Relocate Triangle - An Insider's Guide About Moving To The Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Area

Broadway show, anyone?

For everyone that loves a great Broadway show, but cannot hop on jet to New York City for the weekend (i.e. most of us in the Triangle area), now there is a new alternative: the Durham Performing Arts Center. The new venue is located in the historic American Tobacco District of downtown Durham and is set to finish construction in late 2008. The facility will be largest performing arts center of its kind between Atlanta and the megalopolis and promises the best direct-from-New York Broadway hit shows each and every season.

The Durham Performing Arts Center is currently offering an early bird special for anyone who would like to guarantee season tickets to the theater’s inaugural shows in late 2008 and early 2009. The special is only available until July 1 and lends customers the opportunity to see all of the season’s hot Broadway shows at a highly discounted rate with additional perks such as discounted parking, home ticket delivery and ticket exchange. For a $180 one can attend all of the center’s shows including Rent, Legally Blonde, Fiddler on the Roof and The Color Purple, in addition to garnering a front-of-the-line spot to reserve tickets to the highly-acclaimed show Wicked, in the 2009-2010 season. The deal guarantees tickets to the primetime shows including Friday and Saturday evening and Saturday and Sunday matinee and places viewers on the well-coveted front balcony area of the theater as well. Considering no seat in the theater is more than 135 feet away, there will not be a bad seat in the house.

Start thinking ahead and get season tickets today! Paying $45 to see Rent on a Friday night from the front mezzanine is a steal and will only be around for a limited time. Be an early bird! To reserve season tickets or find out more regarding Broadway Carolina and the Durham Performing Arts Center, check out their Web site or call (919) 680-ARTS.

Weekend Guide June 8-10

It is going to be a hot one around here this weekend, with temperatures reaching the mid 90s and the humidity making it feel above 100 degrees, so unless you want to spend time sweating outdoors, why not enjoy taking a break at some of these fine activities on tap?

Festivals

The American Dance Festival kicks off its 30^th anniversary in Durham with two months of various companies performing a wide range of styles at Reynolds Theater in Bryan Center at Duke University. First up Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. (and Saturday at 2 p.m.) is the esteemed Martha Clarke group with a reprise of her 1984 work The Garden of Earthy Delights portraying Adam and Eve in the Garden of Even as well as Hell. Sounds a little heavy for the wee ones, but everyone else should enjoy it.  Tickets are $39 per person, although there are plenty of deals on the Web site that can reduce that cost if you buy tickets for other festival performances.  If that does not grab you, Sunday is dance day with Anna Halprin, a free event open to the public from 4-6 p.m. – you cannot beat that.  Events featuring other dance artists will continue to run through July 21 at the theater.

The Triangle Jewish Film Festival runs all day Sunday at the Galaxy Cinema in Cary, with multiple showings of six films, including Wrestling With Angels: Playwright Tony Kushner, a documentary of the Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning playwright. Single tickets are $8 apiece, while a full-day pass costs $25.  A service charge of $1 is added to every ticket sold.  Advance ticket sales, screening times and directions to the theater are available here.

Music

If you feel funky, why not check out Maze with Frankie Beverly at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre Friday at 7:30 p.m.?  For those of you unfamiliar with them, they are the group that gave us huge soulful hits in the 1980s such as “Joy and Pain” and “Look in Your Eyes.” If those do not ring a bell with you, maybe you should not go. Anyway, the show is at 8003 Regency Parkway in Cary – call 919-462-2052 for directions, tickets or other info.

The Raleigh Ringers, an internationally acclaimed handbell choir featuring local talent, offers a different style of melodies to listeners Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Meymandi Concert Hall in the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh. Tickets in advance range from $13-$15 and can be purchased here.

If you really do want to sweat anyway this weekend, the University of North Carolina men’s baseball team faces South Carolina at least Friday and Saturday for a best two-out-of-three series in the NCAA tournament Super Regional finals. Not only do you have a chance at seeing the possible winner of the college baseball championship this year, you also can sit in Boshamer Stadium for the last time before it undergoes a major renovation and upgrade in time for the next baseball season. Cool, huh?

Whatever you ending up doing, have a great weekend!

Weekend Guide June 1-3

The first weekend in June in the Triangle for some means the start of the first full weekend of summer.  To others, the summer does not really start until a few weeks from now.  We will not side with either argument, but instead go ahead and tell you what are the main events on tap this weekend.

Festivals

The NBC17 Health & Fitness Festival is an annual event that brings out a healthy crowd (could not resist the pun) to receive free or inexpensive health tests, enjoy activities such as climbing a rock wall and even met a couple of personalities from the NBC affiliate in person.  There usually are some stores and companies giving away some prime swag too.  Just be prepared to wait in a few lines, and if you cannot handle that well, we would recommend you not take the blood pressure test.  It runs Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Jim Graham Building at the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, and there is no admission fee or age limit.

The Animal Planet Expo runs Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at SAS Soccer Park at 201 Soccer Park Drive (off East Chatham Street) in Cary.  The cable channel sponsors this free event, where you can bring your pets and enjoy dogs playing Frisbee, face painting, trivia contests, and much more.  Unfortunately, as far as we know, there are no planned appearances by the Meerkat Manor family (awww).  For more details, call 919-858-0464.

Theatre

For those of you for a yen to see male flesh (and you know who you are), or maybe just enjoy a Tony-nominated musical, the Raleigh Little Theatre holds its first performance of The Full Monty Friday nights and runs through June 24.  This Sunday matinee at 2:30 p.m. might be a great time to check it out, as tickets cost only $10 that day versus $17-$21 for other shows.  The theater is located at 301 Pogue St.  For ticket prices, reservations and performance times, since its Web site is not working, call 919-821-3111.

Music

The North Carolina Symphony starts its Summerfest Series of free outdoor concerts every Saturday evening in June at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre at Regency Park in Cary on June 2 with “Play With the Pros” starting at 7:30 p.m.  This one features more than 40 local musicians joining the “pros” to play the final three musical numbers.  If you cannot make it this weekend, then you have the other Saturdays this month to see the symphony in Cary, plus it will appear next Friday for an outdoor concert at Southern Village in Chapel Hill.  Boy, these guys sure did not get the memo that summertime is when people go on vacation, huh?  Anyway, gates open at 5 p.m. – check the Web sites for more details on the symphony and its summer performances.

For those of you wanting to see the latest movie blockbuster, the heavily promoted comedy Knocked Up opens Friday in 14 locations in Wake, Durham and Orange counties.  Reviews have been mostly positive, so it might be worth a look.

Whatever you ending up doing, have a great weekend!

Weekend Guide May 18-20

For those of you new to the area or on your way to visit here, we have an eclectic schedule of activities in the Triangle this weekend.  The major highlights include the following:

Music

One of the groups we have waited patiently to perform the songs of Pink Floyd has been of course the North Carolina Symphony.  On Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Meymandi Concert Hall in the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, you can be one of the select few to hear “Another Brick in the Wall” performed by, as the orchestra claims, “a full rock band, vocals, orchestra and light show that will echo everything that made Pink Floyd one of rock and roll’s greatest bands.”  Awesome, dude!  Tickets range from $35-$55 for adults and just $32 for ages 60 or older (“Come on, Grandma, they are playing ‘Money’ right now, and we need to get to our seats!”) and are available through Ticketmaster here.

For those wanting a more, shall we say, authentic rock concert, Texas bluesman Johnny Winter will perform at the Arts Center at 300-G W. Main St. in Carrboro Saturday at 8:30 p.m.  For those of you unfamiliar with him, Johnny is the Grammy-nominate brother of Edgar Winter, who had his own group with that wild #1 instrumental back in 1973 called “Frankenstein” that is so cool to hear in headphones because it has this electronic sounds that go back and forth between your ears and … oh, right, we are supposed to be talking about Johnny and not Edgar.  Well, trust us, Johnny lights it up too. Tickets are $36 each.  Visit the Arts Center Web site to purchase them, and get them quick – last time he appeared the place was sold out.

The Cary Town Band Concert on Friday at 7:30 p.m. will present light classical and marches as part of the Spring Sertoma Series at the Sertoma Amphitheatre at Bond Park on 801 High House Road in Cary.  OK, so it is not Johnny Winter or even Pink Floyd done by an orchestra, but it is free.

Events

The 38^th Annual Bimbe Cultural Arts Festival is a free celebration of African-American food, music, dance and other cultural activities held at the Durham Athletic Park starting at 10 a.m. Saturday and noon Sunday.  Do not worry about parking – the Durham Bulls are playing away games this weekend.

Theatre

Grease finishes up its run at the Progress Energy Center this weekend.  Our spies who have been to the performance say that the guy who played Danny Zuko does an excellent imitation of the moves John Travolta employed in the movie version, so that alone should be enough of a reason to check it out. Ticket prices ranges from $30-$75 for the Friday and Saturday night shows at 8 p.m. and the Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m., and from $25-$68 for the final performance at 7 p.m. Sunday.  If you want to take a trip back in time with Sandy and the gang, you can purchase your tickets here.

By the way, Shrek the Third is opening too this weekend, but we guarantee you movie theaters will be packed for that in the area, so we recommend that you just wait a few days for them to clear out so you can really enjoy it, OK?  Have a great weekend, whatever you do! 

Celebrities in the Triangle

You may already know that Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards lives in Chapel Hill (actually in rural Orange County, but he has a Chapel Hill address there).  But he is not the only person of national fame to have a connection with the Triangle.  You can boast to your friends that you are arriving or have arrived at an area whose other residents include:

Clay Aiken – Yeah, the geeky guy who did not win American Idol but nevertheless became an idol went to school in Wake County and has returned here to buy his own home.  We know people either love him or hate him for whatever reasons, so we will just stay out of the dispute and go on to our next person of fame.

Bill Cowher – The former coach of the 2006 Super Bowl winning team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, relocated his family to Raleigh this year after retiring from his job.  He attended N.C. State University in the late 1970s, and there are rampant rumors that he will be involved with the university sports program now that he is back in town, but as of this writing all he has agreed to do so far is co-host the CBS sports show The NFL Today in the fall of this year.

Kristi Yamaguchi has skated her way into being a Raleigh resident thanks to her marriage to Bret Hadican of the Carolina Hurricanes.  The 1992 Olympics winner of a gold medal, she has cut back on her professional ice skating career in favor of spending more time with her husband and two children.  Good for her.

Matthew Laurence – This is one of those “Where have I seen that guy before?” people who will catch your eye if you are watching the sidelines of a Duke basketball game.  There is a good reason you will have that reaction, since not only Matthew but his identical twin brother Mitchell Laurence have been acting on TV and movies since the 1980s, with Matthew perhaps best known for playing Mel Silver on Beverly Hills 90210.  Anyway, since the late 1990s he has moved his family to Durham in order to cover Duke sports, but he still acts occasionally, including a few recent episodes of One Tree Hill, which should have been easy for him to do because it is filmed just a couple of hours’ drive away in Wilmington.

Lewis Black – The hysterically funny ranting comedian, seen occasionally on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart in the “Back in Black” segments, attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill years ago and has returned often to lead comedy festivals on campus since then.  He now is moving back into town as his base, though he plans to continue to tour and make TV appearances.

KC and the Sunshine Band – Actually, only KC (full name: Harry Wayne Casey) has a place in Orange County, having fallen in love with the area when he attended the Duke weight loss program in the 1990s.  He and his 1970s hits band are based in Miami when not on tour, but he is known to pop up occasionally to visit his house in the Triangle.

There are more we could mention, but we think you get the idea.  So do not be surprised if you bump into someone famous around here – just be friendly and gentle with them, so we do not scare them off, OK?

Making Asian Transplants Feel Welcome

Are you coming or have arrived recently to the Triangle from Asia and wondered what if any resources are available for you to use?  Fear not, for there are plenty of others just like you in the area, and this blog is dedicated to answering your questions.  Here is a sampling of what exists.

The National Association of Asian-American Professionals of North Carolina, or NAAAP, promotes Asian American leadership and civic engagement through professional development, networking, multicultural education and community service.  Its Web site includes member news and events as well as useful information regarding the Asian American community in the Triangle.

The Triangle Area Chinese American Society of North Carolina, or TACAS, is a nonprofit, non-political, public education, cultural exchange and public service organization.  It has more than 250 members mostly of Chinese decent from China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.  Members of the group enjoy its special programs such as a book club and trips to the beach as well as discounts at participating Asian restaurants and supermarkets.  Applications and renewals cost $20 per family. 

There is also the Chinese-American Friendship Association in the Triangle Area, or CAFA, whose membership numbers around 2,000 and which promotes social ties among Chinese and Chinese Americans, among other goals.  Those of Chinese heritage with a more scientific bent may be interested in joining the Chinese Association for Science & Technology, N.C. chapter, or CAST-NC, as well.

Those of Japanese decent can investigate the Nippon Club of the Triangle, which hosts an international festival every year in the area as part of its activities.  This club numbers around 250 members.

For those from Southeast Asia, the Triangle Bangladesh Society benefits those of the Bangladeshi community who live in the area.  Likewise, the Triangle Gujarati Association promotes and maintains the identity of Gujarati culture in the Triangle, while the Pakistani-American Anjuman, or NCPAA, provides similar support to those who have come to the Triangle from Pakistan, as does the American Turkish Association of North Carolina for those with Turkish heritage.  Connected with all of them in some way is the Hindu Society of North Carolina, which has more than 1,200 members representing a diverse range of communities, groups and associations that are of interest to the area’s Indian American community.

The Vietnamese community in Raleigh alone is estimated at more than 5,000 people, so to address their needs, there is the Vietnamese American Association of Raleigh, or VAAR.   Its services are generally targeted at low-income, limited English proficiency Vietnamese refugees and immigrants living in the Triangle, helping them adjust to their new living environment, assimilate to the American culture and deal with the language barrier that they face.  VAAR hopes to empower every Vietnamese American and help them become productive members of society while it preserves and promotes the Vietnamese cultural heritage and traditions, adding to Raleigh’s rich cultural diversity.

There are other Asian groups in the area that do not have Web sites yet may be of interest to you, such as the North Carolina Bengali Association, the Greater Raleigh Area Korean Association and the Thai Association of North Carolina.  To investigate contact information on their leaders, visit here.

Movie Production in the Triangle

Do you love films?  More importantly for this blog, do you love participating in the making of films?  If you do, there are a fair number of opportunities to indulge in this interest as a hobby or even as a profession when you arrive here.  We will readily admit that the Triangle is definitely not Hollywood, yet there is a decent amount of activity occurring that can keep you busy full time, if you choose to pursue it.

On the amateur level, many of the universities in the area have students making films as class projects, and they often can use talent in front of and behind the camera in assisting them for their work.  If you are lucky, you might get a little food and drink out from them as your best payment for participation, but your real benefit will be in networking with them and their department heads, which could lead to future paying work, or at the very least new friendships.  You can advertise yourself freely by offering your services on bulletin boards at the libraries and department buildings at Duke, N.C. State and the University of North Carolina, and make sure to check them as well as the school newspapers for notices about who might be needing cast or crew members.

Professionally, the North Carolina Film Office keeps tabs on all movie and TV film production occurring in the state and tells you what positions are available when and where for what movies and series.  Based in Raleigh, the office’s current listings of productions show that while the mountains and the coast remain where the majority of location filming takes place, there are exceptions that involve the Triangle.  For example, the CW network TV series One Tree Hill came to the RBC Center in Raleigh last year to film a basketball sequence for the program.  (One Tree Hill is filmed at the Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington, and the opportunities there may be of interest to you as well.)

The Web site is quite helpful in providing essential information on all facets of the North Carolina motion picture industry, including official Web sites for movies being made in the state.  Best of all, if you have at least three professional film or TV production credits, you are eligible to fill out a form and be listed in the film office’s online directory of resources, which should help in finding you more professional work.  It is a free service from a legitimate state agency, so we recommend you take advantage of it.

Finally, if your involvement in movies lies more toward film festivals, there are plenty of exhibitions in the Triangle that could use your help as a volunteer or participant.  Among these are the Hi Mom! Short Film Festival in Chapel Hill, the Full Frame Documentary Festival in Durham and the Triangle Jewish Film Festival.  Full Frame is perhaps the most prestigious of them all, having been cited as the premier documentary film festival by The New York Times.  It will run this year from April 12-15 with more than 80 films in competition.

Break a leg!

Raleigh And Durham Historic Sites

For those of you interested in learning about the past of the area for (mostly) free, the North Carolina Historic Sites program indicates that four of the 27 locations officially designed as state historic sites lie in the Triangle.  Preserved as much as possible to provide visitors and citizens a way to see our state as it was more than 100 years ago, the sites typically contain visitor centers with exhibits filled with artifacts, multimedia presentations and picnic facilities to use when taking a break from your visit.  Most tours and many special programs are free at these sites, but operating hours and days can vary greatly due to budgets, so you will want to check ahead of time before visiting.

The state identifies such sites with brown signs written in white lettering located on major routes near the sites.  It may surprise even longtime Triangle residents to know that Durham actually has more historic sites than Raleigh, and that Chapel Hill and Hillsborough have none  What we are talking about here are the ones officially designated and operated by the state – there are plenty of other sites in virtually every town in the Triangle that feature houses and other buildings going back more than two centuries that are preserved by individuals and groups rather than the state, plus a multitude of historic markers indicating where significant properties once stood.

The State Capitol in Raleigh

Amid all the state’s archives, museums and libraries in Raleigh, it is rather incredible that only one structure has received the N.C. historic site designation.  This National Historic Landmark is one of the finest and best-preserved examples of the Greek Revival style of architecture in the United States.  The Capitol features a domed rotunda and state senate and house chambers, meticulously restored to their 1840 appearance.  It housed all of North Carolina state government until 1888.  The legislature met there until 1961.  Today, the governor and his staff still occupy offices in the Capitol.  It is located in downtown Raleigh at 1 E. Edenton St. and can be found easily off Capital Boulevard.  Tours must be set up at least two weeks in advance to see its interiors.  Parties with more than 10 people should call (919) 807-7950; for groups of 10 or fewer, call (919) 807-7948.

Bennett Place, Duke Homestead and Historic Stagville in Durham

Now comes Durham’s time to shine and boast about its three state historic sites.  First, Bennett Place was a simple farmhouse situated between Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston's headquarters in Greensboro and Union Gen. William T. Sherman's headquarters in Raleigh.  In April 1865, the two commanders met at the Bennett Place, where they signed surrender papers for Southern armies in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida.  It was the largest troop surrender of the American Civil War.  Open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Bennett Place is closed on holidays, but also open on the third Friday of every month, when the site offers a Civil War-themed movie starting at 7 p.m.  Located at 4409 Bennett Memorial Road, it is best reached either going off Morreene Road from U.S. 15-501 in Durham or following the signs to it from Interstate 85.

Duke Homestead displays the home, factories and farm where one of the biggest tobacco processing locations once existed in the state. It is located at 2828 Duke Homestead Road just a little northeast of where Guess Road meets I-85 and has the same operating hours as Bennett Place (without the movie night).

Historic Stagville comprises the remnants of one of the largest plantations of the pre-Civil War South.  The plantation belonged to the Bennehan-Cameron family, whose combined holdings totaled approximately 900 slaves and almost 30,000 acres by 1860. It is off Old Oxford Highway in the northeastern part of Durham County; the Web site gives best driving directions to it.  The hours are the same as the other Durham historic sites; reservations ahead of time are strongly encouraged, so call (919) 620-0120 to do so.

The Triangle's Regional Theater Scene

OK, we admit we are not on Broadway, but there are a good selection of theaters in the Triangle where you can witness professional talent putting on a play.  If you are interested in the theatrical life, consider these options available for your entertainment dollars.  (Note that we have not included several community group theaters such as the Raleigh Little Theatre in order to focus on professional ones only.)

Raleigh’s Theaters

There are two main professional theaters in Raleigh – the North Carolina Theatre and Theatre in the Park.  The North Carolina Theatre specializes in touring productions of Broadway hits with youth training and outreach programs to the community.  Performances are in the large Raleigh Memorial Auditorium at 1 E. South St., and performances and concessions tend to be top dollar as befits its setup (season tickets are well into the triple figures for mezzanine seating, for example).  It is the closest thing to Broadway available in the Triangle, with many current musical attractions such as The Light on the Piazza making a stop along the way while touring across America.  Parking is plentiful around the theater, but make sure to save a little extra time due to traffic and some spaces requiring a longer walk than others.

Theatre in the Park allows more variety in its productions, from theatrical chestnuts to little-known works, all presented at 107 Pullen Road at Pullen Park.  Ira David Wood III, its executive director, has become a local legend thanks to his annual performance as Scrooge in A Christmas Carol at Theatre in the Park, as well as being the father of Hollywood actress Evan Rachel Wood.  Individual ticket prices are usually $19 for adults and $13 each for seniors and students.

Cary – Burning Coal Theatre Company

Burning Coal Theatre Company focuses on presenting more experimental plays as well as traditional pieces with “explosive re-examinations,” as they term it.  Generally it has the smallest slate of shows of any Triangle theater (just four in the 2006-07 season), but of course that means their productions have longer than average runs, which can provide you with more flexibility in when to see them.  Ticket prices are moderate, as indicated by its seasonal subscription for $54.  It is located at 4100 Howard Road in Cary.

Durham – Manbites Dog Theater

As befits its offbeat title, Manbites Dog seeks to present new and challenging plays to the Triangle, usually ones involving developing artists, playwrights, directors and actors.  However, it does make exceptions for some material first created and performed elsewhere, including even the 2002 Tony Award-winning play The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?  The seats and concessions are what you might call the “bare essentials,” but the advantage is that with its small seating area and reasonable ticket prices (usually $10-$15), you can view a performance up closer that you are able to do so at other Triangle theaters.

The real big drawback for Manbites Dog is its location at 703 Foster St. in Durham, an area that has had some crime activity in the past.  Even though the theater employs a security guard outside during all performances, it recommends that you not leave valuable items in your vehicle.  It is safe going to the theater at night and few crimes have been reported there recently; still, if you feel uncomfortable going there by yourself at night, aim for a matinee show instead.

Also in Durham, though on a more irregular basis, Duke University offers a few professional shows at Bryan Center on West Campus.  For more details, visit here.

Chapel Hill – Playmakers Repertory Company

Playmakers Repertory Company combines the talents of the University of North Carolina’s Department of Dramatic Art with guest artists to perform a wide spectrum of shows, from classical to contemporary.  There are often “name” actors, directors, writers and producers who take part in the productions (for example, three-time Tony winner Gene Saks directed last year’s production of The Underpants), and each typically has at least one post-show discussion during its run for the audience to ask questions and make comments about the play.  Ticket prices can be a little steep (up to $40 per person on weekend shows), but seniors and children do receive discounts, and there typically are tickets as low as $10 for anyone who attends the Tuesday community night performance.

Parking is usually difficult to find in front of the theater, and you will have to have quarters to put in the meters there, but you can park free and have just a few hundred feet more to walk if you go to the UNC lot on Raleigh Road near the theater (the one located about a mile west of where N.C. 54 merges with U.S. 15-501 before heading onto the UNC campus).

Performing Arts @ UNC

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the largest liberal arts institute in the Triangle.  Although the university does not hold a monopoly on performing arts, it does possess one of the most outstanding arrays of artistic culture in the area.  In understanding that university venues may not get as much media attention as others, I will list here the main UNC programs and their offerings.

Carolina Performing Arts             

Carolina Performing Arts is the flagship arts program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  It oversees events at Gerrard Hall, Historic Playmakers Theatre and Memorial Hall. 

Gerrard Hall and Historic Playmakers Theatre are quite similar in appearance and often confused, even by UNC alumni.  The good thing is, they are both only a few meters away from each other, so it would not hurt to arrive at the wrong doorstep.  Neither of these venues has air conditioning, nor do they have much seating.  The shows presented at these venues are usually student run or local acts, and while entrance to many of these acts is free, some may charge a small ($5-$15) admission.  Tickets for these events will be sold on campus in “The Pit” or at the door.  Publicity for these performances includes campus flyers, placard postings and registration through the university’s activities board Web site, Slice.

Memorial Hall, the official home of the Carolina Performing Arts Series, is the university’s largest and most distinguished performance arts venue.  Twice renovated since its original dedication in 1885, the hall offers guests a luxurious opera house feel.  The façade of this exquisite venue is humble and gives the impression of a truly Southern majesty, and upon venturing inside, the Carolina blue painted sky will surely soothe you.  The hall boasts a performance schedule that could rival that of Radio City Music Hall, yet remains true to its local roots, as North Carolina acts are given ample opportunity to take the stage.  That makes the venue almost protean in its versatility; dress up for the timeless music of Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, or dress down for the laugh-out-loud political humor of UNC alumnus Lewis Black and Friends.   Shows at Memorial Hall are open to the general public for average prices depending on which show you attend, and most are offered to students at a remarkable $10.  So, UNC students of all walks should take full advantage of the opportunity to be exposed to cultured entertainment for the price of a domestic 12-pack. 

UNC Department of Music

The UNC music department offers workshops, recitals and concerts to please fans of most any musical genre.  The department spotlights student, faculty and professional artists throughout the school year and provides them the Hill Hall Auditorium to present their skills. 

Hill Hall is another well-aged performing arts venue on the UNC campus.  The building is rather unassuming, the interior is cozy and the chairs are well worn.  There is no air conditioning, and the hall seems to remain warm all year round.  The sound production is average, and larger band performances can be a bit overpowering, so choose your seating according to the value you place on your hearing. 

The Carolina Jazz Festival is the jewel of the music department.  It consists of a week and a half series of performances that feature local and national talent.  The festival kicks off this year Feb. 22 and ends March 3.  The UNC music department sponsors the festival; however, the events will occur not only at campus venues, but at local establishments as well.  The best thing about the festival is that most of the performances are free of charge, which means that anyone, regardless of his familiarity with jazz, is encouraged to discover new music.                          

PlayMakers Repertory Company             

The PlayMakers Repertory Company is the UNC Department of Dramatic Art’s professional theatre.  The professional troupe was created in 1975 and presents five productions a year that run from October through April.  The plays are not always original productions, but the superb acting and elaborate costumes quickly dispel any worries about their professionalism. 

Paul Green Theatre is the home of the PlayMakers Repertory Company.  The venue is modern in its appeal, which marks it as unique amongst the classic architecture of the campus.  The main auditorium holds about 500 guests, and the stage extends past the first rows of seating, surrounding the stage with an audience on three sides – an apron stage, for you drama majors.  The shows are always sold out, even though adult tickets are no less than $20 for a weekday performance and no less than $30 on a weekend.  You can purchase your tickets either at the box office attached to the Paul Green Theatre or conveniently online.  Just in case you are faced with the choice of taking standing room tickets, do not fret; the standing room actually refers to a row of chairs behind the last elevated seats.  I have personally sat there and found that you receive the full experience of the show, just as long as the person in front of you is not 7 feet tall.

Parking Issues

We do not call it the University of Needless Construction for nothing; UNC is well known for its multitude of construction projects and street detours.  This could make finding the right place to park a mission impossible.  Keep your faith though, the university has foreseen the need for parking and has built several large decks with spaces for public parking. 

Evening shows on campus mean that parking should be plentiful, as all permit lots are open after 5:30 p.m., most metered spaces are free after 7 p.m., and anything goes on the weekends.  Do not fall for the university-sponsored pay parking traps if you are attending evening shows.  There should be enough free spaces available as long as you do not come during a big sports event, in which case you should bring a family-sized bottle of Advil and a Segway scooter.  Even if you are forced to park on South Campus, the walk is tolerable and, at least to me, rather endearing. 

If you find yourself attending a weekday performance arts event before 5:30 p.m. then your choices for free parking are zilch.  I suggest finding the closest pay parking, either on campus or on Franklin Street, and sucking it up.  However, if you are down to your last two dimes and really cannot afford the $1.50 per hour, then you could get creative, find a spot off campus, and hop on the city’s free bus service.  But, for legal reasons, I cannot provide you with a list of these freebie spaces, and I ask that you do not tell anyone where you heard it.