Welcome to Charlotte’s new fall arts season, full of firsts, favorites and flair

Welcome, friends, to the most jam-packed section of the year: our annual Fall Arts Guide.

Over the next three weeks, we’re going to take you behind the scenes and up close with some of the biggest arts and cultural events coming to the Charlotte area.

One of those is about to get underway. That’s the Charlotte International Arts Festival, which launches Sept. 15 and follows last year’s wildly successful inaugural fest from Blumenthal Performing Arts. It features acts from Argentina to Zimbabwe, plus an emphasis on Charlotte’s own international scene, including the Festival of India and the Latin American Festival.

Elsewhere, the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture is in the midst of its biennial — this one focused on afrosurrealism in the South — while Charlotte Ballet is dancing into its first season curated by artistic director Alejandro Cerrudo.

The biggest news coming from the Charlotte Symphony involves choosing its next music director, a decision expected around the new year. Our old pal and former colleague Lawrence Toppman already has some advice drawn up for the next maestro.

Local theater companies, looking to move past last year’s surprising demise of Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte, are ratcheting up ways to connect with audiences. This includes prioritizing work that reflects the community, said Robin Tynes-Miller, artistic and operations director at Three Bone Theater. So, look for shows like “Thoughts of a Colored Man,” a recent Broadway title about the inner lives of seven Black men conveyed through spoken word, slam poetry and rhythm.

We’ll also check back in with the producers of The Avett Brothers’ musical “Swept Away,” as the shipwreck drama prepares to sail into its East Coast debut.

Finally, it’s been awhile since The Charlotte Observer attended a film festival. But that’s just what we’re doing, heading to the Toronto Film Festival to report on intriguing movie titles before they arrive here.

So sit back, stay tuned and enjoy the shows.

More arts coverage

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This story was originally published September 6, 2023 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Welcome to Charlotte’s new fall arts season, full of firsts, favorites and flair."