Billie Eilish, Durham Bulls fan fest and 14 of our Best Bets this week
Women can vote (Yes, she can!)! Spring is nigh! Beer and Beethoven and Billie Eilish — oh, my! These are just some of the 17 reasons you should be out and about in the Triangle this week.
Durham Bulls Spring Fan Fest
The view is always better from the inside. Head over to Durham Bulls Athletic Park for an evening of batting practice on the field, discounted merch, local food trucks (hey, American Meltdown and more!), Wool E. Bull and Wool E. Wagon photo ops, tours inside the Blue Monster and Clubhouse, and much more, plus your chance to purchase single-game tickets for the upcoming season. And, singers, warm up your pipes… National Anthem auditions will take place at DBAP the morning of March 7 from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. 409 Blackwell St., Durham. Fan Fest: March 7, 5 p.m. Free. milb.com/durham
‘You Have to Start a Thing’
Girl power carries on at the North Carolina Museum of History with this exhibit feting 2020 as the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote. It digs into the Tar Heel men and women who fought for (and against) suffrage pre-1920. “I’ve really enjoyed working on “You Have to Start a Thing,” says exhibit curator, RaeLana Poteat. “One of my favorite aspects has been ‘rediscovering’ North Carolina ‘Suffs’ and ‘Antis’ who fought on both sides of the suffrage debate. So many of these women and their contributions have faded from our collective memory. Having the opportunity to tell their stories has been very rewarding.” 5 E. Edenton St., Raleigh. Opening March 6. Free. ncmuseumofhistory.org
COR Women’s History Month Dinner Event
Yes, she can! Three top female toques will be front and center as City of Raleigh Museum pays tribute to Women’s History Month via this ticketed fundraiser dinner honoring women’s impact on the Triangle culinary landscape. Noted chefs Sophia Woo (of MOFU Shoppe and “The Great Food Truck Race” fame), Melanie Dunia (of The Pit Authentic Barbecue, Empire Eats and “Chopped Grill Masters” fame) and Chef Zweli Williams (of Zweli’s in Durham) will be on hand to tell the stories of their lives and their cuisine over signature crafted dishes. COR Museum, 220 Fayetteville St., Raleigh. March 12, 7 p.m. Tickets available in advance for $50 (includes beer/wine) at eventbrite.com; facebook.com/cormuseum/
Billie Eilish
If it were up to this trailblazing 18-year-old Grammy-winning musical juggernaut, “you wouldn’t wonder why you’re here. They don’t deserve you.” The dulcet thought alone should implore you to drop it all and speed to see Eilish as she performs her slew of hits at PNC as part of her Where Do We Go? world tour. “I had a dream. I got everything I wanted.” Yup. Accurate. PNC Arena, 1400 Edwards Mill Road, Raleigh. March 12, 7:30 p.m. Ticket info at pncarena.com
A Rodgers & Hammerstein Celebration
The hills are alive with the sound of music indeed for this show feting movie music maestros Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II — the men behind the tunes from such fave flicks as “The Sound of Music,” “The King and I” and “South Pacific” and more. Join Hammerstein’s grandson, Oscar “Andy” Hammerstein III, as he takes the stage to the backdrop of his grandfather’s hits performed. Meymandi Concert Hall, 2 E. South St., Raleigh. March 6-7. Ticket info at ncsymphony.org
North Carolina to the World
Five different exhibits. Five months. Two phases. It’s like a choose your own (artistic) adventure at the NC Museum of Art., where patrons can buy a 3-for-1 ticket or a 5-for-1 ticket to include, in phase one, three contemporary art exhibits (from March 7 to July 26): “Front Burner: Highlights in Contemporary North Carolina Painting,” “Christopher Holt: Contemporary Frescoes/Faith and Community” (from Asheville artist Holt), and “Art in Translation: Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook” (video art).
Two more exhibits will be added from April 4 to July 5, with “Good as Gold: Fashioning Senegalese Women” as “the first major exhibition of Senegalese gold jewelry” that focuses on the country’s history of gold, according to the museum; and “Leonardo Drew” the eponymous exhibit showcasing Drew’s work inside and outside the museum, including a major outdoor sculpture. 2110 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh. March 7-July 26. Ticket info at ncartmuseum.org
Rising Stars
Still sounding good for a ripe 250. The Raleigh Symphony Orchestra will kick off the celebration of Beethoven’s 250th anniversary with “King Stephen Overture” with its 2020 Rising Star Thandolwethu Mamba, a talented Duke University music student who will sing alongside Gustav Mahler’s “Songs of a Wayfarer.” Jones Auditorium, Meredith College. March 7, 8 p.m. Ticket info at raleighsymphony.org
Sebastian Maniscalco
You bother me. So says the name billed to Billboard’s 2018 comedian of the year’s You Bother Me Tour, which he brings to the Durham Performing Arts Center with his manic and energetic style that’s been selling out top theater venues countrywide. 123 Vivian St., Durham. March 7-8. Ticket info at dpacnc.com.
Awareness Through Aesthetics
Gala for good… Human trafficking is very real. And it’s here in our own backyard. According to the North Carolina Department of Administration, “Human trafficking is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the United States,” with an active presence in the Triangle. In response, Awareness Through Aesthetics is launching a fundraiser gala event at Raleigh’s Union Station to both increase visibility and raise funds to fight human trafficking, generating needed financial support for two nonprofits that work daily to fight human trafficking: Designed For Joy and Shield NC. 510 W. Martin St. March 12, 6:30 p.m. Tickets available at awarenessthroughaesthetics.com/shop
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Grammy winner and hit-maker behind iconic songs such as “Fishin’ In The Dark” and “Mr. Bojangles,” Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (who is often cited as a catalyst for an entire movement in Country Rock and American Roots Music) continues to add to their the iconic and profoundly influential status as they take the stage at Carolina Theatre fresh off an 18-month 50th Anniversary Tour. Recent tour stops include Stagecoach, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival and many more. 309 W. Morgan St., Durham. March 12, 8 p.m. Ticket info at carolinatheatre.org
Durham Art Walk Spring Market
To market, to market! Head to downtown Durham for Durham Arts Council’s annual festive fine arts and crafts event, ushering in spring since 2004 via a weekend of indoor/outdoor exhibitors, live performances, kids’ art activities, delish local food truck fare and more. March 7, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; March 8, 1-5 p.m. durhamarts.org
Beer-thoven
According to Beethoven, “Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy.” Now, imagine you add beer. Music and malt beverage: match made in heaven—mind blown. Here’s the perfect pairing and some higher revelation at Beer-thoven at 21c Museum Hotel Durham, the final recital of the season for the Verona Quartet, the prestigious Cleveland Quartet Award-winning quartet who was hailed by The New York Times as an “outstanding ensemble” and rose to national prominence via multicontinent comps. The Verona Quartet is The Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle’s String Quartet-in-Residence. And clearly, this Beer-thoven is a can’t-miss. 111 North Corcoran St., Durham. March 12, 8 p.m. Ticket info at thecot.org
Margarita Crawl Raleigh
Feeling salty? Must add tequila. Which there will be plenty of on this multiple-venue Marg Crawl hosted by Bar Crawl Unlimited. Besides, what doesn’t “tequila” (ta-kill-ya) makes you stronger. Just go with it. March 7, 2 p.m. Venue(s) and ticket info at eventbrite.com
Raleigh Fine Art Society’s North Carolina Artists Exhibition
Selected from a whopping 700 artist entries, 60 North Carolina artists are exhibited in this collection, in which they are “committed to speaking truth to the era in which we live,” said Nat Trotman, this year’s juror and the curator of performance and media at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. See a piece that would go great in the den? Lucky for you, the works are for purchase. CAM Raleigh, 409 W. Martin St., Raleigh. March 8-June 14. Ticket info at camraleigh.org
In My Life - A Musical Theatre Tribute to the Beatles
“Come together right now,” indeed as this tribute show to one of music’s most legendary bands brings 33 of the Fab Four’s greatest hits against a multimedia backdrop of videos and images. Now that’s something. Fletcher Opera Theater, 2 E. South St., Raleigh. March 9, 7:30 p.m. Ticket info at dukeenergycenterraleigh.com
‘Les Misérables’
Oui, oui! “Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, “Les Misérables” tells an unforgettable story of heartbreak, passion, and the resilience of the human spirit.” Direct from an acclaimed two-and-a-half-year return to Broadway, one of the most celebrated musicals in theatrical history takes stage again at DPAC for “One Day More” as “Cameron Mackintosh presents the new production of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s Tony Award-winning musical phenomenon” that is “Les Miz.” DPAC, Durham. March 10-15. Ticket info at dpacnc.com
This story was originally published March 4, 2020 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Billie Eilish, Durham Bulls fan fest and 14 of our Best Bets this week."