Come to the Emelin to hear guitar wiz Johnny Winter and legendary blues gurus Roomful of Blues, plus the absolute best bluegrass in the county. The theater has series devoted to cabaret, bluegrass, folk, country, pop, indie rock, acoustic, and Latin music. Theater productions range from the critically acclaimed dramas to wacky capers by the Paper Bag Players for children. The Theatre also hosts a film club with critic Marshall Fine—if you can get in off the waiting list.
Cool Music (February 2007)
Best Theater 2008
The Emelin Theatre is already well known for its bluegrass music and theater series, and now it can add dance as another area it’s conquered. This year marked the Theatre’s first dance series—and what an inaugural season it was, with performances by big-name contemporary companies such as Doug Elkins & Friends, the Misnomer Dance Theatre, and the Soul Street Dance Co. “From flamenco to modern to street dancing, we wanted to make the dance series at the Emelin both accessible and sophisticated,” says Lisa Reilly, the Emelin’s executive director. Look for more of these innovative, artsy—and entertaining—dance performances in the future.
We know you can have the blues, but is it also possible to have the bluegrass? If so, the Emelin's got it; in spades. Each year, the theater puts on a five-concert, bluegrass-only series that features some of the hottest talent touring. Last year's performers included the band David Peterson & 1946, nominees for the International Bluegrass Music Association's Emerging Artist of the Year award; Grammy nominee Laurie Lewis, winner of an IBMA award for Female Vocalist of the Year; and James Reams and the Barnstormers, artists praised by DJ Steve Doughterty as straight-up, no-nonsense, take-no-prisoners bluegrass. The Emelin makes it even easier to catch all acts in the series: a subscription ticket to all five shows is available at a a discounted price
