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Each Thursday, WFAE checks in with a local arts and entertainment reporter about things to do in Charlotte during the upcoming weekend.

A tribute to a legendary singer, Charlotte Symphony season opener among weekend's top events

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A tribute to Billie Holiday is on the schedule in Charlotte this weekend.

Top events in Charlotte this weekend include a tribute to a legendary singer, the opening of a new season for the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and an award-winning parody play.

Joining “All Things Considered” host Gwendolyn Glenn for this week's edition of Weekend in Entertainment is QCity Metro’s Bethany Lane.

Listen to their full conversation by clicking the audio above.

Lane says a Billie Holiday tribute by JazzArts Charlotte, performed by vocalist Melissa Morgan, will be one of the highlights of the weekend.

"Billie Holiday literally changed the way jazz was sung with her vocal style and her improvisational skills," Lane said.

Morgan is a perfect choice to provide a tribute for Holiday, according to Lane.

"She's known for her retro and earthy tone, and she's even cited Billie Holiday as an influence over her own style," Lane said.

Among other events slated for this weekend are:

  • The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra celebrates the opening of its 90th season with Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, performed Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
  • Ayrsley Grand Cinemas is hosting a Retro Horror Film Festival, with “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” playing at 7 p.m. each nigh this week and Evil Dead 2 at 9 p.m. Tickets are also a retro price at $5 each.
  • “Potted Potter,” a parody play of all seven Harry Potter books, will be at Booth Playhouse with multiple performances on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Listen to more details by clicking the audio above.

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Gwendolyn is an award-winning journalist who has covered a broad range of stories on the local and national levels. Her experience includes producing on-air reports for National Public Radio and she worked full-time as a producer for NPR’s All Things Considered news program for five years. She worked for several years as an on-air contract reporter for CNN in Atlanta and worked in print as a reporter for the Baltimore Sun Media Group, The Washington Post and covered Congress and various federal agencies for the Daily Environment Report and Real Estate Finance Today. Glenn has won awards for her reports from the Maryland-DC-Delaware Press Association, SNA and the first-place radio award from the National Association of Black Journalists.