Arts & Culture in High Point

Buy here for one orchestra seat to Cinderella at the Knight Theater on Thursday, March 11, at 7:30 p.m.

Since its publication in 1947, Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon has joined The Cat in the Hat and Portnoy's Complaint as one of the most beloved children's books in history. The book was recently adapted into a musical theatrical production by Chad Henry, with its world premiere in Seattle in 2007, followed by runs in various other North American cities. The Children's Theatre's production of Goodnight Moon puts the Great Green Room on stage in lullaby-riffic living color. Cows jump over moons, red balloons suspend in the air indefinitely, and bowls of mush revel in a state of mushiness. The cast of professional actors bring smiles and surprises throughout the show, aimed at preschool and elementary-school-age children, but also entertaining for wistful astronauts of all ages.

The theater’s production of Smoke on the Mountain is set during a Saturday night in 1938 in Mount Pleasant, NC. The story involves Reverend Oglethorpe, who has invited the Sanders Family Singers for an evening of uplifting song. More than two-dozen songs and several hilarious stories will provide an entertaining show that will put a collective grin across your family’s face. Amid a cozy, inviting atmosphere, attendees will be able to experience dazzling displays of song and dramatization.

Located a stone’s throw from Symphony Lake, Koka Booth Amphitheatre emerges out of 14 acres of hardwoods and pines to offer up its stage to traveling national acts, theatrical productions, and movie screenings. Although its wood and earth-toned beams camouflage the venue within its natural surroundings, passersby can notice its sleek exterior glistening in the moonlight during nighttime performances. The outdoor amphitheater––designed by William Rawn Associates of Boston, which also constructed the Cambridge Public Library––seats up to 7,000 people on its spacious lawn, crescent deck, or loft bird nests.

Built in 1925, the Temple Theatre first served as a vaudeville venue, later becoming a host for road shows, burlesque, and movies. However, the theatre closed in 1965, and would be subjected to disrepair, vandalism, and skeleton xylophone recitals for more than 15 years. A 1981 restoration project returned the theatre to its former glory. Today, seated under the gilded chandelier and wooden trim, theatergoers lose themselves in the thoughtful dramas enacted upon the stage.

One of the few original theaters in Durham to remain in operation, the Carolina Theatre has endured more than 85 years of history in its quest to entertain. The venue's main room, Fletcher Hall, rose in popularity during World War II, when soldiers from Camp Butner arrived by bus to watch films on its colossal screen. In the last three decades, ongoing renovations have restored the venue to its original glory while propelling it into contemporary times with the addition of modern accoutrements, including two upstairs movie screens, stage-level dressing rooms, and landing pads on the roof for skateboard hovercrafts.