Once again, The Roanoke Times and roanoke.com are offering our readers a searchable map and database of holiday lights displays in the Roanoke and New River Valleys -- and beyond. And we need you folks with the lighting displays to populate it for us.
Data dude Matt Chittum tells you how to do this in this entry on his Datasphere blog.
Mill Mountain Theatre has announced the complete cast of "Annie Jr.," a production of the beloved musical with the familiar roles filled by 35 students, ranging ages 6 to 18, from schools all over the Roanoke and New River valleys. The play will be performed Dec. 10-13 and Dec. 17-20 on the Trinkle Main Stage in Center in the Square. Tickets $10-$12.
Cast members from the New River Valley are: Taylor Dawson, Jessica Wollman and Meija Eller, all from Blacksburg Middle School.
Arts writer Mike Allen has more details, and the full cast list, on his Arts & Extras blog.
Sixteen-year-old Max Hiner of Radford has won a national competition for classical guitar. Music writer Tad Dickens has details -- and video -- in this post on his cut'n'scratch music blog.
You can hear the Met’s “Live in HD” program, — if you don’t mind driving to movie houses in Lynchburg, Danville, Bristol or Charlottesville. So why not in the New River Valley? Would any opera fans in the NRV like to see this? If so, weigh in on this post on arts writer Mike Allen’s Arts & Extras blog.
Music writer Tad Dickens has details on his cut'n'scratch music blog.
The University Chamber Music Series at Virginia Tech joins in the bicentennial celebration of Edgar Allan Poe's birth this Saturday with a concert featuring the world premier of a specially commissioned composition setting Poe's poetry to music.
Arts writer Mike Allen has details on his Arts & Extras blog.
Virginia Tech's Theatre Arts Department launches a new version of one of Shakespeare's bleakest and most diabolical tragedies, "Othello," starting this Friday at the Squires Haymarket Theatre. This particular production puts the play in a modern setting, imagining the beleaguered Moorish soldier as a basketball coach.
Arts writer Mike Allen has a video from the show on his Arts & Extras blog.
The Punch Brothers will play the Lyric on Feb. 21. Music writer Tad Dickens has details on his cut'n'scratch music blog.
Music writer Tad Dickens has the list of who's playing at the Blacksburg nightspot in this post on his cut'n'scratch music blog.
Novelist Melanie Rae Thon will be at Volume II bookstore in Blacksburg Wednesday for a reading.
For details, see our Back Cover book blog.
