Asides: News of Triangle arts, in brief

Local authors take center stage in Durham

Durham’s first “Read Local Book Festival” continues on Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. with an Exhibitor Fair at Durham Central Park Pavilion. There will be readings, spoken word performances and panel discussions with local authors, bloggers, publishers and book store owners.

In addition, there will be lightning readings, an open-mic opportunity for unpublished writers to share 60-second excerpts of their work. Registration for that is a on first-come, first-served basis and begins at noon. Donations go to the Durham Library Foundation.

Later in the evening, catch “Writers in the Ring” – being billed as a “creative writing fracas” – from 8 to 10 p.m. at Motorco Music Hall in Durham. Authors will get six minutes to write on a random topic, their words showing up on a screen while the audience watches and critiques. The two best will go head-to-head in a write-off. $10 gets you in the door.

For a list of participating authors got to readlocalnc.org.

Enchanted evenings ahead in downtown Raleigh

Raleigh artist Greg Carter sculpts, paints, illustrates books and later this month he will transform Adam Cave Fine Art Gallery in Raleigh into a forest of his giant, colorful mixed-media creations.

The Enchanted Forest exhibition will be up from May 30 through July 6. For the installation at 8 p.m. on May 30, Carter will be joined by body painters Scott Fray and Madelyn Greco. There also will be a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. on June 5 as part of the First Friday art walk. Then at 7 and 8:30 p.m. on June 6, Raleigh Little Theater and Seed Art Share will perform excerpts from Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in the gallery. Cost for that show has a suggested donation of $10.

Adam Cave Fine Art is on the second floor at 115-1/2 E. Hargett St. in downtown Raleigh.

Streets full of art in Raleigh

This is the final day of Artsplosure, the 36th year of the Raleigh arts festival. More than 180 artists will have their work for sale at the Art Market, with artists’ booths lining Blount, Martin, Hargett and Davie streets near Moore Square and City Market.

Performers will be spread out on three stages on Fayetteville Street on Sunday. They include the Robert Jospe Express, Stray Birds, Marty O’Reilly & the Old Soul Orchestra, American Aquarium and Fairmont Gospel Revue.

Kidsplosure events will be in and around Moore Square.

For more information, go to http://raleighartsfestival.com/performances-activities

Trading Pokemon cards is OK too.

Video games and concerts would not seem to go together. Neither would the North Carolina Symphony and Pokemon, and yet, they do. The symphony will present “Pokemon: Symphonic Evolutions,” at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Meymandi Concert Hall.

The show’s conductor is Susie Benchasil Seiter, who has conducted orchestras in film, television and video games. She is best known for orchestrating the concert tour “The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses,” which has been performed more than 90 times by some of the world’s most respected orchestras. Her husband, Chad Seiter, composed the music. His credits include the music for “Star Trek: The Video Game,” which featured a 123 piece orchestra.

Tickets range from $35 to $74.

Summerfest in Cary

The North Carolina Symphony launches its Summerfest Series at Cary’s Booth Amphitheatre at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Pianist Timo Andres will perform Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” and the orchestra will perform Dvorak’s “New World Symphony,” and other works by Copland and Sousa that feature “citizen musicians” as they join the orchestra.

The concert program, led by resident conductor and Summerfest Artistic Director William Henry Curry, also features “An Outdoor Overture” by Aaron Copland, and “The Liberty Bell March” by John Philip Sousa, featuring “citizen musicians” performing with the symphony professionals.

Show will be at the amphitheatre May 23 through July 9. Concerts begin at 7:30 p.m., but concertgoers may bring picnics, blankets and lawn chairs as early as 5:30 p.m.

▪ On Saturday, May 30, Associate Conductor David Glover and the Symphony perform “Your Favorite Light Classics,” including Grieg’s Peer Gynt and Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody.

▪ “Totally 80s” on June 6 features songs like “Don’t Stop Believing,” and “Boys of Summer.”

▪ On Friday, June 12, and Saturday, June 13, the orchestra, led by Glover, performs the two-night “White Nights: Russian Festival” that features music by some of the world’s greatest Russian composers.

▪ On Friday, June 19, the program is “An Evening of Broadway,” with music from” Annie,” “Oliver,” and “Wicked.”

On Saturday, June 20 the concert will be “Symphonic Wizardry,” a musical inspired by the world of Harry Potter, with selections from “How to Train Your Dragon,” “Ghostbusters” and others.

▪ Saturday, June 27, guest conductor Brent Havens, the North Carolina Symphony and a tribute band salute the music of the Eagles, including “Hotel California,” “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” “Witchy Woman,” “Desperado,” “Tequila Sunrise” “One of These Nights,” and many more.

▪ On July 4, an “Independence Day” concert with fireworks. The gates open at 3 p.m.

▪ On July 9, the final show will feature a concert by the North Carolina Symphony that showcases talents of the Hot Sardines, a band from Manhattan that is captivating audiences worldwide.

General admission lawn seating to is $28 in advance, $30 at the door. Covered table seating is available for $31 in advance, $33 at the door. Children 12 and under are admitted free for lawn seating.

Go to: www.ncsymphony.org/subscriptions.

This story was originally published May 16, 2015 at 9:17 AM with the headline "Asides: News of Triangle arts, in brief."