From salsa to country swing and blues to bluegrass, the Pocahontas County Opera House Foundation is serving up something for everyone during its 2012-2013 season of performances. The 14 shows scheduled between this July and next April feature old favorites, including the Black Mountain Bluegrass Boys and Greenbrier Valley Theatre, as well as several new faces, including four-time Grammy winner David Holt and gold album singer-songwriter Michael Martin Murphey.

Advance tickets for all shows go on sale July 1 at pocahontasoperahouse.org. Advance tickets will also be available at Pocahontas County Artisan Cooperative galleries in Green Bank and Marlinton.

Comparsa
July 21, 2012
$8
Comparsa is an acoustic world beat ensemble dedicated to exploring the rhythms and melodies of Latin America, Africa, Spain and the Caribbean. Performances include covers, originals and percussions jams; everything from salsa and merengue to gypsy styles, Bossa Nova and Venezuelan folk music. A multicultural feast for the ears, Comparsa is always eager to educate, entertain, and transport their audiences to another era or continent.

Daniel Martin Moore & Joan Shelley
August 11, 2012
$8
Daniel Martin Moore and Joan Shelley come to the Opera House following the spring release of their collaborative album, Farthest Field. Their new duet project has many of the same traits that mark the best and most admired ancient Chinese poems: a sense of deep stillness and reverence, a matching of physical landscapes to inner moods, the tension between travel and homesickness, and, ultimately, lessons in how to be quietly contemplative yet involved in a place surrounded by "these endless hills" and water.

Greenbrier Valley Theatre: "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?"
August 18, 2012
$8
Greenbrier Valley Theatre presents another fun show by the author of "The Marvelous Wonderettes!" Drinks flow and secrets spill as four girlfriends gather for a bachelorette party in 1962. Features classic songs, including "My Boy Lollipop," "I Will Follow Him," "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me," and, of course "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" This musical romp proves true friendships are only strengthened during life's most difficult times.

Black Mountain Bluegrass Boys
September 1, 2012
$8
An Opera House audience favorite returns. The Black Mountain Bluegrass Boys have become a Greenbrier Valley institution since the band was established in Pocahontas County in 1968. The band is hailed as one of the best bluegrass bands in the region, having become a local favorite and regional legend.

David Holt & Josh Goforth
September 8, 2012
$10
Four-time Grammy Award winner David Holt and rising acoustic music star and Grammy nominee, Josh Goforth join together to bring to life the joy and spirit of old time mountain music and stories. Holt is recognized as one of the nations foremost folk musicians and storytellers. Between them, they combine the virtuosic sounds of guitar, banjo, fiddle, slide guitar, mandolin and a world of exciting rhythm instruments. It's a program of songs, stories and amazing musicianship that will appeal to all ages.

Hammons Musical Heritage Celebration
September 29, 2011
$8
The Pocahontas Opera House is pleased to present the 3rd Annual "Hammons Musical Heritage Celebration," as part of Marlinton's Autumn Harvest Festival. The Hammons Family carried on ancient traditions of fiddling, banjo playing, ballad singing and story telling at their remote mountain home in Pocahontas County. Their legacy is proudly celebrated among today's musicians.

Mick Souter
October 5, 2012
$8
For the past 25 years, Mick Souter has distinguished himself as one of West Virginia's most highly-regarded, widely-touring performing artists. Souter has given 3,500 performances at schools, as well as Snowshoe Mountain, Tamarack, Charleston's Cultural Center and The Greenbrier. His touring one-man musical theatre productions demonstrate his versatility as an actor, musician, storyteller and educator. Through "This Land is Your Land," Souter will take audiences with him along "The Roads and Rails" of American folk icon Woody Guthrie.

Austin Walkin' Cane
October 26, 2012
$8
Austin Walkin' Cane has a blues gumbo repertoire that can conjure up the ghosts of Highway 61 and the delta blues experience, with his slide guitar and soulful vocals. Walkin' Cane has traveled all over the world-from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Belfort, France-acquiring a number of blues and instrumentalist awards over the years.

The Sweetback Sisters
November 9, 2012
$10
The Sweetback Sisters may not be blood relations, but their precise, family-style harmonies recall the best of country music from the Everlys to the Judds, as well as the spirited rockabilly energy of Wanda Jackson. Their honky-tonk and western swing tunes touch on subjects of heartbreak, revenge, regret and staying strong in the face of relationships gone wrong.

Opry Night: Elk River Ramblers, Viney Mtn. Boys, Bill Hefner
February, 23, 2013
$8
Opry Night at the Opera House has come to showcase some of the best musical talent from Pocahontas County and the surrounding region, and this one is no exception. The 2013 Opry Night will feature a trio of Pocahontas County bands specializing on old-time and traditional bluegrass music: The Viney Mountain Boys, The Elk River Ramblers and The Hefner Family.

The Sea, The Sea
March 8, 2013
$8
At the heart of this musical duo are smooth, intricate harmonies and award-winning songwriting. This talented pair has carved out a niche with their unique blend of voices and seamless phrasing. Mira Stanley is steeped in folk music traditions and Chuck Costa is the official Connecticut State Troubador. On March 8, The Sea, The Sea will be joined onstage by student participants of a multi-day songwriting workshop conducted by the duo.

Michael Martin Murphey
March 22, 2013
$15
Michael Martin Murphey is a proud son and life-long resident of Texas, best known for his hits, Wildfire, What's Forever For, and Carolina in the Pines. He has made over 35 albums, with top-of-the-chart hits and millions of sales. He's the first Singing Cowboy to attain a Certified Gold Album in Cowboy Music since Marty Robbins. His songs have been recorded by Lyle Lovett, Kenny Rogers, John Denver, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Jerry Jeff Walker, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, and a host of other recording artists.

Darin & Brooke Aldridge
April 6, 2013
$8
Dubbed "The Sweethearts of Bluegrass" by Tom T. and Dixie Hall, Darin and Brooke Aldridge were nominated in 2011 for Emerging Artist of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association and for gospel group, album and song of the year by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music. Fans across the country have discovered the "new but still traditional" music Darin perfected as a member of the Acoustic Syndicate and the legendary Country Gentlemen.

Lone Raven
April 27, 2013
$8
With more than 20 instruments on stage, Lone Raven soars through everything from fiery Irish reels to Gypsy fiddle tunes. Their instrumentals are fueled by the twin fiddles of Elizabeth Blickenstaff and Kara Markley, while being driven by an explosive rhythm section consisting of Craig Markley and Sid Omasta, and featuring the award-winning guitar playing of Neil Jacobs. In addition, Elizabeth's highly-acclaimed vocal stylings are showcased throughout each concert, as she performs songs in English, Irish Gaelic, Latin and more.

The Pocahontas County Opera House is located at 818 Third Avenue in Marlinton. Performances at the Opera House are informal, family-friendly and open to all. Children 17 years and under are admitted free of charge.The entrance and main seating are accessible to persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities are encouraged to attend; special accommodations can be arranged upon request by calling 304-799-6645.

The Opera House Performance Series is presented with financial assistance through a grant from the West Virginia Division of Culture and History and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts. Financial support is also provided by Pocahontas County Dramas, Fairs and Festivals.

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