WEDNESDAY
If you're tired of football, the SciFi Channel is hosting a Twilight Zone marathon continuing throughout the day on New Year's Day. These are the black and white classics, hosted by Rod Serling himself. Among the episodes scheduled today are "The Dummy" at 6pm and "To Serve Man" at 9:06pm. "Time Enough at Last" airs at 9:39 -- that's the one with Burgess Meredith as a bank clerk who loves to read and is the sole survivor of an H-bomb blast. "The Bard" at 2pm offers a young Burt Reynolds as part of the cast -- bet you never thought you'd see the words Shakespeare and Burt Reynolds in the same sentence. It really is the Twilight Zone! (Wicker)Furniture of the American South, a collection from the Colonial Williamsburg Collection, remains on view at the Mint Museum through January 26. A stellar collection of pieces created back when work ethic wasn't a foreign term, the exhibit provides a glimpse into our past. The Mint is open Tuesday through Sunday with admission ranging from $3-$6. For more information, call 704-337-2000 or visit online at www.mintmuseum.org. (McKinney)
JANUARY 2
THURSDAY
The 3rd Annual Dell Curry High School Basketball Shootout starts today, and this year's shootout is chock-full of talent featuring players that rank in the top 100 in the nation. The tournament runs through Saturday and consists of an 8-team girls' tournament, an 8-team local/regional boys' tournament and an 8-team national boys' tournament. All games will be played at the Beck Student Activities Center at Charlotte Latin School, beginning each day at 10am. Individual players can show their stuff at the High Flyin'-Rim Rockin' Dunk Contest on Saturday at 8:30pm, where several celebrities will serve as judges. Admission is $7 for youth/student daily tickets, $10 for adult daily tickets, $15 for a 3-day youth/student tournament pass and $24 for a 3-day adult tournament pass. Tickets can be purchased at the Dell Curry Foundation office or by calling 704-332-KIDS (5437). Visit www.dellcurryfoundation .com for more information. (Herman)
The Omnimax Theatre at Discovery Place will continue to show Jane Goodall's Wild Chimpanzees through May 1. The film is excellent entertainment for both parents and children alike with plenty of educational information and tons of monkeys! Who couldn't do with a couple of hours worth of monkeys!? The film runs Monday-Thursday at 9:30am, 11:30am and 2pm, Friday at 9:30am, 11:30am, 2, 4, 6 and 8pm, Saturday at 11:30am, 2, 4, 6 and 8pm, and on Sunday at 2 and 4pm only. Admission ranges from $5-$7.50. For more information, call 704-372-6261 or visit online at www.discoveryplace.org. (McKinney)
JANUARY 3
FRIDAY
The Charlotte Checkers march bravely forward into the new year with two games this week. They face off at 7:35pm this evening against the Richmond Renegades and at 7:05pm on Tuesday against the Trenton Titans. Tickets range from $6-$19. For more information, call 704-522-6500 or visit online at www.gocheckers.com. (McKinney)
JANUARY 4
SATURDAY
Charlotte Philharmonic was shouting Hallelujah! and playing the "Christmas Waltz" before Thanksgiving. Well, their timing is improving as they Swing in the New Year just four nights late. As usual, maestro/impresario Albert Moehring whips up an eclectic program at Belk Theater. Guest artist Paul Green wails on his licorice stick, taking the spotlight in "Sing, Sing, Sing." Charlotte City Ballet fills the stage for Tchaikovsky's "Sleeping Beauty Waltz," and the Orchestra emulates the Vienna Phil's New Year's Day concert with a glide down Strauss's "Blue Danube." Call 704-846-2788 for tickets ($15-$35) or click on charlotte philharmonic.org. (Tannenbaum)
Buddy and Julie Miller, the odds-on favorite to win King and Queen at any Americana music ball, play the Neighborhood Theatre tonight at 8pm. The husband-and-wife duo's smart take on head games, heartache, and the Great Beyond have been applauded by critics for years; thank goodness, audiences are starting to take note. Tickets for tonight's show, to be opened by Charlotte's own Lou Ford, are $17.50, available by calling 704-358-9298. (Davis)
JANUARY 6
MONDAY
Spirit Square's McGlohon Theatre will once again serve as the setting for the latest installment of Monday Night Movies at Spirit Square, with a film being shown at 6:30pm every Monday evening through February 3. The theme is foreign films, and the series kicks off tonight with an airing of the Oscar-winning box office hit Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The series continues with Amelie, Chocolat (hardly a foreign film, given its Hollywood backing, dialogue in English, and stars like Johnny Depp, but never mind), No Man's Land and Life Is Beautiful. Admission is $5 ($4 for seniors); popcorn, soda and candy are available for a buck apiece. For more information, call 704-379-1380. (Brunson)
JANUARY 7
TUESDAY
If you've attended the monthly First Tuesday at St. Peter's concerts, you've noticed that attendance at the series is as impressive as the chamber music. No, they're not enlarging the church to fit the audience, but they're adding an AfterWork Concert Series. So if you can't break away for the 12:10pm lunchtime concert, you can hear the same program at 5:30pm. The new regime will begin with Mozart's String Quintet #2 in C. Free parking for both concerts is available in the TransAmerica Building, and a post-concert reception celebrating the new series will be held in the Hodges Taylor Gallery. (Tannenbaum)
JANUARY 8
WEDNESDAY
The Charlotte 49ers play Louisville tonight at 7:30pm at Halton Arena. At press time, they'd won the last two games and are still looking at a strong season. Tickets range from $10-$20. For more information, call 704-687-6310 or visit online at www.charlotte49ers.com. (McKinney)
