Actors in “Rumors” include, from left: Amy Beane, Jim Esposito, Glynnis O’Donoghue, Matt Merrell, and Cat Rutledge. (Lacy Camp photo)

By CONNIE FISHER

Rumor has it that Neil Simon isn’t the traditional Neil Simon in his play called “Rumors.” That’s true. But it doesn’t really matter because Simon is  funny no matter what genre he writes. And the cast in Davidson Community Players latest production doesn’t seem to care. They know just what it takes to deliver Neil Simon’s lines. Read the full story

Blues singer and historian Scott Ainslie plays Sunday in Mooresville.

If you missed last week’s performances of the Neil Simon play “Rumors,” you still have another shot this weekend. The production by the Davidson Community Players runs this week Thursday through Sunday. This week also offers an opportunity to meet with the Davidson town leaders.  A community chat with Mayor Woods and the Davidson Board of Commissioners will take place Tuesday night, right after a special meeting that will revisit the board’s recent vote to consider longer terms. Other public meetings this week include the Davidson planning board Monday night and a panel discussion on senior transportation Tuesday night in Mooresville. This weekend brings a Concert on the Green in Davidson, with the Billy Joel Tribute band The Stranger. And it’s Grin Kids Charity Weekend, a fundraiser to  help send terminally ill or handicapped children on a Disney World vacation. It includes a golf tournament and a silent auction at Galway Hooker Irish Pub in Cornelius. Finish off the weekend with a concert by Delta Blues singer, guitarist and historian Scott Ainslie at Saint Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Mooresville.

At Our Town Cinemas in Davidson, the Batman flick “Dark Knight Rises” continues its run, alongside “Moonrise Kingdom” and “Ice Age: Continental Drift. See the movie showtimes at right on this page.

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Live music and great food will be served up Friday night at the first-ever food truck rally in the Lake Norman area, at Rural Hill in Huntersville. Order food and enjoy music by The Moonshine Racers  and historic demonstrations, games, scenic hayrides, and more.  Another big weekend event is  Barnstock ’12, a two-day music festival showcasing local bands and benefiting Davidson Fire Department and other local causes. Other music this weekend: Kannapolis’ Summer Concert Series features The Tams Friday and several other bands on Saturday night. And Cornelius hosts the annual Beach Bash in the Park on Saturday.  If you prefer theater, Davidson Community Players opens its production of Neil Simon’s play “Rumors” at Davidson College Duke Family Performance Hall.

Our Town Cinemas in Davidson has the Batman flick “Dark Knight Rises” along with “Moonrise Kingdom” and “Ice Age: Continental Drift.” See showtimes at right.

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So the kids are bored – don’t worry –  summer programs abound at the local libraries, with reading programs for kids of all ages, from babies to teens. Among the offerings: a Monday program in which children can read to therapy dogs,  a showing of the “Tarzan” movie Wednesday, summer reading clubs throughout the week and a game Friday for book lovers. Also, “Mud Fairies Camp” runs all week for kids ages 4 to 10. Primary runoff day is Tuesday, so the Davidson Town Board that normally meets at town hall will meet at the Community School of Davidson High School. Other governmental meetings scheduled for this week include the Cornelius Town Board on Monday night and the Davidson Design Review Board on Wednesday night. Also Wednesday evening, there’ll be a screening at the Epicentre in Charlotte of  “Fixing the Future,” a movie about sustainability. New CMS chief Heath Morrison will speak to the Lake Norman Chamber on Thursday, and the North Mecklenburg Senior Center hosts an ice cream social.  As we head toward the weekend,  “The Edge of Our Bodies,” a one-woman show about a 16-year-old girl’s trip to New York City, will be opening up at the Warehouse Performing Arts Center.  This week’s offerings of outdoor movies will be “Footloose” in Kannapolis and “The Adventures of Tintin” in Cornelius. And on Saturday, learn how horses see the world at a “World of Wonder” outing to the Triple Play Farm. Read below for details of these and other offerings this week.

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Start your weekend Thursday by cooling off for a good cause. Ben & Jerry’s and the  Red Cross  are teaming up with WBTV for their “Give a Pint, Get a Pint” blood drive. Donate blood and you’ll get free ice cream plus a coupon for a free pint. Listen to the sounds of the band Heartbeat and Rare Form on Friday night, as Mooresville hosts an open-air rock show at John Franklin Moore Park. There’s more live music Friday night (and Saturday night): Visit Campania or Summit Coffee or Galway Hooker Pub for live shows. Start early Saturday morning with the Lake Norman Excursion bike ride and running races. A  5K run starts at 7 a.m., followed at  8 a.m. with 40-, 60- and 100-mile rides around the Lake Norman area. Or tour the grounds at the Latta Plantation site during Saturday’s Living History event. If you miss Thursday’s blood drive, other drives are Sunday — at The Bridge Church of the Nazarene in Mooresville and Regal Theaters Birkdale 16. Live music continues Saturday night when Jewish Council of Lake Norman presents singer-songwriter Batsheva in concert at St. Alban’s in Davidson. And on Sunday night, The Backbeat Beatles tribute band plays a Davidson Concert on the Green.

“The Amazing Spider Man” has joined “Magic Mike” and “Brave” this week at Our Town Cinemas in Davidson. Movie showtimes are on this page at the right.

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The Backbeat

The Backbeat will bring the classic tunes of The Beatles to the Davidson Village Green this Sunday, July 15, from 6-8 p.m. The Chapel Hill-based tribute band plays the Beatles and other 1960s rock-and-roll, in a show aimed at alla ges. Besides hits from the Fab Four, they play other hits from The Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, The Kinks and more. Read the full story