Axe ’Em, Jacks!
NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS - The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts will offer a number of holiday-related performances and events that are sure to put anyone in the spirit of the season.
The (New) Original Cast, SFA School of Theatre's variety and comedy troupe, will present "Not Home for Christmas" as a feature of the Nine Flags Festival. The holiday production is an original piece created by the 12-member ensemble and features beloved songs ranging from traditional standards to contemporary hits. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30; 2 and 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1; and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2. All performances are in Cole Art Center @The Old Opera House, 329 E. Main St.
SFA percussion students will present their annual holiday concert, "Percussion in the Pines," at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus. The program will feature both the SFA Percussion Ensemble and Steel Band, also known as Jacks of Steel, performing a collection of carols, popular tunes and contemporary arrangements for percussion.
SFA Friends of the Visual Arts will host the annual Hooked on Art ornament auction at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, at Cole Art Center downtown. The silent auction/raffle of handmade ornaments by local artists serves as a scholarship fundraiser for the organization. Call (936) 468-1131 for information.
On Friday, Dec. 7, SFA's A Cappella Choir, Choral Union and Women's Chorus and the Orchestra of the Pines will present "Christmas Around the World" at 7:30 p.m. in W.M. Turner Auditorium. The combined choral masterwork program will feature a new work by Christopher Rouse, "Karolju," which includes nine carols for choir and orchestra.
The SFA Children's Performing Arts Series will present "Babes in Toyland" at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11, in W.M. Turner Auditorium. Victor Herbert's captivating classic is filled with unforgettable songs and a story that takes the audience on a trip to a magical land filled with toys and treats and features the Goody Gumdrop Tree.
The SFA School of Music will present "Amahl and the Night Visitors" at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13, and at 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 14, in Cole Concert Hall. The 45-minute opera by Gian Carlo Menotti tells the story of a crippled shepherd boy and his mother who are visited by the Three Kings during their journey to find the Christ child.
The College of Fine Arts will present "Dailey & Vincent: A Bluegrass Christmas" at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14, in W.M. Turner Auditorium. Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent, one of the most sought-after groups in bluegrass music, will perform a blend of holiday favorites, original songs and bluegrass classics. Dailey and Vincent have received more than 30 awards in the bluegrass music industry, and the International Bluegrass Music Association named the group Entertainer of the Year for three consecutive years.
Tickets for any of the holiday events can be purchased online at www.finearts.sfasu.edu or by calling the Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407.