You’d be hard put to find a town with a wider array of performing arts per capita than Raleigh. Really. Anchored by a trio of major universities (North Carolina State, Duke, the University of North Carolina) the Research Triangle area is rife with talent. Then there’s the audience – highly educated, demanding and accustomed to the best. It’s a heady mix, one that renders a great performing arts scene.
- Burning Coal Theater is pure, polished professional theater. It produces everything from cutting edge plays to classic repertoire. Among the latter is Brigadoon, the haunting Lerner & Lowe musical. It’s on stage Sept. 6 – Sept 23.
- Speaking of haunting, it’s hard to top Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. This is just a sample of the sumptuous music performed by the North Carolina Symphony. It’s slated for Sept. 15 and 16 performances at Raleigh’s Meymandi Concert Hall. This symphony orchestra is no nouveau riche newcomer. It’s been a fixture in these parts since 1932.
- It’s impossible to have a well-rounded arts environment sans dance. To that end there’s the Carolina Ballet, an internationally acclaimed company based in Raleigh. The repertoire includes everything from the classics to world premiers. If you’re in the area around Christmas, treat yourself and the kids to the classic holiday ballet: The Nutcracker. It runs Nov. 23 – Dec. 23.
- Opera anyone? North Carolina Opera produces the masterworks, and does so with professional panache. Early next year (Jan. 27) work out your Wagner with selections from Die Walküre, Tristan und Isolde and Die Meistersinger.
Raleigh is easily accessible via Raleigh/Durham International Airport. American Airlines and American Eagle are both major players at RDU. Indicative of just of sophisticated the area is, American operates daily nonstop Raleigh/Durham flights to London.
(Image: Abbie Cooke, North Carolina Opera)
