A bird-bedecked musical. A Charleston lens on abolition. A comedy writer with game.
Maura's Three for the Week in Charleston, 4/14/25 - 4/20/25
With the spring season in full surge, this seems like good time to remind arts lovers that we are only as good as our collective effort to support our local arts scene. So many practitioners, both established and emergent, share with me the challenge they face getting the word out about their work.
That’s why I am committed to this free, weekly labor of love. We can’t engage in meaningful exchange in this community if we don’t even know what’s going on. As subscribers are forever trending upward, I’m encouraged this is just the collective effort to ensure patrons find cultural events that speak to them.
Whether you are a frequent culture vulture with similarly passionate friends, or an arts practitioner or organization with a list, please share it through your channels. Such efforts can help ensure that local voices and other esteemed artists remain above today’s considerable fray. So sharing is caring, y’all. Please pass it along.
Immerse yourself in a bird-perfect, world-premiere musical
PURE Theatre, Cannon Street Arts Center, 134 Cannon St., downtown Charleston, through Sat., May 3.
For me, there is no sweeter sound than that of live performance that has been created right on Charleston soil. Perhaps that’s rivaled only by the merry chirping of birds now in springtime soundscape around town. With that in mind, a world-premiere musical involving ornithologists training their expert eye on mating practices is doubly enticing. Directed by Sharon Graci for PURE Theatre, the production comes from Broadway veterans Marshall Hagins (book and lyrics) and Brad Moranz (music).
Ornithologist Samantha Williams possessed some scientifically radical and somewhat feminist ideas about evolution, notions that even render insufficient Darwin’s “survival of the fittest.” She and a group of bird scientists in the jungle of Papua New Guinea aim to prove their theories on love, life and evolution in this world premiere musical from Broadway veterans Marshall Hagins, Noah Brody (Fiasco Theater), and Charleston’s own Brad Moranz. Pro-tip: On April 16, a Pay-What-You-Will Student Night also features a cast Q+A after the show.
For tickets and information, click here.
Feel all the feels at Charleston Opera Theater’s Serenata Romantica
The Sottile Theatre, 44 George St., downtown Charleston, Thurs., April 17, 7 p.m.
When it comes to opera offerings, Charleston regularly impresses. This week is no different, as Charleston Opera Theater goes for the romance in its Serenata Romantica program presented in partnership with Charleston Symphony. An all star line up of singers Charleston based and from some of the countries biggest stages will perform opera's greatest hits by Verdi, Puccini, Bellini, Giordano and Gounod. Black Tie is encouraged, but not required.
For tickets and information, click here. Take $20 off tickets with the code MOREOPERA.
Get a new lens on Charleston abolitionists
Charleston County Main Library, Art Gallery, 68 Calhoun St., downtown Charleston, through Wed., April 30
Presented by the Jonathan Green Maritime Cultural Center at University of South Carolina Beaufort, First Words of Freedom: A Photographic Study of Abolitionist Imprints by Lewis Watts showcases Watts’ photographs of the front matter from rare abolitionist books from the collection of Dr. Kim Cliett Long that highlight the power of printed media in the fight for freedom. These images reveal the intricate designs, personal inscriptions and compelling language used to inspire action and advocate for justice. Throughout the exhibit, connections to Charleston’s history and its role in the abolitionist movement offer a rich perspective on the city’s ties to this pivotal struggle.
For information, click here.
Bonus: Game it up and get comedic with TINYisPOWERFUL
Cannon Street Arts Center, 134 Cannon Street, downtown Charleston, Sun., April 20, 2-4 p.m.
I’ve long admired the thought and tenacity of TINYisPOWERFUL, the nonprofit that aims to strengthen community through collective art. To kick off a 2025 fundraising effort to raise 20 thousand dollars, this week it hostsAfrime Studios to present a demonstration of their game, Unyverse. Audience members are invited into a critical response process to offer feedback to creator Crandon Dillard as they continue bringing this afro-futuristic world to life.
The event features writer Yamara Taylor whose credits include hit comedies including The Boondocks, Black-ish (ABC), Dave (FXX), and Saved by the Bell (Peacock), as well as consulting credits for The Mayor (NBC) and Rap Sh*t (HBO Max).
This event is open to the public and all are welcome, and can consider making a donation of $15 or more to help sustain TINYisPOWERFUL’s collective art in/with community efforts.
For more information, click here.
One for the future: Weave art and fashion with Art Charleston
Gibbes Museum of Art, 135 Meeting St., downtown Charleston, Wed., April 23 - Sun., April 27, various times
I’ve quickly become a fan of Art Charleston, the annual, five-day Gibbes Museum of Art initiative launched in 2022 that brings together works of art and programming guided by its premier spring exhibition.
This year, that’s the stunning Statement Pieces: Contemporary Fashion Design and the Gibbes Collection, with the theme focusing on the intersection of art and fashion design. Highlights include:
The Art of Design (Wed., April 23, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.), the annual seated luncheon hosted by the Gibbes Women’s Council, presents Nell Diamond, Founder & CEO of Hill House Home, taking place in the Gibbes’ classical, European-style Lenhardt Garden.
Sew Surreal Fashion Show (Sat., April 26, 7 – 9:30 p.m.) showcases local fashion designers who have each selected an artwork from the Gibbes Permanent Collection to create a series of looks inspired by it for a runway show with live music, large-scale video wall and more.
Gibbes on the Street (Thur., April 24, 7 – 9:30 p.m.), the popular alfresco street party, is this year led by Chef Michael Toscano and includes Bar 167, 167 Raw, FIG, Kultura, Le Farfalle, Lewis Barbecue, Merci, Porchetta Shop, The Ordinary, Rancho Lewis and Sullivan's Seafood & Bar.
Threads of Change: Fashion, Culture, and the Digital Age (Wed., April 23, 6 p.m.) gathers New York-based, nationally celebrated YouTubers for lively conversation about all things fashion.
Also on view during art week will be Spool of Friends, by the artist Katy Mixon, a large-scale, public art project that will be communally crafted, along with a studio visit and discussion with Mixon on Sat., April 26, 3 – 4 p.m.
The annual Artisan Fair ( Sun, April 27, 1 – 5 p.m.) features a curated selection of local artisans offering original artwork, jewelry, ceramics and more.
Proceeds benefit the Museum’s year-round education initiatives, school groups, support for artists, exhibitions and community art programs.
View the full lineup at gibbesmuseum.org/art-charleston.
Another for the future: Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up In My Bones
Charleston Gaillard Center, 95 Calhoun St., downtown Charleston, Mon., April 21, 7 p.m.
The beauty of living in a cosmopolitan hub like Charleston is its ability to both cultivate and attract top talent. Next week is no exception, with the arrival of renowned jazz trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard, whose monumental opera Fire Shut Up In My Bones opened to wild acclaim in 2021 at Metropolitan Opera as the first opera by a Black composer ever performed there, returning there in 2024.
The eight-time Grammy Award-winner is also heralded for his collaboration with director Spike Lee, composing scores for over 20 of Lee’s projects. His work spans documentaries, feature films, and TV series, including BlacKkKlansman, Da 5 Bloods, One Night in Miami, The Woman King, and the recent Emmy-nominated They Call Me Magic.
In association with Charleston Jazz Festival, Gaillard audiences will hear a concert presentation of Fire Shut Up In My Bones, bringing Blanchard and his band, The E-Collective, along with the double GRAMMY-winning Turtle Island Quartet, visual artist Andrew F. Scott and special guest vocalists Justin Austin (baritone) and Adrienne Danrich (soprano).
For tickets, which start at $25, click here. To save 25% on tickets, use code FIRE25.
Pro-tip: On April 21, 10 a.m. a lecture with the composer will be moderated by Dr. Tonya Matthews, President and CEO of International African American Museum,and will take place at Capers Hall Auditorium, 94 Hagood Ave. RSVP here.