A recent study by FinanceBuzz ranked Charlotte as the 20th-most boring city in the U.S. What!?! Do boring cities have improv comedy festivals, award-winning dramas, and two of America’s biggest music icons all in one week? I think not. July is coming to a close with an exciting and eclectic lineup of activities and events, so let’s FanFare!
Winging It
If you’re a fan of the TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, you might want to check this out. Blumenthal Arts’* Stage Door Theater (155 N. College Street, Charlotte) is hosting the Royal Improv Festival by Queen City Comedy, a one-of-a-kind annual event highlighting local, national, and international improv acts. The four-day festival includes shows, workshops, improv jams, and more. July 24-27.
Shaken and Stirred
An Appalachian Summer winds down with a fun performance by Pink Martini featuring China Forbes at Appalachian State University’s* Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts (733 Rivers Street, Boone) at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 26th. Since 1994, Pink Martini has been blending classical, jazz, and old-fashioned pop while performing in 22 languages around the world. July 26.
Bravo, Brevard!
The 2025 Brevard Music Center Summer Music Festival* continues with more compelling performances. Jurassic Park in Concert features a screening of the 1993 movie with John Williams’ soundtrack performed live by the Brevard Sinfonia on Saturday, July 26th at the Whittington-Pfahl Auditorium (349 Andante Lane, Brevard). The Miró Quartet will perform works by Haydn, Ginastera, and Debussy at Parker Concert Hall (141 Milner Circle, Brevard) on Monday, July 28th. The renowned Richard Goode will be at the piano to play Beethoven and Schumann at Parker Concert Hall on Wednesday, July 30th. Click here to see the full schedule. July 26-30.
American Icons
Among the elder statesmen of American music, they don’t get much bigger than Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan. The two icons are headlining the 2025 Outlaw Music Festival on Saturday, July 26th at PNC Music Pavilion (707 Pavilion Blvd, Charlotte). The Turnpike Troubadours, Charles Wesley Godwin, and Willow Avalon fill out the bill. July 26.
Go Organ-ic
The Sounds of the Summer Pipe Organ Series continues at 7 p.m. on Sunday, July 27th at Home Moravian Church (529 S. Church Street, Winston-Salem). The fourth recital in the series will showcase the Aeolian-Skinner Organ and is presented by Jonathan Williams, Susan Keck Foster, and Robert Poovey. Free admission. July 27.
On the other side of the Triad, West Market Street United Methodist Church (302 W. Market Street, Greensboro) is hosting a Summer Organ Concert on Thursday, July 31st from 7 to 8 p.m. West Market Street UMC organists Sarah Kennedy and Dreama Lovitt will perform works by Johann Sebastian Bach, César Franck, Dan Locklair, and more on the powerful Dobson-Rosales Organ. Admission is free, but non-perishable food donations for local college food pantries are encouraged. July 31.
Family Drama
Described as Modern Family meets Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Paul Oakley Stovall’s play Immediate Family is making its Southeast premiere at Blumenthal Arts’* Booth Playhouse (130 N. Tryon Street, Charlotte), July 29th through August 31st. The story of the Bryants’ family wedding-turned-family reunion-turned-family showdown is directed by Broadway and television veteran Phylicia Rashad. July 29-August 31.
Richard Parker Returns
Blumenthal Arts is also presenting Life of Pi at Belk Theater (130 N. Tryon Street, Charlotte) from July 29th through August 3rd. Winner of three Tony Awards and the Olivier Award for Best Play, the theatrical event is based on Yann Martel’s 2001 hope-filled novel about a 16-year-old boy who survives a shipwreck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on a life boat with a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. I’ve heard the puppetry and visual effects are amazing. July 29-August 3.
Delightful Detours
- Sweetgrass Festival: Celebrating the contributions of the Gullah Geechee people’s history, culture, traditions, and their sweetgrass basket art form. Memorial Waterfront Park, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. July 26.
- Grassy Creek Gem & Mineral Show: Rockhounds will love visiting with over 60 vendors, miners, and artisans offering a diverse array of gems, minerals, fossils, jewelry, and lapidary supplies at this family-friendly event in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. July 27-August 3.
- Greenville Fashion Week: Four days of runway shows, designer competition, model competition, cocktail parties, and philanthropy in Greenville, South Carolina. July 30-August 2.
Bon Appetit…and Thanks!
Theres one more week for you to support Classical Public Radio 89.9 WDAV by rounding up your check at the Famous Toastery* locations in Davidson (101 N. Main Street) and Huntersville (12715 Conner Drive). All proceeds from the round up program will go directly toward producing our classical music and arts content on the radio and online. Through July 31.
More performances, exhibits, and festivals are coming next week. And don’t forget to see what’s happening on the WDAV Events Calendar.
*Disclosure: Blumenthal Arts, Appalachian State University, Brevard Music Center, and Famous Toastery are WDAV underwriters.