Oak Ridge talent showcase, pub quiz benefit Grove Theater on March 28, 29

An Oak Ridge talent show and pub quiz night will benefit the historic, renovated Grove Theater on March 28 and 29.

On Friday, March 28, the new nonprofit organization Friends of the Grove Theater will have a showcase titled “Oak Ridge Has Talent.” It will benefit the Grove, a legacy of the Manhattan Project era that is celebrating 70 years of history and a decade since its re-opening by High Places Community Church, a press release said.

The Manhattan Project was a top-secret federal program to build the world’s first atomic bombs during World War II.

All proceeds from the March 28 show at the Grove will be used to maintain the facility as a performing arts center for Oak Ridge and East Tennessee organizations, the press release said. The show starts at 7 p.m., and it will include performances from community partners and other locals who want to support the Grove. Comedian and humorist Tyler Gooch will entertain between acts.

Performers will include:

• Ridge City Ramblers, an Oak Ridge bluegrass band;
• Traditional Irish Arts of Knoxville, or TIAK, an Irish band;
• Emory Valley Center Puppeteers;
• The Sound Company Smurfs;
• Sound Company senior soloist Nic Cagle;
• Alex Shor of the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra;
• Oak Ridge Community Band Tuba-Euphonium Quartet;
• Two dances by Oak Ridge Civic Ballet dancers;
• The MOOD, playing classic rock and country; and
• Talent from the Miss East Tennessee scholarship winners.

The event will also include a silent auction and raffle items. Refreshments will be available for sale to benefit the Historic Grove Theater.

The general ticket price is $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Children and students 18 and younger can buy tickets for $8 in advance or $10 at the door.

Tickets can be purchased by mail, at the Ferrell Shop in Jackson Square, or online at Brown Paper Tickets. More information can be found at www.thegrovetheater.org or by contacting Seaira Stephenson at (865) 481-6546 or 1seaira@gmail.com. Inquiries and tickets purchases can also be made by U.S. mail to Friends of the Grove Theater, PO Box 4985, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-4985.

VIP tables are also available on a limited basis. See the Grove Theater’s “Oak Ridge Has Talent” Web page for more information.

The Celebrating the Grove Theater weekend continues on Saturday, March 29, with a Pub Quiz Night that features a traditional Irish pub game.

“All proceeds go to Friends of the Grove Theatre Inc. and will be used to maintain the facility that supports the thousands of community members who frequent the theater annually for music, dance, and the arts,” a press release said. Advance registration for team tables are due by March 26.

Teams of four to six individuals compete for prizes (and bragging rights) by answering trivia questions on a variety of topics in a fun, relaxed setting, the press release said. Teams may be sponsored by any area business, corporation, or organization. The entry fee is a tax-deductible $100 per team or table, which includes traditional Irish fare for the contestants and commemorative prizes.

Friends of the Grove Theater Inc. was formed earlier this year. Its mission is to “support and enhance the Historic Grove Theater for the purpose of better serving its many community partners.”

Organizers said the last weekend in March will mark the 10-year anniversary of the purchase and renovation of the historic theater, which is located at 123 Randolph Road in Oak Ridge.

You can register for a team table for the Pub Quiz Night at www.thegrovetheater.org or www.brownpapertickets.com.

For more information on the weekend, visit the website www.thegrovetheater.org or Celebrating the Grove Theater on Facebook.