Arts & Entertainment: Critics' Picks 

BEST ART GALLERY

Jerald Melberg Gallery

So many galleries, so few choices. This choice almost always boils down to a handful -- Hodges Taylor, Joie Lassiter, Larry Elder, Melberg. Melberg's stable of artists delivers an array of moderate-to-monumental fame, glamour and only the best which has served Charlotte well for decades. Motherwell, Bearden, Chihuly, Kohlmeyer -- forgive me, I drop names. A viewing of any large painting by Brian Rutenberg -- his best painter -- will purge any case of Tuesday afternoon blues.

625 S. Sharon Amity Road
704-365-3000

BEST ART EXHIBIT

Cristina Cordova at Hodges Taylor Gallery

Cordova's work is earthy, honest and intimate. Mix well novelist Cormac McCarthy, painter Alice Neel and director Ingmar Bergman until lumps disappear. Add one fearsome dream. You get a Cristina Cordova sculpture. Cordova's show last year at Hodges Taylor Gallery was a mix of small heads on large bodies, large humans on little beasts, and men and women looking lost in festive or distorted garb. All her humans wander and search hypnotized, and each bears mute witness to their own lives. I was mesmerized.

BEST LOCO-GALLERIES

(tie) Center of the Earth, The ArtHouse and Lark & Key

Charlotte artists, hinterland artists, artists who will no longer be artists in two years artists, labored long and unsung artists, lame artists, little diamonds in the rough artists, blowhard artists, quiet surprise artists, keep your day job artists, Friday night wandering around in NoDa look what I found artists. They're all here. NoDa is Jack Kerouac on a good day. And on a very, very bad day, too.

Center of the Earth
3204 N. Davidson St.
704-375-5756

The ArtHouse
3103 Cullman Ave.
704-962-9700
Lark & Key Gallery and Boutique
453-B E. 36th St.
704-379-1826

BEST LOCAL ARTIST

Marek Ranis

The term "global warming" can cause narcolepsy. "Resource depletion" and "overpopulation" are coma-inducing mantras. Marek Ranis is a Charlotte artist who makes us think about big issues because he presents those issues with force and authority and beauty. See four paintings from his Albedo series at the NASCAR Hall of Fame once the center opens next May. They are stunning and thoughtful and will sting your head with fractured pieces of our disappearing world. All artists think they're important. This guy actually is.

BEST THEATER COMPANY

Actor's Theatre of Charlotte

A repeat winner. Without the hearty support of the Arts & Science Council, Actor's Theatre of Charlotte made its 20th season a true milestone. Along with the usual surpassing excellence of Lieutenant of Inishmore, Rabbit Hole, and Blue and successful remounts of Santaland Diaries and Bat Boy, Actor's Theatre surpassed itself with the world premiere of Eric Coble's Southern Rapture. Powered by a private grant of $50,000 -- more than the ASC has granted Actor's Theatre for any of its 20 excellent seasons (or the 2009-10 season ahead) -- Rapture comically and perceptively revisited the Angels in America fiasco of 1996, spattering satire on liberals, conservatives and religious wackos with equal glee. The effort served as a winning application for admission into the National New Play Network, an elite group of 26 regional theaters that has more of my respect than our ASC, which is doling out a whopping 2.2 percent of its 2009 fund drive to adult and community theater in the Char-Meck area.

650 E. Stonewall St.
704-342-2251.

BEST ACTOR

Robert Simmons

Count on Robert Lee Simmons to deliver the menace or the madness with charismatic force. He's been spreading his special electricity among different companies over the past couple of years, with key roles at Actor's Theatre (Pillowman and Lieutenant of Inishmore), Collaborative Arts (Romeo & Juliet), and CP Summer Theatre (Rainmaker and Dial M for Murder). But Simmons probably hit peak voltage this spring at his home company, CAST, in the title role of Killer Joe, where his predatory menace was all the stronger in restraint.

BEST ACTRESS

Nicia Carla

Pickin's have been relatively slim for Nicia Carla over the past year or so -- Snail in A Year With Frog & Toad, hookah-puffing Caterpillar and a Tweedle in Alice in Concert, the pirate Starkey in Peter Pan, and the insouciant Grace Bradley in Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Yet the diva of ImaginOn has brought her own special sparkle to even the smallest of these roles -- and glimmers of distinction to that turkey Alice. We don't see enough Nicia onstage at Children's Theatre, probably because she's proven so adept at directing, treating us all to fine productions of A Thousand Cranes and Secret Life of Girls over the past two seasons.

BEST PERFORMING ARTS GROUP

North Carolina Dance Theatre

A repeat winner. The closer North Carolina Dance Theatre brings us to the action, the more exciting they get. Keeping their fall Innovative Works showcase of new and contemporary pieces parked at Booth Playhouse, NCDT invited us back in the spring for second helpings at the Booth with a themed program, A Night at the Movies. Big ballets at the Belk, the perennial Nutcracker and a bouquet of Balanchine continued to impress. But the big, brash bombshell of the season was Dwight Rhoden's modernized music-biz Othello, a landmark choreography that promises to reverberate across the dance world.

BEST FIRST LEAP

Tom Gabbard, North Carlolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center

The opening of Knight Theater in our spanking new cultural corridor, with North Carolina Dance Theatre headlining the "Light the Knight" grand opening gala on Jan. 8, ought to be sufficient cause for jubilation. Leave it to North Carolina Blumenthal PAC prez Tom Gabbard to find a way to ratchet the excitement even higher. Somehow, Gabbard has managed to book the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre for a jaw-dropping six-day, seven-performance run, Feb. 9-14, 2010, catapulting Knight Theater to the center of the dance universe during its first winter. Nor has Gabbard grown complacent after announcing one of the most exciting Broadway Light Series ever. Steve Martin is slated to peep into the Knight with his banjo on Oct. 2, and Garrison Keillor is booked at the Belk for Nov. 22.

BEST LAST LEAP

Mia Cunningham, N.C. Dance Theatre

She was so beloved as Clara in North Carolina Dance Theatre's Nutcracker, you could forgive the company for being reluctant to allow Charlotte's sweetheart, Mia Cunningham, to grow up. Nearly to the end of her career, Cunningham was youth and joy in the egg, playing such roles as Cinderella and Peter Pan's Wendy during her 18-year stint at NCDT. Yet she could sizzle in Dwight Rhoden's SALT and sparkle as the hyper majorette in Uri Sands' All in the Trunk. Mature roles finally drifted her way in recent years: Juliet's nurse in R&J, Blanche Du Bois in Streetcar. Now Cunningham has retired. How could anyone else's retirement seem so sudden after so long? Little girls in Charlotte may never again covet an NCDT star's dancing shoes with so much fervor. Well done.

BEST HIGH DIVE

CAST's Metamorphoses

Hey, when Carolina Actors Studio Theatre decided to stage Mary Zimmerman's waterworld version of Ovid's Metamorphoses, they were not only gambling that enough people would find their way to 1118 Clement Ave. to fill the seats, they were also gambling that the water would stay in the pool long enough for people to see the show! CAST managing artistic director Michael Simmons had the if-we-build-it dream and made it come true -- building the pool, filling the seats, and not drowning a single member of his 24-person cast. And he did it without taking a bath financially. Definitely a big splash that will long be remembered.

BEST REAL ESTATE SPECULATOR

Christopher Warren-Green

By announcing his intention to purchase a new house in Charlotte, Christopher Warren-Green vaulted over six other candidates vying with him for the position of music director of our world-class Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. In our view (speaking for both local critics who rated the candidates), those other six merely elicited better music from the orchestra, without grasping the higher wisdom of acceding to the wishes of Symphony's board and administration in the matter of agreeing to settle in the Queen City to get the job. The best schools in the Carolinas are no doubt vying for the privilege of enrolling the new maestro's hyphenated offspring. Welcome to Charlotte, Chris -- you definitely belong here.

BEST MOVIE THEATER (QUALITY OF PRESENTATION)

Phillips Place

A repeat winner. Less than a year old, EpiCentre Theaters has already established itself as a leading hot spot, both cinematically and socially. But rather than jump on the bandwagon, we're going to wait and see to make sure this venue doesn't crash and burn like other recent downtown ventures (HOM, anyone?). The venerable Phillips Place, on the other hand, has long established itself as a Queen City mainstay, yet even with a switch in ownership, the theater remains unblemished in terms of providing the best viewing experience an admission ticket can buy.

6911 Phillips Place Court

704-556-0896

BEST MOVIE THEATER (QUALITY OF FILMS)

Park Terrace

Past winners Ballantyne Village Theatre and the Manor remain in the running, but what's good about this place is that, in addition to having more screens on which to show indy fare, it also frequently picks up discarded Manor fare, thus potentially giving smaller scale titles more time to make their mark.

4289 Park Road
704-643-3456

BEST VIDEO/DVD RENTAL SELECTION (SPECIFY LOCATION)

Visart

A repeat winner for the umpteenth time. Its only real competition is Netflix, but that online service isn't locally based. So there you have it.

1945 E. 7th St.
704-343-3031

BEST FILM SERIES

American Zombie: George A. Romero's Film Revolution

The Light Factory and its co-sponsors deserve huge props for organizing and pulling off this major event. Not only was Romero highly visible throughout the weekend, but the series itself featured a tantalizing mix of Romero's zombie classics, curio cult items and lesser known oddities.

BEST BOOKSTORE (SPECIFY LOCATION)

Borders, Morrocroft

We hate to go with a big box corporate giant for this category, but you can't beat the selection or prices at this superstore (they call it "super" for a reason). The oldest Borders location in Charlotte also brings in notable authors for book signings and hosts fun events for children. Stop by for their Bean Fridays and get a free drink for every bag you buy of Seattle's Best.

Morrocroft Village Shopping Center
3900 Colony Road
704-365-6261

BEST COMIC BOOK SHOP

Heroes Aren't Hard to Find

As far as local comic book shops go, it's hard to top Heroes Aren't Hard To Find. With its bright interiors, huge selection of products, and knowledgeable and friendly staff, Heroes puts the stereotypical shop (like, you know, those dank stores full of snobby geeks) to shame. On top of that, as the shop responsible for hosting the annual HeroesCon comic book convention, the store has -- for all intents and purposes -- positioned itself as the center of Charlotte's comic universe.

1957 E. 7th St.
704-375-7462

BEST NEW BAND, FORMED IN LAST 12 MONTHS

Coma League

If they're good enough for folks on the other side of America (named Band to Watch by Cali-based IndieRockCafé.com), they ought to be good enough for us -- and they are. Until now, Ben Gelnett's been best known for his discriminating design eye, as seen in his memorable gig posters. But with his 15-minute blast of new garage-boogie, This Could Be the Night, his creative hot streak extends into the audio realm as well. Backed by drummer Kevin Markie and recent addition Blake Raynor (ex-Stone Figs) on bass, the upcoming full length has us all atwitter.

BEST LOCAL BAND/ARTIST

The Houstons

A two-man band with an amazingly full-band sound is probably the simplest and best way to describe these stalwarts of the Charlotte music scene. We first came to know real-life brothers Justin and Matt Faircloth as the duo, The Houston Brothers. Justin simultaneously handled vocals, keys and drums while Matt handled harmonies, guitar and bass pedal. They blew our minds. Later on, they expanded the lineup for a time and dropped "Brothers" from the name -- becoming The Houstons -- but now they're back playing as a 2-piece again and, well, they're back to blowing us away. If you haven't experienced them live yet, consider it a must.

BEST LOCAL SONGWRITER

Stephen Warwick

Warwick's Secondhand Stories are (grand simplification here, but we only have so much space) somewhat along the lines of a Talk Talk (note the extra "Talk"; not the local band of old) or Sam Beam if either of those acts were signed to an up-to-the-minute indie-like Thrill Jockey: The music is soaring yet hushed, harmonically bell-clear and so analog-warmed that you forget all the digital whoseewhatsits comprising the lush backing. What's more, Warwick can cut to the bone with a melancholy note or hopeful couplet with equal grace, and his gift with what the French call "le mot juste" is justifiably applauded in local songwriter circles. Now if we could just hear that new record.

BEST LOCAL MALE VOCALIST

Benji Hughes

A repeat winner. Whatever on- and off-stage shenanigans Mr. Hughes gets up to, that croon of his can melt the frost off any cynic's heart. Still riding high on last year's A Love Extreme, arguably the party (double) disc of the season, Hughes' vocal range suits his songs to a tee, whether celebrating the party in full swing or rear-viewing the lonely aftermath. Too bad the knuckleheads at New West aren't gonna put out the disc he did with Bill Botrell, which may be even better.

BEST LOCAL FEMALE VOCALIST

Christine Navarro

Navarro is kinda like having our own Gwen Stefani and we mean this in the very best of ways. She possesses that grrl (i.e. spunky) attitude, she's got a bod you'd absolutely kill for (she's a top-notch yoga instructor), and her vocals are just as strong and rock-steady, candy-sweet and radio-ready as Stefani's. Plus, she's got plenty of presence to match that attitude. She first burst onto our scene fronting the band Etheric but these days you can catch her with her latest project, Snowfight.

BEST CLUB/PARTY DJ

DJ George Brazil

You could call him "The Party Starter," and it's no joke. With an ear for danceable fare old and (especially) new, Señor Brazil is a man-about-town fixture whose wicked sense of humor and grande heart comes through in both the grooves (or data) he spins and the parties he throws. Often busy in various bands and side projects, they all seem to wind up in his eclectic DJ repertoire -- that, and the ability to suss a room's mood, earns him our kudos.

CHAMPION OF THE SCENE

Bruce Hazel

If there's a hardest working man in Charlotte's show biz arena, it's gotta be Bruce Hazel. Aside from being one hell of a showman for his own outfit -- Bruce Hazel and Some Volunteers -- he also busts his ass to put together the annual Fool's Brigade benefit. It gets bigger and bigger every year, and without him, you wouldn't see so many collaborations and so much talent on one stage in one night. Aside from organizer, he also plays host and performs during the show and can often be seen supporting local bands all over town. He's a part of the local music scene in every way.