On March 5, Greensboro City Council voted to enter into contract negotiations with Oak View Group for private management of the Greensboro Coliseum Complex and the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts.
6 8
4 This Friday, the Little Theatre of Winston-Salem (LTWS) will present the world premiere of Charlie Lovett’s drama “ ESCAPING DREAMLAND” at the Hanesbrands Theatre, 209 N. Spruce Street, Winston-Salem.
5 Guilford Green Foundation & LGBTQ Center (GGF) is thrilled to announce the expansion of its ANNUAL GALA into an entire GAYla weekend on March 22nd and 23rd.
6 Wilmington has hosted numerous festivals, but last year Mayor Bill Saffo and the Downtown Business Alliance realized that the city had never held a food festival. FEAST WILMINGTON, to be held March 22-24 at Live Oak Bank Pavilion in Riverfront Park, is the outcome.
7 When it comes to COMMUNICABLE DISEASES, Americans seem to catch everything except a break. For nearly four years we struggled to prevent and deal with COVID-19...
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Publisher
EDITORIAL
Editor
YES! Writers IAN MCDOWELL
KATEI CRANFORD
JIM LONGWORTH
NAIMA SAID
DALIA RAZO
LYNN FELDER
JOHN BATCHELOR
13
8 We come now to the curious case of MADAME WEB, the latest installment in the Marvel universe — and very likely the least.
11 “We believe that this might be a THRILLER LINE-UP OF SHOWS to hit the Tanger Center,” said Matt Brown, managing director for the Tanger Center and Greensboro Coliseum Complex, to a crowd of more than 100 guests, city officials, and community leaders at Monday’s First Bank Broadway 2024-25 Season announcement luncheon at the Steven Tanger Center for Performing Arts.
13 Women’s History Month continues as women continue making history (and the world itself), thanks to the web of wonderful WINSTON-SALEM WOMEN weaving community across the Triad and beyond.
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We
Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo will have its first run in Greensboro this week.
The show will run at the Greensboro Coliseum from March 14-17 and promises a festive celebration as Mauro the Dreamer Clown looks back over his life during the most vulnerable moment of his life.
“Corteo is set in a mysterious space between heaven and earth. It’s the story of a clown dreaming of his funeral. It’s a beautiful passionate celebration of life. He’s greeted by all of these angels, family, and friends who have all passed through his life,” said Kristi Wade, an aerialist and acrobat on the show.
Corteo, which means “cortege” in Italian, is a joyous procession, a festive parade imagined by a clown. The show brings together the passion of the actor with the grace and power of the acrobat to plunge the audience into a theatrical world of fun, comedy, and spontaneity situated in a mysterious space between heaven and earth, according to a release. The clown pictures his funeral taking place in a carnival atmosphere, watched over by quietly caring angels. Juxtaposing the large with the small, the ridiculous with the tragic, and the magic of perfection with the charm of imperfection, the show highlights the strength and fragility of the clown, as well as his wisdom and kindness, to illustrate the portion of humanity that is within each of us, describes the media kit.
Wade plays one of Mauro’s ex-lovers and performs on a giant chandelier.
“We come in and we see him there. There are four girls in the act and each of us is reminiscing about a moment in time with Mauro. For me, I’m having a dance with him and remembering a time when I was in love,” Wade explained of her role in the show. “We each tell our own story on the stage in these gorgeous giant chandeliers that are all lit up with candles and lights. It’s very very beautiful.”
Wade said that most of the performers have a background in gymnastics, theater, or a circus background. This is the second Cirque du Soleil show that Wade, originally from Sydney, Australia, has been a part of but she’s been a circus artist since she was 9 years old. While many of the performers have their own routines, Wade starts her days with a workout, an hour’s worth of makeup with already prepped hair, before heading o to show training. She admits that it is a long day on a weeknight but calls it a fun day.
“We actually have some performers
BY CHANEL DAVISin this show that have been here since it started in 2005. Which is very special. They’ve been through the journey of it turning from a big top show to an arena. There are 53 other artists that are from all around the world so it’s pretty cool that this is bringing us together,” she said.
A show she has dreamed of performing in for years.
“I’m actually brand new to Corteo which is actually very exciting. This has always been a dream to be a part of this show. The first time I saw this show, which was many years ago, was probably in 2017,” Wade said. “As soon as I saw it I thought ‘That’s where I’m supposed to be. How do I get there?’ Obviously, during the pandemic, I thought that dream may not come to fruition, but much to my surprise I did get a call for the exact position I wanted many years after seeing it. I’m very grateful for that.”
In a Cirque du Soleil first, the stage is central in the arena and divides the venue, with each half of the audience facing the other half, giving a unique perspective not only of the show but also a performer’s
eye view of the audience, according to a media release. Wade says that it makes the “unique and special.”
“We have live musicians and singers so everything is very raw and every aspect of it is live which is very, very special. As the curtains rise, the audience gets to see there’s another side to the arena and it’s magical,” she said.
The show recently received the Pollstar Award for Family, Event, or Non-Music Tour of the Year.
“The best kind of feedback we can get,” Wade said. “Although it is a clown dreaming of his funeral, it’s a happy show. It’s a family show. It’s spectacular. The acrobatics are insane and it’s visually stunning. It’s a very special show and highly regarded at Cirque du Soleil.”
For tickets visit www.ticketmaster. com or the Greensboro Coliseum Box O ce. !
CHANEL DAVIS is the current editor of YES! Weekly and graduated from N.C. A&T S.U. in 2011 with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications. She’s worked at daily and weekly newspapers in the Triad region.
Thursday,
Friday, March 15 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 16 at 3 & 7 p.m.
Sunday, March 17 at 1 p.m.
It’s hard to be
and not tell it is. There’s something at work here. how magical powerful
This Friday, the Little Theatre of WinstonSalem (LTWS) will present the world premiere of Charlie Lovett’s drama “Escaping Dreamland” at the Hanesbrands Theatre, 209 N. Spruce Street, Winston-Salem.
Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. Ticket prices range from $14 - $26 (with discounts available for students, senior citizens, and groups of 10 or more), and are available online at https:// www.ltofws.org/ or by calling the Little Theatre box o ce at 336-725-4001.
Lovett, a Winston-Salem native, playwright, and New York Times best-selling author, adapted his 2020 novel for the production, which is set against the backdrop
of early 20th-century New York City, known as “The Gilded Age.” The story follows three writers who establish a friendship when they begin writing children’s books together, although their relationship is potentially compromised by hidden memories and long-held secrets that threaten to tear them apart.
Charlie Putnam, Hunter Harrell, and Tanner Whicker portray the central characters, with Ray Collins, Mark March, Joseph Farmer, Gait Jordan, Drew Baker, Roberts Bass, Christine Gorelck, and Emily Graves rounding out the cast. “Escaping Dreamland” runs approximately 135 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission, and is recommended for ages 12 and older. There will be an opening-night reception at 6:30 p.m. Friday featuring complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres.
The show’s direction could not be in more experienced hands. Helmer Mark Pirolo was a faculty member of the School of Design & Production at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) for 36 years, encompassing director of costuming,
director of design, and even interim dean until his retirement in 2004. Having directed countless productions at the Little Theatre for 35 years, he enjoyed a two-year stint as its executive director (2004-’06) and is currently the artistic director of the 40+ Stage Company (https://40plusstage. com/). He has acted, directed, designed, written, and performed just about every function imaginable during his illustrious career, which spans 50 years.
“Charlie and I have been working on the project for quite a while now,” Pirolo said. “It’s been a very rewarding experience and I feel that he has been very receptive to my ideas and suggestions. I have felt my directorial choices, including casting and staging, have been fully supported and respected.”
oirs,’ a play I truly love. I first appeared on stage there three years later when I stepped into the role of Senex in a production of ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum’ when the actor originally cast was forced to drop out.”
“It has been such a joy watching characters I created come to life in the hands of the remarkable cast of ‘Escaping Dreamland,’” said Lovett. “This group includes LTWS veterans, many of whom I have shared the stage with on previous productions, as well as newcomers overflowing with talent. Add to that the expert direction of Mark Pirolo and his creation of vintage New York City projections, This Robot Dreams’ scenery, Daisy Neske’s period costumes, and Philip Powell’s stunning soundscape, and I think this play will be a treat for audiences showcasing the very best LTWS has to o er.”
“I was initially worried about having the right talent to cast it but that proved to be a needless concern,” Pirolo admitted. “Casting went beautifully, the first show I can remember that I was able to cast from auditions alone, no ‘beating the bushes’ to fill roles. The technical aspects have been — and continue to be — a challenge. It is a very complicated story, and the visuals and soundscape are vital to the telling of the tale. The play is about so many things. I consider it a romance. It has conventional romance but also the romance of history, nostalgia, books, and the telling of stories and most importantly the joys, rewards, and heartbreaks of friendship.”
Given his history, Pirolo has had a frontrow seat at the evolution of live theater in the region. “The Winston-Salem theater community has radically changed since I started working in community theater 35 years ago. When I first came to WinstonSalem there were only two community theater organizations in town — three if you count Kernersville. Now there are eight, so (live) theater is booming but the talent pool is stretched thin. It is becoming increasingly di cult to find enough volunteers to build and run the shows, and volunteerism in general is not what it once was. So, although I find the breadth of artistic expression available exciting, it often leads to frustrations in finding the necessary resources to do consistently highquality theater.”
Looking to the future, Pirolo is keeping his options open. “It’s been a pretty wild few years since the theaters came back after COVID,” he said. “I’ve written two new full-length plays, one with an incredible co-author; I’ve directed four shows in the past three years — two of them extremely challenging. I’ve shepherded nine shows to the stage as artistic director of 40+ Stage Company, and either designed or oversaw the scenic designs for seven of them. So, I’m going to back o for a while. I’m considering going back to work on a YA (young adult) novel I started many years ago, and even giving some consideration to fading gracefully into the sunset — or at least taking a well-deserved rest!”
Of course, the Little Theatre is familiar territory for Pirolo. “The first show I did was in 1989, as director. Roger Richardson saw a production of ‘The Dresser’ that I directed for the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival and asked me to do ‘Brighton Beach Mem-
The o cial Little Theatre of Winston-Salem website is https://www.ltofws.org/. !
Guilford Green Foundation & LGBTQ Center (GGF) is thrilled to announce the expansion of its annual gala into an entire GAYla weekend on March 22nd and 23rd. This exciting celebration starts on Friday, March 22, with the historic Green Party presented by Tito’s Handmade Vodka, at the Event Space at Boxcar, located at 120 W. Lewis St. in Greensboro, followed by the annual Gala on Saturday, March 23 at Starmount Forest Country Club, 1 Sam Snead Drive in Greensboro.
From 8 p.m. to midnight, LGBTQ community members and allies are invited to dance the night away to music spun by Tomie B, also known as DJ Real. Attendees will be treated to electrifying performances by local drag legend Giselle Cassidy Carter, with the night’s emcee being none other than Brenda the Drag Queen.
The Green Party holds special significance as it traces its roots back to 1996 when a group of friends organized a fundraiser in support of the Triad Health Project, raising $10,000 to aid individuals living with HIV and AIDS. This grassroots initiative laid the groundwork for the founding of Guilford Green Foundation in 1998, the first LGBTQ foundation in the Southeast.
Twenty years later, GGF furthered its impact by opening Greensboro’s inaugural LGBTQ Center, now located at 121 N. Greene St. in downtown Greensboro. Over the past 26 years, GGF has invested over one million dollars into the Triad LGBTQ community, o ering comprehensive programming that addresses the diverse intersections of LGBTQ identities. The Foundation continues to provide a vibrant and inclusive space for LGBTQ community members, honoring the vision of the founders of the Green Party in 1996.
Tickets for the Green Party are priced at $40, including a drink ticket and appetizers from Empanada Grill.
GGF’s annual Gala follows the historic Green Party. The evening will include a
cocktail reception, silent auction, dinner, and an after-party featuring Jessica Mashburn & Evan Olson.
Join us as we celebrate community, partnership, and empowerment at Guilford Green Foundation’s GAYla weekend. Ticket purchases contribute to uplifting community initiatives and programming at the Guilford Green Foundation & LGBTQ Center and the Triad LGBTQ+ community. !
advances equality and inclusion through philanthropy, programming, and advocacy that uplifts the LGBTQ community of the Triad region in North Carolina. Since its establishment in 1998, GGF has been committed to providing resources, support, and advocacy for LGBTQ individuals and their allies. Through various programs, initiatives, and partnerships, GGF strives to create a more equitable and accepting society for all. For more information, visit www. guilfordgreenfoundation.com
For ticket purchases and more information: Green Party: https://bit.ly/3UEFW9v
Gala Weekend: https://bit.ly/42tPPbZ
SUBMITTED BY LYNN RHOADES AUTHORING ACTION!
Voices from the Dwelling, a collaboration between Authoring Action and The Dwelling, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at amplifying the voices of underrepresented communities, is proud to announce the release of their debut album and a special showcase event. The album, titled “Volume 1,” is a collection of powerful stories and music that celebrates diversity, resilience, and the human experience.
Scheduled for release on April 4 from 4-6 p.m. at The Dwelling, “Volume 1” features a diverse array of artists and collaborators, each bringing their unique perspectives and talents to the project. From soulful ballads to energetic anthems, the album promises to take listeners on a journey through the rich tapestry of human emotion and experience.
“We are thrilled to share this gift with the world,” said Rev. Emily Norris, lead pastor at The Dwelling. “This album is the culmination of months of hard work and collaboration, and we couldn’t be prouder of the result and the community. It’s a testament to the power of storytelling and music to unite us and inspire positive change.”
From March 12th through May 4th The Dwelling Congregation partners with Authoring Action to develop an engagement that will amplify the voices of Winston-Salem’s homeless and housing insecure population. It consists of the monologues, poems, stories, and songs
they create in a series of Authoring Action Creative Writing workshops. Professional local artists collaborate with the authors to develop a multi-media engagement presented at The Dwelling. The Spring Engagement is public and located The Dwelling on May 2-4,2024. More information and tickets for the engagement event will be available through Authoring Action’s website beginning April 1st. All donations will go towards supporting the program’s ongoing initiatives to empower marginalized voices and promote inclusivity in the arts.
The Dwelling — In a world that constantly tells people who are living on the margins that they don’t belong, The Dwelling is a church that tells them that the world has it all wrong. The Dwelling proclaims boldly that there is holiness in the identity as someone experiencing homelessness, that they share a kinship with God who reminds us all that we are all wanderers in search of belonging. The Dwelling o ers a safe space and tends to the whole person.
Authoring Action develops authors who create original written work for stage and film. Our authors empower themselves with the tools for self-development and vocational choice. Authors empower themselves as an ensemble through the arts and impact communication, to exercise their civic, social and economic rights, and to engage an evolving society.
For press or event inquiries, please contact Lynn Rhoades at 336-749-1317, or email lynn@authoringaction.org. !
Wilmington has hosted numerous festivals, but last year Mayor Bill Saffo and the Downtown Business Alliance realized that the city had never held a food festival. Feast Wilmington, to be held March 22-24 at Live Oak Bank Pavilion in Riverfront Park, is the outcome.
Each event features multiple chefs and restaurants. Tickets are all-inclusive with food and drinks. All-Access passes can be shared — you can use the passes for two events, and your friends can use them for the other two. To order tickets or gather more information, go to feastwilmington.com.
I was able to make contact with several restaurant personnel to get a few previews of expected servings.
VIP Kickoff, Friday Night, March 22, 6-9 p.m. will feature immersive chef tables, specialty drinks, and music by the river from The Benny Hill Quartet. Participating restaurants that night will be Apple Annie’s Bake Shop, Benny’s Big Time Pizzeria, Bridgewater Wines & Dines, Circa 1922, Southern Smoke Barbecue, True Blue Butcher and Table, Covey, Floriana, and Olivero.
Circa 1922 will serve Pickled NC Shrimp Salad with green tomato chow-chow and prawn crisps; Tuna Poke “Umami” Bombs with crispy sticky rice, avocado, and citrus ponzu; and Berries & Cream with macerated strawberries, creme diplomat, and rhubarb granita — two savory, one sweet.
The next morning and mid-day will be devoted to Brunch Elevated, Saturday, March 23, 11 a.m.-2 p.m . Participating restaurants are Beach Shop & Grill, Brooklyn Cafe, Brunches, Brunch Thyme,
Buen Dia, Cast Iron Kitchen, Drift, Elijah’s, Ellipsis, Keg and Egg, Malama Cafe, Oliver’s on the Cape Fear, Salt & Charm, Solstice Kitchen & Cocktails and Sweet N Savory.
Salt & Charm will be serving Citrus Maple Glazed Pork Belly with a savory ibis coffee seed crunch, buttermilk biscuit crumble, and creamy cheddar grits.
The tastes from Solstice Kitchen & Cocktails will be Bacon Jam, Baby Lettuce, and Tomato BLT on homemade sourdough bread with kewpie-inspired hollandaise and sous vide egg yolk.
Beach Shop & Grill from Topsail Island will showcase Carolina Gold Rice Churros with fermented hot sorghum, chocolate cream, and a salty smoked streusel.
Cast Iron Kitchen will be serving French Toast Bites with candied bacon jam, spiced chocolate sauce, and a bruleed strawberry.
Brooklyn Café will present Grandmother’s Mashed Potato Old Fashioned Cake Style Donuts, made with love, nutmeg, and potatoes.
Musical Guest for mid-day will be Professor Dub.
Pier Party Saturday Night, March 23, 6-9 p.m. will be devoted to a night out for couples, friends, and colleagues to enjoy local seafood, farm-to-table dishes, and other ingredients from the coast. Participating restaurants include Bluewater Grill, Ceviche’s, Coquina Fishbar, Epicurean Bistro, King Neptune, JohnnyLuke’s KitchenBar, Maine Lobstah Shack, Oceanic, PinPoint, Poe’s Tavern, Savor Southern Kitchen, Shuckin’ Shack, Stoked, The Half, The Cork Room, True Blue Butcher and Barrel, and YoSake.
PinPoint’s offering will be Smoked Pork Belly with a Korean-style BBQ sauce, toasted peanuts, and soy pickled cucumbers.
Stoked will be serving an Ahi Tuna Tostada with sesame mixed greens, red miso glaze, and wasabi aioli over top ginger fried tostada.
Musical Guests: The Hatch Brothers. The Sunday mid-day event is Craft + Cuisine Sunday, March 24, Noon-3 p.m .
In partnership with the Cape Fear Craft Beer Alliance, 20 local breweries will be matched with 20 chefs for unique pairing experiences. Some of the pairings had not been completed when I wrote this, but listed participating restaurants and brewery partners include:
Beat Street + Drum Trout Brewing Company, Boombalatti’s + Hi-Wire Brewing, Brunswick Beer & Cider Restaurant and Brewery, Burgaw Brewing, Coquina Fishbar + Broomtail Brewing, Dram Yard + Bill’s Brewing Company, Front Street Brewery Los Portales Taqueria + Wilmington Brewing Company, Marina Grill + Outer Dunes Brewing, Panacea Brewing Company, Platypus & Gnome + Iron Clad Brewery, Ponysaurus Brewing Company, Steam Restaurant & Bar + Salty Turtle Beer Company, The Boat Landing Restaurant + Flytrap Brewing, The Copper Penny + Mad Mole Brewing, The Spot + Good Hops Brewing, Three10 + Mannkind Brewing, Rebellion + Waterline Brewing Company, and Wrightsville Beach Brewery.
The Boat Landing Restaurant in Sunset Beach and Flytrap Brewery in Wilmington will be offering their Amazing Sake Saison brewed with rice, sake, and Asian pears. Food will be Togarashi Spiced Tuna with Asian pear kimchi and a tamari-sake ponzu sauce, served on a rice cracker made from Tidewater Grain Companies Carolina Gold Rice.
Ponysaurus Brewing Company will be serving their award-winning Scottish Ale
with housemade meatballs.
Three10, paired with Mannkind Brewery, will be offering Dark Ages Black Lager with a pickled shrimp tostada using all N.C. products — pico de gallo, collard green-chile crema, tasso ham chip, roasted peanuts, and sweet potato tostada.
Brunswick Beer & Cider will be pouring “They who speak in riddles” Barrel Aged Imperial Stout 8.9% abv., a traditional English imperial stout with no adjuncts, paired with Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Bites with honey drizzle and chopped pistachios.
Mad Mole Brewing will be working with Copper Penny, serving 1 Mole 9, a Copper Lager, chosen specifically to be a beer that could pair well with most dishes served at Copper Penny.
Los Portales Taqueria will be serving Tacos Al Pastor — layers of marinated steaks and pork on a vertical grill spinning around the flames.
Musical Guests: The Midatlantic. Proceeds from Feast Wilmington will benefit several nonprofits, including the Food Bank of Wilmington, Cape Fear Craft Beer Alliance, and Downtown Business Alliance.
See my blog, johnbatchelordiningandtravel.blogspot.com, the week after the event, for my personal notes from tastings that I attended. This is probably going to become an annual event, so mark next year’s calendars, too! !
JOHN BATCHELOR has been writing about eating and drinking since 1981. Over a thousand of his articles have been published. He is also author of two travel/ cookbooks: Chefs of the Coast: Restaurants and Recipes from the North Carolina Coast, and Chefs of the Mountains: Restaurants and Recipes from Western North Carolina. Contact him at john.e.batchelor@gmail.com or see his blog, johnbatchelordiningandtravel.blogspot.com.
When it comes to communicable diseases, Americans seem to catch everything except a break. For nearly four years we struggled to prevent and deal with COVID-19, and just as we thought we had the deadly virus under control, the CDC reports that nearly 1 in 5 Americans who had COVID now struggle with chronic “Long COVID” symptoms. To make matters worse, the good old-fashioned flu and its cousin RSV have entered 2024 with a vengeance. In fact, according to the CDC, 38 states are dealing with either a high or very high level of respiratory illness. Nationwide there have been more than 7,000 deaths this flu season, including 266 here in North Carolina (source: NCHHS). And, even folks with less serious respiratory illnesses are experiencing recovery times of several weeks. It’s enough to make you want to call in sick, but if you do, don’t count on receiving a paycheck.
According to a report by BambooHR. com, the United States is one of only four nations that do NOT guarantee paid sick leave. The other three are India, South Korea, and Somalia.
It sounds like a sick joke, but here in the good old U.S.A., only “unpaid” sick leave is guaranteed. That’s the bad news. The good news is that according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 77% of private industry employees have access to a limited amount of paid sick leave. The problem is that we’re not using sick leave as we should, or as we used to.
In the not-so-olden times, we stayed home from work if we had a bad cold or the flu. Not anymore. According to the CDC, 89% of all U.S. employees work while sick. There are a number of reasons for this phenomenon. For one, some folks who have access to paid sick leave don’t want to use it all up during early winter, just in case they might need time o later in the year. Still, others can’t a ord to take “unpaid” sick leave at any time. Another reason is that the pandemic changed the dynamic of calling in sick and staying home from work.
When COVID was raging and our governor ordered people to shelter at home, most employers welcomed remote work as a way of keeping their business afloat. And even if employees contracted a mild case of COVID, which only required rest at home, then they could still keep up with their work, and communicate via Zoom. But there’s a fly in the ointment. A lot of people still work at home, either full or part-time, and as the Greensboro News & Record’s LZ Granderson observed, “It’s harder for folks who work remotely to justify using a sick day…how do you tell your supervisor you can’t work from home while ill, when we all just saw civilization work through a global pandemic?”
Fortunately, there is a simple way to manage this balancing act, and that is to avoid getting sick in the first place. I know that sounds idiotic, but folks who have limited or no paid leave can simply do what we were all asked to do during the pandemic: wear a mask around large crowds, and practice social distancing. It’s easy to do and produces no side e ects. As someone who catches colds and flu easily, I can tell you from personal experience that while wearing a mask and social distancing during the pandemic, I wasn’t sick once, nor did I miss a single day of work.
No doubt sick leave (especially paid leave) is a good thing to have in your back pocket if you need it, but a little bit of caution and common sense can keep the doctor away altogether. Not long ago, a number of medical and media pundits predicted that once the pandemic had subsided, we’d have to adjust to a “new normal.” Perhaps having to protect ourselves on a daily basis is what they meant. !
JIM LONGWORTH is the host of Triad Today, airing on Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. on ABC45 (cable channel 7) and Sundays at 11 a.m. on WMYV (cable channel 15) and streaming on WFMY+.
be: How bad is Madame Web?
In a word, very.
We
come now to the curious case of Madame Web, the latest installment in the Marvel universe — and very likely the least.
The film opened to tepid reviews, followed by reports about its promotional press tour, during which leading lady Dakota Johnson (who plays the title role) admitted she hadn’t seen the film nor had any intention of doing so. More recently she has further attempted to distance herself from the film, saying it was a mistake on her part. (Would that all of us be paid as much for making mistakes.)
Given all that, the main question has to
A spin-o of Marvel’s SpiderMan franchise, Madame Web stars Johnson as Cassandra “Cassie” Webb (neat, huh?), a paramedic in Queens, NY, whose mother died in childbirth 30 years ago in Peru while researching spiders. Recently, Cassie has been experiencing precognitive visions indicating that she can see into the future and, potentially, alter it. She’s also being pursued by Tahar Rahim’s shadowy Ezekiel Sims, the very same bastard who murdered Cassie’s mother, who has been experiencing his own visions in which he is vanquished by Cassie and three teenage girls (Sydney Sweeney, Isabelle Merced, and Celeste O’Connor).
Whether this makes any sense or not is a moot point, because the film’s screenplay — “credited” to Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless, Claire Parker, and executive producer/ director S.J. Clarkson — is a desultory e ort through and through. Madame Web marks
Clarkson’s feature debut, and her direction is jerky and shaky throughout.
Johnson wanders through the proceedings with an expression that alternates between disengagement and indi erence. Then again, the screenplay does no one any favors. Her three charges are given rudimentary backstories, and the feminist bent (which was handled somewhat better in last year’s The Marvels) is merely a gimmick. Characterization is virtually nil, the jokes fall flat, and even the special e ects and action sequences — which one would expect to be at least competent — are clumsy and confusing. During the climactic confrontation with Sims, it’s di cult to tell precisely who’s doing what to whom amid all the explosions and smoke.
Films with a time-travel angle are always subject to pitfalls, and Madame Web dives head-first into every one of them. Nothing ever seems at stake in this utterly inconse-
quential film. Beyond that is the glaringly absurd notion that Cassie — despite being sought by the police for supposedly kidnapping the girls — journeys to Peru with no di culty whatsoever. She simply shows up there, and then comes back to New York. Any conceivable hope that Madame Web might somehow rebound evaporates right then and there.
Among the other talented people ensnared in this stupidity are Adam Scott (rightly looking sheepish), Emma Roberts (rightly looking confused), Zosia Mamet (rightly looking bored), Mike Epps, Kerry Bishé, José Maria Yazpik, and Jill Hennessy, the latter almost unrecognizable because the scene she’s in is so darkly lit.
In many ways, Madame Web is an insult to those die-hard Marvel mavens who will see anything even remotely related to the Spider-Man canon. Not every Marvel superhero needs a movie. For proof, look no further than Madame Web — if you dare. !
See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies. © 2024, Mark Burger.
ACROSS
1 Ran after
8 — oil (trendy marijuana extract, for short)
11 Old TV ET
14 Feudal peons
19 More ill-bred
20 Loaf in a deli
21 Palme — (Cannes award)
22 “La Traviata,” e.g.
23 120-Across #1
25 “Over here!”
26 Sieved, as potatoes
27 Folk rocker DiFranco
28 Drink holders
29 120-Across #2
31 120-Across #3
36 Su x of enzymes
37 Don e ortlessly, as shoes
38 Toxin-fighting fluids
39 Functional unit of a kidney
42 Wield a saber or foil
45 Sky twinkler
48 Stray calf
49 120-Across #4
55 Plead
56 Cabinet chief: Abbr.
57 Muse of poetry
58 Mimosa tree, e.g.
62 “Put — Happy Face”
64 DiCaprio of “Titanic”
70 120-Across #5
75 More furtive
76 Possess
77 Gets the impression
78 Core belief
81 Light tan
84 Groom’s vow
85 120-Across #6
94 “Take —” (“Jot this note”)
95 Water spigots
96 Extort money from 97 Fit to reside in 100 Architect Saarinen
103 Island near Bora Bora
107 Rage
108 120-Across #7
113 120-Across #8
116 Male sweetie
117 Day, to Juanita
118 Totally lost 119 Bruins’ Bobby
120 What this puzzle literally provides eight times
124 Wee
125 Hitter’s stat
126 Single-named R&B singer
127 Erase
128 Some Canadian gas stations
129 Tot’s “piggy”
130 Bible translation, e.g.: Abbr.
131 Lobby sofas
DOWN
1 The Sims or Minecraft, say
2 Muse of astronomy
3 Fast part of a river ride
4 Govt. stipend
5 Adm.’s org.
6 Brain wave test: Abbr.
7 Harry Potter bully Malfoy
8 Burial vaults
9 Poet Percy — Shelley
10 — Moines, Iowa
11 One-o , as a committee
12 Lerner’s songwriting partner
13 Skillet
14 Ilk
15 Grand-scale
16 Give new energy to
17 Region prohibiting slavery prior to the Civil War
18 Made unhappy
24 — -Puf (facial sponge)
29 Really hate
30 Su x with serpent
32 Resist boldly
33 Singer Lisa
34 City in Sicily
35 Once, once
40 Word file alternative
41 — polloi
43 Syringe amts.
44 Stretch (out)
46 — Lingus (Irish carrier)
47 Writer Dahl
49 The Beatles’ “— Work It Out”
50 Tequila plant
51 Sacred image
52 Big Apple address abbr.
53 Sch. near the Rio Grande
54 Axes, e.g.
55 Scrooge’s outbursts
59 U.S. spy org.
60 Fluid in a pen
61 Anxiousness
63 In times past
65 Scot’s denial
66 Novelist Rand
67 Varnish stu
68 “Judge —” (Stallone film)
69 — buco
71
MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2024
DOORs @ 6pM // sHOw @ 7pM
Get off the beaten path and explore the edge of believable with captivating stories from the 48th Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival. Stand on the highest peaks, ski the steepest slopes, and be a part of the gripping adventures waiting for you in this year’s Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour From exploring remote landscapes to adrenaline-fueled action sports, films selected for the 2023/2024 World Tour are sure to captivate and amaze you. Be moved. Be inspired. Don’t miss out.
Ian McDowell
On March 5, Greensboro City Council voted to enter into contract negotiations with Oak View Group for private management of the Greensboro Coliseum Complex and the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts.
The vote to enter into contract negotiations was unanimous.
Oak View Group, also known as OVG, calls itself “the largest developer of sports and live entertainment complexes in the world,” according to its website www. oakviewgroup.com.
Before the vote was called, District 1’s Sharon Hightower expressed concerns about whether Coliseum and Tanger employees “would be safe during the transition.”
Assistant City Manager Larry Davis replied that OVG “will be able to provide an individual job o er” to all current Coliseum complex employees. “They have pledged that the combination of the value of the benefits will be equal to or greater than whatever they are currently earning.”
At-large representative Hugh Holston asked Davis about the timeline. Davis replied, “We believe a final contract will be finished before the end of the month, easily.” This, he said, will give current employees until July 1st “for any decision as to whether to remain and become an OVG employee, or go through the city RIF process.”
RIF stands for Reduction in Force and means the permanent termination of employees due to restructuring or elimination of their department.
Davis also noted that Council had a speaker on the subject, Coliseum employee Crystal Burton, whom Vaughan then apologized to for having overlooked.
Burton said that she has worked fulltime at the Coliseum box o ce since May of 2019.
“I was hoping to retire with a pension, just like my father and others who work at the coliseum. With the vote to privatize tonight, I must make a decision to either give up that career or give up my hopes of retiring with the city.”
Burton said that she understood the benefits of OVG taking over, as “the Coliseum needs changes and growth, but my coworkers and I are the cost of all this. From looking at retirement benefits and comparing insurance plans and costs, to changes in annual and sick leave, we have a lot at stake and no one seems to acknowledge our concerns.”
She concluded by urging Council “to find a way to make this work for those who want to stay city employees,” as “we have given everything we have to make Greensboro great.”
District 3’s Zack Matheny asked Davis “Do we have something in place that can help the employees of the Coliseum umbrella?”
“That is one of the items that we are negotiating with,” said Davis. “We have been having those conversations, and I am confident that we will reach some type of calendar plateau where folks will be able to work towards a retirement date in the future.”
Matheny responded that there are employees with “almost five, 10, 15 or 20” years with the Coliseum complex, and mentioned Burton as someone who would “hit that five-year milestone” in May. “I don’t think we can go past 12 months, but I think everybody on council would agree that we need to do everything we can to get the folks that are near that milestone.”
“I completely agree,” said Davis.
Representative At-Large Marikay Abuzuaiter asked Davis if, once an employee negotiates with OVG, “and everything is laid on the table and the employee is not pleased with that outcome, is there anything they can do?”
Davis replied that, once the contract is in place, “we will spend up to a year finding comparable work and comparable pay within the city somewhere.”
When Abuzuaiter asked if that included “comparable benefits,” Davis said “Absolutely.”
“But probably not a pension,” said Matheny.
Davis replied that he was speaking about “somebody who wanted to stay within the city,” meaning their pension would continue. “OVG has a 401K plan, but they do not have a compensation pension like the city does.”
Hightower asked that, if someone like Burton was interested in a di erent job with the city, “would she get the proper training and development as well?”
“Absolutely,” said Davis. He then emphasized, “the vote tonight is only authorizing us to enter into negotiations for a contract.”
“If we find out or believe our discussions have not been fully upfront and we are not able to reach those kinds of conclu-
sions, we’ll come back to council and say we do not recommend moving forward with a contract. No contract is being signed tonight. This gives us the authority to, as Councilman Holston sometimes says, ‘sharpen the pencils’.”
When Davis finished speaking, Vaughan said she had to contradict him on one point.
“It will not be up for another vote. It will be up to sta , thumbs up or thumbs down.”
“Correct,” said Davis, “but you will know all the details throughout the process.”
Vaughan also commented that one of the things the city has discussed with OVG “is the ticket facility fee, which we currently do not charge for, but I think just about every other facility does.” She then said with “this contract, they [OVG] will be compensated on the profits they make as we go further along, so there is a lot of motivation for them to give the best product that we can.”
The mayor then o ered “a big thank you” to current Coliseum Manager Matt Brown and his sta “for the phenomenal job they have done managing the coliseum over these last decades, keeping us relevant, putting out a great product, and getting the City of Greensboro used to a premiere facility. Through their vision and leadership, the Tanger Center opened, and that is an absolute unqualified success. The Greensboro Aquatic Center, Piedmont Hall, White Oak Amphitheater, we have continued to move ahead.” !
IAN MCDOWELL is an award-winning author and journalist whose book I Ain’t Resisting: the City of Greensboro and the Killing of Marcus Smith will be published in September by Scuppernong Editions.
“We believe that this might be a thriller line-up of shows to hit the Tanger Center,” said Matt Brown, managing director for the Tanger Center and Greensboro Coliseum Complex, to a crowd of more than 100 guests, city o cials, and community leaders at Monday’s First Bank Broadway 2024-25 Season announcement luncheon at the Steven Tanger Center for Performing Arts. In partnership with Nederlander and Professional Facilities Management, the downtown Greensboro arts venue will feature seven shows this season:
· “Mamma Mia!”: Sept. 17-22, 2024
· “& Juliet”: Oct. 8-13, 2024
· “Hamilton”: Dec. 26, 2024 – Jan. 5, 2025
· “MJ” The Musical: Feb. 18-23, 2025
· “A Beautiful Noise — The Neil Diamond Musical”: Mar. 4-9, 2025
· “Back To The Future: The Musical”: May 6-11, 2025
· “Some Like It Hot”: June 24-29, 2025
Similar to last season, there will be two Broadway season ‘add-ons’:
· “Elf the Musical”: Dec. 10-15, 2024
· “The Book of Mormon”: Apr. 18-20, 2025
Touting that the Performing Arts Center had just finished one of its “most incredible weeks,” Brown announced that the SIX had set a new venue box record for a one-week Broadway engagement with a
total attendance of 23,485 and grossing $1.7 million, Brown told participants to get ready for a new season.
“Get ready for a great new program for next that I think is going to be hard to imagine that we can top 17,000 season subscribers from last year but our good friends at Nederlander and PFM have done another extraordinary job,” he said.
Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan said as she read the list of shows she got excited about the 2024-2025 season. She called the venue an economic and cultural center for the city.
“How great is this upcoming season? I am so thrilled about what Tanger Center has done for Greensboro and downtown. To think that 130,000 people have been through this lobby so far this year alone. That is an amazing number,” she told the crowd. “It keeps getting better and better.”
Tanger Center Board Chairman Randall Kaplan said that it is the friendliness and quality of the Tanger Center sta that makes the di erence.
“It is pretty incredible that we opened up the Tanger Center and three years in a row we run profits here,” Kaplan said. “That’s because they do such a great job of bringing in the kind of entertainment this city wants and the support of all you and the other members of the community has been fantastic. So I want to say thank you to the team, sta and let’s all look forward to next year’s season.”
President of First Bank Adam Currie said that the idea of the Tanger Center seemed like a crazy idea when they started but it has since been an incredible experience.
“It has been really fun and it’s been really rewarding,” Currie said. “I think Greensboro needs more of this. I think our city will support it. We just need to
get together and bring it to them. It takes a lot of courage from a lot of people to make that happen.
Lynn Singleton, President of PFM, noted, “This fourth season lineup is full of spectacle and heart. The Triad community is truly in for a ‘thrill’.”
Current season seat members will have first access, on May 1, to renew their seats before tickets go on sale for membership on June 5. Season seat members will also get first dibs on the season ‘add-ons.”
Below is a short synopsis of each Broadway Show sent by the performance venue.
“Mamma Mia!”
Sept. 17-22, 2024
A mother. A daughter. 3 possible dads.
And a trip down the aisle you’ll never forget!
Set on a Greek island paradise where the sun always shines, a tale of love, friendship, and identity is beautifully told through the timeless hits of ABBA. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the father she’s never known brings three men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited decades ago.
For nearly 25 years, people all around the world have fallen in love with the characters, the story, and the music that make “Mamma Mia!” the ultimate feelgood show.
“& Juliet”
Oct. 8-13, 2024
Created by the Emmy®-winning writer from “Schitt’s Creek,” this hilarious new musical flips the script on the greatest love story ever told. “& Juliet” asks: what would happen next if Juliet didn’t end it
all over Romeo? Get whisked away on a fabulous journey as she ditches her famous ending for a fresh beginning and a second chance at life and love — her way.
Juliet’s new story bursts to life through a playlist of pop anthems as iconic as her name, including “Since U Been Gone‚“ “Roar,” “Baby One More Time,” “Larger Than Life‚“ “That’s The Way It Is,“ and “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”— all from the genius songwriter/producer behind more #1 hits than any other artist this century. Break free of the balcony scene and get into this romantic comedy that proves there’s life after Romeo. The only thing tragic would be missing it
“Hamilton”
Dec. 26, 2024 – Jan. 5, 2025
A revolutionary story of passion, unstoppable ambition, and the dawn of a new nation.
“Hamilton” is the epic saga that follows the rise of Founding Father Alexander “Hamilton” as he fights for honor, love, and a legacy that would shape the course of a nation. Based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography and set to a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway, “Hamilton” has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education. “Hamilton” features book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire. In addition to its 11 Tony Awards, it has won Grammy®, Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and an unprecedented special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors.
“MJ” The Musical
Feb. 18-23, 2025
He is one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Now, Michael Jackson’s unique and unparalleled artistry comes to the Triad as “MJ”, the multi-Tony Award®winning new musical centered around the making of the 1992 Dangerous World Tour, begins a tour of its own. Created by Tony Award®-winning Director/Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, “MJ” goes beyond the singular moves and signature sound of the star, o ering a rare look at the creative mind and collaborative spirit that catapulted Michael Jackson into legendary status. “MJ” is startin’ somethin’ as it makes its Piedmont Triad premiere at the Tanger Center in February 2025.
The Neil Diamond Musical Mar. 4-9, 2025
The untold true story of a Brooklyn kid who became a chart-busting, show-stopping, award-winning American icon
Created in collaboration with Neil Diamond himself, “A Beautiful Noise” is the uplifting true story of how a kid from Brooklyn became a chart-busting, show-
stopping American rock icon. With 120 million albums sold, a catalog of classics like “America,” “Forever in Blue Jeans,” and “Sweet Caroline,” an induction into the Songwriters and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame, a Grammy® Lifetime Achievement Award, and sold-out concerts around the world that made him bigger than Elvis, Neil Diamond’s story was made to shine on Broadway-and head out on the road across America.
Like “Jersey Boys” and “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” before it, “A Beautiful Noise — The Neil Diamond Musical” is an inspiring, exhilarating, energy-filled musical memoir that tells the untold true story of how America’s greatest hitmaker became a star, set to the songs that defined his career.
“Back To The Future: The Musical” May 6-11, 2025
Great Scott! Back To The Future, the beloved, cinematic classic is now a Broadway musical with its destination set for the Triad in 2025.
Winner of the 2022 Olivier Award for Best New Musical, four WhatsOnStage Awards, including Best New Musical, and the Broadway World Award for Best New Musical, “Back To The Future: The Musical” is adapted for the stage by the
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iconic film’s creators Bob Gale (Back to the Future trilogy) and Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump) and directed by the Tony Award®-winner John Rando with original music by multi-Grammy® winners Alan Silvestri (Avengers: Endgame) and Glen Ballard (Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror”), alongside hit songs from the movie including “The Power of Love,” “Johnny B. Goode,” “Earth Angel,” and “Back in Time.”
When Marty McFly finds himself transported back to 1955 in a time machine built by the eccentric scientist Doc Brown, he accidentally changes the course of history. Now he’s in a race against time to fix the present, escape the past, and send himself... back to the future. When “Back To The Future” hits 88mph, it’ll change musical theatre history forever.
June 24-29, 2025
Winner of 4 Tony Awards®, including Best Choreography and Best Costumes, and the Grammy Award® for Best Musical Theater Album, “Some Like It Hot” is “A Super-Sized, All-Out Song-And-Dance Spectacular!” - The New York Times.
Set in Chicago when Prohibition has everyone thirsty for a little excitement, “Some Like It Hot” is the “glorious, big, high-kicking” (Associated Press) story of two musicians forced to flee the Windy City after witnessing a mob hit. With gangsters hot on their heels, they catch a cross-country train for the life-chasing, life-changing trip of a lifetime.
And what a trip it is! With its irresistible combination of heart and laughs, song and dance, “Some Like It Hot” won more theater awards than any show this season, and was named Best Musical by the Drama Desk, The Drama League, and the Outer Critics Circle. No wonder Deadline calls it “a tap-dancing, razzle-dazzling
embrace of everything you love about musical theater.”
ELF the Musical
Dec. 10-15, 2024
This modern Christmas classic bursts onto the stage in a production The New York Times calls “SPLASHY, PEPPY, SUGAR-SPRINKLED HOLIDAY ENTERTAINMENT!” When Buddy the Elf embarks on a journey from the North Pole to discover his true identity — with Santa’s permission, of course — he helps New York City remember the true meaning of Christmas.
“The Book of Mormon”
Apr. 18-20, 2025
The New York Times calls it “the best musical of this century.” The Washington Post says, “It is the kind of evening that restores your faith in musicals.” And Entertainment Weekly says, “Grade A: the funniest musical of all time.” Jimmy Fallon of The Tonight Show calls it “Genius. Brilliant. Phenomenal.” It’s “The Book of Mormon”, the nine-time Tony Award® winning Best Musical.
This outrageous musical comedy follows the adventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent halfway across the world to spread the Good Word. With standing-room-only productions in London, on Broadway, and across North America, “The Book of Mormon” has truly become an international sensation. Contains explicit language.
For more information, visit TheBookOfMormonTour.com
For more information or tickets, visit TangerCenter.com/Broadway. !
CHANEL DAVIS is the current editor of YES! Weekly and graduated from N.C. A&T S.U. in 2011 with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications. She’s worked at daily and weekly newspapers in the Triad region.
Women’s History Month continues as women continue making history (and the world itself), thanks to the web of wonderful WinstonSalem women weaving community across the Triad and beyond.
Martha Bassett, The Martha Bassett Show
Entering its seventh season, The Martha Bassett Show continues connecting music and community, live from the Reeves Theater, every first and third Thursday through August; with local syndication, Saturdays on WFDD.
“We’ve recently expanded our radio syndications into Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky,” Bassett beamed. “Curating the artist roster is my favorite part — outside of making music on the show itself. I’m always blown away by the local talent and love the relationships we build.” New relationships this season include a partnership with Piedmont Opera and international artists from the UK, Ireland, Brazil, Canada, and Australia adding to the multi-genre mix. Upcoming episodes feature Emily Stewart with the Heather Pierson Duo and Je Black on March 21; Kenny Roby and Joyner Horn join the Queen Bees on April 4.
Bassett is also gearing up for a threemonth residency, running second Wednesdays (April-June) at Gas Hill Drinking Room. May 8 will feature a Brazilian bossa nova trio with Reagan Mitchell and Ben Singer. “I haven’t exactly worked out the other two,” Bassett said, referencing the challenge of playing solo after so much time with her big house band.
She’ll further embrace that challenge on April 16 as part of Abigail Dowd’s Flat Iron series; and on May 12 at the new Muddy Creek Listening Room in Old Salem. “Speaking of hostesses!,” Bassett said, sparked by Muddy Creek’s wonderwoman Shana Whitehead, “let’s add Cashavelly Morrison’s supper club to that list; and Molly McGinn’s Woodshed! It’s awesome to see so many women leading the way in music.”
Cashavelly Morrison, and the songbirds in her supper club like Molly McGinn and Laura Carisa Gardea While McGinn’s Woodshed Experience is in the works for warmer months, McGinn appeared as part of the Queen Bees in the February round of Morrison’s monthly “Songbird Supper Club” series, which happens every last Tuesday at West Salem Public House.
Morrison’s own Gas Hill residency (the first Wednesday of April and May) is currently underway. “Each show will be more expansive,” she said. “I can’t wait to perform these new songs that show all a woman’s flavors: fierce, playful, loving, raging — with indie pop with elements of my roots, along the vein of Weyes Blood and El Perro del Mar.”
Turning to the Supper Club, Morrison relishes sharing voices amongst discussion, art, and eats, with four special guests. Grounding topics revolve around “women’s experiences and empowerment,” she explained, emphasizing “things that women have historically and culturally been discouraged from sharing. It’s so nourishing to learn about the tremendous amount of truly remarkable women in our town and deepen our community connections.”
“It’s a place where women support and celebrate one another,” Morrison continued. “No matter if you’re just starting out or are a seasoned professional wanting to connect more intimately. It isn’t uncommon for everyone to be rolling with laughter one moment and crying the next. We consistently have in-the-moment corrective experiences that heal our past wounds that have kept women isolated. It’s the gift we’re meant to bring out in the world.”
PHOTO BY MARTIN W. KANE, ©2021 UNCG
looks forward to the March 26 club meeting on her birthday, where magic (and cake) will be shared with Skylar Gudasz, Chanice Withers, Amanda Lynn James, and N.C. House of Representatives candidate Amy Taylor North; plus a menu from Chef Jordan Rainbolt (of Native Root). Looking at the notable web of the
CASHAVELLY MORRISON SUBMITTEDJanuary, along with Winston-Salem native, Laura Carisa Gardea (founder of the Southside Food Forest and vocalist for the electro-garage trio Proxevita).
Cultivating cultures (and permaculture) across the globe, Gardea recently returned from serving as an artist delegate at COP28 UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai; and is currently traveling for a panel in New York City to present at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women for the NGO forum on period poverty, period and incontinence dignity.
Haydee Thompson, West Salem Art Hotel and “The Moon Crew” with Tessa Eve Everton and Lindsay Piper Potter-Figueiredo Closer to home, Haydee Thompson and her cohorts at the West Salem Art Hotel continue hosting artists (and guests), with a current exhibition featuring works from Nico Amortegui running through March. “This journey has taught me to
Lust, revenge, deception & a wedding
It’s amazing what you can do in a day.
Speaking of gifts, Morrison especially
Professional opera comes to HIgh point for two performances
be a nurturing host,” Thompson said. “I want to ensure guests feel welcomed so they can relax and take in this unique space, be inspired, or simply rest.” With e orts culminating in more than 1,000 five-star reviews on Airbnb, Thompson beamed at the achievement — extending optimism and carrying over traditions from the Wherehouse Art Hotel days. Joined by the “moon crew” Tessa Eve Everton and Lindsay Piper PotterFigueiredo to bring festival traditions to their new location, “cultivating and nourishing our own gardens is the ultimate way to feed our communities,” Everton said, reflecting on the series, her own sabbatical; and the festival’s 2024 hiatus. Potter-Figueiredo, meanwhile, is looking forward to “putting out some major flower vibes for 2025 with the Full Moon Festival,” she insisted. “The Moon Crew remains ever present in each other’s lives.”
In her own life, Potter-Figueiredo’s work is part of the “Full Circle Exhibition” on display at the Salem College Fine Arts Center (through April 21). She’s also “ec-
static” to join the 2024 class of Forsyth County’s Urban Farm School.
Taja Seafus, The D.O.S.E. Collective
Taja Seafus, founder of the D.O.S.E. Collective is budding a di erent sort of green thumb as the art collective launches the latest Community Art Gallery exhibition, “GREEN,” with an opening reception on March 15. Rounding into its second year, D.O.S.E has come into its own — with a proper home base of operations, as well as continuing the satellite performance series that rooted their initial operations.
“Community is extremely important,”
Seafus said. “Being partners with The CMPND, Culture WS, Yacht Studios, and others has really brought us together to form the unstoppable force of the creative industry here in Winston-Salem for providing and holding space for artists in all stages of their careers!”
With an evolving event calendar, the next round of the series kicks o with “Ignite the Stage,” a drag residency coordinated by Roy Fahrenheit and Thigh Fierei (following a “Monsters of Oz” theme) on March 16; “Open Gym” jams on March 27; and the “Lawn Series,” a performance, discussion and collaborative painting experience launches March 30, with featured band, SCOBY.
Meanwhile, the crew is stoked to present their annual fundraising event, “Night Church: An Immersive Theatrical Dance Party” (in partnership with CasaShanti), at the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts on March 28.
“We play around with the meaning of ‘how do you worship’ when it comes to your craft and the ritualistic tendencies that may develop,” Seafus explained. “We start in the ethereal realm and transport into funk with a deep dive into EDM and end the night with Jungle.” The journey is supported by a jamband featuring Daniel Brooks, Gavin Nourse, Erica Chin, and Wilhelm Schmidt; along with DJ GIVAFUNK on deck and performances by The Vixen Show, Aniyah Wilkinson, Maura Close, and Dianna Grey Addams. “It’s an absolute powerhouse of a group and the rehearsals have been out of this world!”
Getting down to earth — or under it — D.O.S.E is also continuing its subterranean series, “The Lab: An Experimental Space for Underground Art,” every first Monday in the parking garage under the Milton Rhodes Center. Meshing art, music and markets, the next lab features Brandon Tenney, Fifth Floor, APRHO XOXO, FM Snow, and Mawpy; along with goods from Super Them Tooth Gems, Amimono Designs, Stewed Goo, and butt3rflyg0bl1n.
“It takes a village,” Seafus said, extending gratitude, “and we really wouldn’t be where we are now without everyone’s support so thank you!”
Sarah Burns and FemFest NC FemFest NC President, Sarah Burns, eschews the spotlight — praising the communal work of the group and as a whole, the Winston-Salem community, and the legacy of FemFest founder Bryn Hermansen.
“There are no brakes involved in carrying on Bryn’s legacy, and we’re fortunate to have support that continues to grow exponentially,” Burns said, looking back on “another outstanding year” for the 2023 FemFest X; and what lies ahead in 2024.
“We’ve already started, with the inaugural Y’allentine’s celebration at Hel’s in February,” she continued, dropping upcoming events in the works for the spring including the reopening of the WSPromShop, a recycled art market at Acadia Foods, a full-tilt variety show at Monstercade, and special plans for Pride Winston-Salem.
“We have so many ideas and opportunities to advocate for victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence. I don’t believe we’ll ever have less going on,” Burns explained, praising the work of their fiscal beneficiary, Family Services Forsyth County.
It’s an honor Family Services reciprocates — in both service to the community and Hermansen’s memory — by dedicating the “Hermansen Conference Room” toward her legacy at their Broad Street o ce on March 14. !
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Week of March 18, 2024
ARIES (March 21 to April 19) You’re correct to want to help someone who seems to need assistance. But be careful that they aren’t pulling the wool over those gorgeous Sheep’s eyes. You need more facts.
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TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) The Bovine’s optimism will soon dispel the gloom cast by those naysayers and pessimists who still hover close by. Also, the good news you recently received is part of a fuller message that is yet to come.
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GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Feeling jealous over a colleague’s success drains the energy that you need to meet your own challenges. Wish them well and focus on what you need to do. Results start to show up in mid-March.
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CANCER (June 21 to July 22) You’re likely to feel somewhat crabby these days. So, watch what you say, or you could find yourself making lots of apologies. Your mood starts to brighten by the weekend.
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LEO (July 23 to August 22) Your pride might still be hurting from those unflattering remarks someone made about you. But cheer up — you’re about to prove once again why you’re the Top Cat in whatever you do.
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VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) A misunderstanding with a co-worker could become a real problem unless it’s resolved soon. Allow a third party to come in and assess the situation without pressure or prejudice.
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LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Call a family meeting to discuss the care of a loved one at this di cult time. Don’t let
yourself get pushed into shouldering the full burden on your own.
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SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) An upcoming decision could open up a path to an exciting venture. However, there are some risks that you should know about. Ask more questions before making a commitment.
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SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Personal matters need your attention during the earlier part of the week. You can start to shift your focus to your workaday world by midweek. Friday brings news.
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CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) You’ve been going at a hectic pace for quite a while. It’s time now for some much-needed rest and recreation to recharge those hardworking batteries.
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AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) This is a good time to upgrade your current skills or consider getting into an entirely di erent training program so that you can be prepared for new career opportunities.
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PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Keep a low profile in order to avoid being lured away from the job at hand. Focus on what has to be done and do it. There’ll be time later to enjoy fun with family and friends.
[BORN THIS WEEK: You can be a dreamer and a realist. You dream of what you would like to do, and then you face the reality of how to do it.
© 2024 by King Features Syndicate
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by Fifi Rodriguez1. TELEVISION: Which TV sitcom featured a father figure named Philip Banks?
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2. LANGUAGE: How many letters are in the Greek alphabet?
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3. MOVIES: Which movie features the line, “To be honest, when I found out the patriarchy wasn’t just about horses, I lost interest?”
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4. SCIENCE: How long is an eon?
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5. GEOGRAPHY: In which country is most of the Kalahari Desert located?
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6. MUSIC: Which singer once was called the Material Girl?
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7. FOOD & DRINK: What is injera?
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8. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a group of cockroaches called?
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9. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: Which large U.S. city is nicknamed Emerald City?
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10. GAMES: How many blocks are in a Jenga tower?
10. 54.
9. Seattle, Washington.
8. An intrusion.
7. Fermented atbread.fl
6. Madonna.
5. Botswana, Africa.
4. 1 billion years.
3. “Barbie.”
2. 24.
1. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
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