The Arts Scene This Spring!

BY: JASON HUDDLE

The arts and humanities teach us who we are and what we can be. They lie at the very core of the culture of which we’re a part.

—President Ronald Reagan

In a time where everything seems to be polarized, the arts have a way of bringing people together. When we can’t agree on who should be president, or what laws should or shouldn’t be enacted, the visual and performing arts allow our minds to escape and our thoughts to explore what might be possible.

For a community of under 200,000 residents, Cabarrus County has an impressive arts scene. From juried art exhibitions to performances of Broadway musicals and nationally known musical acts, there is something for everyone in the region. This season, there are three venues offering that aforementioned escape and many opportunities to let your mind wander.

"Mamma Mia!", playing at Old Courthouse Theatre in May, combines romance, comedy and the iconic music of ABBA.

Clear Water Art Center & Studios always has something on display to delight a wide variety of art enthusiasts.

Photo Courtesy: Michael A. Anderson Photography

Mamma Mia! At Old Courthouse Theatre

May 7-17

This popular musical, set on a Greek island and based around the iconic music of ABBA, tells the story of Sophie, a young woman who is soon to be married. All she wants to make her wedding perfect is to be walked down the aisle by her father. There’s only one problem. Sophie doesn’t quite know who her real father is. Her single mother, Donna, could not be sure exactly whom he is either, because of several relationships she had around the time her daughter would have been conceived. After finding her mother’s

"Mamma Mia!"

pregnancy diary, it is determined there are three possible fathers. Sophie then decides to invite all three men, Sam, Bill & Harry to her wedding in hopes she can discover which one is her actual father.

What follows is a fun and engaging story that highlights the importance of friends, an atypical definition of what family is all about, as well as many ABBA classics such as, “Take a Chance on Me”, “Dancing Queen” and, of course, “Mamma Mia!”.

This production, directed by Jerry Skaggs, will be the fifth and final show of Old Courthouse Theatre’s 44th season. However, it was not included as part of the season ticket package. Therefore, season-ticket holders will need to purchase a separate ticket for the show.

The run will begin May 7 and will run through May 17. Visit octconcord.com for showtimes and to purchase tickets.

(Top and Bottom Left) Mamma Mia!, playing Old Courthouse Theater in May, is sure to dazzle musical fans, especially those who love the music of ABBA. (Top and Bottom Right) The juried art show at Clearwater Art Center and Studios has a variety of art on display, and for sale, through March 26.

Clear Water Art Center & Studios

Clear Water Art Center and Studios is currently hosting a juried art show through March 26.

Photo Courtesy: Michael A. Anderson Photography

Now it their 50th year, the Cabarrus Art Guild has found a new home at Clearwater Art Center & Studios, located near downtown Concord. As a result, they are utilizing the center to host their annual juried art show for the first time.

The show consists of a plethora of art, ranging from paintings to woodworking and glasswork as well. “The guild is really good at reaching out to a variety of artists,” director of the art center, Sarah Gay, said in a recent episode of the Up Front with Cabarrus Magazine podcast, entitled, “Cabin Fever!”.

The woodturners also do demonstrations on (open house) days as well, which is not something you would normally see if you just came in on a normal day.

—Sarah Gay

The art show is open to the public during normal operational hours and runs through March 26.

In addition, there are several other events taking place at Clearwater this Spring, including the RCCC annual student art show, which will launch with a public reception on April 3. For this event, faculty from the school select the best works of art to be on display and, in some cases, for sale.

Another regular event at the center includes an open house that takes place on the second Saturday of each month. On these days, the public is invited to come watch and interact with artists as they work, ask questions, enjoy the art on display and, perhaps, purchase some as well. “The woodturners also do demonstrations on those days as well,” explained Gay, “Which is not something you would normally see if you just came in on a normal day.” Each open house runs from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. A new monthly event just added to the calendar is “Yoga in the Gallery”, taking place on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m until 7:30 p.m. The class is led by certified and registered yoga instructor, Vicki Geros and all skill levels are welcomed. The cost for each class is $6.

Visit clearwaterartists.com for more information on these and other events at the center.

The Galleries/ Davis Theater

David Myles (Above) and Susan Werner (Below) will be performing together at the Davis Theater this month.

Photos Courtesy: Matt Dunlap and Susan Werner

Of course, the Cabarrus Arts Council always has something for art lovers of many varieties available at their building, located inside the historic Cabarrus County courthouse in downtown Concord, which is also the home of The Galleries, as well as The Davis Theater.

Also taking the Davis Theater stage this spring will be Steel Wheels (above) and Melinda Doolittle (below)

Photos courtesy: Steel Wheels and Melinda Doolittle

Currently on display in The Galleries this spring is the exhibition entitled, “Tone”. This treat for photographic art enthusiasts. Running now through April 25, the show features local photographic educators and their mentees, who have become colleagues, according to the Arts Council website. “Tone explores various approaches to photography, the relationship between mentor and mentee, and interpretations of the word, ‘tone’.” The galleries are open Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

The Galleries will also be hosting a “Family Day” on April 25, where families can come and create art at different workstations set up throughout The Galleries. Designed for preschool and elementary-aged children, the event is free and runs from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m..

“Tone”, a photographic exhibition, is currently showing in The Galleries through April 25.

“Tone explores various approaches to photography, the relationship between mentor and mentee, and interpretations of the word, ‘tone’”.

—CabarrusArtsCouncil.org

The Davis Theatre is featuring three acts this month and next. Kicking things off will be former American Idol finalist, Melinda Doolittle on March 7. Once tonedeaf as a child, Doolittle was undaunted by those around her who begged her not to sing. Then, in seventh grade, she entered a talent competition, nailed the vocals and thus began a career that has taken her to sing at the White House, Carnegie Hall and as a featured guest of the Boston Pops. She has also served as a background vocalist for legendary artists such as Michael McDonald, Aretha Franklin, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Aaron Neville and Johnny Lang.

Next, on March 21, two famed singer/songwriters, Susan Werner and David Myles will take the Davis Theater stage. Werner has been praised as an “innovative” songwriter with and exciting live show, while Myles is a highly respected Canadian folk jazz singer, whom the arts council website calls, “part soulful pop crooner and part back porch roots.”

Finally, on April 4, The Steel Wheels, a Virginia-based, acoustic roots band, will be performing as well. The band, composed of Trent Wagler (guitar/banjo), Eric Brubaker (fiddle), Brian Dickle (bass), Jay Lapp (guitars/mandolin) and Kevin Garcia (percussion), released its seventh album, Over the Trees, in July 2019. “We know where we come from. We are a string band from Virginia, but we are evolving with this album, and we are embracing the future,” stated Wagler on the band’s website. Visit cabarrusartscouncil.com for more information on these events and to purchase tickets.

In addition to these events, there are others happening around the area as well, including the Spring into Arts festival, also featured in the month’s edition. Be sure to check out Cabarrus Magazine’s online community calendar (cabarrusmagazine.com), for events happening in the region each day.

If you want to be there for more of life’s moments, maintaining a healthy heart is the best thing you can do. At Atrium Health Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute, we’re here to help you do just that. We have more than 100 specialists across 25 locations providing advanced treatments and a level of care that’s unparalleled. Because the things you hold dear in life are dear to us.