Busy Kickoff Weekend at Wayne Theatre

The opening of an art exhibit, the debut of LIVE @ the WAYNE and a concert with the Chairmen of the Board highlight the Kickoff Weekend at the Historic Wayne Theatre/Ross Performing Arts Center in September.

“This is the big opening weekend for the Wayne Theatre that we’ve been working toward for the past 15 years,” said Tracy Straight, the executive director of the Wayne Theatre, which re-opened in March after a lengthy, multimillion-dollar renovation.

The Kickoff Weekend begins on Thursday, Sept. 8, with the opening of an art exhibit celebrating the cultural legacy of the Wayne Theatre in the 21st century. The exhibit features the work of an array of well-regarded Virginia photographers, including Kevin Blackburn, Deb Booth, Mark Miller, Conrad Matiuk and Alison Thomas.

The Sept. 8 art opening will begin at 5 p.m. Admission is free.

On Friday, Sept. 9, at 7:30 p.m., the Wayne Theatre marks the debut of a new monthly variety show, LIVE @ the WAYNE, on Friday, Sept. 9.

The debut of LIVE @ the WAYNE will feature Americana music artist Bryan Elijah Smith, who will join host Tracy Straight and house band The Boogie Kings at the 7:30 p.m. show.

Admission to LIVE @ the WAYNE is $15.

The Kickoff Weekend finale is Saturday, Sept. 10, at 8 p.m., with Chairmen of the Board, one of soul music’s most consistent hit makers.

Tickets for the Chairmen of the Board show are $20/$25.

The Wayne Theatre/Ross Performing Arts Center is located at 521 West Main Street in downtown Waynesboro.

For more information, call (540) 943-9999 or go online at WayneTheatre.org.