Back to listings   The Big Ticket The Lion in Winter Katherine Hepburn won an Oscar in the film version of this vicious play on family politics. Jan. 10-12, Fri. & Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2:30 p.m. Walters State Community College, Inman Humanities Complex. $8, $5 students & seniors. Call 585-6824 for more info. The Jodie Manross Band with the Mitch Rutman Group Fiery vocalist backed by eclectic instrumentation; mixture of jazz, Latin, and more for openers. Friday, Jan. 10, 9 p.m. Blue Cats. $5. All Night Movers with the comedy of James Henry Former Knoxvillians play basic rock 'n' roll. Friday, Jan. 10, 10 p.m. Pilot Light. $5. Greater Tuna Two men play 20 men, women, kids, and pets of Tuna, Texas. Jan. 10-26. Theatre Central's new location at 319 N. Gay St. (936-2291) Hiwassee Ridge Bluegrass from the Tennessee Overhill. Live on WDVX. Saturday, Jan. 11, 8 p.m. Laurel Theater. $9/$10, $8 students and seniors, $5 kids 6-12. (522-5851) Preservation Hall Jazz Band with KSO Pops New Orleans jazz. Saturday, Jan. 11, 8 p.m. Civic Auditorium. $19-$65. (291-3310) The Derek Trucks Band with Tony Furtado Mishmash of jazz, rock, blues, Latin, and other styles. Thursday, Jan. 16, 8 p.m. Blue Cats. $12/$15. Flesh Vehicle with Agent Zarkov It's a week of homecomings: this time, Ex-Superdragster Tom Pappas. Thursday, Jan. 16, 10 p.m. Pilot Light. $5. Gran Torino And a week of farewells, as for this local funk/r&b outfit. Friday, Jan. 17, 9pm and Saturday, Jan. 18, 6pm and 9pm. Blue Cats. $10. Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys with Nashville Bluegrass Band & Robinella and the CC Stringband A downtown hoedown to warm the blood. Friday, Jan. 17, 7 p.m. Tennessee Theatre. $33. (656-4444)

Ellen Kushner We don't generally like to spotlight events this expensive. (So expensive that no one on staff here could comfortably afford to buy a ticket.) But, any fan of public radio will probably appreciate this brunch benefit for WUOT hosted by Ellen Kushner. Her award-winning, syndicated Sound and Spirit show is a model for how great radio can be. (If only local radio stations would encourage such daring in their own programming. But, alas...) Kushner will be joined for this event by local artists, musicians, and writers Jack Neely, Daron Douglas, Jami Rogers, R.B. Morris, KEMP, Angelyn DeBord, Ted Olson, and Nancy Brennan Strange. If you're too poor to attend, you can meet Kushner later for free at Borders Books and Music, where she'll sign her book, The Fall of the Kings, which was written with Delia Sherman. (Joe Tarr) ELLEN KUSHNER WITH DARON DOUGLAS, JAMI ROGERS, R.B. MORRIS, KEMP, ANGELYN DEBORD, TED OLSON, AND NANCY BRENNAN STRANGE * SUNDAY, JAN. 12, 1 P.M. * UNIVERSITY CLUB * $45 A PERSON; $500 FOR A TABLE OF EIGHT * 523-4176 ELLEN KUSHNER BOOK SIGNING * SUNDAY, JAN. 12, 5 P.M. * BORDERS BOOKS AND MUSIC * FREE Blues on Broadway at the Palace Theater with Big Bill Morganfield Want to shake off the Peach Bowl-loss blues? Then trying digging into some real blues: Kick off the Palace Theater's "Blues on Broadway" series with Big Bill Morganfield. Who's he, you ask? Only the son of the legendary Muddy Waters, and winner of the W.C. Handy Award for Best New Blues Artist of 2000. Morganfield's two CDs, 1999's Rising Son and 2002's Ramblin' Mind have unleashed a torrent of critical praise. Though he covers some of Muddy's songs, Morganfield's not just a knockoff of his old man; of his own song-writing work and guitar-playing, the Boston Herald said "Morganfield brings plenty of originality to the party." Carrying Muddy's love of the blues on through his own soulful guitar work and vocals, Morganfield is bringing that love to a new generation of appreciative listeners. Go be one of them. (Scott McNutt) BLUES ON BROADWAY WITH BIG BILL MORGANFIELD * FRIDAY, JAN. 10 * 8 P.M. * PALACE THEATER * $12/$15 * 983-3330 FOR MORE INFO Huck Finn's Story Theatre for the yard-ape demographic has gotten better over the years. Gone are the feel-good-yet-poorly-written morality dramas of the mid-'70s, replaced by well-written adventures that also happen to have warm (but never mushy) hearts. And the Actor's Co-op's Whippersnapper's series keeps producing them in Knoxville. This hour-long take on the classic Mark Twain tale was adapted by the same playwright, Aurand Harris, who also wrote Arkansas Bear, the stand-out from last year's 'snapper series. Starring in Huck Finn's Story is Jarron Edward Vosberg, who last took the local stage in Clarence Brown Theatre's Oliver!, and Sara Pat Schwabe, last seen in the Co-op's Lysistrata. The trip down the river should be a fun one with this crew. (Adrienne Martini) HUCK FINN'S STORY * JANUARY 11, 18, AND 25 * 2 AND 4 P.M. * BLACK BOX THEATRE * $5 * 523-0900