Arts top 10

Winter is the perfect time for pursuing indoor activities, and the arts community offers a blizzard of entertainment options. Perhaps a play about the "original housewives" might interest you? Or maybe something geared for young and expanding minds? Whatever your fancy, the months ahead provide plenty of opportunities in music, dance, theater and more.

Jan. 14, 15 and 17

The cello will enjoy a "Cello-bration" when the Winston-Salem Symphony performs at the Stevens Center, 405 W. Fourth St.

Brooks Whitehouse, the symphony's principal cellist and an instructor at UNC School of the Arts, will solo in Ernest Bloch's "Schelomo: Hebrew Rhapsody."

The program's other pieces will showcase either a part for solo cello or an entire solo section, including Heitor Villa-Lobos' "Bachianas Brasileiras, No. 5," with soprano Elizabeth Pacheco Rose.

See www.wssymphony.org or call (336) 464-0145.

Jan. 15

The N.C. Black Repertory Company (www.ncblackrep.org) will present its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration in the Arts Council Theatre, 610 Coliseum Drive. Expect eclectic performances. The presentation will begin at 7 p.m.

Admission is free, but reservations are required. Call (336) 723-2266. Those making reservations are asked to donate at least three nonperishable food items to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina. The items will be collected at the door before the performance.

Jan. 20 and 21

The Children's Theatre of Winston-Salem will present the TheatreworksUSA's performance of "Fancy Nancy & Other Story Books" at the Arts Council Theatre, 610 Coliseum Drive.

"Fancy Nancy" is a revue recommended for children through fourth grade. It is six mini-musicals, including one about Fancy Nancy's quest to accessorize her family and another about a campaign called "Duck for President." Theatre-worksUSA is based in New York.

See www.childrenstheatrews.org or call (336) 725-4531.

Jan. 26

The Rose Ensemble, noted for its performances of early vocal music, will perform in Wait Chapel as part of the Secrest Artists Series at Wake Forest University.

The program is "Songs from the Land of Three Faiths: Voices of Ancient Mediterranean Jews, Christians, and Muslims." The aim will be illuminating what the ensemble describes as "rarely heard repertoire (with) fresh perspectives on history, languages, politics, religion and world cultures and traditions."

See http://secrest.wfu.edu/tickets/ or call (336) 758-5295.

Jan. 28

Community Day @ SECCA, an afternoon event at the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art at 750 Marguerite Drive, will feature free exhibitions and activities.

The exhibitions will include "Out of Fashion"; "Margarita Cabrera: The Space in Between"; and "Lilly McElroy." The activities will include the creation of wearable art and the sewing of hand-drawn creations. There will also be interactive performances inspired by McElroy.

See www.secca.org or call (336) 725-1904.

Feb. 3-5, 9-12

In Robert Inman's play "Welcome to Mitford," which Twin City Stage will present at the Arts Council Theatre, Father Tim, a beloved bachelor, leads the flock of Lord's Chapel in Mitford. His life changes radically when he takes in an unruly orphan and when children's author Cynthia Coppersmith, a perky neighbor, moves in next door.

"Mitford" is based on the novels by Jan Karon.

See www.twincitystage.org or call (336) 725-4001.

Feb. 3, 5 and 7

The A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute at UNC School of the Arts is about to take on Sir John Falstaff and those "original housewives" of Windsor.

The singers will present Otto Nicolai's "The Merry Wives of Windsor," which is based on Shakespeare's play of the same name.

See www.uncsa.edu/performances or call (336) 721-1945.

Feb. 10-12

The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County will sell artwork from the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. collection in the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts.

In July, Reynolds gave about 3,000 works to the council because the company said it had more art than it could display and wanted it out in the community instead of in storage.

Sale proceeds will benefit the council programs and funded groups. For information about artwork, contact Catherine Heitz New at (336) 747-1412 or cnew@intothearts.org.

On Friday evening, during this month's Gallery Hop in the Arts District, there will be a pre-sale exhibition of the Reynolds artwork in the Liberty Arts Center at 526 N. Liberty St., and in the Artists On Liberty Building, 521 N. Liberty St.

Feb. 16-19, 22-25

The Studio 4 college seniors at UNC School of the Arts will present Rupert Holmes' "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" in Thrust Theatre on campus.

In this wildly theatrical musical, a Victorian troupe called the Music Hall Royale presents a flamboyant rendition of an unfinished mystery by Charles Dickens.

See www.uncsa.edu/performances or call (336) 721-1945.

Feb. 23-26

UNC School of the Arts will present the annual "Winter Dance" performance at the Stevens Center, 405 W. Fourth St.

Dancers from UNCSA and Hubbard Street 2 will premiere a work by Maurya Kerr for the occasion. She was the winner of the 2011 Hubbard Street National Choreographic Competition.

Kerr, a freelancer, danced with Alonzo King LINES Ballet of San Francisco. Hubbard Street 2, the second company of the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, will be in residence at UNCSA during rehearsals of Kerr's piece.

See www.uncsa.edu/performances or call (336) 721-1945.