Harry M. Ward Auditorium – Mathews High School

Sounds of Summer Concert Virginia's Li'l Ole Opry/Donk's Theater will get you in the summer mood with all the best country beach music and other great music of summer. 8:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Mathews High School's Harry M. Ward Auditorium $12 adults; $5 children 12 and under Presented by Virginia's Li'l Ole Opry/Donk's Theater

Tribute to the Eagles Concert Virginia's Li'l Ole Opry/Donk's Theater tribute to one of the best bands with some of the most recognizable music of our day! 8:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Mathews High School's Harry M. Ward Auditorium $12 adults; $5 children 12 and under Presented by Virginia's Li'l Ole Opry/Donk's Theater

Lynda Smith Concert Virginia's Li'l Ole Opry/Donk's Theater will feature one of its most well-known stars for her own show full of energy and great music. The first half will feature the Opry band and singers. 8:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Mathews High School's Harry M. Ward Auditorium $12 adults; $5 children 12 and under Presented by Virginia's Li'l Ole Opry/Donk's Theater

Tiffany Haas most recently appeared on Broadway as “Glinda” the Good Witch in the smash hit musical Wicked. Prior to that she performed in the national tour of Wicked, The Drowsy Chaperone and has starred with numerous symphony orchestras across the country.  Originally from Yorktown, Virginia, Tiffany received a BFA from the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music where she studied Opera and Musical Theater. During her time in Cincinnati, she won the title of Miss Ohio 2002 and went on to compete in the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City. Tiffany is equally passionate about helping others grow…

Virginia's Li'l Ole Opry/Donks Theater concert Featured Performer TBA 8:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Mathews High School's Harry M. Ward Auditorium $12 adults; $5 children 12 and under Presented by Virginia's Li'l Ole Opry/Donk's Theater

William Earl Sadler Concert Virginia's Li'l Ole Opry/Donk's Theater will feature this Mathews native for a night of great bluesy vocals and a wide variety of music. The first half will feature the Opry band and singers. 8:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Mathews High School's Harry M. Ward Auditorium $12 adults; $5 children 12 and under Presented by Virginia's Li'l Ole Opry/Donk's Theater

Smith Family and Friends Christmas Show Virginia's Li'l Ole Opry/Donk's Theater will present their annual Christmas show with country Christmas music, traditional Christmas songs and the reading of the Christmas story from the Bible. 8:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Mathews High School's Harry M. Ward Auditorium $12 adults; $5 children 12 and under Presented by Virginia's Li'l Ole Opry/Donk's Theater

Pioneer pianist Floyd Cramer and guitarist Chet Atkins’ names are synonymous with the “Nashville Sound.” They are legends at their instruments, two giants in the music industry; Floyd Cramer’s unique “slip note” piano style and Chet Atkins innovative thumb-and-two-finger style. Their legacy lives on through Floyd’s grandson, Jason Coleman, and Chet’s niece, Meagan Taylor. They perform the iconic country and pop hits from this era, along with a captivating multimedia presentation and storytelling. Cost: $25 and students are free

Slim Man is a jazz musician that won the Best Jazz Vocalist at the Coachella Music awards in 2016-2017. He also will have new release out this August. The Young at Heart CD is a collection of Rat Pack songs with a Slim twist.  At a young age, Slim saw Louis Armstrong play the trumpet and sing and then he went on to study trumpet for the next 9 years, and also taught himself how to play piano and guitar.…

Rob Verdi received his musical training at the Arizona State University School of Music and after a year of teaching junior high band, Rob relocated to Los Angeles to accept a position with the Entertainment Division of the Walt Disney Company.  His jazz band, the Side Street Strutters, entertained guests at Disneyland for 22 years. In 2008, Rob introduced audiences to Saxophobia, an exciting show which offered audiences a glimpse at some of the most unusual saxophones every manufactured, and…

With few exceptions, the piano does not play a prominent part in Appalachian or Americana music, and is rarely the lead instrument. But Jeff Little is an exception – and a remarkable one. His distinctive two-handed style, much influenced by the   mountain flat-picked guitar tradition, is breathtaking in its speed, precision and clarity. Little’s involvement with fiddle tunes, old time country, and traditional blues dates to his growing up in Boone, North Carolina, where his family, owned a music shop. The shop was a regular…

**Events may be impacted due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Virginia's Li'l Ole Opry is back and better than ever in our 2020 SEASON OF SHOWS!!  Like always, there will be great country music, old and new, mixed together with a little gospel, bluegrass, oldies and more! Please visit the Donk's Theater Website for show information! 2020 Dates - 8pm at MHS Auditorium April 4 May 2 June 20 July 25 Aug. 8 Sept. 19 Oct. 17 Nov. 21

Clan MacCool Sunday, May 15, 2022 - 3:00pm Tickets are $25 at the door. Children and Students are free. Clan MacCool is a highly interactive band that specializes in Irish/Scottish traditional music, occasional piracy and constant fun! They offer an array of Celtic traditional (and not so traditional) songs, tunes and reels, and during Pirate season, they don their best piratic finery and treat adults and kids alike to a rollicking good time with sea shanties, sword demos and other…

The Richmond Symphony will be performing Sunday, September 25 at 3pm. Tickets available at the door or avoid the line & get yours at the Mathews Visitor Center. $25 or Free for students. Changing lives through the power of music the Richmond Symphony performs, teaches, and champions music to inspire and unite our communities. Founded in 1957, the Richmond Symphony is the largest performing arts organization in Central Virginia. The organization includes an orchestra of more than 70 professional musicians,…

Bobby Blackhat, Virginia's Blues Ambassador, award winning recording artist, musician, vocalist, songwriter, comedian, and producer has opened for B.B. King, Taj Mahal, Delbert McClinton, Patty Labelle, Ramsey Lewis, and Maze. Blending the influences of Chicago, Memphis, Piedmont, and Delta style blues, you are in for a Toe Tappin', Finger Poppin', Hip Shakin' Blues experience. Tickets available at the door or in advance at the Mathews Visitor Center. Single tickets are $25. Students admitted free with ID.

Hooray for Hollywood! The Empire Trio, an exhilarating and uniquely talented classical crossover ensemble, has been taking concert halls by storm all over the world. Featuring the lush and mesmerizing voices of soprano Erin Shields, baritone Michael Kelly, and the versatile and virtuosic David Shenton on piano and violin. David is the world's first (and possibly only) musician to play violin and piano SIMULTANEOUSLY! Single tickets are $25 at the door ( FREE for Students!) or avoid the line and…

Jeff Little is an award winning musician from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. A remarkable pianist, Jeff has been recognized not only as a critically acclaimed musician, but an innovator in acoustic music. Travelling the country performing concerts with an energy and dedication to his music he continuously wows audiences. Performances include The Smithsonian Institution, The National Folk Festival, American Piano Masters, Merlefest, and many festivals, performing arts centers and music venues throughout the US. Jeff has been…

WELCOME BACK THE OPRY CAST for the 48th year of live, local country music in a family atmosphere!

Judy Carmichael is known for her swinging piano, sultry vocals, and sassy humor! Grammy nominated pianist/singer/songwriter/radio host, Judy is one of the world's leading interpreters of stride and swing piano. Count Basie nicknamed her "Stride" acknowledging the command with which she plays technically and physically demanding jazz piano style. Performing around the world with such stars as Melissa Etheridge, Leslie Garrett, Joel Grey, Michael Feinstein, Steve Ross, and the Smothers Brothers, her talent does not stop on the performance stage.…

This show is sure to take you back in time to the “good ol’ days” of country and rock and roll from the decades of the 50’s and 60’s!

The Opry will offer the BEST of Country and Rock’s great duets and groups including special tributes to The Judds & Fleetwood Mac.

There is nothing better than the music of the summer! Don your flip flops and come enjoy the best country and rock beach music!

The Opry pays tribute to some of the greatest artists of the 80’s and 90’s in country music! George Strait, Reba, Tim, Faith, Martina, Alan, Travis, Wynonna…and the list goes on and on!

The Opry is synonymous with offering young talent a place to perform, learn and grow. This show will feature some of the area’s best up and coming stars!

Join Concerts by the Bay for their 2023-24 season! Since 1977, The Sound of Swing Orchestra has been Hampton Roads leading premiere big band swing dance orchestra. Specialist in the Big Band sounds of the 40’s through today, this fourteen piece swing orchestra performs the exciting memorable sound classics of: Count Basie, Duke Ellington1 Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw. Benny Goodman, Jan Savitt Jimmy Lunsford. Les Brown, Les Elgart, Ray Anthony, Michael Buble. Doris Day, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin,…

There are just too many great songs to do only one Oldies show, so this show will AGAIN take you back in time to the “good ol’ days” of country and rock and roll from the decades of the 70’s and 80’s!

Join the Smith Family and all their musical friends for a wonderful start to your holiday season!

Join Concerts by the Bay for an afternoon of fun! Brothers Brett and Jeff Cahoon stepped away from the success they’d achieved with their punk band Ten Years from Now and chose instead to see what they could do with the old-time jazz standards they’d admired for so long. The Cahoons filled out Good Shot Judy with a full complement of horns, percussion and vocals. And magic happened: an ensemble that was bigger than the sum of its parts. In…

Join Concerts by the Bay for a performance by The Suits! Four gentlemen. Four genres. Four decades. The Suits are comprised of four dynamic gentlemen performing four genres of hit music from the 50s through the 80s: Motown, Doo Wop, Pop and Rock. Fusing smooth choreography and tight harmonies with exciting showmanship and fun audience interaction, this production will give you a night to remember! With hits such as Oh, What a Night by The Four Seasons, My Girl by The Temptations, Can't Buy Me Love by…

The Rice Brothers feature a unique blend of classical music, ragtime and boogie-woogie, along with a historical perspective of the great composers and the times in which they lived. Their performances include works from Beethoven, Chopin and Liszt to Joplin and Gershwin, woven together with anecdotes and humor which will bring the music to life. Their interactive approach to performing is entertaining, and makes the music accessible and relevant to modern-day audiences. Their performances have been well received by audiences…

SOUNDS OF SUMMER (Special Tribute to the late Jimmy Buffett) – There is nothing better than the music of the summer!  Don your flip flops and come enjoy the best country and rock beach music with a special tribute to the late Jimmy Buffett!

  For over a decade, The Alter Eagles have been astonishing audiences across the United States with their inspiring tribute to the number one selling band of all time in North America.  Having performed over 1000 shows makes them one of the most prolific tribute acts today.  Alter Eagles is comprised of 6 versatile vocalists who each play multiple instruments during the show. AlterEagles perform the entire repertoire of Eagles tracks. From tasteful country rock with full harmonies to hard-rocking numbers,…

OLDIES SHOW (70’s/80’s) – There are just too many great songs to do only one Oldies show, so this show will AGAIN take you back in time to the “good ol’ days” of country and rock and roll from the decades of the 70’s and 80’s!

STARS OF TOMORROW – The Opry is synonymous with offering young talent a place to perform, learn and grow. This show will feature the Opry band and cast on the first half and then the youngsters will take over the second half with some amazing music!

A NIGHT OF PRAISE – The Opry and guests will offer Christian music, old and new, for a night of praise and worship.

Kate Voss made a name for herself in Seattle after her debut jazz album “Cheek to Cheek” was released in 2014. Since then, she has performed thousands of shows, was crowned Seattle-Kobe Jazz Vocal Princess (twice!), has produced 7 albums, and has won many awards including Vocalist of the Year from Earshot Magazine and Jazz Act of the Year from Seattle Weekly. Kate Voss & The Sauce’s top performers include her husband, Jason Goessl on guitar and WAMI award winning…

SMITH FAMILY & FRIENDS CHRISTMAS SHOW

After being selected to sing as the voice of John Denver in the CBS Television Movie “Take Me Home, the John Denver Story,” there was no doubt that he would continue to sing the praises and songs of America’s Troubadour – John Denver. As a life-long fan, Curry dedicated himself to continue John Denver’s legacy of songs and his message of love and caring for our planet to future generations. Since 2002 the combined talents of Jim and his band…

BrassWind is bringing back the classic horn band sound and look that’s been missing for quite some time. BrassWind is composed completely of retired & active-duty military in addition to some of the original charter-member educators that have remained. Though the roster and genres have changed, the mission has always been the same- To bring back good quality music to Hampton Roads and beyond…and to do it the right way. The way it was meant to be done…an incredibly gifted rhythm…

Known as Virginia’s Blues Ambassador, award winning recording artist, harmonica player, vocalist, songwriter, comedian, producer has been playing harmonica for over 46 years. Bobby is a retired U.S. Coast Guard Commander with 27 years of distinguished service which included serving as Military Aide to the President and being awarded the Coast Guard Medal for Heroism.   He has opened for music legends: B.B King, Taj Mahal, Delbert McClinton, Patti Labelle, Ramsey Lewis, and Maze. He has also performed with Eddie…