Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 19

COUNTRY ROADS
SHOWPLACE COMEBACK
1950s Theater Rises
R
St. Paul, Virginia, welcomes the Lyric back for a grand
opening and shows.
ising like a phoenix on Broad Street in St. Paul, Virginia,
the Lyric Theater is now entering its final construction
phase.
The Lyric dates to 1950-a time when this town on
the Clinch River was a coal commerce center. Today, St.
Paul has become a destination for eco-interested visitors
wanting to learn more about Wetlands Estonoa-the
town's " former mud puddle " -or the rare mussels and
vast fish diversity of the Clinch River, to book a stay at the
suave Western Front Hotel and to sample suds at the lively
Sugar Hill Brewing Company, next to the Lyric Theater.
For the town, the lyric's 200-seat theater and its freshly
constructed conference rooms make it a much-needed asset,
says Kathy Stewart, the manager of the town's Main
Street program, which has helped shepherd the Lyric's
new life.
It was not an easy feat for this brick structure, considering
the theater had been sitting vacant since the 1980s.
Rot had set in.
" After it closed, it went through several owners, " says
Stewart. " One of the owners had stripped the building
completely-and had taken out all of the seats and taken
all of the fabric off the wall. "
The 1950s-era
Lyric Theater
is celebrating
its rebirth in
January.
Fundraising began in 2014 and, after netting $4 million,
now closes this year with the final renovations, says
Stewart. " We're moving from construction to programs. "
Upcoming at the Lyric:
Jan. 4: Grand Opening.
Jan. 21: Daniel Davis & Friends perform gospel and folk.
Feb. 25: Mardi Gras party featuring Ron Short and the
Possum Playboys.
Stpaulmainstreet.org; 276-395-0685.
-JOE TENNIS
Capella
Zenith
AURIGA
Castor
Pollux
GEMINI
Aldebaran
Betelgeuse
Procyon
ORION
Rigel
Sirius
Mars
n January and February early evening skies,
stargazers have come to watch for a grand
arrangement-the stellar " G " -a tracing of
eight sparkling stars in the form of, well, a
celestial G.
I
Looking South on a clear evening
at 8:30 p.m. in January and February.
Beginning at the upper right of the G is
the red star Aldebaran, found to the upper
right of the familiar winter constellation
Orion. At the G's peak shines Capella at the
head of Auriga. Moving down the letter's left
side are Castor and Pollux, the twin stars ofGemini,
and then swinging south is Procyon,
the lesser Dog Star. The G bottoms at Sirius,
the Dog Star-the brightest star in the night
sky. At the right end of the G's cross stroke
lies Rigel on the lower right corner of Orion,
then straight across to Betelgeuse marking
Orion's left shoulder.
This year we have an interloper-a very
bright dot above the letter's beginning point
along the trace of the G. That dot is the Red
Planet Mars. While the G is present every year
at this time, Mars is only temporary. Next
year, it will be nowhere to be found.
To see all this, simply face south, and look
up on any clear moonless night from a location
away from city lights. Can you trace the
celestial G? -JOHN GOSS
Winter's Grand Arrangement of Bright Stars
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023 19
http://www.Stpaulmainstreet.org
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023
