Featured photo is from So Good: The Neil Diamond Experience
SO GOOD: THE NEIL DIAMOND EXPERIENCE: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, Jabez Hardin Auditorium in the library in Evans, GA., $44.95 plus tax presented by Augusta Amusements. Call (706) 726-0366 or visit augustaamusements.com. Robert Neary, born and reared in Long Island, NY, pays tribute to pop superstar Neil Diamond. Neary performed opposite Jason Bateman in the film, Teen Wolf Too, spent two years on the TV soap opera General Hospital as Officer Frank Marino, filmed more than 25 national commercials and first was on Broadway show in 1996
starring in Smokey Joe’s Cafe where he met his wife, Natasha. The real Neil Diamond, by the way,
performed in Augusta’s Bell Auditorium on April 7, 1967, with the touring Where The Action Is show
along with Tommy Roe, Keith Allison, P.J. Proby and Billy Joe Royal.
MORE: Musical show provides USO type experience
THE MALPASS BROTHERS WITH TEEA GOANS: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3, in the Jabez Hardin Auditorium in
the library in Evans, GA., $48.95 plus tax presented by Augusta Amusements. Call (706) 726-
0366 or visit augustaamusements.com. Christopher and Taylor Malpass, hard core country music artists
from Goldsboro, N.C., return to the area with Goans who hosted WSM radio’s Inside the Opry Circle
broadcasts. The Malpass Brothers, one of the last acts to tour with Merle Haggard, also will be at
the Little Roy & Lizzy Music Festival at the old Lewis Homeplace in Lincolnton, Ga., on Saturday,
May 6.
MY FAIR LADY: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, in the Columbia County Performing Arts Center, 1000 Market
St., in Evans, Ga. $65, visit thecenterofcc.com or call (706) 447-6767. This is a touring production
of the musical created by lyricist Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick Loewe based on the play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. It also became a classic 1964 movie co-starring Audrey Hepburn and
Rex Harrison.
MORE: Augusta Mini Theatre production salutes Godfather of Soul
THE LAST WALTZ, JUST ONE MORE TIME: Presented by Ryan Abel, popular lead vocalist of Ed Turner & No. 9 Band, with his friends at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, in the Imperial Theatre, 749 Broad St. $20
to $40, (706) 722-8341, visit imperialtheatre.com. Abel and his musical buddies honor the final
concert of The Band that was staged Nov. 25, 1976, at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. It
was made into a documentary film, The Last Waltz directed by Martin Scorsese. Guests with Abel
include Greg Hester & Street Choir performing an hour set of Van Morrison classic songs and the duo
The SureFires (Jaycie Ward and Brooke Lundy).
MARTY STUART AND THE FABULOUS SUPERLATIVES: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, Imperial Theatre, $20 to $50 plus handling fees; (706) 722-8341, visit imperialtheatre.com. The return of the bluegrass
and country giant in the last season presentation of the Morris Museum of Art’s Budweiser True Music
Southern Soul & Song series. Grammy Award winner Stuart is an official cast member of the Grand Ole
Opry, has charted many hit songs, toured with Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan and became an inductee
into the Country Music Association’s Hall of Fame.
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Don Rhodes has been a by-line journalist since 1963 writing for his Chamblee, Ga., High School newspaper and two weeklies in Decatur. He has worked for Morris Communications Co. since joining the Savannah Evening Press in March of 1967. He also has authored four national books, four regional books, national magazine articles and album notes for several music artists.
