Tag Archive for: #mcgregorhall

The Local Skinny! Triangle’s Got Talent at McGregor Hall

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Where in the world can you see performances by cloggers and Bollywood dancers, Gospel choirs and more?

Right here in Henderson, on Saturday night at McGregor Hall, of course!

The 2025 edition of ‘Triangle’s Got Talent’ comes to Henderson for an evening that’s sure to entertain. It’s a fundraiser for Henderson-based Hubzone Technology Initiative, which takes donated laptops and converts them to Chromebooks to be distributed to students and others who need them.

Ron Taylor, operations director at Hubzone Technology Initiative, said this year’s top prize is $1,000. There are 17 acts that will be vying for bragging rights – and the case prize.

A silent auction is underway now through Saturday, when all the items will be on display. One of the auction items is a couple of tickets to the McGregor Live! series, Taylor said on Thursday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

The doors open at 5:30 p.m. to give folks a chance to view and bid on the silent auction items. Then the show begins at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are available at the McGregor Hall box office, online at hubzonetech.org/tgt or at the door on Saturday.

Adult tickets are $30 and $16 for children 13 and under.

This is the first year the event has been held in Henderson, and Taylor said the folks at McGregor Hall couldn’t have been more accommodating, the way staff has worked with contestants, and making sure all the lighting, audio/visual equipment and more is ready for the big event. People have gone “above and beyond” to make sure everything’s in place for the talent competition.

“We’re a grassroots organization based in Henderson,” Taylor said, and much of the work HTI does benefits people in Henderson and the surrounding areas, so it’s fitting that the competition take place where so much of the work happens.

HTI plows the proceeds from Triangle’s Got Talent back into donating those converted laptops to people in households, enabling them to thrive and have accessibility to further their careers or education advancement, he said.

“We want to be able to bridge that Digital Divide and give people no barriers to access,” Taylor said.

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TownTalk: McGregor Hall 2025 Live Series Lineup!

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This year’s McGregor Live! series includes something for everyone – from a revenge-seeking barber to a performing dog troupe, with some Christmas tunes, beach music and the Wizard of Oz thrown in for good measure.

The McGregor Live! series package is $135, which Mark Hopper said represents a 25 percent discount from the single-ticket prices.

The season kicks off on Saturday, Nov. 1 with a four-show run of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

This Stephen Sondheim classic won multiple Tony awards in 1979, Hopper said. “This one has a thriller of a story,” he said.

The local production features a 22-member professional orchestra and a cast and crew of about 60.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1 and Nov. 8, with Sunday matinees on Nov. 2 and Nov. 9.

The stage welcomes ‘Plaid Tidings’ for performances on Friday, Dec. 19 and Saturday, Dec.  20.

This show tells the story of four young men who form an a capella “doo wop” group that performs all your Christmas favorites, Hopper said. With an air of nostalgia, the show makes lots of references to bygone days when celebrities like Ed Sullivan and Perry Como entertained families with TV specials and radio tunes.

The Wizard of Oz On Ice is an interesting addition and came to be because the team at McGregor Hall is thinking outside the box. The performance is Saturday, Jan. 31 at 3 p.m.

“There is no way we could afford this as a one-off, meaning a single performance,” Hopper explained. Plus, there’s the whole issue of “ice.”

A California-based company is going on a national tour of the production, which is a reimagined production of the classic story about the girl from Kansas who found her way to the Emerald City.

“We worked out a deal with them to come and do their technical rehearsals here, and in exchange we’re going to get to enjoy a show that otherwise would be way, way, way beyond our reach. This is a really high-end professionally done show with all the characters you know and love – this will be a great, great family show,” Hopper said.

Then, on Feb. 15, the Chairmen of the Board will come to Henderson, bringing with them that toe tappin’ sound that makes you want to get up and dance. Most of the band members are not original members, but Hopper said they all knew the great General Norman Johnson. The band’s current vocalists and band members are real stewards of the band and the music it’s known for, from “You’ve Got Me Dangling On A String” to “Carolina Girls” and more.

The series finale features a man and his mutts – Johnny Peers & the Muttville Comix, to be precise.

Join the fun on Sunday, Apr. 26 at 3 p.m. as Peers puts his pups through a series of challenging and hilarious tricks. This group has performed its slapstick comedy routine at Ringling Brothers & Barnam and Bailey Circus and on the David Letterman show. You won’t want to miss it!

Find out more at https://www.mcgregorhall.org/shows-events.

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Chamber Members, Join The Aug. 19 “Cheer Line” To Welcome School Staffs To Convocation Kick-Off At McGregor Hall

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The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce invites Chamber members to turn out on Tuesday, Aug. 19 to help welcome back teachers and staff at the Vance County Schools Convocation Kick-Off at McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center.

Chamber President Sandra Wilkerson says to be in place by 8 a.m. with pompoms, company signs and your business mascot to “show loud hometown spirit” in support of educators as they embark on another school year.

Buses will begin dropping off teachers between 8:15 a.m. and 8:50 a.m. It’d be great to have them walk through a cheer line of local business leaders and other community-minded citizens as they enter McGregor Hall to begin the convocation!

The Local Skinny! Children’s Theatre Camp Show ‘Once Upon A Mattress’ Opens Friday, June 27

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The Children’s Theatre Camp is in its second week of its two-week program at McGregor Hall, and Mark Hopper said that 54 campers are in rehearsal now for the production of Once Upon A Mattress that will be performed this weekend.

There are three shows for the public – Friday, June 27 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday matinees that begin at 3 p.m. The shows last about an hour, the perfect length for families with young children.

“It’s a great family-oriented show,” Hopper said, “and the duration makes it great for any age.” There’s singing and choreography – with plenty of comedic shenanigans and campy jokes, he said, that are sure to keep the audience entertained.

Jo Ellen Nowell is directing the youngsters as they prepare to put on the show about a very loud princess named Winnifred and a Queen’s attempts to find a suitable wife for her son, the Prince.

This is the fifth year for the Children’s Theatre Camp, Hopper said on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

Charlotte Davis is cast as Winnifred and Hopper called her work “phenomenal.”

“We’ve got some unbelievably talented kids on that stage – 54 of them,” he said.

There will be a daytime performance on Friday, June 27 especially for campers at the Henderson Family YMCA and Recreation and Parks, Hopper said.

Hopefully, more young people will see others their age on stage and realize that it’s something that could be an option for them one day as well.

“We wanted to make a camp that was affordable,” Hopper said, while offering access to high-quality material, staff and equipment that McGregor Hall performances are known for.

For $100, rising 3rd graders through rising 11th graders could participate for eight hours a day and then, “at the end of two weeks, produce a quality show,” Hopper said.

Purchase tickets here: https://mcgregorhall.ludus.com/index.php

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TownTalk: McGregor Hall’s The Spot For Valentine’s Day Dinner And Show

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Make plans to spend this Valentine’s Day by enjoying dinner and a show – right here in Henderson.

“The Bridges of Madison County” opens on Friday, Feb. 14 for a two weekend run at McGregor Hall, and Mark Hopper, McGregor Hall’s executive and creative director, said patrons can choose to dine before the show “with your Valentine or some of your best friends.”

The doors open at 6 p.m. and dinner service in the Gallery begins at 6:15 p.m., Hopper said on Thursday’s TownTalk. There’s plenty of time to enjoy the meal before the curtain rises at 8 p.m.

Visit https://www.mcgregorhall.org/ to purchase tickets online, stop by the box office Monday through Friday between 1:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. or call 252.598.0662. Discounted rates for tables for 8 are available, too. Other shows are Feb. 15, Feb. 22 and Feb. 23.

There will be a silent auction, which includes stays in vacation homes and a surprise item that Hopper said he’ll wait to reveal. The meal and the silent auction both benefit McGregor Hall.

As for the play, Hopper said the storyline is pretty involved. “It’s not a stereotypical Valentine’s Day kind of thing…(but) the theme of the show is love.”

Readers may remember the 1992 Robert James Waller novel. Moviegoers may remember the 1995 Oscar-winning movie featuring Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood. And Hopper said there’s “something remarkable in store” for audiences who come to see the McGregor Hall production.

Kelley Keats plays Francesca, who grew up in World War II Italy, married a GI and moved to Iowa to begin a new life. When Robert shows up to photograph the covered bridges of Madison County, a chance encounter cause Francesca to re-evaluate her life.

“It’s been very rewarding to work on – challenging but rewarding,” Hopper said, heaping praise on Keats, with her experience on Broadway, as well as the “incredible” cast that “makes the transitions with grace and skill.”

This upcoming production is the fourth ticketed show of a five-show series called McGregor Live!, Hopper said ticketed shows make up just a small percentage of what McGregor Hall hosts – something like 10 percent.

The rest comes from rental events and other types of shows, including “Father Figure,” another play by area playwright Garrett Davis. “He’s a very skillful writer,” Hopper said of Davis, who has Warren County ties, adding that most of his shows delve into the health-oriented concerns of the African American community.

“Father Figure” is about a father and son reconciliation, healing and the importance of a father figure in the life of a son. That show is on Feb. 2 at 4 p.m.

The fifth and final production in the McGregor Live! series is Catapult Dance on Mar. 27 at 7:30 p.m. which tells stories through group dance – in shadow. Hopper admits it’s difficult to describe in words just what the show will look like. There’s a video clip on the website.

The troupe was a finalist on Season 8 of America’s Got Talent.

Shows especially for area school students take place later in February and March, including a program on Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for older elementary students and a “Faces of Black History” for younger elementary-age students.

The N.C. Symphony returns on Mar. 13 to audiences of fourth graders from the area.

View the complete calendar of events at https://www.mcgregorhall.org/

 

 

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3rd Annual Vance County Camp Meeting Dec. 2-6 At McGregor Hall

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The 3rd annual Vance County Camp Meeting will take place in early December at McGregor Hall, 201 Breckenridge St.

The gatherings will begin at 7 p.m. nightly Monday, Dec. 2 through Friday, Dec. 6.

The moderator is Evangelist Scott Matthews and the schedule of featured speakers is noted below:

Monday – Dr. Kenny Baldwin

Tuesday – Dr. Joe Arthur

Wednesday – Evangelist Dale Vance

Thursday – Pastor C.T. Townsend

Friday – Evangelist Jared Dixon

The Matthews Family will perform nightly and The Morrison Sisters will perform Wednesday through Friday.

For more information, contact Scott Matthews at 864.490.0852 or Ronnie Matthews 252.425.9035.

TownTalk: McGregor Live! Series

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When the lights dim this Saturday night at McGregor Hall, the audience can expect to be wowed – the Traveling Salvation Show has come to town!

It’s the first in the 2024-25 McGregor Live! series, which features some top touring companies mixed with local talent taking the stage to entertain audiences into the fall, winter and beyond.

“It is a really energetic, fun show,” said McGregor Hall Executive Director Mark Hopper of the Saturday show, a tribute band of sorts to music legend Neil Diamond.

“This is a really professional outfit,” Hopper said, “with a top-shelf band.” The show begins at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14.

The company travels with a live band, backup singers and terrific lighting to create an unforgettable concert, with a nod to Diamond’s extensive body of work over the course of many decades of performing in arenas and concert venues all over the world.

Purchase season tickets for McGregor Live! at https://www.mcgregorhall.org/

The price is $135 – a bargain no matter how you slice it, Hopper said.

“It’s a real value – the price is NOT indicative of the level of performance,” he said. “You will not be able to attend this kind of entertainment for this cost.” Hopper takes great pride in keeping ticket prices as low as possible – he said nobody will pay more than $35 for a show at McGregor Hall.

As executive director, it’s Hopper’s job to manage the calendar, booking shows and other types of entertainment during the year.

It’s not as simple as making a phone call and booking an act, however. Sometimes, he can schedule a performance for a touring company that’s traveling between shows say, in Charlotte and Richmond, or between Asheville and Wilmington.

And as important as landing those big-name acts is, Hopper said it’s the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to generating revenue.

The annual sponsorship campaign just ended for the upcoming season includes more than 100 businesses and others who recognize the impact performances at McGregor Hall has on the local economy – retail, lodging, restaurants and more, Hopper said.

The sponsorships are “a huge portion of our income,” he added, and make it possible to keep ticket prices affordable so the whole community can attend and enjoy plays, concerts and more at the 1,000-seat entertainment venue.

If the big acts represent the tip of the revenue iceberg, Hopper said all the rentals and community events comprise the other two-thirds that goes unnoticed. Whether it’s summertime family reunions, church services throughout the year or other competitions, Hopper said McGregor Hall is a place the community uses and enjoys.

Here’s a quick rundown of the rest of the performances scheduled for season’s McGregor Live! series:

  • Nov. 2-3, 9-10 – “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” – about 100 members of cast and crew are in rehearsals now for this local production, “just about the biggest one we’ve ever tackled,” Hopper said. He is the show’s director and he said the storyline isn’t in lockstep with the Disney movie, but the music comes straight from movie score. “This one’s going to be a big deal,” he said.
  • Dec. 20 – “Grand Ol’ Christmas Show” brings to the stage all the trappings of a classic variety show – Hopper said it’s a great family show that will surely put everyone in a holiday mood. This company is based in Texas, and brings a dozen performers who will sing, dance and tell stories to create “a really good family night,” Hopper said.
  • Feb. 14-16, 22-23 – The Bridges of Madison County – with four shows in February, this performance, also directed by Hopper, will debut on Valentine’s Day. Auditions will be held in October, and Hopper said he expects to draw interest from a great distance to earn a spot in the eight-member cast. “Nobody in the Triangle has tackled this before,” he said. By the way, there will be a special dinner available on Opening Night – Feb. 14 – in the Gallery, so Hopper said folks can opt to add a special Valentine’s dinner before the curtain rises.
  • Mar. 27 – Shadow Dance “is the BIG one,” Hopper said. A company called Catapult will tell stories via silhouette. This group was on the TV show “America’s Got Talent” and is doing a two-month tour on the East Coast, Hopper said. “It’s the most unique, fascinating thing you’ll see on the stage…it’s mesmerizing to watch them.”

Visit www.mcgregorhall.org to see the full calendar of events.

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The Local Skinny! County Budget Includes $60K For McGregor Hall

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The newly adopted FY 2024-25 Vance County budget includes a $60,000 appropriation for McGregor Hall, which represents the full amount requested by the performing arts venue. Executive Director Mark Hopper told WIZS News earlier today that he is “absolutely elated” with the commissioners’ action.

“It’s the first step toward making this facility function in a way that every other facility functions in the state,” Hopper said in a telephone interview Tuesday morning. “It’s a really important first step.”

Commissioner Archie Taylor is also on the board of the Embassy Cultural Center Foundation. He said Tuesday that McGregor Hall attracts tourism dollars to the county each time an event is held there.

“As a commissioner, I look at our community as a whole, what is beneficial for Vance County, not for any particular organization,” Taylor said. He referred to a recent economic impact study completed by N.C. State University, which concluded that McGregor Hall has a multi-million dollar impact on the county, bringing outside dollars through sales tax and hotel/motel tax revenues.

The Henderson City Council included a $5,000 one-time grant to McGregor Hall in its recently adopted budget, representing just more than 6 percent of the total amount – $75,000 – that was requested.

City leaders have discussed the purchase of a downtown property currently owned by McGregor Hall for a price in the range of $255,000. When asked whether the sale would move forward, Hopper said “the city has not contacted us.”

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Council Members Split On Funding For McGregor Hall

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As members of the Henderson City Council continued budget deliberations at a work session Monday, they found themselves in lockstep to help displaced families find more permanent housing, but far apart on providing financial support for McGregor Hall.

The Council approved giving $2,000 to 22 families who had to move out of the Motel 121 in early May because it was deemed uninhabitable by inspectors.

Since then, five of the 27 families have found other places to live with help from Vaya Health, leaving 22 families – with 47 children – living in motels in Vance and Granville counties.

State money that has been paying for lodging is running out, and the families face being homeless again without some intervention.

“Twenty-two families, as of tomorrow, are going to be homeless again,” said City Manager Terrell Blackmon during the budget work session.

According to Mayor Melissa Elliott, the bill so far is roughly $144,000 in motel bills.

It would cost close to $40,000 to keep them in their current situation until the end of the month, she said.

After some discussion, the Council agreed to pay the $2,000 voucher to all 22 families and then request that the county reimburse the city for half. That way, the city will end up paying for 11 families and the county would pick up the other 11.

It was unclear when the vouchers would be distributed, where the money would come from or whether the families would be allowed to stay in their current lodging after check-out time Tuesday.

Elliott acknowledged that $2,000 is “not a lot of money to relocate…(but) we have to start somewhere.”

Blackmon said he and County Manager C. Renee Perry had been in communication about the situation, and he said that the feeling is the county would be open to help pay for the vouchers.

“I don’t think they’ll leave us hanging out there on this,” he told the council.

In further discussion, some Council members asked whether there are funds set aside in the budget for providing emergency housing.

Blackmon said there may be funds to provide temporary housing for people whose homes are being repaired with community development block grant funding, but he doesn’t think there is a pot of money that would help in situations like the one at Motel 121.

“This exercise, although unexpected, has shown us that we really don’t have the structure to accommodate and help families a little bit longer,” Blackmon said.

Geraldine Champion said she didn’t want anyone to go through what the families living at Motel 121 have gone through.

“We need to do something and we need to be proactive,” she said.

One option that came up is a shelter for displaced families that could operate in the city.

Blackmon said there typically is more funding available for programs than for brick and mortar projects. “We need to figure out how we can get that type of facility in the city,” he said.

The recommended budget, which totals roughly $45 million, could be adopted as early as June 10. Just as the recommended budget presented to Council in early May didn’t have any money designated for emergency housing, neither did it provide any funding for McGregor Hall.

At last night’s work session, two motions failed that would have provided substantial money to the performing arts venue – Garry Daeke’s first motion was for the full request of $75,000. That failed 5-2, with only Daeke and Council Member Sam Seifert voting in favor.

Daeke followed up with a motion, also seconded by Seifert, to provide $60,000. That motion failed, too. Commissioners Geraldine Champion, Sara Coffey, Ola Thorpe-Cooper, Michael Venable and Tami Walker voted no.

Council Member Lamont Noel was absent.

McGregor Hall Executive Director Mark Hopper – who is the venue’s only full-time employee – had requested $75,000 from the city and $60,000 from the county in this year’s budget cycle, all of which would be used to retire the mortgage debt. Blackmon said $124,620 in debt service is due in early July each year.

On the heels of the two failed motions, Coffey offered a motion, seconded by Champion, to provide $5,000 to McGregor Hall in the form of a one-year renewable grant, as well as placing a voting member of the council on the McGregor Hall board and to know how the funding would be spent.

“I don’t think $5,000 will get anyone the board,” Daeke said. “I would like to see it fully funded.”

Seifert said, “I can’t agree more with Mr. Daeke…We need economic development here in Henderson, and this right here is a beacon that draws it in,” he said of McGregor Hall. “This is a driver for many different things.”

Plans to purchase property owned by McGregor Hall continue, which would add up to $275,000 to the performing arts venue’s bottom line. Blackmon said there’s a CAF that is ready to be presented at the next meeting.

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Henderson Rec Players Mark 52nd Year

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The 2024 season of Henderson Rec Players is all set, providing a variety of performances that spans pop culture and American classics sure to please all audiences.

First up as part of the 52nd year of HRP is The SpongeBob Musical, directed by Mark Hopper. Those underwater citizens of Bikini Bottom, featuring that iconic Big Yellow Sponge, must come together to save their world. The show features original music by greats Steven Tyler, John Legend, David Bowie and Cyndi Lauper, among others.

There will be five performances over two weekends July 12-14 and July 20-21.

The second production is the culmination of the Children’s theater Camp, which will be held July 22-Aug. 4. Rising 3rd – 11th graders are invited to participate in the camp to create Alice In Wonderland JR. This production is a fast-paced take on the Lewis Carroll classic. You’ll recognize Alice, the White Rabbit, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat and more live on stage. Jo Ellen Nowell directs this show.

There will be three performances during Aug. 2-4.

The season finale brings Arthur Miller’s The Crucible to the stage for four performances Aug. 22-25. The playwright wrote the script in 1953 as a response to the wave of McCarthyism sweeping across the country. The story takes place during the time of the Salem With Trials in 1692 and 1693. Dustin Britt is the director of this production.

Tickets for each show are available at the McGregor Hall box office Monday-Friday 1:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. or you can register and pay online at www.mcgregorhall.org/hrppatrons. Call the box office at 252.598.0662.

There also are opportunities to be a patron of the Henderson Rec Players:

  • Cherubs – $125 – 1 ticket for each of the three shows
  • Angels – $250 – 2 3-show tickets
  • Archangels – $350 – 4 3-show tickets
  • Seraphim $550 – 6 3-show tickets
  • Saints – $750+ – 8+ 3-show tickets

Purchase of patron tickets ensures preferential seating for each show. Make checks payable to:

McGregor Hall PAC. Patrons payments should be received no later than July 1 for patrons’ names to be included in the play programs.