Cary, NC – Lots happening this weekend in Cary with multiple art openings and receptions on Friday, July 30, 2010.

Professional Art Quilters Alliance

Page Walker Art & History Center
6-8 pm

The Professional Art Quilters Alliance/South (PAQA) will debut a show entitled “No Fear” at the Page Walker Arts and Culture Center on Friday, 7/30/2010 from 6-8 pm.

PAQA is a group of professional artists from across the southeastern United States who come together to promote innovative art quilts, art cloth, and art garments.

Jordan Hall Arts Center, 908 N Harrison St

Scott Mais
Medium: Photography
Reception: 6-8 p.m.

Cary Senior Center

Student, Teacher & Staff Show
Medium: Mixed
3-6 p.m.

All participants in this exhibition are students, teachers or staff from the Cary Senior Center.

Herbert Young Community Center

Jennifer Weinberg: In My Backyard: NC Landscapes
Medium: Photography
Artist reception 6-8 p.m.

Jennifer Weinberg Graver has been studying North Carolina landscapes since 2005.

Town Hall Main Gallery

David Kevin Bass: Color Fusion
Medium: Acrylic Painting
Reception: 6-8 p.m.

This body of work is described as bold, filled with brilliant color and comprised of abstract organic shapes.

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Top Left: “Purple Passion” by Rosile Baker. Top right: “A La Orange” by Beth Gilbert.

News on CaryCitizen is sponsored by Cary Courtyard by Marriott and Cary Residence Inn by Marriott.

Booth Amphitheatre and the Town of Cary announce Shakespeare plays for August 26-28

Cary, NC- That’s right! We will have our own experience of “Shakespeare in the Park” right here at Koka Booth Amphitheatre this summer running the same weekend as Lazy Daze (Aug 26-28). Local actors and technical staff have already been chosen for Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” and “What You Will”.

“It was always a part of the amphitheatre’s original design to host other types of performing events,” says Lyman Collins, Town of Cary Cultural Arts Manager. “The decision to present Shakespeare actually fulfills one of the venue’s original goals which was to include theatrical elements as well as concerts and festivals.”

The Amphitheatre got its start as the summer home of the NC Symphony and each year its offerings have expanded. The Triangle area has come to expect great nationally recognized musical acts, but also wonderful cultural festivals like Diwali. The Shakespeare plays will hopefully be the first of many theater performances to grace its stage.

The date for this event was carefully chosen to complement Cary’s biggest annual event: Lazy Daze. The Town will be offering packages with hotel stays and tickets so that people from out of town can take advantage of both events that weekend.

For complete event information go to www.boothamphitheatre.com or call (919) 462-2025.

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Film Review for CaryCitizen by Andrew Johnson

Call me naïve, but after last week’s release of the tremendously inventive Inception, I was feeling optimistic.  I was ready to believe that Hollywood really could make big-budget action films that had as much brains as they had bullets, and that these films could be produced consistently.  This week’s release of Salt finds Angelina Jolie kicking butt and taking names – what could go wrong?

A lot, it turns out.  Enough so that instead of being an over-the-top action romp, Salt is actually just the same mediocre fluff we’ve been getting at multiplexes for most of the year.  It succeeds at delivering some fun action set pieces, but if you’re looking for memorable characters or a plot that’s halfway original, look somewhere else.

Salt stars Angelina Jolie as Evelyn Salt, a CIA agent forced to go on the run when a Russian defector claims she’s a spy sent to kill the Russian president.  This leaves fellow agents Winter and Peabody (Liev Schreiber and Chiweter Ejiofor, respectively, both of whom deserve meatier roles than this) frantically attempting to track her down and discover whether or not she’s on their side.  It’s a campy B-movie plot with a nine-figure budget behind it, as if narrative flaws can be fixed by throwing money at them.

Jolie kicks, leaps, and kills her way through every obstacle in her path.  It might be exciting if we hadn’t already seen her do the same thing in far more entertaining fare like Mr. and Mrs. Smith, or even Wanted.  She’s a talented actress, and deserves to be offered roles that have more depth than “sexy assassin.”  Thankfully, Salt decides to treat her less like Lara Croft and more like Ripley from Alien, emphasizing her determination and strength over sex appeal.  If she happens to look good while kicking ass, that’s just an added bonus.

The most interesting thing about Salt is also its primary flaw.  ”Who is Salt?” asked the film’s tagline and marketing.  Is she a wrongfully accused CIA agent, or actually a deeply-entrenched Russian spy?  The film strings the audience along a (mostly) successful series of twists precisely because we are unaware of her true motives. The answer to whether or not she’s a hero or a villain doesn’t come until the film’s last act.

Unfortunately, while the decision to keep Salt’s loyalties unknown leads to some intriguing guessing games, it also makes it difficult to get fully invested in her storyline. Forgive me if I’m reluctant to cheer for someone apparently intent on assassinating important political figures and potentially causing a nuclear holocaust.  Morally ambiguous characters can often be interesting, but usually only when their motives are muddled.  Salt’s motives are either purely good or purely evil, we just don’t know which, and it’s easy to feel apathetic as a result.

That isn’t to say Salt is completely void of enjoyable moments.  Though the story is ludicrous and empty, the action works.  Director Philip Noyce does everything he can to show us that Salt is virtually indestructible.  She leaps from car to car in rush-hour traffic, sneaks past the security detail of high-profile officials, and makes homemade projectile weapons like there’s nothing to it.  All of this is presented in reasonably clear fashion, without the need of excessive shaky-cam or confusing quick-cutting to liven things up.  There’s also a refreshing amount of practical stunt work instead of CG gimmickry, so when things look tough you know they probably were.

At times, events are so ridiculous it seems as though Noyce might be attempting some form of tongue-in-cheek satire of the “wrongfully accused fugitive” sub-genre, at one point even randomly giving Salt her own theme song complete with background singers that croon her last name like a mantra.  But as with many big-budget studio projects, Salt can’t figure out what it’s doing.  To be entirely straight-faced about such an absurd story would be unoriginal, but to be completely satirical might alienate some viewers, so it commits to neither and is worse for it.  The film doesn’t even try to hide that its ideas are stolen – even going as far as to include an obvious Mission: Impossible homage in the final act – it just seems to want to slide by on creative plot twists and kinetic action scenes.  The former are only mildly surprising, and the latter are only worth seeing for their practical stunt work.

Tom Cruise turned down the title role (originally named Edwin Salt) because he felt the character was too similar to that of Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible series.  He’s right.  The film is a mishmash of ideas from other far better films, and rather than attempting to do something new with them, it tries to slide by on its overarching mystery: the true identity of Evelyn Salt.  Cruise instead went on to do Knight and Day, a collage of clichés that at least attempts to add a well-constructed layer of satire.  The action may be thrilling, but by the time the credits of Salts start to roll, you might be wishing Jolie had taken a hint and done the same.

Andrew Johnson is the host of MovieChatter, a weekly film discussion podcast headquartered in North Carolina.  He also occasionally blogs about film at The Kuleshov Effect.  Of all the opinions out there about the current state of cinema, he swears that his are the right ones.

News on CaryCitizen is sponsored by The Umstead Hotel and Spa

(L->R) Christina, Miguel and Rossana

Story by Lindsey Chester. Photos by Hal Goodtree.

Cary, NC- International Ballet Academy (IBA) has begun taking early bird registrations and will officially open its doors Monday, August 30. Contractors are still working to complete the up-fit of their space on Davis Drive in the office park directly across from Davis Elementary and Middle Schools.

I asked Christina de Matteis Fannéy, School Administrator, what prompted them to open in this tough economy. She said that elements came together and the timing was just right.

The Elements: Their Team

Rossana Gahagan had been an instructor and Summer Intensive Coordinator at Cary Ballet Conservatory and  resigned from there in March. She just returned from teaching an intensive program in Saratoga Springs. She will be one of the Artistic Directors.

Miguel  Campaneria had been a guest intensive instructor at Cary Ballet, and had fallen in love with this area on his many visits. He is leaving his post at the University of Hartford to teach at IBA and four of his male students are moving here to continue their dance instruction. Miguel is also an Artistic Director for IBA. His resume is rich with years of accolades and awards from Cuba to Pittsburgh.

Christina de Matteis Fanney, originally from Port au Prince, Haiti,  studied under Miguel before moving to the US. Upon moving to Raleigh she danced with Raleigh Dance Theatre. She will take on the role of Administrator at IBA.

Carmen Felder will be teaching the younger students as well as the jazz program. She studied under Rossana at Cary Ballet and has a BFA from the University of Oklahoma in dance. She performed in Carolina Ballet’s  Coppelia and Nutcracker.

From the moment Rossana had spoken to Miguel about summer programs she said “I wished we could work together”, and now  she is so happy to have her “dreams come true. It is hard to find a place where you give your students the best opportunities and everyone has the same philosophy”.

Miguel was torn about leaving his position in Hartford where he had built up their program for the past 2 years. An added blessing was when four of his current male pupils decided to move to the Triangle to follow him to the new studio.

New Opportunities

Christina said, “We want our business to be about providing opportunities for the students” that IBA is interested in offering their students competitions. She mentioned two of these:

Youth America Grand Prix where students aged 9-19 can compete for scholarship money and national exposure.

World Ballet Competition in Orlando, where individuals and partners compete against dancers from all over the world. Artistic Director Miguel won a bronze at this competition.

These competitions aren’t for everyone, but IBA would like to offer the possibility to those students that wish to take their training to that level.

Dancers may also audition for the IBA Company, (held September 12 for IBA registered students only). This group will perform in December and again in the Spring.

Their Focus

Rossana stressed that the school will concentrate on classical style ballet training. Miguel added that with “a classical base, you can do anything”. Their emphasis will be with upper level and pre-professional dancers and especially recruiting boys for classes. These upper levels will be able to take partnering and variations classes.

Of course to have a successful studio, opportunities exist for younger students to grow to fill in the upper levels.  There will be a variety of jazz and pre-ballet during the day for younger children, and jazz and progressive levels for all ages beginning directly after school. Dancers will advance based on ability, not age. For instance, students will go “En Pointe” when physically ready, not when they turn age 11.

Miguel wants “to make this one of the best schools in America, not just North Carolina” and something about the team’s determination makes me believe them.

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Cary, NC – The buzz on Twitter is that an IMAX theater is coming to the Regal Crossroads 20 Cinema in Cary. It will be the Triangle’s second IMAX theater.

A Brief History of IMAX

The concept of super-large projected images, large enough to cover the entire field of view for a person facing forward, was first demonstrated in 1970 at the Osaka World’s Fair. The first permanent IMAX theater was opened in 1971 in Toronto and is still operating.

Standard movie film has a width of 35mm – a little over an inch. But to project really huge movies, a larger negative was required. The designers settled on a 65mm frame.

But dreaming and demonstrating is one thing – commercial success is another. For IMAX to be successful, a new generation of motion picture cameras and projectors had to be invented.

For almost 20 years following its debut, IMAX was a curiosity. Most of the earliest fare were nature films and re-releases of classic titles. The Rolling Stones released an early IMAX film.

The standard size for an IMAX screen is 72 × 52.8 ft. In the last few years, Canadian IMAX Corporation has released a slew of new projectors (including 3D and digital) and opened hundreds of new theaters. IMAX has moved beyond museums and science centers and into the local multiplex.

Comparison of IMAX vs 35mm Movie Film

Just because it’s bigger doesn’t mean it’s better. But IMAX is certainly larger than standard motion picture film.

This image is reduced by about 10%, but you can still appreciate the difference between the two film sizes. Look on WikiMedia for the authoritative picture.

Curtain Rises in Late August

Crossroads 20 remains open during the conversion of one theater to IMAX.

Construction is slated to be completed in late August.

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Film Review by Andrew Johnson for CaryCitizen

There is a two-minute sequence in Inception that I’m convinced will one day be viewed with respect to Christopher Nolan the way Psycho’s classic “shower scene” is treated  in relation to Hitchcock.

It is a scene so inventive, so brilliantly edited, so jaw-droppingly cool that both times I saw the film, the audience I was with could only respond with stunned silence.

When it was over, it took all my resolve not to stand up and start applauding the sheer audacity of what I had just witnessed.  The only thought my brain could produce was an echo of a line from The Matrix, when its protagonist can only stare dumbfounded at the feats he’s witnessed and respond: “Whoa.”

The Director

It’s been two years since Christopher Nolan stunned audiences with The Dark Knight, which went on to become one of the few films to cross the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box-office.  It was one of those rare cases where commercial success was matched almost equally by critical acclaim, with many asserting his brooding take on the superhero genre deserved a Best Picture nomination.

While he had long been noticed by film buffs and none of his films had been box-office or critical failures, it was the overwhelming success of The Dark Knight that would make Christopher Nolan a household name – at least as much as most directors can hope to be.  It’s no surprise, then, that Warner Bros. would do everything in its power to keep him happy, lest he refuse to return to direct the as-yet-untitled Batman 3, even if it meant giving him nearly $200 million to direct an original script about dream invasion in the meantime.

And thank God they did.  Though it’s far from a perfect film, Inception has more creativity pulsing through its first 20 minutes than most films do in their entire runtime, and emerges as a breath of fresh air amidst this year’s batch of mostly-unspectacular mainstream cinema fare.

The Story

The premise is simple on the surface: Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a dream extractor, capable of breaking into people’s dreams while they sleep and stealing their secrets. An outlaw for crimes unknown, a mysterious businessman offers him a clean slate in exchange for doing the impossible: inception.  Rather than stealing an idea, he’ll have to plant one deep inside the mind of a subject.

It’s the details of the central conceit that may leave some viewers scratching their heads.  Certain background information (like how the dream creation and entry process works) remains a mystery, while other important exposition comes so quickly it’s easy to miss.

Unlike The Matrix, which had numerous scenes in which all the rules were carefully explained and then concretely demonstrated, Inception doesn’t have time to spoon-feed its audience.  Most of the logistics of dream architecture are mentioned quickly and in passing – if you aren’t listening carefully, it’s easy to get lost amongst the whirlwind of rules, ideas, character conflicts and plot threads, particularly when they could radically change at a moment’s notice.

The Next Kubrick?

In the wake of Inception, many critics have begun to compare Christopher Nolan to renowned auteur Stanley Kubrick (”2001 A Space Odyssey”), another director who dealt frequently with lofty themes and ideas.   While I personally think Kubrick was the more mature filmmaker, the comparison is more apt than it might first appear.

They share what some might say is a single, overriding flaw: they are such technical perfectionists, capable of crafting such detailed and precise imagery, that the sheer artistry may in some cases distance the audience at the expense of emotional resonance.

While their work is rightly perceived as innovative and brilliant, it’s far more likely to tug at viewers’ minds than their hearts, whether it’s through the use of morally ambiguous protagonists or sheer thematic ambition.

Ironically, though, it’s this similarity which illustrates a key difference between the two filmmakers.  While they both arguably emphasize technical precision over emotional depth, Kubrick favored the abstract, while Nolan is one of the most literalistic filmmakers to emerge in decades.

From the naturalistic lighting of Barry Lyndon to the bizarre art design of A Clockwork Orange, Kubrick demonstrated he was quite capable of making films that felt very dream-like in nature.  In fact, his final masterpiece, the vastly underrated Eyes Wide Shut, has been interpreted by many critics to be entirely a “dream film,” with its graceful cinematography and subtle manifestations of psychosexual desire.

Nolan’s Inception, on the other hand, is a painstakingly precise and transparent look at the subconscious, leaving no room for ambiguity or alternative interpretations.  We are aware when things are proceeding into the realm of the psyche not merely because characters directly state we are, but because in Nolan’s vision thoughts are just as concrete as reality.  Their setting has a distinct layout, all the players are clearly defined, and were it not for the occasional shift in gravity one could easily forget this is all mere mental projection.

Cobb’s inner demons are not presented as anything but what they are – black-and-white, with no room for gray, and lacking the surprisingly flexibility and complexity of actual psychology.

At one point Nolan depicts the layers of the mind by using an actual elevator to navigate the different floors.  Is it a fitting metaphor?  Sure, and it works within the context of the film, but it’s far from Kubrick’s more understated approach to filmmaking.

An Ambitious Film

And therein lies Inception’s greatest flaw. The script is so complex, the rules of the dream so numerous, and the action so carefully crafted, that the entire venture at times feels very cold and empty.  We understand Cobb’s past and psyche because Nolan tells us what they are, rather than showing us and allowing us to reach our own conclusions.

If there’s any audience sympathy towards him, it’s because we want to know the outcome on an intellectual level alone rather than because we legitimately feel his pain.  If he failed in his goals, I doubt anyone would feel truly disappointed, since Inception’s primary characteristic is that of spectacle.

We don’t have to care about the characters (and most of the time I didn’t) because we’re too busy doing mental jumping jacks and marveling at the set pieces to notice how one-dimensional they actually are.   

Inception is an absolute marvel to behold, but I can’t help but feel that even with its two-and-a-half-hour runtime, Nolan bit off more than he can chew; the plot is dense enough for two films or a miniseries, and it’s a testament to his skill as a director (not to mention editor Lee Smith, who deserves an Oscar nomination for his work here) that the final product is this comprehensible.

Most of the tremendously talented supporting cast (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page and Tom Hardy to name a few) are under-utilized, reduced to spouting exposition or making Cool Stuff Happen.  Multiple viewings reveal plot holes and contradictions that go by unnoticed the first time, due to the sheer amount of said Cool Stuff Happening.  It doesn’t need to make sense (and it doesn’t once you stop to think about it), because you’ll be so busy trying to keep up with everything to do anything other than be taken along for the ride, trusting that Nolan has it all figured out.

Remarkable, Yes

Ignore the hype about Inception being Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece.  It’s not.  Time, and repeated viewings, will make its logic gaps and flawed narrative more apparent.  The storytelling that many are touting as “genius” is actually in many ways quite shoddy and imperfect.

But even with its flaws, one fact still remains: that Inception was made at all is remarkable.  The real hero of Inception is not Christopher Nolan, but Warner Bros.

For a studio to pump so much money into such a brainy script and then give a director so much control over his vision is miraculous, and a welcome change from the norm.

The result, while not perfect, is a refreshingly original idea allowed to be executed without limitations, for better or worse.  The visuals and sheer density of the ideas on display alone are worth the price of admission.

See this movie.  Give it your money.  It’s not perfect, but it’s darn good, and Hollywood needs to be shown that taking a chance on something original with a talented filmmaker can be profitable.  The world needs more films like Inception, bold in vision and unafraid to try something new.

Plus, at the end of the day, all the nitpicking in the world can’t take away the feeling of overwhelming ecstasy that may very well spread over you for those two hypnotic minutes, when the music is pounding, the suspense is rising, and you’re utterly spellbound by the pure cinema unfolding in front of you.

Then, as quickly as it came, the moment passes, and you’re left to exhale and bathe in the afterglow, wondering if it was all a dream.

Andrew Johnson is the host of MovieChatter, a weekly podcast about film. Of all the opinions out there about the current state of cinema, he swears that his are the right ones. Continue the discussion by following him on Twitter.

News on CaryCitizen is sponsored by Ashworth Drugs.

Review by Kristen Collosso. Photos by Tom Mousseau.

In its second consecutive year on tour, the Traveling Circus and Medicine Show tour rolled into Koka Booth Amphitheatre on Thursday. Fans were in for a hot, humid, festival-style night of nostalgia — with some new stuff thrown in there too.

As a 20-something, I remember the Counting Crows as a part of the soundtrack to my high school years. Their hits were everywhere on the radio and at least half of my friends were huge fans of the band. Given that, it was easy for me to presume that the majority of the people I’d find in the audience would be, well, close to my age.

While there was a decent amount of people of this category, there was also a significant representation of the over-40 crowd, which I admit surprised me a bit. And you know what? The over-40s were no less into the show than the 20-somethings. Whatever their age, the members of this audience remained on their feet from the first song to the final encore!

A rustic curtain fashioned to look like an old canvas hung at the front of the stage for the opening of the show. As circus music began to pour out of the speakers, performers reached out from behind the curtain to pull a piece of rope which drew the curtains open. All of the performers were on stage for the opening song, Caravan!

The format of the Traveling Circus tour is an interesting one. Instead of your usual opening band / closing band sets, the performers (mainly Counting Crows and Augustana, with rapper Notar in the mix) swapped places on the stage, moving back and forth between performing each others’ songs.

The lineup on the stage was consistently fluid, with performers coming and going between songs. Adam Duritz of Counting Crows offered backup vocals to Augustana’s songs, and Augustana’s Dan Layus offered his to Counting Crows.

As a result, the entire show had a cheerful, laid back tone. There weren’t a lot of special stage effects aside from a simple lighting scheme. It was just a bunch of guys with their microphones and instruments, armed only with their raw talent. The folksy, acoustic tone of the show was amped-up at times by instrumentally-backed insets from rapper Notar.

While it would seem that a rapper would be out of place among such a lineup, Notar managed to bring something new to the mix while still fitting in nicely throughout the performances. His freestyle piece during Hanginaround even included some custom lines just for Cary, NC audiences!

Augustana, a band I was admittedly unfamiliar with leading up to the show, meshed really well with the members of the Counting Crows and showed off their own considerable chops in their hits as well as several new songs from their upcoming album. Lead singer Dan Layus has a pleasingly versatile vocal range, and especially during their song Dust I was very impressed by the raw energy that came from his performance.

The Counting Crows performed many fan favorites (with the curious omission of Mr. Jones) throughout the night, and though some of these songs have been around for awhile, the nuances created by the format of the show kept the sound fresh.

You can tell these guys are having so much fun on this tour. Before performing Long December, lead singer Adam Duritz commented on his disappointment that he’d JUST discovered the snow cone machine backstage. Even at 9pm the humidity was killer, and a snow cone did sound nice. A few minutes later, about a verse or so into December, the song stopped because someone had gone backstage to get Duritz a snow cone. “During the one song I don’t have an extra hand!” he said. The audience laughed and the band picked back up and finished the song.

Along with original hits and newly written songs, the set also included covers of songs by the like of Leon Russell, Bob Dylan and Woodie Guthrie. The bands owned all of these covers, and they may as well have been on an album with the rest of the stuff we heard that night. Clearly influenced by Bob Dylan, they commented before Just Like A Woman that “We’re like 16 levels down ripping off this shit. But it’s so good!”

Thanks to the Traveling Circus and Medicine Show for bringing a great night of music to the Triangle!

Set List

1. Caravan (Everyone)
2. Omaha (Counting Crows w/ Augustana)
3. Richard Manuel is Dead (Counting Crows)
4. Stranger (Notar)
5. Four White Stallions (Counting Crows)
6. Sundays (Counting Crows)
7. Boston (Augustana)
8. Dust (Augustana)
9. Hurricane (Augustana) (from their new album)
10. Shot in the Dark (Augustana)
11. Up All Night (Counting Crows)
12. Delta Lady (Counting Crows w/Augustana) (by Leon Russell)

INTERMISSION

1. When I Dream of Michelangelo (Counting Crows)
2. A Murder of One (Counting Crows)
3. Matador (Notar)
4. Reach (Notar, backing vocals from Augustana)
5. Just Like A Woman (dual vocal with Adam Duritz and Dan Laynus) (by Bob Dylan)
6. It Only Means I Love You (Augustana)
7. Sweet and Low (Augustana)
8. I’m Gonna Steal Your Heart Away (Augustana) (from their new album)
9. A Long December (Counting Crows)
10. Hanginaround (Counting Crows with freestyle inset from Notar)

ENCORE

1. Rain King (Counting Crows)
2. This Land is Your Land (Everyone)

Slide Show

Check out this slide show featuring more of Tom Mousseau’s photos from the concert.

Cary, North Carolina – Call it OzFest. Call it the Emerald City Reborn. But don’t call it just a movie.

This Saturday, July 10, Koka Booth Amphitheatre presents The Wizard of Oz with the NC Symphony Orchestra.

Costume Competition

Come dressed as your favorite Oz character and you could win prizes including tickets, toys, bubbles, spa and restaurant certificates and more. Child and adult categories with lots of prizes to give away.

Picnic of the Week Competition

Show off your picnicking style with food inspired by the film (Midwestern comfort food from the farm, food that is yellow or green, food out of a Dorothy-like basket, decorative themed picnic ware, etc.). Prizes for the top three are provided by Whole Foods Market in Cary and your group’s photo on the symphony website. Picnic of the Week judge will wander the crowd and select winners by 7pm.

How about a $2800 Ring?

Generously donated by Ora Jewelers, enter a raffle for a beautiful custom-made 4.7 carat emerald green tourmaline ring (estimated value $2800). Entry to win this amazing grand prize will happen the night of the event. Look for the sign up tables to enter and win (no purchase necessary to win).

Kids Playhouse Giveaway

Generously donated by Backyard Playground, enter a raffle for an amazing custom built wooden children’s playhouse (estimated value $1200). The playhouse will be set up at Koka Booth the night of the concert for all to play on and for one lucky family to take home. Just don’t land it on top of any wicked witches! Look for the sign up tables to enter and win (no purchase necessary to win, winner responsible for playhouse delivery fees).

Instrument Zoo

A variety of orchestral instruments will be available for your kids to try out and play. Demonstrated by North Carolina Symphony staff and musicians from 7pm-8pm.

Food Drive

Have a heart like the Tin Man and donate 5 canned goods and receive one complimentary WakeMed Movies By Moonlight ticket. Food collection bins can be found at the Main and VIP Gates. The first 500 people to donate also receive a special North Carolina Symphony novelty gift.

More Info

Gates open at 6pm. All contests and entries will close at 8:15pm and winners will be announced from the stage.

Picnics, outside beverages, lawn chairs and blankets are encouraged. Kids 12 and under get in for FREE on the lawn.

Get Tickets

This article provided courtesy of Ashworth Drugs, Platinum Sponsor of the CaryCitizen Scavenger Hunt on Saturday July 24! 

Cary, NC – Wanted: A love story that is sweet, or a love story that is bitter (bits or bites).

Cary Players is looking for short plays to produce for their 6th Annual production of “Love Bits and Bites”. The theme is “The 6th Sense” with a tie-in of that idea either directly or indirectly, e.g. ghosts, spirits, ESP, other elements of the supernatural.  Or your plot could create a situation where love itself is the 6th sense (a little sci-fi anyone?).

Do not be overly constrained: Love is the real theme. Cast size can be 2 to 6.  Contact Jaret at if you have further questions about Love Bits and Bites (or look at links to the past 5 versions in ‘Past Shows’ at Cary Players website .

Submission details: send an electronic copy of your 8-12 minute-long play by August 13, 2010 to Lydia Sbityakov of The Cary Playwrights’ Forum.  Include your contact information in the body of the email, but NOT in the attached document, which will be passed on to the directors for review without names associated to allow for an impartial choice.

Good luck!

Cary, NC – Our roving photographer, Karl Fisher, caught up with the latest Starlight Series concert in the garden at Page Walker. The band was “Old Habits,” a popular bluegrass band from Raleigh.

Judging from the pictures, a good time was had by all.

Next show is July 9th with Jamrock, roots and reggae from a Starlight Series regular.

The Official Info

The official info from Cary Parks & Rec:

It doesn’t get any better than spending time with family and friends relaxing under the stars listening to great music! The Starlight Concert Series is a series of free concerts held on select Fridays throughout the summer.

From reggae to bluegrass to jazz, the series showcases an eclectic mix of local and regional talent!

Bring family, friends, lawn chairs and a picnic, but please leave pets and alcoholic beverages at home.

Concerts may be canceled or rescheduled in the event of in-clement weather. Co-sponsored by the Friends of Page-Walker and Diamante, Inc. For more information, call (919) 460-4963.