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Monday, April 30, 2012
News / Opinion Gaston County Commissioners misstepped in their support of Amendment One
Posted By Erin Tracy-Blackwood on Mon, Apr 30, 2012 at 10:59 AM
On Thursday, Gaston County commissioners unanimously approved a resolution that supports Amendment One. The dictatorial and completely unnecessary amendment would make it illegal to recognize any domestic union in North Carolina other than marriage between one man and one woman and is projected to affect health-insurance benefits for children and negate domestic-violence laws.
- Courtesy of Gaston County's website
When I took up residence in Gaston County with my son six years ago, the move elicited snickers and eye-rolls from my Charlotte friends who couldn't believe I'd want to live somewhere so "backwards". I ignored what I thought to be their uninformed opinions in favor of Mount Holly's beautiful landscape, friendly people, and safe, calm environment in which to raise a family.
For the first time since then, I wonder if I made the right decision.
Arts Today's Top 5: Monday
Posted By Anita Overcash on Mon, Apr 30, 2012 at 9:15 AM
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, April 30, 2012 as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.
* Cult Movie Monday screening Short Circuit at Actor's Theatre of Charlotte
* Gomez at Visulite Theatre
* Monday Funday at Dixie's Tavern
* Monday Night Allstars at Double Door Inn
* Find Your Muse Open Mic at The Evening Muse
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Film / Arts U-Carmen at the Gantt
Posted By Anita Overcash on Sun, Apr 29, 2012 at 7:00 AM
The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture screens U-Carmen as part of its ongoing Classic International Black Cinema Series. In the film, lines are crossed when leading characters Carmen (Pauline Malefane), a cigarette roller in a factory near Cape Town, and Jongikhaya (Andie Tshoni), a cop with an unprofessional interest Carmen, meet. Jongikhaya's lust for Carmen ultimately leads him to commit illegal activities. Ahhh, the power of love!
Free with museum admission ($5-$8). April 29, 2 p.m. Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, 551 S. Tryon St. 704-547-3700. www.aacc-charlotte.org.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Arts Unveiling Islam at Park Road Books
Posted By Anita Overcash on Sat, Apr 28, 2012 at 7:00 AM
Local author Osama Wazan hasn't forgotten his close encounters with death in his homeland of Lebanon. Instead, he remembers and reflects on the wartime chaos by sharing his thoughts on the Middle East and Islam in his novel The Last Moderate Muslim.
While the story is fiction, it draws on real-life events and viewpoints tied to deep religious ideals and persecutions. Hear what he has to say during his upcoming book signing and discussion.
Free admission. April 28, 2 p.m. Park Road Books, 4139 Park Road. 704-525-9239. www.parkroadbooks.com.
Arts A fiesta for the feet
Posted By Anita Overcash on Sat, Apr 28, 2012 at 7:00 AM
The Carolinas Latin Dance Company is hitting its 10-year mark with Dancing Through Latin America. The annual performance showcases traditional attire, music and dance from across the Caribbean, Central America, South America and Spain. This includes some very young Charlotte-area dancers who've forfeited play time for weekend practices.
For more on The Carolinas Latin Dance Company, click here. $10-$15. April 28, 7 p.m. McGlohon Theatre, 345 N. College St. 704-372-1000. www.blumenthalcenter.org.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Arts Satisfying riffs on ancient texts
Posted By Perry Tannenbaum on Fri, Apr 27, 2012 at 5:30 PM
When you attend the new Stephen Seay Productions presentation of The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged) at Petra's Piano Bar, you not only get a program as you enter, you get a biblical family tree that takes you from "the beginning" all the way to the Book of Exodus and a few chapters beyond. That genealogy is good to have, because when the three madcap actors start spraying the audience with water, you can use it to defend yourself without getting your playbill wet.
Leslie Ann Giles, Caleb Sigmon, and Christopher Jones are our loony guides as we fast-forward in the patented Reduced Shakespeare style through the two testaments. Leslie leans on a book by Isaac Asimov for insights on Holy Writ while Caleb takes the Bible more literally. Or to put it another way, Caleb is using a Bible that he proudly claims to have stolen. Christopher manages to distinguish himself as the simpleton in this trio, sporting an illustrated children's book for his biblical intro.
It continues that way as these dubious scholars fracture scripture, divvying up the pillars of the Judeo-Christian tradition: Leslie usually presides and plays straight (relatively speaking), Caleb takes us weird and wild, and Christopher serves as the go-to buffoon and bimbo. Ryan Stamey is the silent partner of all the action onstage, settling in behind an electric keyboard and contributing his own original songs to the gumbo. Just that should clue you into the extent that Seay as director permits his cast to deviate from the original Reduced script by Adam Long, Reed Martin, and Austin Tichenor.
So my dread of seeing Complete Word yet again quickly evaporated — very much like the spraying applied to the audience. Another good time — 106 minutes, to be precise — at Petra's.
News / Democratic National Convention 2012 Democratic National Convention 2012 Notebook: Fighting for North Carolina's Hispanic Vote
Posted By Mary C. Curtis on Fri, Apr 27, 2012 at 4:37 PM
That Mitt Romney is having trouble attracting the Hispanic vote is no surprise, even to him.
During his stop in Charlotte last week, a chorus of young people protested the presumptive GOP nominee's promise to veto the Dream Act.
Will Romney's campaigning with sidekick Marco Rubio, a Florida Senator, and the slight softening of his hard-line stance be enough to sway Hispanic voters in swing states like North Carolina? Not if Hispanic Democratic organizations in the home of the 2012 Democratic convention have any say.
Arts Squared at McColl
Posted By Anita Overcash on Fri, Apr 27, 2012 at 3:39 PM
Head over to McColl Center for Visual Art this evening for the opening reception of Squared. The exhibit features drawings and installations by Caitlin Masley and Injoo Whang (see her pictured work below). In addition, fresh artists-in-residence's - Pindell, JoAnn Sieburg‐Baker, Tomoo Kitamura, Andrea Vail, Pamela Windgard, Evan Danchenka, Faron Franks, and Manoj Kesavan - studio doors will be open.
Squared offers visitors the chance to leave their own mark by drawing geometric shapes on small pieces of paper to encompass a larger body of work. There will also be a screening of PBS series Art21's Boundaries, an episode about artists who use taboo subject matter, synthesize disparate aesthetic traditions and make innovative usage of mixed media in their works.
April 27, 6 p.m.-10 p.m. reception. McColl Center for Visual Art, 721 N. Tryon St. For more information on the exhibit, visit www.mccollcenter.org.
Film / Film Reviews Weekend Film Reviews: The Five-Year Engagement; Jiro Dreams of Sushi; The Pirates! Band of Misfits
Posted By Matt Brunson on Fri, Apr 27, 2012 at 1:53 PM
- Universal
- The Five-Year Engagement
Click on the title to be taken directly to the review.
Arts The kettle/keg is calling
Posted By Anita Overcash on Fri, Apr 27, 2012 at 9:56 AM
Trying to decide on what to drink is more than a little difficult at The Big Brew Ha. The annual fundraiser offers folks a tasty selection of brewed bevs (coffees, teas and beers). That's not to say you can't have a little bit of everything added to whatever you order. Just be careful with the hot stuff.
Gourmet breakfast selections (from Dandelion Market, Harvest Moon Grille and other eateries around town) are also provided for the event, which calls itself Old World, New Flavor. Activities, including a "Brew Pong" tourney, and live music are also scheduled. Best of all, the money goes to help repair one of Charlotte's most impressive and historical churches, St. Peter's Catholic. Cheers! For more information, visit www.thebigbrewha.wordpress.com. $60. 7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. The Mint Museum Uptown, 500 S. Tryon St. 704-337-2000. www.mintmuseum.org.
