John Hughes' 1985 Brat Pack classic, "The Breakfast Club," stars (from left) Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall. It's back on the big screen this weekend at Park Place Stadium Cinemas.
WVU rap concert
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday for an April 27 concert at the WVU Coliseum featuring J. Cole, Tyga and Big K.R.I.T. Tickets are $25 or $45. Visit www.ticketmaster.com or call 800-745-3000.
Alban Center concerts
On Friday, the Alban Arts Center, 65 Olde Main St., St. Albans, will host a free concert with Southern gospel singer Squire Parsons, beginning at 6 p.m. On Saturday, it hosts The Appalachian Celtic Consort in a Colesmouth Concert Series show beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students. Call 304-721-8896 or email albana...@gmail.com.
Christian music concert
Hip-hop singer, rapper and 98.7 The Beat's Sunday morning DJ Steven Thomas (aka Steve da Overcomer or Steve-O) headlines a CD-release show at 7 p.m. Friday at the All Nations Revival Center, 325 Academy Dr., Dunbar. The show includes performances by Steve-O, singer and evangelist T-Ran Gilbert, Persuaded and MLIK. Tickets $12 advance, $15 at the door. Call 304-346-3533.
Pumpkin Park concert
Stacy Grubb and The Clay Hess Band will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Pumpkin Park Music Hall in Milton. The bluegrass, country and Americana singer-songwriter grew up in McDowell County and is a member of the Wheeling Jamboree. Her debut album, "Hurricane," was released in 2009, and her next effort is scheduled for a spring release. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for seniors. Call 304-638-1633 or 304-634-5857. For more on Grubb, visit www.stacygrubb.com.
Writer's workshop
Writers' Toolkit, produced by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History and the West Virginia Library Commission, runs Friday and Saturday at the Culture Center. The free program begins at 7 p.m. Friday with children's author Sarah Sullivan's keynote address, "Bright Streets and Dark Paths: The Often Painful, Sometimes Glorious Journey from Rough Draft to Polished Manuscript." A reception follows.
On Saturday, a creative-writing workshop runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It features two sessions: 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. Participants should bring writing tablets and utensils. They also may bring a bag lunch.
Morning workshop options include: "Craft and Creativity in Picture Books," with Sullivan; "Screenwriting for Beginners," with Danny Boyd; "Short Takes: Writing from Life," with Karin Fuller; and "The Seven Deadly Sins," with Sandy Tritt. Afternoon workshops are: "Using Place to Spark Creativity," with Sullivan; "The Graphic Novel," with Boyd; "Romance with a Twist," with Fuller; and "The Life Cycle of a Character," with Tritt.
For more information. Call Caryn Gresham at 304-558-0220.
River City Blues Festival
The Mid-Ohio Valley Blues, Jazz & Folk Music Society presents its annual River City Blues Festival on Friday and Saturday at the Lafayette Hotel in Marietta.
Friday night starts at 8 p.m. and includes headliner the Lionel Young Blues Band, winner of the 2011 International Blues Challenge, at 9:45 p.m. On Saturday, music starts at 12:15 p.m. and then breaks around 5:30 p.m., before picking back up at 8 p.m. The headliner, Southern Hospitality (featuring JP Soars, Damon Fowler and Victor Wainwright), takes the stage at 10 p.m.
Tickets for nonmembers are $70 for a weekend pass or $25 for Friday night, $25 for Saturday afternoon and $30 for Saturday night. Call Mary Ann Osborne, at 304-422-2944, or email bo...@bjfm.org. Visit www.bjfm.org for the full lineup.
'Yo Gabba Gabba' meet-and-greet
Charleston Town Center will host a free meet-and-greet with Plex, Brobie and Toody from "Yo Gabba Gabba" beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday in Picnic Place. Parents may bring their cameras to take photos.
Also on Saturday, E. Bunny officially arrives. He will be in the Balloon Garden on Level 2 daily with photos available for purchase. Visit www.charlestontowncenter.com.
WVU rap concertTickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday for an April 27 concert at the WVU Coliseum featuring J. Cole, Tyga and Big K.R.I.T. Tickets are $25 or $45. Visit www.ticketmaster.com or call 800-745-3000.
Alban Center concerts
On Friday, the Alban Arts Center, 65 Olde Main St., St. Albans, will host a free concert with Southern gospel singer Squire Parsons, beginning at 6 p.m. On Saturday, it hosts The Appalachian Celtic Consort in a Colesmouth Concert Series show beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students. Call 304-721-8896 or email albana...@gmail.com.
Christian music concert
Hip-hop singer, rapper and 98.7 The Beat's Sunday morning DJ Steven Thomas (aka Steve da Overcomer or Steve-O) headlines a CD-release show at 7 p.m. Friday at the All Nations Revival Center, 325 Academy Dr., Dunbar. The show includes performances by Steve-O, singer and evangelist T-Ran Gilbert, Persuaded and MLIK. Tickets $12 advance, $15 at the door. Call 304-346-3533.
Pumpkin Park concert
Stacy Grubb and The Clay Hess Band will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Pumpkin Park Music Hall in Milton. The bluegrass, country and Americana singer-songwriter grew up in McDowell County and is a member of the Wheeling Jamboree. Her debut album, "Hurricane," was released in 2009, and her next effort is scheduled for a spring release. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for seniors. Call 304-638-1633 or 304-634-5857. For more on Grubb, visit www.stacygrubb.com.
Writer's workshop
Writers' Toolkit, produced by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History and the West Virginia Library Commission, runs Friday and Saturday at the Culture Center. The free program begins at 7 p.m. Friday with children's author Sarah Sullivan's keynote address, "Bright Streets and Dark Paths: The Often Painful, Sometimes Glorious Journey from Rough Draft to Polished Manuscript." A reception follows.
On Saturday, a creative-writing workshop runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It features two sessions: 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. Participants should bring writing tablets and utensils. They also may bring a bag lunch.
Morning workshop options include: "Craft and Creativity in Picture Books," with Sullivan; "Screenwriting for Beginners," with Danny Boyd; "Short Takes: Writing from Life," with Karin Fuller; and "The Seven Deadly Sins," with Sandy Tritt. Afternoon workshops are: "Using Place to Spark Creativity," with Sullivan; "The Graphic Novel," with Boyd; "Romance with a Twist," with Fuller; and "The Life Cycle of a Character," with Tritt.
For more information. Call Caryn Gresham at 304-558-0220.
River City Blues Festival
The Mid-Ohio Valley Blues, Jazz & Folk Music Society presents its annual River City Blues Festival on Friday and Saturday at the Lafayette Hotel in Marietta.
Friday night starts at 8 p.m. and includes headliner the Lionel Young Blues Band, winner of the 2011 International Blues Challenge, at 9:45 p.m. On Saturday, music starts at 12:15 p.m. and then breaks around 5:30 p.m., before picking back up at 8 p.m. The headliner, Southern Hospitality (featuring JP Soars, Damon Fowler and Victor Wainwright), takes the stage at 10 p.m.
Tickets for nonmembers are $70 for a weekend pass or $25 for Friday night, $25 for Saturday afternoon and $30 for Saturday night. Call Mary Ann Osborne, at 304-422-2944, or email bo...@bjfm.org. Visit www.bjfm.org for the full lineup.
'Yo Gabba Gabba' meet-and-greet
Charleston Town Center will host a free meet-and-greet with Plex, Brobie and Toody from "Yo Gabba Gabba" beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday in Picnic Place. Parents may bring their cameras to take photos.
Also on Saturday, E. Bunny officially arrives. He will be in the Balloon Garden on Level 2 daily with photos available for purchase. Visit www.charlestontowncenter.com.
Kite festival
The New Era Kite Club will hold a free kite festival from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Mineral Wells Elementary School. Kites include a 33-foot octopus, 115-foot snake, giant pinwheels and more.
The first 50 children to arrive will receive free kites. Awards will be given for Best in Show, Highest Kite, Youngest Flyer and Oldest Flyer. There also will be kite safety classes and kite displays, as well as music, face painting, games, bubble machines and more.
The rain date is Sunday.
Call 304 -481-4752.
Pub crawl
A pub crawl will run from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday at five East End venues: Bluegrass Kitchen, Tricky Fish, the Little India Lounge, the Red Carpet Lounge and The Empty Glass. There will be food and drink specials, as well as live entertainment. Participants can earn prizes in the Shamrock Challenge, where they try to find 15 "strategically placed" shamrocks in the five locations and upload images of them onto a Facebook fan page.
Registration is $15 and includes a T-shirt. Register through sponsor East End Main Street, at 304-767-9800 ($1 service charge), or at Bluegrass Kitchen, 304-346-2871. C&H Taxi will offer free rides home and free shuttles downtown at the end of the night.
'The Breakfast Club' screenings
The 1985 Brat Pack classic, "The Breakfast Club," is the featured film in this weekend's Flashback Film Series at Park Place Stadium Cinemas, 600 Washington St. E.
The John Hughes' film stars Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall and Emilio Estevez.
Screenings are 4 p.m. Sunday and 4 and 7 p.m. Monday. Tickets are $5. Call 304-345-6541 or visit www.ourshowtimes.com.
Opera Guild auditions
The Charleston Light Opera Guild will hold auditions for its June production of the Tony-winning rock musical "Next to Normal" at 7:30 p.m. March 22 and 11 a.m. March 24 at its theater, 411 Tennessee Ave. Auditioners should have a musical selection prepared with sheet music for the accompanist. Scripts for readings will be provided.
The production, about a family coping with mental illness, has roles available for two women and four men. All should be strong singers.
More information about the roles can be found at www.charlestonlightoperaguild.org. For other information, contact artistic director Nina Denton Pasinetti, at 304-343-6015.
FestivALL play contest
The Charleston Stage Company is seeking submissions for its seventh annual FestivALL location-play contest, now through May 10. This year's location is the Children's Reading Room of the Kanawha County Public Library. Plays must be no longer than 15 minutes and begin with the line "Quiet, please!"
The contest is open to all West Virginia writers. For complete rules, visit www.charlestonstagecompany.com or call 304-766-5721.
Get Connected