Arts Agenda 

Classical Music

Cantus The male vocal ensemble's repertoire spans many periods and genres, including Renaissance motets, contemporary sacred works, art songs, jazz standards, and pop songs. Mon., Feb. 14, 8 p.m. $15-$50. Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, 130 N. Tryon St. 704-372-1000.
Charlotte Symphony Neighborhood Concerts Intimate and informal concerts encompassing four centuries of works for chamber orchestra. Feb. 10: St. Thomas Aquinas Church Rd., 1400 Suther Rd.; Feb. 11: Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1300 India Hook Rd., Rock Hill; Feb. 12: First Baptist Church, downtown Charlotte. $5-$15. Charlotte Symphony, 201 S. College St. 704-972-2000.
Hesperus Hesperus is a period instrument ensemble performing medieval, baroque and renaissance music, as well as American traditional Appalachian, blues and Cajun styles. Fri., Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m. $15. George A. Batte Jr. Fine Arts Center, Wingate University. 704-233-8300.
Providence Chamber Music Series The mostly strings program features works by Prokofiev, Cesar Franck and Francois Gossec. Sun., Feb. 13, 7 p.m. Free. Providence United Methodist Church, 2810 Providence Rd. 704-333-9536.
Young Artists Concerto Competition Awards Concert The Charlotte Civic Orchestra will feature three of Charlotte's young performers during its Fifth Annual Competition Awards Concert. The event is sponsored by WDAV. www.charlottecivicorchestra.org. Sun., Feb. 13, 3 p.m. $8-$10. First United Methodist Church, 501 N. Tryon St.

Comedy

The Comedy Zone Upcoming Performances:. Feb. 11-12: Dave Mordal; Feb. 16-19: Brian Bradley. www.thecomedyzone.net. 516 N. College St. 704-348-4242.
Dilworth Neighborhood Grille The Pink Turtle Sketchprov Experience. Whose Line, Second City, and Sketchprov style improv comedy. Reservations suggested. www.pinkturtle.net. Saturdays 8pm. $5. 911 E. Morehead St. 704-301-1564.
SK Netcafe Stand-Up. Featuring acts and open mic. Wed., Feb. 16, 9:30 p.m. 1425 Elizabeth Ave. 704-334-1523.
The Perch The Perch Sketch Live Comedy. At Charlotte Comedy Theatre, 1111 Hawthorne Ln. www.theperch.com. Thursdays, 9pm. 704-566-0053.

Dance

Garth Fagan Dance Company Tony Award-winning choreographer of The Lion King brings his company of dancers to Charlotte. www.blumenthalcenter.org. Sat., Feb. 12, 8 p.m. $15-$40. Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, 130 N. Tryon St. 704-372-1000.
Swan Lake Moving Poets Theatre of Dance present an eclectic version of Swan Lake, a romantic comedy. Featuring original scores by former Grateful Dead keyboardist and Charlotte resident Tom Constanten. This production is intended for mature audiences. www.movingpoets.org. Feb. 9 -13 & 16-20, Wed. - Sat. 8pm; Sunday 7pm. $16.50-$22.50. Hart-Witzen Gallery, 136 E. 36 St. 704-527-6683.

Museums

Charlotte Museum of History Our Changing Landscape: Early Views of People and Place in the Carolina Piedmont. An exhibition that illustrates and interprets the changes in the Carolina Piedmont landscape. Feb. 3-May 25. Stitched from the Soul. The Farmer-James collection of African American quilts. Feb. 3-March 25. Stitched from the Soul Family Day. Learn more about your family quilts. Kids can make their own felt square quilts, everyone is invited. Sat., Feb. 12, 1-4 p.m. Free. Vecinos/Neighbors Exhibit. A bilingual photographic exhibition. Through February. 3500 Shamrock Dr. 704-568-1774.
Discovery Place If These Walls Could Talk. The exhibit investigates the science and history of the structures that human create. Feb. 5-May 31. IMAX Dome. Now showing Roar: Lions of the Kalahari and Bugs! A Rainforest Adventure. www.discoveryplace.org. 301 N. Tryon St. 704-372-6261.
Levine Museum of the New South Charlotte Black Heritage Tour and Pilgrimage. 7th Annual tour featuring visits to slave cemeteries, a slave church, participate in a traditional African memorial service and live drumming. www.queencitytours.com. Feb. 5, 12, 19, 26, 10am-1:30pm. $16-$30. Cotton Fields to Sky Scrapers. Tue.-Sun. Rural Voices and Visions: Local Communities Speak Out About Their Landscapes. Feb. 3-April 20. 200 E. 7th St. 704-333-1887.
Mint Museum of Art The Guild of Charlotte Artists. Monthly meeting with topic: "Power Painting in Graphics." Wed., Feb. 23, 7 p.m. North Carolina Pottery: A Restless Tradition. Feb. 3-27. Porcelain American Style. July 31, 2004-June 14, 2005. Pottery American Style. Feb. 3-20. 2730 Randolph Rd. 704-337-2000.
Mint Museum of Craft & Design Speaking Volumes: Vessels from the Collections of Mint Museums. Feb. 3-April 17. Tradition & Change: 19th and 20th Century Craft At The Mint. Tue.-Sun. Wine Classes. Decanting, Breathing, Glassware. Feb. 15, 6:30-8pm. $30. 220 N. Tryon St. 704-337-2009.
Museum of York County Eewww, Yuck!. Understanding Nature's Most Unhuggable Creatures. Through Summer 2005. Our Changing Landscapes: Early views of people and places in Carolina Piedmont. Feb. 3-May 15. 4621 Mount Gallant Rd., Rock Hill. 803-329-2121.

Readings & Signings

Barnes & Noble, Arboretum Barbara Bamberger Scott. Author will discuss and sign With It: A Year on the Carnival Trail. Thu., Feb. 10, 7 p.m. 3327 Pineville-Matthews Rd. 704-341-9365.
Beatties Ford Road Library Sheryl Mebane. Author will discuss and sign her new novel Lady Bird. Wed., Feb. 9, 7 p.m. Free. Jerma A. Jackson. Author will discuss and sign Singing in My Soul: Black Gospel Music in a Secular Age. Thu., Feb. 10, 7 p.m. 2412 Beatties Ford Rd. 704-432-6706.

Spoken Word

Jackson's Java Poetry Open Mic. Hosted by Jonathan Rice. Thu., Feb. 10, 8 p.m. 8544 University City Blvd. 704-595-9526.
Starbucks, Providence Rd. Starbucks Poetry Series. Featuring Maureen Ryan Griffin. Followed by an open mic. Sat., Feb. 12, 8 p.m. 704-372-1591.

Theater: Openings

David and Lisa Bound for Broadway Performing Arts Center will present the dramatic play recommended for ages 13 & up. Feb. 11, 8 p.m.; Feb. 12, 8 p.m. $10. Charles Mack Citizens Center, Mooresville, 215 N. Main St. 980-721-4824.
Fiddler on the Roof A CPCC theatre presentation of classic family musical. Feb. 11-12, 18-19, 8pm; Feb. 13 & 20, 2:30pm. $12. Pease Auditorium, CPCC, 1200 Elizabeth Ave. 704-330-6534.
Friends and Lovers A story of two sets of best friends: Leonard and Tyrel, and Debra and Shelby. Leonard meets Shelby and Tyrel meets Debra. The two couples fall in love and the challenges abound. Based on the novel by Eric Jerome Dickey. Feb. 11, 8 p.m.; Feb. 12, 3:30 p.m. & 8 p.m. $28.50-$24.50. Ovens Auditorium, 2700 E. Independence Blvd. 704-522-6500.
How Sharper than a Serpent's Tooth Presented by Actors Seen Unseen. Sat., Feb. 12, 7:30 p.m. $15. Spirit Square, 345 N. College St. 704-372-1000.
A Lesson Before Dying The story centers around two young black men, each in his own way trapped in a small Louisiana town in the 1940s. www.actorstheatre.org. Feb. 9-26, Wed-Thu, 7:30pm; Fri-Sat, 8pm; Feb. 20, 2:30pm. $17-$22, Feb. 15, "Pay what you can night". Actor's Theatre, 650 E. Stonewall Street. 704-342-2251.
Sans-culottes in the Promised Land Carolina Actors Studio Theatre presents Kirsten Greenidge's modern comedy. www.nccast.com. Feb. 9-12, Feb. 17-19, Feb. 24-26, 8pm. $12-$15. Carolina Actors Studio Theatre (CAST), 1118 Clement Ave. 704-890-3241.
The Vagina Monologues V-Day UNCC production benefitting Charlotte Battered Women's Shelter. Feb. 11, 7 p.m.; Feb. 13, 2 p.m. $5-$7. McKnight Hall, UNCC. 704-687-3899.

Theater: Ongoing

The Exonerated Charlotte Repertory Theatre presents the regional premiere of play showcasing the testimonies of real-life exonerees. www.charlotterep.org. Feb. 4-20, Wed. - Thu., 7:30pm; Fri.-Sat., 8pm; Sun. 2pm. $31.50-$37.50. Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, 130 N. Tryon St. 704-372-1000.
The Glass Mendacity The Yorkville Players present a send-up of Tennessee Williams' three most celebrated dramas. www.yorkvilleplayers.com. Feb. 11-12, 8pm; Feb. 13, 3pm. $8. McCelvey Center, York, 212 E. Jefferson St., York. 803-628-7505.
Noises Off A presentation of Michael Frayn's farce. www.theatrecharlotte.org. Feb. 10-12 at 8pm; Feb. 13 at 2:30pm. $17-$22. Theatre Charlotte, 501 Queens Rd. 704-334-9128.
The Odd Couple Piedmont Players Theatre presents Neil Simon's classic. www.piedmontplayers.com. Feb. 11, 7:30pm; Feb. 12, 7:30pm. $9-$15. Meroney Theater, 213 S. Main St., Salisbury. 704-633-5471.
Suitcase BareBones Theatre Group presents the the Southeastern premiere of Obie Award-winner Melissa James Gibson's Suitcase or, those that resemble flies from a distance. www.barebones.org. Feb. 10-12, 17-19 at 8pm; Feb. 20 at 3pm. $12-$15, Feb. 7 "Pay What You Can". Southend Performing Arts Center, 201 Rampart St. 704-332-5300.
Wounded Warrior NarroWay's Winter Dinner Theater featuring the story of the Jobe family. www.narroway.net. Feb. 11-12, 14, 18, 19, 25-26 at 7pm. Hickory Grove North Campus. 888-437-7473.

Visual Arts: Openings

The Light Factory Nobel Portraits: Celebrating Innovation and Creativity. Photographs by Peter Badge. Reception: Feb. 27, 5-6:30pm. Feb. 11-March 25. Industry of Form. A group exhibition of industrial images. Reception: Feb. 25, 6-9pm. Feb. 11-March 25. Spirit Square, 345 N. College St. 704-333-9755.
Merrill-Jennings Galleries Addie James. One-woman show by folk artist. Opening Reception: Feb. 12, 1-4pm. Through March. 463 S. Main St., Davidson. 704-895-1213.
Pura Vida Gallery Worldly Art. Hand made artworks from local and international artists and artisans. Through February. 401 N. Tryon St. 704-453-5723.
Winthrop University Galleries Group Exhibition. Contemporary quilts, sculptural basketry and Iron crafts. Feb. 14-March 25. 107 McLaurin, Rock Hill. 803-323-2493.

Visual Arts: Ongoing

Afro-American Cultural Center Women of a New Tribe II. This project features b&w photos by photojournalist Jerry Taliaferro, who has done a series celebrating the beauty of African American women. Feb. 4-March 31. 401 N. Myers St. 704-374-1565.
Art Institute of Charlotte Gallery Jason Smith. A student exhibition of NASCAR photos. Through Feb. 25. 2110 Water Ridge Parkway. 704-357-8020.
ArtHouse Group Exhibition. Paintings, sculptures, photography and more. Fri., Feb. 18, 7-11 p.m. 3103 Cullman Ave. 704-577-4587.
Bank of America Gallery Photography of the 1940s and 1950s. The collection includes the work of photographers whose diverse images reflect the many directions of the 40s and 50s. Through February. Hearst Tower, 114 N. Tryon St. 704-386-7324.
Center of the Earth Gallery House and Home. Group exhibition of paintings and sculpture by 12 artists. Through Feb. 26. 3204 N Davidson St. 704-375-5756.
Charlotte Art League Radiovision 2005. A group exhibition. Through February. 1517 Camden Rd. 704-376-2787.
Christa Faut Gallery Interpretations From Vintage Films. Solo exhibition of oil paintings by Douglas Houchens. Through Feb. 28. 19818 N. Cove Rd., Cornelius. 704-892-5312.
Clay on Camden Robert Langford & Catalina Kulczar. Kulczar's photographs on exhibit at Queen's Beans Coffee Shop. Through Feb. 28. 1510 Camden Rd. 704-790-2326.
Cone Center, UNCC Roberto Vasani. An exhibition called Analogs. Through Feb. 23. 704-687-3315.
ElderArt Gallery Coast to Coast, The American Landscape. A group exhibition of paintings. Feb. 3-28. 1427 S. Blvd. 704-370-6337.
Gallery L, Main Library Hirschfeld's Harlem. Featuring works by caricaturist Al Hirschfeld. Feb. 6-March 6. 310 N. Tryon St. 704-336-2020.
Hidell Brooks Gallery Hidell Brooks Gallery. Arless Day solo exhibition of collage paintings. Through February. 1910 S. Blvd. Suite 130. 704-334-7302.
Hodges Taylor Gallery Paul Harcharik: An Intimate View. The artist articulates an intimate representation of the familiar landscape. Through Feb. 26. 401 N. Tryon St. 704-334-3799.
Jerald Melberg Gallery The Monoprint in Three Directions. An exhibition of prints by Romare Bearden, Wolf Kahn and Robert Motherwell. Through March. 625 S. Sharon Amity Rd. 704-365-3000.
Joie Lassiter Gallery Marc Lambrechts. An exhibition of oil and plaster works. Feb. 3-March 4. 525 North Tryon Street, Suite 140. 704-373-1464.
Lucy & Company Nancy Prator. An exhibit of portaiture. Though February. 1919 Commonwealth Ave. 704-344-0604.
McColl Center for Visual Art On tactility and vulnerability. An Installation by Piet Stockmans. Through March 12. 721 N. Tryon St. 704-332-5535.
Modern Eye Gallery Daniel Phill: the Botanicals. Abstract paintings exploring the world of flowers in painting and monotypes. Through March 11. 1923-A South Blvd. 704-333-3190.
Providence Frames A Group Exhibition of New Works. Through February. 601-A Providence Rd. 704-333-4535.
Redsky Gallery Suzann Marchin. An exhibit by contemporary abstract artist. Through February. 4705 Savings Pl., Suite 108. 704-552-5200.
Shain Gallery Vantage Point. Stefanie Lieberman & Sharon Obee. Feb. 4-28. 601 Providence Rd. 704-334-7744.