Rosemary Clooney and Elvis Coming to Flat Rock Playhouse in Two Solo Shows

The Flat Rock Playhouse 2017 season continues with two concert offerings sure which are sure to please even the most discerning musical lovers.

From August 31st through September 3rd at the Flat Rock Playhouse Downtown, jazz vocalist Wendy Jones presents her one woman show Everything is Rosie, A Tribute to Rosemary Clooney, a fun, touching and loving tribute to one of America's songbook sweethearts who had a long career, spanning from pop star fame in the 1950's to jazz recording artist in the 1990's. This compelling story of Rosemary Clooney interweaves notable Clooney songs from such composers as the Gershwins, Berlin and Ellington.

Jones (recently seen in the Flat Rock Playhouse production of Smokey Joe's Cafe) is a professional vocalist and recording artist who has been delivering smart and arresting performances to the mountains of Western NC and in the process has become one of the most popular artists in the region. She consistently receives accolades for her energetic and distinctive performances of gypsy jazz and modern jazz. As a performer, Wendy has appeared on stages from Chicago to Tokyo and performed with artists such as NEA Jazz Master Jamey Aebersold, legendary jazz guitarist Howard Alden, Crystal Gale, and has sung backup for the alternative hip hop group Deltron 3030. In Spring of 2017, she appeared at the JAZZ ROOM in Charlotte, NC with the Page Brothers for a tribute to Django Reinhardt. In addition to singing regularly with the Page Brothers Gypsy Jazz Quartet, she performs with her own jazz quartet, and is the featured vocalist with the Asheville Jazz Orchestra.

The following weekend from September 6th through the 9th on the Flat Rock Playhouse Mainstage will be the return of Donny Edwards: An Authentic Heart & Soul Tribute to The King. Edwards packed the houses in Flat Rock in 2015, 2016 and in 2017 is sure to do the same!

Edwards is an international, multi-award winning professional Elvis tribute artist. Today, he is one of the most sought after performers in the business, bringing his show to stages in casinos, theaters/venues, fairs/festivals, corporate/special events, cruises and production shows, world-wide. He is a versatile performer with the ability to re-enact each era of Elvis' life and career. His dynamic performance will take you back to the 1950's and the early years of rock n' roll, getting you "all shook up" all over again. Then you'll go on a ride through the 1960's, from Elvis' biggest hit movies to the famous black leather "68 Comeback Special". Finally you'll revisit the legendary Las Vegas years of the 1970's as Edwards recreates the performances that made Elvis the one and only "King of Rock n' Roll."

Throughout his career, Edwards has had the opportunity to work beside many of the original musicians that performed with Elvis Presley himself. He's worked with the Jordanaires, The Sweet Inspirations, DJ Fontana, Charlie Hodge and Bob Moore, to name several. Donny has also had the pleasure of working with Elvis' inner circle such as Sonny West, Al Dvorin, Charles Stone and Ed Bonja. Elvis Presley Enterprises and CKX have hired Donny for tribute shows, TV spots and corporate events, many times over the years and is one of the ONLY Elvis Tribute Artists to have been asked to perform on the stages at Graceland!

Edwards has also performed private parties for and worked with celebrities such as Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the NASCAR family, Marie Osmond, Bill Medley of the Righteous Bros. and Elvis' friends and co-stars, Jimmy Velvet (Elvis' friend and recording artist), Darlene Thompkins (Elvis' co-star in "Blue Hawaii") and Cynthia Pepper (Elvis' co-star in "Kissin' Cousins). Not only is Donny known for his riveting live performances, but he has also appeared in numerous TV shows and ads, including ABC's "Monday Night Football", MTV's "Viva La Bam", CBS's "The Young and The Restless", ABC's, "The Next Best Thing" and many Elvis character TV ads in the UK, Europe and Australia including Kingsmill Bread and Toshiba. He regularly sells out shows, performing with an 9 piece band, all across the US and in countries such as Canada, Japan and Australia and to audiences as large as 25,000.

Donny Edwards maintains a performance of remarkable authenticity. His humility, charm and southern manner, coupled with his uncanny sound and appearance, will make you feel as if you are watching "The King," himself.

Donny Edwards: An Authentic Heart & Soul Tribute to The King is presented by Ace Hardware and WTZQ AM 1600. Both concerts are also presented by Rug & Home.

Everything's Rosie performs August 31 through September 3, Donny Edwards performs September 6 through 9. Showtimes vary; consult Flat Rock Playhouse's website for more information. Tickets range $15 - $33 and can be purchased by calling the Playhouse box office at 828-693-0731, toll-free at 866-732-8008 or online at www.flatrockplayhouse.org.

The Flat Rock Playhouse Clyde and Nina Allen Mainstage is located at 2661 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock, NC 28731. The Flat Rock Playhouse Downtown is located at 125 S. Main Street, Hendersonville, NC 28792.

In 1937, a group of struggling performers, led by Robroy Farquhar, organized themselves as the Vagabond Players. The Vagabonds worked in a variety of places over the course of three years, and in 1940 found themselves in the Blue Ridge region of Western North Carolina. The local and tourist community welcomed them with open arms when they presented their first summer season of plays in a 150-year-old grist mill they converted into The Old Mill Playhouse at Highland Lake. So successful was that summer, they returned in 1941. After WWII, the Vagabond Players reorganized, came back to the region and opened a playhouse in nearby Lake Summit. The Lake Summit Playhouse thrived during the post war years and soon the Vagabond Players were looking for a larger and permanent home. In 1952, the troupe of performers, and a newly formed board of directors, made an offer to buy an 8-acre lot in the Village of Flat Rock. This new home made the Vagabonds "locals" and a rented big top gave birth to Flat Rock Playhouse. As the beautiful Western Carolina region continued to grow, so did the Playhouse and in 1961, by Act of the North Carolina General Assembly, Flat Rock Playhouse was officially designated The State Theatre of North Carolina. What began as a few weeks of summer performances in 1940 is now a nine-month season of plays including Broadway musicals, comedy, drama, and theatre for young audiences. The Playhouse's dual mission of producing the performing arts and providing education in the performing arts includes a professional series; a summer and fall college apprentice and intern program; and Studio 52, family focused programming that provides immersive, hands-on theatrical experiences for children in kindergarten through adults. Flat Rock Playhouse now hosts over 98,000 patrons annually and is a significant contributor to the local economy and the Arts in North Carolina.

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