'Come on Down to the Brown' Saturday for a rollicking good time

Black Water Gap kicks off the Gaffney Little Theatre's "Come on Down to the Brown" season on Saturday, Aug. 23, at 7 p.m. with a rompin', stompin', bluegrass, country and old-time gospel concert. I n addition to an outstanding season for the 2008-2009 listing of plays, including three musicals, Gaffney Little Theatre also plans a varied schedule of fundraising shows at the Brown Building on East Frederick Street called "Come on Down to the Brown."

The "Come on Down...'' season kicks off Saturday, Aug. 23, at 7 p.m. with a rompin', stompin', bluegrass, country and old-time gospel concert by Black Water Gap.

A special feature of the group is the headlinemaking brother/sister team of Zach and Jamie Carter who are beginning to attract attention with their CDs. Zach, on the banjo, is an 11th grader at Broome High School while Jamie, who plays the mandolin and the bass, is a 10th grader at Broome.

Black Water Gap began years ago when cousins Bill James and Ryan Carter discovered a mutual love for bluegrass music. Several years ago they teamed up with Ryan's children, Zach and Jamie, and a few other instrumentalists. Recently, they have added a vocalist, Tracy Shultz, to the group. Tracy's wife, Dana, will also appear Saturday night as a featured vocalist. Black Water Gap is complete with the addition of Bud Carter, another cousin, on the guitar. Comedy is provided by Tracy Shultz, especially as he demonstrates that music can be made with a "moonshine" jug.

Gaffney Little Theatre, thoroughly committed to multi-cultural arts, is happy to offer country music to its "Come on Down to the Brown" schedule.

Other coming events include a flea market on Saturday, Sept. 13, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m; a repeat performance of Gwen Jennings' The Power of Love in October; Talking With, an allgirls' show, on January 23 and 24; Improvisation Sensation, an unrehearsed collection of skits by the Gaffney Youth Theatre; Love Letters in mid-February; a Reader's Theatre in March; The Best of Broadway, a musical variety show scheduled for late spring; and two other events that will be announced later.

When Don Hinton and his family gave the former Brown Furniture Building and an adjacent building to the Gaffney Little Theatre, they had no idea that they would make an old television commercial jingle come true for Gaffney: "Double your pleasure, double your fun." By having two venues for performances, the local amateur theatre group is able to offer the people of Gaffney much more quality entertainment.

The Brown Building is located at 111 E. Frederick St. in the heart of Downtown Gaffney. Reservations for Black Water Gap are not necessary. Admission is $5.

Refreshments, including R.C. Cola, Moon Pies and salted peanuts will be offered for sale.