This week, a new roleplaying game gives folks in the workplace a chance to be a mythical Appalachian monster. Also, southeast Ohio’s Nelsonville Music Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary in June. We talk with the founder about what keeps people coming back. And, members of a Ukrainian Catholic church in Wheeling, West Virginia, make pierogies for their community every week. What makes them so good?
Thursday, Dec. 11 and Friday, Dec. 12, 2025 West Virginia Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV
CHARLESTON, WV — Bob Thompson’s annual holiday jazz celebration is back! For over 30 years, Joy to the World has delighted audiences with new and classic holiday favorites. Joining Thompson on stage is his long-time bandmates Timothy Courts on drums, Ryan Kennedy on guitar, John Inghram on bass, plus special guest vocalist Catherine Russell with James Moore on trumpet.
Doors will open at 7:30 p.m. and the show will begin at 8pm.
World-renowned jazz pianist Bob Thompson is the Mountain State’s best-loved musician and ambassador of jazz. Since 1991, he has been a pianist and regularly featured artist on WVPB’s nationally syndicated radio show, Mountain Stage, distributed by NPR Music. For 33 years, he has also been co-producer and host of Joy to the World, a holiday jazz show broadcast on public radio stations nationwide. In October 2015, Thompson was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame. He makes his home in Charleston, West Virginia, and has enjoyed a long and active career as a performer, composer, arranger, and educator. Learn more about his work at colortones.com.
Guest vocalist Catherine Russell is a Grammy Award-winning jazz and blues artist best known for her 2016 album Harlem on My Mind and for her years touring with David Bowie and Steely Dan as a backup vocalist. She has also been a guest artist on Mountain Stage six times since her first appearance in 2006.
Joy to the World is presented by West Virginia Public Broadcastingand the producers of Mountain Stage.
All seats are general admission and are available online at Eventbrite.
Member Tickets on sale Tuesday, Oct. 9 at 10am ET: $25 Early Bird Tickets on sale Friday, Oct. 16 at 10am: $25 (Sales end on Friday, Nov. 28 at 10am) General Admission Tickets on sale Friday, Nov. 28 at 10am: $30 Day of Show Tickets (Dec. 11 and 12): $35
Watch and listen for last season’s show coming to WVPB this December on radio and television. More info coming soon.
Support provided by the United Methodist Foundation of WV
This week, a new roleplaying game gives folks in the workplace a chance to be a mythical Appalachian monster. Also, southeast Ohio’s Nelsonville Music Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary in June. We talk with the founder about what keeps people coming back. And, members of a Ukrainian Catholic church in Wheeling, West Virginia, make pierogies for their community every week. What makes them so good?
The WVPB News Department was honored with Overall Excellence in the Radio Small Market category. Us & Them, which is hosted by Trey Kay, was honored with Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the episode Us & Them: Black West Virginians With Substance Use Disorder Face Unique Challenges. Regional winners automatically move on to the national round for consideration.
Monsters in the workplace? Maybe. Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh is developing a team building game using Appalachian cryptids like Bigfoot and the Flatwoods Monster. Inside Appalachia’s Mason Adams spoke with Jessica Hammer, associate professor and director of the university’s Center for Transformational Play, to learn more.
