May 24-30, 2011

May 24-30, 2011 / Vol. 25 / No. 13

Live review: Treasure Fest

Treasure Fest May 20, 21, 2011 Various venues The Deal: From the moment I heard about Treasure Fest, I was more stoked than I had ever been about an event in Charlotte. For the first time, we would have a real underground music festival, showcasing some of Charlotte and the East Coast’s best talent in…

Jenny Lou Bement

SUMMER GUIDE 2011: Get ready for Bonnaroo 2011

The temperatures are getting higher, so it’s another sign that the annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is just around the corner. Why should you care? Not only is it a great way to see bands that don’t often hit the Queen City, but it’s a great way to see a lot of music in…

Jeff Hahne

The 23rd Annual Charlotte Theater Awards: The Year in Review

It was a super Chamber of Commerce year for Charlotte as a skyscraper of construction cranes fluttering over our Center City parted and revealed … the new NASCAR Hall of Fame on East Martin Luther King Boulevard and the completed Levine Cultural Campus on South Tryon. Along with that stunning Niki de Sainte Phalle sculpture…

THEATER: Queen City Theatre’s Chess

Queen City Theatre Company has enough intuitive to calculate smooth moves in its staging of the cult rock musical Chess. Director Glenn T. Griffin stars as Soviet chess master Anatoly Sergievsky who battles the American Freddie Trumper in a world championship set during the height of the Cold War. But it’s not all about the…

Anita Overcash

Company of the Year

Breaking their all-time tie with Actor’s Theatre in taking their sixth title, Children’s Theatre of Charlotte won on the strength of their quality and consistency. Big family productions, Scrooge! and Treasure Island, came off with their customary technical polish, succumbing to slickness only in an overly abbreviated Disney’s Aladdin. The real advances showed most vividly…

SUMMER GUIDE 2011: Some tips for Bonnaroo attendees

This June, I’ll be heading to Manchester, Tenn., to take in my fifth consecutive Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. I keep going back for the music and the last four years have taught me a handful of tricks of the trade to help get me through the days a little bit easier. Here are my…

Jeff Hahne

Theaterpersons of the Year

In less than seven months, Matt Cosper achieved more than enough to capture the city’s top theater honor. Besides premiering two of his own top-notch scripts with his Machine Theatre, ThomThom and Best Original Show Mum’s the Word, Cosper piloted the Youth Ensemble production of As You Like It for Children’s Theatre in February and…

Comic review: Batman and Robin No. 22

Batman and Robin No. 23 Published by DC Comics. Written by Judd Winick. Art by Guillem March and Andrei Bresson. The Deal: Writer Judd Winick returns to the Batman mythos, and he brings back the character he made famous — the Red Hood — for a three-part story arc. The Good: It’s amazing to think…

Carlton Hargro

CL previews upcoming concerts (May 25-31)

WEDNESDAY, MAY 25 AMANDA POLLARD Taking the opportunity to support homegrown talent is always special and Amanda Pollard is that. The Northwest School of the Arts alum has been cutting her teeth as an R&B artist just about everywhere people will listen. Those who’ve had the opportunity to see it firsthand can tell you that…

Actor of the Year

With his new PlayPlay venture, Mark Sutton merited serious Theaterperson consideration in 2010, but he was most dominant in the Actor of the Year arena, winning the award for the second time. I’d never found the relationship between Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver nearly so touching until Sutton strapped on the pegleg in Treasure…

Summer Guide 2011: The Swimsuit edition

You know summertime is right around the corner when the temperature starts rising and people start wearing less clothing. Consequently, Creative Loafing presents our Summer Guide 2011: Swimsuit Edition, guaranteed to help you kick off the hot weather months right. But if you’re looking for the typical Sports Illustrated-type models in thongs, you’ve come to…

Kimberly Lawson

Nightlife Profile: Cherry Von Bomb

Hotter than a hand grenade and sweeter than a Maraschino, Kaya Stowers, aka Cherry Von Bomb, has the capability to taunt you, tease you and make you laugh at her quirky charm and sass, regardless of whether or not she is on stage. Creative and classy, she allures her audience with natural, coquettish choreography and…

Jenny Lou Bement

Actress of the Year

She’s come out of nowhere – the Davidson Community Players’ production of Barefoot in the Park of 2009, to be precise – and risen to the pinnacle in less than a year and a half. Maret Decker Seitz proved to be every bit as astonishing in a musical, playing five romantic leads in Five Course…

Games abound in Queen City Theatre Company’s Chess

Mastering the various incarnations of Chess from 1984 concept album to 1988 Broadway musical isn’t exactly a snap. Subsequent rethinkings by original lyricist Tim Rice, plus tinkerings by others, turn the full evolution into a labyrinth. Preparing for the Loaf’s Spring Preview Issue, I asked Queen City Theatre Company artistic director Glenn Griffin to explain…

Perry Tannenbaum

Ideas for local reality TV shows

  I’ve decided to branch out from writing only columns, blogs, memoirs and features. I want to put my words where the real money is these days: reality television. So in hopes of attracting untold riches and the special cultural respect that comes with composing lowest-common-denominator entertainment, here are some ideas for reality TV shows…

Director of the Year

Stretching back to his days at Off-Tryon Theatre Company, Glenn T. Griffin has always directed with passion and conviction, oftentimes without the best talent artillery at his disposal. But in his fourth year as artistic director at Queen City Theatre Company, Griffin made all the right moves. His opening musical, Grey Gardens, was a perfect…

EXHIBIT: Second Nature

Second Nature, the latest group exhibition presented at Lark & Key Gallery and Boutique, is a show that manages to be colorful, lively and insightful. It features works by owner Duy Huynh, as well as artists Susan Hall, Angie Renfro and a newbie to the gallery, Dawn Rentz (see her pictured work, titled “Morning Solitude”).…

Anita Overcash

Sexual abuse at CMS sparks lawsuit

If the charges made in a lawsuit against the school board are true, it is inexplicable that Dr. Maureen Furr, principal of South Mecklenburg High School, still has a job. Under her watch, the school’s band teacher, Richard Priode, pled guilty in 2009 to charges of felony indecent liberties with a student. What’s so outrageous…

Summer Guide 2011: Summer movie preview

The summer movie season unofficially got under way with the April 29 release of Fast Five and officially commenced with the May 6 debut of Thor. Clearly, Hollywood doesn’t have the patience to wait until the Memorial Day weekend, which the rest of the country pretty much considers the opening salvo of the hot-weather season.…

Matt Brunson

EXHIBIT: Works by Ernesto Berra and Raul Diaz

Jerald Melberg Gallery is currently displaying paintings and works on paper by two Argentinian artists, Ernesto Berra and Raul Diaz. Diaz’s texturized art — see the pictured piece, titled “El Lago II” — is inspired by his childhood and frequently features images of figures with boats, kites, roses and shells. Berra’s collaged paintings of urban…

Anita Overcash

Electronic brownshirts trumped again

Judy Ancel, a Kansas City, Mo., professor, and her St. Louis colleague were teaching a labor history class together this spring semester. Little did they know, video recordings of the class were making their way into the thriving sub rosa world of right-wing attack video editing, twisting their words in a way that resulted in…

Amy Goodman

Film series offers an affectionate tribute to the Bard

“The play’s the thing.” “If this were played upon a stage now, I could condemn it as an improbable fiction.” “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” Given William Shakespeare’s ability to work variations of “play” into his classic works, one can only wonder what sort of mileage he…

Matt Brunson

Bizarre crimes from Charlotte police files

Devil Child: A 38-year-old man called police after a juvenile delinquent vandalized his car in the parking lot of his apartment building. The victim told officers that a 3-year-old child climbed on to the top of his car’s hood and began wreaking havoc. The kid scratched the paint on the hood of his car and…

Ryan Pitkin

SUMMER GUIDE 2011: Major music venues list

From coffeehouses to amphitheaters, it seems like Charlotte’s music scene is getting more and more music venues every day. In fact, The Chop Shop just opened in NoDa and is set to become another neighborhood music venue. Of course we think that all of the venues listed below should be familiar to you, but in…

Jeff Hahne

Summer Guide 2011: A green, green, Warren-Green summer

Outdoor entertainment has long been a Charlotte staple during those magic days between the end of the school year and the torrid season that traditionally smacks us on the Fourth of July. A few new wrinkles are on tap in 2011 for arts lovers who like their symphony and theater by the light of the…

Perry Tannenbaum

Do the Japanese lubricate new cars with whale oil?

A friend and I were watching a documentary on blue whales when he piped up, “You know, the Japs still hunt whales for their oil. They use it to lube new cars.” He went on about whale oil being superior to petroleum-based lubricants. I think he’s full of crap. Since I can’t find anything via…

Cecil Adams

Summer Guide 2011: The Swimsuit Edition

You know summertime is right around the corner when the temperature starts rising and people start wearing less clothing. Consequently, Creative Loafing presents our Summer Guide 2011: Swimsuit Edition, guaranteed to help you kick off the hot weather months right. But if you’re looking for the typical Sports Illustrated-type models in thongs, you’ve come to…

Kimberly Lawson

Summer Guide 2011: Arts events

Film CHARLOTTE FILM SOCIETY SCREENING THE HEADLESS WOMAN (LA MUJER SIN CABEZA) Discussion after the film led by Lawrence Toppman, arts writer for The Charlotte Observer. For more information, visit www.charlottefilmsociety.com. June 11, 7:30 p.m. $5 for members; $8 for non-members. Theatre Charlotte, 501 Queens Road. 704-376-3777. www.theatrecharlotte.org. CULT MOVIE MONDAYs May 23: Waiting for…

Anita Overcash

Weekly horoscope (May 25-31)

Gemini The Twins (May 21-June 20) People in general may get on your nerves this week, especially if they are looking for intimate conversation. You probably need to find a good place in the natural world to go for walks or runs — use up some of that adrenaline. Avoid dwelling on old, unpleasant memories.…

Vivian Carol

Summer Guide 2011: Concert Preview

Rock, metal, country, blues, folk — Charlotte gets to see it all. Sometimes picking the best concert to go to is a bit like choosing your day’s outfit — it really just depends on your mood. While new shows are being announced on a weekly, if not daily, basis, we’ve gathered together a group of…

Jeff Hahne

Summer Guide 2011: Artsy events for the summer heat

In the summer, the visual arts scene in Charlotte is a lot like a fescue lawn — both go dormant. But here are some events to help slake your cultural thirst in this hot season. Open Studio Saturdays at McColl Center for Visual Art At Open Studio Saturday, you can meet McColl artists-in-residence and see…

Barbara Schreiber

Capsule reviews of films playing the week of May 25

THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU One person’s religious beliefs is often another person’s existentialist theories, and The Adjustment Bureau offers plenty of theological fodder to go around. Because it tinkers with notions involving God and chance and destiny and all that other stuff that’s fun to discuss, it might turn off those types of folks who misunderstood…

Matt Brunson

SUMMER GUIDE 2011: Major music venues list

From coffeehouses to amphitheaters, it seems like Charlotte’s music scene is getting more and more music venues every day. In fact, The Chop Shop just opened in NoDa and is set to become another neighborhood music venue. Of course we think that all of the venues listed below should be familiar to you, but in…

Jeff Hahne

FESTIVAL: Food Lion Speed Street Festival 2011

For the next three days, Uptown Charlotte is a cockpit for NASCAR fans, concert goers and freebie lovers. Food Lion Speed Street Festival — the annual free festival coinciding with the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 (happening on May 29 at Charlotte Motor Speedway) — always draws ginormous crowds. Festivities include autographs and Q&A sessions with race…

Anita Overcash

Pirates: On Stranger Tides: Plundering the booty

If the first two sequels to 2003’s highly entertaining Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl were fairly agreeable examples of popcorn fare — tasty, a bit salty, not at all nutritious, and forgotten before long — then Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides represents the grimace-inducing alternative: the unpopped kernel…

Matt Brunson

THEATER: Love Conquers All: A Quiet Evening with Sid & Nancy

Citizens of the Universe takes on the heavy stuff in its newest cult classic take-to-the-stage, Love Conquers All: A Quiet Evening with Sid & Nancy. It’s based off of the 1986 film about Sid Vicious (bassist for the punk rock band the Sex Pistols) and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen — both of whom possess an…

Anita Overcash

Kristofferson can’t save bloodless Bloodworth

It’s easier to get blood from a stone than to get entertainment value from Bloodworth, a tedious adaptation of William Gay’s novel Provinces of Night. Gay’s story “I Hate to See That Evening Sun Go Down” was turned into a movie (That Evening Sun) that primarily worked because of the excellent lead performance by Hal…

Matt Brunson

SUMMER GUIDE 2011: Get ready for Bonnaroo 2011

The temperatures are getting higher, so it’s another sign that the annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is just around the corner. Why should you care? Not only is it a great way to see bands that don’t often hit the Queen City, but it’s a great way to see a lot of music in…

Jeff Hahne

SPECIAL EVENT: Miss NC Pole Dance Competition

You may not fully understand the whole pole-dancing exercise craze, but it’s growing fast. Though poles are typically associated with strippers, that’s not what you’ll find twirling about in these specialized classes. Ladies of all ages, shapes and sizes are lining up for the sexy, beneficial workouts. It’s become so popular that on May 28…

Anita Overcash

Where to find it: Crook’s Corner Stone-ground Grits

The partiality for a particular mill’s grits is akin to the taste preference for a brand of ketchup or mayonnaise. While grits in most parts of the country are sold in the Quaker-styled boxed brands, here in the South, the best grits are packaged in flexible bags or paper wrappers. In Charlotte, Crook’s Corner stone-ground…

Tricia Childress

3 questions with Kara Taddeo, VBGB owner

When Kara and Tom Taddeo moved to Charlotte from New York eight months ago, they came with the intention of bringing something new and fresh to the Queen City. Kara’s passion and inherent instinct for the hospitality industry is evident and stems from over 10 years as the general manager of a popular Manhattan-based boutique…

Sumanah Khan

SUMMER GUIDE 2011: Some tips for Bonnaroo attendees

This June, I’ll be heading to Manchester, Tenn., to take in my fifth consecutive Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. I keep going back for the music and the last four years have taught me a handful of tricks of the trade to help get me through the days a little bit easier. Here are my…

Jeff Hahne

SPORTS: Coca-Cola 600

The biggest, baddest annual NASCAR event at Charlotte Motor Speedway returns on this long Memorial Day weekend. The Coca-Cola 600 draws massive crowds from the region and beyond for a day of intense racing in the hot heat. Folks eager to cheer on their favorite drivers as they circle the track and those simply interested…

Anita Overcash

South China Sea by way of Malaya Kitchen

Restaurateur Teik Tiong Chan reminded me that the first time we met Cuisine Malaya, his first restaurant, it was under construction in Elizabeth. That was 1998, and I could not contain my excitement that Charlotte would have its first Malaysian restaurant, which had been on my annual CL wish list for years. Not having a…

Tricia Childress

Summer Guide 2011: Concert Preview

Rock, metal, country, blues, folk — Charlotte gets to see it all. Sometimes picking the best concert to go to is a bit like choosing your day’s outfit — it really just depends on your mood. While new shows are being announced on a weekly, if not daily, basis, we’ve gathered together a group of…

Jeff Hahne

The Mechanic, Something Wild among new home entertainment titles

GNOMEO & JULIET (2011). In this toon take on, what else, William Shakespeare’s immortal Romeo & Juliet, the majority of the characters are garden gnomes who come to life whenever the humans aren’t around. As in the original text, the families of the boy (voiced by James McAvoy) and girl (Emily Blunt) are constantly feuding,…

Matt Brunson

FESTIVAL: The Patriot Festival

The Patriot Festival gives a special shout-out to American military heroes. It all kicks off with an early morning 5K run/walk and is followed by the national anthem and color guard, parachute jumps, military exhibitions and maneuvers, a rib burn-off competition with 15 local restaurants showing off their best recipes, live music and more. For…

Anita Overcash

Tech of the Year

Our first Theaterperson of the Year back in 1987, Bob Croghan hasn’t returned to acting more than a couple of times in the decades since. But he has certainly solidified his position as Charlotte’s king of costumes with stunning, incomparably prolific work year after year, winning our Best Costume Designer award four times – with…

A full list of all the winners

Here are the winners: Theaterpersons of the Year Matt CosperBilly Ensley Actor of the Year Mark Sutton Actress of the Year Maret Decker Seitz Director of the Year Glenn T. Griffin Tech of the Year Bob Croghan Show of the Year Becky’s New Car Company of the Year Children’s Theatre of Charlotte MUSICAL Best Musical:…

Perry Tannenbaum

MUSIC: CandyRat Records Guitar Night

CandyRat Records is home to an eclectic mix of artists falling in a range of categories such as acoustic, jazz, blues, fusion and more. Impressed by the strumming skills of the bands on the label, the company is currently sending its most talented guitarists on the road for its CandyRat Records Guitar Night. The tour…

Anita Overcash

Show of the Year

Becky’s New Car actually started out in 2005 as Benita’s birthday present. Seattle businessman Charles Staadecker gave his wife a unique gift, commissioning a new comedy by Steven Dietz that eventually vied for the prestigious Steinberg Prize for best new play of 2009. It came to Actor’s Theatre late in 2010 – and so did…

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