The Shadow
Lime Kiln Theater Executive Director Spencer McElroy revealed that Lime Kiln Theater will provide the programming and be in charge of the musical production for Freedom Food Festival in Lexington on Sunday, July 3.
Working in conjunction with the Lexington-Rockbridge Tourism Board and Main Street Lexington, McElroy has booked three bands to perform at the special event.
McElroy said, “Acoustic Syndicate, a roots rock band; Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley, a bluegrass group; and 49 Winchester, a country music band; will be performing.”
After Lime Kiln Theater was founded in 1984 by Don Baker, Appalfolks of America Association (AAA) that was founded in Clifton Forge in 1985 received the Historic Stonewall Theatre as a charitable donation on Dec. 20, 1991.
Baker toured the theater and established an arts education partnership with AAA that resulted in Lime Kiln Theatre presenting “Stonewall Country,” “The Jack Tales,” and many other dramas at the Historic Stonewall Theatre that AAA restored from a twin cinema to a performing arts facility that featured a professional dance studio on the top floor.
Also, as part of the arts education partnership, AAA booked many of Lime Kiln Theatre’s dramas at the Alleghany County Public Schools such as Sharon Elementary School and Alleghany High School.
After Baker left Lime Kiln Theatre, Barry Mines became the executive director, and the arts education partnership continued to blossom. In fact, the first drama that AAA produced in the Historic Stonewall Theatre that was not one of its own original productions was “Spoon River Anthology,” directed by Mines.
After Mines left Lime Kiln Theater, the arts education partnership was dissolved, and Lime Kiln Theater continued to prosper until closing in 2012.
After reopening in 2014 with McElroy as the new executive director, Lime Kiln Theater has prospered.
McElroy remarked, “I took over in 2014, and we stayed open until COVID-19 shut us down in 2020.”
He concluded, “We reopened in June of 2021.”
Lime Kiln Theater hosted The Virginia Opry’s April 30 performance that featured Chris Lane, the headliner. Ashley Cooke and Lily Rose and their bands opened for Lane.
The Virginia Opry was designated as the official Opry of the Commonwealth of Virginia when Governor Ralph S. Northam signed Senator R. Creigh Deed’s “Senate Bill 283” that passed the Virginia Senate 40-0 and the Virginia House of Delegates 93-6. The signing was on March 31, 2020.
The Virginia Opry’s concert at Lime Kiln Theater was held in honor of the VMI 2022 graduating class of cadets. Keith Bryant and James Tamelcoff, both members of The Virginia Opry, performed on a separate stage as part of entertainment leading up the concert headlined by Lane.
McElroy gave credit to George Huger, the owner of the Southern Inn Restaurant, for spearheading the event.
The free event will take place on Main Street from 5:00 p.m. till 10:00 p.m. and will directly benefit a number of local nonprofits.
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| Virginia Opry Spokesperson Jana Allen served as emcee at Lime Kiln Theater for The Virginia Opry’ s first performance there on Sat., April 30. She is a vocalist who opened for Bruce Allen when she was a teenager. (Photo by M. Ray Allen) |
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| Lily Rose and her band opened for Chris Lane at Lime Kiln Theater on Sat., April 30. The show was the first time The Virginia Opry performed there, and five members of The Virginia Opry participated in the show that drew more than 2,000 country musician fans. (Photo by M. Ray Allen) |
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| Chris Lane, Nashville recording artist, performed at Lime Kiln Theater as a guest performer on The Virginia Opry, the Commonwealth of Virginia’s official Opry, on Sat., April 30. (Photo by M. Ray Allen) |
