Tryon Fine Arts Center’s Something Different Series returns for 2018-2019 with two performers making their Tryon debuts.

Mike Wiley performs on Thursday, Oct. 18, and Shaun Boothe takes the stage on Friday, March 29, 2019. Both shows start at 7 p.m. on the Veh Stage. 

Though they differ in medium and style, both artists use their one-man show format to inspire, challenge and reflect, organizers said. 

In his original drama “One Noble Journey: A Box Marked Freedom” on Oct.18, Mike Wiley brings the true story of Henry “Box” Brown to life. 

Born into slavery in Virginia circa 1816, Brown makes a daring escape to freedom in Philadelphia. Wiley’s performance of Henry Brown and nearly two dozen other roles has been hailed as “More than mere versatility…this is virtuosity” by American Theater Magazine. 

Shaun Boothe tells the history of cultural icons through hip-hop in “Unauthorized Biographies” on March 29, 2019.

Oprah to Malala Yousafzai, Nelson Mandela, Bob Marley and many more are all featured in his performance. Presidents, celebrities, artists and activists are all brought to life with Boothe’s original music and multimedia. Boothe invites audiences to examine the legacies, impacts and significance of each leader’s story. 

“The power of hip-hop is in the stories we choose to tell,” Boothe said. “Our stories can either build us up or break us down.”

Tickets and more information on the Something Different Series is available at tryonarts.org or by calling 828-859-8322.

– Submitted by

Michelle Fleming