19 'Electra'-fying things to do in Wilmington for the last weekend in February
This weekend is case in point for the large number and wide range of entertainment options in the Wilmington area.
For starters, we've got a production of a play from antiquity and a jukebox musical with some of the most famous country songs around; concerts in a wide range of genres, from jazz and classical to country, indie rock, hip-hop and even gospel; a large number of art exhibitions; and a host of community gatherings and fundraisers, including the return of one hairily popular event for the first time since the pandemic. Read on to find out about all of these, and more.
If you're looking for events in Brunswick County, we've got a seperate list for that. See link below for details.
More: Area eventsAir Force 'brat' author, campfire in the park highlights these 6 events in Brunswick
ALL WEEKEND
'Electra'
At UNCW's Cultural Arts Building Main Stage Theatre: The University of North Carolina Wilmington theater department's distortion-drenched production of "Electra" casts a witchy spell.
In staging a 2,400-year-old play by the ancient Greek superstar Sophocles, director and UNCW theater professor Christopher Marino does everything in his power to keep the audience's attention, with psychedelic projections splashed across a smoke-filled set strewn with sand and featuring trenches of water trod by a wailing, gyrating Greek chorus. It's quite the spectacle, and it's all backed by a relentlessly sludgy, droning rock score played live on stage by two roving musicians, guitarist Elliot Stanford and bassist Matt Dauphin of the Wilmington punk band Ridgewood.
Then there's the fully committed and intense performance in the title role by Lilly Ferguson, who recalls a female Hamlet as she spits verbal venom at her husband-murdering queen of a mother, Clytemnestra (a rancidly regal Allison Garrett), flings sand and water across the stage and generally comes across as grief-ridden vengeance incarnate.
At times, the words of Kenneth McLeish's translation drone on like the rock music score, and there's maybe one laugh in all of "Electra." But UNCW theater's production values game is strong here, like it almost always is, and the student cast is solid in telling a story that feels primordial in its depiction of the darker corners of human nature.
I won't give it away, but there's a pretty good payoff at the end of this 100-minute, one-act production, one that puts Electra's revelation upon the realization of her own violent fantasies into stark, brightly lit relief. 8 p.m. Feb. 23-25, 2 p.m. Feb. 26. 910-962-3500.
'Ring Of Fire'
At Thalian Hall: Opera House Theatre Co. presents this jukebox musical, which had a brief Broadway run in the 2000s and features songs made famous by country legend Johnny Cash. The show features a 7-person cast playing their own instruments and singing nearly three dozen songs — including "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down," "I Still Miss Someone," "Big River" and the title tune — while narrating the events that shaped Cash's life. Led by Opera House guest director Chris Blisset, the cast features visiting guest performers as well as Opera House regulars Brian Whitted and Michelle Braxton. Returning to town for the show is Wilmington native Leigh Jones, whose songs include "Jackson" and a gender-bending version of the rockin' murder ballad "Cocaine Blues." 7:30 p.m. Feb. 23-25 and March 1-4, 2 p.m. Feb. 25-26 and March 4-5. 910-632-2285.
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Oscar-nominated short films
At Thalian Hall: Before the broadcast of the Academy Awards on March 12, check out the films that will be competing in the categories of best live action short film, best animated short film and best short documentary film. Documentary films screen 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday; live action film screen 4 p.m. Friday; and animated films screen 7 p.m. Friday. 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Feb. 23-24. 910-632-2285.
THURSDAY
Cleo Parker Robinson Dance
At CFCC Wilson Center: The Wilson Center's dance-centric MOVE! series presents two performances by this veteran troupe out of Denver. Founded more than 50 years ago, CPRD presents a modern, cross-cultural approach to dance inspired by the African diaspora that you'll get to see up and close and personal with on-stage seating. 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 23. Tickets are $25. 910-362-7999.
R&R Comedy Tour
At Dead Crow Comedy Room: New York City stand-up Ron Nobles teams up with North Carolina (and former NYC) comic Ryan Brown to bring the R&R Comedy Tour to Wilmington. Brown is a veteran of Wilmington's defunct Cape Fear Comedy Festival. 7 p.m. Feb. 23. Tickets are $15 and $20. Weekly open mic follows at 8 p.m.
UNCW Big Band
At Beckwith Recital Hall: The University of North Carolina Wilmington's music department presents a concert filled with jazzy standards and at least one unexpected offering. Gabriel Sánchez Porras will direct an ensemble through a program that includes Oliver Nelson's "Full Nelson" and Clifford Brown's "Sandu,” as well as an arrangement of video game theme “Bob-omb Battlefield" from “Super Mario 64.” 7:30 p.m. Feb. 23, tickets are $9.34.
FRIDAY
4th Friday Gallery Nights
Downtown Wilmington: The Arts Council of Wilmington and New Hanover County's monthly crawl through downtown-area galleries goes off again this weekend. Highlights include the wonderfully titled "Cabin Fever" show at Wilmington's venerable Acme Art studios. Presumably a show of work cooked up during the pandemic, it features Acme artists Todd Carignan, Fritzi Huber, Dick Roberts, Angela Rowe, Pam Toll, Mark Weber and others. 6-9 p.m. Feb. 24. Free to attend. Get a full list of participating galleries at ArtsWilmington.org.
'Home from School: The Children of Carlisle'
At Jengo's Playhouse: After a brief respite for the holidays, the weekly film series at Cucalorus Film Festival headquarters resumes. This documentary from director Geoff O'Gara looks into the brutal legacy of government-run boarding schools for Native American children, some of whom never made it out alive. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 24. Tickets are $10.
Will Overman and The Mallet Brothers Band
At Bourgie Nights: Double bill at this intimate downtown venue features tunes from Charlottesville singer/songwriter Overman, who plays in a laid-back, country-folk style. Headliners The Mallet Brothers hail from Maine, and they bring an uptempo blend of country, rock and Americana oft-termed alt-country. 9 p.m. Feb. 24, tickets are $10, $15 day of show.
SATURDAY
Divine Divas on Broadway
At CFCC's Union Station: Annual benefit for She Rocks (ovarian cancer research and awareness) and Thalian Association Community Theatre's youth programs. Enjoy performances of musical theater classics by some of Wilmington's best singers, along with dinner, cocktails, live and silent auctions and more. 6 p.m. Feb. 25, tickets are $125. 910-251-1788.
Cape Fear Beard & Mustache Competition
At Front Street Brewery: Who's got the most masterful mutton chops? The most glorious goatee? Whose handlebar mustache could give Rollie Fingers a run for his money? Find out at this seventh annual event, a fundraiser for prostate cancer awareness and ZeroCancer.org. With silent auction, prizes and giveaways. 6:30 p.m. Feb. 25, $10 entry fee, $10 spectator fee.
Jenny Don't & The Spurs
At Reggies 42nd Street Tavern: Portland, Oregon, band plays a hot brand of honky-tonk country and rockabilly delivered by lead singer Jenny Don't with style and vigor. With opening acts Electric Frankenstein and The Temp Agency. 7 p.m. Feb. 25, $15.
Coverlip
At Bourgie Nights: Primo blend of Wilmington musicians from various acts (including, of course, the band's mighty namesake, Thunderlip) putting an unabashedly hard rock sheen on favorite and unexpected covers from the '70s and '80s. I'll never be able to put it better than they do: "You know what we play. We play what you know." 9 p.m. Feb. 25, $10.
Bloody Mary Bar Crawl
Downtown Wilmington: Drink your bloody way through downtown Wilmington on this crawl to determine who makes the best bloody mary. Start at The Husk (where you get your voting card) and then proceed to your choice of establishments, including the Barbary Coast, Duck and Dive, the Pour House, The Eagle's Dare, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot and Tavern Law. 2 p.m. Feb. 25.
Sheme of Gold, Exercise
At the Opera Room: Wilmington rapper Sheme of Gold performs laid-back, hard-edged hip-hop from his recent album "Sad Boy," while Port City indie rockers Exercise play a delightfully warped brand of raucously tuneful punk with song titles like "Backwards Yodeling" and "Time Go Bye." 8 p.m. Feb. 25, $5 cover.
More: Wilmington musicAfter stints in jail, Wilmington rapper Sheme of Gold turns to music 'as a way out'
SUNDAY
Rx art show
At Rx Chicken and Oysters: Beloved Castle Street restaurant Rx has been closed for a few months now while it undergoes a rebranding, but stop by on Sunday for some local art and top-notch live music. Work by Jonathan Summit, Mark Weber and Rx co-owner Sarah Rushing Doss will be on display, with songwriter extraordinaire Jesse Stockton and Jonah Citty (of hard rockers ASG) providing the tunes. 2-5 p.m. Feb. 26, free, beverages available for purchase.
Vivaldi's 'Ring of Mystery'
At CFCC Wilson Center: The Wilmington Symphony Orchestra presents this family-friendly performance, part of its "Classical Kids" education series. The violin-laden music of Vivaldi accompanies a story about an 18th century orphan in search of her roots, a mystery that involves a missing Stradivarius. 4 p.m. Feb. 26. Tickets are $15, free for ages 18 and under. 910-362-7999.
Jared Michael Cline's Gospel Sing
At Live at Ted's: I'm not sure anyone in town's got a more dynamic voice than guitarist and songwriter Cline, who can deliver such styles as rock, country, blues and R&B with equal aplomb. Sunday's show will be a little different, billed as "gospel songs in a secular setting" with audience participation encouraged. Songbooks provided. 4-6 p.m. Feb. 26, $7.
1086 Jazz Collective
At The Barzarre: UNCW-based jazz ensemble gets groovy on Sunday night at this Castle Street establishment. Expect some improv-heavy takes on traditional jazz styles. 7 p.m. Feb. 26, $10 suggested donation.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Things to do and entertainment options in Wilmington NC Feb. 23-26
