grow
December 2018
a greensboro chamber of commerce publication
Arts Culture THE AND
ISSUE
One Network. Many Choices. All working together to improve the health and wellness of our communities.
With its extensive network of doctors, urgent care and emergency centers, leading specialists, top-ranked hospitals and the convenience of e-visits and 24/7 video visits, Cone Health offers you more choice and more control than ever – no matter how you prefer your health care or whenever you need it. Cone Health. Exceptional Care. Every Day.™ From just about everywhere.
Visit us at conehealth.com to learn more about our network for exceptional care. 2
The Greensboro Chamber of Commerce is the largest business organization in the community serving more than 1,100 member businesses through programming designed to help them succeed and grow. A partner in the Guilford County Economic Development Alliance, the Chamber also serves as Greensboro’s primary economic development organization, with special emphasis placed on community and entrepreneurial advancement through Action Greensboro and Launch Greensboro.
grow
IN THIS ISSUE December 2018
a greensboro chamber of commerce publication
4. Barn Dinner Theatre 6. Carolina Theatre
Publisher Brent Christensen bchristensen@greensboro.org
8. Greenhill center for north carolina art
Editor Megan Mabry mmabry@greensboro.org
10. greensboro fashion week
Freelance Writer/Feature Articles Eddie Huffman
12. Greensboro symphony orchestra 14. riverrun international film festival
Graphic Design Bryelle Dafeldecker bdafeldecker@greensboro.org
16. triad Stage
Advertising Kathi Lester klester@greensboro.org
grow is published quarterly by the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce for the distribution to its investors, members, and other interested parties. The publication is written and edited by the Chamber and editorial decisions are made by its staff. The views expressed in grow should not be interpreted as the official policy of the Chamber. The publisher reserves the right to decline advertising considered unsuitable for publication.
Cover Photos Courtesy of Companies Featured Table of Contents Photo by VanderVeen Photographers
3
The “play with your food” concept stretched almost coast to coast at one time, with Greensboro’s Barn Dinner Theatre being one of 26 across the nation. Most of them have disappeared since the 1970s, but the local version is still going strong. “There’s only three left in the country,” said Ric Gutierrez, general manager. “And that’s here; the one in Nashville, called Chaffin’s Barn Dinner; and the one in Arkansas, Murry’s Dinner Playhouse.” Greensboro’s Barn Dinner Theatre, established in 1964, was the first. It has a full slate of shows planned for 2019, a mix of touring and local productions. They include comedies, a musical drama about Martin Luther King, and tributes to Elvis and Patsy Cline – all offered with a buffet meal
BARN Photo Courtesy, Barn Dinner Theatre
that includes vegetarian options. “We’ve got some exciting shows,” Gutierrez said. “Good old-fashioned comedies; musicals, of course; and then straight book plays. There’s ‘Smoke on the Mountain’ and ‘A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline.’” The initial local production of 2019 opens February 16. “Our first show of the year is ‘Motherhood: The Musical,’” Gutierrez said. “It’s a brand new show. I got my hands on that late last year. It’s a fun show based on the trials and tribulations of being a new mother.”
DINNER THEATRE BY EDDIE HUFFMAN
5
CAROLINA THEATRE BY EDDIE HUFFMAN
BY EDDIE HUFFMAN
During Renovations
Photos Courtesy, Lynn Donovan
Ninety-one years after it opened, the Carolina Theatre has undergone a dramatic overhaul. From the bas relief of gilded dancing ladies above the stage to the new lobby carpet, virtually every part of the theater has been upgraded or meticulously cleaned.
"The moment you walk in the door, that’s where the renovations start," -Meagan Kopp, Director of Marketing
The changes are the first phase of a $2.5 million renovation for Greensboro’s opulent downtown showplace, which hosts concerts by music legends such as Gladys Knight and the Chieftains, community theater productions, classic movies, and more. The Carolina has raised about 75 percent of its capital goal so far. The biggest changes include all-new seats and a new sound system. Most of the seats are larger and wider than the old ones, with leg room in the balcony increased dramatically and cup holders added on the orchestra level. Seating capacity has also expanded slightly, from 1075 to 1088. Other changes include brighter lighting, an enlarged concession stand, and a women’s restroom in which the number of stalls has doubled to 10. The Carolina has hosted several events per week since the main hall reopened at the beginning of October. “It’s starting to really hop,” Kopp said. “Every weekend, just about every day.”
GREENHILL CENTER FOR NORTH CAROLINA ART BY EDDIE HUFFMAN
The staff at the GreenHill Center fifth words of its name very ser incredible talent that comes thr they stay here executive director an “We choose to be in Greensboro, but we could b It’s a really creative state, and a place where many tim GreenHill, established in 1974, does business in th It offers rotating exhibits in its ar artists, and studio The galleries often supplement visual art with li The newly opened winter show features m Works are available for price “We have glass, we have clay, we have wall works, meta said Lauren Gordon, director of communications PHOTO BY BRYELLE DAFELDECKER
r for North Carolina Art take the fourth and riously.“Our focus really is highlighting the rough the state of North Carolina, whether e, study here, or move on,” said Laura Way, nd CEO of the non-profit visual arts center. be anywhere in the state of North Carolina. mes artists go away and come back home.” he Greensboro Cultural Center downtown. rt galleries, shops featuring North Carolina os where people of all ages can create art. ive music and other types of performance. more than 500 works created by 102 artists. es ranging from $20 (or less) up to $9,000. al, jewelry, wood, we have some furniture,” s and operations. “It really has everything.”
“
Photo Courtesy, Greenshill
GREENSBORO
FASHION WEEK BY EDDIE HUFFMAN
Giovanni Ramadani made it to the pinnacle of American fashion in 2012, modeling on New York runways. When he came home, he questioned why Greensboro didn’t have its own fashion showcase. “I wondered why something like runway wasn’t able to be done in Greensboro, with the rich history we have with textiles and denim and everything over the years,” said Ramadani, a Kosovo native who moved to Greensboro as a child in 1999. He complained about the lack of opportunity to his friend Witneigh Davis, a personal stylist. She had a simple answer for Ramadani: “Well, why haven’t you done something about it?” They teamed up to create the first Greensboro Fashion Week in 2014, with some of the proceeds benefiting Emily’s Plea, a charity honoring Davis’s friend
Emily May, killed in a drunk-driving accident. Fashion Week has expanded to include designers from outside North Carolina – and even outside the United States. In 2018 the week included a kids’ fashion show, a showcase for emerging designers, and a look at national brands offered by local shops. The next Greensboro Fashion Week will take place in October 2019. “It’s high energy, high fashion,” Davis said. “You don’t feel like you’re in Greensboro. It’s a big city feel.”
“ It’s high energy, high fashion” Photos Courtesy, Greensboro Fashion Week
GREENSBORO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA BY EDDIE HUFFMAN
On the brink of its 80th birthday, the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra continues to build on its foundation in classical music. The 2018-19 season finds the GSO exploring works by Bartók, Brahms, Bernstein, and Dvořák, while expanding its repertoire with forays into jazz and pop music. The symphony has even branched out into a local brew pub, offering intimate performances at Preyer Brewing Company in its Hops Series. “They’re always really fun, very casual, and include a free drink,” said Daniel Crupi, the GSO’s chief operating officer. Guests artists for 2019 will include Hugh Panaro, who played the title role in “Sweeney Todd” on Broadway.
Photos Courtesy, Greensboro Symphony Orchestra
The GSO will also present a renowned husband-and-wife duo, Jaime Laredo and Sharon Robinson, playing the premiere of a new piece by Chris Brubeck, son of jazz legend Dave Brubeck. “It’s a double concerto for violin and cello,” Crupi said. “We’re excited to be helping create some new music, and especially a hybrid of classical and jazz.” Other upcoming performances: a pops series with the Dukes of Dixieland, a Broadway tribute, and “A Beach Boys Celebration.” The symphony continues its long tradition of performance and education in area schools, as well. “I think it is our moral imperative to educate the next generation of potential musicians and concert-goers,” Crupi said.
RIVERRUN INTERNATIONAL
FILM FESTIVAL
BY EDDIE HUFFMAN
Photo Courtesy, RiverRun International Film Festival
At the RiverRun International Film Festival, many are submitted, but few are chosen. “Last year we had over 2000 films submitted,” said Tiffany Jones, development manager. “We’re on track to have about that many this year.” Members of a selection committee watch films and attend festivals such as Sundance and the Toronto International Film Festival to narrow the hundreds of submissions down to about 150. Screenings are then scheduled across the Triad for 11 days in April – supplemented throughout the year by special showings of new and classic movies. The festival, founded in 1998, has expanded from a single weekend in its early
days, and now includes a gala, panel discussions, director Q&A sessions, and more. Those events brought in about 16,800 admissions for the 2017 festival, part of the multimillion dollar impact arts events have on Forsyth and Guilford counties, Jones said. She cited numbers from a 2015 economic impact study for Forsyth, and indicated that Guilford had similar figures. “The average arts attendee – for plays, ballet, films, or whatever – spends about $24.60 per person,” she said. “And that’s beyond the cost of admission. That results in around $65 million in additional spending by local audiences for the county.” Photo Courtesy, Alicia Freimuth Photography
TRIAD STAGE BY EDDIE HUFFMAN
The people at Triad Stage know how to make the most of a dollar, from the front office to the front row. “We are incredibly efficient,” said Richard Whittington, founding managing director. “Like a lot of non-profits, we can stretch a dollar beyond anything that anybody could ever imagine.” An emphasis on quality extends to paying all of the artists involved in its productions, actors and behind-the-scenes crew alike. Triad Stage has racked up awards and accolades for its efforts, including recognition as “One of the Best Regional Theaters in America” by New York’s Drama League. The theater draws on a wide pool of talent for its combination
2018 | Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream VanderVeen Photographers
of original and classic plays, from movie and TV veterans to students from local universities. The 2018-19 season includes productions in Greensboro of works by Shakespeare and August Wilson, as well as “White Lightning,” about the roots of NASCAR, and a staging of “A Christmas Carol” in Winston-Salem. Ticket sales have been the best in years, Whittington said. But funding remains an issue, with about half of Triad Stage’s funding coming from donations. A $50,000 challenge gift from long-time season pass holders Lynne and Glenn Ogden has boosted a campaign to raise $250,000 by June 30, 2019.
2018 | Summer Camp, Physical Comedy Courtesy, Triad Stage
120 Stage Coach Trail 336.292.2211 Click to visit website
310 s. greene street 336.333.2605 Click to visit website
200 North Davie Street 336.333.7460 Click to visit website
200 n. davie street, suite 301 336.335.5456 x 224 Click to visit website
Click to visit website
april 4-14, 2019 336.721.1945 Click to visit website
14
232 south elm street 336.272.0160 Click to visit website
Interested in ad space in grow Magazine in 2019? We have space for you! Contact us today.
take care of business in all the ways that matter. At Allegacy Federal Credit Union, we don’t just look at one piece of the puzzle. This means we take into account those within your organization who help make you a success and any opportunity that would help make you a more efficient business owner.
Let’s get to work.
be your best you. allegacy.org || 336.765.2101
E M P LOYE E B E N E FITS || PAYRO LL S E RVICE S || W E LLB E IN G Allegacy Benefits and Payroll Services are offered by Allegacy Services, LLC, a credit union service organization, wholly owned by Allegacy Federal Credit Union. © 2018 Allegacy Federal Credit Union
Click the Titles to Register Today!
UPCOMING EVENTS Annual Dinner January 24, 2019 Cocktails: 5:45PM Dinner: 6:45PM
MONTHLY EVENTS COFFEE AND CONVERSATION
MEMBER JUMPSTART
A monthly event from 7:30am-8:30am
Every third wednesday | 4pm
A Networking and Educational program designed to bring leaders together to learn about important issues facing our business community.
Meet your fellow chamber members and let everyone know what’s going on in your company while answering how the chamber can help you!
December Coffee & conversation
This month we will feature a look at ACC Women’s Tournament
ow
UP NEXT:
eensboro chamber of commerce publication
Hear from VF Corporation on What’s in Store and how your business can be prepared for what’s next. Wrangler will dive into the question of “How tight is your consumer lens” and will examine why it’s important to focus in. LMS, a local company that specializes in Influenser Marketing will put a spotlight on the New Age of Media and you may see some familar faces in our panel that will discuss the importance of Placemaking in an ever-evolving digital age.
17