This Weekend in Charlotte: Symphony, Tuck Fest, Potted Potter, McColl Center, and More
IT'S FRIDAY NIGHT in uptown, and the sounds of West Side Story are ringing through the streets.
Don't be alarmed. Teenage gangs aren't afoot. You're just close enough to hear the plazacast of a Charlotte Symphony KnightSounds concert. The free, outdoor event, an extension of the concert inside Knight Theater, invites families to bring blankets and settle in with the orchestra.
If the multiple angles and dramatic tunes of Leonard Bernstein and George Gershwin aren't enough, dancers from the Charlotte Ballet join the Symphony for a few selections.
Or maybe you ended up getting a sitter, so you're heading into the theater for the show. Here's a tip: Drinks are actually allowed in the room. That's not a typical offering with the Symphony. It's part of the more casual KnightSounds style. A drink even comes with the price of admission.
The show runs Friday and Saturday. Check out our other picks for the weekend below.
FRIDAY
TUCK FEST
At this U.S. National Whitewater Center event, you can participate in outdoor competitions. Or you can kick back with live music, during all three nights of the festival. Acts like Jason Isbell, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, and Mipso will play for free.
SENSORIA FESTIVAL
Central Piedmont Community College’s flagship multimedia festival has been running for more than 20 years. What started as a literary affair has turned into an event that brings together literature, visual arts, performing arts, film, music, and culinary programs. Most events are free; some have individual admission charges.
CHARLOTTE SYMPHONY KNIGHTSOUNDS: A NIGHT IN NEW YORK
The sounds of Gershwin and Bernstein fill the Knight Theater for this New York-driven program. Bernstein's West Side Story music is part of the lineup, so grab your street gang and head over to Tryon Street. Keep the rival duels outside, though.
THE LONDON SOULS
The New York City outfit periodically brings its vintage brand of rock to Charlotte, this time to the Visulite Theatre. The influences are Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix; the contemporaries are acts like My Morning Jacket.
SATURDAY
POTTED POTTER
Potted Potter is a send-up of the famous boy wizard Harry that works in two ways. On one level, fans get the inside jokes and enjoy the show’s goofy take on Hogwarts. On the other, the loved ones they tow to McGlohon Theater gain more reasons to laugh at the obsession. Everybody wins.
THE FANTASTICKS
The original off-Broadway production of this romantic comedy is the longest-running musical ever. See what’s kept it going all these years at this Duke Energy Theater performance.
DR. SUESS’ THE CAT IN THE HAT
The famous Suess story hits the stage at McColl Family Theatre. From the hat to the rhyme, this translation stays true to the source. Those frightened by large cats with large hats may want to skip this one.
STUDIO PARTY 15
Studio Party 15: Upcycled Gala celebrates the McColl Center's 15 years of operation with a party and art sale. Works will be displayed from past and current artists-in-residence.
SUNDAY
DANCING PROS: LIVE!
Performers from Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance present this show at Knight Theater. The best part? You get to choose the winner. Well, not just you—the entire audience.
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR
Lucia di Lammermoor recalls the romance and political conflicts of Shakespeare. Soprano Kathryn Lewek finally plays her dream role of Lucia in this show at Belk Theater.
