THEATRE | MUSIC | DANCE | MUSEUMS | ART OPENINGS | OUTDOORS & MORE

PLAYS & THEATRE

JERSEY BOYS
Raleigh Memorial Auditorium
June 24 - July 18
“TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!” raves the New York Post for JERSEY BOYS, the 2006 Tony Award®-winning Best Musical about Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi. This is the story of how four blue-collar kids became one of the greatest successes in pop music history. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide – all before they were 30!
JERSEY BOYS, winner of the 2006 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Show Album, features their hit songs “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Rag Doll,” “Oh What a Night” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”
The JERSEY BOYS creative team comprises two-time Tony Award®-winning director Des McAnuff, book writers Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, composer Bob Gaudio, lyricist Bob Crewe and choreographer Sergio Trujillo.
www.JerseyBoysInfo.com

The Sound of Music
Raleigh Memorial Auditorium
July 25 – August 2
Coined as the world’s most beloved musical, The Sound of Music tells the story of the high-spirited Maria, a woman who is sent to serve as governess for the seven children of a widowed naval captain. At first the captain’s stern nature is a problem for Maria, but as time goes on, she touches the Von Trapp family’s hearts with her compassion and spirit, and eventually Maria and the Captain fall in love, and they marry. World War II and Nazi Germany is the backdrop to the story and their narrow escape is an inspiration to all.  Get tickets top the Raleigh performance of the Sound of Music today.
www.nctheatre.com

Cirque Dreams Illumination
Durham Performing Arts Center
September 15-20
From the creators of the groundbreaking BROADWAY HIT Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy comes an all new journey of nighttime dreamers whose imaginations are ignited within a landscape of towering buildings and infinite possibilities. Created and Directed by Neil Goldberg, Cirque Dreams Illumination has been hailed as "Dazzling!...a reason to stand up and cheer" by the New York Daily News. Audiences of all ages will marvel and experience a journey of city dwellers who reinvent everyday objects, balance beyond belieft, delicately dangle from wires, leap tall buildings and redefine the risks of flight in an array of astounding occurences that transform the ordinary into extraordinary.
www.dpacnc.com

The Last Cargo Cult
Paul Green Theatre
September 16-20
The astonishing true story of remote South Pacific islanders’ religious worship of America and its wealth, or ‘cargo’; a religion which sprung to life after America abandoned its temporary military bases at the end of WWII. The tale is interwoven with reflections on global worship of American economic might, now shaken by the collapse of the US financial system. Daisey works only from notes, so no two performances are exactly alike. The New York Times called monologist Mike Daisey “the master storyteller ... one of the finest solo performers of his generation.”
www.playmakersrep.org

Opus
Paul Green Theatre
September 23 - October 11
Talent and temperament collide in a behind-the-scenes look at the world’s finest ‘fictional’ string quartet. The famous ensemble threatens to unravel when its most talented member goes missing and a young woman is hired to take his place. Collaboration with UNC’s Department of Music as in our hit 2008 production of Amadeus, brings wondrous music to enrich the drama of our Mainstage season opener.
www.playmakersrep.org

West Side Story
Raleigh Memorial Auditorium
October 17-25
West Side Story is a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, set in the slums of New York City as two young lovers find themselves caught between rival street gangs, the Jets and the Sharks. Their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence and prejudice is one of the most innovative, heart-wrenching and relevant musical dramas of our time. Get your tickets for the Raleigh performance of West Side Story today.
www.nctheatre.com

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
Paul Green Theatre
November 11 - December 20
The complete Dickens masterpiece comes to life! In a culture grown tired of the sound bite, we’re seeing attention return to great storytelling traditions, and long before new masters such as JK Rowling, there was Charles Dickens, the greatest serial writer of them all. Edgar’s adaptation takes us on a thrilling ride, with humor, fantastic turns of fate, and the rich, emotional moments that make up life’s astounding journey. www.playmakersrep.org

Nutcracker – Carolina Ballet
UNC Memorial Hall
December 5
A holiday season staple, Robert Weiss' Nutcracker is a fantasy classic, capturing the irrepressible imagination of a child’s world in which all things are possible. Featuring toy soldiers, dancing snowflakes, an army of mice and the Sugar Plum Fairy, the original work was Tchaikovsky’s third and last major ballet.
Renowned for its story ballets, Carolina Ballet has served the Triangle community since 1997 under the inspired leadership of artistic director Robert Weiss, formerly a principal dancer with New York City Ballet.
www.carolinaperformaingarts.org

All My Sons
Paul Green Theatre
January 27 - February 14, 2010
Consequences of a business decision rock the foundations of a family and send shockwaves into the larger world. This Pulitzer Prize-winning play born of wartime in another era speaks as clearly to us now as it did then. Miller’s masterpiece explores the moral question of what we are responsible for, and who we are responsible to, in a time of war.
www.playmakersrep.org

The Importance of Being Earnest
Paul Green Theatre
March 3-21, 2010
Absolutely one of the funniest comedies in the English language. Wicked wit and dead-on social satire wrapped in a Victorian confection of dual identities, matters matrimonial and the provenance of a particularly pertinent handbag. Wilde's exquisitely delicious dialogue and hilarious turns of phrase are an irresistible delivery system for his subversive look at society.
www.playmakersrep.org

I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given To Me By A Young Lady From Rwanda
Paul Green Theatre
March 24-28, 2010
A heartbreaking, yet eloquently healing story of a Rwandan refugee in London as she attempts to write a book recollecting her country’s genocide. When she seeks guidance from a burnt-out poet/novelist, their relationship becomes a hopeful exploration of bridging cultural gaps. Inspired by actual experiences of young refugees living in the United Kingdom.
www.playmakersrep.org

Uncle Vanya – Maly Drama Theatre of St. Petersburg
UNC Memorial Hall
March 31, 2010
An acutely observed study of humanity and a perfectly structured drama, Chekhov's Uncle Vanya remains a classic of Russian theater — a play of tragic and tangled love combining comic scenes of the everyday with a scathing attack on the idle provincial life of the upper classes.
With costumes inspired by the first production of Uncle Vanya by the Moscow Arts Theatre in 1899, The Maly Drama Theatre of St. Petersburg — one of the great arts ensembles of Russia — captures the very essence of Chekhov's poignant and affecting vision, offering a rare and superb opportunity to see Russian drama presented by those who understand it best.
www.carolinaperformaingarts.org
 

MUSIC

Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain and Edgar Meyer
UNC Memorial Hall
October 11
Three masters of disparate musics, banjoist supreme Béla Fleck, double bass virtuoso Edgar Meyer and Indian tabla master Zakir Hussain share an unprecedented array of projects and pairings among them that touch every geographical and stylistic corner of the musical world. Major innovators on their respective instruments, they come together to perform an intimate concert of original music that explores intertwining strands between American roots music and the classical Indian tradition.
www.carolinaperformaingarts.org

Tinariwen
UNC Memorial Hall
February 15, 2010
Icons of freedom and resistance, Tinariwen’s edgy, bluesy sound has earned them fans like Robert Plant and Carlos Santana, whose own music, along with that of John Lee Hooker and others, inspired Tinariwen’s members when they first picked up electric guitars.  Formed in Muammar Al-Qaddafi's rebel training camps in Libya, these exiled nomads-turned-rock-stars of the Sahara Desert have become the soundtrack for Touareg independence and reconciliation, combining traditional Touareg melodies with blues, rock, pop, Berber and Arabic influences to create spare, hypnotic songs.
www.carolinaperformaingarts.org


DANCE

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet
Durham Performing Arts Center
June 25-27
Get ready to move! Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet presents Israeli modern choreographer Ohad Naharin’s Decadance (2007), acclaimed by The New York Times as “dancing that pulls viewers right out of their seats.” Naharin’s work is a choreographic feat that pieces together two decades of material to create an explosive new masterpiece. An incomparable testament to fierce athleticism, Naharin’s choreography requires dancers to commit every gesture with complete concentration and intensity. You won’t be able to keep still as you witness this riveting performance at the ADF this summer.
www.dpacnc.com

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet
Durham Performing Arts Center
July 2-4
“A breath of fresh air! The Aspen Santa Fe Ballet has 12 engaging and very good dancers and two ambitious and very smart directors who know their choreographers.” – The New York Times
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet bridges the gap between ballet and modern dance featuring rarely seen gems including the reconstructions of Twyla Tharp’s Sue’s Leg (1975), one of her most legendary, most complex, and most layered modern works, and Laura Dean’s Night (1980), a piece that skillfully incorporates traditional ballet steps with hallmarks of her legendary work: Dean’s own music and geometric patterns. One of the most clever and innovative companies performing today, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet will also perform William Forsythe’s Slingerland Pas de Deux (2000), a stunning piece from their repertory, and Jorma Elo’s Red Sweet (2008). Get ready for a fantastic evening of modern dance that will keep you talking.
www.dpacnc.com

Pilobolus
Durham Performing Arts Center
July 9-11
“The purest Pilobolus experiences have involved metamorphosis . . . one image merges into another, organically, poetically, inexplicably.” – The New York Times
Be the first to see unforgettable new work from perennial Festival favorite, Pilobolus! An ADF commissioned World Premiere by Jonathan Wolken entitled Redline and an exciting new work (also an ADF commission) by Israeli choreographers Avshalom Pollak and Inbal Pinto will once again dazzle and amaze. Also on the program and back by popular demand is Pilobolus’ first collaboration with Pollak and Pinto, Rushes, a display of striking choreography complete with dancing chairs which promises to be just as thrilling as its first incarnation at the ADF in 2007. Rounding out the evening is Ocellus (1971), a classic men’s quartet sure to evoke breathtaking memories of the company’s origins, and Walklyndon (1971), a colorful vaudeville romp that is pure Pilobolus to the core.
www.dpacnc.com

Paul Taylor Dance Company
Durham Performing Arts Center
July 16-18
“Paul Taylor is the reigning master of modern dance.” – Time Magazine
One of the world’s most highly respected artists, Paul Taylor has had a lasting effect on modern dance. Taylor remains among the most sought-after choreographers working today and boasts a collection of over 128 works created over six decades in dance. Licensed for performance by more than 75 companies worldwide, many of Taylor’s works have been performed by the world’s top ballet companies. This summer, experience three of his most remarkable works. One of his most recent, Beloved Renegade (2008) is inspired by the poems of Walt Whitman and set to the music of Francis Poulenc’s “Gloria”. Also on the program is Mercuric Tidings (1982), hailed by The New York Post as a work “danced for the sheer joy of it, the controlled expenditure of animal energy, poetry expressed as a time and motion study”. Filling out the program is the 1963 ADF commissioned Scudorama, a gem even most Taylor devotees haven’t seen, complete with a jazzy-classical score by Clarence Jackson.
www.dpacnc.com

Mark Morris Dance Group
Durham Performing Arts Center
July 23-25
“Morris is the most important choreographer since George Balanchine.” – The Boston Globe
The Festival comes to a close with the über-talented Mark Morris Dance Group. An ADF favorite, Morris is one of the dance world’s most accomplished choreographers, having set works on both ballet and modern dance companies throughout his storied career. The Mark Morris Dance Group regularly performs across the United States, at major international festivals, and is also noted for its commitment to live music. Morris’ ever-eclectic company has teamed up with leading orchestras, opera companies, musicians, and has even forayed into the world of film and television. Works on the Festival program include Peccadillos (2000), Excursions (2008), Going Away Party (1990), A Lake (1991), and Candleflowerdance (2005).
www.dpacnc.com

Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca
UNC Memorial Hall
November 20
Hailed by critics around the globe for its transcendent and profoundly emotional performances, Spain’s award-winning Noche Flamenca is the most authentic flamenco touring company in the world today, presenting the essence, purity and integrity of one of the world's most complex and mysterious art forms.
Featuring the extraordinary dancer and founding member Soledad Barrio, Noche Flamenca gives vivid life to all three elements, cante (song), toque (guitar) and dance, creating the true communal spirit that lies at the heart of flamenco.
www.carolinaperformaingarts.org

Arnie Zane Dance Company – Fondly Do We Hope...Fervently Do We Pray
UNC Memorial Hall
January 15, 2010
Tony Award-winning choreographer Bill T. Jones' ambitious new dance-theater work challenges and celebrates the legacy of Abraham Lincoln. Fondly Do We Hope...Fervently Do We Pray is taken from Lincoln's second inaugural address and the performance will investigate a handful of key moments from his remarkable life, allowing song and memory to transport the audience to an emotional and intellectual place beyond the boundaries of space and time.
www.carolinaperformaingarts.org

STREB: Brave
UNC Memorial Hall
February 19-20, 2010
Exploding with suspense and ingenuity, STREB’s virtuosic, daredevil performers combine extreme sports with dance. With backgrounds in ballet, modern dance, martial arts, acrobatics and circus skills, they are renowned for their fearlessness, unyielding precision and aggressive physicality.
www.carolinaperformaingarts.org

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
UNC Memorial Hall
April 10-11, 2010
Alvin Ailey's story is one of the most inspirational in the history of American performing arts, and his genius forever changed the perception of American dance.  For half a century, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has served as this country's dance ambassador, bringing African American cultural expression and the American modern dance tradition to the world's stages.  The legacy continues with Judith Jamison’s remarkable vision and the extraordinary artistry of the company’s beautiful dancers. The superb technique, passion and inimitable style that are the hallmarks of the Ailey tradition continue to dazzle audiences around the globe.
www.carolinaperformaingarts.org

Compañía Nacional de Danza – Bach: Multiplicity / Forms of Silence and Emptiness
UNC Memorial Hall
April 17-18, 2010
The superb dancers of Spain’s Compañía Nacional de Danza perform a deeply felt homage to Johann Sebastian Bach with Multiplicity — a fluid, shifting collage of music, costumes and settings exploring his life — and Forms of Silence and Emptiness., a mystical reflection on death, so present in Bach’s masterpiece The Art of Fugue.  Synthesizing classical and modern dance with a distinctly Spanish flair and passion, choreographer Nacho Duato creates dramatically charged works of remarkable beauty and is hailed internationally as a major innovator in contemporary ballet.
www.carolinaperformaingarts.org


MUSEUMS & EXHIBITIONS

Looking Forward/Looking Back: In Praise of Collectors and Collecting
Ackland Art Museum
February 28 - Summer 2009
In celebration of the Ackland's fiftieth anniversary, the Museum will exhibit the many recent gifts and acquisitions that reflect the growing strength of the Ackland Collection. In addition, the galleries will include a memorial tribute to Sherman E. Lee and the many others whose expertise and generosity shape the past and the future of the Ackland Art Museum. Curators: Carolyn Wood, Timothy Riggs, Carol Gillham, and special guests.
www.acklandart.org

Knights of the Black Flag
North Carolina Museum of History
March 6 – July 6
Pirates — those swashbuckling, seafaring scoundrels — will swagger to the forefront in a major exhibit opening Friday, March 6, at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh. Knights of the Black Flag will explore the legacy of infamous rogues of the high seas, from ancient times to the present. Intriguing artifacts, legends and history will bring their ruthless adventures to life.
“This interactive exhibit will be an exciting experience for all ages,” says Ken Howard, museum director. “We will be showing many objects related to pirates, including the largest collection of artifacts ever exhibited from the shipwreck believed to be Blackbeard’s flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge.”
http://ncmuseumofhistory.org/

Tune in to a Familiar Voice
September 17
Meadowmont
Our first September Party with a Purpose event!
Join Judy Kramer at home as she hosts Joan Siefert Rose, who will share her experiences as the former managing director of WUNC Radio during the time of its greatest growth and change. Judy Kramer will create a late summer lunch at her new Meadowmont home. Come and meet the on-air personality behind the familiar voice.
Everybody enjoys a party. Here is an opportunity to do it with a purpose: to support the Chapel Hill Museum's award-winning education programs. Party with a Purpose is a sequence of delectable and entertaining events which run throughout the year.
www.chapelhillmuseum.org

Meet Me on Franklin Street: Celebrating the Character of Chapel Hill
Ongoing
Chapel Hill Museum
The tale of the town's most beloved thoroughfare has opened as a permanent exhibit.
Franklin Street is the heart of Chapel Hill, home to long-time traditions, and the place to go for restaurants, shopping, parades, protests, and celebrations. From the auction of the village lots in 1793, to the 2005 celebration of UNC's basketball championship, milestones in the town's history have taken place on our main thoroughfare.
The images, the stories, and the voices of Chapel Hill come together to tell the story of the street and its colorful history: from the general stores to the protests to the flower ladies that have given Franklin Street its character.
www.chapelhillmuseum.org

Heroes of Yesterday, Heroes of Today: The History of the Chapel Hill Fire Department
Ongoing
Chapel Hill Museum
The Chapel Hill Fire Department (CHFD) originated as a proposal to the town's leaders in 1896. While the idea was well received, the department was not officially formed until 1901 when a hook and ladder outfit and two reels of hose were purchased.
The first loosely-assembled band of Chapel Hill firefighters were a handful of volunteers who were determined to protect the community's life and property, and fearless in the face of danger. Today, the Chapel Hill Fire Department has nearly 100 professional firefighters, spread across five stations strategically placed to best respond to our growing community's needs.
www.chapelhillmuseum.org

Elected to Serve: North Carolina's Governors
North Carolina Museum of History
Ongoing
Explore how governors have helped shape North Carolina through contributions to areas such as agriculture, industry, and education, while defining their roles as leaders.
http://ncmuseumofhistory.org

ART

Metamorphosis in Ovid's Poetry and Early Modern Art
Ackland Art Museum
February 4 - August 2
Metamorphosis in Ovid's Poetry and Early Modern Art examines Ovid's tales of transformation and what they signified for early modern artists and authors. Utilizing ten works of art from the Ackland's permanent collection and two seventeenth-century volumes from the Rare Book Collection, the exhibition explores the ways in which Ovid's epic poem was used to explain not only the evolution of the world and man's interaction with the gods, but also issues of morality, identity, and the self. The exhibition includes prints, drawings, and sculpture by Dutch, German, Italian, French, and English artists from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, including Salvator Rosa, Hans Sebald Beham, and Charles Le Brun, among others.
www.ackland.org

Highlights of the American Collection
N.C. Museum of Art
February 15 - August 2
Highlights of the American Collection showcases a selection of some of the finest paintings from the Museum’s American collection. The 19 paintings are arranged thematically, allowing for interesting, often surprising, conversations among works by different artists from different generations.
http://ncartmuseum.org

Sage in the Bamboo Grove: The Legacy of Sherman E. Lee
Ackland Art Museum
February 28 - September 20
Sage in the Bamboo Grove is a multi-gallery exhibition showcasing the ways in which Lee helped to build the Ackland. As a connoisseur and scholar, he advised Ackland directors and curators on Museum purchases in the field of Asian art; he served as advisor to collectors who then donated to the Ackland Collection; and Lee and his wife Ruth gave generously through the years from their own collection. Sage in the Bamboo Grove will feature a selection of works drawn from these three areas, including screens, scrolls, sculpture, and ceramics of major aesthetic quality. All are treasures in the Ackland Collection.
www.ackland.org

ALDWYTH Collage and Assemblage 1991 - 2009
Ackland Art Museum
May 31 - September 13
For decades, the collage artist Aldwyth has produced her art in relative seclusion from the larger art world. Now seventy-three, her first major retrospective will premiere at the Ackland May 31, 2009.
"The Ackland is privileged to be the first museum to present an Aldwyth exhibition of this scale," says Ackland Director Emily Kass. "Her remarkable work demands to be seen. It is hard to think of an audience who will not be mesmerized by these extraordinary pieces of art."
www.ackland.org

Photographs from the Duke University Special Collections Library
Nasher Museum of Art
July 2 - October 18
Beyond Beauty: Photographs from the Duke University Special Collections Library features more than 80 original photographs, films, personal artifacts and rare published portfolios, many of which will be on view for the first time. The exhibition includes photographic material from the 1860s to the present, selected from Duke's Rare Book, Manuscript and Special Collections Library. The exhibition was organized by Duke's Special Collections Library and the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University and will be on view at the Nasher Museum from July 2 through October 18, 2009.
www.nasher.duke.edu

Picasso and the Allure of Language
Nasher Museum of Art
August 20, 2009 - January 3, 2010
The Nasher Museum presents a groundbreaking exhibition examining Pablo Picasso's lifelong relationship with writers and the many ways in which language affected his work. "Picasso and the Allure of Language" comprises some 60 works in all media by Picasso, as well as select examples by fellow artist Georges Braque, and photographs, letters, manuscripts and book projects by a diverse group of artists and writers. Together, these works illuminate Picasso's deep and multidimensional interest in writing and language, and challenge the notion of what have been considered "highlights" of his lifetime of work.
www.nasher.duke.edu
 

OUTDOORS AND MORE!

Dancing At the Rooster Club
Chatham County's Rooster Club
September 25
Our final Party with a Purpose event for 2009!
Slide on down to Chatham County's Rooster Club, all you roosters and chicks! Wanna party?. . .Wanna dance?. . .Wanna learn some new steps?. . .Wanna eat? Fried chicken and fixins' with wine and beer. Kick up your heels, the fun will start when y'all get here. . .
Everybody enjoys a party. Here is an opportunity to do it with a purpose: to support the Chapel Hill Museum's award-winning education programs. Party with a Purpose is a sequence of delectable and entertaining events which run throughout the year.
www.chapelhillmuseum.org

Holiday Cabaret
December 5
Chapel Hill Museum
Celebrate the Season! Chapel Hill Museum's holiday event features a fabulous repast, wine and a professional theatre performance by award-winning EbzB Productions. Serena Ebhardt, star of War Bonds, will delight us with the cabaret, In One Era and Out the Other. This will be the tenth year for this beloved Chapel Hill tradition.
www.chapelhillmuseum.org

The Carnivore Preservation Trust
Located in Pittsboro, NC, the Carnivore Preservation Trust is a 55-acre educational facility and sanctuary for large cats and other species, including a Black Leopard, a Snow Leopard and an 800 pound Tiger. Originally designed by a University of North Carolina geneticist as a breeding facility for endangered species, the sanctuary is now also dedicated to rescuing, treating and housing animals, as well as educating the public. Public tours are available on weekends. (919) 542-4684
Visit Website

Tobacco Heritage
Second Saturdays of every month 10am - Take a 1 to 2 hour walking tour examining Durham's industrial history. Presented by the Historic Preservation Society of Durham. Call: 919-682-3036
www.preservationdurham.org

Wafting the Eno River
Daily 10am & 3:30pm, Thru September - Take a 2 hour float trip in inflatable wafts led by naturalist River Dave; all ages welcome; call for reservations.
Price: $13. Call: 919-471-3802
www.wafter.org

NC Botanical Gardens
Garden Tours - Saturdays 10am
Tours of the southern plant collections. Old Mason Farm Road near US 15-501 - Bypass, Chapel Hill - www.ncbg.unc.edu

Raleigh Historic Tours
Sundays at 2pm
Walking tour of the Capitol & Blount St. Historic Districts. Tours start at Wilmington St. across from the Capitol. $10, $5 ages 7-12, $25 families. 919-829-4988.

Inn Online Reservations>>
Special Spring Inn Package>>
(919) 542-2121

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