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Lees-McRae Summer Theatre Opens The Denim King: The Moses Cone Story on Saturday

Lees-McRae Summer Theatre opens its final show of the season this weekend, giving audiences an important the-denim-kingglimpse into local history.

You have seven chances to see The Denim King: The Moses Cone Story starting at 2 p.m. on Friday. Commissioned by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, this story was written by Janet Barton Speer with lyrics and music by John Thomas Oaks and based in part on Phillip Noblitt’s book, “A Mansion in the Mountains.”

The musical concerns the Cone family dynasty and explores how they came to be a major force in North Carolina history with their mills, which manufactured many fabrics including denim.

The Denim King was produced at the Blowing Rock Stage Company and became their best attended production. Lees-McRae is proud to partner with the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and Well-Spring Retirement -1Community to produce this fascinating show, the story of how Moses and his brother Ceasar developed textiles, particularly denim. Add to that the Cone sisters who accrued one of the largest contemporary art collections in the country and you have a tale worth telling. It takes a musical to show its grandness! Suitable for children.

For more information, visit  www.lmc.edu/summertheatre or call 828-898-8709.

A benefit reception for the Moses H. Cone Memorial Park will be hosted by Kristen and Janet Cone in conjunction with the opening night of The Denim King from 5-7 p.m. at LMC’s Cannon Student Center, 191 Main St. in Banner Elk, before the show on Saturday. Call the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation at 866-308-2773 ext. 245 for more information.

Show Times:
Saturday, August 1 at 2 p.m. and at 7 p.m.
Sunday, August 2 at 2 p.m.
Tuesday, August 4 at 7 p.m.
Wednesday, August 5 at 7 p.m.
Thursday, August 6 at 7 p.m.
Friday, August 7 at 2 p.m.