About The Eatonton messenger. (Eatonton, Ga.) 18??-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 21, 2025)
The Eatonton Messenger Community Thursday August 21, 2025 CONTRIBUTED Talented, young members of the Broadway Intensive brought the musical "HONK!" to life on The Plaza stage and received rave reviews after just a couple of weeks of preparation and rehearsal. $1 Learning and living through The Arts Barn 2.9 N CONTRIBUTED The Sole Momentum Cloggers visited Callaway Gardens in June to perform at Camp Firefly, a private retreat for critically ill children and their families. The Arts Barn has been buzzing with energy all summer long, bringing unforgettable arts experiences to Lake Country and beyond. From high-energy musi cals to heartwarming commu nity outreach, this summer proved that creativity is alive and thriving in Putnam County. The season kicked off the first week of June with Camp Broadway, a collaboration between The Plaza Arts Center and The Arts Barn. Campers dove into the world of theatre through acting, singing, and dancing while working together to stage a full production. Engaging theatre exercises and rehearsals sharpened their acting skills and built teamwork, helping each camper shine both as a solo performer and as part of an ensemble. The week-long experience culminated in a lively community performance of “Groove On,” a ‘70s-themed show written by The Arts Barn staff. The next week, The Sole Momentum Cloggers traveled to Callaway Gardens to perform at Camp Firefly, a private retreat for critically ill children and their families. Hosted by actors Kirk and Chelsea Cameron, this invitation-only event provided a fun-filled and uplifting evening for everyone involved. July brought the Broadway Intensive, also in collaboration with The Plaza Arts Center, designed for young adults to expand their talents. Partici pants rehearsed the musical “Honk!” from start to finish over two weeks, culminating in a two-weekend run that was highly acclaimed by audience members of all ages. The summer wrapped with August Adventure, an old-fash ioned ice cream social hosted by The Old School History Museum at The Plaza, where The Arts Barn curated and ran the day’s live entertainment. Festival attendees were invited to the stage for social dancing and cake walks between perfor mances from people of all ages. Singers from Putnam, Greene, and Morgan counties sang songs from several styles of music and The Sole Momentum Cloggers also made a special appearance. If you’d like to learn more about upcoming classes or get registered, visit theartsbarn.net, email info@theartsbarn.net, or call 706-347-4560. — Contributed LEIGH LOFGREN/Staff Fun times with the great musicians and vocalist of the Jazz Legacy Project. Greensboro hears live tribute to Ray Charles Leigh Lofgren leigh@msgrnews.com The Jazz Legacy Project brought to life music of the legendary Ray Charles Aug. 14 at Festival Hall. Vocalist Cleve land P. Jones joined the musi cians who make up the Jazz Legacy Project - drummer and narrator Justin Varnes, saxo phonist John Sandfort, bassist Kenneth Smith, and pianist Nic Rosen. Together, The Jazz Legacy Project entertained the sold-out crowd for 90 minutes. Born in Albany on Sept. 23, 1930, Ray Charles Robinson was anAmerican singer, composer, pianist, saxo phonist and band leader and is regarded as one of the most influential and iconic musi cians in history. He was often referred to as “The Genius” by contemporaries. As a pioneer in soul music in the 1950s, he combined sounds from gospel, pop, jazz and rhythm and blues into his music and in the 1960s crossed in country music while with ABC Records. Charles was the first black musician to be given total artistic control by a major record company. Charles was playing the piano by age 5, and due to glaucoma, went blind at 7 years old. Raised in Greenville, Florida, he went to school at the St. Augustine School for the Deaf and Blind from 1937- 45, studied composition, wrote music in braille, and learned to play the alto saxophone, trumpet, organ and clarinet. He dropped his surname in order not to be confused with boxer Sugar Ray Robinson. Ray Charles during his long career received Kennedy Center honors and the National Medal of Arts, the Polar Music Prize. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, won 17 Grammy awards, the Grammy Lifetime Achieve ment Award, and in 2022 was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Black Music & Entertain ment Walk of Fame. Ten of his recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Some of his most famous songs include “Georgia on my Mind,” “Hit the Road Jack,” “America the Beautiful,” “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” and “Seven Spanish Angels.” Charles is considered to have been one of the most important artists of the 20th Century. He once said, “I never wanted to be famous; I just wanted to be great”. The Robinson Foundation for Hearing Disorders, was founded by Ray Charles in 1986 and was later changed to The Ray Charles Foundation, dedicated to providing support to those with hearing disorders and helping youngsters with educational programs. Charles once said, “The inability to hear is a handicap; not the inability to see,” and the vision of The Ray Charles Foundation is to instill in young Americans is that “there is no challenge too great one cannot overcome.” — Contributed Singer Cleveland P. Jones Neighbors Helping Neighbors hosting casino fundraiser Get ready to roll the dice for a great cause, as Neighbors Helping Neighbors (NHN) has announced it will hold A Night at The Tables, a major fundraiser on Tuesday, Oct. 7, at Festival Hall in downtown Greensboro. This lively evening will feature classic casino games including blackjack, Texas Hold 'Em poker, craps, roulette, and a money wheel, plus exciting raffles. Guests also will be able to enjoy appetizers, wine, and beer. ‘We’re excited to bring the community together for a night of fun and gener osity,” NHN President Bob Massey said. “Every chip played helps us chip away at hardship for our neighbors in need.” All event proceeds will support Neigh bors Helping Neighbors’ mission to provide urgently needed assistance to qualified individuals across Greene and Putnam counties. Through the organization’s first five years, NHN has made emergency or critical repairs in more than 250 homes and provided more than 30 replace ment vehicles and repaired another 40 cars for families who desperately need reliable transportation. Additionally, in partnership with First Methodist Church of Greens boro-Lake Oconee, NHN’s Beds for Kidz program has built and delivered more than 700 beds to children without a bed of their own to sleep and dream on. For tickets or further information about NHN’s A Night at The Tables, visit nhnga.org. For sponsorship opportunities, to donate, or become a Neighbors Helping Neighbors member, contact NHN Executive Director Allyn Rippin, at execdir@nhnga.org. — Contributed
