Tag Archive for: #mcgregorhall

TownTalk: VGCC Concert Band To Perform Monday Night

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Join the VGCC Community Band for its spring concert at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, May 1 at McGregor Hall. Director Brian “Doc” Miller says the 40-plus member band will perform in the style of a good, old-fashioned band concert. And if you look closely, you may see an unusual percussion instrument that Miller himself will play for one selection.

The audience will be invited to sing along with a “nice and brisk” rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner, the band will continue with the state song of North Carolina, “The Old North State.”

Other selections include an overture from a movie called “The Cowboys,” Miller said on TownTalk. The movie was a dud, but composer John Williams’s music has endured. “It’s a great piece of music,” Miller said.

More along the tradition of the high school band concerts of yore are “In A Chinese Temple Garden” and a waltz called “Song of Love” from the 1921 musical “Blossom Time.”

Miller also will lead the band in another of what he calls a classic American march – the National Emblem March by E.E. Bagley, who composed the music in 1906.

And stay tuned for the concert finale, a piece originally created for the organ and transcribed for the band by UNC’s band director back in the 1920’s and ‘30’s.

“It’s a real barn burner,” Miller said. “It’s a technical challenge but I think the audience will enjoy it.”

That seems like a lot of music to pack into one hour, but that’s the goal, Miller said, remembering advice given long ago to always leave the audience wanting more, not wishing it were already over.

Will there be Sousa?

As long as Miller has a say, that answer will always be a resounding and emphatic Yes!

“Nothing beats a good old-fashioned Sousa march,” he said.

But what about that unusual percussion instrument?

It’s a typewriter – an Underwood Model 5 typewriter, to be precise –  and it’s from Miller’s personal collection.

Miller will yield the baton to Sam Morgan to perform with the band in its performance of Leroy Anderson’s classic “The Typewriter,” which he composed in the 1920’s.

 

Want to join in the fun and play with the VGCC Community Band? It’s open to all. Call 252.738.3371 to learn more.

 

 

TownTalk: Seussical Jr. And Other Productions Coming To McGregor Hall

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Got a budding actor living under your roof who may be looking to hone some skills this summer? McGregor Hall Executive Director Mark Hopper said this season’s Henderson Rec Players productions may be just the place to start.

Young people ages 8-16 are invited to a May 9 meeting, at 7 p.m., to learn more about Seussical, Jr., the culmination of a two-week-long children’s theater camp set for June 12-25.

This year marks the third year for the children’s camp, which Hopper said had been a long time coming. “That was a dream for a long time,” he said on Monday’s TownTalk.

Whether it’s acting, singing or helping behind the scenes, youngsters will get an immersive experience in what goes on to bring a production to the stage.

And the price – $50 for the two weeks – is right, Hopper said, to allow more children to come and take part.

Learn more about Seussical, Jr. and the other shows that the Rec Players will perform during the 51st season at www.mcgregorhall.org.

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TownTalk: Northeast Piedmont Chorale Coming To McGregor Hall

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The Northeast Piedmont Chorale will perform its spring concert at McGregor Hall in Henderson on Sunday afternoon, April 23. The concert is free and open to the public, and Director Cindy Edwards said the concert’s theme – “What A Wonderment” – describes perfectly the selections that will be performed.

The audience will see and hear “a trend in our musical selections,” Edwards said on TownTalk, “all about the wonder about the world that we live in.”

Chorale baritones Tom Burleson and Harvey Jackson joined Edwards to talk about the upcoming performance, as well as the state of the chorale. Which is quite, good, by the way.

Since Edwards became director in 2016, the chorale has doubled in size, from just shy of 40 to close to 80. Seventy-five performers are scheduled to take the stage for the spring concert, Edwards noted.

(The chorale will perform the spring concert at New Hope Baptist Church in Raleigh on Friday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m. The church is located at 4301 Louisburg Rd. in Raleigh.)

“For next season, we’ll have an even bigger choir,” she said. “I’m very, very pleased about the size of the group.

Although there are a handful of chorale members for whom music is a vocation, Jackson said the majority are just like him and Burleson – folks who’ve sung in church or school groups, but who aren’t music majors.

Jackson, who serves as vice president of the chorale board, said the upcoming concerts are the result of “many, many hours (of practice) put in by 70-plus people. This stuff doesn’t happen by accident.”

In addition to the two-hour weekly practices, Edwards offers “sectionals,” where smaller groups can come together to practice their particular parts. And individuals spend hours and hours outside the common practice time to listen and learn their parts.

Burleson said the process is important. “It’s painstaking and time consuming,” he said. “But if we didn’t want to do it, we wouldn’t be there. There’s a great reward.”

Edwards said the group has worked hard to create what she hopes will be a memorable performance. “The choir is ready – they need an audience…they sound beautiful.”

Kristen Allred accompanies at piano for some of the musical selections, but there will be a full orchestra to offer accompaniment as well.

The concert will begin with “A Shaker Celebration,” sure to delight the audience with its processional, and handbell and drum accompaniment. The program continues with “Te deum,” which translates to “We praise thee, O God” a 20-minute master work of composer Dan Forest.

The group will perform “Alleluia For Our Time” by Raleigh composer, Jay Althouse, whom Edwards described as someone who has become a close friend of the chorale.

After a short break, the theme of the concert focuses on the world around us – earth, stars, sky and water.

The chorale will perform “Earth Song,” followed by a couple of a cappella selections.

Local musicians Wayne Kinton and his son David Kinton provide electric guitar and double bass accompaniment to the Bluegrass-style “Touch the Sky” from the movie Brave.

The chorale’s final selection, complete with full orchestra, is “The Impossible Dream.”

Visit www.npchorale.org to learn more about the Northeast Piedmont Chorale.

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TownTalk: Joe Bonsall Of The Oak Ridge Boys

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The legendary quartet known as the Oak Ridge Boys will take the stage at McGregor Hall later this month for a concert filled with some of their most popular songs, from old-time Gospel favorites to the iconic “oom-pah-pah-mao-mao” hit “Elvira.”

Tickets for the Saturday, Jan. 28 show are available now at www.mcgregorhall.org. The show begins at 7 p.m.

Bill Harris spoke by phone Thursday with Joe Bonsall, who has been with the group close to 50 years. At 74, he’s the “baby” of the group; Duane Allen and Richard Sterban are both 79 and William Lee Golden – “the guy with the beard,” Bonsall said, is 84 years young.

First known as the “Georgia Clodhoppers,” the group was originally formed in 1943 – during World War II, to put it into historical context.

Over the years, the quartet has seen dozens of members come and go, but these four have been together for a good while, enjoying about half a century of producing music and touring as The Oak Ridge Boys.

“We we bring more history to the stage than any other act in the business,” Bonsall told WIZS’s Bill Harris during Thursday’s TownTalk. “We love finding new songs and we love singing the old stuff,” he said. And as long as the four vocalists are able to sing together and create a good sound, he said he hopes they keep right on touring. They may dial back their normal 150-shows-a-year rate back to 120 or so this year, but that’s no big deal.

“Right now, we’re excited about this year,” Bonsall said.

Whether they’re performing at fairs, festivals or smaller venues like the 1,000-seat McGregor Hall, Bonsall said the group just enjoys performing together.

“We love what we do – we love each other,” he explained. “I enjoy putting on a show…I don’t care where it is,” he added. Their attitude is “let’s go sing.”

And sing they will for the audience at McGregor Hall. The set list may change a bit from show to show, but expect some of their standards like “Elvira” and “The Y’all Come Back Saloon.” And for sure they’ll be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the release of “American Made,” he said. They won’t turn their backs on their Gospel roots either and listeners surely will enjoy some cuts from the “Front Porch Singing” album, released in 2021.

 

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Cast Your Vote Through Dec. 31 For McGregor Hall, Rec Players In BroadwayWorld Raleigh Awards

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McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center and the Henderson Rec Players have been nominated for the 2022 BroadwayWorld Raleigh Awards which recognizes regional productions.

Now it’s up to you, the voting public, to cast your vote! It’s simple, free, and takes just a few minutes of your time. One vote can be cast per email address, according to awards guidelines.

Voting continues through Dec. 31, 2022 and winners will be announced in January.

McGregor Hall and the Henderson Rec Players combined for a total of 28 nominations, in categories that range from actors and supporting actors to direction and stage design. Find the link to vote – and a sample ballot – at the McGregor Hall website, https://www.mcgregorhall.org/

TownTalk: Northeast Piedmont Chorale Comes To McGregor Hall

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The Northeast Piedmont Chorale will perform a free concert Saturday evening at McGregor Hall.

The 72-member choir will perform selections that reflect the concert theme, “Rejoice,” and Director Cindy Edwards said it’s a joy to be able to bring the story of Christmas through music.

Chorale President Judy Miller told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s TownTalk that she hopes concert-goers leave “feeling a special energy, rejoicing with us and enjoy the holiday season.”

Edwards and chorale baritone Tom Burleson joined Miller to talk about the upcoming performance, which begins at 7:30 p.m.

The spring concert almost filled the 1,000-seat performing arts center, which Miller said was among the largest audiences in the history of the chorale.

“It was just wonderful,” she said.

Many of the chorale members participate in their church choirs, but the pandemic really quashed singing – especially in congregational settings. Singing in a group setting was shut down to prevent spread of COVID-19, so the chorale is especially grateful to be able to perform on stage once again.

“Not only do musicians want to sing,” said Edwards, “but audiences want to hear” the music.

Among the selections that will be performed include a “very percussive” piece sung in Latin a cappella with handbell accompanists, an arrangement from “Ceremony of Carols,” as well as “Can You See The Star,” an original composition by chorale member and internationally acclaimed choral instructor Sally Albrecht.

Albrecht will be directing that selection, Miller said. “It will be so much fun to sing with the person who wrote the song,” she said.

Other selections include a Swahili adaptation of the Lord’s Prayer, with a guest soloist, as well as arrangements of traditional carols including “Little Drummer Boy,” “Deck the Halls” and “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.”

Edwards said the chorale will be accompanied by a 16-piece orchestra and a guest harpist that “put the icing on the cake. Strings, brass, percussion, harp and woodwinds makes it just beautiful,” she added.

To learn more, visit www.npchorale.org.

 

 

 

 

 

TownTalk: Raleigh Ringers Coming To McGregor Hall

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The Raleigh Ringers are coming to McGregor Hall this weekend for a weekend performance at McGregor Hall. Director David M. Harris and the group of musicians have performed in 39 states, Canada and Europe, delighting audiences with music throughout the year.

But when Harris realized there was an opening in the schedule, he called Mark Hopper. And the rest, as they say, is history. The Raleigh Ringers concert is part of the McGregor Alive! Series.

The Raleigh Ringers performed at McGregor Hall in 2019, and Harris told John C. Rose on TownTalk Wednesday that he was impressed with the acoustics, as well as the overall beauty of the performing arts center. “We were anxious to come back,” he said.

“It’s not often we have a Christmas slot open,” Harris explained, and he and his fellow ringers have a short trip for the Sunday performance. Doors open at 1 p.m. and the concert begins at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at https://www.mcgregorhall.org/

The concert will include some holiday standards, including “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” and “Do You Hear What I Hear?” juxtaposed with “Blue Christmas” and selections popularized by Siberian Orchestra.

Also in the repertoire are a couple of songs especially written for handbells.

Harris said the group has played original music written by Henderson’s own Dr. Phil Young, who Harris called a “pioneer” in the area of handbell music.

The Raleigh Ringers began in 1990, when different church handbell choirs formed a loose network and would have a summer concert at the end of their performance season.

Once dependent on the kindness of retirement centers for storage of their equipment, the Raleigh Ringers now has its own building where they can keep their bells and all the other things needed for concerts, as well as having their own practice space.

“Ringers can come in off hours and work on their parts,” Harris said, on top of the three-plus hours a week that the whole group comes together to practice.

For those who may not know too much about handbells, there’s more to a performance than just ringing a bell, Harris said.

“There’s so much choreography,” he said, and ringers need to know all their roles, whether it’s moving different bells for other ringers to use during a song, or exactly which ringer is going to turn the page of music.

“All of that has to be worked out well in advance,” Harris said.

Part of the mission of the Raleigh Ringers is to provide education about the instruments to their audiences. Members of the audience often are invited to the stage after the concert to try their own hand at handling the bells, from the giant ones at one end of the table to choir chimes at the other.

Handbell ringers play in coordination with other ringers to produce a complete line of music, unlike other musicians – like pianists – who play the complete line of musical notes to create the desired music.

For Harris, this is just a part of what sets handbells apart from other musical instruments, and he said it’s part of their mission to educate the community about this particular type of music.

“It’s such amazing teamwork when a piece comes together,” he said.

Visit www.rr.org to learn more about Raleigh Ringers.

 

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The Local Skinny! “Little Mermaid” Performance Brings People Together

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Ariel or Sebastian or Flounder or King Triton may not have said it in so many words, but Victoria Huggins did: The story of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” is about pursuing your dreams, no matter what.

And in a way, that’s exactly what a stalwart group of local leaders did to make McGregor Hall a reality – they pursued their dream of having a top-notch venue right in the middle of Henderson.

Huggins donned a mermaid’s costume and a wavy, red wig to bring Ariel to life during eight different performances of “The Little Mermaid,” which ended with a Sunday matinee.

In a recent TownTalk interview, Huggins told John C. Rose that she loved performing at McGregor Hall – she also played Belle in the 2019 production of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.”

And although she lives in Moore County, Huggins didn’t hesitate to audition for the role of Ariel – McGregor Hall just keeps calling her back, it seems.

From all reports, audiences thoroughly enjoyed the shows – there were two shows specifically for schoolchildren – that took place over the past two weekends.

As word gets out about the lovely facility and the local – and not-so-local – talent involved in creating live theatre, McGregor Hall is sure to stay on a positive trajectory.

That’s a good thing for McGregor Hall. And for Henderson.

 

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TownTalk: Huggins To Appear As Ariel At McGregor Hall

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As opening night approaches for McGregor Hall’s production of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” Victoria Huggins may be the first to say she’s leading a charmed life.

After all, she’s been preparing for the lead role of Ariel in the upcoming stage performance, but that’s not an unfamiliar place for her to be in – she also portrayed Belle in “Beauty and the Beast,” which ran at McGregor Hall in 2018. And she wore a crown in real life just a few years ago, when she was Miss North Carolina.

Huggins spoke with John C. Rose on Monday’s TownTalk and said she is thrilled to be back at McGregor Hall performing in another Disney classic.

Tickets are available at https://www.mcgregorhall.org/ for the six performances Oct. 28-30 and Nov. 4-6. Tickets for a special event for young people, “Under the Sea,” also are available. That event will be held Saturday, Nov. 5 at 6:30 p.m. at McGregor Hall. Tickets are limited, so make your purchase soon!

Schoolchildren from across the state will get first peek at the show with two performances on Thursday – both of which are sold out, Huggins said.

“For some, it will be their first theatrical performance,” she said of the audiences that will be entertained on Thursday.

Ariel will be at Chick-fil-A in Henderson on Tuesday, Nov. 1 for a meet-and-greet of sorts, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. No purchase is necessary, and children will have a chance to have their pictures taken with the beloved Disney mermaid.

For Huggins, the chance to play a second Disney protagonist has been nothing short of magical.

“I have admired these characters my entire life,” she said. Like so many other young boys and girls, Huggins said she learned wonderful life lessons from watching Ariel and Belle – “they continue to teach us as we become adults,” she said.

Everybody loves Ariel for so many reasons, Huggins explained. “She was courageous to follow her dreams…we all relate to her,” she said.

Huggins was Miss North Carolina in 2017-18 and she said that she recently completed her master’s degree from UNC-Pembroke debt-free because of the scholarships she received.

She now works for the NC Chapter of the Alzheimers Association, her own dream being realized because she is turning a passion into a career. Huggins is keenly interested in the influence of music and the therapeutic effect it has on Alzheimers patients.

Call the McGregor Hall box office at 252.598.0662 to learn more.

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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.

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