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Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Music / Arts Theater review: 'Fela!' is ferocious, exuberant, but also a little irresponsible
Posted By Mark Kemp on Tue, Feb 26, 2013 at 11:58 AM
Here's what you should not look for if you go see the Broadway smash Fela! at Belk Theater tonight: a linear narrative; songs performed in their entirety; context for some of the thornier details of the life of Nigerian Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti.
Here's what you can expect: ferocious, exuberant, awe-inspiring music and dance; lots of shimmering washboard abs and bouncing booties; a whirlwind of pop-cultural references ranging from Frank Sinatra to John Coltrane to James Brown to Bob Marley to Stokely Carmichael; feel-good displays of revolutionary righteousness. And did I mention ferocious, exuberant, awe-inspiring music and dance?
- Sharen Bradford
- Adesola Osakalumi
Arts LOL: Comedy in the Q.C.
Posted By Anita Overcash on Tue, Feb 26, 2013 at 9:22 AM
Listed below is a roundup of CL's top picks for comedy shows in Charlotte this week. Hopefully, they keep you entertained and, more importantly, laughing out loud.
Based out of Greensboro, the Freestyle Funny Comedy Show is a fusion of stand-up, sketch and improv. The four-man troupe - comprised of Anthony "Chico" Bean, Darren Brand, G. DeMar "OsamaBinDrankin" Rankin, Sr. and host B Daht - stops in Charlotte for a special performance at The Comedy Zone on Friday during CIAA weekend. For more information, visit www.theffcs.com. $20-$30. Fri., March 1, 6 p.m. & 8:30 p.m. The Comedy Zone Charlotte at N.C. Music Factory, 900 N.C. Music Factory Blvd., Suite B3. 980-321-4702. www.cltcomedyzone.com.
Starring in popular films like Next Friday and The Hangover, Mike Epps has earned a name for himself in the movie world. But it's his ability to bring humor to the masses that's made him a success both on and off the screen. Just be prepared for some inappropriate behavior during his stand up act at Bojangles Coliseum. $45 and up. Sat., March 2, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Bojangles Coliseum, 2700 E. Independence Blvd. 704-335-3100. www.bojanglescoliseum.com.
Ever find yourself asking "What would Bill Maher do?" If not, you might want to duck out here. Maher's latest satirical shenanigans poke fun at Catholics and Pope Benedict XVI by offering suggestions as to who he thinks should replace the former religious leader. Who would he pick? He doesn't really care, but he jokes that Hillary Clinton is an ideal candidate. Of course, as crazy as the idea seems, Maher makes a decent point to explain his reasoning: "The fact is, that any enterprise that excludes women almost always descends into sexual deviancy," he says. If she's not available, he thinks other possible contenders should include Oprah or, *gasp* ... himself. Maher brings his political commentary and stand up to Belk Theater for a one-night-only performance. $39.50 and up. Sun., March 3, 7 p.m. Belk Theater, 130 N. Tryon St. 704-372-1000. www.blumenthalarts.org.
Arts / Today's Top Five Today's Top 5: Tuesday
Posted By Anita Overcash on Tue, Feb 26, 2013 at 9:00 AM
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, Feb. 26, 2013 as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.
* How to Survive a Plague at Petra's Piano Bar & Cabaret
* Country Tuesday at Snug Harbor
* Fela! at Belk Theater
* The Saints and Sinners Tour at The Comedy Zone Lake Norman
* Hospitalite at Gaston County Public Library
Monday, February 25, 2013
Music Live photos: Shot Silk, Chop Shop (2/22/2013)
Posted By Jeff Hahne on Mon, Feb 25, 2013 at 10:51 AM
Shot Silk brought its bluesy grunge rock to the Chop Shop on Friday, Feb. 22. The Charlotte quartet, which has been together since 2011, has undergone some lineup changes, but is back to its original members and performed with a renewed energy.
Two other local bands - Deep Sky and The Situationals (not pictured) - were also on the lineup. It was Deep Sky's debut show. The heavy rock trio features members of the now defunct rock band The Between. The Between singer Danielle Engle reunited with her former bandmates for one song during the concert.
(Photos by Jeff Hahne)
News / Opinion Cherie Berry: The predator lurking in our elevators
Posted By Erin Tracy-Blackwood on Mon, Feb 25, 2013 at 10:24 AM
There's a predator lurking in your elevator. Her name is Cherie Berry, North Carolina's labor commissioner.
Sure, she has a cheerful smile and makes vague promises of workplace safety every time you see her photo above the button panel, but in reality, she's just waiting for her chance to screw workers out of money. She recently told the North Carolina Free Enterprise Foundation that she'd like to abolish minimum wage.
That's right - the labor commissioner, whose job it is to enforce wage laws on behalf of workers, doesn't even believe they should exist. Federal minimum wage was established in 1938 to stop the proliferation of abusive labor practices. Maybe she misses the good ole days of sweat shops.
Arts / Today's Top Five Today's Top 5: Monday
Posted By Anita Overcash on Mon, Feb 25, 2013 at 9:00 AM
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, Feb. 25, 2013 as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.
* Fela! at Belk Theater
* Harold & Maude at Actor's Theatre of Charlotte
* R&B Record Party at Soul Gastrolounge
* Open Mic at Jackalope Jacks
* Monday Night Allstars at Double Door Inn
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Arts Bechtler exhibit gets personal
Posted By Anita Overcash on Sun, Feb 24, 2013 at 8:00 AM
It's not an exaggeration to say that love is in the air at Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. The museum's latest exhibit showcases more than 50 pieces by some of modern art's most renowned figures including Joan Miró and Alexander Calder.
Artistic Relationships digs deep to expose the ways these artists were connected to one another through shared passions and more personal circumstances. Many of them shared friendships, love affairs (ooh la-la!) and teacher/student relationships. Think of this as the closest you're ever going to get to a Midnight in Paris-type experience.
$4-$8. Exhibit continues through July 29. Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, 420 S. Tryon St. 704-353-9200. www.bechtler.org.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Arts The Whipping Man comes to Actor's Theatre
Posted By Anita Overcash on Sat, Feb 23, 2013 at 10:00 AM
Look carefully before you think this show has anything to do with that Newbery Medal-winning book you read in grade school - The Whipping Boy, by Sid Fleischman. This is The Whipping Man, by playwright Matthew Lopez. In the play, set during the Civil War, an injured Jewish Confederate soldier returns home to find that his family has fled and his home has been reduced to rubble.
All that remains are two former slaves with whom he celebrates a simple Passover meal before learning a series of secrets that could cause each man more than just their freedom. Brett Gentile stars as Caleb, the soldier returning home, with Jeremy Decarlos as John and John W. Price as Simon - both freed slaves of Jewish faith who stick by their former captor, despite their oppression at his hands.
$26-$31; Pay what you can on Feb. 27. Feb. 23, 8 p.m.; Feb. 27-28, 7:30 p.m.; March 1-2, 8 p.m.; March 3, 2:30 p.m.; March 6-7, 7:30 p.m.; March 8-9, 8 p.m. Actor's Theatre of Charlotte, 650 E. Stonewall St. 704-342-2251. www.actorstheatrecharlotte.org.
Arts New Mint exhibit showcases Debora Arango
Posted By Anita Overcash on Sat, Feb 23, 2013 at 9:00 AM
Colombian artist Debora Arango wasn't exactly what you'd consider "popular" in her native land when her artwork first surfaced there. That's not because she wasn't a gifted artist - using vibrant brushstrokes and zesty figurative detail, her paintings pop with expressionist flair - but rather because of the controversial political and social context that they carried.
The Medellín-born artist specifically focused on women's rights and the injustices associated with Colombia's unofficial civil war (known in Spanish as "la época de La Violencia") that occurred from 1946 to 1963. Arango's works cross the U.S. border during Sociales: Debora Arango Arrives Today, an exhibit at Mint Museum Uptown. $5-$10. Opens today and continues through June 16. Mint Museum Uptown, 500 S. Tryon St. 704-337-2000. www.mintmuseum.org.
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