This April is a month of charity and forging new bonds. One of the more

straightforward Mongolian proverbs says, “Protect your life for your

country; work for the benefit of all.” Along this line of thought, this

week’s spotlight is on events which promote the good of the community.

The Highlander Research and Education Center presents the Ralph

Rinzler Memorial Celebration this weekend, Saturday, April 8, and

Sunday, April 9. The festival features folk, bluegrass, cajun, country,

ethnic and spiritual music. More than 30 national and regional performers

are scheduled to appear, including Pete Seeger, Doc Watson,

the Carawan family and the Del McCoury Band. The

internationally known Bread and Puppet Theatre will also perform.

There will be plenty of food and drinks and the music will go on rain or

shine (no alcoholic beverages, please).

Ralph Rinzler was the founding director of the Smithsonian Institute’s

Office of Folklife and Cultural Studies, and founder of the Festival of

American Folk Life held each year in Washington, D.C. He went on to become

Assistant Secretary for Public Service, a position he held until 1990. He

was responsible for several programs promoting traditional music, including

the Grammy-award winning album Folkways: A Vision Shared. He also

played mandolin, touring with the Greenbriar Boys. Basically, he is

considered “one of the most influential figures in bluegrass, folk and

old-time country music history.”

The festival runs Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m.

to 7 p.m. Admission is $35 for the whole weekend, $25 for Saturday only and

$20 for Sunday only.

To get to the Highlander Center, take I-40 east to exit 394. From there,

take Route 11 E 6 miles to Route 25 W, making a right turn at Helma’s

Restaurant. Drive 8.2 miles to Russell Gap Road. Turn left onto Russell

Gap. The Highlander Center is 1.4 miles ahead on the right. Got that?

Proceeds from the Celebration will benefit the cultural work supported by

the Ralph Rinzler Memorial Endowment at The Highlander Center. For further

information, call Lee WIlliams or Mary Thom Adams at (615) 933-3443.

Closer to campus, the Black Cultural Programming Committee has

designated April as Harambee, which means “let us come together.”

The month-long celebration is designed to promote interaction, unity and

participation among students of all cultural backgrounds. Naturally, all

students are invited to attend the Harambee events.

At 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 13, the BCPC presents “It’s No Longer a

Black or White Thing — It’s Time to Understand,” part II, at the

Morrill Hall Cafeteria.

The Harambee Festival will take place Saturday, April 29, on the

UC Plaza from noon to 5 p.m.

The month will culminate with a gathering, “Coming Together in a Spirit

of Unity,” in the UC Auditorium at 12 noon on Sunday, April 30.

“YOUNG” BLUE EYES?

Harry Connick, Jr., will perform at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium this

Sunday, April 9, at 8 p.m. See Paige Travis’s interview in today’s Daily

Beacon.

UT MUSIC:

The UT Music Department presents baritone William McGraw and

pianist Ken Griffiths at 8 p.m. Monday, April 10, in the UT Music

Hall. Admission is $5.

The UT Concert Choir and the UT Chamber Singers will

perform Bach’s The Passion According to St. John at 8 p.m. on

Tuesday, April 11, at the Second Presbyterian Church, 2829 Kingston

Pike.

AT THE LAUREL THEATRE:

Legendary songwriter Mickey Newbury will perform on Wednesday,

April 12, at 8 p.m. His songs have been recorded by the likes of B.B. King,

Jerry Lee Lewis, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson and Joan Baez.

Admission is $7 for Jubilee Community Arts members and students, $9 for

general audience and $3 for children 6-12.

KNOXVILLE SYMPHONY:

Tonight, the KSO presents an Opera in Concert performance

of Puccini’s Turandot at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium. The

concert starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10, $20 and $27 in the orchestra

section and $27, $29 and $40 in the balcony. UT students can receive

discount tickets through the UT Central Ticket Office.

ART:

The 48th Annual Student Art Competition, entitled Visual

Reality, is on view in the Ewing Gallery of Art and Architecture

until Monday, April 10. This annual exhibition is one of the oldest and

largest art competitions in the country. Local businesses and individuals

have contributed over $3000 in awards. The Ewing Gallery, located in the

Art and Architecture Building, is open free to the public Monday-Friday

from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday-Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 1

to 4:30 p.m.

Hanson Artsource features the art of Texas painter Bunny Oliver

at its main gallery through Sunday, April 23. The gallery is located at

5607 Kingston Pike. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday

and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

THEATRE:

WORLD PREMIER ROCK OPERA:

UT Theatres and the Clarence Brown Theatre Company are currently

presenting the rock opera Dracula: Prince of the Dark. Based

on Bram Stoker’s novel, the opera version was conceived and adapted for the

musical stage by John R. Briggs, with music by Briggs and Dennis West.

Stephen Dean Davis portrays Count Dracula, with Jonathan Lutz

playing Professor Von Helsing. Local rocker Doug Schock, ex-lead

singer of Sage, plays Jonathan Harker.

The play is presented nightly at 8 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee Saturday,

April 8. The play runs through Saturday, April 15.

Dracula, Prince of the Dark should not be confused with the West

Side Dinner Theatre’s production of Dracula, the Musical, presented

this past Halloween.

Theatre Central, located at 141 S. Gay Street, presents One

Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest through April 22. Shows are Thursdays,

Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. Admission is $5 on Thursdays, $8 on Fridays

and Saturdays. Students pay $5 for any showtimes.

The West Side Dinner Theatre, located at 12801 Kingston Pike in

Farragut, currently features Seance Fiction, an original

comedy by Knoxville playwrite Mark Hatmaker. The play is about Lou,

who disappeared seven years earlier in a bizarre accident. He’s been

declared legally dead, and his wife is besieged by ill-suited suitors. As

these things go, Lou turns up alive and none too happy about the situation.

UT student Michael Dubov plays Lou. The play runs Thursdays through

Saturdays until April 29.

The buffet starts at 6:45, the play at 8:15. For reservations call

966-8768. Cost is $18 per person for both dinner and the play, but “liberal

discounts” are available for groups of 10 or more.

The Cumberland County Playhouse, located in Crossville, Tenn.,

currently featuresFiddler on the Roof. Tickets are $16, $15

for seniors and $8 for children and students. Future show dates and times

are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at

2:30. A Thursday matinee is scheduled for April 13 at 2 p.m. The play runs

through April 15.

OUT ON THE STREETS:

ELECTRIC BALLROOM– under Western Avenue:

A benefit concert for WUTK will be held tonight at 7 p.m. See

the close-up in today’s Daily Beacon for details. Admission is $7.

All ages will be admitted.

FLAMINGO’S– on Cumberland Avenue:

The Scenesters perform tonight at 10:30 p.m. There is no cover

charge.

Burns will perform Saturday, April 8, at 10:30 p.m. There is no cover

charge.

GRYPHON’S– 2003 Highland Avenue:

Elf will perform Saturday, April 8, at 10 p.m.

THE LIBRARY– on Cumberland Avenue:

Monday nights, Tall Paul performs his famous human juke box act.

Admission is $3.

MANHATTAN’S– in the Old City:

Free Fourmula performs tonight at 10 p.m. Admission is $4.

Crimson Moon will perform Wednesday, April 12, at 9 p.m. Admission is

$3.

Gezpacho will perform Thursday, April 13, at 10 p.m. Admission is

$2.

MERCURY THEATRE– Market Square:

Another punk rock matinee comes to Market Square Saturday, April 8,

featuring the Pink Lincolns, Screw 32, the

Slackers and the Rehabs. Showtime is 3 p.m. All

ages will be admitted. Admission is $5.

Night two of the WUTK benefit will take place at the Mercury Saturday,

April 8. See the close-up for details.

Veteran punk rock band Youth Brigade will perform Wednesday, April

12, at 6 p.m. The show will also feature Bloodlet, SmokeBomb,

and Atom Bomb Pocket Knife. All ages wills be admitted. Admission is

$6.

RIO’S– Lake Avenue:

Gezpacho will perform at 10 p.m. tonight. Admission is free.

SASSY ANN’S– 4th and Gill neighborhood:

Free Fourmula performs Saturday, April 8, at 9:30. Admission is

$3.

OPEN MIC READINGS:

The Printer’s Mark Bookshop will host a reading on Thursday,

April 13. Sponsored by Entelechy literary magazine, this week’s

reading features Daniel Roop, Jennifer Vasil and Marilyn

Kallet, director of the UT Creative Writing Program.

As the Mongolians say, “To grasp a drunken man’s speech is like

understanding a hog’s grunting.” Here are the regular spots where the

speech is separated from the grunt.

The Torch Coffee House: Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Admission $1.

Ivory’s: Mondays at 9 p.m. Call 588-6023 for sign-up.

Gryphon’s — Rus’ Romper Room: Tuesdays at 9 p.m. Free.

Java, a Coffee House: Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Free

Manhattan’s: Tuesdays at 8 p.m. (7 p.m. sign-up). Free.

“Knowledge is hard to obtain, but easy to use.” If you have an event you’d

like mentioned in The Daily Beacon Entertainment Calendar, send the

info to Room 5 of the Communications Building, or call 974-0646. We’ll see

what we can do (wink, wink).