Welcome to DKos Asheville. This space appears each weekend to share news and opinion from Asheville and Western North Carolina. The floor is open for comment and discussion. Wishing all a good day from this beautiful part of the world.
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Bridget Roberts didn’t know she was a talented stage performer. But after the 13-year-old Asheville resident found the right people to encourage her dormant singing, dancing and acting skills, she discovered a lot more about herself.
“I found out that I love acting and I love theater,” says Roberts. “It broadens my horizons to things that I didn’t know I could do. And it helps you kind of figure out who you are.”
Roberts is one of many young people whose lives have been enriched by Asheville Junior Theater since the nonprofit’s formation in early 2022. And audiences can soon catch her playing the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition, which runs Saturday, Jan. 20, and Sunday, Jan. 21, at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, with performances at 2 and 6 p.m. both days.
Featuring onstage music from local bluegrass band The Well Drinkers, the Appalachian twist on the L. Frank Baum classic follows months of hard work from a dedicated group of kids, parents and volunteers led by AJT founder Kelly Haas. But rather than returning to their proverbial Kansas when the show is done, this unified collective plans on staying in the merry old land of theater for years to come, growing as a group and providing its cast members and crew a distinct artistic experience.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — The week of freezing temperatures has finally brought some much-anticipated snow to Asheville and Buncombe County, thrilling residents and visitors.
Alicia Lobiondo and Matthew Drum were in downtown Asheville on Friday morning for lunch when they saw some flurries out of the restaurant's window.
“I was like, 'Aw, they’re gonna psyche us out. It’s not gonna be a real snowstorm.' And then finally the big fluffy ones came,” Lobiondo said.
Lobiondo and Drum hoped the snow would stick around and that there would be enough to be able to play in it. They’ve lived in the area for the last four years and said they’ve only seen one really good snowstorm and that was in 2021.
Photos: 'Accidental' animal sightings in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Please click the story title for more wonderful images of animals that are not native to Western North Carolina, but sometimes make their way to the mountains.
Thanks for reading, wishing you a good day.
“Stay safe out there.” Lamont Cranston