ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, December 6, 1996 TAG: 9612060007
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: out & about
SOURCE: DONNA ALVIS-BANKS
In medieval times, troubadours roamed the countryside of southern France, entertaining kings and peasants alike with their musical poems.
Some men are still troubadours at heart.
Michael Johnathon, Bill Hudson and Michael Mulvaney are such men. The three singer-songwriters are bringing their "Troubadour Tour '96" to Blacksburg's South Main Cafe Saturday. Expect an acoustic concert with lots of heart.
Johnathon, the guy who's been called "Pete Seeger with a Pink Floyd attitude," is proud of his profession, a calling he refers to as the "F" word - folksinging.
Born in New York, Johnathon now makes his home in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky when he's not touring with the likes of Judy Collins, Billy Dean, David Gates and others. His concerts are performed on behalf of causes he cares about - the environment, homeless people, battered women and children, farm families. His albums include "Dreams of Fire," "Assassins in the Kingdom" and the 1996 release, "WoodSongs."
Like Johnathon, Bill Hudson was a New York native who broke away from his Northern roots. He moved to Virginia in 1975.
"Music breaks down the barriers between people and that's what I'm out to do," he noted in a 1990 interview. The man the Miami Herald called "a songwriter for paycheck folk" says he's taken his music to strip shows, church groups, prisons, homes for the elderly and the streets.
Michael Mulvaney doesn't sit still, either. The Charlottesville-based musician travels up and down the East Coast, playing his one-night gigs along the "acoustic rhythm-and-blues road" from Maine to Florida. Mulvaney's style is a blend of traditional blues mixed with folk and rockabilly. His albums include "Leavin' Truck" and "Blow Your Own Horn."
The troubadours will take the stage at the South Main Cafe Saturday at 10. They'll keep playing until the lights go out.
CARTOONS FOR THE SOUL OF THE BUMMED-OUT POSTMODERN MAN: That's how Whit MacLaughlin's work has been described.
MacLaughlin, a graduate student in Virginia Tech's Theatre Arts Department, has been working on a trilogy of theatrical pieces for over a year. The third installment, "The Poorhouse," is the latest offering from Theatre Arts-University Theatre. It shows through Sunday in Squires Studio Theatre.
"The Poorhouse" is a curious look at traditional "masculine virtues." MacLaughlin says the play refers to and is drawn from an unlikely combination of sources: the paintings of Francis Bacon, the Sean Connery-James Bond flicks of the '60s and a Margaret Morton book, "The Tunnel," chronicling the lives of homeless people living in an abandoned underground railway tunnel.
MacLaughlin directs the cast of nine men and one woman. The actors have been training in MacLaughlin's acting techniques. He studied the Suzuki method in Japan and worked with acting teacher Alvina Krause.
Curtain time for "The Poorhouse" is at 8 each evening. Admission is free.
COMING HOME: Several who grew up in the little community of Snowville and moved away as young adults are coming home.
Others are moving to Snowville because they're in love with the friendly people and scenic beauty in this area that hugs the Little River.
Snowville is a rare commodity these days and the folks who live there want to preserve the rural attitude of their community.
That's why they're inviting you to stop by for a visit Saturday.
Members of the community have organized a Country Christmas Tour of six homes and the historic Snowville Christian Church, a bethel, or sanctuary, built before the Civil War. Visitors may follow a tour map at their own pace from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
You'll see a Christmas tree decorated entirely with cow ornaments in one of the homes. You'll smell the scents of country kitchens and taste home-cooked goodies at each stop.
What you won't encounter are those trendy, decorator-style doodads you find at the fanciest of homes.
No, the emphasis is on "down-home decorations," according to Gay Meredith, one of the organizers of the event. She says the homes reflect "a blend of country hospitality, family traditions and personal interests."
Tickets for the tour are $10 and may be purchased at the Snowville Christian Church on Saturday. The cost includes a lunch of homemade soups and breads served at the church, too.
Snowville is on the Pulaski-Montgomery county line. For more information on the tour or for directions to the area, call 639-1920.
LET'S DO LUNCH: You can add some holiday cheer to your lunch hour in the coming days.
"Holiday Cheer," an annual Bach's Lunch program at Virginia Tech's Memorial Chapel, features local musicians and groups who will be ringing in the season with all kinds of sweet sounds. Delta Omicrom performs today from noon to 1 p.m.
In fact, all the programs start at noon. You're welcome to bring your lunch and enjoy the free music at the chapel. Here's the schedule for next week:
Monday - Holiday sing-along with pianist Jay Stipes.
Tuesday - "The Wonder of Christmas" in the Catherine, David and Michael Breske family tradition. Also, pianist Eunice Kim and the Blacksburg Baptist Church Children's Choir.
Wednesday - The Virginia Tech Horn Ensemble with director Wallace Easter.
Thursday - The Meistersingers and Madrigals directed by Kevin Fenton and Jan Blumenthal.
Dec. 13 - The Shawsville Handbell Choir directed by Bonnie Sitz.
LOTS OF TEETH: That's what will flash before your eyes tonight when the New Virginians bound into Haymarket Theatre at Virginia Tech.
The jazzy vocal ensemble will present a fall concert featuring music by Manhattan Transfer, the New York Voices, Beachfront Property and Four Freshmen. You'll also hear a set of original compositions.
Tonight's show starts at 8. Tickets go on sale at 7 p.m. in the Squires Student Center box office. The cost is $5 for adults and $2 for students.
LENGTH: Long : 113 linesby CNB