The Southern Crescent was a

very busy place in 2003, offering up thousands of hours of entertainment.

Whether you enjoy music, theater, art, dance, movies or just spending

time outside, there was something for you to do almost every weekend.

It would be impossible to list

every event that was covered in the Weekend section in 2003, but here's

the old college try.

Theater lovers got to see a

wide variety of plays presented by local high schools, community theater

groups and national touring companies that came to the Fox. Thornton Wilder's

"Our Town" was done by Newnan Community Theatre and Fayette

Christian, while McIntosh High and Newnan Community Theater each staged

a production of "To Kill a Mockingbird." Starr's Mill staged

"Little Shop of Horrors" last spring, while Sandy Creek staged

"The Wiz." Sandy Creek kicked off the 2003-2004 school year

with a madrigal dinner, as did Landmark Christian and Our Lady of Mercy

High. Fayette County High performed "Cotton Patch Gospel," Starr's

Mill did "All in the Timing," and McIntosh won the region competition

with its production of "Spaz." Whitewater High staged "The

Butler Did It," as its first production in school history.

Fayette Players presented "The

Music Man," as did Landmark Christian, while Southside Theater Guild

presented "Piece of My Heart," "The Foreigner," "Heaven

Can Wait,' and "It's a Wonderful Life." Newnan Community

Theatre had a busy year, too, with productions of "Harvey,"

"The Lion in Winter," "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,"

and "Arsenic and Old Lace, among others. Offshoot Productions presented

a number of Stars on the Southern Crescent Coffeehouses, a St. Patrick's

Day festival and a production of "Stuart Little," while Fayette

Coweta Family Theatre presented plays like "Pocahantas," "Pinnochio,"

and "The Secret Garden." A new group, Sharpsburg On Stage, also

came on the scene and presented some one-act comedies.

There were also a number of

dance productions throughout the year. Fayette Ballet presented "Celebration

of Spring," Dance Contempra brought "Evolution" to audiences,

and Georgia Academy of Dance presented "The Big Top Circus,"

"Georgia on my Mind, and "La Fille Mal Gardee." Not to

mention all of "The Nutcrackers," that were recently performed

and "From Broadway to Fayette Square," which Carla's Dance

Factory presented recently at Sams Auditorium.

On the music front, the Villages

Amphitheater in Fayettevile opened in 2003 and its inaugural season featured

acts like The Charlie Daniels Band, Air Supply and Glen Campbell. The

Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater had a great season as well with artists

like Eddie Money, Wayne Newton, Peter Frampton and Hall and Oates among

the artists that took the stage. The venue also offered a jazz series

that welcomed Lou Rawls, Carol Welsman and Spyro Gyra to Peachtree City

and hosted four nights of Christian concerts for U-Night 17. Local bands

got a chance to perform at McIntosh High's Rock for a Cure and top

country artists John Berry, David Lee Murphy and Lee Roy Parnell played

the Kiwanis Fairgrounds in Fayetteville for the Paint the Town tour. There

were also dozens of high school choral and band concerts, Music with Friends

at City Cafe, the annual country and bluegrass show at Sams Auditorium,

the Lafayette Jazz Festival and performances at the Stars on the Southern

Crescent coffee houses.

In addition to all of these

attractions were special festivals and events. Among these were the annual

Miss Pride pageant, the Blended Heritage Celebration at the Fayette County

Public Library, Fiesta on the Plaza during Hispanic Heritage Month at

the Peachtree City Library, the Georgia Renaissance Festival, the Women

of Substance art exhibit from the Southern Crescent Alliance of Visual

Artists, the annual Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast in Peachtree City, Tyrone

Founders Day, Old Town Sharpsburg Festival, Powers Crossroads, the annual

Shakerag Festival, the Great Georgia Air Show, Tatse of Fayette, July

Jam, the Last Fling, the Pumpkin Walk and the Old Courthouse Art Show

among others.

There will be an equally full

lineup in 2004, with possibly even more on tap. Keep reading this section

of The Citizen to keep your finger on the pulse.

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