Up & Coming Weekly

MARCH 10-16, 2010 UCW 13 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Kate Gosselin and Pam Anderson are just a couple of the celebrities who are set to wow the nation when the hit show Dancing With the Stars returns to TV. While names like Val Applewhite, David Hinkamp and Soni Martin might not cause a papparazzi feed- ing-frenzy like the national stars, they will cause quite a stir locally, as the Women's Center of Fayetteville asks local celebrities to tap, swing and shake their groove things in the 2nd Annual Dancing With the Fayetteville Stars on March 20 at the Crown Coliseum Expo Center from 5:30-10 p.m. Last year's event had people talking, and organizers hope this year lives up to the hype as more chatter means more votes and more votes means more money for the Women's Center to impact the lives of local families through the Lease to Home Program. Lease to Home is designed to help people transition from homelessness to homeowner- ship. So far, this effort has changed the lives of 33 families, moving them from either shelters or transitional housing or being on the verge of eviction to being property owners. The pro- gram includes support, guidance and counseling throughout the process. In case you missed the event last year, here is how it works: 20 couples made up of local celeb- rities (in some form or another) will perform. They are working hard to put on a good show, but they are working just as hard to raise money, so they will be out in the community asking for votes (you can vote for them at www.wcof.org). Each vote costs $10. "It is incredible how hard they work because no one wants to get on stage and do a bad job," said Teresa Dagaz, The Women's Center of Fayetteville project director. "They do a phenomenal job dancing and spend lots of time working on their routines, but it is actually about votes. They go out into the com- munity and request votes. We have this thing called vote box, so they get vote boxed ahead of time and then at the event people can purchase votes. It is the only event where the contestants can win by having all of their votes paid for." The night of the "competition" will play out much like the TV show — except it will be even better for the audience. There will be a buffet dinner, with two wine tickets and there will be a cash bar as well. Not only will there be emcees on stage, but there will also be two roaming emcees out in the crowd chatting with the audience. The dancers' perfor- mances will be broadcast on big screens for those not seated near the stage. The three judge format will be the same as the TV show as they provide comedy, critiques and commentary. "The food will be catered by Center Plate, that is always done by the Crown," said Dagaz. "Last year the food was absolutely fabulous. We are doing it again at the Crown because they have been exceptional to work with and Moonlight Communications." "All of the proceeds go directly to our home program — no administrative costs are taken out it goes just strictly towards Lease to Home to build low to moderate income housing for needy families," said Dagaz. "It is all worth the work we put into it because we know the end result — ev- erything goes into housing. This is a collaboration with the city, the county, Restore Warehouse and the Women's Center. It is so great to have all of these resources going back into the community." To reserve your ticket, vote or get more info call the Women's Center of Fayetteville at 323-3377 or visit the Web site at www. wcof.org. STEPHANIE CRIDER, Staff Writer. COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 106 or Editor@upandcomingweekly.com. Local Celebrities Shake It Up for Women's Center by STEPHANIE CRIDER The Cumberland Oratorio Singers (COS), the CANTATE Chamber Choir and St. Patrick Church Parish Choir, under the direction of Stephan Barnicle, will com- bine their choral talents in a performance of Franz Schubert's Mass in G and Giovanni Pergolesi's Stabat Mater as part of the St. Patrick Music for Charity Series on Friday, March 19, at 7:00 p.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 2844 Village Drive, in Fayetteville. The mission of the St. Patrick Music for Charity Series is to "provide outstanding musical perfor- mances to the Cumberland County community" and "heighten awareness of and raise funds for local charities through the performing arts." "The event is the first time that COS will part- ner with the Music for Charity Series," said Michael Martin, Artistic Director and Conductor of COS. "It's a great opportunity to work with Stephan, who is nationally known and an accomplished com- poser." Barnicle, Director of Music Ministry at St. Patrick Catholic Church and Artistic Director for the Music for Charity Series, is equally excited about the concert. "Both composers were very young when they wrote these pieces," said Barnicle. "Pergolesi was only 26 when he died. Stabat Mater was one of his later works and is regularly used for devotion of the Stations of the Cross, and we will be performing the piece during Lent. Schubert only lived to 31 and wrote his Mass in G when he was 18. It is very simple and a great piece for choruses to sing. The pieces are very contrasting in style. Pergolesi composed dur- ing the baroque period, and Schubert was a master of the early romantic period." The CANTATE Chamber Choir will open the evening's program with Pergolesi's Stabat Mater. COS and the St. Patrick Parish Choir, accompanied by a small string orches- tra, will perform Schubert's Mass in G. Proceeds from the performance will benefit CONTACT of Fayetteville, Inc., a nonprofit Christian-based 24-hour telephone crisis hotline and referral service. Anne Rogers, Associate Director for Music Ministry at St. Patrick Church and soprano soloist in the concert, volunteered at CONTACT upon first moving to Fayetteville. "It was one of the most valuable things I've ever done," said Rogers. "It is a very worthy cause." The Cumberland Oratorio Singers began in 1991 and currently has 65 members. Supported by the Arts Council of Fayetteville and Cumberland County through private contributions and grants from the City of Fayetteville, Cumberland County and the North Carolina Arts Council, the group offers three full-length concerts and a free community Messiah sing each year. "We have members from all walks of life," said COS President Mary Potter. "Retirees, senior citizens, students, teachers, doctors, young and old. We pay dues to buy music and raise money from ticket sales and through donations. If you have a love of singing, show up, buy the music, and sing!" Tickets are available at the door for $12; students are admitted free. For more information about the concert, call (910) 323-2410, ext. 117 or email arogers@stpatnc. org. For more information on COS, call (910) 822- 4447 or (910) 630-7153. St. Patrick Music for Charity Series Combines Choral Talent by KAREN POPPELE KAREN POPPELE, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 106 or to Editor@upandcomingweekly. Soni Martin and Dwight Smith are among the local celebrities raising funds for the Women's Center. Michael Martin, the director of the COS, goes over music with a member of the oratorio.

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