<b>Verdi's opera ‘Nabucco’ </b><b>coming to USCB</b>

Met Opera (Live) in HD will present “Nabucco” at 12:55 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 7, at the USCB Center for the Arts.

After Giuseppe Verdi's second opera – "Un Giorno di Regno" – failed terribly in September 1840, he vowed that he would never write another. Months passed before a friend convinced him to read a libretto written by a young poet named Solero. Verdi took it home that evening, read it and was so intrigued that he was unable to sleep.

That morning, he began composing “Nabucco,” an opera that not only renewed his spirits, but those of his Italian countrymen as well. The reason? A chorus in the third act.

Known throughout the opera world as “Va, pensiero”, it's sung by Hebrew slaves yearning to return to their fatherland after being trapped in Babylon on the banks of the Euphrates.

The great Spanish tenor Placido Domingo will step up a notch to the baritone role of Nabucco, with soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska and mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton co-starring as his two daughters, Abigaille and Fenena. The Met's iconic conductor James Levine will be at the podium.

Tickets for all operas are now available. All seats are general admission. Tickets are $20 for adults; $18 for OLLI members; and $10 for students.

Order online at www.centerforthearts.com or by calling 843-521-4145. The box office opens at noon.

<b>Resolution run/walk </b><b>to be held Jan. 14</b>

The Resolution Run 5K Walk or Run will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 14. The event will be held on Marina Drive on Dataw Island and will benefit the Lowcountry Habitat for Humanity.

The cost is $25 before Tuesday, Jan. 10. There are discounts for youth and military. Call 843-522-3500.

<b>Wined It Up will </b><b>feature jazz trio</b>

Jazz with the Debbie McDaniel Trio, featuring special guest trumpeter Jeff Shawd, will be held from 7-10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14, at Wined It Up at 705 Bay St. in Beaufort. Visit www.wineditup.net.

<b>Carolina gold rice </b><b>topic of history session</b>

The Historic Beaufort Foundation will present a Rice Culture Field Session on Saturday, Jan. 21.

Participants will hear the story of the re-introduction of Carolina gold rice from passionate duck hunters Dr. Richard Schulze Sr. and his son, who have accomplished this at their Turnbridge Plantation.  They will be joined by Glenn Roberts, renowned for sourcing and preserving historic ingredients available through Anson Mills. After visiting the fields at Turnbridge, participants will adjourn to Delta Plantation for lunch.

Field sessions are limited to 20 participants. They should dress for the weather and will need to provide their own transportation. The cost is $125 per person for members; $150 for nonmembers. Lunch is included in each session.

For more information, call 843-379-3331 or email info@historicbeaufort.org.

<b>Trio treat to feature </b><b>trumpet, trombone, piano</b>

The Brass-hoppers are coming to Fripp Island. This trio of gifted musicians includes trumpeter Mary Bowden, trombonist Alexis Smith, and pianist Milana Strezeva.

These three women create an exquisite brass sound with a lush keyboard, hopping from classical music to jazz-inspired arrangements of popular tunes.

The three musicians have performed as soloists and principals with major chamber and symphony orchestras all over the world.

The trio will be hosted by the Fripp Friends of Music at 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 15, in the Community Center at 205
Tarpon Blvd.

Tickets at the door are $25 for adults; students get in free. Guests will get a free pass at the Fripp gate and are invited to a catered reception after the performance. Visit www.frippfriendsofmusic.com or call 843-263-5916.

<b>Heyward House to hold docent recruitment</b>

The Heyward House in Bluffton is hosting a docent recruitment meeting at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10, for prospective docents to learn more about the house and meet staff.

Anyone looking for more information on becoming a docent or on the recruitment meeting can call 843-757-6293.

The Heyward House Historic Center is at 70 Boundary St.

<b>Library offers variety of children’s programs</b>

Following are some upcoming children’s programs at the Beaufort Branch Library at 311 Scott St.

• Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?: Join the library for a couple of stories, a snowman craft and light snack. This is for ages 2-plus with an adult caregiver. Registration is required. The event will be at 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20.

• Second Annual Chocolate Olympics: The Chocolate Olympics is making a comeback from last year. Join the games all involving chocolate. Eat, eat, and eat … and compete. This is for grades 6-12. The event will be held at 5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 23.

• Do It Yourself Creation Station: Create and pick out items at creation stations. This is for ages 2-plus with an adult caregiver. The event will be held at 4 p.m. Monday, Jan. 30.

<b>New production to </b><b>open at The Shed</b>

Coastal Stage Productions is currently in rehearsals for “Sylvia,” which opens Friday, Feb. 10, at The Shed in Port Royal. The production cast and crew is comprised entirely of Beaufort and Jasper county volunteers.

Coastal Stage Productions is a locally owned, traveling theater company based in Ridgeland. Tickets are available at www.sylviaportroyal.bpt.me

<b>Beaufort History Museum </b><b>invites public to meeting</b>

Museum members and the public are invited to attend the annual meeting of the Beaufort History Museum, at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, in the museum’s main hall on the second floor of The Arsenal, located at 713 Craven St.

At the meeting, milestones of the past year will be celebrated, including the opening in June of a special exhibit about the Reconstruction Era in Beaufort.

Plans for 2017 also will be revealed, including details of a project to completely renovate the museum’s main exhibit hall in the coming year. Current museum members will also vote on a slate of new board of directors nominees.

The Beaufort History Museum, which was founded in 1939, has evolved to focus specifically on the deep and rich history of the Beaufort District.  It strives to manage and display artifacts and documents held by the city of Beaufort, telling the compelling stories of this area from the early 16th century until modern times.

<b>Local pageant seeking </b><b>contestants, sponsors</b>

The Miss Bluffton/Miss Hilton Head Island Scholarship Organization is currently seeking contestants and sponsors.

The official Miss South Carolina and Miss America Preliminary will crown a new Miss Bluffton and Miss Bluffton Teen and Miss Hilton Head Island and Miss Hilton Head Island Teen on Feb. 4. The event is for ages 13-24.

The organization is being co-directed by Sabra Stutz, owner of Chicas Bridal in Sheridan Park in Bluffton, and Rachel Wisnefski, of Hilton Head High School.

The Miss Bluffton/Miss Hilton Head Scholarship Organization is a subsidiary of the Greater Bluffton Chamber of Commerce and is designed to bring opportunities to outstanding young ladies in the area as well as the state.

Like most pageants, it is open to young women across the state of South Carolina that participate in pageant circuits to earn monies for their education.

Visit www.missblufftonmisshiltonhead.org.