SHOW time
The Official Magazine of The Carolina Theatre
Fall 2011 | Issue 1 | www.carolinatheatre.org
2011 2012 building on tradition:
An Exciting New Chapter for the Carolina Theatre PG. 16
STAR SERIES
Details & schedule inside
INSIDE
Aaron Neville Keeping the faith Leahy brings holiday flavor to the Carolina Q&A with Bruce Hornsby
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Bob Nocek, President/CEO Carolina Theatre of Durham, Inc.
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board members Board of Trustees Paul Brock, Chair Tim Alwran Claude Bogues Joe Bowser Eugene Brown Chuck Catotti Brett Chambers Matthew Coppedge Christopher Crabtree Cecily Durrett Saundra Freeman Scott Harmon Dave McIntee John Warasila
Board of Ambassadors Sue Beischer Susan Coon Earl Dowell Shirley Drechsel Pepper Fluke Barker French Thomas Kenan III Richard Morgan Henry Scherich Mary D. B. T. Semans
SHOWtime The
Carolina
T h e at r e
About the carolina theatre of durham
The Carolina Theatre of Durham, Inc is the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that manages the city-owned Carolina Theatre complex. Each year we present a variety of film and live performers that encompass a broad and diverse cross section of arts and entertainment. Live performances at the Carolina Theatre are supported in part by the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency funded by the state of North Carolina, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the A.J. Fletcher Performing Arts Fund of the Triangle Community Foundation. Advertisers Make This Program Book Possible
This program book is published by Opus 1, Inc. in cooperation with the Carolina Theatre of Durham, Inc. This book would not be possible without the advertisers who support it. We extend our gratitude and encourage you to thank them as well. For advertising information, contact Amy Scott at 919.834.9441. /// The Carolina Theatre
staff members Carolina Theatre Staff Bob Nocek................................................. President/CEO Jim Carl......................................................Senior Director
Box office: 919-560-3030 Administrative offices: 919-560-3040 Fax: 919-560-3065
Aaron Bare.........Director of Marketing & Communication
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Michelle Irvine.....................Director of Audience Services
facebook.com/CarolinaTheatreDurham
Meredith Vey.............................. Director of Development
twitter.com/CarolinaDurham
Elisabeth Branigan........................ Marketing Coordinator Cora Bryant.......................Executive Assistant to the CEO Marlene Leavell.................................. Box Office Manager Liz McDonald.................................... Booking Coordinator Alison McPherson.................................. Business Manager Betty Rhodes................................. Education Coordinator Ryan Shivar............................................. Graphic Designer Jamin Skipper........................................ Facilities Manager Carl Wetter........................................... Technical Manager.
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309 West Morgan Street Durham, North Carolina 27701 www.carolinatheatre.org
carolinatheatre.org/blog
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FALL 201 ISSUE
FEATURES
IN
THIS
2 Letter from the CEO.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Star Series Calendar...................................... 9 Film Festivals............................................... 15 Board Members & Administrative Staff
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Building on Tradition: An Exciting New Chapter for the Carolina Theatre................ 16 Keeping the Faith: Aaron Neville returns to the Carolina.......... 20 Q&A with the CEO: Bruce Hornsby............ 23 All in the Family: Leahy brings holiday flavor to the Carolina.................................. 24 Jim Carl’s My Take...................................... 26
Photo Gallery (Donor Appreciation Event)...... 30 Photo Gallery (NCGLFF).............................. 32 Carolina Star Donor List.............................. 37 Tickets & Seating........................................ 40 Support Our Mission................................... 41
41 Guest Presenters.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Advertiser Index .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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2011 2012
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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Friends: It is my pleasure to welcome you to the inaugural edition of Show Time, the official magazine of the Carolina Theatre of Durham, Inc. This publication is just one of the many changes happening this year, and for me, one of the most exciting, because it will provide a deeper understanding of our work in this remarkable city-owned complex. I’ve spoken often of this year being one of rebirth for the Carolina Theatre, both in terms of the facility and our programming. On June 13, we closed for a 14-week restoration that was long overdue. Our crumbling plaster, stained and worn carpeting and other touches of disrepair sent the message to our audiences that the building was past its prime. Fortunately, the time came to fix the plaster, repaint every wall, and swap our nearly 20-year-old carpet with a new high-quality historic pattern. We are particularly pleased to open our six Legacy Boxes in Fletcher Hall, which have not been used since the 1990s restoration. If you’re reading this from a seat in the theater, you can see how stunning the changes are. If you’re reading at home and plan to visit us later in the season, let me assure you that the Carolina Theatre has never looked this good. We’ve never sounded this good either, with new sound additions in Fletcher Hall that will improve the audio quality for concerts. Our cinema sound systems have been completely replaced as well. In addition, the City is providing three new HD digital projectors, which will broaden the number of titles available to us, and will particularly change the feel of our film festivals, where much of the product comes to us in digital form. I’m incredibly grateful to the City of Durham for their efforts to revitalize the Carolina Theatre this year. My promise to them is that we will do the upgrades justice in the programming we present. Since its birth in 1926 as Durham Auditorium, the Carolina Theatre has played a vital role in the life of downtown. To honor that legacy, we are pleased to announce a series of eye-catching and informative exhibits, the first of which opens November 19 and presents the history of the building and its artists. Future exhibits will present our civil rights history and the passionate volunteers who rallied to save the Carolina. The transformation happening here is one of grand magnitude, and the most visibly significant change to the building in nearly two decades. Our programming is changing, too. Never before has the Carolina Theatre offered this level of variety and choice to our audience, and I’m pleased to report the largest advance sales in our history. To those of you who have supported us to this point, we are extremely grateful for your loyalty, which has sustained us all these years. For those just discovering us, I welcome you. Our restored and revitalized Carolina Theatre has great days ahead. Warmest Regards,
Bob Nocek President/CEO
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2011 2012 lindsey buckingham
OCTOBER Lindsey Buckingham Saturday Oct 1, 2011, 8pm Fleetwood Mac frontman Lindsey Buckingham kicks off the season with an exciting and energetic performance. One of the best songwriters and performers of our time, Buckingham’s catalog includes Fleetwood Mac megahits “Go Your Own Way,” “Big Love” and his solo classic “Holiday Road.” warren haynes band
Warren Haynes Band Thursday Oct 13, 2011, 8pm Simply put, Warren Haynes is one of the best rock guitarists performing today. Known as the front-man for Gov’t Mule and vocalist and guitarist for The Allman Brothers Band, Haynes’ bold and emotive delivery, shimmering with his smoky vibrato is not to be missed.
Ledisi with special guest Timothy Bloom Thursday Oct 20, 2011, 8pm Grammy-nominated soul singer Ledisi serenades audiences with a smooth voice and lets her jazz roots show. With powerful pipes and heartfelt lyrics, an evening of Ledisi is a passionate and praiseworthy concert experience.
ledisi
7 Walkers Sunday Oct 23, 2011, 8pm Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann’s new band, featuring guitarist and vocalist Papa Mali, Kreutzmann brings together a hybrid of Bay Area rock with passionate New Orleans funk in an electrifying sound that crosses genres.
John Hiatt and The Combo with special guest Lilly Hiatt Monday Oct 24, 2011, 8pm
7 walkers
Known for his extraordinary songwriting talent, John Hiatt was inducted into the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 2008 and also was honored that year with a Lifetime Achievement Award in Songwriting from The Americana Music Association. Named “…one of rock’s most astute singersongwriters of the last 40 years,” by the Los Angeles Times, Hiatt has 20 studio albums to date. He has written songs covered by artists in a wide variety of genres such as Bob Dylan, Rosanne Cash, Willie Nelson, Jewel and Bonnie Raitt. The Carolina Theatre of Durham & Cat’s Cradle present
The Jayhawks
john hiatt and the combo
Wednesday Oct 26, 2011, 8pm Over the course of two decades, several albums, countless live shows and enough personal drama to fill a couple of Behind the Music episodes, this beloved band soared to heights few ever achieve while winning the hearts and minds of numerous critics, fans and peers in the process.
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novemBER Live Nation & The Carolina Theatre present
Adam Carolla Thursday Nov 3, 2011, 8pm With over 200,000 daily listeners, The Adam Carolla Show remains the most downloaded show on iTunes. Fearlessly crass, shamelessly honest and irresistibly funny, Carolla exposes the often warped and wounded psyche buried deep within the modern American male.
adam carolla
Boney James Saturday Nov 5, 2011, 8pm Sporting his trademark fedora, Boney James makes his saxophone sing like the human voice. Soulful and gifted, this saxophonist and songwriter is one of the most respected and best-selling instrumental artists of our time.
boney james
Todd Rundgren’s Utopia Thursday, Nov 10, 8pm Best known for his massive success of the 1972 pop album Something/ Anything – Todd Rundgren is a prolific and talented musician and producer who has created a staggering amount of sounds and styles over the last few decades, everything from Beatles-inspired pop to a cappella recordings. TODD RUNDGREN
STAR SERIES The Carolina Theatre & Duke Performances present CALENDAR Chris Thile Sunday Nov 13, 2011, 8pm Mandolin virtuoso Chris Thile of Nickel Creek and the Punch Brothers mixes bluegrass, jazz and classical music with a fresh, cutting-edge sound and youthful attitude in this exciting and intimate solo performance.
John Tartaglia’s ImaginOcean Tuesday Nov 15, 2011, 6pm
chris thile
From the creator of Avenue Q, comes a unique black-light puppet show that is a magical musical undersea adventure for kids of all ages. Three best friends, who happen to be fish, set out on a journey of discovery. The Carolina Theatre & Duke Performances present
Numero Group’s Eccentric Soul Revue Saturday Nov 19, 2011, 8pm
John tartaglia’s imaginocean
Featuring Syl Johnson, The Notations & Renaldo Domino backed by The Sweet Divines and The Divine Soul Rhythm Band. Experience the heyday of classic soul. A time when school gyms and meeting halls brought together screaming youth and the heroes they adored from 7-inch singles and transistor radios. The Eccentric Soul Revue is an unrelenting, sweat-soaked revue starring unsung heroes of ‘60s and ‘70s Chicago soul.
Christmas with Aaron Neville Tuesday Nov 29, 2011, 8pm
numero group’s eccentric soul revue
Insightful, honest and heart-wrenching, Aaron Neville’s angelic voice is woven into the fabric of our lives. His 1966 debut single “Tell it like it is” made him an overnight success and household name. Known for gentle, heartfelt vocals, he generates a magic that few, if any, singers can match.
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aaron neville
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decemBER Michael Ian Black Friday Dec 2, 2011, 8pm His dry, sarcastically irreverent commentary on everything and everyone has made Michael Ian Black a counterculture legend. With more than 1.6 million Twitter followers and an impressive resumé dating back to MTV’s The State, Black has solidified himself as one of America’s top comics.
michael ian black
Leahy Family Christmas Wednesday Dec 7, 2011, 8pm Celebrate the holidays with this Canadian powerhouse group of eight musical brothers and sisters as they perform traditional Celtic melodies and Christmas favorites in a blend of energy, emotion and passion. leahy family christmas
George Winston Thursday Dec 15, 2011, 8pm George Winston - A solo piano concert - His performance consists of pieces from his melodic seasonal recordings, Vince Guaraldi’s Peanuts pieces, New Orleans R&B piano, stride piano, songs by The Doors and more, including pieces from his new CD, Love will Come – The Music of Vince Guaraldi, Volume 2.
JanuaRy
george winston
The Carolina Theatre of Durham & Pinecone: Piedmont Council of Traditional Music
Kickin Grass Band
10th Anniversary Show
Saturday Jan 14, 2012, 8pm Ten years in the making, the Kickin Grass Band has made its mark on the roots music scene with strong voices and original songs that reflect the depth and breadth of the human experience. Celebrate their 10-year anniversary with this special hometown concert with appearances by the Apple Chill Cloggers and band members from the ensemble’s past.
kickin grass band
Paula Poundstone Friday Jan 20, 2012, 8pm Taking the stage with a stool, a microphone, and a can of Diet Pepsi, Paula Poundstone is famous for her razor-sharp wit and spontaneity. A favorite on NPR’s Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, she draws on her own complex life with three kids, 13 cats and getting older to keep her comedy free flowing – moving in unexpected directions without a plan and without a net.
paula poundstone
Travis Tritt Saturday Jan 21, 2012, 8pm Travis Tritt’s blend of traditional country and southern rock made him a superstar and distinguished him from the new country singers of his era. Armed with only his guitar and soulful vocals, this rare solo performance will feature acoustic renditions of his timeless hits. travis tritt The Carolina Theatre & DPAC present
Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Show Friday Jan 27, 2012, 8pm They were style with substance, swing with swagger and a non-stop party that everyone wanted access to. Now audiences can experience this critically acclaimed, hugely entertaining theatrical production which includes exciting new arrangements of the classic songs everyone knows and loves.
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WWW.CAROLINATHEATRE.ORG 11 Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Show
february The North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival & The Carolina Theatre present
Mike Birbiglia’s My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend Friday Feb 3, 2012, 8pm
mike birbiglia
In Mike Birbiglia’s My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend, Mike shares a lifetime of romantic blunders and miscues that most adults would spend a lifetime trying to forget. On this painfully honest journey, Birbiglia struggles to find reason in an area where it may be impossible to find – love.
The North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival & The Carolina Theatre present
The Second City Saturday Feb 11, 2012, 8pm
the second city
The Second City Touring Company is a mind explosion of political and social satire cropping up in every nook and cranny of this great nation. Armed from Chicago with a battery of the most hilarious sketch comedy and improvisation on any continent, they’ve loaded up the tour bus to mock the millennial generation and beyond.
Bruce Hornsby STAR SERIES CALENDAR Tuesday Feb 14, 2012, 8pm
Bruce Hornsby, in this intimate solo performance, will draw on one of the most diverse and adventurous careers in contemporary music. Known for his breakthrough hit, “The Way It Is,” his music is influenced by the vast wellspring of American musical traditions.
bruce hornsby
march Jon Anderson: The Voice of Yes Thursday Mar 1, 2012, 8pm There are few vocalists in the history of rock music that are as immediately recognizable by their sound as Jon Anderson, former lead singer of progressive rock icons Yes. In this personal and engaging solo performance, Anderson draws from his staggering number of hits including “Owner of a Lonely Heart” and “It Can Happen.”
jon anderson
An Evening with Carrie Fisher Friday Mar 2, 2012, 8pm Writer and actress Carrie Fisher tells her incredible tale; from her childhood as the daughter of film stars Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher to her big break starring as Princess Leia in Star Wars and her struggles with addiction and mental illness.
Sweet Honey in the Rock
carrie fisher
Friday Mar 9, 2012, 8pm This internationally-renowned female a capella group’s soulful sound is textured by the rich traditions of African American music - including gospel hymns, spirituals, jazz improvisation, African chant and ancient lullabies. Their message gives voice to hope, love, justice, peace and resistance.
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sweet honey in the rock
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The Peking Acrobats Saturday Mar 10, 2012, 2pm & 7pm Experts at treacherous wire-walking, trick-cycling, precision tumbling, somersaulting, and gymnastics – The Peking Acrobats defy gravity with amazing displays of contortion, flexibility, and control. Set to a live Chinese Orchestra these acrobats pull out all the stops to create a thrilling entertainment experience audiences won’t soon forget.
peking acrobats
Cinematic Titanic Friday Mar 16, 2012, 8pm Live on stage, the creators and original cast of Mystery Science Theater 3000 continue their tradition of riffing on the unfathomable, the horribly great, and the just plain cheesy movies of the past. Follow the Carolina Theatre on Facebook to participate in a special fan poll to help choose which frightful film the Cinematic gang will goof on.
David Benoit & Brian Culbertson: Piano 2 Piano
cinematic titanic
Wednesday Mar 21, 2012, 8pm Two of the highest profile keyboardists in contemporary jazz come together for a rare and special performance. Playing two acoustic grand pianos, Benoit and Culbertson combine their very distinctive styles to perform their best known compositions along with original music.
april
david benoit
Henson Alternative Stuffed and Unstrung Friday Apr 20, 2012, 8pm What happens when Henson puppeteers are unleashed? You get a new breed of intelligent nonsense that is Stuffed and Unstrung – a live, outrageous, comedy, variety show for adults only. Enjoy an unpredictable evening when six talented, hilarious, expert puppeteers will improvise songs and sketches based on audience suggestions.
Max and Ruby: Bunny Party
brian culbertson
Saturday Apr 21, 2012, 1pm & 5pm Join bunny siblings Max and Ruby as they embark on a musical bus ride to find the greatest present in the world for the Bunny Party. This fast-paced theatrical production will have the whole audience singing and hopping to original tunes.
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henson alternative Stuffed and unstrung
919-560-3030
VISIT ONLINE:
carolinatheatre.org
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Film Festivals & Series The Carolina Theatre presents the finest independent cinema 365 days a year.
North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival The North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (NCGLFF) celebrates a worldwide glimpse of today’s gay and lesbian life, helps bring the community together and features entertaining and sophisticated films and filmmaking. Since beginning in 1995, the Festival has featured a diverse array of shorts, documentaries and feature films. The Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau named the NCGLFF a Signature Event for Durham, the highest honor bestowed on a cultural event or attraction by the organization. ncglff.org
Retrofantasma Film & Retrofantasma Classics Series
Retrofantasma Film Series: Admit it, you like being scared on purpose. When the shriek of a violin makes you jump, when dark shadows scurrying past a flashlight’s beam take your attention from the world, when you hear a scream at night in the distance and wonder what’s playing on the TV at your neighbor’s house, you step – for the briefest of moments – into the magic realm of scary movies. Simply put, Retrofantasma is a monthly double feature of the greatest scary – and fun – movies ever made. Retrofantasma Classics Series: A monthly double-feature of genre films from the 1950s through the early 1970s. From the infamous gimmickry of William Castle to the giant bug films of the 1950s, some of these films are considered masterpieces. Others are simply great “bad” movies. festivals.carolinatheatre.org/retrofantasma
Nevermore Film Festival
Since 1999, the Nevermore Film Festival has presented brand new horror shorts and features from around the world, as well as timeless fan favorites. Many of these films will never receive a theatrical release in the United States. From classic suspense movies to hyper-violent Hong Kong cinema and everything in between – Nevermore has it all! festivals.carolinatheatre.org/nevermore
Escapism Film Festival
Your favorite childhood movie heroes are back: Jack Burton, Buck Rogers, Admiral Kirk, Snake Plissken, Kermit the Frog, Indiana Jones, and so many more. Escapism recaptures the magic of your favorite fantasy and adventure movies from the late seventies and early eighties. The ones you remember watching with your friends on Saturday afternoon matinees during summer vacations. Timeless examples of what movies do best of all – fantasy and adventure, epic in scale, heroic in concept, and imaginative in execution. They’re fun movies. They’re meant to be. festivals.carolinatheatre.org/escapism
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BUILDING ON
TRADITION: An EXCITING NEW CHAPTER for the CAROLINA THEATRE
North Carolina Collection, Durham County Library
By Meaghan Mulholland
“There could be something great here,” thought Bob Nocek when he accepted the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of the Carolina Theatre of Durham, Inc. last summer, “but we have a ways to go.” Thanks to a long-awaited $1.8 million renovation and an exciting season of upcoming shows with unprecedented ticket sales, the Carolina Theatre is now on its way to beginning an exciting new chapter of a long and eventful history in downtown Durham.
Built in the 1920’s, the Carolina Theatre building has long been a landmark in Durham – originally billed as a venue for live performances and civic events, later serving primarily as a movie house for many years. The structure received much-needed repair work in the late 1980’s and the addition of a cinema complex in the early 1990’s – but more recent renovations have been largely structural and not visible to the general public. The need for an overhaul has been increasingly apparent, and the timing couldn’t be better for the large-scale renovation project now underway, according to Aaron Bare, Director of Marketing and Communication for
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CTD, Inc. (the organization that manages the historic city-owned building). It coincides perfectly with the Theatre’s re-branding as a much more vibrant performing arts venue, he says, and offers a chance to educate the public about the Carolina Theatre’s place in Durham. With renewed focus on booking “cool, interesting, and relevant” entertainment, and bringing top-notch contemporary acts to the Triangle, Bare says it’s going to be a different, bigger, and better experience for Carolina Theatre-goers, characterized by a range of acts that will reflect the wonderful creative energy of the area.
Coming to CTD, Inc. after a decade in the entertainment industry, Bob Nocek was surprised to learn how many people weren’t aware of what the Carolina Theatre had to offer, even after its 85 years in Durham. Some knew that it was open daily for independent cinema, others that it hosted some great concerts and performing arts shows, others that it was a home for non-profits. But there was something lacking in the content and the brand. All that is changing, due in large part to the city’s intense revitalization in recent years and its rebirth as a cultural hub. The Theatre’s recently-hired Director of Audience Services, Director of Development, Box Office Manager, and Booking Coordinator all have previous experience working for large entertainment organizations and are eager to help realize the Theatre’s tremendous potential, hoping to put it on the map as an institution where artists want to perform. “We’re able to visualize the big picture,” says Nocek, adding that this close-knit staff enables more freedom, control of resources, and opportunities for fun and creativity.
“We’ve always had eclectic entertainment –now we’re building on the past, reflecting the wonderful diversity of the Triangle and bringing it into the Theatre in a new and vivid way.” “The team is really committed to helping the Theatre evolve to match Durham’s growing vitality,” says Ryan Shivar, Graphic Designer for CTD, Inc. “There’s a real feeling of looking forward, wanting to book the best artists, films and events to attract the kind of creative people who live here.” In addition to continuing with successful established events like the North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (held at the Theatre each August), the Retrofantasma Series and the Escapism Festival, the theatre’s programming goals have expanded. “We’re not afraid to dream big,” Nocek says. “Not afraid to say ‘yes.’ We’re booking more shows, and we’re booking them to sell out.” Paul Brock, local attorney and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of CTD, Inc, agrees. “People are going to say, ‘wow,” he says. “The Board is really excited and supportive of these changes and additions to the Theatre, both physical and philosophical. We’re revealing an important new face to the
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community.” He’s particularly proud of the History Project that will highlight important moments in the Theatre’s storied past through a series of planned exhibitions. “We’ve always had eclectic entertainment – now we’re building on the past, reflecting the wonderful diversity of the Triangle and bringing it into the Theatre in a new and vivid way.” Nocek and staff have been working hard over the past year growing relationships with new music and comedy agents and raising community awareness through added focus on design and outreach – and their efforts are paying off: some shows were close to selling out, well in advance of the release of the Carolina Theatre’s season brochure, which has grown from an eight-page flyer to a high-quality 32-page book. The doubling (and tripling)
of pre-season ticket sales can be credited, in part, to the Theatre’s focus on customer service and brand revitalization – along with an ever-expanding schedule of shows, from world-renowned musicians like Lindsey Buckingham, Bruce Hornsby and Travis Tritt, to comedian Michael Ian Black, to family-friendly entertainment like the Peking Acrobats and Max and Ruby’s Bunny Party. More and more agents are contacting the Carolina Theatre about booking acts, and collaborations with local presenters like the Durham Performing Arts Center, Duke Performances, and the North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival are all in the works. In terms of its physical transformation, large-scale and aesthetic improvements to the Theatre include painstaking restoration of Fletcher Hall’s ornate plaster
About The Restoration On June 13, the Carolina Theatre began a $1.8 million restoration project that would give the building its most visible upgrade since it was refurbished in the early 1990s. The project is the final phase of a long-running City of Durham capital improvement project paid for by a 2005 bond issue.
cornice work and patched walls where damaged sections had been removed. Painting soon followed, and by August, much of the hall looked new again.
This phase addressed significant appearance issues and upgraded sound and lighting, in addition to correcting a number of ADA compliance needs.
The exterior of the theater was pressure-washed in July, removing layers of staining from the concrete trim and restoring it to its original brightness.
The work was designed by Heery International, and Skanska served as construction manager.
The building reopened briefly for the North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival in August, then work resumed in a flurry of activity to prepare for the fall season.
The most significant component of the project – more than 25% of the budget – was the repair of damaged plaster throughout Fletcher Hall, the 1926 auditorium that was in serious need of improvement. Over the years, water damage from roof leaks had caused plaster to crumble. The roof leaks were fixed in Phase I of the capital project in 2007, and after several years for the building to completely dry out, the time had come to get the plaster in order. In June, workers erected three scaffolding towers reaching four stories to the top of Fletcher Hall. For the next two months, craftsmen delicately recreated the decorative
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At the same time, the bathrooms adjacent to the Connie Moses Ballroom were gutted, and new tile and fixtures were installed.
Painting in Kirby Lobby was completed in August, and new color schemes were added to the Cinemas and lobby in September. In the Connie Moses Ballroom, several areas of damaged plaster were repaired, and the historic windows with the dramatic view of the Civic Center Plaza were repainted and the frames were glazed. The most dramatic transformation – new carpeting throughout the entire building – came in September. The City, Heery, and Carolina Theatre management
work; fresh paint and carpeting; replacement and repair of doors and windows; remodeling of bathrooms and dressing rooms; and the creation of new Carolina Theatre historical exhibit, a brand new VIP lounge in an upstairs ballroom, and the opening of six Legacy Box seat sections in Fletcher Hall. No doubt about it: the Carolina Theatre is on the verge. Anchored in a supportive local community, it’s more than just a historic landmark, but a harbinger of exciting changes on the horizon. Nocek and his team are confident that enthusiasm for the Theatre and Durham as a whole will continue to grow in the months and years to come: “We’re laying the foundation for what lies beyond.”
worked together to choose a pattern authentic to the theater’s 1920s roots, then incorporated colors from the building’s current paint schemes to create an entirely original custom carpet that exists only in the Carolina Theatre. The rich maroon background is a reminder of the carpeting that’s being removed, while the warm golden tones of the floral elements tie back to the walls in Fletcher Hall and Kirby Lobby. A hint of teal in the leaves evokes the fabric of the Fletcher seats. New theater sound systems were installed in the Cinemas, providing for a greatly enhanced customer experience. Additional speakers were also added to Fletcher Hall to improve sound quality for concerts and other live events, and to save on the costs of renting additional equipment. An addition to the project that came at the request of the Carolina Theatre management was the addition of three new high-definition digital projectors, creating a first-class film experience for festivals and other special events.
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KEEPING T
Keeping the Faith
By Meaghan Mulholland
Aaron Neville returns to the Carolina
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THE FAITH TUES NOV 29
Aaron Neville is no stranger to the stage: over the course of his fifty-year career spanning multiple musical genres, his performances have ranged from intimate cabarets, to Church services, to singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl XL. He’s appeared on television and in major motion pictures, recorded several award-winning albums and hit songs as both a soloist and alongside talented family members in the Neville Brothers, and lent his beautiful voice, with its unique floating falsetto, to numerous artistic collaborations and charity projects such as the Red, Hot and Blue compilation for AIDS research and NBC’s Concert for Hurricane Relief after the devastation of Katrina. His music has been classified as everything from soul and R&B to pop to gospel, with Cajun and Creole influences of his native Louisiana often added to the mix. And this November the veteran performer will once again grace the Carolina Theatre’s stage with a special one-night holiday show, “Christmas with Aaron Neville.”
after overcoming personal hardships in recent years; his longtime home in New Orleans was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, and he lost his wife of nearly forty years to cancer in 2007. Neville is grateful for the continued support of his fans, and for the chance to continue sharing his musical gifts with the world. He strives to bring heart and soul to every performance.“ “It’s all about using what God gives you to connect with the audience,” he says, adding what is now known as a favorite saying of his, indicative of the religious faith he credits with helping him through difficult times: “He who sings, prays twice.” Though he’s only recently returned to the New Orleans area, Neville has worked for years with charitable organizations to aid in post-Katrina reconstruction, and done several benefit concerts, including a Carolina Theatre show in 2005 that helped raise funds for relief work. He’s looking forward to returning to the Theatre,
“...for when all is said and done: Music is good for the soul.”
Fans old and new can expect an eclectic mix at the concert on November 29. “It will have a bit of everything,” Neville says, including selections from his two holiday albums, Soulful Christmas and Christmas Prayer, as well as standard Christmas classics, and other standards spanning his lengthy career. These could include such memorable hits as his first big single, “Tell It Like It Is” from 1966, or the smash Linda Ronstadt duets, “Don’t Know Much” and “All My Life.” Born in 1941 in New Orleans, Aaron grew up in a musical family, singing and performing with his three brothers, Art, Charles, and Cyril; Charles will join him at the Carolina Theatre performance, playing saxophone with a venerable quintet that includes David Johnson on bass, Michael Goods on keyboards, Makuni Fakuda on guitar, and Earl Smith on drums. “Expect variety,” Neville says of this not-to-be-missed Christmas event. “Expect a really good show.” He’s in a good place, happy to be touring everywhere from Australia and New Zealand to the New Orleans Jazz Fest to a residency at the City Winery in New York City (he splits his time between the Big Apple and his new home in Covington, LA, just outside New Orleans),
which will have undergone its own period of growth and renovation when the season kicks off this Fall. When asked if he has any advice for the organization as it moves forward – given the changes he’s witnessed not only in his home city but in the music industry in general, Neville stops to think. His most recent album, I Know I’ve Been Changed, is described as a stripped-down gospel recording, a hopeful celebration of “his hometown, his music and his faith” which pay homage to New Orleans while acknowledging the irrevocable transformation the city has undergone, and at the same time offering hope for the future. “It’s important to have faith in what you’re doing,” he says. “To keep on keeping on.” As the music industry has changed “tremendously” over the course of his career, he recommends that performers be dedicated to following their dreams, but also have “something to fall back on.” The music business can be fickle, as Neville knows – but he’s endured and is still living the dream of a musical life he had as a boy, still doing what he loves most. “You gotta love it, after all,” he says, for when all is said and done: “Music is good for the soul.”
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Q&A with the CEO
A Bruce Hornsby
FLASHBACK
In 1997, well before Bob Nocek became President/CEO of the Carolina Theatre, he worked as an Arts & Leisure Writer for The Times Leader newspaper in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Among his many entertainment interviews that year was a phone call with Bruce Hornsby in advance of a concert in Wilkes-Barre. Hornsby was preparing for the release of a new album, Spirit Trail, and a summer tour. With Hornsby coming to the Carolina Theatre in February, we decided to listen to that old interview again, and found a discussion of Hornsby’s piano playing that seemed particularly relevant to his upcoming solo acoustic show.
Q:
What can we expect (on the Spirit Trail album)? How is this going to compare with what we’ve heard previously?
A: Well, the last couple years sort of rededicated myself to piano. So I’ve started taking my playing to another place, developed a lot more independence of the hands. It’s hard to explain that other than it’s a splitting of your brain – you can get something going in the left hand then play something completely opposed to that in the right hand. It’s very difficult, and I never could do it until the last couple of years. Q: Where did the changes in your piano
playing come from? Was it from playing with other people?
A: The changes that I’m referring to are purely self-motivated, purely self-driven. Over the the years of playing there are certain doors of piano playing that would open up, and I’d close it back up, it’s too hard, it’s too hard to deal with. Mainly what I’m talking about is this independence of the hands thing, sort of splitting your brain. It’s the best way I can put it. It would be easier for me to demonstrate it than describe it.
So, finally, I had this desire to play more solo piano, and really do it well. So I decided 2 ½ years ago to really recommit myself to the piano. And I started practicing like I did in college, three, four, five hours in a day. And I just was willing to go through the long process of sucking until I got good at it. It’s very hard, and very fulfilling now that I can do a lot of things that I could never do. So I’m really twice the player that I was.
Q: How long has it been since you’ve had a
period like that, that “sucking” period as you called it? A period where you’ve really struggled with something for a while?
A: It’s better to ask how long since I’ve worked with that intensity on the piano, and it’s been since college and right after college. That’s when I got more involved with songwriting. So the playing thing was secondary, although I always did a lot of playing and a lot of solo, I wasn’t really concentrating on that until lately. And it’s very fulfilling to take my playing to another level.
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all in th ALL IN THE FAMILY: Leahy brings holiday flavor to the Carolina
By Meaghan Mulholland
“We have fantastic memories of performing in North Carolina,” says Maria Leahy, one of the eight musical siblings who make up the Canadian sensation known as Leahy. The brothers and sisters have been playing music together all their lives, touring and recording albums to widespread acclaim for over fifteen years – and they will perform at the Carolina Theatre on December 7 for a not-to-be-missed holiday event.
Maria, who plays guitar and banjo, sings and step-dances alongside her equally virtuosic siblings in a dynamic, passionate stage performance that incorporates Celtic melodies along with Christmas classics, says a sense of homecoming will be enhanced at the December show, which the group has modeled after its own joyous Christmases at the family farm in Lakefield, Ontario. Audiences can expect an abundance of beautiful music – singing, dancing, and instrumental arrangements (including brother Donnell’s skilled fiddling) are all mainstays of the Leahy experience, but the Christmas show promises added spontaneity and fun, as the group recreates the simple happiness of a typical family gathering (with at least a few of their combined thirty
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children likely to make an appearance). “We love to share our own experience with the audience – the music we grew up singing and playing at Christmas time,” Maria says. Growing up in Lakeville (population 3500, which swells to nearly 6000 in the summer), an idyllic rural landscape of forests, fields, mountains and lakes – the Leahy children entertained themselves playing and singing together. They learned to play traditional Irish fiddle and other instruments from their musically gifted parents, and it was very natural, Maria says. “My parents saw music in us and nurtured that. It wasn’t planned, our coming together as a performing group. They simply loved music and wanted us to love it, too.”
he family wed dec 7
The Leahy children were soon being asked to play at local events, and eventually began to tour and even record albums. They took a break when some siblings went to college, and came together again in the early 90’s in what would become the current incarnation of Leahy –playing first at small local clubs, gaining a following, and finally recording a CD at the request of their fans which led to their being signed by Virgin Canada, then being asked to tour with Shania Twain. Now Leahy has several Juno Awards under its belt, including the award for Best
“We love to share our own experience with the audience – the music we grew up singing...”
New Group, and their most recent self-titled album hit number four on the Billboard World Music chart.
When at home in Lakefield (about five of the siblings live in the area, the rest about 2-3 hours away) the family members are typically writing and recording songs, rehearsing new material, jamming with friends, or running their annual week-long music camp at the farm. As a result of working together for so long, the siblings trust each other and their musical instincts. Maria adds, “We are so lucky and blessed to be able to do what we’re doing, keeping our family’s musical tradition alive.” The opportunity to travel, see new places, and interact with fans is one of her favorite things about touring with the group. “Whenever we come back to a place we’ve performed, we have a sense of being at home,” Maria adds, and she expressed enthusiasm for the Carolina Theatre’s renovations. ‘The amount of time, money and focus that Americans like you put into your performance spaces, for the sake of allowing artistic expression, is truly amazing. We feel so strongly about the importance of music and performing, and places like the Carolina Theatre allow these things to happen. It’s a wonderful thing.”
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The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) In 1984, Universal Pictures re-released five Alfred Hitchcock films in theatres. “The Lost Hitchcocks,” they were called, which sounds to me like something Nic Cage would be itching to pursue in the next National Treasure movie, but it’s better than nothing. Lost, I later discovered, because Hitchcock had purchased their rights in the late-50s as a legacy to his daughter and, as a result, none of these films had been screened for over three decades. I was fifteen years old in 1984, and already in the well-advanced stages of knowing everything, if you understand what I mean. My familiarity with Hitchcock’s reputation began with Psycho and ended with The Birds, and that was good enough for me. A few years earlier, I’d endured those movies for the sake of my Aunt Eva, who possessed an aura that could charm cobras, but when she got mad, unfortunately, she could empty the missile silos faster than it took a snake’s tongue to pop back in place. She was convinced my brain was dissolving but could still be rescued; frozen, if the process required, but only after I stopped watching reruns of Remington Steele and The Dukes of Hazzard, and only if I gave Alfred Hitchcock half a chance which, as a pre-teenager in the mid-80s, was unlikely as hell, but the minds of elder aunts protect their own. Not for nothing did my family once own four television sets. Hitchcock was an old guy and his movies belonged to a generation far-removed from my own. Like my Aunt Eva, for example, who was eleven years my senior. The walking dead, she was.
Jim Carl’s
My Take
A personal take from Carolina Theatre Senior Director and film programmer Jim Carl on moments in his life and the films that were there with him Find more at carolinatheatre.org/blog
It was then no great surprise when, in 1984, she insisted on taking me to see The Man Who Knew Too Much. It starred James Stewart and Doris Day. Was my aunt on drugs? She’d gotten married to a military man in the Air Force in 1981, and he’d repaid her vow of commitment by uprooting the family tree from West Texas, where she’d been raised, and relocating to the eastern part of Nebraska, the exact same setting as Stephen King’s Children of the Corn, and how ideal. Imagine it, my aunt living in a place where kids sharpened their scythes on grown-ups. The thought gave me delicious goosebumps. Getting dragged to see a Hitchcock movie, on the other hand, was an instant killjoy. I saw no reason why anyone would pay good money to see an old Doris Day flick in a movie theatre, and never mind that I wouldn’t be purchasing my own ticket, because that wasn’t the point. There were so many other great movies being released that year. Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas were romancing stones in the Colombian jungle, the Starship Enterprise was self-destructing, Tom Hanks was falling in love with a mermaid, and Indiana Jones was eating chilled monkey brains. Watching Doris belt out “Que Sera, Sera” held as much appeal as the smell of Vitalis in the air like charred meat on the griddle. I was a guest in my aunt’s Nebraskan home and, alas, had no option but to go, unless I had a hankering to get my tail handed to me in Scrabble, which had already happened twice, even after she left the room to turn the laundry and I cheated. The Man Who Knew Too Much. Oh Lord. We went to see this film at the Dundee Theatre in Omaha, Nebraska. The Dundee, if you’re not aware, is an art house theatre; a brand of cinema that I’d only heard of, but had never experienced in 1984. It was one of
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those poor places which were always stuck showing last year’s winner for Best Foreign Language Film because no other theatre wanted to waste the screen. People in art house films spoke in funny languages, my classmates told me, and even when they spoke in English, it was so bad they had to be subtitled because otherwise no one could understand what they were saying. Subtitles were what deaf people used when a sign language interpreter wasn’t around to explain to them why Carol Anne should run from the the light during Poltergeist or what Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider were saying to each other while having sex on the hardwood floor in Last Tango in Paris. I always wondered if sign language interpreters grew fidgety for lack of dialogue during cavemen movies like Quest for Fire or if Eraserhead made any more sense with subtitles. I could have used a sign language interpreter to explain to me what the hell was happening in Dog Day Afternoon, why Jack Nicholson poppedup in that picture at the end of The Shining, and the wisdom of Kirk Douglas baring his ass in Saturn 3, but never mind. Art house theatres also showed all those stuffy British movies with naked men and women. I’d once picked up a copy of The Dallas Morning News and seen an ad for a film called Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears, and which showed a boy with a big teardrop on his cheek, hugging an older man with a fedora. Being that the ad was in black-and-white, I wondered if the tear drop was supposed to be blood and if Moscow was actually a horror movie about Russian vampires, which would have been cool. But no, the tagline informed me that Moscow was 1980’s Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film, and all thoughts of vampires flew away, like frightened, flapping bats. I instead purchased a ticket to Flash Gordon which, although British, fortunately didn’t have a single naked person.
James Stewart and Doris Day in “The Man Who Knew Too Little”
There wasn’t much of a call for art house theatres in Sweetwater, Texas (Location: Nowhere), where I’d been living with my grandparents. Art house theatres existed, I imagined, in major cities like Fort Worth or San Angelo, maybe Amarillo. Metropolises, all of them. Superman flew there. My hometown’s greatest literary contribution was a “How To” guide for catching rattlesnakes. A few years before, Sweetwater’s pride had risen to new levels when Ripley’s Believe It or Not ran a three-minute segment on our annual rattlesnake round-up. Rodeos, cattle auctions, and Friday night high school football games had been the staples of my childhood. Visitors could safely shuck 17 points off the IQ of any Sweetwater resident for each football-themed lawn ornament jutting out of the unkept stretch of brown grass on their front yard. Smokey and the Bandit and The Cannonball Run were cinematic masterpieces among my middle school classmates, as was the entire Burt Reynolds oeuvre. If it seems I’m making light of the community that shaped me, know that’s not the case. We’re talking memory and perception here, two things we usually rely upon, and probably shouldn’t. And anyways, former Sweetwater residents are permitted to speak like this about other Sweetwater residents, you can ask anyone. What a shock it then was when I entered the Dundee and beheld black-and-white posters of James Dean, Marilyn
w Too Much
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Doris Day
Monroe, and Lauren Bacall. That I even recognized these actors, considering my upbringing was, I grudgingly admit, a testament to my aunt’s influence over my moviewatching habits, backwards as she claimed they were. But wait, you ask. Wasn’t my aunt born in West Texas? Where could she have learned such good taste? You have to remember the times. She was raised in the early 70s, the lucky hippie. People were smarter then, that’s what she told me. Every generation believes it is smarter than the generation born after it. (If you’re not old enough to understand this logic, believe me. Someday, you will be.) Anyways, it was not a show palace, the Dundee; no chandeliers and faux-art deco, just a tiny single-screen cinema that resembled so many of the theatres I’d known back in Texas. To me, nonetheless, the place was magic. Over there was an old-fashioned popcorn machine. Here was a vintage poster from Invaders From Mars. Black-andwhite lobby cards hung in gold-encrusted frames leading down the hallway to the entrance of the cinema. There was not another teenager in sight, nothing but grown-ups, looking like famished beggars at a feast. I stood there in the lobby, watching the audience, with open-mouthed amazement, and this sight both knocked me for a loop and unlocked a door in my mind that I never knew existed. This, I imagined, is where smart people come to watch movies. And if that was so, logic followed, then the movies themselves must be smarter. A heady feeling, I admit. And now, I was here, too. This feeling of uniqueness would diminish as I grew older, started saying hearing-impaired instead of deaf, and realized that not all British films had naked men and women, but experiencing it there at the Dundee Theatre for the first time in 1984 was, truth be told, quite enchanting. I remember watching The Man Who Knew Too Much with rapt interest, something I would have never done if we’d seen the film at a mall. The Albert Hall sequence was, to me, one of the most exciting bits of filmmaking ever shot, and it still is. It had never occurred to me that seeing an old movie in an art house theatre in Omaha would be so different from what I had previously seen and experienced at the Mall of Abilene. It didn’t even matter that my aunt had been right or that I’d missed that night’s episode of The Dukes of Hazzard, nor even that Doris Day had sung “Que Sera, Sera” on three separate occasions that evening. Going into the Dundee, I was a wide-eyed fifteen year-old innocent from Sweetwater, Texas; coming out, I was a hardcore, professional film analyst to the bone, now ready to watch smart, quality films like The Killing
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Fields and Amadeus. (This feeling of superiority lasted exactly three weeks until The Cannonball Run II came to Sweetwater and all the guys in my high school class, including me, lost their minds. Sue me.) In the following years, I would see almost all of Hitchcock’s movies, and some were probably better films than Man. None, however, matched the excitement I felt while visiting the Dundee. It was a rite of passage, that visit. The lesson I learned that evening, I couldn’t have purchased at the finest university. Audiences matter. They do. So do the theatres. I was never again able to quite enjoy watching movies at the Mall of Abilene after that night. Aunt Eva, of course, was thrilled as we left the theatre, grinning from ear-to-ear like the snake in the Garden of Eden, which was a bad sign. She’d just spotted a flyer in the lobby, advertising the Dundee’s upcoming program. Rosalind Russell in The Trouble With Angels, one of her all-time favorite nun movies. Somehow, you just knew it was gonna be a nun movie, didn’t you? Flash-forward twenty-seven years later. I’m now a senior film programmer for an art house theatre in Durham, North Carolina. Coincidence, you ask? Predestination, I’d argue. A lot has happened between the Dundee Theatre in Nebraska and today’s date. I suppose that’s the point of this column. All I mean to do here is tell a few good stories about what’s transpired to me along the way, perhaps even a few clever lies. Why I choose particular stories and how I choose to tell them is of interest only to my editor, and then, only if cornered. You’re gonna learn more than you ever wanted to know about Sweetwater, Texas. Friends, colleagues, bosses and co-workers, both longforgotten and ignored, will be exhumed and scrutinized, in-depth. Sources will be named. There will be detours to Los Angeles, New York City, West Virginia, festivals, galas, premieres, and other places where I’m no longer welcome. Funny and brilliant, my stories will be, so my editor tells me. I hope certain members of my family never read this column, and a good thing too, that is, at their age. I’d like to say that I’ve gotten smarter over the years, but that would be a silly thing to say, ask anyone who knows me. You can make that decision for yourself. And yes, in case you’re wondering, every year I do wait for that Best Foreign Language Film to open in my theatre. Who knows? In one of these columns I may even be honest and tell you why. One final thing: Please don’t contact me with suggestions for movies to program. My editor has promised to shelter me from that type of stalker mail. Sorry, fan mail. He’s a nice guy in his early 30s, wife and family, and all that what-haveyou. Lots of fun, he tells me writing this column is gonna be. (I sound like Yoda.) Someday, I’ll get him for lying to me. I suspect he leads a secret life in which he sinks garbage bags filled with missing pets.
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donor appreciation & The 5 browns concert April 2011 – With a new and exciting season, the announcement of phase one of our new historical exhibit and the City of Durham’s $1.8 million restoration just around the corner – our Carolina Star donors had much to celebrate.
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01 Donors were the first to see the plans for phase one of our Carolina Theatre Historical Exhibit. Many were so excited, they donated to the cause that night! 02 Durham Mayor Bill Bell and City Manager Tom Bonfield enjoy a drink with Carolina Theatre CEO Bob Nocek. 03 Attic Orchestra provided the background music for all to enjoy 04 Board Chair Paul Brock addresses the crowd – thanking all in attendance for their continued support. 05 Bob gives a preview of the 2011-12 Star Series, the historical exhibit opening in November and the other exciting changes taking shape at the Theatre.
06 The Connie Moses Ballroom was packed. This was our most successful donor event to date – over 225 donors were in attendance. 07 Theatre board member and Downtown Durham, Inc marketing director Matthew Coppedge speaks with Mayor Bell. 08 Mayor Bell gives a preview of the restoration project. 09 Oooo…nice new logo! 10 Everyone was having a great time! 11 Welcome Donors! 12 Bob welcomes the crowd in Fletcher Hall before the start of The 5 Browns. 13 The 5 Browns perform before an enthusiastic crowd in Fletcher Hall.
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16th Annual North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival I f you had a blast at this year’s NCGLFF, get ready to have even more fun next year when the festival expands to 10 days. Save the dates – August 10 to 19 – and get ready to see more films and attend more parties, community activities and special events than ever before!
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Photo Credit: all photos by Nicholas D’Amato
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04 01 The Carolina Theatre at Sunset 02 Kim Rocco Shields and Rachel Diana of Love Is All You Need 03 Dancing the night away at Plaza Party 2011 04 Introduction for Au Pair, Kansas and presentation of Emerging Artist Award for Best Men’s Feature to JT O’Neal in Fletcher Hall
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16th Annual North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
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05 (L-R) Deana Coble (Kings and Queens), Summer Czajak (Girl Scouting), April Maxey (Girl Scouting), Lauren Mackenzie (Alice in Andrew’s Land), Shannon Williams (Alice in Andrew’s Land), Danielle Haupt (Alice in Andrew’s Land) 06 David Wang, David Lewis of Longhorns, Thom Cardwell of What Happens Next 07 Nice lights! 08 Filmmakers, festival volunteers and fans just outside of Plaza Party 2011 09 Bob Nocek informing festival goers on the roof after a power outage Friday night 10 Gary and Larry Lane answer questions following a screening of Hollywood to Dollywood.
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Donor Supported Programming The Carolina Theatre of Durham, Inc graciously acknowledges the contributions of our many donors whose gifts, grants and sponsorships make all of our programming possible.
2011 2012
This list recognizes support during our 2010-11 fiscal year; July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011.
CORPORATIONS, FOUNDATIONS, & GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS $10,000+
Fletcher Performing Arts Fund F. M. Kirby Foundation, Inc. Fox Family Foundation, Inc.
$5,000+
Ameriprise Financial Duke Energy Foundation GlaxoSmithKline Norman & Bettina Roberts Foundation, Inc. Michael Jordan Nissan World Beer Festival WTVD Channel 11
$2,500+
American Express BB&T Keysource Commercial Bank Measurement Incorporated Pepsi Bottling Ventures, LLC Replacements, LTD Wells Fargo Advisors
$1,500+
Accent Hardwood Flooring Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC LGBT Center of Raleigh SunTrust Foundation Wachovia Securities
$1,000+
Kiwanis Club of Durham Modern Gentle Dentistry Tony Hall & Associates Whole Foods
$500+
Alliance Architecture Durham Central Park The Randolph R. & Shirley D. Few Charitable Fund of Triangle Community Foundation Spartacus Restaurant Widmark Family Fund of Triangle Community Foundation
$250+
Bartending Unlimited IMB Matching Grants Revolution
$100+
DV Quailes Firestream Media, LLC Hedrick, Murray, Bryson, Kennett & Mauch P.L.L.C P & A Holdings LLC
Savvy Event Designs LLC Toast
up to $99
The Fish Shack One World Market Opensource Leadership Strategies, Inc. Steve Toler, LLC Teleflex Foundation
CAROLINA STAR DONORS President’s Circle - $1,200+ Tim Alwran Shirley Drechsel & Wayne Vaughn Don & Pepper Fluke Thomas S. Kenan III Glenna L. Maynus David McIntee in memory of Norman & Bettina Roberts Edie McMillan Bob Nocek & Matt Tomko
Producer - $600+
Beverly Atwood George & Sue Beischer Lorraine Johnson Nahale & Epaminondas Kalfas Horst & Ruth Mary Meyer Henry & Linda Scherich John Warasila
Partner - $360+
James H. & Brigit M. Carter Christopher Crabtree & Fred Parrish Pace Ray Davis Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Gdaniec Dennis Goines & Christine Collins Keith & Rene Humphrey Samuel Lasris Curt Lovins Mr. & Mrs. Dieter Mauch Michael & Amy Tieman Winston Greene & Kevin Sowers Jonathan Wilfong & Wendy Baker Charles & Jean Wilson
Supporter - $240+
Michael-Anne & Bill Ashman Donald T. Ball, Jr. Michael Barefoot & Tim Manale David & Kathy Bartlett Brett Chambers Barry & Jean Marie Curtis Mitchell & Thuy Dancik Laura Drey Cecily Durrett Donna Freeland Robert Joel Gulledge Donald & Kimberlee Hanan
Mike Howard Reginald J. Johnson John Stewart Jones Dr. & Mrs. Peter Klopfer David Kraus & Connie Campanaro in memory of Noreen Kraus Lee Street Construction Lawrence Loeser Douglas & Syl-Vonna Mabie Hank & Ann Majestic Mitch & Christine Mumma David & Sharon Nell Ray & Rosalyn Phillips Joseph Richardson Mary Ann Ruegg in memory of Don Ruegg Lawson Stroupe & Gary Atkins Jenny Warburg Eric Wiebe & Cynthia Shimer Renee Weisner Kenneth & Mary Anne Zabrycki
Friend - $120+
David A. Ball Chad Bebout & Angelina Wallis Kenneth L. Bland Jr. Paul Feldblum & Tolly Boatwright D. Steve & Pat Bocckino Britt Bolen & Marie Hicks Carol Brainard Ann Brock Paul Brock George E. Brown Bates Buckner Michael Buddendeck Chuck & Diane Catotti Stanley Chamberlain Fred Dretske & Judith Fortson Earl Joe & Drewlyn Chessa Lewis Dancy & Michael Case Arthur & Sarah Dear Jack & Tina Deason Greg DeKoenigsberg & Melanie Small John & Susan Dennis Robin L. Dennis W. Gregory Dozier Ed Embree Bill Fry Claude Futrell Ralphael Ginsberg Joseph & Carlisle Harvard Richard Hess & Michael Williams Joe & Julia Horrigan Kevin & Kista Hurley Sam R. Hull Patricia Inlow-Hatcher Christine Jacob & Janie Leo Macon & Linda Jones Sylvia S. Kerckhoff Lawrence Muhlbaier & Jo Ann Lutz Glenn Mehrbach & Deborah Klinger Lee Mobley Janice Mrkonjic Phil & Leslie Myers Mr. & Mrs. Riley McPeake
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Donor Supported Programming Barry & Tink Nakell Thomas Narten & Susan Rodger William Nesmith & Mary Mudd Newland & Nancy Oldham Douglas & Sharon Olson Norman Pendergraft Fred Peterson & Kathy Carter Dr. & Mrs. Mark A. Pifer Jeffrey Prater & Nathan Miller Colin & Alice Ramage Ken & Ellen Reckhow in honor of Barker French Julie Shore & Lori White Dee Stribling Alan Teasley Clarke Thacher William & Mary Uthe John Vespia & Kathleen Short Kearney Ward Gordon Whitaker & Robert Hellwig Blake Wilson & Doris Rouse Douglas Young & Patricia Peterson
Fan - $85+
Sherman Alfors Farad Ali Jennifer Andy Herbert & JoAnne Amey Kenneth & Elaine Baarson in memory of Mary Layo-Wasem Thomas & Ellen Bacon Barbara Baron
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Lin Bentel II C. Coleman Billingsley Susan Blackwell Sharon Booth Alastair S. Browne Carol Cappelletti Leslie E. Carter Julie Chappell William Cheek Nancy Chew Barbara Chremos Arturo & Ellen Ciompi Dr. Edward Clemons, Jr. Sandra Clemons Jeffrey Collins & Rose Mills Richard Cook Cynthia Cooper Guy W. Crabtree Alvin & Karen Crumbliss Carolyn Crump Mary H. Dawson Gordon H. Defriese John Denning Matthew DesVoigne in memory of Katy DesVoigne Kenneth W. Dietel Martha Dimes Patricia DiLeonardo David & Beverly Dillon Lee & Susan Dreyfus Gloria Dyer Scotty Elliott Daniel Ellison & James Denney
Mark Enfield & Leigh Hall Amparito Fiallo Peter & Barbara Fish Graham & Elaine Fitzsimons Saundra Freeman Dale W. Gaddis Joe Garza Ira & Linda Goldfarb Robert & Phyllis Golden Andrews Richard Goldner & Carrick Glenn Dan Gottlieb & Elizabeth Shaw Lori, Farshid, Justin & Dina Guilak Mary Guyett in memory of Tucker Seagroves Tom Hadzor & Susan Ross Treat Harvey & Regina deLacy Michael E. Heath in memory of Edward M. Heath Kristen Hibbetts & Jan Cofer Donna J. Hicks Eddie High III Pete & Suzanne Hoffman Maria Hoopes Dr. Diane Hourigan Bart Hubbard Thomas & Elizabeth Jochum Maureen Johnson Janet Fraser Jones Richard & Elizabeth Jones Bill Kalkhof Ruth M. Katz Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Keller Emily M. Klein
Donor Supported Programming Suzanne Koenigsberg Michael & Rhonda Kosusko Joanne Langan Melvin & Audrey Lane Barbara Leahy Sid Levinson Clarence Lewis Ralph & Marie Liebelt Paul Luebke & Carol Gallione Mary R. Lynn Norris Cotton & Tracy Mancini Susan E. Marshall Michael D. Martz Amanda Mathis Jon & Kathy Mauney James & Elizabeth Maxwell Karen L. Mitchell Jane C. Mac Neela Sandy McCay Lisa McFarland Marjorie McKenzie Ann McLain Paul Nagy Steven Nelson William Nelson Rebecca New Eugene Nicholas Geoffrey Ochman Jeff & Jacqueline Odom Erica Oliver Grady & Catherine Ormsby Keri Padgett Ryan P. Parker
Kent Parks Glenn & Tina Patterson Thomas Phillips Bill Pope James Reagan Ty & Shelley Rhudy William Ross Herbert & Charlotte Saltzman Phillip & Betsey Savage Nancy Scott in memory of David H. Henderson John Schibler Alice Lavern Sharpe Alexander & Kathy Silbiger Margaret R. Sims David & Olivia Singleton Edward & Suzanne Skloot Amanda J. Smith Ryan P. Smith Patricia Spaight Phil Spiro & Linda Rarftery Larry Spitznagle & Carol Marino Bob Staton James & Danuta Soukup Naomi Takeuchi Duane & Sheila Therriault Mary Thorn & Kristi Creamer Larry & Lee Ann Tilley David & Ann Umbach Pamela Umstead Judith Washington Isabelle Webb in memory of Frances Thomas
Michael Weeks Ken Weiss William & Janet Wheaton Dr. Barnetta White Michael & Loretta Wile Robert & Pam Winton Robert Wolpert & Ruta Slepetis Gilbert Wood John & Marianne Wolf Bobby Woolf Thomas & Carolyn Wylie Steve J. Zetts
In-Kind Goods & Services $10,000+
The Independent Weekly WTVD Channel 11
$5,000+
Marriott at The Civic Center
$2,500+
Creative Technical Theater King’s Daughters Inn
$1,000+
All About Beer Magazine Johnny Carino’s Italian
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Tickets & seating
How to order www.carolinatheatre.org/tickets (919) 560-3030
The more you buy – the more you save! Pick 3 Pick any three Star Series events and save 15% on your total ticket purchase before convenience fees.
Pick 5 Pick any five Star Series events and save 25% on your total ticket purchase before convenience fees.
Group Tickets Groups of 10 or more can save 15% on most Star Series events. Call the Carolina Theatre box office for more information.
Legacy Box Seats Experience the elegance of the past when the Carolina Theatre’s long-closed box seats reopen this fall. Enjoy great music, comedy and performing arts with a unique perspective of the stage and the newly-restored Fletcher Hall. Packages include two tickets to all Star Series events, access to our new VIP lounge, parking and more.
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support our mission
Our Carolina Stars make it happen
Carolina Star Donor Levels
When you donate to the Carolina Theatre of Durham, Inc you help sustain a tradition of support for the arts in Durham – and a portion of your donation is tax deductible. Each year we present a variety of performers that encompass a broad and diverse cross-section of arts and entertainment. Your support will make these programs available to the widest possible audience.
Fan................................................................................$85
Sustaining Donations: Big support with small monthly payments. With monthly support you can provide the theatre with a stable source of income to sustain the programming you value, eliminate the cost of reminder notices and reduce the cost of processing payments.
Friend.................. $120 or $10/month sustaining donation Supporter........... $240 or $20/month sustaining donation Partner................ $360 or $30/month sustaining donation Producer............. $600 or $50/month sustaining donation President’s Circle............................$1,200 or $100/month sustaining donation A full list of benefits can be found at carolinatheatre.org
ADVERTISER’S INDEX 604 West Village | www.604westmorgan.com.....................................................................................................25 Ambiente International Furniture | www.ambientefurniture.com.......................................................................38 Arts Discovery | www.carolinatheatre.org/kids....................................................................................................36 Brock, Payne & Meece | www.bpm-law.com..........................................................................................................4 Bull City Connector | www.bullcityconnector.org...................................................................................................4 Bull City Burger & Brewery | www.bullcityburgerandbrewery.com.......................................................................6 Carolina Theatre iPhone App | app.carolinatheatre.org......................................................................................29 Thank You to City of Durham.................................................................................................................................8 Durham Arts Council | www.durhamarts.org........................................................................................................38 Dos Perros | www.dosperrrosrestaurant.com..........................................................................................................6 Forest at Duke, The | www.forestduke.com.........................................................................................................43 Flowers by Gary | www.flowersbygaryofdurham.com..........................................................................................19 Hamilton Hill | www.hamiltonhilljewelry.com........................................................................................................22 Jewelsmith | www.jewelsmith.com.................................................................................................................44, BC Measurement Inc. | www.measurementinc.com.....................................................................................................3 Michael Jordan Nissan | www.michaeljordannissan.com......................................................................................14 Ninth Street Dance | www.ninthstreetdance.com................................................................................................40 Our State | www.ourstate.com..............................................................................................................................22
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guest presenters Full Frame Documentary Film Festival The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival is an annual international event dedicated to the theatrical exhibition of non-fiction cinema. Each spring Full Frame welcomes filmmakers and film lovers from around the world to historic downtown Durham, North Carolina for a four-day, morning to midnight array of over 100 films as well as discussions, panels, and southern hospitality. Set within a four-block radius, the intimate festival landscape fosters community and conversation between filmmakers, film professionals and the public. fullframefest.org
The Durham Savoyards Created in 1963, Durham’s amazing homegrown theatre troupe, The Durham Savoyards, has brought fun and beauty to the Triangle by presenting the brilliant works of William S. Gilbert & Arthur S. Sullivan. For nearly 50 years, this hardworking group of local theater lovers have entertained a community and greatly enriched the local arts scene. This spring, the Carolina Theatre is proud to host the Savoyards’ production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s Iolanthe March 29 - April 1, 2012. durhamsavoyards.org
Triangle Youth Ballet With a passion for training the next generation of dancers and instilling a deeper understanding of dance arts in our community, the Triangle Youth Ballet offers aspiring dancers workshops and performance opportunities. Founded in 1995 with the specific mission to produce family performances with local talent, the company quickly grew into one of the area’s top dance schools. This season, the troupe will perform The Nutcracker December 10-11, 2011 and Peter and the Wolf as a part of our Arts Discovery Series on April 26, 2012. triangleyouthballet.org
Durham Symphony Orchestra The Durham Symphony is a semi-professional orchestra composed of a combination of volunteers and professionals, all classically trained. Throughout its 36 year history, the Durham Symphony’s mission has been to foster the appreciation of music through the production of high-quality music for and by the residents of Durham and surrounding communities. The Symphony’s programming reflects a commitment to familiar, American, and popular music. The Durham Symphony Orchestra also seeks to introduce classical orchestral music to young people in the school system through a variety of outreach programs. Traditionally, between October and May, the DSO performs several classical concerts at the Carolina Theatre. durhamsymphony.org
Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle Considered one of the finest professional ensembles in North Carolina and the Southeast today, the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle boasts an elite corps of musicians presenting a well-chosen and unusual repertoire that delights audiences and evokes high praise from critics. That standard of excellence has become the hallmark of the orchestra and has distinguished it from its peers. The orchestra performs throughout the year at the Carolina Theatre. Season tickets are available through the Carolina Theatre box office. thecot.org
NC Youth Tap Ensemble The North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble presents performances featuring cutting edge contemporary choreography and traditional rhythm tap as it was danced in its prime. The company has performed or collaborated with many jazz musicians around the nation and world, has toured internationally and regularly appears at the two largest tap festivals in the United States, the New York City Tap Festival (Tap City) and Chicago Human Rhythm Project. ncyte.org
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