By BILL KISER
DavidsonNews.net

Alexis V-O performs her "melody driven indie pop" at Summit Coffee Friday night.

Area stages are where it’s happening this weekend, with a healthy list of theatrical and musical performances to choose from.   The Connie Company — the youth performance group of the Davidson Community Players — and the Davidson College Theatre Department offer “Sleeping Beauty” in seven shows on Friday-Sunday at the Cunningham Theatre Center’s Barber Theatre. Meanwwhile, Warehouse Performing Arts Center in Cornelius will open its run of the comedy “On The Verge” with shows Thursday through Sunday.  On Sunday, award-winning cellist Anna Wittstruck — the granddaughter of Davidson residents Bill and Mary Vinson — performs works by Beethoven, Mozart and Shostakovich in the Sloan Music Center’s Tyler-Tallman Hall at Davidson College. Read the full story

"Sleeping Beauty" will be on stage at Davidson College. That's Desiree Domo, who played Aurora in a 2007 production. (Davidson Community Players photo)

By BILL KISER
DavidsonNews.net

Award-winning cellist Anna Wittstruck, will perform at Davidson College on Sunday afternoon as part of the college’s 2012 Concert Series. Two movies with a message will be shown in Davidson this week – “Courageous” on Wednesday at Davidson United Methodist Church, and the documentary “Dreaming Nicaragua” on Sunday night at Davidson College Presbyterian Church.

On the stage, the Connie Company — the youth performance group of the Davidson Community Players — and the Davidson College Theatre Department will perform “Sleeping Beauty” this week, with seven shows spread over Friday-Sunday at the Cunningham Theatre Center’s Barber Theatre at Davidson College.

And for something a little more lighthearted, the Warehouse Performing Arts Center in Cornelius will open its run of the comedy “On The Verge” Thursday, with shows daily through Feb. 4. There’s also live music scheduled later this week at Summit Coffee and the Brickhouse Tavern, both in downtown Davidson.

These events — and more below — are in our day-by-day calendar at right. Also, at right on this page, see our movie show times listings for Our Town Cinemas. Read the full story

A reception at Davidson College Wednesday night will mark the opening of several new exhibits and celebrate publication of this new book titled "Davidson Collects," essays by 100 Davidson students about works from the college's art collection.

By BILL KISER
DavidsonNews.net

Davidson College will hold a series of lectures and other events at Alvarez Student Union on Monday as part of the college’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. And there’s plenty more going on in the area this week, as well – from organ music to an art exhibit opening to the start of the three-weekend VisitLakeNorman.org Soccer Series.

On Tuesday night, a performance by organist Susan Bates kicks off the second half of Davidson College Presbyterian Church’s Organ at Davidson series, with a reception to follow. Wednesday night, Davidson College’s Van Every/Smith Galleries will host an exhibit of recent gifts and acquisitions, a selection of works by artist Sean Scully and the launch of “Davidson Collects: 100 Writers Respond to Art,” a book that includes essays by 100 college students on works in the school’s permanent art collection. Read the full story

By BILL KISER
DavidsonNews.net

The new year is upon us – made your plans yet? Our calendar has plenty of area events to ring out 2011 and ring in 2012. They range from the large – First Night Charlotte in downtown Charlotte Saturday – to the small – a free timed 5K run in downtown Davidson New Year’s day – to the wild – the 4th annual Polar Bear Plunge swim at The Point on Lake Norman.

At First Night Charlotte, activities begin at noon Saturday with First Night Kids, then the adults take over downtown beginning at 8 p.m.  Meanwhile, several area restaurants — Davidson’s Flatiron Kitchen + Taphouse and Jeffrey’s Restaurant in Mooresville, among others — have special New Year’s Eve dinners planned; and nightclubs — among them Skybar and Unleashed in Mooresville, Davidson’s Brickhouse Tavern, and Cornelius’ Dirty Martini, Rusty Rudder, Galway Hooker Irish Pub and Prosciutto’s Pizzeria & Pub — will celebrate the coming New Year. Read the full story

Chasing Pedestrians performed at last summer's BarnStock festival. They'll reunite for a concert Friday at Snug Harbor. (Chasing Pedestrians photo)

Christmas is upon us and house parties are everywhere. But if you’re looking for something else to do: Davidson College’s men’s basketball team plays at UMass Thursday night, and the game is on radio and internet video. There’s plenty of live music the next couple of nights, from Billy Jones and the Pocket at Summit Coffee in Davidson Thursday to Captain Lou Friday at The Brickhouse to a holiday reunion gig by local band Chasing Pedestrians Friday at Snug Harbor in Charlotte. Also below, a list of Christmas services at local churches. Read the full story

Trains for a Cure is a nightly holiday train display on view through Dec. 30, except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Our holiday week calendar has a little bit of everything, from public meetings to comedy to nightly viewings of one of the coolest Christmas train displays around, at Trains for a Cure in Cornelius. Davidson College’s basketball teams both have games Monday night – the women at home vs. Georgia Southern and the men on TV against No. 12 Kansas. And we have a list of some Christmas services at local churches. Read the full story