SOUTHEASTERN N.C. — Li’l Friday is a weekly roundup of events in art, music, theater, comedy, pop-up markets and more.
It’s wise to check in ahead of attending any one happening to ensure it’s scheduled as normal. Inclement weather and unforeseen circumstances may shift for organizers at the last minute.
Thursday, Feb. 9
Airness
Thalian Hall, 310 Chestnut St. • Tickets: $34
Big Dawg Productions is premiering the Chelsea Marcantel play “Airness” in Thalian Hall’s Ruth and Bucky Stein Theater, to run the next two weekends.
The play centers around air guitar competitors who tap into their inner rockstars. The play won the 2018 American Theater Critics New Play Award.
“On the surface, it’s about people who enter air guitar competitions — a very real thing!” Big Dawg artistic director Steve Vernon told PCD a few weeks ago. “I saw it as being about the search for community. The characters are trying to find a place in this world where they fit. They are looking for ways to be creative, as well as a sense of belonging to something higher than themselves.”
Tickets are $34 and can be purchased here.
OTHER THURSDAY EVENTS
Blarney Brogues — A four-piece Irish band will be performing at Fermental in the Cargo District at 7 p.m. The string band blends traditional Celtic sounds with fun covers. Fermental is located at 600 S 17th St. and the show is free.
UNCW Homecoming — Seahawks are celebrating teal pride all weekend long for its annual homecoming. A host of events are scheduled through Sunday, including on Thursday the official opening of the new Asian Heritage Cultural Center and a fashion show at Kenan Auditorium. Friday welcomes a men’s tennis match and softball tournament, as well as the Mohin-Scholz Alumni Social at Bottega and a salsa and bachata festival at the Warwick Center. Saturday includes the Homecoming TEALgate on the Hoggard lawn, ahead of the 7 p.m. men’s basketball game against Northeastern at Trask. Plus there will be a Step Show, featuring performers from the National Pan-Hellenic Council, consisting of people from historically Black sororities and fraternities. A full lineup of events and various ticket pricing can be found here.
Plastic Ocean Project Open House — Plastic Ocean Project has relocated to the MARBIONC facility, part of the UNCW CREST Research Park. MARBIONC helps drive research for “developing cutting edge products, solutions and technologies that pertain to the ocean.” MARBIONC works with North Carolina’s marine biotechnology industry to help workforce, economic, and environmental solutions globally. The new location will triple lab space for POP’s research team to monitor coastlines and waterways and find solutions to combat plastic pollution. A ribbon cutting and open house of its new space will be hosted Thursday, Feb. 9, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Staff, board of directors, special guests and Mayor Saffo will be in attendance and there will be refreshments, eco-education stations, facility tours & displays detailing some of POP’s latest initiatives. Learn more here about the new space. It’s located at 5598 Marvin K. Moss Ln, Suite #2009.
“Book of Mormon” — The nine-time Tony Award-winning musical, “The Book of Mormon,” runs one final night at the Wilson Center, 7:30 p.m. The musical comedy, first staged in 2011, comes from the creators of “South Park,” with music, lyrics, and book by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone. The play is a satirical examination of the beliefs and practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It also won five Drama Desk awards, four Outer Critics Circle awards and one Grammy. Last minute tickets may be found here, though the show was sold-out.
Friday, Feb 10
GLOW Celebrity Chef Breakfast
Country Club of Landfall, 800 Sun Runner Pl. • Tickets: $250 and up
Two celebrity chefs, Emeril Lagasse and Rachael Ray, will host a light champagne breakfast and a taping of a segment of the Rachael Ray Show followed by a VIP meet-and-greet at Landfall Country Club Friday morning.
The event is a fundraiser for Beacon Education, which operates GLOW Academy, an all-girls charter school, and the soon-to-be-opened Spark Academy, co-ed early childhood education centers geared toward mixed-income families.
The chefs will prepare meals with help from GLOW culinary students. Production crews will film Lagasse and Ray engaging with the students and the audience, according to previous PCD reporting.
Lagasse has visited Wilmington three times before in support of GLOW fundraisers. It’s Ray’s inaugural appearance at the charity events, made up of three fundraisers, which includes a limited-seating dinner at a private residence Thursday evening, and a gourmet breakfast and four-course lunch at Landfall Country Club on Friday. Find out more about tickets to the event here.
OTHER FRIDAY EVENTS
The Philadelphia Story — Thalian Association Community Theater will open the romantic comedy “The Philadelphia Story” this weekend at Thalian Hall. The show follows a socialite whose wedding plans fall in disarray, when her ex-husband, and a tabloid journalist covering the event, shows up on the scene. The 1936 play spurred the film adaptation starring Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn and James Stewart. It will run two weekends, Feb. 10 through 19, with showtimes at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $22 to $34, available here.
“The Devil’s Stomping Ground” — A group of local filmmakers will have their film screened at The Pointe Theater in Barclay Point at 6:45 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. A meet and greet will take place with cast and crew. The film was created in 2021 at the Devil’s Tramping Ground, in Bear Creek, North Carolina, and made its premiere at the 2022 Cucalorus Film Festival. Created by filmmaker Jonathan Landau, it centers around folklore of stories from area townsfolk addressing a phenomenon happening on the Devil’s Tramping Ground: A circle in the woods remains barren and nothing will grow in or near it because of its supernatural existence. The movie follows 15 collegiate film students who travel to the grounds to shoot a senior project in the area where phantasmic shifts happen deep in the woods. Along for the ride is a group of junior documentary crew, also filming what unfolds as the seniors are rolling cameras on their own project. Read more about it from PCD’s previous coverage here.
Saturday, Feb. 11
Cape Fear Hooley Under the Bridge
Waterline Brewing, 721 Surry St. • Free, but donations welcome
There will be Celtic music and Irish celebrations at Waterline Brewing from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., rain or shine (the event will be tented) at part of the Cape Fear Hooley Under the Bridge.
The annual event is a precursor to St. Patrick’s Day, only a month away, and is a fundraiser for the Wilmington St. Patrick’s Day Parade, salted to take place Saturday, March 11. The 2023 parade has grown, including adding a tent and more seating.
Taking the stage will be Greensboro’s Banna Band, Wilmington Pipe and Drums, plus an Irish jam session among musicians
Kelley School of Irish Dancers and the UNCW Youth Choir also will take the stage. Food will be available for purchase from Wheelz Pizza, The Harp, and Chrome Gnome.
Waterline will create a Hooley Red, Irish ale in honor of the event.
OTHER SATURDAY EVENTS
The Paper Stars — The blues-rock of The Paper Stars will be featured at Live at Ted’s from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. with tickets for $12. The band was founded by Tres Altman more than a decade ago in Colorado, with eight releases out in its various iterations. Today, it consists of drummer Kevin Rhodes, guitarist Coleman Corzine, guitarist Sam Kennedy and vocalist Amanda King, along with Altman. They’re coming off the 2022 release “Far and Away,” which Altman told PCD last fall is a compilation of “bedroom songs” — still steeped in Americana, but encompassees shoegaze folk with dreamy soundscapes, wailing steel-pedal guitars, textural strings, and grounded with driving guitar rhythms. Tickets to the Ted’s show can be accessed here.
‘You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown’ — The Peanuts gang is back in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” featuring the local talent of members from the comedy and theater troupe Pineapple-Shaped Lamps and directed by Techmoja Dance Company founder Kevin Lee-y Green. The show runs Feb. 10-12, and 17-19, at Hannah Block USO/Community Arts Center at Second and Orange streets. Based on the famed comic strip, the group of friends — Charlie, Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, Snoopy, Sally and others — ponder some of life’s biggest questions as they also do kid things, like play baseball, struggle with homework, sing songs, and swoon over their crushes. The high-energy musical contains dancing and singing and won a Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Theatre World award in 1967, as well as two Tonys and three Drama Desk awards for its 1999 revival. Tickets are $13 to $26 and can be purchased here.
Winter Book Sale — It’s the last weekend for the library book sale. Hardbacks, audios and paperbacks cost $1-$2, and all items will be $0.25 on the final day. The northeast library is at 1241 Military Cutoff Road and hours are Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Bird Bingo — From 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. all levels are welcome to play Bird Bingo. Presented by the Cape Fear Audubon, the game and exploration will help participants understand area birds, their habitats and habits. Interested parties will meet at Halyburton Park, 4099 S 17th St.
Cape Fear Conversations — In honor of Black history month, WHQR is hosting a roundtable to discuss with area leaders Black stories of the Cape Fear, as well as address the state of diversity, equity and inclusion in the area. Panelists include Derrick Anderson, host of “Facebook Live with Derrick Anderson”; local historian and educator Lettie Gore, Temple of Truth, Light and Life church Rev. Kojo Nantambo, Wilmington city councilman Kevin Spears and Port City United director Cedric Harrison. It will be moderated by WHQR’s Rachel Keith and takes place at 245 N. Front Street from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
Sunday, Feb. 12
Super Bowl Parties
Various locations
It’s the big day for football fans as the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles face off in Arizona for Super Bowl LVII.
The game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. and includes performances by Grammy winners including Chris Stapleton, who will sing the National Anthem, and hip-hop and R&B artist Rihanna, who will perform the halftime show. Babyface is slated to sing “America the Beautiful.” Fox is broadcasting the game but if you’re not looking to watch at home, here are a few options around town:
Wine Knot Sky Bar — The private lounge at 201 N. Front St. welcomes members and their guests for a potluck. Bring a finger food to share; the festivities begin at 5 p.m. Find more info here.
Hi-Wire — Located at 1020 Princess St., the craft brewery will have all the TVs featuring the game and there will be $4 pints of Leisure Time Lager.
Rocco’s Cigar Bar — The ticketed event comes with food, smokes and football at the 5671 Market St. bar. The cost is $50 a person and includes a buffet, guaranteed seat and a $60 cigar package.
St. Nicholas Greek Church — The church is holding a party for parishioners starting at 6 p.m. There will be food, fun games, and fellowship, with the game screening on a 120-inch projector screen. Everyone should bring a dish, beverage or dessert to share. The church is located at 608 S. College Rd.
Joe’s Oasis — The Caorlina Beach Road restaurant is having a tail gate party starting at 4 p.m. in its parking lot. There will be pork butts, kielbasa, kraut, rolls, and beer for sale. Plus, football and cowbells to enjoy. Tickets are pre-sold with plates going for $13 each. Whole butts are being sold for $40 and proceeds from the sales benefit the SENC Veterans Day Parade. Learn more about the event and purchasing tickets here.
OTHER SUNDAY EVENTS
Beer Church — Every Sunday Cape Fear Spirits and Beer features a specialty brew as part of its Beer Church program. This week is Wilmington Brewing Company’s tropical blends, including Hazy Tropical, Tropical Tropical, Lightning Strikes Thrice, Trop Light, Tropical Frightening and Tropical Lightning. All will be on draft at 139 N. Front St.
Tallis Chamber Orchestra — A concert of classical and modern music featuring a new piece by Wiilmington composer Barbara Gallagher takes place ahead the Super Bowl kickoff, 5 p.m. The hour-long performance can be enjoyed at First Presbyterian, 125 South 3rd Street. The show is part of Tallis’ Music at First Concert Series and is free.
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