Little Shop of Horrors starts this weekend in Asheville.

Starting this weekend and running each weekend through May 16th, the Asheville Community Theatre will be presenting Little Shop of Horrors.

The musical is centered around a shy man named Seymour who is trying to get the girl of his dreams, Audrey. That is if the alien plant Audrey II doesn't eat her first. The stage musical first premiered in 1982 in an off-Broadway production and was an adaptation of a low budget 1960's film by the same title. Audiences were again treated to another film adaptation in 1986.

Due to it never going On Broadway it was unable to receive a Tony Award, however the musical did receive many other awards and was one of the longest running and highest grossing Off-Broadway productions ever. Many songs are well known in pop culture including Skid Row, Dentist! and Suddenly Seymour.

For tickets and show times please visit the ACT site. If you are planning a trip to Asheville and need a place to stay then check into one of these great hotels.

Here is a behind the scenes interview with Director Mark Jones.

Interview with "Little Shop" director Mark Jones from William Tiernan on Vimeo.

Karrin Allyson Quartet brings Jazz to Asheville

This Sunday April 25th, you can see Karrin Allyson perform at the Diane Wortham Theatre at 7:00PM This marks the next installment of the Western North Carolina Jazz Society's 2010 series.

On June 30, 2009, Concord Jazz celebrated Karrin Allyson's illustrious career with her 12th album for the label, By Request: The Best of Karrin Allyson, a 13-track collection that provides a remarkable overview of the musical journeys the thrice Grammy-nominated vocalist has embarked on in the last 15 years.

One of the most noteworthy characteristics of Allyson's career is the diversity of material she has explored, which is fully represented on By Request. "Karrin has expanded the jazz vocal repertoire," says Concord VP Nick Phillips, who cites her ease and authenticity in both French and Portuguese as well as her embrace of the Great American Songbook, roots music, blues and jazz. "She is remarkably talented."
Karrin's Grammy nominated 2008 release Imagina: Songs of Brasil earned rare accolades in JazzTimes magazine's review:

"To suggest that this is Karrin Allyson's finest album to date would be a disservice to such solid accomplishments as her 2001 Coltrane tribute and 2006's bold, brave Footprints; but ranking it among the best nods to Brazil ever crafted by an American singer seems fully justified"

Selections from this heralded recording will be performed on April 25. Audience members will experience why Karrin Allyson is consistently voted a leading vocalist in critics' and readers' polls.

Tickets for this event are $25 for members and $35 for non-members. Students pay $10 with a valid student ID. For more information and to hear samples of Karrin's music, please visit here. If you need a place to stay while you are in Asheville I recommend you look no further than here.

George Clinton in Asheville tonight!

Be sure you head out to The Orange Peel tonight for George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic. Think of George Clinton and you'll likely conjure an image of a crazy black man with rainbow dreads and garb befitting a galactic shaman literally barking at phat bottomed girls with a sub-atomic "WOOF!" This lovable nutcase is the legendary and internationally renowned grandfather of funk and the founder of the Parliament-Funkadelic MOB, taking the sonic innovations of James Brown and Sly Stone to both outer space AND Neptune while selling millions of records and concert tickets in the process. Quiet as its kept, however, George Clinton's initial approach to the ladies was crooning (when he wasn't cutting hair) as the leader of a standup vocal group he formed in `55 called The Parliaments, emulating the doo wop and love songs that were popular when he was in diapers (well...he STILL wears those on occasion).

The doors open at 8:00 and tickets are $33. For more information on upcoming Orange Peel shows check here.

HATCH Asheville starts this weekend

The second year of HATCH Asheville starts this weekend with a number of panels, workshops and events open to the public. What is HATCH? It is a program that provides mentorship, education, inspiration and recognition to the next generation of creative innovators. The focus is on creative industries and how to best leverage creative professions to impact the community and the planet in a positive and sustainable way. HATCHfest brings together luminaries in the arts and entertainment world to serve as mentors to groundbreaking new creative talent. They host panels, workshops, keynotes, exhibits, networking parties, and mentoring sessions for four days in the heart of downtown Asheville.

One of the highlights for 2010 is the participation of the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus and acclaimed singer/songwriter Matt Morris. Matt released his chart-topping debut album, “When Everything Breaks Open” in January. The record has received critical acclaim, radio airplay and has landed him on several TV shows including The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the George Lopez Show and David Letterman. Matt’s has toured extensively with such artists as the Indigo Girls and Joan Osborne and has been featured at the Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits Music Festivals. Matt is one of music’s most renowned songwriters. His songs have been performed by Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguillera and Kelly Clarkson.

For a full schedule of events visit here. If you are traveling from out of town and need a place to stay visit here.

ActionFest comes to Asheville

It's going to be a big weekend in Asheville. ActionFest kicks off this Thursday and there are event scheduled each day through Sunday. What is ActionFest? It's a first of its kind film festival dedicated to the action movie genre, and its happening right here in the beautiful city of Asheville. There will be 30 new movies and several world premieres to see and one of the more exciting events planned is the closing night ceremony where Chuck Norris will be present to receive a life time achievement award.

Check out the official ActionFest site for a full schedule of movies and event times. Also be sure to head out to the Carolina Cinema this Saturday at 3:00PM for a special aerial stunt show. It's going to be explosive!

The Doubletree Biltmore Hotel is offering a special rate for anyone who is traveling out of town and it is conveniently located just down the street from the theater and special events. If that hotel is booked try one of our other great hotels.

Click here for the trailer.

Orange Peel special for friends of Biltmore Park

The Orange Peel is offering friends at Biltmore Park buy-one-get-one free tickets to two shows this month! Choose between the Corey Smith concert April 8th or to the Temper Trap show April 10th! Click here to hear a sample of Corey Smith; click here to hear the Temper Trap (you may recognize them from the Diet Coke commercial!).

This offer is limited to the FIRST 8 RESPONDERS for each show, so please reply quickly if you want to be guaranteed a spot! Send your request to liz@theorangepeel.net with your name, email address, and affiliation with Biltmore Park (resident, retail tenant, etc) You will receive an email confirmation with instructions for picking up your free ticket!