YES!Weekly - March 29, 2023

STEPS OUT IN THE TRIAD

MARCH 29-APRIL 4, 2023 VOLUME 19, NUMBER 13

Actor, singer, and dancer Ben Vereen’s first love is the stage, and that love brings him to the High Point Theatre this Saturday with Steppin’ Out, a one-man journey through the Broadway songbook that also pays tribute to his heroes Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra.

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4 Phillip Gerard’s latest book, “ NORTH CAROLINA IN THE 1950S: THE DECADE IN MOTION,” came out in early March. That might sound impossible because Gerard died last year on Nov. 7. But Gerard had already written the book’s text as part of a series of articles in Our State Magazine

5 The North Carolina Zoo is the WORLD’S LARGEST NATURAL HABITAT ZOO. The more than 1,700 animals that live there have plenty of room to roam.

6 OUT at the Movies,” WinstonSalem’s popular LGBTQ+ screening series and annual festival, has teamed up with Camel City Playhouse and Mystery Men Productions for a special screening of John Cameron Mitchell’s award-winning cult smash HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH

8 If the Earps and Clantons were alive

today, they wouldn’t hold their gunfight at the OK Corral. They’d just meet up at HANES MALL.

9 In writer/producer/director PAUL WEITZ’S MOVING ON, what might appear to be a fluffy black comedy is instead a serio-comic meditation on the moments from our past that have shaped, for better or worse, who we are.

14 Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 31 for the WINSTON-SALEM FAIRGROUNDS 2023 INDOOR CONCERT SERIES. Tickets will be available via Ticketmaster and at Fairgrounds Box O ce located at the Annex, 414 Deacon Blvd. 16 Springtime, y’all. Flowers are blooming, festivals are popping and across the Triad, CONCERT SERIES ARE SPRINGING TO LIFE

Promotion NATALIE GARCIA

DISTRIBUTION JANICE GANTT ANDREW WOMACK

We at YES! Weekly realize that the interest of our readers goes well beyond the boundaries of the Piedmont Triad. Therefore we are dedicated to informing and entertaining with thought-provoking, debate-spurring, in-depth investigative news stories and features of local, national and international scope, and opinion grounded in reason, as well as providing the most comprehensive entertainment and arts coverage in the Triad. YES! Weekly welcomes submissions of all kinds. Efforts will be made to return those with a self-addressed stamped envelope; however YES! Weekly assumes no responsibility for unsolicited submissions. YES! Weekly is published every Wednesday by Womack Newspapers, Inc. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. First copy is free, all additional copies are $1.00. Copyright 2022 Womack Newspapers, Inc.

North Carolina in the 1950s

Phillip Gerard’s latest book, “North Carolina in the 1950s: the decade in motion,” came out in early March.

That might sound impossible because Gerard died last year on Nov. 7. But Gerard had already written the book’s text as part of a series of articles in Our State Magazine.

Those articles are the basis of a new series of books published by Blair/Carolina Wren Press that will follow North Carolina through the decades.

The new book opens with a chapter titled “Seabreeze: rhythm and beach music.” The great beach music, so celebrated by whites, came from Blacks who

were segregated into a few beaches just for Blacks. The music crossed all racial boundaries.

Gerard reminds us about North Carolina’s love a air with cars in the 1950s. His chapter, “Fast food and flicks-the drive-in craze,” takes readers back to when a trip to a drive-in theater was the most popular family treat.

the good guys

Of course, stock car racing gave evidence to North Carolinians’ growing love a air with the automobile.

Railroad travel was still important in the 1950s, but Gerard sadly reminds us that in 1968, “the last passenger train pulls out of Wilmington, and a way of life disappears down the tracks.”

In 1955, WUNC- TV begins showing a test pattern and then providing the basis for a television network that serves the entire state. New UNC president William Friday begins 30 years of service that includes a “one-on-one interview show that takes full advantage of his warmth, frankness, encyclopedic knowledge of the state, and his talent for putting his guest at ease.”

In 1952 Hugh McRae Morton inherits Grandfather Mountain and its 4,500-acre surroundings. A born promoter and facilitator, he transforms the mountain into a popular tourist attraction.

Gerard describes how four North Carolina A&T students sat down at Greensboro’s Woolworth’s whites-only lunch counter, noting their quiet courage.

Meanwhile, over in Winston-Salem, Tom Davis founded Piedmont Airlines. “From 1948 until 1989, when it is acquired by USAir and launches its last flight as Piedmont, it su ers just four major crashes. To the finish, the airline started by Tom Davis retains the stubborn loyalty of its employees and passengers.”

Gerard details the struggle of the Lumbee Indian Tribe for recognition, including the legendary battle between a group of Lumbees and a swarm of Klansmen. Gerard writes, “Not only have the Lumbee routed the Klan — they have turned it into an object of ridicule.”

Perhaps the most transformative event of the 1950s was establishment of the Research Triangle Park. Today it seems so natural that a group of high-tech businesses would find a home in an area near three research universities. But the story of the Research Park is a complicated one. There are many heroes. Howard Odum, an academic, envisions a research institute. Romeo Guest, a businessman, envisions “a pragmatic engine for promoting business growth and coins the magic term: “Research Triangle.” Guest met regularly with the business leaders who were key: Wachovia Bank’s Robert Hanes and Archie Davis and the state’s governor, Luther Hodges, whose contacts and tenacity were critical. The group of boosters bought

4,000 acres between Raleigh and Durham for just $175 an acre.

The story of the state’s wonderful art museum might never had happened if the state’s arts commission had not hired Wilhelm Reinhold Valentiner in 1955 to be the first director of the North Carolina Museum of Art.

Gerard concludes with a chapter on Gov. Kerr Scott, “a devoted Presbyterian, a lifelong student of the Bible and also a pragmatist with vision, who can see not just an ideal future but also what is possible in the here and now. Politics is the art of the possible, and he is gifted with the ability to make more things possible.”

Like Scott, Gerard took on a seemingly impossible task, that of telling the story of North Carolina in the 1950s in a very small book. Maybe he did not accomplish the impossible, but he surely left this reader knowing a lot more than when he started.

NOTE: Philip Gerard, who died Nov. 7, was one of North Carolina’s most productive and multitalented writers, producing engaging fiction and stimulation nonfiction. At UNC-Wilmington, he was a popular and e ective teacher. In writing the Decades series, he often used the present tense to describe past actions. In a few cases, to avoid confusion I have adjusted the tenses in quoted language. !

D.G. MARTIN, a retired lawyer, served as UNC-System’s vice president for public a airs and hosted PBS-NC’s North Carolina Bookwatch.

D.G. Martin One On One

Columnist

Phillip Gerard

Visit the NC Zoo with John Batchelor

BY JOHN BATCHELOR

The North Carolina Zoo is the world’s largest natural habitat zoo. The more than 1,700 animals that live there have plenty of room to roam. The zoo is also an active participant in e orts to protect wildlife and wild places. Some of the animals are endangered species, protected at the zoo. They or their o spring often return later to their natural habitat. The Zoo’s veterinary hospital has a sta of nine. They operate the Zoo’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, one of the few wildlife rehabilitation centers operated by a zoo in the United States.

Eight segments of the Nat Geo Wild series, Secrets of the Zoo, are dedicated to the North Carolina Zoo. You can watch them on Disney+ and Prime Video.

For in-person visits, General Admission for adults costs $15. Parking is free. Several picnic areas can be reserved. The Zoo also o ers “Ride-and-a-Guide” programs for small groups wishing to visit the Zoo in the company of a Society professional. Ride and guide programs allow guests to make the most of their Zoo experiences. Ride-and-a-Guide tours must be booked in advance.

Of course, the main attraction is the animals. Most can be viewed from walking trails that wind through the property.

In some cases, they are housed indoors, in temperature-controlled spaces. Several natural habitats are devoted to various regions.

The North America habitat includes a prairie, a grizzly bear reserve, a streamside, a cypress swamp, a marsh, a rocky coast, and sections devoted to red wolves and black bears.

The Africa habitat houses baboons, lemurs, primates, zebras, ostriches, gira es, and lions. Free-roaming elephants are a big attraction.

An Asian habitat is under development. It is expected to open in 2026. !

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.

Gira es on Ride-and-a-Guide tour.

Hedwig rocks Camel City Playhouse in special screening event March 31st

WinstonSalem’s popular LGBTQ+ screening series and annual festival, has teamed up with Camel City Playhouse and Mystery Men Productions for a special screening of John Cameron Mitchell’s award-winning cult smash Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Friday, March 31 at Camel City Playhouse, 110 W. Seventh Street, Winston-Salem. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., tickets are $10 in advance (at https://outatthemovies.org/) or $15 at the door.

“I am excited about our screening of this cult film because Hedwig always delivers in fostering discussion and conversation about what gender means, how we use gender to define identity and how we treat people who, for whatever reason, don’t fall within conventional conceptions of male and female,” said Rex Welton, the co-founder and director of the “OUT at the Movies” screening series and festival.

There will be a live performance at 7 p.m. prior to the 7:15 start time for the film, after which there will be a panel discussion regarding the enduring legacy

of Hedwig and the Angry Inch and transgender representation in film moderated by “OUT at the Movies” board member Angela Stewart. Beer and wine will be available for purchase during the event. Based on the 1998 o -Broadway punk-rock musical written by Mitchell and Stephen Trask, Hedwig and the Angry Inch follows the title character (played by Mitchell), a flamboyant, gender-queer East German rock star pursuing former collaborator and lover Tommy Gnosis, who has plagiarized her songs and become a superstar in his own right. The play ran for two years and won both the Obie Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for Best O -Broadway Musical.

In 2001, Mitchell and Trask brought Hedwig to the big screen, with Mitchell making his feature directorial debut. Miriam Shor, who played the role of Yitzhak in the original play, reprised her role, with Trask playing Skszp, Michael Pitt as Tommy Gnosis, Andrea Martin, Rob Campbell, Alberta Watson, and Michael Aronov (in his feature film debut) rounding out the cast.

Although it grossed less than $5 million during its theatrical release, Hedwig was undoubtedly a critics’ darling, with Mitchell receiving a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical), three awards at the 2001 Deauville Film Festival (Cinélive Award, Critics Award, Grand Special Prize), winner of the New Generation Award and nominee for the

LAFCA Award at the 2001 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, winner of the NBR Award for Outstanding Directorial Debut from the National Board of Review, winner of the Audience Award and Directing Award and a nomination for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival, and many others.

In 2014, Hedwig and the Angry Inch made its Broadway debut with Neil Patrick Harris as Hedwig and won four Tony Awards, including Best Actor in a Musical, Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Lena Hall), and Best Revival of a Musical. Mitchell would reprise the role of Hedwig for a limited time upon Harris’s departure, and received a special Tony Award as a result.

These are busy times at “OUT at the Movies”: The annual fund-raiser, “Key West in Winston-Salem,” is scheduled for 7 p.m. June 3rd, a full-blown bash that will include island-inspired delicacies, tasty drinks, female impersonators, exotic dancers, and surely a surprise or two, followed by a downtown after-party at 11 p.m.

The 10th annual “OUT at the Movies” International Film Festival is scheduled for Sept. 28th-Oct. 1st in downtown WinstonSalem. “Our screening committee has begun watching films to assist us in the process of determining our programming,” Welton said. “We have already received several strong submissions and look forward to a stellar festival and celebration of 10 years of movies, Q&As, concerts, and parties!”

Like the RiverRun International Film Festival, “OUT at the Movies” o ered ticketed virtual screenings during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Although last year’s festival was in-person, all of our films were available online and quite a few folks preferred to watch movies from home,” Welton said. “Our in-person attendance was down, and although part of it was due to the remnants of Hurricane Ian, I believe there were many audience members who stayed away due to COVID. Here’s hoping that 2023 is a smashing success as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of our festival and the 20th anniversary of our film series.”

For more information, call (336) 918-0902 or visit the o cial “OUT at the Movies” website: https://outatthemovies. org/. !

See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies. © 2023, Mark Burger.

“ OUT at the Movies,”

Mark Burger

[ WEEKLY ARTS ROUNDUP] CELEBRATING COMMUNITY & CONNECTIVITY

BY KATIE HALL | Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forysth County

On Thursday, March 23, Arts Council welcomed more than 165 people to campus for its Annual Meeting and Celebration of arts, culture, and creativity. The evening highlighted local artists who have participated in various arts events and collaborations over the last year. Featured artists included the WSSU Red Sea of Sound Drumline: H2O, Drake Du er, Van Slaughter, III, Taja Seafus and Leo Morello of The In-Between, LLC., Paisley Kupta, Spencer Aubrey, and Sauda Mitchell of Sawtooth School for Visual Art. Our campus was full of energy, and the State of the Union address kicked o with an exciting set from the WSSU Drumline: H2O. The evening continued with Chase Law, president and CEO, sharing successes of the last year and where our strategic and revisioning roadmap has led us. After a 15-month development phase with Next Stage Consulting, Arts Council’s Guiding Principles and Modes of Being were shared publicly for the first time.

ARTS COUNCIL’S GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County…

1. Champions creativity as an essential community asset (Creativity)

2. Engages authentically in all corners of the community (Community)

3. Celebrates fresh perspectives and diverse voices (Diversity)

4. Breaks down barriers to expand human connection (Access)

5. Embraces risk-taking to advance collective goals (Innovation)

6. Creates a culture of belonging for creatives and all residents (Inclusivity)

7. Sets an ambition to outperform expectation (Excellence)

This planning process surfaced a number of learnings, not the least of which is the need to expand the membership of what it means to be a ‘cultural leader,’ while also recognizing that our identity remains one of process. Wrestling with how community ambition gets implemented, and who contributes to the shaping of that ambition, was explored through a focus on four modes of being for our organization.

ARTS COUNCIL’S FOUR MODES OF BEING

As a CONVENER, Arts Council will build an equitable approach to engagement, ensuring fresh and diverse voices are not just heard but provided a platform. Arts Council aspires to be the framework upon which community builds its ambition, and this will only be possible if all are at the proverbial table.

This will be accomplished through decentralized relationship-building toward formal e orts to bring people together.

As a CATALYST, Arts Council will aim to leverage its role as a convener to facilitate buy-in on a shared vision and set of goals. Rather than serve as umbrella for this activity, Arts Council sees itself as the undergirding sca olding that lifts up great ideas, identifies areas of intersection, and encourages working together to achieve big ideas. In this way, Arts Council is less the owner of the process and more the steward of community ambition toward articulation and gameplan development.

As a CONDUIT, Arts Council will work to leverage its financial and facility resources to serve as a conduit of an even more precious resource — the ‘people power’ of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. With catalytic concepts as a blueprint, Arts Council will work to activate human resources ‘to put intention into practice.’ Arts Council endeavors to lead a movement of ‘people who do,’ turning its bias for action into an expression of community spirit.

As a COLLABORATOR, Arts Council performs the role it is uniquely and best-positioned to do, creating new systemic collaborations that cross-pollinate arts and culture into areas of tourism, education, economic development, and workforce pipeline creation, while working to solve the region’s signature challenge of racial equity and inclusion.

We wanted a plan that is living and breathing; one that can be shifted if something is not working or enhanced at any time. We wanted a plan that is achievable. This visioning roadmap is just that. Our team is actively implementing these guiding principles and modes of being to advance the work of the arts and cultual sector throughout Winston-Salem & Forsyth County… and community is at its core.

During the evening, we also recognized our 2023 Arts Council Award recipients (with awards created by local potter Julie Perry. Of these awardees, Truist was also recognized as the Community Initiatives and Social Impact Partner for their longstanding relationship with Arts Council and many others in the arts and cultural sector. This exciting partnership will help to support Arts Council’s visioning roadmap and support our community coming together even further in the future.

The evening culminated with an original spoken word piece by Tamika Wells titled “We Rebuild Through the Arts” that left the entire room feeling inspired for our greater community’s bright future. As the oldest arts council in the United States, we have a lot to be proud of. Special thanks to Ra aldini Vineyards and Foothills Brewing for sponsoring our libations for the evening.

WINSTON-SALEM THEATRE ALLIANCE TO PRESENT BOY FROM OZ

BY WINSTON-SALEM THEATRE ALLIANCE

“My songs are my biography”…Peter Allen Winston-Salem Theatre Alliance will present the dazzling Tony Award-winning musical Boy From Oz April 14 through 23. Peter Allen (Gray Smith) was born in the outback Australian town of Tenterfield in 1944. He made his entertainment debut at the age of 5 impersonating Al Jolson. As a teenager, he became a pop star and toured Asia. That’s where he met the iconic Judy Garland (Dianne Paukstelis). Judy took the young star under her wing and when Peter met Judy’s daughter- the not quite yet discovered Liza Minnelli (Rebecca Askew) -they quickly become engaged.

Living in the US, Peter enjoyed the highs of success by winning an Oscar, selling out performances in Radio City Music Hall, and receiving adulation when he returned to Australia. There were also plenty of lows … breaking up with his wife, staging a Broadway flop, the death of his partner and his own battle with illness. Peter Allen had an extraordinary life which has now been turned into the smash hit musical Boy From Oz. Featuring hits like “I Honestly Love You”, “Everything Old us New Again”, and “Don’t Cry Out Loud”; Boy From Oz is a class above other ‘jukebox’ musicals. The plot skillfully weaves around the life and complexities of Peter Allen. The songs and lyrics sit easily with the rhythm of the piece and with the characters as they enter and re-enter his life, be they dead or alive. It leaps, as does Peter himself, from past to present and back to past all within the familiar context of one of his energy packed concerts. In Gray Smith’s performance, the infectious energy and boundless talent of Peter Allen fills the stage as if he’s been resurrected to perform one last time.

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Special Thanks:

Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County

WINSTON-SALEM THEATRE ALLIANCE aims to inspire, transform, and unite the people of the Triad through a broad range of unique, diverse, and unconventional theatrical experiences. More at www.theatrealliance.ws.

WANNA go?

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

Friday April 14 at 8pm, Saturday April 15 at 8pm, & Sunday April 16 at 2pm

Friday April 21 at 8pm, Saturday April 22 at 8pm, &Sunday April 23 at 2pm

Tickets: https://www.theatrealliance.ws/box_o ce/

Gray Smith as Peter Allen (standing on piano), Rebecca Askew as Liza Minelli (left, seated on piano), and Dianne Paukstelis as Judy Garland (right, in maroon)

voices

Violence at Hanes Mall…AGAIN

f the Earps and Clantons were alive today, they wouldn’t hold their gunfight at the OK Corral. They’d just meet up at Hanes Mall. After all, the mall is conveniently located, it’s spacious, and you can have your unencumbered confrontation night or day, inside or outside. I don’t mean to make light of the violence which has occurred at Hanes Mall in recent times, nor do I mean any disrespect to the victims who have been killed or injured. But my sarcasm is born out of a sense of anger and frustration over a problem that continues to go unchecked.

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Band Schedule

Granted, malls are not what they used to be, and the pandemic didn’t help matters. But despite bankruptcies, closings, and vacant storefronts, malls are still a strategic gathering place, and these days, that’s all it takes to attract crazies and criminals. Of course, mall violence is not a new phenomenon. The Inquisitir provides us with a timeline for some of the major shootings, which include: seven people wounded at a Tacoma Washington mall in 2005; five people murdered in 2007 at a mall in Salt Lake City; eight people killed later that same year at a mall in Omaha; two people killed at the Arundel Mills Mall in Maryland in 2011; and the following year three people were killed and four wounded at a mall in Wisconsin. Again, these are just a few examples and

Idon’t address the numerous shootings that have occurred over the past 10 years involving one or two victims, such as the 19-year-old boy who was shot last December in the Mall of America in Minnesota.

Closer to home, Hanes Mall’s gun woes have escalated over the past three years. In August 2019, a man was shot to death just outside of BJ’s restaurant. In January 2020, a teenager was shot just outside the Forever 21 store in a gang-related incident. And, less than a week later, another teen was shot in the face during a fight near J.C. Penney’s. It gets worse. Over the past year, Hanes Mall has been the scene of gun violence no less than three times, including the most recent incident, which occurred earlier this month involving a shoot-out between an unidentified man and several juveniles in a van.

In his December 19, 2020 article, Winston-Salem Journal correspondent Scott Sexton reported that police were called to Hanes Mall two and three times a day to deal with everything from shoplifters to runaways. That begs the question, “Why not have police stationed at Hanes Mall all the time?” The answer could lie in either Hanes Mall being required to hire an armed security force 24/7, or the Winston-Salem Police Department setting up a full-time sub-station at the mall. In either case, the security force would have to include parking lot patrols. Meanwhile, the mall should be required to install metal detectors at the major entrances and have them manned by a member of the security team. One way or another, Hanes Mall would have to pony up big bucks and so would taxpayers. But an investment in mall security could pay o down the line, with people feeling safe enough to return to their once favorite place to shop.

Unlike the big banks who screw up and get bailed out because they are “too big to fail,” Hanes Mall is not too big to fail, and unless something is done soon to address and improve the real and perceived problems of gun violence, then failure is exactly where Hanes Mall is headed. !

JIM

Jim Longworth Longworth at Large

Star-studded cast adds sparkle and heart to Moving On

n writer/ producer/ director Paul Weitz’s Moving On , what might appear to be a fluffy black comedy is instead a serio-comic meditation on the moments from our past that have shaped, for better or worse, who we are. The characters have real depth, from which emanates the film’s humanity and humor. Moving On certainly has its laughs, and some hokey moments, too — but it’s thoughtful and emotionally affecting.

Jane Fonda plays Claire, a neurotic, twice-divorced woman who travels from Ohio to California for the funeral of a close friend she’d known since college. She’s been biding her time to settle the score with the woman’s husband, Howard (Malcolm McDowell), who sexually assaulted her 45 years before — and informs him that she intends to kill him. Her efforts are thwarted, at least initially, by Evelyn (Lily Tomlin), another college chum whose acerbic demeanor masks some emotional wounds of her own.

Weitz allows his cast to carry the film, and it’s a wise decision. Along with Richard Roundtree, who plays Claire’s first husband, Ralph, we’ve got four acting treasures on hand — each one an icon — it’s simply a treat to watch them. It’s also a pleasure to see this talented quartet of octogenarians enjoy meaty big-screen roles. In its own way, Moving On is a master class in acting from four stars whose presence has been enhanced — and not diminished — by age, and they take full advantage of the opportunity.

Fonda and Tomlin first worked together in the 1980s Nine to Five then reunited for the popular Netflix series Grace & Frankie (2015-’22), for which both were Emmy-nominated (Tomlin’s four to Fonda’s one). They deftly combine humor and pathos to create fully realized characters, ones

Iwho have kept a lot of emotions bottled up for too long a time. Now, in their twilight years, they realize that they have to come to terms with those emotions, lest they be consumed by them. It’s not something you’d normally find in a conventional comedy, but one of the nicest things about Moving On is how smoothly Weitz incorporates those dramatic elements without undermining the humor.

This is one of Roundtree’s biggest and best roles in a while, and he gives a rich performance as Ralph — and his scenes with Fonda pack real sexual heat. McDowell, no stranger to playing cads throughout his career, adds surprising flashes of humanity to Howard, and there’s a good turn by Sarah Burns as his daughter, whose eyes are opened to a few things in her parents’ past.

The narrative does become contrived in the third act, but such good will has been established by then that the fairly predictable wrap-up doesn’t feel entirely forced. Moving On is a worthy diversion and an extremely enjoyable way to spend 90 breezy minutes with a cast that can’t be beat. !

See MARK BURGER ’s reviews of current movies. © 2023, Mark Burger.

Mark Burger

Contributor

OPENING DAY AT HISTORIC BETHABARA PARK

Saturday, April 1 10:30 a.m.– 4:30 p.m.

Celebrate the official opening of the 2023 season by exploring the grounds, taking a peek inside the newly opened 1834 Log House, listening to Moravian music, visiting with eighteenth-century craftsmen, touring the 1788 Gemeinhaus, enjoying an informative video, and browsing the gift shop.

BY THE EDITORS AT ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

CREME DE LA WEIRD

Already this year, representatives of a fictional country called the United States of Kailasa have participated in two meetings at the United Nations, Oddity Central reported. Founded by Indian fugitive and “supreme ponti of Hinduism” Nithyananda Paramashivam, the virtual nation claims to be a sovereign state for Hindus who have been “persecuted for over a decade.” In January, Kailasa suggested it had been o cially recognized by the United States of America through a sister-city agreement with Newark, New Jersey, but U.S. authorities later rescinded the arrangement. A U.N. representative explained the country’s access by saying the meetings are open to the public.

AWESOME!

How’s your bracket holding up? If it’s busted, here’s some other basketball news that might cheer you up. Sporting goods company Wilson is reinventing the basketball, Oddity Central reported on March 13, with a new prototype that doesn’t require inflation. The Wilson Airless Prototype uses a “research-grade” polymer material to achieve the necessary bounce; the surface is a lattice design that keeps the traditional binding pattern so players can grip the seams of the ball more easily. There are still kinks to work out, including how to manage small objects that can get inside the ball.

FLORIDA

A flamboyant woman named Ashley Cream went before the Boca Raton Planning and Zoning Board on March 2 with a pressing concern: She suggested that March 10 should be designated Sugar Daddy and Mommy Appreciation Day. WFLA-TV reported that Cream, accompanied by an elderly man in a wheelchair, started her appeal by telling board members they were “looking absolutely fabulous, a little bit serious.” She went on to say that sugar daddies and mommies are “responsible for college educations, cars, homes, rents, jets, Birkin (bags) and the occasional body enhancement” — though she claimed to be “all natural” as she gestured toward her chest. Councilman Arnold Sevell replied that her idea is “a city council issue,” and she and her companion left the meeting.

10, WREG-TV reported. An unnamed 22-year-old victim pulled into his own driveway that night, only to have a man yank the driver’s door open and point a gun at him. He asked for the victim’s wallet and keys to the 2006 Honda Element, then tried to back out of the driveway, but as he did so, he rolled down the window. That’s when the victim noticed the thief’s gun didn’t have a barrel, so he reached in and punched the carjacker in the face, causing the car to clip the side of the house and run into a pole. The carjacker jumped out and ran away; police were able to gather prints from the car and a recovered phone, but no arrests have been made.

— As authorities in Gainesville, Georgia, searched the home of 75-year-old Alan Neil Thur on March 14 after receiving a tip that Thur had child pornography on his computer, Thur sat at his computer ... “viewing five images of child pornography,” Hall County Sheri ’s deputies wrote in a report. WSB-TV reported that Thur was charged with seven counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and booked into the county jail.

OH, CANADA

Fans of our favorite rude gesture, rejoice! Flipping the bird is a protected, “God-given” right in Canada, NPR reported, after Judge Dennis Galiatsatos ruled on Feb. 24 that “o ending someone is not a crime.” The decision stemmed from a court case between two un-neighborly neighbors in a Montreal suburb. “The complainants are free to clutch their pearls in the face of such an insult,” Galiatsatos said. “However, the police department and the 911 dispatching service have more important priorities to address.”

SUSPICIONS CONFIRMED

2147 Bethabara Road, Winston Salem, NC, 27106

www.historicbethabara.org

LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINALS

Nothing went right for a carjacker in East Memphis, Tennessee, on March

On March 20, police o cers were called to a home in Mill Creek, Washington, on a report of items stolen from the house, Fox13-TV reported. As they investigated, they discovered someone was living in the home’s upstairs loft — with a bed, drug paraphernalia and half-eaten food. The oblivious homeowners did say they had noticed the smell of cigarette smoke. Police suggested the homeowners wait until the person returned, and it didn’t take long: On March 21, they arrested Daniel Tomoiaga, 24. In his possession, they found the stolen items, along with meth and fentanyl. No word on how long he’d been staying at the home. !

©2022 Andrews McMeel Universal

ACROSS

1 Sponsored part of a magazine

7 Probability

11 To be, in Toulouse

15 “Elizabeth” star Blanchett

19 Ripped into 20 Buccaneer’s topper

22 Major Norse god 23 1940 drama based on a Steinbeck novel 25 Tri- tripled 26 Possible reply to “Are you?”

27 Become indistinct 28 Architect I.M. — 29 Five doubled 30 Endemic to 31 Bed for Baby 33 Pas’ partners

35 2006 Jack Black comedy

38 1999 Jason Biggs comedy

43 Psi preceder

44 1950s Ford 45

79 French painter Dufy

3 Early baby

4 “Life of Pi” director Lee

5 Attire

6 List abbr.

7 Divisor, e.g.

8 Trash-talk

9 Fall

10 Not injurious

11 Eternally, in verse

12 Roofing straw

13 Fed’s interest increase, e.g.

14 Botany or history lead-in 15 Self-assured 16 Cute, in slang 17 Stannite, say

Glossy finish

Bed size

Cougar 32 Part of BBC

Invasive PC programs

Squirrel nosh

Divulge 39 — -Kit (face reconstructor)

40 Former miler Sebastian

41 How soda is often sold

2004-09 Showtime

sch.

124 New Haven school

125 2008 Seth Rogen comedy 129 “Son of —!” 130 Expert at increasing profits 131 Fisher who played Leia

42 Devour

47 Dr.’s field

49 — artery (aorta

1 Upstate New York prison

2 Be injurious

The Sportscenter Athletic Club is a private membership club dedicated to providing the ultimate athletic and recreational facilities for our members of all ages. Conveniently located in High Point, we provide a wide variety of activities for our members. We’re designed to incorporate the total fitness concept for maximum benefits and total enjoyment. We cordially invite all of you to be a part of our athletic facility, while enjoying the membership savings we offer our established corporate accounts.

Ben Vereen steps out in the Triad

Actor, singer, and dancer

self), The Nanny, Oz, Grey’s Anatomy, NCIS, and How I Met Your Mother

is of his main teacher, Rachel Yokum.

Ian McDowell Contributor

Ben Vereen’s first love is the stage, and that love brings him to the High Point Theatre this Saturday with Steppin’ Out, a one-man journey through the Broadway songbook that also pays tribute to his heroes Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra.

Vereen’s television career extends from his Emmy-nominated performance as Chicken George in the ground-breaking 1977 mini-series adaptation of Alex Haley’s Roots, to his moving recurring role of a retired professor struggling with dementia in the 2021 season of the CBS comedy-drama B Positive. He played LeVar Burton’s father on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Will Smith’s father on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Mayor Ben in 62 episodes of the children’s show Zoobilee Zoo. His other credits include The Carol Burnett Show, The Muppet Show, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The Love Boat, Webster (both as Webster’s uncle and him-

His film career began as a featured dancer in Bob Fosse’s 1968 musical Sweet Charity. In 1976, he received a Golden Globe nomination as New Star of the Year for playing Bert Robbins, a composite character based on famous Black song-and-dance men Bert Robbins and Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, in the Barbara Streisand vehicle Funny Lady. Subsequent cinema roles included promoter Richard Barrett in the 1998 Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers biopic Why Do Fools Fall in Love? and the father of Chris Rock’s protagonist in 2014’s Top Five.

But it was the Broadway stage, where Vereen received a 1972 Tony nomination for his Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, and won that award in 1973 for Pippin, that made him a star. As “Magic to Do” from Pippin has become his theme song, audiences can expect to hear it in High Point.

“High Point is a great venue and I look forward to performing there.”

He trained at New York’s High School of the Performing Arts, later made famous by the 1980 film and 1982-87 TV show Fame, where he enrolled in 1960 at the age of 14. While he studied with famous choreographers Martha Graham, George Balanchine, and Jerome Robbins, his fondest memory

“I was so fortunate she took a liking to me and guided me with discipline, not only in the dance department but with my academics. Years later, I would go out to the University of Arizona in Tucson and pay homage to her. She was my heart.”

He first met Bob Fosse when the legendary director/choreographer cast the 19-year-old Vereen in the Las Vegas company of Fosse’s Sweet Charity. “I was somewhat intimidated, but was surrounded by such great talent, it forced me to rise above.”

This led to his touring with the national company of the show and performing in the 1969 film version.

“So many memories there, especially of meeting Shirley MacLaine and my mentor Sammy Davis Jr. The musical numbers “Rich Man’s Frug” and “The Rhythm of Life” were exciting, very exciting.”

The spectacular “Rich Man’s Frug,” in which Vereen is the most impressive of the male dancers accompanying the sinuous hair-whipping Suzanne Charny, has gone viral on YouTube in recent years.

Vereen was not the title character in either of his iconic Broadway roles. He played Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, and then in Pippin, was the Leading Player, who tells the story of medieval King Charlemagne’s son. But he had the best roles

and was the most acclaimed performer in both productions. Did either Je Fenholt, the original Broadway Jesus, or John Rubinstein, who played Prince Pippin, resent not getting as much applause or critical praise despite being the title character?

“I’m not aware of any complaints. However, the Leading Player was a ‘title’ character in my eyes, otherwise, I don’t think I would have won the Tony Award. He was the interlocuter — the Leading Player took us on the journey. The role of Judas was an antihero, and that in itself was challenging.”

When asked if it was Bob Fosse’s idea to make the Leading Player so important, or was the role integral to composer Stephen Schwartz’s original concept, Vereen said:

“In reality, on Day One of rehearsal of Pippin, there was very little script; everything evolved into what we were so proud of.”

The quirky low-budget 1970 Roger Corman film Gas-s-s-s features Vereen in his first major film role as one of the survivors of an accidentally-released gas that kills everyone over the age of 25.

Vereen’s primary memory was instead

of a beloved friend, who also costarred in Gas-s-s-s and later in Laverne & Shirley, and passed away in January.

“This is di cult to answer, as we lost Cindy Williams about two months ago and my prayers go out to her family. But Gas-ss-s was a gas.”

When asked how he felt about not getting to repeat his Broadway triumph in the film Jesus Christ Superstar,” he said he was proud to see it move to new heights.

“I wasn’t disappointed, just proud that the musical moved on to be a feature film.”

It wasn’t until Vereen’s mentor Sammy Davis Jr. hired him to understudy Davis in the British revival of the musical Golden Boy that Vereen, who grew up in Bedford— Stuyvesant, learned he was adopted. However, he said that the Wikipedia claim he was born in Laurinburg, NC, is incorrect.

“I had to apply for a passport to go to London. When I called the hospital in Dade County, Florida where I was born, there was no record of Ben Vereen; it was Benjamin Pearson. That’s how I discovered my roots and that my family ‘Vereen’ had brought me to Brooklyn. I was not born in North Carolina, but I do have family in Laurinburg. We recently did an interview with their main paper, so I hope, I really hope, they will make the trip to High Point to see my show.”

Did he expect Roots to be such a massive cultural event and a landmark in both Black and TV history?

“I don’t live with expectations; I live with hope and inspiration and a strong sense of spirituality — so when Roots was completed, and the streets of America were silent, naturally all of us were shocked at our success and to this day, it is the most watched mini-series.”

Vereen was asked about his controversial appearance at Ronald Reagan’s televised first inauguration in 1981, which he intended as a criticism of Republican policies on civil rights. Vereen performed the first half of his set as the famous vaudeville star Bert Williams, a Black man forced to wear blackface when appearing before white audiences. Due to angry phone calls, ABC didn’t air the second half of Vereen’s performance, which explained that context, and in which Vereen’s character was refused service due to his race while trying to buy the Republican elite a congratulatory drink.

“The issue was that the television audience didn’t get to see why the [real-life] character I played had to wear blackface makeup. Cutting out that explanation angered a lot of people, but fortunately, in time it was explained, and my fans stuck by me. Back in the day, Black entertainers had to ‘black up.’ Unfortunately, with Black History not relevant in our school

systems, our kids are not learning our history. This is not only a shame but a crime in itself.”

When asked about playing the Snow Leopard mayor of Zoobilee Zoo, Vereen said:

“I loved being Mayor Ben. It was a lot of fun. So was Puss in Boots, which I did with Gregory Hines for Showtime. I really miss Greg.” Vereen was referring to the 1985 episode of Shelley Duvall’s Faerie Tale Theatre, in which Vereen played the title talking cat, Hines was the cat’s human companion, and Alfre Woodard was the princess.

Vereen seemed pleased to learn that Tenspeed and Brown Shoe was the only show I followed during my senior year at Carolina when everybody else was watching Dallas to see who shot J.R. He played former conman E. L “Tenspeed” Turner, who becomes the detective agency partner of karate-kicking accountant

Lionel “Brown Shoe” Whitney, played by a young Je Goldblum.

“Je is a huge talent. It was so much fun to play a character that was such a prankster.”

When I asked what was his favorite role, he replied “employment.”

As much as he loves acting, and the dancing that got him his first gigs, he loves singing even more.

“Music is in my soul; I sang in church; I

sang in the streets. I have such a huge repertoire that it is hard to say. “Magic to Do” [from Pippin] is my theme song, but music from the Harlem Renaissance gave me a backbone. “His Eye is on the Sparrow” is a mantra for me.”

But he expressed gratitude that he continues to find dramatic roles in television and film, and expressed regret that a favorite one had recently ended.

“I did a season as a series regular on B

Positive, created by Chuck Lorre. He is a genius and I miss him and the show. Unfortunately, after two years it was canceled. It happens. Next up I am going to Romania to be in a limited mini-series produced by some very heavy hitters which I can’t speak about yet.”

The cancellation of B Positive is not his only nor deepest regret. His daughter Naja was killed in a 1987 car accident on the Jersey Turnpike. His son Benjamin Vereen Jr. died in 2020 at the age of 55. Drawing on his experience as a grieving father, Vereen regularly speaks to other bereaved parents.

“I have lost my daughter, who was killed by a drunk driver, my son, and my stepdaughter, who had cancer during Covid. I was fortunate enough that my daughter Karon sent me to Bali for two months at the top of this year. I gained strength, spirit, and love once again. I consider myself very spiritual and whoever is in need of rejuvenation, should go to Bali. I can’t wait to get back.”

He also said that his performance on Saturday is part of a mission to give back to the Deaf community, as it incorporates ASL interpretation. !

IAN MCDOWELL is the author of two published novels, numerous anthologized short stories, and a whole lot of nonfiction and journalism, some of which he’s proud of and none of which he’s ashamed of.

WANNA go?

Steppin’ Out with Ben Vereen is at the High Point Theatre at 220 E. Commerce Avenue on April 1. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the show starting at 7:30 p.m. For ticket info, go to highpointtheatre. com, or call 336-887-3001, Monday-Friday from noon to 5 p.m.

Winston-Salem Fairgrounds 2023 Indoor Concert Series

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 31 for the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds 2023 Indoor Concert Series. Tickets will be available via Ticketmaster and at Fairgrounds Box O ce located at the Annex, 414 Deacon Blvd. The concerts will take place at the Annex Theatre, which can seat up to 2,300 guests, from May through August and will include six performances with 11 artists. More than 40,000 guests have attended since the Fairgrounds Concert Series began in 2017.

MAY 13 — 7 P.M. THE FAMILY STONE WITH ENVISION

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, R&B Pioneer Award Winner, and original founding member of Sly & The Family Stone Jerry Martini, along with Phunne Stone (the multi-talented daughter of Sly Stone and the late Cynthia Robinson) bringing the music of the first inter-racial inter-gender, mainstream band in Rock & Roll history: the chart-topping hits of Sly & The Family Stone.

These funksters are joined by the powerful voice of Swang Stewart on vocals, bringing a message of peace, love, and social consciousness, through musical harmony with some of the funkiest players of all time. Big Guns of Funk like Nate Wingfield on the Guitar, Jimmy McKinney on keys, Frank Klepacki on Drums, and Blaise Sison on bass adding the proper pocket to the raw Family Stone sound.

They will present an explosive set of their Psychedelic Funk classic hits of the 60s and 70s. The raw, unfiltered original sound that became part of the essential building blocks of many, if not most, of the great modern artists toolkits. Sampled and covered by major artists around the world, the influence of their music and sound is immeasurable in the development of modern music as we know it today.

JUNE 16 — 7:30 P.M. ANTHONY HAMILTON WITH THE WOMACK SISTERS

Anthony Hamilton is an R&B/soul/”neosoul” singer and songwriter who rose to fame with his 2003 second album “Comin’ from Where I’m From,” which featured the singles “Comin’ from Where I’m From,” “Charlene,” and “I’m a Mess.” “Soulife” was released in June 2005 by Rhino Records. The album is composed of songs recorded during the early part of Hamilton’s career.

“Ain’t Nobody Worryin” was released on December 13, 2005, by SoSoDef/Zomba Label Group. In 2007, another compilation album, “Southern Comfort,” was released and featured songs written and recorded during a similar period. A year later, in December 2008, he released another album, “The Point of It All.” At the BET Awards of 2006, Anthony Hamilton was nominated for and won the BETJ “Cool Like That” Award. He also received a 2009 Grammy for a tribute performance to Al Green.

JUNE 24 — 7 P.M. CLINT BLACK WITH PRESLEY BARKER

His is one of the most storied careers in modern music. Clint Black surged to superstardom as part of the fabled Class of ‘89, reaching #1 with five consecutive singles from his triple-platinum debut, “Killin’ Time.” He followed that with the triple-platinum “Put Yourself in My Shoes,” and then a string of platinum and gold albums throughout the ‘90s. Perhaps most impressively, Clint wrote or co-wrote every one of his more than three dozen chart hits, including “A Better Man,” “Where Are You Now,” “When My Ship Comes In,” “A Good Run of Bad Luck,” “Summer’s Comin’,” “Like the Rain” and “Nothin’ But the Taillights,” part of a catalog that produced 22 #1 singles and made him one of the most successful singer/songwriters of the modern era.

Along the way, Black has sold more than 20 million records, earned more

than a dozen gold and platinum awards in the U.S. and Canada including a Grammy, landed nearly two dozen major awards and nominations, and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He continued to tour throughout North America in 2019 as he celebrated the 30th anniversary of “Killin’ Time.”

JULY 21 — 7:30 P.M. JOHN ANDERSON (ACOUSTIC SET) AND THE KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS

The Kentucky Headhunters is an American country rock band. It was founded in 1968 as Itchy Brother, which comprised brothers Richard Young (rhythm guitar, vocals) and Fred Young (drums) along with Greg Martin (lead guitar, vocals) and Anthony Kenney (bass guitar, vocals). The Young brothers and Martin began performing as The Kentucky Headhunters in 1986, adding brothers Ricky Lee Phelps (lead vocals,

harmonica) and Doug Phelps (bass guitar, backing vocals) to the membership.

The Kentucky Headhunters were named the best new vocal group of 1990 by the Academy of Country Music and were nominated for the same award by the Country Music Association. Kentucky Headhunters published their most famous album “The Best Of The Kentucky Headhunters: Still Pickin,” which features some of the most listened to songs from the Kentucky Headhunters discography.

John Anderson is an American country music singer and songwriter with a successful career that has lasted more than 40 years. Starting in 1977 with the release of his first single, “I’ve Got a Feelin’,” Anderson has charted more than 40 singles on the Billboard country music charts, including five number ones: ”Wild and Blue,” “Swingin’,” “Black Sheep,” “Straight Tequila Night,” and “Money in the Bank.” He has also recorded 22 studio albums on several labels. His latest album, “Years,” was released on April 10, 2020, on the Easy Eye Sound label and was produced by Nashville veteran producer David Ferguson and Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys.

Greatest Hit albums, a live and Christmas project, earned five multi-week no. 1 singles, 22 Top 10 singles, three certified Platinum and five Gold albums, released an autobiography—and with zero band member changes. Known for their charity commitments including long-time spokespersons for Big Brothers Big Sisters, the band has raised more than $1,000,000 for non-profits and received the Minnie Pearl Humanitarian Award.

AUGUST 18 — 7:30 P.M. DIAMOND RIO W/ MO PITNEY

Formed in 1989 in Nashville, Diamond Rio consists of Gene Johnson (mandolin, tenor vocals), Jimmy Olander (lead guitar, acoustic guitar, banjo), Brian Prout (drums), Marty Roe (lead vocal), Dan Truman (keyboards), and Dana Williams (bass guitar, baritone vocals). Diamond Rio recently released “I Made It,” their tenth studio album. The title track was co-written by the band’s lead guitarist Jimmy Olander and features 11 new songs.

The band known for playing every note on every album recently celebrated its 25th Anniversary, has sold more than 10 million albums, won a Grammy Award, a Dove Award, six Vocal Group of the Year wins (CMA and ACM), released two

AUGUST 19 — 7 P.M. MORRIS DAY AND THE TIME

With his dynamic dancing and smooth yet gutsy, vocals, Morris Day played an essential role in the development of the Twin City dance/club sound of the 1980s. A founding member of Prince’s band, the Time, in 1981, he remained with the group until 1984 when he launched his solo career. Returning for the first time in 1988, he performed and recorded with the Time from 1990 until 1991 and since 1995.

Day’s involvement with Prince traces back to 1980 when his composition “Partyup,” originally recorded when he was a member of the Enterprise, was covered on Prince’s Dirty Mind album. Releasing his debut solo album, Color of Success, in 1985, Day reached his apex with his second solo album, Daydreaming, two years later. Produced by ex-Time members Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam, the album included the chart-topping R&B tune “Fishnet.” Day released his third solo album, Guaranteed, in 1992. After Guaranteed, Day toured on-again, o -again without any new product. He finally returned to record store racks in 2004 with It’s About Time a mostly live album with a few new studio cuts, one including a guest appearance by rapper E-40. Day has appeared in such films as Prince’s autobio-pic, Purple Rain, in 1984, and New Attitude in 1990. !

Concert series spring to life across the Triad

Springtime, y’all. Flowers are blooming, festivals are popping and across the Triad, concert series are springing to life.

Sundays are for songwriters around Greensboro. Running year-round, Ashley Virginia’s “What the Folk!” series starts the week, three Sundays a month at Oden Brewing. And over at Scuppernong Books, Doug Baker plays host to a “songwriters in the round” series every second Sunday at Scuppernong. A ectionately dubbed “Songwriters@ Scup,” the next round goes down on April 9, with special guests Leah Kaufman, Lyndon Rego, and Bryan Toney.

Pickers and grinners can spend the first and third Sunday mornings of the month at Lebauer Park and Lawn Service for “Bluegrass and Biscuits,” featuring rotating musicians and baked treats from Spinnamon’s, served 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; music starts at 11 a.m. Andy Eversole will perform on April 2 and Emily Stewart will pluck away the morning of April 16. Fans can return for half-priced wine and a wider range of genres for Lawn Service’s “Music in a Bottle” series, running every Wednesday into the fall. Scheduled artists for April include Drew Foust, Kris Atom, Sam Robinson, and Alan Peterson.

Folks looking for mid-week songwriter circles can head to Doodad Farms on the edge of town for their monthly ses-

sions, every last Thursday of the month. Meanwhile, Thursdays are for Jazz at the O. Henry Hotel, with Dave Fox, Neill Clegg, and Matt Kendrick joined by guest vocalists every week. For the classical fans, the Opus concert series winds down as the Choral Society of Greensboro and Philharmonia of Greensboro perform select pieces by Brahms, along with Mendelssohn’s “Lobgesang,” at Guilford College’s Dana Auditorium on April 22.

Bringing electrovibes, the “Rise Up” house music party series returns to the Historic Magnolia House on May 5. Hosts Alvin Shavers and Tomie B (aka DJ Real) intend to lay deep soul and house grooves at the “house that soul built,” every first Friday of the month.

For the beatheads, In the Beat of the Night continues its weekly run on Wednesdays at the Flat Iron; and Beats.Batch, a monthly “beat show series for peace,” is back with the spring — running every second Saturday at etc.gso, with hosts Katie. Blvd and the Gentleman Boss.

Katie.Blvd will also join Ashley Virginia in hopping across the Triad (and from the host to the performer seat) as guests at “the Lab,” a new monthly series from Winston-Salem’s Dose Art Collective (in partnership with the Arts Council of WinstonSalem & Forsyth County). Going down April 10 in the parking garage of Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, the Lab’s “experiment 005” session will feature food, vendors, and a slew of music and visual performers including Elijah Edwards, Sola, Flower in Bloom, Ephraim Snow, and more.

The Arts Council Winston-Salem’s endeavors continue with “Amplify: A Local Music Series,” curated by Spencer Aubrey

(also known as p.s. edekot) the series runs one Thursday a month at the Reynolds Place Theatre, with the next session happening April 6.

Aubrey will also make the rounds as a guest DJ for the April edition of the new “House Hangs” series at the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art. Spring abounds at SECCA, with the historic Hanes House ushering its latest phase with fresh furnishings and new programming that caters to a variety of senses. “House Hangs” will happen every last Friday of the month, pairing provisions from local chefs with area DJs and groovy cocktails al fresco on the terrace (or inside the house, weather depending). Niervash is on decks for the hang session on March 31, with culinary offerings from Chef Jordan Rainbolt of Native Root. Aubrey (as DJ p.s. edekot) will spin the April 28 hang, with food from Chef Adé.

But that’s hardly the only series taking over the Hanes House terrace, as the third season of “Lyrics by the Lake” kicks o May 12, with host LB the Poet. Running every second Friday through August, the event blends music, art, comedy, poetry, and live painting amidst a vendor market and the serenity of SECCA’s lakeside setting. Moving indoors, the Otesha Creative Arts Ensemble will o er a West African drum and dance workshop in SECCA’s McChesney Scott Dunn Auditorium every second Saturday through June.

Around the corner, the folks at Reynolda Village are getting into the springtime spirit with their “More Barn” concert series. Titled in an homage referencing Neil Young’s “Harvest” album production, the series hosts music performances in the Village’s Barn event center. Upcoming shows

include The Contenders on April 13 and Darrell Scott on April 26.

From Forsyth County barns to High Point train stations, the music flows through the Centennial Station Arts Center in downtown High Point, where Jack Gorham hosts the “Centennial Station Song Circle” every first Tuesday of the month. And as tradition, springtime in High Point means Furniture Market madness. Geared toward showrooms and professionals, the Market’s “Center Stage” park is an outdoor arena located between the Showplace and Transportation Terminal o ering a little “something for everyone” with the “Live Music at Lunch” series running 11 a.m.-2 p.m. April 22-24, featuring the Evan Blackerby Trio, Karlton Jones, and Nishah DiMeo. Meanwhile, live music runs into the evening that weekend, with En Vogue taking Center Stage, 7-8:30 p.m., on April 22 and Chris Janson on April 23.

Down the road in Jamestown, they’ll kick o the monthly “Music in the Park” concert series at Wrenn Miller Park, happening first Friday evenings, starting with Dante’s Roadhouse on May 5. The Originals Band will perform June 2; the Special Occasion band will be on July 7; AM rOdeO will host a special “National Night Out” concert on Tuesday, August 1 (fans can also catch them Wednesdays at Printworks Bistro); 80z NATION will perform September 1; and the series will close with the Ryan Perry Band on October 6.

Springtime is here as concert series spring to life across the Triad! !

KATEI CRANFORD is a Triad music nerd who enjoys spotlighting artists and events.

Katei Cranford

Contributor

ASHEBORO

Four SaintS BrEwing

218 South Fayetteville St. | 336.610.3722

www.foursaintsbrewing.com

thursdays: taproom trivia

Fridays: Music Bingo

apr 15: High Cotton

apr 29: Corey Hunt and the wise

CARBORRO

Cat’S CradlE

300 E Main St | 919.967.9053

www.catscradle.com

Mar 29: Shawn Mullis + lacy Campbell & teresa williams

Mar 30: Cosmic rays live aV

Mar 31: wyatt Easterling and the Modern day drifters

apr 2: the residents

apr 3: Etran de l’air

apr 3: JawnY

apr 4: Free throw

apr 4: Joywave

apr 5: wiki

apr 6: the Church

apr 7: Julia, the Hourglass Kids

apr 7: duster

apr 8: Jphonol, Jennyanykind, Mayflies uSa

apr 9: High Vis

apr 12: the Bobby lees

apr 13: Coco & Clair Clair

apr 14: Happy landing

CHARlOttE

BoJanglES ColiSEuM

2700 E Independence Blvd | 704.372.3600

www.boplex.com

apr 15: Brandon lake

apr 19: Bethel Music

apr 20: los dos Carnales

apr 22: Soul ii Soul

tHE FillMorE

1000 NC Music Factory Blvd | 704.916.8970

www.livenation.com

Mar 29: Joshua Bassett

Mar 29: lucki

Mar 31: Eluveitie

apr 1: Pop Evil

apr 1: Young nudy

apr 2: the winery dogs

apr 3: north Star Boys

apr 5: Joywave

apr 6: Hawthorne Heights / armor

For Sleep

apr 6: Pouya

apr 7: Party 101 w/ dJ Matt Bennett

apr 8: K Camp:

apr 9: Masego

apr 11: Jake wesley rogers

apr 11: Killswitch Engage

SPECtruM CEntEr

333 E Trade St | 704.688.9000

www.spectrumcentercharlotte.com

apr 21: Straight Jokes! no Chaser

Comedy tour

ClEmmOnS

VillagE SquarE

taP HouSE

6000 Meadowbrook Mall Ct | 336.448.5330

www.facebook.com/vstaphouse

Mar 30: Joey whitaker

Mar 31: whiskey Mic

apr 1: Hedtrip

apr 6: James Vincent Carroll

apr 7: unhinged

apr 13: taylor Mason

apr 14: Smash Hat

duRHAm

Carolina tHEatrE

309 W Morgan St | 919.560.3030

www.carolinatheatre.org

apr 20: Big Bad Voodoo daddy

dPaC

123 Vivian St | 919.680.2787

www.dpacnc.com

apr 1: taylor tomlinson

apr 4-9: les Miserables

apr 11-16: Bettlejuice

apr 20: david Spade

ElKIn

rEEVES tHEatEr

129 W Main St | 336.258.8240

www.reevestheater.com

wednesdays: reeves open Mic

Fourth thursdays: old-time Jam

Mar 30: Elkin Big Band: love & romance

Mar 31: alex williams

apr 1: loneHollow

apr 7: Fine tuned

apr 21: tab Benoit

gREEnSBORO

Barn dinnEr tHEatrE

120 Stage Coach Tr. | 336.292.2211

www.barndinner.com

Mar 4- apr 15: Church Basement

ladies: the last Potluck Supper

Carolina tHEatrE

310 S. Greene Street | 336.333.2605

www.carolinatheatre.com

Mar 30: whos live anyway?

apr 7: Sweet dream in the Crown

CHar Bar no. 7

3724 Lawndale Dr. | 336.545.5555

www.charbar7.com

Mar 30: renae Paige

CoMEdY ZonE

1126 S Holden Rd | 336.333.1034

www.thecomedyzone.com

Mar 21- apr 1: Hypontist leon

Sankofa

apr 7-8: lara Beitz

apr 14-15: Brian Simpson

apr 21-22: Steve rannazzisi

april 28-29: Carlos Mencia

CoMMon groundS

602 S Elm Ave | 336.698.388

www.facebook.com/CommonGroundsGreensboro

Mar 29: June Star

Mar 31: travis reid Ball

garagE taVErn

5211 A West Market St | 336.763.2020

www.facebook.com/GarageTavernGreensboro

Mar 30: dustin York

Mar 31: Brother Pearl Band

apr 7: gipsy danger

apr 8: Huckleberry Shyne

apr 15: Muddy Creek revival

grEEnSBoro ColiSEuM

1921 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400

www.greensborocoliseum.com

apr 4: Eagles

apr 8: Katt williams

apr 14: Harlem globetrotters

apr 15: los temerarios

apr 23: legacy tour w/ Keith Sweat, guy and special guest tank

apr 29: Kenny Chesney w/ Kelsea Ballerini

Hangar 1819

1819 Spring Garden St | 336.579.6480

www.hangar1819.com

Mar 30: until i wake

apr 1: overcome Fest 2023

apr 2: Cold - Year of the Spider

apr 3: left to Suffer

apr 7: run Home Jack

apr 8: the reticent

apr 9: nothing,nowhere.

apr 11: Eyehategod & goatwhore

apr 12: the Home team

apr 13: icon For Hire

apr 15: the last ten Seconds of life

apr 21: nu Metal Madness tour 2

apr 22: Hovvdy

upcoming EvEnts

Mar 29 The Stews w/ Harvey Street Co.

Mar 30 rodes Baby w/ Canine Heart Sounds

Mar 31 Sam Frazier & The Side Effects

apr 1 Sam Fribush Organ Trio

apr 4 Bobby Sparks (Snarky puppy) + Karen Briggs

apr 5 G-Santana

HOURS: Tues-Fri: 3pm-unTil

saT & sun 12pm-unTil

221 Summit Ave | 336.501.3967

www.flatirongso.com

apr 28-29: Slaughter to Prevail

littlE BrotHEr BrEwing

348 South Elm St | 336.510.9678

www.facebook.com/littlebrotherbrew

wednesdays: trivia

Fridays & Saturdays: Free live Music

Mar 31: Johnny-o

PiEdMont Hall

2411 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400

www.greensborocoliseum.com

Mar 31: Judah & the lion

apr 1: lorna Shore

apr 5: Scott Bradlee

apr 21: green queen Bingo

rodY’S taVErn

5105 Michaux Rd | 336.282.0950

www.facebook.com/rodystavern

Mar 29: william nesmith

Mar 31: Jason Bunch

StEvEn tangEr CEntEr

300 N Elm Street | 336.333.6500

www.tangercenter.com

Mar 28-apr 2: Les Miserables

apr 6: Price is right Live!

apr 18-23: Beetlejuice

apr 27: theresa Caputo Live!

apr 28: Ben Folds

thE IdIot Box

CoMEdY CLuB

503 N. Greene St | 336.274.2699

www.idiotboxers.com

thursdays: open Mic

apr 15: Katie K

apr 22: Steve gillespe

high point

hIgh PoInt thEatrE

220 E Commerce Ave | 336.883.3401

www.highpointtheatre.com

apr 1: Ben vereen

apr 14: Barbra Lica

jamestown

thE dECK

118 E Main St | 336.207.1999

www.thedeckatrivertwist.com

Mar 30: Micah auler

Mar 31: Big City

apr 1: Brother Pearl

apr 6: Porcelain Lovecraft

apr 8: Muddy Creek Band

apr 14: Stephen Legree

apr 15: Cory Leutjen

apr 20: Micah auler

apr 22: hampton drive

apr 28: Carolina ambush

apr 29: radio revolver

kernersville

BrEathE

CoCKtaIL LoungE

221 N Main St. | 336.497.4822

www.facebook.com/BreatheCocktail-

Lounge

Wednesdays: Karaoke

Mar 31: dance Party with dJ Josh Price

apr 1: Burlesk Follies

liberty

thE LIBErtY

ShoWCaSE thEatEr

101 S. Fayetteville St | 336.622.3844

www.TheLibertyShowcase.com

apr 1: ralph Stanley II & the Clinch

Mtn Boys

apr 15: Junior Brown

apr 21-22: the John Conlee Show

aor 29: Jimmy Fortun

raleigh

CCu MuSIC ParK

at WaLnut CrEEK

3801 Rock Quarry Rd | 919.821.4111

www.livenation.com

LInCoLn thEatrE

126 E. Cabarrus St | 919.831.6400

www.lincolntheatre.com

Mar 30: Band By george W harvey Street Co.

Mar 31: Eric gales w/ King Solomon hicks

apr 1: aaron hamm and the Big river Band w/ tom Baker / Jut thomas

apr 8: Shortest Straw

apr 11: Club Bpc Presents tank & Friends

apr 14: Wilder Woods w/ abraham alexander

apr 15: ruston Kelly w/ annie dirusso

apr 18: ripe w/ the heavy hours

apr 20: tab Benoit w/ alastair greene

apr 23: the Band of heathens

apr 26: the hip abduction

apr 28: dillon Fence w/ Wonderwhys

apr 29: Enslaved & Insomnium w/ Black anvil

rEd hat aMPhIthEatEr

500 S McDowell St | 919.996.8800

www.redhatamphitheater.com

apr 14: Mt. Joy

randleman

KaMIKazE’S tavErn

5701 Randleman Rd | 336.908.6144

www.facebook.com/kamikazestavern

Karaoke Every tuesday & thursday

winston-salem

EarL’S

121 West 9th Street | 336.448.0018

www.earlsws.com

Mondays: open Mic

thursdays: Will Jones

Mar 31: Jesse ray Carter

apr 1: Mike Cosner and the Fugatives

apr 7: Carolina ambush

apr 8: Flat Blak Cadillac

apr 14: Lando and the Mando

apr 15: zack Brock and the good Intentions

apr 21: anna Leigh Band

apr 22: drew Foust and the Wheelhouse

apr 28: time Bandits

apr 29: aaron hamm and the Big river Band

FoothILLS BrEWIng

638 W 4th St | 336.777.3348

www.foothillsbrewing.com

Sundays: Sunday Jazz

thursdays: trivia

Mar 29: Sam robinson

Mar 31: Carolina Clay

apr 1: inCofnito

apr 2: Michael Chaney

apr 7: anne & the Moonlighters

apr 8: taylor Mason

apr 14: Megan doss

apr 15: xPLorEr

apr 16: Eddie Clayton & Friends

apr 21: dana Bearror

apr 22: Chasing daylight

apr 23: heather rogers

MIdWaY MuSIC haLL

11141 Old US Hwy 52, Suite 10 | 336.793.4218

www.facebook.com/midwaymusichallandeventcenter

Mondays: Line dancing

apr 13: Cadillac Cowboys

apr 15: the delmonicos

apr 29: atlantic Coast highway

thE raMKat

170 W 9th St | 336.754.9714

www.theramkat.com

Mar 30: Eric gales Band, King Soloman hicks

Mar 31: Peter holsapple & Chris Stamey, don dixon

apr 6: Irata, holyroller, thng

apr 8: Leo Kottke

apr 13: Emily Stewart, david Chillders

apr 15: Chatham County Line, deffrey dean Foster

apr 18: Carolina twine, Michael Witt

apr 19: the Wallflowers, drew Foust

apr 21: Laura Jane grace, Weakened Freinds, totally Slow

apr 22: vanessa Collier

apr 28: By george, the Fidgets, Carolina Crossing

roar

633 North Liberty Street | 336-917-3008

www.roarws.com | www.roarbrandstheater. com

Mar 31: gypsySoul, Corky James

apr 1: ready Set radio, red umber

apr 2: rain Check

apr 7: darrell hoots

WISE Man BrEWIng

826 Angelo Bros Ave | 336.725.0008

www.wisemanbrewing.com

thursdays: Music Bingo

Mar 31: Jay alexander & ashley

Santiago

apr 15: dangermuffin

PRESENTS

hot pour

out videos on our Facebook!

BARTENDER: Bri Boggs

BAR: World of Beer

AGE: 23

WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

Born and raised in Charleston, WV.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN BARTENDING?

Since the day I turned 21, so almost 3 years.

HOW DID YOU BECOME A BARTENDER?

In 2020, right at the beginning of Covid, we were operating to-go food only, which as you can imagine, for a bar, wasn’t too busy. There was plenty of time to pick up a new hobby so I pestered my coworkers Brandy and Ricky until they’d teach me what I needed to know. I barbacked for a few weeks until I was legally old enough to pour liquor myself.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT BARTENDING?

I love the constant changing of it. You never know what the next guest is going to bring! At any moment you can be improving someone’s day, gaining a new regular, or helping someone learn more about what they like to drink. It’s never boring.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DRINK TO MAKE?

I love making Moscow Mules, including all the variations of a Mule. Kentucky, Irish, Tropical Mules, are always a hit.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DRINK TO DRINK?

For a cocktail, it’s defi nitely a Margarita. For beers, it’d defi nitely be a sour. My go to is Wise Man’s Tropical Shirts. A new favorite is Mythic Brewing’s Who Loves Orange Soda?

WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND AS AN AFTER-DINNER DRINK?

We always have delicious stouts and porters on draft that are perfect for dessert! Right now I’d say either Deep River’s 4042 Chocolate Stout or Duclaw Sweet Baby Jesus!

WHAT’S THE CRAZIEST THING YOU’VE SEEN WHILE BARTENDING?

There’s been plenty interesting sights to see during some wild parties here. A more wholesome answer would be right when I first started bartending on a Friday night. About halfway through our live music set, someone got down on one knee and proposed!! She said yes! I wish I caught more of the story behind why World of Beer was such a special place to them, but regardless champagne was flowing through the entire tavern.

WHAT’S THE BEST TIP YOU’VE EVER GOTTEN?

I had a couple come in and leave $100 on a $30 check and came back a few days later and did it again. I haven’t seen them since!

3.25.23 | Greensboro

[BARTENDER OF THE WEEK | BY NATALIE GARCIA] Check

[SALOME’S STARS]

Week

[ARIES (March 21 to April 19)

Someone you relied on might resist your request for help. Get the facts behind their decision before jumping to conclusions. You might be in for a surprise.

[TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) It’s a good time for the winter-weary Bovine to start plans for spring redecorating. Indulge in something super beautiful for your home. You deserve it.

[GEMINI (May 21 to June 20)

An inner conflict might keep you from taking the first step toward healing an old wound. Seek the advice of a trusted friend for help in dealing with your uncertainty.

[CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Change can bring confusion. You need to take a strong stand to make sure your rights are respected despite all the fuss and fury going on around you.

[LEO (July 23 to August 22) Your financial situation continues to improve, although you still need to watch those expenses. Something from the past could affect a current situation.

[VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Problems adjusting to a new job and unfamiliar surroundings might tempt you to give up. But hang in there — things get better in time.

[LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Decision time is near. Talk out your doubts with trusted advisers. If your misgivings still outweigh your enthusiasm, it’s best to rethink the whole deal.

[SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) A situation has you puzzled. Be patient. The answers you seek will soon come from a source very close to the person at the center of your curiosity.

[SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Your usually active social life is in super-high gear through this week. Your hectic party-going pace eases into a period of quiet time by the weekend.

[CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) You need to start narrowing down those several new options that have come your way to just the two or three you really want to pursue.

[AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) It’s a wise Water Bearer who nurtures a fading friendship back to vibrant health. At work, a once-shelved idea is suddenly being reconsidered.

[PISCES (February 19 to March 20) You might feel swamped by a flood of work-related obligations, but the support of a trusted associate helps you get through each one successfully.

[BORN THIS WEEK: You are a caring person who often puts your own needs aside to help others. You have a gift for cultivating beautiful gardens.

© 2023 by King Features Syndicate

answers

by Fifi Rodriguez

1. GEOGRAPHY: Which U.S. states share a border with Mexico?

[

[6. CHEMISTRY: What is the lightest element?

[

2. MOVIES: Which movie was the first sports film to win the Best Picture award?

[3. U.S. PRESIDENTS: How many former first ladies are still living?

[4. TELEVISION: What is the name of Bart’s teacher on “The Simpsons”?

[5. LANGUAGE: What does the Japanese phrase “domo arigato” mean in English?

[7. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: Who is Marie Laveau of New Orleans?

[8. AD SLOGANS: Which product was advertised with the slogan, “Great taste, less filling”?

[9. U.S. CITIES: In which city would you find Thomas Je erson’s Monticello?

[10. LITERATURE: Who wrote the autobiography “Dreams From My Father”?

answer

10. Barack Obama.

9. Charlottesville, Virginia.

8. Miller Lite beer.

7. Famous voodoo queen.

6. Hydrogen.

5. Thank you.

4. Edna Krabappel.

3. Five: Rosalynn Carter, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, Michelle Obama and Melania Trump.

2. “Rocky” (1976).

1. Four: California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

© 2023 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Please join us for

AN EVENING FOR THE ARTS

across guilford

featuring a conversation with

ANTHONY HAMILTON

Grammy-winning musician and North Carolina native

and

JENNI BROYLES

SVP Global Wrangler & GM North America

MAY 2, 2023 AT 5:30 P.M.

J.S. Koury Convention Center

cocktails + hors d'oeuvres and a special announcement from ArtsGreensboro

Kindly RSVP by April 20 artsgreensboro.org