‘Wildly excited.’ Live performances return to Belk Theater as symphony sets concerts

The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra is trumpeting its return to live indoor performances after more than a year of having to cancel concerts because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Charlotte Symphony said Thursday that its first indoor concert in over a year will be “Mozart Violin Concerto No. 3, Strassburg” April 24 at Belk Theater in the uptown Blumenthal Performing Arts Center. Tickets will be available to orchestra subscribers only. Other shows are set for May at the Belk.

The April concert will be the first show by any arts organization at the theater in over a year.

The news comes as North Carolina opened COVID-19 vaccination eligibility on Wednesday to anyone age 16 and older and, state officials said Tuesday, coronavirus cases and hospitalizations have leveled.

“These performances are going to be very emotional for all of us,” Charlotte Symphony Music Director Christopher Warren-Green said.

For 13 months, the orchestra continued performing virtual concerts and in small groups.

“We knew the audience was watching live from home but it will never replace the live experience for the audience or for the artists,” Warren-Green told the Observer Wednesday. “That’s why we’re wildly excited about it.”

‘A step forward’ for the Belk

The orchestra’s return is also a welcome comeback for the Blumenthal Performing Arts Theater, which has lost 90% of its revenue over the past year because of pandemic shutdowns and has had to lay off staff, CEO Tom Gabbard told the Observer.

“It’s the start and that’s the key,” Gabbard said. “It’s a step forward.”

The last live performance at the theater was by Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth on March 10, 2020. The symphony’s last performance at the theater was March 7 of last year.

“We’ve been holding our breath for a year waiting for this chance to come back,” Charlotte Symphony CEO David Fisk said. “We’re relieved and grateful that the time is finally here.”

Yearning for the audience

Fisk said the symphony lost all of its revenue from ticketing and fees because of the pandemic. But local and federal programs, like the Paycheck Protection Program, helped make up most of that loss. He said the PPP provided a total of about $2.4 million.

Like athletes, the musician need to “stay in shape” playing with and being part of the team, Fisk said.

“We play for people, not simply for ourselves,” Fisk said. “And the presence of the audience and the interaction between the performers and the audience is what makes performances very special.”

Resident Conductor Christopher James Lees will lead the orchestra at this month’s show, featuring Simone Porter as soloist and Respighi’s “Ancient Airs and Dances.” The concert will be recorded and available for streaming June 5–12 as part of the CSO’s virtual Classical Series Reimagined.

The symphony’s next concert at the Belk theater will be May 14-15, with tickets open to the general public.

Warren-Green will be joined by Grammy-Award winning saxophonist Branford Marsalis to perform Jacques Ibert’s “Concertino da camera” and Erwin Schulhoff’s jazz-inspired “Hot-Sonate.” The program will also include Bela Bartok’s “Romanian Folk Dances” and George Gershwin’s “Lullaby.”

Tickets are available online at charlottesymphony.org/buytickets/.

COVID-19 safety

The Charlotte Symphony has worked with Atrium Health and the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center to develop safety procedures, including reduced seating capacity, physically distanced seating, enforcement of face coverings, contactless ticketing and program books.

Orchestra musicians, with 58 full-time professionals, will be socially distanced on stage and wearing masks, except those playing woodwinds and brass, symphony spokeswoman Deirdre Roddin said.

Although North Carolina now allows theaters to operate at 50% seating capacity, Gabbard said capacity for the Belk will be about 30% for now, to accommodate social distancing. The theater seats 2,100 people.

“(Social distancing is) the determining factor, and it’s far less than what’s allowed,” Gabbard said.

For shows with an intermission, he said concessions will be open but food and drinks will not be allowed in the theater because of the mask requirement.

One improvement guests won’t see, he said, is the new air filtration system installed in the theater during the pandemic. “All of these things together create that safe space, and we feel very comfortable about that,” Gabbard said.

More symphony concerts

The orchestra also has some outdoor concerts on the calendar.

A year ago, on April 9, the symphony canceled its popular Summer Pops series and suspended its other concerts.

Instead of that popular series this year, a three-concert event called Evenings at the Park is planned at Symphony Park featuring classical works by Beethoven May 7, 21 and 28. Rather than playing to about 5,000 people, with social distancing, Fisk said to expect an audience of about 450.

The series also includes Kathryn Bostic’s “Portrait of a Peaceful Warrior,” described as “a tribute to the vast and diverse voices of humanity coming together to stand up for justice, equality, inclusion and human rights.”

A chamber group ensemble with some orchestra musicians will continue live outdoors performances, too, as part of its “On Tap” series at NoDa Brewing Company and Cabarrus Brewing Company. There are five more shows and all are sold out except May 18.

“It goes to show people really do want to see live music,” Warren-Green said.

Still, some live concerts have been replaced by virtual concerts, canceled or rescheduled, according to the symphony.

Fisk said the Charlotte Symphony will announce its summer and fall seasons next month, heading into the symphony’s 90th anniversary celebration.

“The absence of music making makes it more poignant and powerful as we rebound from COVID,” he said.

More live performances and events

Other Charlotte groups have returned to the stage for live indoor performances, too.

In December, Charlotte Ballet performed a new version of its annual “Nutcracker,” called “A Fairy-Tailored Nutcracker.” It was the dance company’s first stage performance during the pandemic. The venue was changed from Belk Theater to the much smaller Center for the Dance in uptown.

Last month, the ballet announced it would combine its Innovative Works with its Choreographic Lab program to form “Innovative: Direct from the LAB.” The five-week performance series runs through April 18 with socially-distanced seating and other COVID-19 safety protocols at the Center for the Dance.

And, Blumenthal Performing Arts also has released its schedule of Broadway shows.

PNC Broadway Lights Series with six shows that includes “1776” and “Frozen,” kicks off Aug. 31 with Tony Award and Grammy Award winner “Hadestown” at Belk Theater.

Gabbard said the Blumenthal also is focusing on the “Immersive Van Gogh” exhibit opening June 18 through Sept. 12 at the Ford building in Camp North End. He said people can roam the space but stop in floor-marked circles for social distancing.

“And people can see it’s done in a COVID-safe way,” Gabbard said.

This story was originally published April 8, 2021 at 10:00 AM.