Up & Coming Weekly

September 19, 2017

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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12 SEPTEMBER 20 - 26, 2017 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Best Play/Musical "The Little Mermaid" Cape Fear Regional Theatre: 1209 Hay St. (910) 323-4233 or www.cfrt.org In the chilly months of January and February, Cape Fear Regional Theatre took Fayetteville audiences under the sea. Director Melissa Rain Anderson took the classic story and made it her own. She combined local veteran and visiting artists' talent for a collaboration that was breath- taking and unforgettable — the best show Fayetteville saw this year. Costume designer Rafael Colon Castanera of the Arkansas Repertory Theatre impressed everyone with his grandiose, detailed costume creations. Circus performers from 2 Ring Circus floated and spun balletic dances through the air. Kimberly Powers' design for the set transported the audience to Ariel's beautiful, watery world that she was willing to leave for her human love. Adult patrons shed tears as Ariel passionately sang "Part of Your World." Local actors brought the supporting cast delightfully to life. Two of these actors, Deon Releford-Lee and Jeremiah Packer, appeared in last year's win- ner of Best Play/Musical, "The Wiz." This year, Releford-Lee played Sebastian the crab and brought the house down with Calypso renditions of "Under the Sea" and "Kiss the Girl." Packer's portrayal of Flounder was endearing, inno- cent and hit the right notes of almost-human emotions. Up & Coming Weekly writer and theater reviewer April Olsen wrote, "By the end of the show, what I enjoyed most was seeing this musical locally-produced here in Fayetteville in top-notch fashion while showcasing some CFRT regulars." Best Art Gallery The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County 301 Hay St. (910) 323-1776 or www.theartscouncil.com Is this win a surprise to any- one? Founded in 1973, the Arts Council is essential to not just artists but to the community as a whole. It brought 4th Friday, now a staple, downtown in the late '90s as a way to bring the community together and to create opportunities for artistic exposure and exchange. The Arts Council is also responsible for the International Folk Festival, a celebration of our community's diversity, which will be held for its 39th year this September. November will see the streets of downtown again flooded for an Arts Council event, this time with attendees of A Dickens Holiday, put on in collaboration with downtown partners. Aside from many other events and grant opportunities, The Arts Council President Deborah Mintz, Marketing Director Tammie Rice and staff organize and display a variety of rotating art exhibitions year-round in the Council gallery. The shows feature everything from work by budding Cumberland County high school artists to work by world-renowned visiting artists. Perhaps the show that best rep- resents the spirit of the Arts Council, though, is "Public Works." This annual show invites local artists of all ages, mediums, experience and perceived skill level to sub- mit their work. All art is accepted and proudly displayed together in one glorious collage of our community's passions, imaginations and dreams. In addition, the Council awards grants to organizations making a difference in our community and to regional artists working on projects that will signifi- cantly advance their careers. This year, community organizations in sectors ranging from from music to medicine received a total of $637,000 in grants from the Arts Council. Cumberland County is lucky to have such a worthwhile cul- tural asset here in our community. Best Cinema Complex AMC Fayetteville 14 & IMAX 4761 Lake Valley Dr. (910) 252-9684 or www.amctheatres.com/movie-theatres/ raleigh-durham/amc-fayetteville-14 The state-of-the-art IMAX theater returns to take this title again but with a new name. The former Carmike Patriot 14 was bought by AMC Entertainment and rebranded as AMC Fayetteville 14 & IMAX this spring. The cineplex opened in November 2014. For many Fayetteville residents, it presented the first opportunity to see a film in the immersive IMAX format. Many remember walking through those tall, shiny glass doors for the theater's opening weekend to see "Interstellar" on a tower- ing screen 70 feet wide and 31 feet high with crystal-clear definition and thun- dering sound. Others remember seeing "The Hobbit" or "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" on the huge screen later that year. This year, patrons enjoyed the impact of seeing films like "Ghost in the Shell" and "Dunkirk" in IMAX format. The 14-screen theater also screens non-IMAX films and seats 3,100 guests. Patrons enjoy comfy seats and the concession stand choices: wine, beer, candy and refillable popcorn buckets, among other treats. Luxury and conveniences like these are not available with Hulu and Netflix. 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