2024 FALL ARTS PREVIEW
September 4, 2024
Two Queens. Girl Power. And a voyage to outer space.
20 wonderful ways to fill your dance card August through December.
by Page Leggett
In the midst of what is shaping up to be the hottest summer on record — and with a bizarro presidential election looming — we deserve a diversion. Preferably, one that’s air-conditioned. Fortunately, we have many to choose from.
In need of laughs? Look no further than Ellen DeGeneres; a Gothic farce from PaperHouse Theater; and a “Fawlty Towers”-themed dinner theater.
Bummed about the recent erosion of women’s rights? Check out Children’s Theatre’s Grace for President or, thanks to Blumenthal Arts, Broadway’s & Juliet. Both have something to say about female empowerment.
Or, prepare for a possible dystopian future by seeing a classic of the genre. Theatre Charlotte stages 1984 later this fall.
Whether you want to escape — or lean in — Charlotte’s cultural institutions (plus one in Cornelius!) are ready to welcome you.
August
Ellen’s Last Stand … Up, Aug. 8
If you’re missing this comedy icon’s daytime talk show — which racked up dozens of Daytime Emmy Awards during its 19-year-run — catch Ellen DeGeneres’ standup act when her tour hits Charlotte. Doing standup in coffee shops and small clubs is how DeGeneres got her start. She’s gone on to find fans and fame in TV and as a host of the Oscars, Grammy Awards and Emmy Awards. She won the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and made history when her character on the sitcom “Ellen” came out about the same time DeGeneres came out IRL. Ovens Auditorium, 2700 E. Independence Blvd. Ticket prices vary. ticketmaster.com
The Popes Reunion Show with Leisure McCorkle, Aug. 16
This reconstituted version of The Popes is a tribute to late band members Steve Ruppenthal and Jim Rumley. One of North Carolina’s most celebrated indie rock bands of the late 1980s and early ’90s, The Popes played their catchy “jangle pop” up and down the East Coast. The original band was made up entirely of Charlotteans, including Ruppenthal’s friend (and West Charlotte and UNC Chapel Hill classmate) John Elderkin. Local lawyer Henry Pharr, The Popes’ original bassist, is also part of the current lineup. The Evening Muse, 3227 N. Davidson St. Tickets are $15-$18. eveningmuse.com
The Mystery of Irma Vep: A Penny Dreadful, presented by PaperHouse Theatre, Aug. 22-Sept. 1
The theater company’s co-founders, Nicia Carla and Andrea King, reunite for a period dramedy set in Gothic England. Vampire attacks, werewolf sightings and the resurrection of an Egyptian princess make for an unsettling start to marriage for Lady Enid, Lord Edgar’s second wife. It sounds spooky and suspenseful until you realize the play is a quick-change farce in which Carla and King play every role. The play was written by Charles Ludlam, a leader in New York’s cultural scene from the 1960s through the early ’80s. This was the most-produced play in the U.S. in 1991, but Ludlam didn’t live to see that achievement. He died of AIDS in 1987 at 44. PaperHouse’s production is a tribute to Ludlam’s “irreverent brilliance and love of literature and old Hollywood, his mix of the profane and the divine into joyful silliness.” The vagabond theater company sets up shop at VisArt Video’s screening room. VisArt Video, 3102 Eastway Drive. Tickets are $28. paperhouseplus.com
The Good Life: A Tribute to the Great Tony Bennett featuring Noel Freidline, Maria Howell and Joe Gransden, Aug. 25
You already know that Tony Bennett was one of the most preeminent singers of our time. Nobody interpreted the Great American Songbook quite like Anthony Dominick Benedetto (Bennett’s birth name). But did you know that he was also a humanitarian who performed so often for his favorite charities that he earned the nickname “Tony Benefit”? He performed for 11 U.S. presidents, was a World War II veteran who helped liberate a concentration camp and marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma to support civil rights. Vocalists Maria Howell (who was in the original The Color Purple) and Joe Gransden (an Atlanta trumpeter known for his Frank Sinatra tribute shows) join The Noel Freidline Trio to honor the life, music and legacy of an American legend. This one’s sure to sell out. Middle C Jazz, 300 S. Brevard St. Tickets start at $32. middelcjazz.com
Left: Biergarten at CIAF. Right: Clare Rojas, Tired of thinking, 2021, oil on linen, 50 x 40 in. Collection of Angella and David Nazarian, Los Angeles, CA. Photo: Phillip Maisel, courtesy of the artist, Jessica Silverman, San Francisco, and Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York. Photographs courtesy Charlotte International Arts Festival and the Bechtler Museum.
September
RENT, presented by QC Concerts, Sept. 6-7
The theater company born during Covid to bring musical theater to pandemic shut-ins has grown into one of the city’s most exciting performing arts groups. QC Concerts opens its fourth season with a musical that never gets old. This season’s clever theme is “Class Art Forms: Reinvented.” Each musical was inspired by a work of art from another genre — opera, literature, poetry and a painting. RENT is a contemporary take on the opera, La Boheme. Set in New York in the 1980s, a group of artists struggles — not with consumption as in the opera, but with AIDS. This season, the company introduces immersive seating: A $40 VIP ticket will land you a seat on stage amid the cast. Booth Playhouse. Tickets start at $18. Learn more at qcconcerts.com; tickets at carolinatix.com.
Space Explorers: THE INFINITE, presented by Blumenthal Arts, Sept. 20-Nov. 10
If you attended Immersive Van Gogh when Blumenthal brought it to town in 2021, then you understand what experiential — or immersive — programming is all about. This time, Blumenthal gets us up close and personal with outer space. The 45-minute journey is inspired by NASA missions aboard the International Space Station. Through virtual reality, we’ll be transported 250 miles above Earth into the International Space Station for encounters with astronauts and otherworldly moments of Earth-gazing. It’s part of Blume Studios, a new initiative by Blumenthal Arts that fuses art and technology to create exciting, immersive events. Blume Studios at The Iron District, 904 Post St. Tickets start at $29.95 for kids 8 to 12 and $44.95 for 13 and up. blumenthalarts.org/infinite
Charlotte International Arts Festival (CIAF), presented by Blumenthal Arts, Sept. 13-29
The third annual celebration of visual and performing arts from around the world — right here at home — gives equal billing to renowned global acts and local artists alike. This year, CIAF is partnering with more than 10 local festivals and organizations to offer 17 days of fun and cultural immersion. Live performances, art installations and experiences from around the world will spread throughout uptown and beyond — including to the brand-new Sullenberger Aviation Museum. New local partners include ArtPop Street Gallery, the Southern Guitar Festival and Queen City Zine Fest. Faulty Towers: The Dining Experience (Sept. 26-Oct. 5) gets its Charlotte debut at the new Blume Studios. It’s a direct-from-London’s-West-End tribute to one of the funniest Britcoms of all-time, Fawlty Towers. Basil (played by John Cleese on the TV show), Sybil and Manuel serve up a ’70s-style, three-course dinner — and mayhem — alongside two hours of laughs in this improvised performance. charlotteartsfest.com
Clare Rojas: Past the Present, presented by the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Sept. 21-Jan. 19, 2025
Columbus, Ohio, native Clare Rojas is inspired by Quaker art, quilts, Native American textiles and Byzantine mosaics. This in-depth look at the artist features more than 80 works from 2019 to the present, including paintings, bronzes and an installation of wallpaper designed by Rojas in collaboration with Peg Norriss x Schumacher. Rojas’ art tells stories — often about gender roles — through metaphor and fantastical imagery rooted in the folklore of Peru, her ancestral home. Birds, witches and the forces of nature frequently appear in her magical realist tableaus. This exhibition curated by Katia Zavistovski kicks off the Bechtler’s 15th anniversary celebration and a yearlong calendar of exhibitions and programs highlighting significant female artists of the modern and contemporary periods. Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, 420 S. Tryon St. Museum admission is $9 for adults. bechtler.org
Charlotte Ballet’s Luke Csordas and Evelyn Robinson in From Africa With Love; Usher and Andrea Bocelli. Photographs by Amber Bliss, courtesy Charlotte Ballet, Usher by Bellamy Brewster, Andrea by Luca Rossetti.
October
Beyond the Surface, presented by Charlotte Ballet, Oct. 4-26
Audiences were spellbound last year by Mthuthuzeli November’s love letter to Charlotte Ballet, From Africa With Love. In his highly anticipated return, he unveils a new work that examines dance and personal connection. Choreographer Jennifer Archibald draws inspiration from the language of movement. She’ll present a sequel to HdrM. Last on the bill is a new work by Omar Román De Jesús. Alejandro Cerrudo, artistic director for Charlotte Ballet, said, “The works in Beyond the Surface are by choreographers who are setting the trends in dance. Their works are presented all over the world, and I’m very excited to … share them with Charlotte audiences. Dance can … make you feel something emotionally that doesn’t need to be explained — just felt.” Patricia McBride and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux Center for Dance, 701 N. Tryon St. Tickets start at $30. carolinatix.org
Grace for President, presented by Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, Oct. 19-Nov. 3
“Where are the girls?” asks third grader Grace Campbell when her teacher displays a poster of all the U.S. presidents. Frustrated by the absence of estrogen in the Oval Office, Grace decides she wants to be president (of her little corner of the world) and inspires a school election. But she discovers that politics is a full-contact sport when the most popular boy in school runs against her. Through the rigors of campaigning and the excitement of pep rallies, Grace and her classmates learn what it takes to go from candidate to elected leader. This play, based on the bestselling book, is timed just right for an election year. With just one act during its 70-minute run time, this show is appropriate for kids 6 and up. Wells Fargo Playhouse at Imaginon, 300 E. 7th St. Tickets start at $23 and are 20% off when you subscribe to three or more shows. ctcharlotte.org
& Juliet, presented by Blumenthal Performing Arts, Oct. 22-27
Straight from Broadway, this hilarious jukebox musical revisits Shakespeare’s doomed lovers and gives one of them a new ending and second chance. & Juliet dares to ask: What would happen if Romeo had been an unfaithful cad? What if Juliet didn’t join him in the suicide pact? And what if she got a fresh start and the chance to find her real true love? Juliet’s revised ending comes to life through pop anthems such as Backstreet Boys’ “I Want it That Way‚” Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time,” Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling” and more. David West Read, who worked as a writer and executive producer on “Schitt’s Creek,” wrote the book. Belk Theater at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, 130 N. Tryon St. Tickets start at $30. carolinatix.org
Usher: Past, Present, Future Tour, Oct. 22-23
Is there anything this consummate showman can’t do? He’s been performing since the age of 10 when he joined an R&B group called NuBeginning. He scored his first gold- and platinum-certified single in the U.S. (“You Make Me Wanna …”) in 1997. That song also helped him score the Billboard award for Pop Singer of the Year and established him as a singing, dancing lothario. (He told Rolling Stone the song was inspired by a time he was juggling three women.) In 2006, he conquered Broadway when he took over the role of Billy Flynn in Chicago — and ticket sales soared. He marked a big item off his bucket list in February when he headlined the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show. He writes music. He sings. He dances. He makes love in the club. Spectrum Center, 333 E. Trade St. Ticket prices vary. ticketmaster.com
Makin’ Cake with Dasha Kelly Hamilton, Oct. 25
In her 50-minute show, Wisconsin Poet Laureate Dasha Kelly Hamilton uses the history of baking to explore race, culture, class, consumerism, income inequality and American exceptionalism. Thorny topics, but they’re much easier to, um, digest when viewed through a lighthearted lens. This is multimedia storytelling filled with aha moments, poignant reflections and two on-stage bakers engaging audiences in a conversation about equity in America. Makin’ Cake is about America’s obsession with sweets — and our history of racial conflict and oppression. Appropriately, there’s a cake reception immediately following the performance. Sandra Levine Theatre at the Sarah Belk Gambrell Center for Arts and Civic Engagement, Queens University of Charlotte, 2319 Wellesley Ave. Tickets start at $15 and are expected to go on sale mid- to late August. queens.edu/arts/
1984, presented by Theatre Charlotte, Oct. 25-Nov. 10
It’s the 97th season for the little community theater that could. In the upcoming season’s second show, the dictatorial Big Brother is watching. George Orwell’s dystopian — and prescient — novel 1984 (published in 1949) paints a bleak picture of a future society where citizens aren’t able to think for themselves and are under constant surveillance by the state. Even their thoughts are monitored. The whole world is at war, and civil wars rage at the same time. Our protagonist is Winston Smith, a Ministry of Truth worker who’s assigned to rewrite historical records to conform to the state’s always-in-flux version of history. (If that reminds you of “alternative facts,” you’re not alone.) 501 Queens Rd. Tickets start at $34 for adults, $28 for seniors and $20 for students. theatrecharlotte.org
A trio of works from Southern/Modern at The Mint Museum: Carroll Cloar (1913-93). A Story Told by My Mother, 1955, casein tempera on Masonite. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis, TN. Bequest of Mrs. C.M. Gooch. 80.3.16 © Estate of Carroll Cloar; Elizabeth Catlett (1915-2012). War Worker, 1943, tempera on paper mounted to Masonite. The Johnson Collection, Spartanburg, SC.; Charles H. Walther (1879-1937). Reversible Image, 1937, oil on canvas. Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD. Bequest of the artist. Photographs courtesy the Mint Museum.
Southern/Modern: Rediscovering Southern Art From the First Half of the Twentieth Century at Mint Museum Uptown, Oct. 26-Feb. 2, 2025
This is the first exhibition to present a comprehensive survey of works by artists in the American South in the first half of the 20th century. Created in collaboration with the Georgia Museum of Art, the exhibition includes more than 100 paintings and works on paper by artists working below the Mason-Dixon line and as far west as states bordering the Mississippi River. It’s structured around themes including time and place, race, family bonds, and societal struggles. The show incorporates work by artists who’ve been typically left out of the canon, including women and artists of color. 500 S. Tryon St. Free with museum admission, which is $15 for adults, $10 for students and seniors, and $6 for children 5-17. Admission is free Wednesdays from 5 – 9 p.m. mintmuseum.org
Opera Carolina presents Andrea Bocelli in Concert, Oct. 30
Opera Carolina is celebrating its 75th anniversary in a big way. Acclaimed tenor Andrea Bocelli will take the stage at the Belk Theater for a special benefit concert. The Italian singer has sold more than 75 million records worldwide. He’s had tremendous crossover appeal and has helped bring classical music to the masses through projects like his duet with Celine Dion on the song “The Prayer.” In fact, it was Dion who said that if God had a singing voice, “He must sound a lot like Andrea Bocelli.” He’ll be supported by the Opera Carolina Chorus, Youth Academy Chorus, resident company artists and the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. Belk Theater at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, 130 N. Tryon St. Tickets start at $150, of which $25 is tax-deductible, and are available at operacarolina.org or by calling the ticket office at 704-332-7177, ext. 100.
Space Explorers: THE INFINITE: The Music of Queen. Photograph by Melissa Taylor, Courtesy Blumenthal Arts and by Keith Lanpher, courtesy the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra.
November
The Music of Queen, presented by the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Nov. 1-2
Queen’s elaborate, often operatic, compositions are actually a perfect pairing with a symphony. Celebrate one of the greatest rock bands of all time in this high-energy concert brimming with timeless hits. Backed by the power of the Charlotte Symphony, vocalist MiG Ayesa channels Freddie Mercury’s unmistakable sound in songs such as “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Will Rock You,” “Somebody to Love” and more. Belk Theater at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, 130 N. Tryon St. Tickets start at $26. charlottesymphony.org
Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, presented by Three Bone Theatre, Nov. 8-24
This play was a critical and popular darling on Broadway last fall, and Charlotte audiences are already getting to see it. Jaja’s is a Harlem salon where funny, smart women from West Africa help make customers look and feel “nice nice.” Jaja’s daughter, Marie, an immigrant and a DREAMer, wants to secure her future, starting with going to college. But it’s 2019 — a dangerous time to be an undocumented immigrant in the U.S. Jaja’s was nominated for five Tony awards this year — including Best Play and Best Playwright for Jocelyn Bioh. Its win for Best Costume Design marked the first time a Black woman (Dede Ayite) won the category. Nikiya Mathis received a Special Tony Award for wig and hair design. The Arts Factory, 1545 W. Trade St. Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the door and $15 for students and teachers. threebonetheatre.com
Joe Gransden’s Little Big Band Holiday Show, Nov. 29
He came to town in August to perform in a Tony Bennett tribute, and now the Atlanta-based crooner is back for a show of holiday classics, performed big-band style. With new arrangements by Wes Funderburk and Jeff Jarvis, this concert is sure to kick off the holiday season on a happy note. There are plenty of reasons to venture up to the impressive new Cain Center. Joe Gransden just happens to be one of the best. Cain Center for the Arts, 21348 Catawba Ave., Cornelius. Tickets start at $45. cainarts.org
December
The Snow Queen, presented by The Grand Kyiv Ballet, Dec. 28
This Christmas ballet is based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale about good and evil and set to the music of Mozart, Vivaldi, Edvard Grieg and Jules Massenet. Two young friends, Kai and Gerda, are sitting in a rose garden when a shard from a witch’s mirror gets into Kai’s eye, making his once tender heart grow cold and hard. One winter day, snow swirls around him, and he disappears. Although presumed dead, he’s really been taken by the evil Snow Queen to her icy underworld. Gerda braves many dangers to go in search of Kai. It’s a journey fueled by love. This timeless tale was the inspiration for Disney’s smash hit Frozen. Knight Theater, 550 S. Tryon St. Tickets start at $35.10. carolinatix.org SP
Featured Image: Photograph courtesy Blumenthal Arts
