May 23 Thursday
The second annual WATERWORKS new works festival runs May 17 through June 2 at Live Arts Theater in downtown Charlottesville. The three-week festival features 19 new theatrical works from local and global playwrights, 16 directors, and over 50 performers. Other featured works include Locally Sourced, the Charlottesville Playwrights Collective, and Community Deep Dive educational workshops. Start and end times vary; visit livearts.org for tickets and information.
“Satisfaction/The International Rolling Stones Show" is the international touring tribute show to the World's Greatest Rock & Roll Band. This Billboard & Pollstar highly rated show are entering their 20th year in production with over 4000 performances listed to their credit. Their client list include the nation’s top casinos, performing arts centers, music halls and corporate clients. Performing up to 150 shows a year, this highly acclaimed production showcases the most authentic cast & costuming of its kind. The likes of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and cast bring a colorful performance to over 50 years of classic hits. They have been featured in Rolling Stone magazine, Showbiz Magazine, Las Vegas Today, CBS Sunday Morning news and hundreds of national newspapers, magazines, television & radio as the world’s greatest show honoring the Rolling Stones and their legacy.
May 24 Friday
"One of the most spectacular journeys in recent American music." - The New York Times"One of the most talented and imaginative artists working in music -- any music -- today."- The Los Angeles TimesMark O'Connor began his creative journey at the feet of American fiddling legend Benny Thomasson, and the iconic French jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli. Today, he has melded these influences into a new American classical music, and is perpetuating his vision of an American School of String Playing. Mr. O’Connor has won three Grammys, seven CMA awards and several national fiddle, guitar and mandolin champion titles. Mr. O’Connor has composed nine concertos and two symphonies recorded by the Baltimore Symphony, London Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony among others. O’Connor is well-known for his chamber music including his million-selling composition “Appalachia Waltz” featuring Yo-Yo Ma for the Sony Classical label. His current album is Life After Life,an Americana music collection of his original songs and some classics he sings with his wife Maggie O’Connor who is featured on lead vocals. In 2023, O’Connor released his memoir, Crossing Bridges: My Journey from Child Prodigy to Fiddler Who Dared the World.Mr. O’Connor has authored a series of educational books called the O’Connor Methodand is now the fastest growing violin method in the country. The O’Connor Method features American music styles, creativity, cultural diversity and western classical technical training. For more information, visit www.markoconnor.com.American violinist/fiddler and vocalist, Maggie O'Connor performs a variety of musical styles throughout the U.S. and beyond, most recently as a member of the Grammy award-winning bluegrass group, the O'Connor Band. She spends most of her time now performing with her husband, violinist and composer Mark O'Connor. Together they have appeared as guest soloists with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra, the Santa Rosa Symphony, the Nashville Symphony, and appeared in violin duo performances in such prestigious settings as the Yehudi Menuhin Centennial celebration at the Berlin Konzerthaus, the Lockenhaus, Austria Musikfest, and the Leopold Auer Festival in Hungary. In an Americana duo setting, the couple tours music from their new album, Life After Life, a collection of original songs and classics. Along with performing, Maggie continues to work as co-director with Mr. O’Connor at O'Connor Method String Campcurrently taking place in Charlotte, NC featuring the lesson book series that is rising in popularity each year.
May 25 Saturday
Carla Jackson is a lawyer, ordained minister, and scholar-activist, who uses the arts, activism, and the academy to motivate people to think differently and, in the words of Alice Walker, “love ourselves. Regardless.” Carla is the featured vocalist for The Underground Kitchen and The Analogue Republic. Her vocal précis also includes a solo with the Richmond Symphony; a recording with the band Keep Left; presentations at the Virginia Museum for Fine Arts and Blues Alley; and performances with Carlton Blount, Claves Unidos, Eugene Pendleton, Indy Racing League, James “Saxsmo” Gates, Jason Jenkins, Josh Walker, the Katie Geneva Cannon Center for Womanist Leadership, Kevin Gaines, the League of Women Voters of Virginia, Lyric Ave, Marin Taylor, the UCI Road World Championship, the Unfit Christian Congregation Virtual Choir, Grammy-Award Winner Anthony Hamilton, Grammy-Award Winner Sim Stevenson for the launch of SoulVision.TV, and a four-month tour of Italy in the musical “Sister Act 2.”
May 26 Sunday
May 30 Thursday
May 31 Friday
Jun 01 Saturday