Please join us on Saturday, November 19th at The SALT Block’s Drendel Auditorium for the first in this year’s series of community concerts featuring Singer/Actress/Choreographer/Director Mary Lou Barber. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online using PayPal links. Performance begins at 7:30 pm. *You can participate in a Master Class with Mary Lou and John will be held at Hickory Arts on Friday, November 18th from 4 pm for an additional $10. Please come prepared to sing a song of your choice or you may observe.

Additional donations to the tour are encouraged.

The SALT Block, a cultural arts complex, opened in 1986 and is one of the few places in the United States at which you can experience Sciences, Arts, and Literature Together on one Block. saltblockfoundation.org

Mary Lou Barber‘s acting credits include National Tours of Cats, 42nd Street, A Chorus Line, and Sophisticated Ladies. Barber co-directed and appeared in Off-Broadway’s Sordid Lives. Regional and Summer Stock credits include Anything Goes, Sullivan and Gilbert, Me and My Girl, My One and Only, Singin’ in the Rain, Paper Moon, Of Thee I Sing, Rhapsody in Gershwin, Showtune, The Music of Jerry Herman, Side by Side and A Grand Night for Singing and Cole. Mary Lou has also choreographed performances for the Philharmonic Society with Broadway Composer & Producer Phil Hall, The Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado, Three Penny Opera for the Indianapolis Opera, Westminster Choir College, Omaha Symphony and Trial by Jury; Patience for the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players with Director Bill Fabris and Oklahoma! for the Augusta Opera.

This 2016-2017 community tour is supported in part by a grant from the United Arts Council of Catawba County. Additional sponsors include Robert Abbey and Hickory Arts.

The United Arts Council of Catawba County was formed as the Hickory Arts Council in 1960. They were re-incorporated in 1979 as the Catawba County Council for the Arts and they adopted their current name in 2006 to reflect their partnerships with Catawba County’s vibrant cultural organizations and their supportive local government. Each year, they conduct a United Arts Fund campaign which provides operating support for their Funded Affiliate organizations. They are a major source of grants for organizations and individual artists. Their offices are located in the West Wing, a newly renovated building, located on The SALT Block. They are supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, the governmental entities of Catawba County, City of Hickory, City of Conover, City of Newton, City of Claremont and Town of Catawba, as well as corporations, foundations and individuals in the Unifour area. artscatawba.org

Robert Abbey has been designing and manufacturing fine lighting products since 1948. Their design studios, corporate offices and 350,000 square foot factory are located on a 22 acre campus in the picturesque foothills of Hickory, North Carolina. Much of their extensive product line is Made in the U.S.A. Robert Abbey is a family-focused business; quite a few of their team members are 3rd-generation Robert Abbey-employees. It’s not uncommon to find three (sometimes four) generations of family and team members on hand. At Robert Abbey, design is their passion. They work very hard to bring their customers the most trend-right merchandise with the highest quality standards at the best prices possible. Their website is brought to you by Fashion Light Center, LLC – LightTrends.com. They have been a premier authorized dealer of Robert Abbey since 1971. robertabbeylightingstore.com

Hickory Arts is the “un-studio”—a simple, custom, specialized, non-event-driven teaching & production studio dedicated to coaching performance artists from point A to point B. The studio is located at 720 Second Avenue SW, Hickory 28602 behind ITP and across from Hickory Optimist Park (where you’ll also find additional parking). For more information about tickets and Hickory Arts, please explore the website or call 828-270-9801.

“Home is where the art is.” — hickoryarts.com | Follow us on Twitter! @hickoryarts