Piedmont Arts

On this Piedmont Arts podcast, Phil Vavra and Dan Drayer preview concerts, opera and dance performances, plays and musicals, as well as where to take in the big displays of festive lights across the region.

BNS Productions (Brand New Sheriff Productions) is theater company based in Charlotte that presents award-winning performances highlighting the African American experience. They'll perform Be A Lion at the Booth Playhouse, a production that has been a favorite with Charlotte audiences for years. Inspired by The Wiz, Be A Lion is the creation of award-winning playwright, producer, and director Rory D. Sheriff, who is our guest on this Piedmont Arts podcast episode.

Charlotte’s BNS Productions brings its hit show Be A Lion back to the Booth Playhouse. In this Piedmont Arts episode, award-winning creator Rory D. Sheriff joins us to discuss the production’s legacy, inspiration, and impact.

Drive around many Charlotte neighborhoods, and you’re likely to see murals. There are hundreds of them across the city bringing a vibrant quality to the urban landscape. For art lovers, they turn the city into an open-air gallery that can be enjoyed for free. On this episode, you can take a tour of some murals with Charlotte is Creative’s Makayla Binter, who is herself an artist. She shows us around Luminous Lane, a once grim alleyway between 3rd and 4th Streets in Uptown that has been transformed into a colorful uplifting space. And get to know WDAV’s new weeknight evening host Keenan Harmon a little better as he takes questions from Phil Vavra.

“Arts and culture are why people don’t just move to Charlotte—they stay. It’s what turns a city into a community.”Makayla Binter

By Russell Fenn / @Sofles

Ali Loncar / @ahloncar

Luminous Lane entrance by @treazy_treaz

By @John_Hairston_Jr

Pam Imhof / @theleftbrainedartist

Peace By Darian Fleming / @daflemingo-and Matt Moore / @puckmcgruff

Lion by @treazy_treaz

Luminous Lane entrance by @treazy_treaz

By Osiris Rain / @osirisrain

Evening Opus with Keenan Harmon

Keenan Harmon

Tune in to the Evening Opus and more Classical Music with Keenan Harmon weeknights at 7 p.m. and learn more about The Nexus Jazz Group at the Stage Door Theater.

Get to know WDAV’s weeknight evening host Keenan Harmon a little better as he takes questions from Phil Vavra.

On this episode, take a tour of Charlotte’s murals with Charlotte is Creative’s Makayla Binter. She shows us around Luminous Lane, a once grim alleyway between 3rd and 4th Streets in Uptown that has been transformed into a colorful uplifting space. And get to know WDAV’s new weeknight evening host Keenan Harmon a little better as he takes questions from Phil Vavra.

Creator Kevin Hammonds and Blumenthal Arts’ CEO Tom Gabbard talk about the immersive experience of The Magicians Table.

The Magicians Table is making its North American debut this month at Charlotte’s new venue, Blume Studios. Created in London, it’s a show about a legendary illusionist, his loving widow, and a cast of magicians who perform at your table. It may change your idea of what a magic show can be. Artist Kevin Hammonds and Blumenthal Arts’ CEO Tom Gabbard talk about this immersive experience.

On October 24th, Davidson College dedicated a new sculpture called “With These Hands: A Memorial to the Enslaved and Exploited” by artist Hank Willis Thomas. It acknowledges those individuals who built the college and served the institution in numerous ways but whose story has rarely been included in the college’s history. Davidson graduate Clint Smith, an award-winning poet and author, talks about the sculpture’s significance for Davidson and the larger community. We also learn about the 2025 “Mad About Modern Home Tour.”

Davidson College unveiled “With These Hands,” a sculpture by Hank Willis Thomas honoring the enslaved and exploited people who built and served the college. Davidson alumnus and author Clint Smith reflects on its meaning for the campus and community.