Check out these events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area this weekend— as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.
Friday, Dec. 9
Charlotte Fine Art Show
Charlotte Convention Center
In its fourth year, the annual Charlotte Fine Art Show showcases juried fine arts and crafts from artists around the world, including those from the Carolinas. Mediums vary with items such as paintings, sculptures, pottery, jewelry, clothing, clay and more. Whether you’re looking for something specific or wandering aimlessly, you won’t have trouble finding something eye-catching (like say the funky pictured clay work by artist Marilee Hall) here.
• Comedy In efforts to follicly fight against domestic violence, Beards BeCause — a non-profit organization advocating against domestic violence and raising moola for local abuse shelters — encourages folks to toss their razors and grow hair for a greater cause. This year’s hairy fundraising efforts will be recognized during a Finale Party at Amos’ Southend. At the shaving shindig, stylists from Kemon Academy will be armed with scissors for creatively styling the beards of top fundraising participants. Awards in categories such as, ‘Grizzliest Adams Award,’ ‘Patch Adams,’ and ‘Handcrafted,’ among others are handed out during th e competition. Live music by Eveleyn Rose, The Spiveys and Grown Up Avenger Stuff, a silent auction and onsite painting by John Hairston Jr. is also on the agenda. More...
• Theater The holidays just wouldn’t be nearly as exciting without spooky, feel-good classics like Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. In its fifth year, Theatre Charlotte stages the magical tale of a cold-hearted Ebenezer Scrooge, who gets much more than a lump of coal for his bad behavior. The ghost of his late partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Past, Present and Future Christmas pay him a visit — yikes! He sure was naughty. More...
Saturday, Dec. 10
Nutcracker
Belk Theater
Although Nutcracker is one of the most classic cases of holiday ballet, it takes more than a tutu and pointe shoes to properly pull off the production. NC Dance Theatre does it right with choreography by Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, iconic Pyotr Tchaikovsky scores performed live by the Charlotte Symphony, colorful (and flaky) props, and a carefully costumed cast of dancers pirouetting an impressive number of footwork feats. Not to mention, the storyline is bizarre in itself — a mysterious caped man gives his young goddaughter a nutcracker that comes to life, only to attract the lovely sugar plum fairy and an evil mouse king with an entourage of loyally rambunctious rodents.
• Theater Distant Relatives, An African Ballet is courtesy of Oneaka Collective, a Charlotte-based nonprofit organization providing cultural aids to the community. Through various forms of dance, songs, rhymes and spoken word, the one-night-only program tells the story of the African Diaspora and how it has left folks with distant relatives all around the world. More...
• Nightlife The holidays are a time to eat, drink and be merry. The 12th Annual Santa Bar Crawl has you covered on the last two. Crawlers hop from bar to bar — stops include Fox & Hound, Suite, Bar Charlotte, Hooters, Wild Wing Cafe, Re:Public, Buckhead Saloon, Prohibition, Tilt On Trade, Whisky River and Dixie’s Tavern — for the glorious guzzling of $2 beer specials, $3 shot specials & $5 drink specials. Holiday costumes are encouraged — everyone wants to see a drunk Santa. More...
Sunday, Dec. 11
A Tuna Christmas
Carolina Actors Studio Theater
CAST has staged performances of its seasonal A Tuna Christmas for the past four years and for good reason: The comedy paints the holiday picture in a wacky way. Two actors play more than 21 characters, all of whom are experiencing Christmas Eve chaos in the "third smallest town in Texas." Radio personalities Thurston Wheelis and Arles Struvie are reporting on the Yuletide happenings - including the vandalism of the town's annual lawn displays and a production of A Christmas Carol that's about to get scrooged (er, screwed) due to unpaid electric bills. All these plot twists, and there's still room for one more shocker: Aliens!
• Exhibit Discovery Place has unveiled its Mummies of the World, a traveling showcase comprised of 150 human and animal specimens and related artifacts from across the globe. An infant mummy dated as being almost 3,000 years older than King Tut, a mummified family discovered in an old crypt in Hungary and the disturbing monkey corpse are among some of the many deadly delights. The exhibit allows for visitors to learn more about the process of mummification and the history, origins and causes of death of the mummies through multimedia, hands-on interactive stations and 3D animation. More...
• Theater December 4, 1956 was a historic day at Sun Record Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. Mostly by chance, some of the best known rock 'n' roll icons - Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins - wandered into the recording playground. An unexpected jam session between them resulted in rollicking sensation. Broadway's musical Million Dollar Quartet is inspired by the true story and relives the magic of the momentous sounds caught on tape through a powerful performance. More...