by Raleigh Magazine | Mar 6, 2024 | Do, March 2024
3/7
Canes vs. Canadiens
Can le Club de hockey Canadien handle Hurricane season? Forecast doesn’t look good. pncarena.com
3/7–24
Concerts & Cocktails: The Little Mermaid
The tide isn’t the only thing that’s strong when you’re sipping a dinglehopper-themed ’tail atop 10th & Terrace in honor of Carolina Ballet’s The Little Mermaid—then swim on over to Martin Marietta for the show. Ready to make some waves? 10thandterrace.com
3/7–24
The Little Mermaid
Feeling like a fish out of water? Take a journey under the sea at MMCPA via this world-premiere ballet rendition of Hans Christian Anderson’s classic, ahem, tail. You’re definitely going to enjoy being part of this world. carolinaballet.com
3/8
Chef’s Table: Art in Bloom
What in carnation?! Sample an artistically inspired menu feat. an array of colors and textures—blending the beauty of sight with the beauty of taste. Cooking is a work of art, after all. ncartmuseum.org
3/8
Cold War Kids
Here’s to everyone who mastered Band Hero on their Wii circa 2009. … It’s time to splash around in the muck and the mire and sing along in real time at The Ritz. livenation.com
3/8–9
Rhapsody in Blue
Feeling blue? Compose yourself with bars from Rodeo, Appalachian Spring and The Creation of the World at Meymandi. ncsymphony.org
3/8–10
NCSU vs. Boston College ⚾️
Pack sends the Eagles packin’ at Doak Field. gopack.com
3/9
11th Anniversary Party
Time to rock the block, Raleigh! Belly up for a mouthwatering food truck lineup, live music and exclusive beers on tap (calling all “it girls”)—and don’t miss the keg hoisting and disc golf competitions. See ya in the streets! raleighbrewing.com
3/9
Gabriel Iglesias
“Don’t worry, be fluffy.” Experience all the warm and fuzzies—er, fluffies—with a sillyman widely known for starring in and producing Netflix’s Mr. Iglesias. One show fits all, indeed! pncarena.com
3/9
PBS Kids Rootle Roadster Tour
Hit the road and tote your tots along for hands-on educational activities and games—NTM free showings of Lyla in the Loop in the IMAX Theater. How marble-ous! marbleskidsmuseum.org
3/9
Reptile and Amphibian Day
Iguana be hangin’ with the cold-blooded critters! Embrace all the scaly and slithery wild things via arts and crafts, lectures, close encounters, and more. Alexa, play “Crocodile Rock.” naturalsciences.org
3/9
Throwback Skate Fest
“He was a skater boy.” … Throw it back with timeless tunes, tricks and vendors to trigger all the nostalgia. Roll up to grab a bite, learn a trick or two, and bop your head along to some of your old faves. Talk about a blast from the past. @sk8raleigh
3/9
Tap Yard Anniversary Bash
You’re invited! Tapping into a year of mems, booze and buds, Tap Yard is throwing a half-daylong bday bash spanning midday to midnight feat. fare, drink specials and live music from The Stray Volts. Rock on! tapyardraleigh.com
3/9
Weekend Excursion
Kick off the weekend with this NC-based pop-rock band raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Talk about a fundraiser that totally rocks! therialto.com
3/9–10
Carolina Coin & Stamp Show
Stamp on over for a wild time buying and selling a stockpile of coins, postcards and stamps from around the globe. How in-cents! ncstatefair.org
3/11
PrideLife Business Summit
Get colorful via an inclusive forum for North Carolina’s LGBT-owned enterprises and corporations elevating diversity, equity and inclusion in professional settings. summit.harmonync.org
3/12
Canes vs. Rangers
Ice, ice, baby. Rangers get blown out of Canes territory. pncarena.com
3/13
The Motet With Isaac Hadden Organ Trio
This snazzy six-piece has been bringing the funk for two decades and counting, bestowing a blend of funk, soul, jazz and rock on all who lend them an ear. lincolntheatre.com
3/13
One Hallelujah: Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Send your praises to the heavens via music from Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Jonathan McReynolds, Erica Campbell, Israel Houghton and Jekalyn Carr as they stop in the City of Oaks on their 25-city tour. Hallelujah! martinmariettacenter.com
3/13
Wines from the Bible
Take it back to B.C. for a schoolin’ on OG wines from Greece and Israel. It’s sure to be a tasteful experience (water-turned-to-wine not included). vitishouse.com
by Anna Beth Adcock | Aug 29, 2023 | Do, September 2023
A spotlight on Raleigh’s stage shortage
“It’s exhausting to worry about where and when to do a show—and where comes first,” says David Henderson, founder of Honest Pint Theatre Company on finding performance spaces in Raleigh.
Founded 10 years ago, Honest Pint performs in venues all over the city—from North Raleigh Arts & Creative Theatre and William Peace University to Theatre Raleigh and NC State. And finding a place to perform is a necessity that continues to grow more sparse. Each month, Henderson and co-artistic director Susannah Hough sit down to discuss the shows they hope to schedule for the year—and try to find available space.
“We have to figure out how to adjust what we want to do in the slots available, which unfortunately are few and far between,” explains Henderson. To wit, just because a space is available doesn’t make it feasible. Small theater companies, for example, can’t sell out 700-seat venues.
That lack of a home base while bouncing around from place to place not only takes up time and energy, it makes gaining a following of theatergoers more challenging. “It’s hard to gain a sense of permanence,” says Henderson.
In response to lack of room and parking, for her part, local talent/Theatre Raleigh Producing Artistic Director Lauren Kennedy Brady moved Theatre Raleigh to a new North Raleigh location in 2021 after previously renting at Martin Marietta.
“We have our own autonomy,” says Kennedy Brady of Theatre Raleigh’s current spot. “It’s given us a lot of freedom to grow in the way we’ve wanted for so long—and we’ve also been on the other side where we struggled to find a place to have performances.”
In efforts to assist others seeking a performance setting, Theatre Raleigh offers its venue at low-industry nonprofit rates to myriad organizations, including Honest Pint, in an effort to make theater accessible to performing agencies of all sizes. But booking remains tight and availability fills up fast.
Nevertheless, some organizations are content sans a space of their own. The Justice Theater Project hosts between 80 to 90% of its shows at Umstead Park United Church of Christ. Executive Producer Melissa Zeph appreciates a consistent spot that comes with nominal rental rates without routine ownership expenses and hassles. “I don’t know if I want a space,” says Zeph. “Who wants to own their own theater? Yuck! Although, it would be lovely to have an actual stage.”
While finding areas to perform can certainly be a challenge, there is a silver lining… our creative arts culture is continuing to burgeon. “It’s a gift that we have so much theater in the community,” says Henderson. “The hardest part is the infrastructure.”
While there may not be enough capacity for everybody, Raleigh’s local theater community remains communal. The majority of our local actors, talents and creatives lack a sense of rivalry, instead operating with a mission of sharing what they love and working together to elevate the arts in our city—with many theater professionals hoping to eventually create a theater district/hub for the creative arts Downtown.
“We all want one thing: to do what we love in an area we love. And the more we are able to do that here, the more artists we keep here,” says Henderson. “I think theater as we know it is changing, and if we want to survive, the Raleigh community has to find a way to keep it alive.”
2023-24 Arts and Theatre Preview
Ready to support the cause? Raleigh’s 2023–24 arts and theater season is filled to the brim with can’t-miss productions, plays, musicals and exhibits. The curtain is calling… so nab those tix and settle in your seat for a season of five-star performances and exhibits.
SEPTEMBER
Wicked, through Sept. 17
DPAC | dpacnc.com
Spiders: Fear to Fascination, through Oct. 8
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences | naturalsciences.org
Firebird, Sept. 14–Oct. 1
Carolina Ballet | carolinaballet.com
Last Stop on Market Street, Sept. 16–24
Raleigh Little Theatre | raleighlittletheatre.org
Dutch Art in a Global Age: Masterpieces
From the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Sept. 16–Jan. 7
North Carolina Museum of Art | ncartmuseum.org
The Philadelphia Orchestra, Sept. 20–21
Carolina Performing Arts | carolinaperformingarts.org
OCTOBER
12 Angry Jurors, October
The Justice Theater Project | thejusticetheaterproject.org
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Oct. 5–15
Theatre in the Park | theatreinthepark.com
Beautiful—The Carole King Musical, Oct. 10–15
Raleigh Memorial Auditorium | nctheatre.com
MJ the Musical, Oct. 10–22
DPAC | dpacnc.com
Arcadia, Oct. 12–29
Burning Coal Theatre Company | burningcoal.org
Frankenstein, Oct. 12–29
Carolina Ballet | carolinaballet.com
Rimini Protokoll, Oct. 14–15
Carolina Performing Arts | carolinaperformingarts.org
Barbecue, Oct. 18–29
Theatre Raleigh | theatreraleigh.com
Hiromi’s Sonicwonder, Oct. 20
NC State LIVE | live.arts.ncsu.edu
Misery, Oct. 20–Nov. 5
Raleigh Little Theatre | raleighlittletheatre.org
La Traviata, Oct. 27 & 29
NC Opera | ncopera.org
NOVEMBER
Zoe & Cloyd, Nov. 4
NC State LIVE | live.arts.ncsu.edu
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Nov. 16–19
Carolina Ballet | carolinaballet.com
Mean Girls, Nov. 24–26
DPAC | dpacnc.com
DECEMBER
Moonlight, Through Dec. 17
Burning Coal Theatre Company | burningcoal.org
Black Nativity in Concert, December
The Justice Theater Project | thejusticetheaterproject.org
Cinderella 2023, Dec. 1–17
Raleigh Little Theatre | raleighlittletheatre.org
The Nutcracker, Dec. 8–9
City Ballet Raleigh | city-ballet.com
A Christmas Carol 50th Anniversary, Dec. 8–10
Theatre In The Park | theatreinthepark.com
Elf: The Musical, Dec. 9–17
North Carolina Theatre | nctheatre.com
The 1940s Radio Tour, Dec. 13–24
Theatre Raleigh | theatreraleigh.com
The Nutcracker, Dec. 14–24
Carolina Ballet | carolinaballet.com
JANUARY
Hymn, Jan. 25–Feb. 11
Burning Coal Theatre Company | burningcoal.org
Compagnie Hervé KOUBI, Jan. 27
NC State LIVE | live.arts.ncsu.edu
FEBRUARY
Rhapsody in Blue, Feb. 1–18
Carolina Ballet | carolinaballet.com
The Barber of Seville, Feb. 2 & 4
NC Opera | ncopera.org
Nate the Great, Feb. 2–11
Raleigh Little Theatre | raleighlittletheatre.org
Peter Pan, Feb. 27–March 3
DPAC | dpacnc.com
MARCH
Alexa Tarantino Quartet, March 1
NC State LIVE | live.arts.ncsu.edu
The Little Mermaid, March 7–24
Carolina Ballet | carolinaballet.comcarolinaballet.com
Trouble in Mind, March 15–31
Raleigh Little Theatre | raleighlittletheatre.org
Mrs. Doubtfire, March 19–24
DPAC | dpacnc.com
APRIL
A Little Night Music, April 4–21
Burning Coal Theatre Company | burningcoal.org
Rent, April 20–28
North Carolina Theatre | nctheatre.com
The Girl of the Golden West, April 21
NC Opera | ncopera.org
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2, April 25–28
Carolina Ballet | carolinaballet.com
MAY
Looking for Roberto Clemente, May 4–12
Raleigh Little Theatre | raleighlittletheatre.org
The Lion King, May 15–June 9
DPAC | dpacnc.com
Cinderella, May 16–19
Carolina Ballet | carolinaballet.com
JUNE
Kinky Boots, June 7–23
Raleigh Little Theatre | raleighlittletheatre.org
Once on This Island, June 22–30
North Carolina Theatre | nctheatre.com
by Jane Porter | Oct 9, 2017 | Do, October 2017
Forget your troubles and escape to a magical undersea world where life truly is the bubbles; this month, DPAC hosts an adaptation of Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
Originally written for Broadway in 2007, the show failed to wow critics when it opened the next year at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater, and it had a relatively short run. Glenn Casale, who directed an acclaimed 2004 production of Beauty and the Beast, came onboard to reinvigorate the lackluster musical.
Casale tweaked aspects of the script to make it more coherent, changed the score, reimagined the costumes and set design, and suspended actors playing sea creatures from harnesses tethered to wires to simulate swimming, ditching the roller skates they used in the original version.
“All that helps make it a big, fantastical adventure,” says Diana Huey, who 5th Avenue Theatre cast as Ariel last year, and who currently stars as the mermaid in Broadway Across America’s tour with the Kansas City Star Light and Pittsburgh CLO Theatre, through November. “I loved, loved, loved the Disney movie, so it is really exciting to get to do this. It’s a dream. The 6 year-old in me was very excited.”
Huey, who bested around 50 other would-be mermaids in auditions, has earned rave reviews for her singing and her spirited interpretation of Ariel. The musical includes all the best-known songs from the Disney movie, plus several new songs from composer Alan Menken, who, with Howard Ashman, wrote the film’s original score.
When she was cast, however, Huey, who is Japanese American, faced backlash from people who insisted that Ariel needed to be white. Huey says hearing that criticism, based not on her performance as an actor but on what she looked like, stung. Ariel is a mythical mermaid princess, after all, not a character with a specific cultural background.
Because of that experience, Huey says, she is speaking out on diversity in casting.
“It’s great to have kids see a diversely cast show and have that be the norm for them,” Huey says. “The negative feedback I got has come from adults. Kids are not necessarily seeing someone who ‘doesn’t look like Ariel playing Ariel.’ It’s cool and uplifting, and I hope it helps instill in them being able to see things with an open mind, and when they’re adults, they won’t even be having those conversations.”
