Monster Jam returns to Charlotte

From a Bobcats Sports & Entertainment press release that just popped into our inbox:

Feld Motor Sports announced today that Monster Jam®, the world’s premier monster truck series, will take over Time Warner Cable Arena for three shows February 12 (7:30 p.m.) & 13 (2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.), 2010, featuring freestyle and racing competition. Tickets go on sale Friday, Nov. 20 at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster.

Approximately 12 feet tall and about 12 feet wide, monster trucks are custom-designed machines that sit atop 66-inch-tall tires and weigh a minimum of 10,000 pounds. Built for short, high-powered bursts of speed, monster trucks generate 1,500 to 2,000 horsepower and are capable of speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. Monster trucks can fly up to 125 to 130 feet (a distance greater than 14 cars side by side) and up to 35 feet in the air. The list of trucks includes: Grave Digger, Maximum Destruction, Blue Thunder, Superman, El Toro Loco, Eradicator, Backdraft, and Gunslinger.

The Built Ford Tough Party in the Pits on Friday (5 – 6:30 p.m.) and Saturday (11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.) will give fans the opportunity to get a view of the trucks up close and meet the drivers of the massive monster trucks. Pit Party Passes will be available at Advance Auto Parts from 1/25 – 2/11/2010 while supplies last.

Monster Jam® events are affordably priced for the whole family with Adult tickets starting at $18. All Kids 12 and under tickets are just $10. Note that ALL ticket prices increase $2 Day of Show. Beginning December 25th, Wendy’s is offering discount coupons for $5 off Adult Tickets with certain restrictions applying. Tickets are also available at the Arena Box Office and all Ticketmaster outlets.

Monster Jam®, sanctioned by the United States Hot Rod Association®, is the most popular monster truck tour, performing to over 4 million fans annually at the most prestigious arenas and stadiums throughout the world. Monster Jam® shows consist of three main fan-favorite elements – the pit party, racing and freestyle. The pre-show pit party gives all fans a chance to meet the stars of Monster Jam® up-close while taking pictures and getting autographs. The pit parties typically are held on the arena and stadium floors several hours prior to the start of the show.

Tickets go on sale Friday, Nov. 20 at 10 a.m. through timewarnercablearena.com, ticketmaster.com, the Time Warner Cable Arena box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, or charge by phone 800-745-3000.

For media requests, please contact Tfranzen@mindspring.com or 919.210.5150 to arrange interviews and photo opportunities. For more information on Monster Jam, log on to www.MonsterJam.com.

Discovery Place announces new exhibition

From a Discovery Place press release that just popped into our inbox:

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Discovery Place is elevating its cool factor! The Museum introduces Cool Stuff, the first in a series of exhibition openings featuring all-new exhibits on Friday, Nov. 27. Also premiering is Explore More Stuff, a brand-new, interactive lab area.

Cool Stuff kicks off the transformation of Discovery Place as part of the largest renovation in the Museum’s 28-year history.

“This is a major milestone for Discovery Place as we reveal the first step towards the complete transformation of the Museum,” said John Mackay, president and CEO for Discovery Place. “Guests will be amazed at the changes they experience in the Museum. And this is only the beginning as we continue to unveil all-new exhibitions from now through June 2010.”

Designed to demonstrate physical phenomenon in unique and eccentric ways, Cool Stuff allows visitors to launch objects into the air, lie on a bed of nails, crush a garbage can or use a laser to listen to secret messages.*

Featuring a gallery of interactive displays and contraptions, Cool Stuff allows guests to experience physics phenomena through hands-on participation and applications that demonstrate why things do the things they do.

Visitors become involved in their science lesson and achieve an understanding of scientific concepts through interaction and experimentation, mixed with an element of surprise. Secret features embedded within exhibit pieces provide an element of mystery to be solved by avid participants.

“With the renovation, we wanted to demonstrate that science is everywhere and the scientific process is always revealing new ideas,” said Mackay. “Cool Stuff shows guests what’s fun about science, what’s important about science and ultimately, what’s cool about science.”

The collection of multi-dimensional exhibits allows guests to uncover the extraordinary wonders of science, math, technology and more. Visitors can discover the beauty and strangeness of physics; look at the world in new ways; become aware of new scientific concepts and discover the science behind why things do the things they do.

Cool Stuff is highlighted by three, main areas:

LIFT

“What goes up, must come down” is a fundamental but fun principle of physics. Activities in this area focus on the physics of lifting - making things go up and the challenge of keeping them up against the inevitable force of gravity. Participants can launch objects by utilizing electromagnetic forces or by the explosive force of a chemical reaction. Guests also can experience “full body lift” with an all-new, vacuum-powered chairlift.

LOOK/MOVE

Focusing on the strange and beautiful feats of physics that involve motion, light and heat, exhibits featured in this section illuminate bizarre aspects of the physical world. Using basic tools of science – observation and manipulation – visitors will experience a zone of weird happenings that delight the mind and senses. Guests can explore the invisible light that the human body radiates all day long or bend light around a corner using fiber optics. Other features introduce the element of spin to a seemingly mundane object, only to produce bizarre forces and motion that are totally unexpected.

PUSH

Visitors can explore concepts of mechanical advantage, energy transfer and air pressure in PUSH. Examining how forces make objects move, visitors can perform amazing feats of strength such as crushing a garbage can, winning an impossible tug of war match and shooting a powerful basketball-sized pocket of air that can be felt 30 feet away.

To cool down from “lifting”, “looking” and “pushing”, guests can further investigate and view more applications of chemistry, physics and engineering at Explore More Stuff. Located across from Cool Stuff, Explore More Stuff presents a lab-like environment where matter and energy are explored and tested. Facilitated by experts, kids and adults can experiment with forces that are controlled only by the laws of physics and chemistry.

Participants can design, create and implement their own projects and experiments using

real tools of science. New eureka moments can be experienced in Explore More Stuff as the topics and themes change monthly. Programs present three to six different inquiry-based design challenges allowing guests to become hands-on participants. Science themes include forces, chemical reactions, engineering, robotics, solar power, magnetism and electricity and more.

Cool Stuff marks the first of all-new exhibition areas to be showcased in a completely renovated and revitalized Discovery Place. At the completion of the renovation, set to conclude in June 2010, Discovery Place will showcase all-new, interactive exhibitions that present science and technology in a contemporary way. The renovation also features an improved infrastructure and a brighter, fresher look for the Museum.

Beginning, Friday, Nov. 27, admission to Discovery Place will be $10 for adults (14-59); $8 for seniors (60 and older) and children (2-13); free for children younger than 2. Discounts are available for Discovery Place Members and for groups of 15 or more.

Garrison Keillor VIP Experience details

From a Blumenthal Performing Arts Center press release that just popped into our inbox:

Charlotte, NC – Meet Garrison Keillor and help the Center’s Education Programs with an exclusive VIP experience when the author and host of "A Prairie Home Companion" comes to the Belk Theater Sunday, November 22 at 7 p.m.

Although the show is nearly sold out, a limited number of orchestra and grand tier seats are available as part of an exclusive VIP Package benefiting the Center’s Educational Programs. Guests will enjoy great seats plus a special post-show reception with Garrison Keillor. They can bring a favorite book and get it signed while enjoying drinks and hors d’oeuvres with this well-known artist.

The VIP ticket package is only $150 (which includes a $90 tax-deductable donation to the Center) and can be purchased by phone at 704-372-1000 or online at BlumenthalCenter.org/Keillor. The VIP experience includes special seating and admission to the reception.

For those who have already purchased a ticket to the show, this special VIP experience is available for a $90 tax-deductable donation to the Center. Call 704-372-1000 for more details.

If you’ve ever heard of A Prairie Home Companion, then there is no doubt that you are familiar with the brilliant storytelling of its host, Garrison Keillor. The American author, humorist, columnist, musician, satirist and radio personality is best known for creating the groundbreaking radio drama in 1974. Keillor captivated audiences during the two-hour variety show with his striking presence, tongue-in-cheek delivery and humorous tales of life in the Midwest.

AT A GLANCE…

WHAT: AN EVENING WITH GARRISON KEILLOR VIP EXPERIENCE

WHEN: November 22, 2009

WHERE: Belk Theater (135 N. Tryon Street / Charlotte, NC / 28202)

COST: $150 (includes a $90 tax-deductable donation to the Center)

TIX/MORE INFO: BlumenthalCenter.org; 704-372-1000

Catch 'New Moon' midnight showing at Mez

Don't fight the crowds for seats to the midnight showing of The Twilight Saga: New Moon, purchase your VIP seats at the Epicentre and enjoy drink specials and appetizers with the girls before settling in to your reserved theater seat.

Mez will be partying Alice Cullen-style with creative cocktails on the exclusive second-story level of the lounge prior to the midnight showing of the movie on Thursday, Nov. 19. To purchase tickets, please visit www.epicentretheaters.com or call 704-688-2400.



New Moon stars Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart and continues the supernatural vampire romance of the 2006 blockbuster hit Twilight. The movie is the second film based on the Twilight book series by Stephenie Meyer. Tickets are $12/VIP or $9/General Admission for evening show times and $9/VIP or $6/General Admission for matinees. Please note that the theater is for ages 21 and over after 7 p.m., and General Admission tickets do not include reserved seats.

MLB coming to CLT ... for one day

From a Charlotte Knights press release that just popped into our inbox:

For the first time in nine years, the Charlotte Knights will play host to a Major League Baseball exhibition game next spring. The Knights will play against their parent club, the Chicago White Sox, on April 1, 2010 at Knights Stadium in Fort Mill at 7 p.m.

“This is a great way to kick off the 2010 baseball season hosting the White Sox,” said Knights Vice-President/General Manager Dan Rajkowski. “Knights fans will be excited to see Chicago’s players and will enjoy seeing some former Knights players back here as well.”

“Every spring, we say it takes more than 25 players to win a championship,” said Ken Williams, White Sox senior vice president/general manager. “Each year, players from the Knights come to Chicago to play important roles in helping us win games. We are looking forward to returning to Charlotte to play this exhibition game in front of the city’s great fans. Players you see on both teams at this game will be difference makers in the Major Leagues in 2010. For us, this is one of our first steps in a season we believe will end with a postseason appearance for the White Sox next October.”

“This is just another great example of how Don Beaver and the entire Knights organization give back to their fans and to the Region as a whole,” said Jeff Beaver executive director of the Charlotte Sports Commission. “The tradition of bringing first-class events to our community continues with this game, providing everyone an opportunity to see the Knights and their parent club prepare for the opening of their seasons. It is also another example of our good fortune to have Triple-A baseball!”

The Knights and White Sox faced off in an exhibition in 1999 at Knights Stadium. The last MLB exhibition was held on March 31, 2001 and featured the White Sox playing host to Montreal Expos (now Washington Nationals). The game was held in front of 12,020 fans.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on December 1. Ticket prices will range from $7 – 19. The Knights are offering a special ticket package for the exhibition game and Knights opening day game. Fans can purchase a field box seat for the White Sox exhibition and opening day for $29 or $23 for a lower level reserve seat.

The Knights 2010 home opener is April 15 at 7:15 p.m. vs. the Gwinnett Braves.

The Charlotte Knights are the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. For ticket or event information, please contact the Knights front office at (704) 357-8071 or (803) 548-8050 or visit our website at www.charlotteknights.com for more information.

Opera Carolina to stage 'Porgy & Bess'

From an Opera Carolina press release that just popped into our inbox:

Opera Carolina, the leading professional opera company in the region, will bring George Gershwin's blockbuster American opera, Porgy & Bess, to Charlotte for four performances on May 14-16, 2010. The performances are part of the 75th Anniversary Tour, celebrating the 1935 premiere of Porgy & Bess. Single tickets will go on sale to the general public Tuesday, November 2, at 10:00 am.

Prices for single tickets start at $16.00 and may be purchased online at www.operacarolina.org or by calling the North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center at 704-372-1000.

Widely recognized as the greatest American Opera, Porgy & Bess, by George and Ira Gerswhin, returns to Charlotte after a sell-out performance five years ago. Set in Catfish Row, a Charleston Ghetto, Porgy & Bess is a passionate tale of life during the 1920s. It's a timeless love story between Porgy, a cripple, and Bess, a good but haunted woman. The star-crossed couple finds happiness that ultimately turns to tragedy as Bess is led astray by ghosts from her past - the drug-dealing Sportin' Life and her abusive boyfriend, Crown.

"This is a riveting and timeless story told through a jazz and blues-influenced score," said General Director James Meena. "The drama is captivating and the show-stopping music has entertained audiences for decades. We're fortunate to be able to share this special 75th Anniversary performance with the Charlotte region."

The opera features some of George Gerswhin's best known tunes, including "Summertime," "Ain't Necessarily So," "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin," and "Bess, You Is My Woman Now."

Bon Jovi is Charlotte-bound in 2010

From a Time Warner Cable Arena press release that just popped into our inbox:

With New Jersey’s New Meadowlands Stadium as their backdrop, GRAMMY Award-winning hometown heroes Bon Jovi performed at a concert and media event today that announced “The Circle World Tour.” The band is preparing to spend nearly two years spanning the globe, including a stop at Time Warner Cable Arena on April 22.

On sale date for Time Warner Cable Arena show will be released in the upcoming weeks. Fans should continue to log on to www.timewarnercablearena.com for the most up to date concert and ticket on-sale information.

The band’s Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, David Bryan and Tico Torres performed an exclusive set for a select group of 5,000 lucky contest winners, fan club members, and on-site construction workers currently at work building the New Meadowlands Stadium. Bon Jovi was also joined by New York Jets Chairman & CEO Woody Johnson, New York Giants President & CEO, John Mara, as well as President & CEO of the New Meadowlands Stadium Company, Mark Lamping. New York’s powerhouse radio station WPLJ DJ, Race Taylor, served as emcee. Live footage of the event is available at www.BonJovi.com. An embeddable player is available at http://www.iclips.net/widgets/jbj/jbj_embed.html.

Beginning with the band’s North American tour launch on February 19th, 2010 in Seattle, WA, Bon Jovi will spend much of the next two years on the road, performing 135 shows in 30 countries. Following in the footsteps of their hugely successful “Lost Highway Tour, Bon Jovi will draw fans around the world into The Circle, with a residency at London’s O2 Arena in June 2010 before returning to America in the fall for an additional nationwide leg, and further dates well into 2011.

"It is often said that the third time is a charm, and in the case of the Bon Jovi/AEG Live relationship, this axiom certainly holds,” said Randy Phillips, President and CEO of AEG Live. “AEG Live has been honored to serve as the band's worldwide tour promoters, from the 2005 'Have A Nice Day' tour to the highest grossing tour of 2008, 'Lost Highway,' to the upcoming 'The Circle World Tour' in 2010. Bon Jovi is one of the most prolific and exciting live rock bands in the world."

Having sold more than 120 million albums and performed more than 2,600 concerts in over 50 countries for more than 34 million fans, Bon Jovi is at their best when they’re on the move, and that is truer now than ever before. The November 10th, 2009 release of Bon Jovi’s new album, The Circle, and the band’s subsequent world tour, provides a powerful reassertion of Bon Jovi’s commitment to the hard-hitting rock & roll that has been the band’s indelible signature since it began more than 26 years ago.