SOUTHEASTERN N.C. — Li’l Friday is a weekly roundup of events in art, music, theater, comedy, pop-up markets and more.
All events featured were scheduled as of Thursday; however, it’s wise to check in ahead of attending any one. Inclement weather, changes in schedules and unforeseen circumstances may shift for organizers at the last minute.
Thursday, Feb. 13
‘Parallel Lives’
Thalian Hall Ruth and Bucky Stein Theater, 310 Chestnut St. • Tickets: $35
A comedy created by Mo Gaffney and Kathy Najimy, “Parallel Lives,” is known as an “irreverent romp through the quirks of human existence.” The play focuses on the parallel experiences of men and women in everyday scenarios with a comedic approach.
Acted out by four women, the provocative sketches explore societal stereotypes and gender roles. The cast take on various characters dealing with everyday woes of modern life and showcase the differences endured in the same scenarios by each gender.
The show is being presented by Big Dawg Productions at Thalian Hall for the next two weekends. Showtimes are Thursday through Sunday Feb. 13 through Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m., except for 3 p.m. matinees on Sunday.
OTHER THURSDAY EVENTS
All About Love Community Dinner — The Northside Food Co-op hosts dinner events the second Thursday every month to bring together neighbors in the Northside to enjoy camaraderie over a meal. Thursday will be apropos to the Valentine’s Day holiday, centered on the book by Bell Hooks, “All About Love: New Visions.” It centers on love and its healing power, and the dinner will have attendees reflecting together on love, compassion, and community. The dinner is free and takes place at Dreams of Wilmington, 10 Fanning St., 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. There also will be a bouquet-making table and volunteers are welcome to sign up here.
‘Hadestown the Musical’ — Panache Theater is presenting a junior performance of the popular musical “Hadestown.” Anaïs Mitchell’s Tony Award-winning show includes haunting jazz numbers inflected with folk opera. The story is based on Greek mythology, following Orpheus’ mythical quest to overcome Hades and regain the favor of his one true love, Eurydice. The show runs one final weekend. Feb. 13-16, at 7:30 p.m. except for on Sundays, which has a 3 p.m. matinee, at Front Street Theater, 21 N. Front St. Tickets are available here.
Chocolate and Cocktail Pairing — Just in time for the Hallmark holiday, End of Days Distillery is hosting an event with Laura Frank, owner of Dipped Chocolates, who will keep your taste buds salivating with a perfect pairing: chocolate and booze. Frank’s rich, premium chocolates will be teamed up with EOD’s cocktails for only 30 participants to get a flavor of. Tickets are $50 and include three drinks and sweets, a charcuterie cup and a box of chocolates to take home. The event takes place from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
David Gessner Reading — UNCW will host professor and writer David Gessner with a reading and book launch at UNCW Kenan Hall, Room 1111 at 7 p.m. Gessner will read from his latest release, “The Book of Flaco: The World’s Most Famous Bird.” A nature writer, Gessner explores the story of Flaco, an Eurasian eagle-owl who escaped from Central Park Zoo, and caused controversy in its wake. The liner notes explain the story further: “Though he’d spent his life in a cage, Flaco learned to survive in New York City by eating rats, squirrels, and birds. He was an immigrant coming from elsewhere to make it in the big city. Central Park, the island of green in an urban sea, was his new home territory.” Gessner has authored 14 books to date, including the New York Times bestseller “All the Wild That Remains.” His reading is hosted by the UNCW Creative Writing Department, where he teaches and was awarded Thomas S. Kenan III Distinguished Professor.
Friday, Feb. 14
‘Romeo and Juliet’
UNCW Cultural Arts Building Main Stage Theater, 5270 Randall Dr. • Tickets: $5-$14
Also taking place on UNCW’s campus for the next two weekends is Christopher Marino’s latest iteration of Shakespeare’s quintessential love-torn tale of two youngsters, 14, from dueling families who fall in love, marry but are forbidden to be together.
“Romeo and Juliet,” a tragedy but also the most popular love story written by the Bard, is being told by two casts. Marino, an assistant professor of theater at UNCW, has been working on the productions since last fall.
“The two casts came about because I needed understudies for the mixed cast,” he said. “We had a lot of women who could have been cast in the mixed cast, and I wanted to give them further opportunities.”
Marino co-founded the Taffety Punk Theatre Company in D.C., which has consisted of all-female Riot Grrrls productions for two decades. Riot Grrls — well-known as a feminist punk movement in the ‘90s, from the Pacific Northwest music scene — is the inspiration for the all-female secondary production, which is free to the public on Feb. 19 only; tickets are not needed.
This production carries forth the movement’s intention of empowering women through art and making change.
“So, I’ve essentially set them up in rehearsal with only women in the room for their entire process,” he said. “ I also gave them information about the Riot Grrrl manifesto.”
Directing the mixed-company, Marino has modernized it into a punk-inspired world — ”more in the Sex Pistols vein rather than more modern punk movements like Green Day.”
Marino, who founded Alchemical Theater Company in Wilmington a decade or more ago, has always pushed creative boundaries when it comes to Shakespeare. For instance, he previously set “Much Ado About Nothing” in the post-Civil War South.
“I’m actually doing exactly what Shakespeare and his contemporaries did,” he said. “During the Elizabethan period, plays were frequently brought back into the repertoire and updated to suit the tastes of the time.”
While “Romeo and Juliet” is set in 1470, he added Shakespeare wrote it in parallel to the times of London of 1596, more than Italy in 1470.
“Shakespeare was unconcerned with historical accuracy, so I take my cue from him,” Marino said. “So, while it may seem like I’m putting a twist on it, I’m actually doing something very traditional.”
Jenna Houck is the set designer, bringing color to the set, with iconography — birds, sun, starts, sun, moon — also representing the Bard’s text. Delaney McLaughlin is behind lighting design, with Mark Sorensen, faculty costume designer, and Delaney Golden outfitting the cast.
“Even Lady Capulet is in Vivienne Westwood-inspired clothing to keep it all within the same world,” Marino said.
Elliot Stanford (from local band Ridgewood), Thomas Dowler, and Marty Pray are collaborating with Marino on the music.
“We also have a pre-show starting at 7:10, featuring some Shakespeare sonnets set to original music,” Marino said.
The mixed company show takes place Feb. 13-16 and 20-23 at 7:30 p.m. except on Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $14 for general admission and for students, $5.
OTHER FRIDAY EVENTS
‘90s Crush Mixtape Vol. 2 Dance Party — The Beehive Blondes will be bopping again this weekend for the holiday of love, bringing back its 1990’s Crush Mixtape Party, which kicked off last V-Day. Volume two will continue forth highlighting the best music from the decade, as spun by DJs Jess James and Lauren Jones. It takes place in the Cargo District at Azalea Station (1502 Castle St.), 9:30 p.m. till midnight. Attendees are encouraged to wear red and pink, with prizes going to Best Dressed and Best Dancer. Tickets are $20 ahead of time, $30 at the door, with $45 VIPs — including dedicated serving bringing drinks, complimentary glass of pink bubble and Valentine’s sway.
Saturday, Feb. 15
‘A Few Good Men’
Thalian Hall, 310 Chestnut St. • Tickets: $42
Thalian Association Community Theater is presenting the opening weekend performance of “A Few Good Men”by Aaron Sorkin (“West Wing,” “Moneyball,” “The Newsroom”). The play was first performed on Broadway in 1989 before becoming a film hit in 1992, starring Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore and Tom Cruise.
The plot unveils a military conspiracy by high-level United States Marines accused of murder. The show’s cast includes Brendan Carter, Bobby Reville, Christopher Jones, Chase Harrison, Evan Hamula, Khori Talley, Kevin Williams and Tamica Katzmann.
Tickets to the show are $42 here and it will be performed Friday through Sunday through Feb. 16; showtimes are 7:30 p.m. except on Sundays, 2 p.m.
OTHER SATURDAY EVENTS
UNCW Homecoming Step Show — With performances planned by the National Pan-Hellenic Council, consisting of people from historically Black sororities and fraternities, this show will include high energy choreography and competition. Entertainment is also provided by DJs Bigg B and the Mid-Day Miss. Tickets are $10 for students and $15 for general admission. Other homecoming events are underway throughout the weekend at UNCW including Saturday’s Seahawk Sun Run taking place Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., and at 4:30 p.m. TEALGate — the pre-game party featuring a live DJ, yard games, face-painting, photo booth, swag, feast of food trucks See all the events here.
Salty Swirl Contra Dance — A mini Contra dance weekend is slated on Feb. 15 and 16, featuring local band Gaelstorm and Charleston, South Carolina’s ContraForce performing live. Calling the dances will be Kenny Greer and Gretchen Caldwell, with special guest Thomas Begley also part of the event. Contra and waltz dancing will be featured Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Leland Cultural Arts Center, with waltz taking place from 10 a.m. to noon on Sunday morning at Station No. 2 in Wilmington. Tickets are $15 and up, available here.
J.F. Harris — A standup comic, writer and podcaster, Harris has performed across New York comedy clubs and on shows like “The Ringers” (handpicked by Bill Burr, nonetheless) and “The Late Late Show.” In 2022, he released his hour special “People Make Mistakes.” In it, Harris quips about being in Florida during the Covid-19 pandemic: “50% of the people in Florida believe in Covid and the other 50% will have you spit in their mouth to prove they’re not gay, so. Shit was wild down here. They treated Covid like a TV show on Netflix; they binged it last March and just forgot about it. You’d be out and bring it up: ‘Oh, that Covid shit was crazy.’ And they’d be like: ‘I didn’t watch that one, I’m not in sci-fi. I watched ‘Tiger King,’ though — that was pretty good.’” He will perform at downtown Wilmington’s Dead Crow Comedy Room this weekend on Friday and Saturday, at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.; tickets are $20.
Sweetheart Stroll — It’s the final weekend of the pilot social district program in the Brooklyn Arts District, which has taken place Feb. 1 and 8 so far. On Feb. 15, more than 20 businesses are operating, many with events, vendors and music, as part of a Sweetheart Stroll. Attendees will be able to walk along 10 blocks on Fourth Street with open-containers of alcohol purchased from participating bars and restaurants; no brown-bagging with outside alcohol is allowed into the district and stickers are labeled on cups to indicate the beverages were purchased from within its confines. This weekend’s stroll acts as a fundraiser for western North Carolina communities devastated by Helene. Commodore Public House and Kitchen will have live music with John Hussman in its outdoor garden. Bottega Art and Wine Bar will have local arts vendors and music as well. At Flytrap Brewing, an additional fundraiser is taking place for Paw’s Place, a no-kill animal shelter. Folks can donate items from their wishlist and even bring pets for portraits, with partial proceeds from these sales benefiting Paw’s Place. Learn more about the social district, which takes place from noon to 5 p.m., here.
Sunday, Feb. 16
Riverdance
Wilson Center, 703 N. Third St. • Tickets start at $46
The famed Irish step dancing that has taken over stages by storm is celebrating three decades this year. The Grammy award-winning music and infectious energy, state-of-the-art costumes and artful lighting and projections will be at Wilson Center.
This year welcomes “The New Generation” of performers, all of whom were not born when the show began 30 years ago. The score was composed by Bill Whelan, produced by Moya Doherty and directed by John McColgan.
There are two shows this weekend, including a 7:30 p.m. performance on Saturday and a 1:30 p.m. show on Sunday; tickets are available here.
OTHER SUNDAY EVENTS
UNCW Bagpipe Festival — Professional piper and guest artist Jerry Finegan — a champion of the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association — will present a solo recital featuring a variety of marches, strathspeys, reels, hornpipes, and jigs at 4 p.m. ($10 tickets available for pre-purchase or at the door). There also will be a pre-recital demonstration and question-and-answer session before the show at 3:15 p.m. and it’s free. Finegan is a five-time winner of the MacCrimmon Quaich trophy presented by Clan MacLeod. A veteran of the City of Washington Pipe Band, the North Carolina State University Pipes and Drums, and the Atlanta Pipe Band, he has earned the EUSPBA Graduate Certificate and the Level Five Qualification Board and has performed for dignitaries throughout the United States and abroad. The show takes place at Beckwith Recital Hall, 5270 Randall Drive, with tickets available here.
Crock Pot Cook-Out — Flytrap Brewing is hosting a Crock Pot Cook-Off from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday and welcoming everyone to bring their hottest recipe to the showdown. It’s free to enter and home chefs are encouraged to bring their favorite sweet or savory dish — from mac and cheese to cobbler, chili or stew to bread pudding. People’s Choice prizes will be awarded to first, second and third places, with winners announced at 7 p.m. Flytrap is located at 319 Walnut St. Those entering must bring a dish in a crock pot along with a serving utensil and see the bartender for an index card to write down a short description of dish. Flytray will provide power, plates, napkins, cutlery, and one ticket per guest to then vote for their favorite entry.
Sam Bush — A bluegrass virtuoso, known for escalating the genre to new heights as part of his band The New Grass Revival, is performing at Brooklyn Arts Center Sunday evening. Sam Bush will take the stage with Dear MariBella and The Pigkickers, bringing a blend of music genres to audiences. Bush has played with well-known musicians including Emmylou Harris, Leon Russell, Lyle Lovett and Bela Fleck, and released almost a dozen albums to date, including 2022’s “Dear John.” He’s received the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Instrumentalist and was inducted into the International Bluegrass Hall of Fame. He’s won three Grammy’s including for his work on T-Bone Burnett’s famed “O’ Brother Where Art Thou?” soundtrack.
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