Calendar of Events

Adapted by Joe Landry
'It's a Wonderful Life' is based on the story, 'The Greatest Gift' by Philip Van Doren Stern

This beloved American holiday classic comes to captivating life as a live 1940s radio broadcast. With the help of an ensemble that brings a few dozen characters to the stage, the story of idealistic George Bailey unfolds as he considers ending his life one fateful Christmas Eve

River & Rail Theatre, 111 State Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-407-0727, www.riverandrailtheatre.com

The community center, 239 Jamestowne Blvd #20, is hosting its first-ever esports tournament!

Kids ages 8-14 are invited to participate in a Mario-Kart Tournament from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 7. Play takes place on Nintendo Switches, and everyone will get the chance to play multiple rounds. Cost is $5 per participant; registration will soon be available at townoffarragut.org/register. This is your chance to show off your esports skills at the community center!

The Nutcracker, a full-length classical ballet, will be presented by the Appalachian Ballet Company in their 52nd season. Live music by the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, beautiful sets and scenery, lavish costumes and accomplished dancers will put you in the holiday mood! Dancing the role of the Sugarplum Fairy will be ABC alum, Laura Morton La Russa, “25 to watch” in Dance Magazine 2021. ABC will be featuring James La Russa as Herr Drosselmeyer and the Arabian Prince. For over 100 years, this classic story has proven to be a favorite, enchanting audiences of all ages. Come see the magic! Show runs 90 minutes with one intermission.

Knoxville Civic Auditorium
December 2, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
December 3, 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Clayton Center for the Arts, Ronald & Lynda Nutt Theatre
December 8, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
December 9, 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

865-981-8590
https://appalachianballet.org/tickets.html

KCT Intern Evie Braude will direct the production, Teresa Seals will serve as Musical Director, and Donya Walker-Bacon will choreograph.

Buddy, a young orphan, mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is raised, unaware that he is actually a human, until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Faced with the harsh reality that his father is on the naughty list and that his half-brother doesn’t even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas. Elf JR. features songs by Tony Award-nominees, Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin, with a book by Tony Award-winners, Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin.

Knoxville Children's Theatre, 109 E. Churchwell Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-208-3677, www.knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Lionel Bart
DECEMBER 1-17, 2023

This beloved musical, based on the classic Charles Dickens novel “Oliver Twist,” tells the tale of an orphaned boy who escapes the cruel workhouse where he was raised and finds himself caught up in the criminal underworld of Victorian London. Featuring unforgettable songs such as “Consider Yourself” and “Food, Glorious Food” and memorable characters like the wily Artful Dodger and the greedy Fagin, Oliver! tugs at the heartstrings of audiences of all generations with its themes of resilience, redemption, and the power of kindness.

GENERAL AUDIENCES

Oak Ridge Playhouse, 227 Broadway, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Information and tickets: 865-482-9999, https://www.orplayhouse.com/

Welcome to the 18th Annual East Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibition, presented by the Knoxville Museum of Art. The ETRSAE showcases the strength and diversity of art education programs in East Tennessee, celebrates talented middle and high school students, and supports arts education. This annual exhibition provides the opportunity for students to participate in a juried exhibition and to have their artworks displayed in a professional art museum environment. We are so delighted by the quality of the artworks, the dedication of the teachers, and the commitment of the museum staff to establish a museum/school tradition for our community.

Public, private, and home schools grade 6–12 in 32 East Tennessee counties were invited to submit up to 15 artworks per teacher. Categories for the competition include ceramic, drawing, digital imagery/video production, mixed media, painting, computer graphics, sculpture, photography, and printmaking. Each participating school is represented by one work of art.

The Best-in-Show winner receives a Purchase Award of $500, and the artwork becomes a permanent part of the collection of Mr. James Dodson, on loan to the Knoxville Museum of Art’s Education Collection. The Best-in-Middle School winner receives $250. If you are a NAEA/TAEA member and the teacher of the student who is selected as this year’s Best-in-Show and Best in Middle School, you will receive a $100 Art Educator Award from the Knoxville Museum of Art. Each student in the exhibition receives a certificate of participation and the “Best” in each of the 10 categories. The winners receive a cash award and a museum family membership.

Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World's Fair Park, Knoxville, TN 37916. Hours: Tu-Sa 10-5, Su 1-5. Information: 865-525-6101, www.knoxart.org. Admission and parking are free.

HOLIDAYS ON ICE
PRESENTED BY HOME FEDERAL BANK
Friday, November 24, 2023 through
Tuesday, January 2, 2024
Market Square

Take a skate on Knoxville's open air ice skating rink.
More information available at KnoxvillesHolidaysOnIce.com.

https://www.knoxvilletn.gov/government/city_departments_offices/special_events/christmas_in_the_city

By Charles Dickens
Adapted by Edward Morgan and Joseph Hanreddy
Music by John Tanner
Clarence Brown Theatre
November 22 – December 21, 2023

Knoxville’s longest-running holiday tradition! For more than three decades, Knoxvillians have returned year-after-year to experience this timeless story of hope and redemption. This season, make A Christmas Carol part of your holiday tradition. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll create a wonderful memory… and you will leave the theater with a warm heart and renewed spirit!

Clarence Brown Theatre, 1714 Andy Holt Ave on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. For information/tickets: 865-974-5161, www.clarencebrowntheatre.com

They Sang What They Lived: The Story of Carl and Pearl Butler is the first retrospective exhibition of Carl and Pearl Butler, the iconic country music duo whose timeless lyrics and harmonious melodies left an indelible mark on country music. With a career spanning over four decades, Carl and Pearl Butler became celebrated figures in the world of country music. “Carl made scores of major-label records during the 1950s,” says Bradley E. Reeves, the exhibition’s guest curator and author of the new book Honky Tonkitis: On the Road with Carl Butler and Pearl. “These are some of the best bluegrass, gospel, and hard country records ever made, although none could be called a massive hit.” That honor would come in 1962, when Carl and Pearl recorded “Don’t Let Me Cross Over.” The song remains among the fastest ever to ascend to No. 1 on Billboard Hot Country Singles. Carl and Pearl’s unique “Knoxville sound,” along with heartfelt lyrics, earned them a dedicated fan base who supported them at performances across the United States and Canada through the 1970s. The exhibition offers visitors a rare glimpse into the lives of these music legends.

Key highlights of the exhibition include:
1. Rare Family Archives: Museum guests will have the opportunity to view the Allen “Junior” Butler Family Collection, which has been made publicly available for the first time and includes never-before-seen photographs, home movies, original instruments, and stage costumes that belonged to Carl and Pearl Butler. “I’m grateful to Allen Butler and his family for opening their home and archives to share with us,” says Reeves.
2. Musical Journey: Explore the duo's musical journey through a feature film, which transports visitors through various periods of their career and traces their unfiltered, raw singing style, one that derived from and advanced the “Knoxville sound.”
3. Behind-the-Scenes: Gain insight into the lives of Carl and Pearl Butler through never-before-seen family photographs and recently uncovered anecdotes from the family and fellow musicians, including Dolly Parton who viewed the Butlers as her “second parents.” “Despite their successes,” says Adam Alfrey, Assistant Director for Historical Services at Knox County Public Library, “Carl and Pearl faced personal and professional struggles, which are intimately documented through the family’s photographs.”
4. Interpretive Experience: Engage with the exhibition to understand how both Knoxville and Nashville played a role in the development of country music. Also, learn how chart-topping artists can quickly become all but forgotten, even in their hometown. “The Butlers somehow fell through the cracks,” reflects Reeves. “It’s my hope that this book and exhibition will contribute to a reappreciation of their great body of work.”
They Sang What They Lived: The Story of Carl and Pearl Butler promises to be a heartfelt educational experience for country music enthusiasts and fans of all ages. It serves as a testament to the enduring influence of Carl and Pearl Butler on the world of music.

At 5:00 pm, Friday, October 6, 2023, there will be an opening reception for They Sang What They Lived: The Story of Carl and Pearl Butler. The event will include a meet and greet with Carl and Pearl Butler’s family, a book signing by guest curator Bradley E. Reeves, and an exhibition of Appalachian musical pioneer paintings by artist Amy Campbell. At 7:00 pm, there will be a “Tribute to Carl and Pearl,” opened by a performance of the Paul Brewster and Friends Band, comprised of 14-year-old mandolin prodigy Wyatt Ellis and Grand Ole Opry performers Daniel Grindstaff, Kent Blanton, Stephen Burwell, and John Meador. A screening of 8mm home movies shot by the Butlers (watch for an appearance by 10-year-old Dolly Parton), as well as some of the Butlers’ rarest television appearances, will conclude the evening.

East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Museum hours: M-F 9-4, Sa 10-4, Su 1-5. Information: 865-215-8824, www.eastTNhistory.org/lights-camera