SOUTHEASTERN N.C. — Li’l Friday features dozens of ways for people to enjoy the weekend via theater, music, art, culinary happenings 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. 19
‘To Kill a Mockingbird’
Thalian Hall, 310 Chestnut St. • Tickets: $32-$41
It’s a classic show opening onstage at Thalian Hall this week.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning Southern graphic novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee takes a look at a segregated town in Alabama, when a Black man is wrongfully accused of raping a white woman. The story captures themes of racial injustice, compassion and courage.
Directed by Justin Smith, “To Kill a Mockingbird” will star former Wilmingtonian and acclaimed actor Cullen Moss (Dep. Shoupe, “Outer Banks,” Judge Smith “The Underground Railroad”) in the role of Atticus Finch. The show also stars Hannie Bowen as Jean Louise (the adult Scout), Maezie Domescik as young Scout, Louie Chaplin Moss as Dill Harris, as well as other local well-known actors including Stoney b. Woods, Chad Hsu, Don Baker, Fracaswell Hyman, Jamey Stone, Nicholas Basta and others.
The show takes place Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday at 2 p.m. from Feb. 19 through March 1. Tickets start at $32 here.
OTHER THURSDAY EVENTS
‘White Rabbit Red Rabbit’ — Big Dawg Theatre Company is bringing an unconventional experience to Thalian’s Ruth and Bucky Stein Theater. “White Rabbit Red Rabbit,” an experiment blending comedy, tragedy and social commentary, is from Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour. Its eight-day run in Wilmington will welcome varied performers for each show, who have no idea what the script will reveal as they take an envelope and open it in front of the audience to unveil the ride ahead. There is no director or rehearsal in this one-act play either, though it was produced with assistance from Lee Lowrimore and Dorothy Rankin. The actors slated to take on the show must have never seen it in order to be cast — and they also can’t speak about it. In essence, its lure is in its secrecy. Performers for Big Dawg’s show include Morganna Bridgers, Randy Davis Kaleb Edley, Chad Hsu, Anthony Lawson, Cathy Street, Heather Setzler, Jamey Stone, Erin Sullivan-Wertz (alternate) and Steve Vernon. The show covers themes of power, censorship and obedience and its audience will be integral to the experience, often participating and questioning authority. The show runs through Feb. 22, Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $35.
Savorez Supper School & Winebow Pairing: A Workshop Series — Fine wine and scrumptious culinary tastings are on deck at Flytrap Brewing (319 Walnut St.) from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday. Chef Sam Cahoon of Savorez and Lauren Dixon wine rep of Winebow has been offering immersive classes featuring hands-on cooking instructions with curated wines from around the globe. So far they covered Spain and this Thursday’s experience centers on Italy, where Cahoon teaches how to make focaccia, paired with three Italian wines. The next event is March 19, with a focus on flavor this side of the pond — California. Cahoon will teach how to make one of Savorez’s classics, the empanada, curated with California wines. Each workshop is $40; this week’s tickets are available here.
Friday, Feb. 20
Fisk Jubilee Singers
Kenan Auditorium, UNCW • Tickets: $31-$35
The world-renowned Fisk Jubilee Singers, from Nashville’s historic Fisk University, are headed to UNCW’s Kenan Auditorium on Friday. The group is known for its a capella vocal prowess, bringing to life spirituals and hymns.
Having opened in 1866 as the first American university to offer a liberal arts education to students regardless of race, Fisk University music professor George L. White formed the nine-member student choir to tour and fundraise for the institution. The ensemble became known as “The Jubilee Singers” — coined after the Bible’s “year of Jubilee,” representing hope.
Refusing to perform as “minstrel” shows, popular at the time and often mocking and featuring exaggerated mannerisms of African Americans, they group gained popularity still. They even performed for President Ulysses S. Grant at the White House in 1872.
Today, they’re known as the Fisk Jubilee Singers, still consisting of university students who continue to tour internationally. The group scored a Grammy in 2021 for Best Roots Gospel Album, “Celebrating Fisk! (The 150th Anniversary Album),” which was recorded live in Nashville and includes collaborations with well-known artists like CeCe Winans and Rodney Atkins.
Tickets to UNCW’s show are $31 to $35 here.
OTHER FRIDAY EVENTS
‘Come From Away’ — While used to describe a newcomer or foreigner in areas like Newfoundland and Canada, “Come From Away” from And Seen Theatrical Productions is a musical that takes place in Gander, Newfoundland, on 9/11. It’s based on a true story of that fateful day in American history when 7,000 airline passengers were forced to land as airspace was closing in the U.S. due to the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. The passengers were stranded in Gander and the local islanders welcomed them. The show, which takes a microcosmic look at compassion and generosity, was written by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, and has been widely acclaimed, with numerous Tony Award nominations and a win for Best Direction with Christopher Ashley; it also scored two Drama Desk awards and two Laurence Olivier awards. The music combines classic theatre style with Newfoundland orchestrations. It will be performed at Thalian Hall Red Box Theatre, from Feb. 19 through the 22, with tickets starting at $37 here.
‘Little Women’ — The famed Louisa May Alcott novel “Little Women” is going to be staged at UNCW’s Cultural Arts Building theater, 5270 Randall Drive, from the UNCW’s Department of Theatre t and its students. The well-known story follows the adventures of sisters Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy March growing up in Civil War America, divulging their daily lives — Jo wants to be a writer, Amy a famous artist or painter — in Concord, Massachusetts, as their father is serving as a Union Army chaplain during the war. It’s directed by Charles Grimes, with showtimes at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $5 to $14 here.
La Lanterne presents Subversive Cinema: ‘The Great Dictator’ — The Eagle’s Dare at 420 N. Third St. is hosting an interactive screening of Charlie Chaplin’s classic anti-fascist satire “The Great Dictator.” But the group La Lanterne is turning the silent film into an out-loud high-energy performance of protest, in response to the current political environment, particularly with ICE agents and contemporary U.S. politics. “Think ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ meets a street demonstration,” the performers explain in the show notes. The event takes place from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. and will prompt audience participation in this call-and-response cinematic exploration, whether viewers are cheering for the oppressed or roasting Nazis in the film. Prop bags are available for purchase and all proceeds benefit nonprofits Siembra NC and Make North Carolina Work.
Saturday, Feb. 21
BAD Coffee Crawl
Varied businesses, N. Fourth Street • Free to participate, though drinks individually priced
A group of businesses in the Brooklyn Arts District are participating in Saturday’s annual B.A.D. Coffee Crawl. It coincides with BAD’s social district as well, which means people can freely take alcoholic beverages purchased from one bar or restaurant into the public right of way of the social district footprint. No outside alcohol is allowed.
Coffee- and espresso-inspired beverages, desserts and displays will be available, with more than a dozen participating businesses including Brooklyn Cafe, Flytrap Brewery, The Eagle’s Dare, Palate and more. There will be food trucks, musicians and coffee vendors, perhaps even artists booths, set up throughout the event, which takes place from noon to 5 p.m.
Each stop on the crawl will feature coffee-based drinks — both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. It’s free to participate, but coffee drinks are individually priced at each location.
OTHER SATURDAY EVENTS
Wilmington Record Show — For the seventh biannual Wilmington Record Show, more than 20 vendors will come together Saturday to sell vinyl at Waterline Brewing Company. Gravity Records, Mark Parsons, TCB Vinyl, Rabid Stagg Records, Country Feedback, The Fuzzy Needle, Yellow Dog Discs, School Kids Records, Record Bar, Cisco Kid Records and Fort Lowell Records, among others. RizzyBeats will be spinning an all-vinyl custom DJ set from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and thereafter Delia Stanley will take over with a live acoustic set. Also onsite will be food trucks Smash n Dash and Well Fed Ed. It’s free to attend, but records, food and beer are individually priced. It takes place 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Special Olympics Polar Plunge and Run — Taking place in Kure Beach as a fundraiser for the Special Olympics, the annual Polar Plunge and Run offers varied ways to participate. There is a 5K or 1-mile run or walk, followed by a plume into the Atlantic Ocean. Racers aren’t required to plunge, which takes place just after 3 p.m. The 1-mile walk or run begins at 1 p.m. and the 5K at 1:30 p.m. Gates open with registration at 10 a.m. (costs to participate are $40-$50) and events planned including fundraising awards at noon and a raffle and silent auction closing close to 1 p.m. There also is live music, vendors, food trucks and more taking place throughout the day. Learn more here.
Let’s Dance — It’s DJ vinyl night with Fort Lowell Records at The Underfront starting at 8 p.m James Tritten will spin a variety of music — pop, disco, boogie, indie, hip-hop, R&B, electronic, and more. Put on your dancing shoes and come prepared to pay $5 at the door upon entry. Fort Lowell hosts the dance parties twice a month, first and third Saturday monthly.
Black History Month Carnival — WilmingtonNColor is hosting a second annual Black History Month Carnival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for free. The event celebrates the cultural heritage of Wilmington across from the 1898 Memorial Park at Chow Town Food Truck Park in the historic Northside. There will be mini Black History Bus Tours provided by WilmingtoNColor Heritage Tour plus HBCU informational booths. Kids can enjoy bounce houses, video and card games, cornhole, face-painting, performances, music and more. WilmingtoNColor wants to entertain but also educate guests on Wilmington’s history, including the only successful coup d’etat to take place on U.S. soil back on Nov. 10, 1898. The events of the 1898 coup included white supremacists massacring and pushing out educated, rich and influential African Americans, which also had a voice and was represented in its government at the time.
Divine Divas — A legends and icons music revue that will also act as a fundraiser for Thalian Association Youth Theater is taking place at the Terraces at Sir Tyler. Some of Wilmington’s most talented performers will put on a musical revue of legendary artists and signature songs. There is complimentary beer and wine, a buffet dinner catered by Pine Valley Market and a no-host cocktail bar along with signature auctions and live entertainment. Tickets are $107 here, with all proceeds helping Thalian’s award-winning community theatre productions, youth development programs, and educational outreach initiatives. Tickets are available here.
Invitational Joy Art Show and Sale — Around 40 artists will be participating in the fifth annual Invitational Joy of Art Show & Sale at UNCW’s Burney Center. All artists are from North Carolina, as curated by Alane Savod. There are two ways to participate in the show this weekend: on Saturday, 7 p.m. for a special preview and cocktail party featuring a first-look at the artwork, wine, appetizers, music and auction items. Tickets start at $100 here. Then on Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the public is welcome to shop, participate in a silent auction and hear artists talk. It’s free general admission on Sunday. The event is organized by B’nai Israel Sisterhood with proceeds benefitting area nonprofits, like the Lower Cape Fear LifeCare, NourishNC, and American Heart Association.
Carolina Beach Wing Crawl — The Island Men are well known for hosting numerous events on Pleasure Island, like their annual Mac and Cheese Festival held each spring, but before that kicks off, they’re turning their attention to a finger-licking classic: wings. It’s the second annual Carolina Beach Wing Crawl. Local restaurants and bars participate, with patrons dashing between businesses starting at 2 p.m. for a taste of two wings at each spot before judging the winner. Tickets are $15 here and available for pickup at The Tropical from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. where diners will learn the competitor locations. All proceeds from sales go back to island charities and regional nonprofits that benefit children’s education, afterschool programs and more.
Stop Light Observations — Bourgie Nights (127 Princess St.) is hosting a dynamic four-piece from Charleston, South Carolina, on Saturday at 8 p.m. Stop Light Observations consist of Will Blackburn (vocals), Oleg Terentiev (drums), David Beam (guitar) and Jeremiah King (keys), who perform an amalgamation of blues, pop, psychedelic and indie Southern rock; they also bring in electronic sounds and soul thanks to Blackburn’s vocals. They’ve released half a dozen EPs and LPs in their more-than decade-long career, including a compilation of singles released between 2021 and 2023 on the release “Blue.” Tickets to their show are $30 in advance or $35 at the door; it’s for ages 21 up and only.
Sunday, Feb. 22
Red Beans and Bluegrass
Wrightsville Beach Brewery, 6201 Oleander Drive • Tickets: $40
Starting at 2 p.m. Sunday, a celebration of bluegrass and good food and beer will be taking place at Wrightsville Beach Brewery.
Red Beans and Bluegrass takes place from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. to celebrate coastal conservation, with proceeds benefitting the Coastal Land Trust. Served will be chili, Waterman’s Choice Oysters, and local brews. Masonboro Sound will perform their choice bluegrass and newgrass selections in the beer garden.
It’s a $40 suggested donation to include food and one beer; children under age 12 are free.
OTHER SUNDAY EVENTS
Floating Lantern Rescheduled — Take three: Cameron Art Museum’s Floating Lantern Ceremony has been rescheduled twice due to poor weather conditions so let’s hope the third time is the charm. An annual celebration, CAM kicks off the new year annually with a floating lantern ceremony, hosted at the pond on the museum’s campus. Activities take place from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., culminating in launching floating lanterns in its Reflection Pond. The goal is to provide visitors a chance to reflect, remember loved ones, and engage in hope and gratitude. Participants are invited to purchase sleeves for $20 and create a lantern that honors a loved one or celebrates new hopes and dreams for the new year or expresses peace. Supplies will be available in the Pancoe Learning Center and food and hot chocolate will be sold. There also will be live music all day, such as from Cape Fear Academy Jazz Ensemble and The Youth Choir of Wilmington, Royce Williams, Josh Yoush and Perry Smith, and Dara Kahkonen. The museum will be open with all exhibitions available to tour through with $5 admission for adults and children 12 and older; free for youth under 12. Cameron Art Museum is located at 3201 S. 17th St.
Souls to the Polls — Every election year the local chapter of the NAACP hosts an event to encourage people to vote. Sunday is Souls to the Polls, with voters encouraged to meet at the historic St. Stephen AME Church, 501 Red Cross St., and march to Cape Fear Community College’s McLeod Building to cast their ballots. Participants should bring voter identification, as required by North Carolina law. Afterward, lunch and fellowship will be enjoyed at The Eagle’s Dare, Third and Red Cross streets, with the food truck TASTE-N-SEIZE onsite. Primary Election Day is March 3, though early voting is open through Saturday, Feb. 28. Voters can register on the same day they cast a ballot.
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