must see this movie,” we say, or “You’ve got to check out this book/article/cat video.” For good measure, we might even throw in something like “It will change your life,” all the while feeling confident it will. Maybe this isn’t the best means of persuasion, but I’m as guilty as anyone of it. So, you must hear The Two Man ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/stinas-picks/932139 Sat, 01 Dec 2012 14:11:00 EST news@themountaineer.com (Stina Sieg ) Features http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/a-christmas-carol-with-hart/931598?source=rss ]]> What says “A Christmas Carol” to you? Is it Charles Dickens’ original novella dating all the way back to 1843? Is it the Muppets singing their way through the holiday tale? Or is it the version with Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse, The Flintstones, Jim Carrey — or even Kelsey Grammer? No matter your answer, it might change this week when Haywood Arts Regional Theatre adds its rendition to the mix. It’s simply time for a ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/a-christmas-carol-with-hart/931598 Fri, 30 Nov 2012 10:14:00 EST news@themountaineer.com (Stina Sieg ) Features http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/stinas-picks/927052?source=rss ]]> As I sat in HART’s rendition of “August: Osage County” a few days back, I could see (and hear) why someone might object. Between the shrill obscenities, drinking and pot smoking, there was a lot to push you away — especially if you make a point to avoid all three in your daily life. I could see it, but didn’t feel it, as I was stunned and completely grabbed by this show about family dysfunction, secrets and lies. ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/stinas-picks/927052 Mon, 19 Nov 2012 11:37:00 EST news@themountaineer.com (Stina Sieg ) Features http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/kingsolver-takes-flight/926887?source=rss ]]> When Barbara Kingsolver sits down to write, she doesn’t worry so much about her characters. They’re important, of course, but to this famed novelist, essayist and poet, they’re not the point. The point is the story she’s hungry to tell, often about social or environmental justice. In the past, she’s dealt with everything from illegal immigration to biodiversity, often with a sense of hope and possibility in her ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/kingsolver-takes-flight/926887 Mon, 19 Nov 2012 08:34:00 EST news@themountaineer.com (Stina Sieg ) Features http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/downtown-waynesville-gets-festive/926802?source=rss ]]> Before Christmas, or even Thanksgiving, Waynesville's Main Street got festive Sunday afternoon with the annual Holiday Open House. Though many shops are often closed Sunday, most were open, offering up yuletide treats and eats and even the chance to see Santa. The next holiday event in Waynesville will be the annual Christmas parade on Dec. 3, followed by A Night Before Christmas Dec. 8. http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/downtown-waynesville-gets-festive/926802 Sun, 18 Nov 2012 15:38:00 EST news@themountaineer.com (Stina Sieg ) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/lessons-from-miss-leymah/923715?source=rss ]]> LAKE JUNALUSKA — Leymah Gbowee didn’t win a Nobel Prize by letting people off the hook. The Liberian peace activist is known the world over because she’s held them — and herself — accountable. She doesn’t look away, doesn’t just walk past when she sees injustice. She didn’t as her home nation was fighting for freedom from the late 1980s to the early 2000s, and she won’t now. As the Peace Conference’s keynote ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/lessons-from-miss-leymah/923715 Mon, 12 Nov 2012 08:10:00 EST news@themountaineer.com (Stina Sieg ) Features http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/stinas-picks/923701?source=rss ]]> A few weeks ago, I received the most surprising letter. It contained my drivers license and a friendly note penned by a couple who had found it lying on a street in Asheville. In the hustle and bustle of that week, I hadn’t even noticed it was missing. So, I want to say thanks to David and Megan, who even signed their names with a happy face. So nice. I also want to say, despite my penchant for losing things ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/stinas-picks/923701 Mon, 12 Nov 2012 07:38:00 EST news@themountaineer.com (Stina Sieg ) Features http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/welcome-to-osage-county/923673?source=rss ]]> HART closes its regular 2012 main stage season with a humdinger of an homage to dysfunctional families everywhere. "August: Osage County" is black comedy at its darkest, and audiences have loved Tracy Letts' off-kilter Pulitzer prize winner since its opening on Broadway in 2008. "We're not here to do 'The Sound of Music' every time," said HART's executive director Steven Lloyd after Saturday night's performance ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/welcome-to-osage-county/923673 Sun, 11 Nov 2012 21:34:00 EST news@themountaineer.com (Mary Ann Enloe) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/poundstone-comes-to-the-mountains/919865?source=rss ]]> In kindergarten, famed comedian Paula Poundstone got her first good review. It came from her teacher, Mrs. Bump, who wrote in an evaluation that she “enjoyed many of Paula’s humorous comments about our activities.” In a conversation, Poundstone might tell you that little anecdote — and a happy avalanche of other memories, observations and hopes. She’s a talker. Delightfully so. As she explained by phone the other ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/poundstone-comes-to-the-mountains/919865 Mon, 05 Nov 2012 09:27:00 EST news@themountaineer.com (Stina Sieg ) Features