Pocahontas County

OPERA HOUSE SPOTLIGHT

Vol. 10, Issue 2Spring / Summer 2012

Pocahontas County Opera House Foundation818 Third Avenue P.O. Box 282 Marlinton, WV 24954

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT # 51

MARLINTON, WV

GladesBuilding

Supply

OPRY NIGHT7:30 P.M. • FEBRUARY 25 • $8

Five-time West Virginia Liars’ Contest champion Bil Lepp willbe the emcee for an evening of traditional music by West Vir-ginia’s own Born Old and Jim O’Dell.

Born Old is Paul Gartner (banjo, guitar and vocals) and Doug VanGundy (fiddle, guitar, banjo, mandolin and vocals). The duo was re-cently featured on Mountain Stage and plays traditional old-timemusic from West Virginia, as well as early country classics from thegreat artists of the 78 rpm era, including The Carter Family, CharliePoole, Uncle Dave Macon, and others. Gartner and Van Gundyhave been making music together for 14 years, giving performancesthat are both traditional and informative without sacrificing a veryhigh energy, raucous fun factor.

Sharing the Opry Night stage will be Jim O’Dell. The West Vir-ginia-born singer-songwriter has worked as a coal miner, surveyor,forester, farmer, logger, and champion competitive axe-thrower.These varied experiences—and the people and animals that havemade his acquaintance over the years—have shaped his songwrit-ing, earning him a description from one reviewer as “a writer ofsongs of life, love and dogs.”

Woven among the music of Opry Night will be the side-splittingstories and observations of humorist, author and recording artist BilLepp. Growing up in a family where it was always the responsibil-ity of the listener to decide whether or not a story was true, Leppbecame adept at spinning tales and exaggerating circumstances atan early age. Audiences across the country have been delighted byLepp’s hilarious tales and insights into everyday life. Be it aplunger, a hunting trip, or a funeral, Lepp can find the humor inany situation. A champion and veteran of the West Virginia Liars’contest, Lepp explains that while his stories may not be completelytrue, they are always honest. Additional funding for this perform-ance is provided by Roger D. Forman Law Office.

ATTACK THEATRE7:30 P.M. • MARCH 16 • $8

Under the artistic direction of Peter Kope andMichele de la Reza, Attack Theatre has been mak-ing personal, accessible and collaborative dance-

based performances with “ninja-like intensity”(Pittsburgh Tribune Review) for fifteen years. They com-bine modern dance, original live music, multimedia andinterdisciplinary art forms to present work in traditionaland nontraditional spaces both nationally and interna-tionally.

They have collaborated with major regional theaters(Quantum Theatre), NYC Broadway productions(Squonk), museums (Carnegie Museum of Art, AndyWarhol Museum, Frick Art Museum, Mattress Factory),symphonies (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra), operas(Pittsburgh Opera, Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh, SpoletoUSA) and international dance companies (Japan’s NibrollCollective, Belgium’s Compagnie Matteo Moles), therebypresenting nearly 100 original works in theatrical and sitespecific settings. While maintaining a loyal audience inPittsburgh, they have toured nationally in Ohio, Pennsyl-vania, Maryland, South Carolina, D.C., Texas, Washing-ton, New York and Massachusetts; and internationally,throughout France, Monaco, Germany, Switzerland, In-donesia, Turkey and Japan.

OUR THANKS

Special thanks toThe Snowshoe Foundation for its support of this year’s Tune Traveler’sWorld Music outreach program, which brought more than60 student-musicians from West Virginia University to per-form and teach in Pocahontas County Schools and on theOpera House stage in October 2011.

Opera House Foundation says farewell to Lauren Bennett

Long-time volunteer and Opera House FoundationTreasurer Lauren Bennett stepped down from the Founda-tion board of trustees in the fall of 2011. Bennett hasserved in some role with the Opera House Foundation’sboard since its inception more than 12 years ago, helpingto guide and shape the Opera House’s programs, as theyexist today. In the past decade, she has spent countlesshours writing grants, filing reports and keeping the OperaHouse Foundation’s books. (Not to mention her time spentsetting up chairs and tables, sweeping floors and just mak-ing sure the place was ready to go for the next rental orconcert!) Her expertise, dedication and unwavering com-munity-mindedness will be dearly missed by the OperaHouse Foundation board members. However, Bennett con-tinues to volunteer for the Opera House, organizing De-cember’s successful two-day Christmas Craft Show,featuring some 36 high-quality local artisans, craftspeopleand vendors during Marlinton’s 2011 Christmas festivities.

THE HONEY

DEWDROPS7:30 P.M. JUNE 9

$8

Husband-and-wifefolk duo

Laura Wortman and Kagey Parrish began their careers as songwriters aftertheir appearance and first-place win on a 2008 talent show broadcast of NPR’s“A Prairie Home Companion.” The Dewdrops have since released two criti-cally acclaimed albums, “If the Sun Will Shine” (2009) and “These Old Roots”(2010).

Performing on stage, The Honey Dewdrops’ “sweet kind of melancholy”echoes traditional American folk styles while reflecting the more modernsounds of country and rock. When it comes to composing, the duo strives for“relevant, meaningful songs.” Their tunes and words are efficient and simple,drawing inspiration from the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia,where they live. Surrounded by this richness of old-time blues and bluegrass,the Dewdrops entwine tight harmony singing with thoughtful instrumentationand craft songs that are simple and fine-tuned. Theirs are new songs from thesouthern mountains that ring with originality.

2012 PERFORMANCE SERIES: ABOUT THE ARTISTS 2012 PERFORMANCE SERIES: ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Performances at the Opera House are informal, family-friendly and open to all. Children 17 and younger are admitted free of charge. The entrance and main seatingare accessible to persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities are encouraged to attend; special accommodations can be arranged upon request. For further in-formation call 304-799-6645.

JIM & VALERIE GABEHART7:30 P.M. • MARCH 24 • $8

When Jim and Valerie met and discov-ered their mutual interest in blue-grass music, a lifetime partnership

was formed. Jim and Valerie married in 1981,while both were sophomores at Marshall Uni-versity, and they started playing as a gospelbluegrass group in 1982. Together with her solidrhythm guitar playing, Valerie’s voice quicklybecame the most recognizable part of the cou-ple’s sound. In an early review, Bluegrass Un-limited Magazine called Valerie a “gutsy,dynamic singer.”

Jim developed a reputation for his banjo play-ing by competing in contests throughout WestVirginia and surrounding states, winning orplacing at the top in over thirty contests, including consecutivewins at the West Virginia State Open Banjo Championship inElkins and winning first or second place twelve times at con-tests in Charleston and at Clifftop sponsored by the West Vir-ginia Division of Culture & History.

Jim and Valerie Gabehart are joined on stage by BrandonShuping (mandolin) and John “Buckwheat” Green (bass). Thegroup’s latest recording, “It’s My Turn” was released in 2010,features a mix of well-loved bluegrass standards, as well assome of Jim and Valerie’s original music.

JUANITA FIREBALL AND THE CONTINENTAL

DRIFTERS7:30 p.m. • April 14 • $8

Juanita Fireball and the Continental Driftersdebuted at the Pocahontas Opera House in2008, although they have been making

music together in one form or another for 25years. They play the Appalachian string bandtunes that they learned years ago from old-timers in West Virginia, Virginia and North Car-olina, and sing songs about animals, outlaws,fruit and love, with a few gospel numbers forbalance. The high energy of their hard-drivingmusic will have you dancing in the aisles. The

band consists of Mike Burns and Jay Lockman on twin fiddles, Mary Sue Burns on clawhammer banjo, John Sparks and TerryRichardson on guitar and Wayne Walton on bass. Come prepared to have a good time. Additional funding for this performanceis provided by Roger D. Forman Law Office.

CARAVAN OF THIEVES7:30 P.M. • APRIL 28 • $8

This Caravan of Thieves is a ragtagcrew of self-described “Gypsyswinging serenading fire-breathing

circus freaks!”For the past four years, Caravan of

Thieves has roamed the North Americancontinent recruiting a family of avid thrillseekers at their high-energy shows. Driv-ing gypsy jazz rhythms, acoustic guitars,upright bass and violin lay the founda-tion for mesmerizing vocal harmoniesand fantastic stories. It’s theatrical andhumorous. It’s musical and intense. It en-tertains, dazzles and defies classificationwhile welcoming the spectator to join theband throughout the performance in mo-mentary fits of claps, snaps and sing-alongs. If Django Reinhardt, the cast ofStomp and the Beatles all had a party atTim Burton’s house, Caravan of Thieveswould be the band they would hire.

In the spring of 2008, vocal harmoniz-ing, acoustic guitar spanking husbandand wife songwriting duo Fuzz and Car-rie Sangiovanni extended their family toinclude fiery violinist Ben Dean and dou-ble bass madman, Brian Anderson, com-pleting their colorful vision. Since then,the four of them ran away from homeand never looked back.

DOUG ELLIOTT7:30 P.M. MAY 4 • $8

Doug Elliott has performed andpresented programs at festivals,museums, botanical gardens, na-

ture centers and schools from Canada tothe Caribbean. He has been a featuredstoryteller at the National StorytellingFestival in Jonesborough, Tennessee. Hehas lectured and performed at the Amer-ican Museum of Natural History in NewYork, the Royal Ontario Museum inToronto and conducted workshops forthe Smithsonian Institution. He has ledranger training sessions for the NationalPark Service and guided people in thewilderness from down-east Maine to theFlorida Everglades.

Elliott was named harmonica cham-pion at Fiddler’s Grove Festival in UnionGrove, North Carolina. He is the authorof four books, many articles in regionaland national magazines and hasrecorded a number of award-winning al-bums of stories and songs. Elliott hastraveled from the Canadian North to theCentral American jungles studying plantand animal life and seeking out the tradi-tional wisdom of people with intimateconnections to the natural world. And hestill looks under rocks. These days he un-covers more than just a few strange crit-ters; he brings to light the humanconnection to this vibrant world ofwhich we are a part.

SEASON TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE

HOLIDAY SPECIAL EXTENDEDTHROUGH FEBRUARY!

$45 each or two for $80. Save 20% on at-the-door prices! Ordering a season ticket for yourselfor as a gift for a friend or family member is a won-derful way to show your support for keeping theperforming arts alive and well in Marlinton and Poc-ahontas County. Online: pocahontasoperahouse.orgPhone: 304-799-6645 (If no answer, leave a mes-sage letting us know how to reach you.) Mail:(Checks payable to Pocahontas County OperaHouse Foundation) PCOHF, P.O. Box 282, Marlinton,WV 24954.

Performances in the 2012 Opera House Per-formance Series are presented with financial assis-tance through a grant from the West VirginiaDivision of Culture and History and the National En-dowment for the Arts, with approval from the WestVirginia Commission on the Arts. Financial supportis also provided by Pocahontas County Drama, Fairsand Festivals, Pendleton Community Bank, NationalRadio Astronomy Observatory at Green Bank, Penn-sylvania Performing Arts on Tour and Glades Build-ing Supply.

The Opera House Foundation would also like tothank the following individuals and businesses fortheir recent contributions: L.C. & Betty Jo Davidson,Philip Phillips and Brightside Acres.

Production of this newsletter and PocahontasCounty Opera House marketing materials is madepossible with support from the Pocahontas CountyConvention and Visitors Bureau.