Featuring Atwater~Donnelly, Kim Trusty, The Vox Hunters, Yacouba Diabate, Andrew McIntosh & Kyle Forsthoff, Torrin Ryan, and The Exiles!

With family and friends in town for Thanksgiving, BRT’s 19th annual fundraiser will feature some of the best of Rhode Island’s homegrown talent as well as others who now live in the Ocean State. Starting at 6:30 p.m. and during intermission, Blackstone River Theatre will also hold a silent auction featuring CDs, jewelry, original artwork, Christmas items and gift certificates. 100% of the proceeds from both the concert and the silent auction will go to support Blackstone River Theatre’s programming and operating expenses. Says BRT executive director Russell Gusetti, “this is not only BRT’s one big fundraiser for the year but it also serves as an excellent sampler as audiences get to see seven different acts in one evening, all who will be performing concerts in the coming months.

Featured performers, who are all donating their time, include Atwater~Donnelly who will perform Appalachian, original and Celtic-inspired folk music and clogging, and traditional songs and tunes. Torrin Ryan will play a solo set of traditional Irish music on the uilleann pipes. Kim Trusty will play a set of her jazz and blues-based original music and we will welcome the debut of Yacouba Diabate who is a master kora player from West Africa. Armand Aromin and Benedict Gagliardi – The Vox Hunters – will play music old music from the state of Rhode Island as heard on their newest CD, “The Ocean State Songster.” The Exiles will perform Irish tunes and traditional songs featuring Bob Drouin, Torrin Ryan, Kevin Doyle, and Russell Gusetti. Andrew McIntosh and Kyle Forsthoff, both of Fellswater, will play a set of Scottish music on pipes and percussion.