7pm Thursday | Mars Landing Arts Center, Mars Hill | $25-$35
If there’s a dean of jazz in Western North Carolina, it’s pianist Michael Jefry Stevens. Never mind that he only recently moved to Pennsylvania after decades in Asheville. His commitment and connections to this region run decades, and he has become a relatively favorite in Mars Hill, where his occasional performances at Mars Landing are memorable listening-room fare.
Here, he’s invited trombonist Rick Simerly, a revered artist who has performed and toured with Tommy Dorsey, Woody Herman, Nelson Riddle and Jimmy Dorsey, among other big names. The rhythm section of bassist Zack Page and drummer Rick Dilling fills out this Al-List ensemble.
7:30pm Friday-Saturday, 2:30pm Sunday | Bebe Theatre, Asheville | $17-$23
ACDT founder Susan Collard has been making dances about strong women for 45 years. She’s not about to stop now.
Her latest creation honors the ferocity of women warriors, and Collard arms her trio of dancers with swords, shields and the music of Vivaldi. As an added wild card, cellist Polly Panic joins the choreography. If you haven’t already, do check out my video from a rehearsal a weeks ago.
7:30pm Friday-Saturday, 2:30pm Sunday | Asheville Performing Arts Academy | $27.44
One of Asheville’s newest theater companies returns with a Terri VanZandt play billed as a Southern comedy. The story follows the friendship of three women over five decades—and the romances, rivalries and secrets bubbling up over time—to the present day.
Dogged Utopia is among the latest iterations of local companies producing and performing as a collective, rather than going the route of casting calls and different players from show to show. Performances of “This Dog Don’t Hunt” continue the following weekend, through Oct. 4.
6pm Friday-Saturday | Ferguson Auditorium, A-B Tech | Free
A night of free, eclectic movies—What’s not to like? The Manahattan ShortFilm Festival, brought here through Buncombe County Public Libraries, showcases the work of filmmakers from around the globe.
But here, you’re not simply leaning back and watching—you’re among audiences in more than 500 locales worldwide viewing and judging work from the next generation of filmmakers. You’re also previewing automatic qualifiers for Oscars consideration. Screenings also continue the following weekend.