NEWS

By CHRYS BULLARD
University Development Office

CHAPEL HILL -- Actor Andy Griffith recalls that he gave his first theatrical performance on its stage. Motivational speaker Ty Boyd remembers big bands and Polgar the Magician. Attorney Wade Smith reminisces about the great classical guitarist, Andres Segovia, interrupted on stage by the insistent ringing of a telephone. "Eef eet is for me, please tell them I am beesy!" the musician quipped.

These are just a few of the memories made inside the walls of Memorial Hall at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During "Curtain Closing" events April 19, 20 and 21, the public is invited to bring their own memories to share -- and make a few more -- in a weekend of fun-filled events.

Provost Emeritus Richard Richardson -- known as a master of the well-turned phrase -- kicks off the festivities Friday, April 19. From noon until 1:30 p.m. he will entertain faculty, staff, students and friends with memories and stories about Memorial Hall. Bring a brown bag lunch, enjoy the water and sodas that will be provided, sign the memory book and share a laugh with other members of the university family. A drawing for two free tickets to next year’s Carolina Union Performing Arts Series may also bring a smile.

Beginning Saturday morning, April 20, at 10 a.m. and continuing through store hours until 6 p.m. on Sunday, A Southern Season, Chapel Hill’s famed specialty food store, offers shoppers a chance to help the renovation of Memorial Hall as they fill their pantry with gourmet foods. Call and place an order by phone; log onto the Web at www.southernseason.com; come in, stroll the aisles and fill a cart -- 10 percent of all sales will be donated to help Memorial Hall reach its fundraising goal of $5 million. A challenge is also in effect that will match these and all other ensuing gifts for the duration of the campaign.

Music fills the hall at 7:30 Saturday evening as the Clef Hangers present their 25th annual spring concert. Founded in 1976 by a group of undergraduate students, the Clef Hangers have delighted crowds from New York to Los Angeles. After the performance, patrons are invited on stage for a dessert and champagne reception. Serving as backdrop for the event will be Catharine Carter’s dramatic black-and-white photographs of Memorial Hall. Created to honor her father, Joel Carter, a former music professor at UNC, Carter’s exhibition pays tribute to the hall’s history as it reveals the many contrasts of its public and private spaces. During the evening, patrons will also be asked to sign one of Memorial Hall’s historic stage doors, creating a companion for the famed door on which stage crews have immortalized their names since 1932. Patron tickets for the performance and reception are $35 per person and may be purchased by calling George Ann Bissett at (919) 843-5112.

Sunday, April 21, Memorial Hall holds an open house in conjunction with the Chapel Hill street fair, Apple Chill. Visitors are encouraged to drop by, sign the guest book, share a memory or two and view Catharine Carter’s photographs as the grand old venue makes its final curtain call.

These "Curtain Closing" events mark the beginning of a two-year transformation for Memorial Hall. Remodeling includes an all-new stage -- more than twice the size of the current one -- equipped with state-of-the-art technology to accommodate Broadway musicals, full symphony orchestras, and ballet companies. The lobby and building will be expanded on both sides to provide an abundance of restrooms and comply with safety and accessibility codes while leaving the symmetry of Memorial Hall’s historic facade intact. A new air conditioning system, new seats with expanded legroom, larger lobby, coat check and elevator will add to the hall’s comfort. A new amplification system, sound shell and other improvements will enable the hall to be acoustically tuned for each performance, from solos to symphonies.

The $15 million transformation will be funded by $10 million from a state appropriation and higher education bonds and $5 million from private gifts. The fund-raising campaign, at $4.2 million, is nearing completion and is part of the university’s overall Carolina First campaign, a multi-year private fund-raising effort to position Carolina as the nation’s leading public university. To discuss a naming gift or for more information on the "Curtain Closing" events at Memorial Hall, please contact George Ann Bissett, Campaign Director, Memorial Hall Transformation Project at 843-5112 or log onto www.unc.edu/memhall.

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News Services contact: Mike McFarland, (919) 962-8593