Welcome to the
Rebecca J. Graves Center for the Performing Arts
2026 Performance Schedule

Denny More  Hypnotist/Mentalist
March 7 – 7:30  PM

Denny’s fascination with magic and mentalism sparked at the tender age of nine. By his freshman year in high school, he had already crafted his first show and embarked on a professional journey that has only gained momentum since. Denny understands that while mystifying his audience is crucial, the essence of a great performance lies in entertainment. Unlike many magicians and mentalists who focus solely on deception,

Denny has headlined at every major comedy club in the nation, including the renowned Caroline’s Comedy Club on Broadway. His performances have also been a hit at casinos across the country.

Versatility is Denny More’s hallmark. Whether it’s a family-friendly venue or an adults-only event, he fits right in. His extensive experience spans corporate events, high school and college functions, theme parks, cruise ships, comedy clubs, professional and fraternal organizations, synagogue events, fundraisers, private parties, and television appearances.

Poehemia – Celtic Rock
March 21 – 7:30  PM

POEHEMIA delivers the best Celtic Rock! Formed alongside the docks of Baltimore’s historic, industrial waterside community POEHEMIA brings a fresh interpretation to traditional and Celtic music.

Consisting of members with national, international touring and recording experience this power house combines top shelf musicianship with a one-of-a-kind stage show. The band artistically blends traditional and modern instruments that cross generations and appeal to audiences of all ages.

Since 2016 POEHEMIA has released 3 CDs and performed hundreds of electric and acoustic shows at festivals, special events, wineries, weddings, breweries, and pubs throughout North America.

Sponsored by Bank Street Books.

Bobby “Black Hat” Walters
April 11 – 7:30  PM

Bobby BlackHat, Virginia’s Blues Ambassador, blends the influences of Chicago, Memphis, Piedmont, and Delta style blues along with a little Gospel into a Toe Tappin’, Finger Poppin’, Hip Shakin’ Blues experience. You Never Know What’s Gonna Happen at a Bobby BlackHat Show!

Bobby BlackHat, Virginia’s Blues Ambassador, award winning recording artist, harmonica player, vocalist, songwriter, comedian, producer has been playing harmonica for over 50 years. Bobby is a retired U.S. Coast Guard Commander with 27 years of distinguished service which included serving as Military Aide to the President and being awarded the Coast Guard Medal for Heroism.

He has opened for music legends: B.B King, Taj Mahal, Delbert McClinton, Patti Labelle, Ramsey Lewis, and Maze. BlackHat is a judge for the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN.

Chris Jenkins & John Bullard
April 25 – 7:30  PM

Christopher Jenkins is a performer in the Washington DC area. He has given performances both at home and abroad, from Spain and Argentina to locations in, Virginia, South Carolina, West Virginia, Maryland, Texas, and Washington D.C. He has premiered works by various composers, notably Ralf Bauer.

In addition to performance, he holds his Master’s Degree in Music from the University of South Carolina School of Music where he studied with Christopher Berg and received his Bachelor’s Degree from the George Mason University School of Music under the tutelage of Larry Snitzler. He studied classical guitar in Granada, Spain at the Interpretation of Spanish Song Festival with Gallardo del Rey and Joaquin Clerch.

Over the course of his performing and recording career, John Bullard has invited audiences to share in a transformative revelation: to experience the artistic marriage of banjo and classical music. “Absolutely enchanting,” writes critic Graham Rickson of the UK-based The Arts Desk. “A musical education and experience that broke genre barriers,” noted Morgan Morrison, program director for the performance space The Barns of Rose Hill.

With qualities evocative of harpsichord and lute, the banjo makes a natural place for itself in particular within the works of Bach and other composers of the Baroque—and Bullard has established a strong repertoire in the music of that period.

Stephanie Nakasian

Hippie Hoopla Trio
May 2 – 7:30  PM

Stephanie Nakasian is an exciting, well-seasoned vocalist and master of innovative jazz improvisation, completely authentic with a fresh and vibrant sound all her own. Bringing high energy to every performance, Stephanie enthralls listeners with her pure tones and a flawless delivery, engaging them on a personal level with a love for the music that is playful, electric and spontaneous in story and song.

Stephanie’s original concert revues and composer and singer tributes have been favorites with concert audiences, schools and universities. Her “Great Ladies” revue tracing the development of jazz singing has also been offered as an academic course at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia and at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, where Stephanie is currently on faculty as a vocal instructor and coaches students on jazz phrasing, listening, improvisation and repertoire preparation for performance. She has directed and coached numerous vocal jazz ensembles and is a regular workshop presenter at schools and conferences each year.

Clayton Fletcher
May 30 – 7:30  PM

Opening – Tony Villa

Fresh off a leg of shows with Jim Jefferies, Clayton Fletcher is an international headliner based in New York City, with a new special, Middle Child Syndrome (Comedy Dynamics), and book, The ROI of LOL (HarperCollins), which debuted at #1.

Clayton has also been featured on Amazon Prime, Hulu, AXS TV, MSNBC, Fox News Saturday Night, ESPN, and Comcast. He was named ‘Best of the Fest’ at the Stockholm Comedy Festival and can be heard daily on Sirius/XM’s Laugh USA, Blue Collar Comedy, and Jamie Foxx’s Foxxhole stations.

Larney Starkey &
The Spiritual Seven
June 13- 7:30  PM

We are a family group from Virginia that have been singing for 53 years. We are proud to represent and be apart of Virginia’s history as a family group started and presently residing in the state.

We are a part of the Virginia Commission For The Arts. We are known by many as the “Gospel Temptations”

We are happy to release our new Release “Hymn Time with Larnell Starkey & The Spiritual Seven. We took a few of our favorite hymns and put our twist on them .

Clay Mottley
“James & Joel”
August 15 – 7:30  PM

JT and Billy Joel were mainstays on radio as I grew up. From piano lessons as a kid before switching to guitar, Taylor and Joel wrote so many songs that you felt like you HAD to learn to play if you wanted to be considered a real musician! In fact, “Sweet Baby James” was the first song I taught myself to play on guitar.

But unlike many hit makers, these two prolific songwriters kept getting better with age. Not only were they prolific, their later songs are just as amazing as their early work, making the stories behind these songs all the better.

With “James & Joel,” I take the audience through the stories behind their biggest hits (as well as my favorite deep cuts) from the artists’ own words, and present my take on the timeless classics.

Performing Arts Luray Gala
September 26 – 6:00 PM

Join us for out Annual Gala Celebration. More details coming soon.

Rockcreek Singers

November 7 – 7:30 PM

The Rock Creek Singers are a chamber ensemble from the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC, consisting of 32 singers who perform a cappella and accompanied classical and contemporary music.

Directed by Dr. Thea Kano, the group performs for audiences in the Washington, D.C. area and has collaborated with other ensembles like the Cantate Chamber Singers.

Glen Shelton
December 5 – 7:30 PM

• Glen Shelton is excited to release his new single to radio called “Less Than A Lady.” 
• “Less Than A Lady” is a song Glen and his wife wrote together about what she wants from him.
• Since November 2022, after signing with Jordash Records, he has charted 5 consecutive singles on the Music Row Country Breakout Top 80 including 3 in the Top 50.
• Performed at hundreds of Events/Venues (Civic Centers, Theaters, State Fairs, Country Music Festivals) as a Headliner and an Opener.
• Shared the stage with over 50 National Acts such as Jameson Rodgers, Joe Nichols, Clint Black, David Lee Murphy, Sawyer Brown, Randy Travis, Darryl Worley, Lee Ann Womack, John Rich and Richie MacDonald.
• The back-story video clip was recorded recently during a show at the WV State Fair explaining in detail exactly how the song was born.
• Glen was a little short with his wife when on a trip from Nashville to Knoxville so he then told her, “I should never treat you ‘Less Than A Lady’!” They spent the next couple of hours writing this song.
• Glen writes and sings Country music about his life, and hopes others can relate to it.
• He grew up in Lynchburg, Virginia and currently lives near the Blue Ridge Mountains in Amherst County (VA).
• Glen loves music and he is thankful to God for giving him the gift of singing and for healing his voice. He was unable to sing and could barely speak years ago but the Lord completely restored his voice through vocal chord surgery!  No one else in his family sings; however, his third cousin Ricky Van Shelton had a great career in Country music.

Thank you to all of our PAL Sponsors