Around Town: Haire's 'A Christmas Memory' and more on tap in coming weeks
This week's edition of Around Town once again has several holiday events, including Christmas performances at local churches and a traditional one-man show at The Episcopal Church of St. John in the Wilderness.
Haire to perform A Christmas Memory on Dec. 16
Truman Capote’s short story, A Christmas Memory, will once again be performed as a one-man show by actor and theologian E.R. Haire Jr. at The Episcopal Church of St. John in the Wilderness, according to a news release. This is the 20th year Dr. Haire has performed the story.
Four shows are set beginning with the 7:30 p,m. performance on Dec. 16.
The rest of the schedule is as follows: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17 and 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18. The performances will be held in the Wilderness Room of the Parish House at 1905 Greenway Highway in Flat Rock. Haire has performed the story from Los Angeles to Edinburgh, Scotland with many stops in between, including Flat Rock.
“This story has become a big part of my life and I never really realized it until returning to perform it at home. It brings the story’s poignant message full circle,” said Dr. Haire in the news release.
The show is free to the public but seating is limited to 50 people per performance and RSVP is required. Sign up at www.stjohnflatrock.org. Face masks are optional.
A Christmas Memory takes place during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Until he was 10 years old, Truman Capote lived with elderly relatives in a small town in rural Alabama. The story is an autobiographical account of those years, especially of his relationship with one of the elderly cousins, Miss Sook Faulk.
A Christmas Memory first appeared in Mademoiselle Magazine in the late 1950s, when Capote was 27 years old. He died in 1984 at the age of 59.
Haire is a native of North Carolina. His professional achievements combine acting and theology. In Los Angeles, he worked as an actor and at Paramount Studios. Theater credits in Los Angeles include The Foreigner, You Can’t Take It With You, Hamlet, Henry V, Richard III, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Caucasian Chalk Circle and the comedy spoof Riffs of Shakespeare.
Haire is also a member of the Screen Actors Guild.
St. John in the Wilderness is located in Flat Rock, NC at 1895 Greenville Highway. For more information contact the church office at 828-693-9783 or visit www.stjohnflatrock.org.
Brevard Music Center hosts "Holiday Favorites" on Dec. 16
Brevard Music Center is celebrating the holidays with a performance called "Holiday Favorites," which will be held at 7:30 p.m. at Parker Concert Hall on Dec. 16.
According to a Brevard Music Center news release, vocalist Andy James and an all-star band of many of the country’s most illustrious jazz artists will perform seasonal favorites. Tickets are priced from $35 and are available online at brevardmusic.org.
James will be singing holiday favorites from her newly-released Christmas album “Bells Are Ringing.” She will be collaborating with some of the country's top-performing musicians and will share her love of the holidays in this festive concert, the release said. Joining James are jazz luminaries including legendary percussionist Alex Acuña, pianist Jon Cowherd, drummer Lewis Nash, saxophonists Bob Sheppard and Jaleel Shaw, guitarist MikeMoreno, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen and trombonist Michael Dease.Parker Concert Hall is Brevard Music Center’s state-of-the-art venue overlooking scenic Lake Milner. All concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. and tickets start at $35. For more information go to brevardmusic.org/tickets or call the BMC Box Office at 828-862-2105 or send an email to boxoffice@brevardmusic.org.
Cann to perform at St. James Episcopal Church in January
West Indian-American concert pianist Kimberly Cann will take center stage on the grand piano for the 2023 Candlemas Concert at 4 p.m. Jan. 29 at St. James Episcopal Church in Hendersonville.
The 33rd annual benefit concert raises funds to fight hunger in Henderson County, according to a news release. The annual Candlemas concert, organized by the St. James Outreach Commission, marks the ancient Christian holiday of “Candlemas,” commemorating Mary’s return to the temple at Jerusalem to present her son to God.
Tickets are on sale now and are $25 each. They can be purchased online at https://www.stjamesepiscopal.com/abou…/news/candlemas.html. They may also be purchased at the Hendersonville Visitors Center on Main Street, Diamond Rush Jewelry in Laurel Park or the St. James Reception Desk.
For more information or to purchase tickets by phone, contact Tari Watson at 352-490-1056 or send an email to watson32625@aol.com.
Brandy Bar's Songwriter Sessions continue on Dec. 21
The Brandy Bar, located at 504 Seventh Ave. E., will be continuing its Songwriter Sessions from 7-9 p.m. Dec. 21 by hosting Melissa Hyman, The Water Kickers, Brodie and Kelley Porterfield and also the usual host Charles Wilkinson, according to a news release.
Hyman is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and educator living in Asheville. Amongst many musical endeavors, her main projects are the Heartbeat Sessions (heartbeatsessions.org) and her band The Moon and You, with her husband Ryan Furstenberg.
The Water Kickers, Folk/Rock Duo Brodie and Kelley Porterfield, combine intricate harmonies, heartfelt and emotional narratives, subtle rhythms and sophisticated picking, the release said.
Hosts will be Mare Carmody, John Longbottom and Wilkinson.
For more information call 828-513-1336 or send an email to WNCsongwritersessions@gmail.com.
Heritage Weavers and Fiber Artists holding demonstrations
Heritage Weavers and Fiber Artists, Inc. is inviting the public for a free day of fiber arts demonstrations and hands-on experience in multiple crafts at the Boarding House on Historic Johnson Farm in Hendersonville.
The demonstrations will be held from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Jan. 28. For more information see Heritage Weavers' website at https://www.hwfawnc.org/.
This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Around Town: Haire's 'A Christmas Memory' and more on tap in coming weeks
