Tag Archive for: #embassyculturalcenterfoundation

TownTalk: McGregor Hall Continues Positive Impact With Upcoming Shows

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From the stage, actors delight and entertain audiences with their performances. But the way Mark Hopper sees it, the local and regional actors who perform at McGregor Hall have important roles off-stage as well – Hopper sees them as ambassadors for the regional venue and for the community of Henderson, too.

Rehearsals have begun for the upcoming production of “The Little Mermaid” and Hopper old John C. Rose during Monday’s TownTalk that close to 100 people are – or will be- coming into Henderson seven nights a week for rehearsal. “And that’s just the cast that’s participating,” he said. When cast members go back to their home communities and talk up the shows or just the beauty of McGregor Hall, they promote ticket sales and more visitors to the area.

“The reach of that cannot be overstated,” said Hopper, who serves as McGregor Hall’s director of operations and heads the board of directors.

Henderson residents should be proud to say that McGregor Hall brings world-class entertainment right into the community. “It’s extremely important to us that we be a venue for all in the community…it’s part of our mission that we provide something for everyone, and do it affordably,” Hopper said.

The McGregor Hall Live! Series kicks off later this month with a show called “Smokey & Me,” featuring Charl Brown, who performs the biggest hits of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles on Sept. 25.

“This guy is pretty amazing,” Hopper said, calling Brown “the real deal.”

McGregor Hall patrons can purchase tickets to all five shows in the 2022-23 series for $115, which Hopper said is a real bargain.

How can the venue attract such a high caliber of talent? Lots of agreements with national companies that license productions and lots of phone calls with agents and other groups that represent touring companies and musical groups.

“We have to pay a pretty good chunk of change just to have permission to present it,” Hopper said of the Disney production. But these large-scale, professional productions help to showcase the talent on the stage, and also, well, the stage itself. “We’ve really made a name for ourselves here,” Hopper said of McGregor Hall.

“We really have an all-star cast,” he continued, adding that 2017 Miss North Carolina Victoria Huggins returns to McGregor Hall as Ariel. Jonathan O’Geary has the role of King Triton.

In addition to the Smokey Robinson tribute and the fall production of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” Hopper said McGregor Hall will host a holiday concert by the Raleigh Ringers and America’s Got Talent finalists and audience favorites Sons of Serandip in February, followed by Ballet Magnificat in April.

Although it’s not a part of the McGregor Hall Live! Series, a special concert, sponsored by Mast Drug, is set for January 28, 2023, Hopper said. The Oak Ridge Boys will perform at McGregor Hall and tickets will go on sale later this week, he said.

“That was a big catch,” Hopper said, adding that it’s taken several years to land the group, because they continue a rigorous touring schedule. “They do a lot of touring with The Gaithers,” Hopper said. “They haven’t slowed down one bit.”

Visit https://www.mcgregorhall.org/ for a complete listing of show dates and times, and to view videos of some of the groups that will take the stage locally during the 2022-23 season.

CLICK PLAY!

McGregor Hall

TownTalk: Love Of Performing Keeps Alston And Manhattans On Stage

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The smooth, sultry sounds of The Manhattans is a balm for anyone who grew up listening to R&B and Henderson’s own Gerald Alston has helped to create that sound for, well, a few years now.

Alston will perform this Friday evening, Sept. 2 at McGregor Hall alongside Troy May and newcomer Lawrence Newton, with the band East Coast Connection providing the accompaniment.

The concert begins at 8 p.m. Purchase tickets at https://www.mcgregorhall.org/

Alston, now 70, talked with WIZS’s Bill Harris on Wednesday’s Town Talk, and said he is always happy to perform in the place where he got his start.

“Over the years that I’ve been singing, we’ve always been well supported by my hometown,” Alston said. “It’s a joy to me to be able to come home and perform for friends, family and fans.”

Earlier this month, the group celebrated its 60-year anniversary. Although the faces may have changed over those six decades, the sound remains true. Alston joined the group at the young age of 17 and he said his love of singing is what keeps him going. “My love of singing and love of family,” he said.

He became lead singer in 1970 and has never looked back. Concert goers can expect to hear some of the group’s biggest hits – think “Shining Star” and “Kiss and Say Goodbye,” just to name a couple.

“We’ll be adding a couple of songs that we don’t usually do,” but are regional favorites, he hinted.

Over the years, as vinyl albums made way for cassettes, CDs and now streaming platforms, Alston said he and his group have enjoyed how the “old” fans come together with new fans to appreciate the music they create.

“Social media and Internet radio have been our friend,” he readily acknowledged, adding that fans can download particular songs to create their own playlist and don’t have to depend on traditional radio stations or other traditional formats.

If all goes according to plan, the Manhattans will have 35 or 40 shows this year, bouncing back after the COVID-19 pandemic. Their latest single, “Get It Ready,” climbed high on the soul independent charts, and Alston said he expects the group’s touring schedule to continue to pick up speed.

“The point is that we love singing and God has granted us the ability to still be doing it,” he said.

Having said that, however, Alston did suggest that touring the country and the world to perform can be tiring.

They recently did a two-day gig with the O’Jays down in Florida, he said, playing Tampa one night and then Miramar the next. “Believe me, the traveling is what gets you,” he said. “Traveling takes its toll on you at times.” Between early flights and late check-ins, sound checks and finding a spot to eat – and then heading back to the venue for a two-hour show, Alston said it’s not as easy to bounce back at 70 as it was earlier in his career.

As for Friday night’s venue, McGregor Hall, Alston is seriously pumped.

“Mark Hopper… has done a wonderful job,” he said. “McGregor Hall is one of the best venues that we’ve played – the sound is great, the hall is beautiful…and the staff there is top-notch.”

McGregor Hall is on the smaller side of venues where the Manhattans have performed – dwarfed certainly by the Houston Astrodome and the Atlanta Braves Stadium, where the group has performed to crowds of between 30,000 and 40,000.

 

Alston said he prefers the smaller venues because of the closer, more intimate setting they provide – there’s literally less space between the fans and the stage. “I love being close to my fans and the audience,” he said.

But whether in an intimate setting or a cavernous sports arena, the response from the audience is the same. “They give you that energy,” Alston said, “their appreciation for our music and their support” pumps up the performers and makes it all worthwhile.

“At some point, I may slow down with the work,” Alston said, perhaps picking and choosing performances. “But I think I’ll always be singing.”

 

 

McGregor Hall

Hopper: 5th Dimension, Other Headlining Acts Offer ‘World-Class’ Entertainment

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Mark Hopper, chair of the Embassy Cultural Center Foundation, was on Tuesday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program to discuss McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center’s ability to attract big headlining acts.

One such act, 5th Dimension, will be performing this Saturday, February 16, 2019, at 8 p.m. at the performing arts center located at 201 Breckenridge Street in downtown Henderson.

Formed in 1965, the Grammy-winning group currently performs with two of their original members, including Florence LaRue.

Classic songs including “Up, Up, and Away, “One Less Bell to Answer,” “Last Night I Didn’t Get to Sleep at All,” “Wedding Bell Blues,” “Stoned Soul Picnic,” and the iconic “Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In” are sure to delight.

According to Hopper, 5th Dimension is one of the biggest acts to grace McGregor Hall and demonstrates the positive impact the venue is having on the local economy.

“It’s exactly what we wanted to do,” said Hopper. “From the very first germination of this idea the project was an economic one more than an artistic one; the arts just happened to be the vehicle that we were using.”

“We knew the way to get people involved and to get the economic engine running was to make what we put on stage was the very best it could be. We’ve proven we can bring the very best in world-class entertainment right here to Henderson and Vance County.”

Tickets are still available for Saturday’s performance and may be purchased by:

Drop In: 201 Breckenridge Street, Henderson, N.C. (Monday – Friday from 1:30 – 5:30 p.m.)

Call: (252) 598-0662 (Monday – Friday from 1:30 – 5:30 p.m.)

Online: www.McGregorHall.org (Use the eTix official site; online fees apply)

To hear the Town Talk interview with Mark Hopper in its entirety, please click here. Hopper’s interview begins at approximately the 10:20 mark. 

McGregor Hall

McGregor Hall’s Popularity Continues to Grow, Study to Determine Economic Impact

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While the next step in the Embassy Cultural Center Foundation’s quest to conduct an economic impact study of the McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center on Henderson and the surrounding area is likely a formality, what is needed now is a contract with N.C. State University’s Department of Public Administration and its respective professors.

WIZS News conversations with Vance County Commission Chair Tommy Hester, who seems to have been the visible spearhead of this particular effort, reveal that the $17,500 to fund the study has been obtained by private, anonymous donation(s).

According to NC State representatives, the completion time for the study is estimated at four months, with the project to begin on January 7, 2019, and the final report to be submitted by May 6, 2019.  Dr. Bruce McDonald and Tom White from NC State came to Henderson October 8, 2018, to discuss McGregor Hall and its impact, to learn more about the facility and to spur still more progression in the team of people, volunteers and the community at large that is supporting the facility.

The recent local production of “Beauty and the Beast” has resulted in additional widespread publicity for McGregor Hall. (Photo: WIZS)

The recent local production of “Beauty and the Beast” has resulted in additional widespread publicity for McGregor Hall for a number of reasons.  The collective local and regional talent in the show and the sheer volume of people who attended the six public performances as well as additional school performances and side events exceeded 6,500 patrons.

Mark Hopper, Vice Chair of the Board for the Embassy Cultural Center Foundation and McGregor Hall, directed the play and directed the full orchestra as well.  In a recent conversation with WIZS’ John C. Rose, Hopper said, “We are a community and economic organization first and foremost, and it’s exciting that citizens are starting to share our vision for what we can accomplish.  Next spring, we have 11 weekends booked for regional and national dance competitions. That means that 700-900 people will arrive on Friday afternoon and stay through Sunday afternoon, with all of them eating in Vance County restaurants, lodging in Vance County motels, and putting Henderson on the map. It’s a very exciting time for McGregor Hall.”

McGregor Hall

Embassy Foundation to Mull Proposal for McGregor Hall Economic Impact Study

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The Embassy Cultural Center Foundation is in the planning phase of conducting an economic impact study of the McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center on the Henderson economy.

The foundation recently sought a proposal from the Municipal Research Lab at North Carolina State University for completion of the study. Representatives from NC State responded with a proposal that included a breakdown of proceedings, a completion timeline and a total project cost of $17,500.

The proposal included the following proceedings:

  • Conduct an examination of pertinent data including economic, demographic, income, and employment, as well as studies that relate to the economy of the town.
  • Conduct an examination of pertinent data from McGregor Hall, including costs associated with maintaining the venue and revenues from events.
  • Conduct an examination of the local tax receipts and spending patterns throughout the county.
  • Meet with members of the foundation, as well as local community and business leaders and other stakeholders, to gain insight into the role of the venue in the community, as well as to gain a better understanding of the local economy.
  • Establish conclusions and recommendations for action, including recommended actions and strategies to guide the town in its development plans, as well as to overcome identified shortcomings.

According to NC State representatives, the completion time for the study is estimated at four months, with the project to begin on January 7, 2019, and the final report to be submitted by May 6, 2019.

Researchers would begin the process by meeting with Embassy Cultural Center Foundation representatives, requesting data on McGregor Hall and reviewing local government tax receipts. A draft of the report would then be submitted to the Center for review by mid-April, with final presentations and findings reported in May.

According to Dennis Jarvis, II, director of the Henderson-Vance Economic Development Commission, the study would serve a twofold purpose, “The Embassy Foundation has reached out to NC State in regards to this study to get a better understanding of the current economic impact of McGregor Hall as well as to establish ways we can expand upon that impact moving forward.”

The next step in the process, Jarvis said, is for community partners to discuss the proposal and to determine how to proceed. “There will be discussions with the Downtown Development Commission, the County, the City, McGregor Hall and the community in general to determine our next move.”