Up & Coming Weekly

May 17, 2022

Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.

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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM MAY 18 - 24, 2022 UCW 25 Friends of Cape Fear Botanical Gar- den will host a night of "true elegance" on Wednesday, May 18. A Garden Gathering begins at 5:30 p.m. and promises to be a beautiful evening of drinks, conversation and culinary in- trigue beneath the stars and amongst the flowers. e Cape Fear Botanical Garden comes alive this time of year. Spring- time blooms of every color dot the garden and paths, making it just right for a night of enchantment. "We have the perfect setting for an outdoor farm-to-table fundraising event to bring awareness to our mis- sion to connect people with nature. It also fits seamlessly with our initia- tive to grow and donate produce to the Fayetteville Urban Ministry," said Sheila Hanrick, director of Events and Marketing for Cape Fear Botanical Garden. A night of Fayetteville's finest enter- tainment has been crafted for guests' enjoyment with no detail overlooked. From 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., guests can look forward to a floating cocktail hour as they make their way through the Eleanor and Raymond Manning Children's Garden. e dulcet sounds of Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra's Jazz Trio will play sweetly in the background as those in attendance are served an exquisite three-course meal of locally sourced ingredients prepared by Chef Mark Elliot of Elliot's on Linden. While the event is "formal," Hanrick wished to clarify expectations regard- ing attire. "e event is not a 'formal' attire event," she explained, "but more of a garden party. We advise guests to wear shoes that allow them to walk the garden grounds and grassy areas." A Garden Gathering is an event open to the public, though it does require a pre-purchased ticket. Tickets will be sold individually for $125 or as part of several VIP package options. A VIP table of four is $625 and includes a household membership to Cape Fear Botanical Garden. A table for eight costs $1250 and includes a patron membership to Cape Fear Botanical Garden. Both VIP options include valet parking courtesy of Val- ley Auto World. A premier destination for weddings and social gatherings, the Cape Fear Botanical Garden is more than just a pretty face. e institution is fiercely com- mitted to its mission "to trans- form people's relationship with plants and the natural world." Since its establishment in 1989, the Cape Fear Botani- cal Garden has maintained the link between nature and the Fayetteville community through its many educational and cultural programs. Symposiums like Garden- mania, nature camps for children of all ages and programs like yoga in the park create resources that ensure citizens of the region can enjoy being in nature while learning about everything it offers. Fundraising events like A Garden Gathering work to support the efforts of Cape Fear Botanical Garden as it continues its valuable service to the community. Cape Fear Botanical Garden is located at 536 N Eastern Blvd. in Fayetteville. To purchase tickets, visit https:// friends-of-the-garden.square. site/?source=qr-code&fbclid=IwAR3l HgZ4kNgZ3xoI6nBS4QuQnxnZZLBM 5pMqYcdxHaz3Ncy8aRDAeTPTnVU. To learn more about the Fayetteville Urban Ministry, visit their site at www. fayurbmin.org/about-us. A beautiful table setting at A Garden Gathering on the grounds of Cape Fear Botanical Garden. (Photo courtesy of Cape Fear Botanical Garden) Garden Gathering serves up food, music and local flora by ASHLEY SHIRLEY EVENTS Take some time to transform into 'The Color Purple' at CFRT by KATHLEEN RAMSEY Amitria Fanae and Cerina Johnson sit on the prop stage set upon the actual stage at Cape Fear Regional eatre. It has wide boards that make up a very inornate platform. e background of the stage is plain and minimalist, hinting toward the poverty and rural area in which the play is set. Fanae kicks her legs out rapidly and tucks her head in as she smiles. Her feet are tucked into ankle-high brown boots. Fanae looks up, laughs and then connects arms with Johnson. e two break out into a simple children's song. Fanae portrays a naive, young teenager perfectly. Celie has come to life before the audience's eyes, and she is endearing. Alice Walker's famous novel-turned- musical, "e Color Purple," has hit the stage at Cape Fear Regional e- atre this month. According to director Brian Harlan Brooks, the play is about a journey inward — one that many of the characters in this play take and one the audience themselves can take alongside them. is journey is full of boisterous musical numbers with amazing voices to match. e actors do not disappoint in their singing and musical talents; deep gospel-like tones are mixed throughout the entire play. Each song transforms the audience, bringing them to a place where music communicates without the need for much else. Both the songs sung by the entire company and single actors were glorious and felt rich in depth. One of the best songs is "Hell No," sung by Melvinna Rose Johnson, who played Sophia. In this song, Sophia describes the treatment that will not happen to her and the oppression she won't allow. Her will is strong. Johnson played her part well and gave the audience a lot of comedic relief through her potent display of a character with a who-the-hell-do- you-think-you-are attitude and a stern but loving quality. She was captivat- ing and mesmerizing to watch as she completely overtook the character. e audience falls in love with Sophia almost instantly. Cerina's portrayal of a humble, abused and naive young girl is broken free by her louder-than-life voice and confident portrayal of a woman who is transformed. ere is another fantastic performance by Fanae when she sings, "I'm Here." In the moment, everyone in the room is proud of Celie and her ability to overcome and find within herself all that she ever needed. ese two characters were perfectly balanced by their counterparts, in- cluding Harpo and Shug Avery, played by Herbert White II and Toneisha Harris, respectively. White was a joy to watch and matched Sophia well with tidbits of comedic relief during the serious topics discussed during the play. Each time he took the stage, the audience waited in suspense to see what his next line or movement might be. Harris really steps into the role as the sexy, free-spirited Shug and has an intensely beautiful voice that fills the entire theatre. e downside to this play was the occasional inability to understand the words being sung. is may have been a one-time sound issue but was still distracting during portions of the play. However, the beautiful, poetic music often overpowered the occasional in- ability to understand all the words of each song. Towards the end of the play, the background will become a vibrant dis- play of color and transform just as the character Celie has, and the audience may find themselves in a different place than where they started. "e Color Purple" will run until May 29. Tickets are on sale at cftr.org. is play is rated M for mature due to references of a sexual nature and discussion of abuse. "e Color Purple," at Cape Fear Regional eatre through May 29, takes the audience on a journey inward. (Photo by Raul Rubiera) ASHLEY SHIRLEY, Staff Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com. 910-484-6200 KATHLEEN RAMSEY,Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? editor@upand- comingweekly.com. 910-484-6200.

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