Weekend Arts Events (May 20-22)
FRIDAY
CHARLOTTE SYMPHONY KNIGHTSOUNDS: ROMEO & JULIET
Opera Carolina, Charlotte Ballet, and the symphony team up for this Knightsounds program (which I’m sorry, won’t feature Leonardo DiCaprio). Screens inside the theater will show close-ups of the performers, as an outdoor screen projects the show in the plaza of the Levine Center for the Arts. This one’s for the romantics out there.
KENNY CHESNEY
As it warms up, it’s time for two summer fixtures: beers and the denim-clad Kenny Chesney on an outdoor stage. Nashville's Old Dominion opens for the country superstar.
MARLON WAYANS
A member of the Wayans dynasty, one of comedy’s most famous families, Wayans brings his energetic and observational humor to the Fillmore stage for this show. His latest tour is titled “Scandal-less.”
SATURDAY
DRUMSTRONG 2016
The festival returns to Misty Meadows Farm, once again benefitting the Drums for Cures organization. Acts include The Kruger Brothers, Jeff Sipe Trio, Get Right Band, and more. A drum circle A drum circle that takes place alongside DrumStrong events across the world helps to raise money and awareness to fight cancer.
AN EVENING WITH DANNY WOOD
Danny Wood, a member of famed boy band New Kids on the Block, brings a different sound to the Neighborhood Theatre. Wood’s solo rock tunes have a ballad-style slant, with this date offering a more intimate vibe than the New Kids’ most recent tour.
THE ADDAMS FAMILY
Wednesday Addams has grown up, and a possible suitor has appeared. See what happens when he and his family meet the creepy and eccentric Addams family.
CHARLOTTE MUSEUM OF HISTORY
A colonial home and its grounds are the backdrop for this museum. Built in 1774, the 5,000-square-foot Hezekiah Alexander House is the oldest surviving structure of its kind in Mecklenburg County. Guided tours are available throughout the grounds. Enter The Dragon: A Contemporary Chinese and Chinese American Art Exhibit (through May 31) is a series of solo art exhibits of prominent Chinese and Chinese-American artists. A photo exhibition (May 1-31) will chronicle the experiences of Chinese-Americans in Charlotte over the past 100 years. MecDec Day Celebration (May 21) commemorates the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, which some believe was the first of its kind during the American Revolution.
SUNDAY
MARIA BAMFORD
Bamford's eccentric show is full of voices, anecdotes, and trademark introspection from the seasoned comic. She visits amid the release of her highly anticipated Netflix show, Lady Dynamite.
HARVEY B. GANTT CENTER FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN ARTS +CULTURE
Once called the Afro-American Cultural Center, this museum opened in the 1970s and jumped around to different venues before settling in its current South Tryon Street location in 2009. Dance Theatre of Harlem: 40 Years of Firsts (through June 26) celebrates the famous ensemble with costumes, set pieces, and video excerpts. 1960Now (through June 26) is the work of photographer and activist Sheila Pree Bright, who provides black-and-white images of the ’60s Civil Rights movement and current activists. The museum’s permanent exhibition, the John & Vivian Hewitt Collection of African-American Art, showcases the work of 20 artists, including Charlotte native Romare Bearden.
