April 30 – Wednesday
Charlotte Rep’s revamped New Play Festival, now called In-The-Works, continues through tomorrow. Plays still being presented include The Succulent Walk by John Love at the Lesbian & Gay Center on Central Avenue at 8:45pm tonight and Bonnie and Clyde by Michael Aman, Oscar E. Moore and Dana P. Rowe in Booth Playhouse at 7pm tomorrow. Both productions are free. For more info or for a complete schedule, go to www.charlotterep.org. (Wicker)
May 1 – Thursday
BareBones Theatre Group is presenting Marc Camoletti’s farce Don’t Dress for Dinner starting tonight at the new SouthEnd Performing Arts Center on Rampart Street. Directed by Lon Bumgarner, the comedy involves lots of pratfalls and mistaken identities in the tradition of the classic farce. Showtimes are 8pm for all Thursday through Saturday shows plus there’ll be a matinee on May 18 at 3pm. Tickets are $15. Call 704-332-5300. (Wicker)
May 2 – Friday
The third annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) Pride celebration starts tonight with a happy hour at the Hilton Garden Inn at 5pm. Comedy Night at Velocity at 8pm features Michele Balan and Eddie Sarfaty ($20). Various events continue tomorrow including workshops and a dance party plus the “U b U” festival in Marshall Park from 11am to 7pm. On Sunday it’s “Gay Day” at Paramount’s Carowinds. There are also a number of Pride Partner events scheduled beginning on Thursday. For a complete schedule go to www.charlottepride.com or call 704-236-1014. (Wicker)
The Metrolina Native American Association will present their 12th annual Powwow tonight, tomorrow and Sunday at Pearl Park on Kenilworth Avenue. There’ll be a “grand entry” at 7pm tonight with Saturday hours from 10am-8pm and another “grand entry” on Sunday at noon. Theme for the event will be “Voices from the past, visions for the future.” There’ll be Native American drumming, singing, dancing, educational displays, foods and authentic tribal crafts. For more info, call 704-926-1524. (Wicker)
The Taste of Charlotte will span six city blocks beginning at the square at Trade and Tryon Streets today and tomorrow from 11am to 11pm and Sunday from 11am to 6pm. A variety of area restaurants are participating and will offer samples of their cuisine. There’ll also be music, a fine arts show plus a children’s area (with the Hershey’s KissMobile!) and other activity areas. Admission is free. Taste of Charlotte raises money for several local non-profit organizations. For more info, call 704-921-3337. (Wicker)
May 4 – Sunday
Guitar-less trio Medeski Martin & Wood will bring their popular take on instrumental jam-jazz to Tremont Music Hall beginning at 8pm tonight. Tickets for the smoke-free “An Evening With” show are $20, available by calling 704-522-6500. For more information, call 704-343-9494. (Davis)
It’s a day early, but Lowe’s Motor Speedway is hosting a giant Cinco de Mayo Festival today. The festival will take over the 75-acre infield and offer Latino music and vendors with native arts, crafts and clothing and Latin American food. There’ll also be a Latino-themed custom car show and a carnival midway for the kids. Providing the music for the festival will be Los Huracanes del Norte from Northern Mexico and Grupo Niche as well as several local bands. Hours will be 10am to 7pm. Admission is $15 for adults; children 12 and under admitted free. Call 704-455-3205 or go to www.mayocinco.com. (Wicker)
For a real dose of heavenly jazz singing, head to the concert by Diane Schuur at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center tonight. Schuur, who is probably tired of the press mentioning that she’s blind since birth, can see clear through to the heart of a song, reach in and grab it, and serve it up in her own subtle interpretive style. Schuur belts, and I mean belts, out a swing or bluesy number like no one else, but then can turn around and run a standard number through an array of ingenious, delicate transformations that will leave you reeling. Her penchant for pop has led her to some less than inspiring recordings at times, but Schuur is solidly based in traditional jazz and is a captivating performer — just ask anyone who remembers her singing through a downpour at the JazzCharlotte Festival a decade ago. Schuur will perform beginning at 7pm. Tickets range from $40 to $85. Call 704-372-1000 or go to www.performingartsctr.org to order tickets online. (Grooms)
May 6 – Tuesday
The remnants of The Beach Boys will perform with the Charlotte Symphony this evening. In a way, it’s a fitting gig since a lot of the band’s music, particularly from founder-and-genius Brian Wilson’s red hot Pet Sounds / Smile period, is particularly well-suited to innovative orchestral arrangements. Be aware, however, that lead singer Mike Love is the only original member of the Beach Boys in this touring group, although Bruce Johnston, who began as a live stand-in for Brian in the mid-60s, is also onboard. The creative juices were long ago squeezed from what is now a musical nostalgia machine, but the songs themselves are such classics that the shows are often irresistible fun. Perhaps next season, the CSO could book Brian Wilson himself, who is touring once again, for a joint concert that would sell out pretty quickly. Lacking that, here’s something similar. The show begins at 7:30pm. Tickets range from $28 to $65 and can be bought by calling 704-972-2000 or Ticketmaster at 704-522-6500. (Grooms)
This article appears in Apr 30 – May 6, 2003.
