Raleigh: A Day with Monet, A Night with Sebastian

Unlike Charlotte, Raleigh is happy to harmoniously blend its past and present. Right beside brilliant new skyscrapers you will find buildings that have stood for more than a century. Just walking around the area of the State Capitol Building, you will run into old houses and buildings.

The Capitol itself has stood since 1840. Walk around its perfectly manicured lawns and admire this Greek Revival gem. Make sure to enjoy about a dozen statues that can be found on the grounds. You can tour the building on your own during the week, or on the weekend take a guided tour.

Only steps away from the Capitol Building you will find the NC Natural Sciences Museum and the NC History Museum.

The Natural Sciences Museum is the largest natural history museum in the Southeast. It is home to dinosaurs, waterfalls, butterflies, and to Willow, the only fossilized dinosaur found with a complete heart.

Step across the mall and you are at the NC History Museum. The museum highlights the history of our great state from its earliest inhabitants to more recent innovations. It also celebrates many of our firsts such as first in flight and the first discovery of gold.

Just a few minutes away from the Capitol area you will run into the graceful and elegant Executive Mansion. This 1891 home is one of the longest continually occupied governor residences. It can be toured by calling (919) 807-7984 at least 2 weeks in advance.

The NC Art Museum offers a treasure trove of pieces from ancient Egyptian artifacts to European masters. They have also played host to some incredible collections, including Rodin and, recently, Monet. Up next is the Temples and Tombs exhibit.

Raleigh is also home to the 2006 Stanley Cup winners, the Hurricanes! The Canes play in the nearby RBI Center. Make sure to get your tickets early.

Food fanatics have a variety of options in the wonderful city. While I was here I dined on a wrap at local hangouts The Flying Saucer and partook in the traditional eastern style BBQ of Don Murray’s BBQ and Seafood.

Quick Tips:

I have only begun to scratch the surface of what is offered here in Raleigh. In March I will have more to bring you when I travel to Raleigh once again to check out the Josh Groban concert. In the meantime, go to www.visitraleigh.com to request your own visitors' guide and check out what is happening in this most gracious capital city.

Raleigh is known at the Triangle, which includes neighboring Durham and Chapel Hill. Combine these cities and you have some of the biggest colleges (NC State, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Duke) in the country. That means when school starts and during such times as homecoming, the city fills up with visiting parents. So make your reservations early.

Raleigh offers everything from modern, clean hotels to major conference centers to quaint and charming B&Bs. There is something to suit every taste and budget.

Even before the Hurricanes won Lord Stanley’s Cup, hockey has been pretty popular. If you want to catch a game, go to www.carolinahurricanes.com to order tickets. Advanced ticket purchase is highly suggested, as well as hotel reservations.

Raleigh is also a popular conference and convention destination. They offer everything from the traditional to some really unique places to meet every need.

Like golf? Did you know Raleigh has 20 public access courses? Well, now you do. They also have a number of other sports options for every sporting fan.

Shoppers will be in charge card heaven here, including in the only Saks Fifth Avenue in NC.

Raleigh is also home to the massive NC State Fair, held at the end of October (www.ncstatefair.org). They even offer local train trips to get to the fair, saving you the aggravation of sitting on the highway trying to get into the place (www.bytrain.org).

Best Way To Get Around:

Raleigh is served by the Raleigh Durham Airport (RDU), which sits abut 11 miles outside of Raleigh. It offers 450 daily flights, including 39 non-stop destinations. They are served by nine major and 16 regional airlines, including low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines. Go to www.rdu.com for more info.

They are also served by local Amtrak services. Go to www.bytrain.org for more info.

Unless you’re staying in the downtown area, your best bet is to get a rental car. Rental cars can be picked up at the airport. They do have a public bus system in place (www.gotriangle.org), but I find those are usually best left to locals. Taxis are also readily available.

Parking can be a bear, especially downtown. There are plenty of parking meters and pay lots. On the weekend free parking can be found down around the museum/capitol building area. Parking is limited and filled rather quickly. I arrived at 8:30am. When I stopped by my van 2 hours later to drop off a few things, the spaces were all full.

Parking at other venues varies. Some offer free parking while others are paid parking. Just check with the venue before you go.

Even when the museum isn’t playing host to such renowned works as those of Rodin, Picasso, and Ansel Adams, it is still worth coming in for a visit.

The exhibits here cover more than 5,000 years of works from ancient Egypt to modern day masters. The museum has what is considered to be one of the Southeast’s most impressive collections of works by the Old Masters.

The museum covers two floors, with the largest concentration being on the second floor. The second floor includes their European, Classical, American, Egyptian, Africana, Oceanic, Judaic, and Ancient American galleries. The vast European collection covered a variety of eras, including Flemish Baroque, Spanish and Dutch Golden Age, and Neoclassical. They include works from artists such as Raphael, Botticelli, Ruben, Antonio Canova (who sculpted the original George Washington sculpture in the State Capitol Building) and Monet. Modern American Masters include artists such as O’Keefe, Marsden Hartley, and Thomas Hart Benton, and include styles such as cubist, pop cultural, and minimalist.

Visitors to the museum enter on the main level, where you will find an expansive and inviting lobby. Some of the modern day artists are featured on this level. This area houses their classrooms and video theater. Here is also where you will find their immense gift shop and box office. Level 3 is where you will find the Blue Ridge Restaurant and where special exhibits are housed, such as the recent Monet exhibition.

Next to the museums it is Museum Park. Throughout the year, a number of festivals and concerts are held here. One of the most popular events is their Summer Film Series when film fans converge on the park to watch movies under the stars and often are treated to musical performances from the film before the movie starts. It was christened in 1997 by legendary director Sidney Lumet when he premiered his move Night Falls on Manhattan .The museum's schedule is chock-full of classes, workshops, and demonstrations for all ages. They offer daily tours of the museum. The museum is handicapped accessible.

Hours/admissions/information

Hours:

Tues-Thurs and Sat 9am-5pm
Fri 9am-9pm
Sun 10am-5pm
Closed Monday and holidays

Admission: Free, but donations gladly accepted. Admission may be charged for special exhibitions.

Website: www.ncartmuseum.org

Up next? Temples and Tombs: Treasures of Egyptian Art From the British Museum, April 15-July 8, 2007. Tickets on sale. My advice? Get them early!

So next time you're in town, stop in and spend some time in this truly remarkable museum.

Producer Frank Wildhorn first brought the tragic tale of Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll to Broadway fans in 1997. The original cast included the super hunky Robert Cuccioli, Christine Noll, and the then-wife of Frank, Linda Eder. The show centers on Dr. Henry Jekyll, who believes that both evil and goodness exist in everyone. He is trying to find a way to separate the two. With no one to finance his experiments, he decides to experiment on himself. Then he does become the evil (but even hotter) Edward Hyde, who is a murderer.

The soundtrack from this show is absolutely amazing. This is the Moment became an instant cross-over hit, bringing this incredible show to more fans. Take Me as I Am, In His Eyes, and Someone Like You are also beautiful songs from the show. The show made a star of Eder, who has gone on to become a Broadway diva with her rich and incredibly beautiful voice. Sadly for us she and Frank’s divorce did not end amicably like Andrew Lloyd Webber and Sarah Brightman's, so she no longer performs his songs. Frank is also the creative genius behind such other wonderful shows as The Scarlet Pimpernel and The Civil War. For more information on Frank’s musicals, please visit him at www.frankwildhorn.com.

When I pony up almost $100 for a Broadway show (which I will do in a heartbeat), I expect that I will be seeing a touring cast from Broadway. Now I have absolutely nothing against regional theater. After all, many fine Broadway performers got their start this way. I just don’t expect to pay Broadway prices to see it. Imagine my shock to find out this production was from the NC Theater and not a touring Broadway cast. In this case, that ended up being a good thing, because—much to my delight—when I arrived I discovered the part of Jekyll and Hyde would be played by the very sexy and yummy Sebastian Bach. Yes, that Sebastian Bach of '80s bad hair fame and Skid Row. The Broadway gods weren’t playing a cruel trick on me after all.

In addition to the breathtakingly gorgeous Bach there were a few other outside talents in this show. George Merritt is a vet of the Broadway stage show. He played John Utterson in Raleigh, which is the role he originated in the original cast of Jekyll and Hyde with the hottie Robert Cuccioli. He can also be seen on the DVD version starring David Hasselhoff. He has also starred in Porgy and Bess, Ain't Misbehavin', and Beauty and the Beast. His work in opera includes Don Pasquale and Il Tabaro. Kate Shidle (Lucy) has played Sally Bowles in Cabaret, Lucy in the Broadway touring of J&H, and in Dance of the Vampires. She was also Miss America 1998. Tobi Foster (Emma Carew) has given her beautiful voice to one of my favorite characters, Cosette in Les Miz, as well as to Oklahoma and Sweet Smell of Success with John Lithgow. William Solo (Sir Danvers Carew) stared as yet another favorite, Jean Valjean in Les Miz (Bring Him Home brings me to tears every time), Phantom of the Opera, Camelot, and Annie.

As I mentioned, the main role was played to perfection by super sexy bad boy of hair metal...Sebastian Bach. Most know Sebastian as the lead singer for power metal band Skid Row (18 and Life, I Remember You). Eventually and sadly those wild boys and their wild hair went out of fashion. So Sebastian had to reinvent himself. In 2000 he did just that by taking on the role of the tormented doctor on the Broadway stage. Wildhorn had always envisioned a real rock star playing this part and hand picked Bach himself. Ticket sales soared. He was honored by Broadway.com as "Favorite Male Replacement" in 2000. He went on to play Riff Raff in the Rocky Horror Picture Show . In 2003 he toured as Jesus in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar. Back in the day I met Sebastian when I was backstage at a Skid Row show. My impression at the time? Pretty but dumb.

Now I admit I am a Broadway snob. When someone is in a Broadway show I expect them to be a highly trained professional regardless of how incredibly stunning they are. But OK, I certainly don’t mind breathtakingly gorgeous guys in a Broadway show. Ever since I saw Robert perform This is the Moment on Rosie I have been in love with this show and it is hard to replace Robert. I have seen the show several times and while the guys were good, they were not Robert. So I found it blasphemous to put a rock star in Broadway show. When the critics (who are even bigger snobs than I am) heaped accolades on him I conceded he must be good. While Robert is still the ideal Jekyll to me, he only beats Sebastian by a small margin. Sebastian Bach is certainly worthy of his Broadway star status.

After the show I stayed around to congratulate him. There were only about a dozen people in line so I got at the back so I could hopefully talk longer. After getting a picture and autograph, I told him what a wonderful job he did and how I thought he was as good as Cuccioli. I had the pleasure of spending about 30 minutes talking to him about the show and Broadway in general. This time I found a guy who has mellowed out (but in a good way) and who is very serious about the Broadway stage. He was funny and charming. Even though he is like me and now in his 40s, he is even sexier than last time I saw him. For information on Sebastian, please go to www.sebastianbach.com.

Overall the show was quite a delight. The cast was wonderful. There were a few times the show didn’t go right along with the original Broadway sequence. Still nothing to deter from this terrific night out. In the end I was quite OK with my $100 ticket. For more information on upcoming shows please go to www.NCTheatre.com.

Ticket to the Monet exhibit: $15
Gas to Raleigh to see Monet: $30
Monet exhibit catalog, Monet exhibit poster, postcards, and cube notes: $60
Standing less than 12 inches from Waterlillies: Priceless.

Raleigh was one of only three cities to get this once-in-a-lifetime, dream event, so you better believe this was a big deal. Newspapers all over the Carolinas ran articles, local and state publications such as Our State ran articles, and it was mentioned on local shows such as Our State and NC Weekend . Our local PBS station even gave the exhibit its own hour-long show. The show was expected to draw around 185,000 visitors. More than 214,000 visitors ended up coming to see this remarkable show. And since the tickets were sold out well in advance, I can guarantee you they could have easily surpassed more than a quarter of a million if they had more tickets. The exhibit drew art lovers from all over the US. Thanks to my wonderful husband I was lucky enough to be among the masses that got this rare chance to see something so astounding.

When most Americans think of Normandy, we naturally think of WWII and the tragedy that unfolded at the beaches there, so vividly depicted in the stunning film Saving Private Ryan , directed by Steven Spielberg and starring the very talented Tom Hanks. Before that time and since that time, Normandy is an amazing and vibrant area just outside Paris. Monet’s family moved to the area when he was only 5 years old. Later he would return to Paris to study art and would stay there and work for many years. When he was in his 40s, he moved back to the area (Giverny) with his family, where he would stay through the remainder of his life. He died in 1926 at the age of 86.

Claude Monet is considered the father of impressionism. Most of his paintings centered on landscapes and the outdoors. He used shading and made use of vibrant colors. He was one of the most high-profile artists of his time and more than 100 years later his works still inspire us. More than any other artist, his work is also the most reproduced. Not only in reproduction paintings and prints, but shower curtains, scarves, notebooks, playing cards, post-it notes, and so on. One has to wonder what Monet would think about his art being reproduced in such an odd fashion. Yet then again, he might get a kick out of knowing we are so enamored of his work that we want to snuggle up at night with his artwork blazoned across our comforter. Today more than a half a million people come to Giverny to see the amazing gardens that so inspired Monet (www.giverny.org). Here you can become your own artist with an artist’s canvas or a camera.

Sometime as a young child, (I can’t remember exactly where, but I would imagine in London) I remember going to an art museum. As I saw the works of artists such as Dali and Picasso, I remember being somewhat frightened. After all, noses growing out of the side of a head can be quite scary and confusing to a child. Then I see a Monet. I like the colors and the beauty of the painting. I have been a lifelong admirer of this man's work since then. In fact, a print of Monet's Poppies hangs over our bed. So one can imagine my happiness factor when my wonderful husband asked me if I would like a ticket for Christmas. There was no way I was missing this exhibit.

There are several of Monet’s haystacks paintings here, as well as the Cliffs of Eretat, cathedrals, cliffs at the beach, and of course, his garden. There are 50 paintings that have been assembled for this one-of-a-kind exhibit from private collectors and from some of the finest museums in the world. While I won’t list all 50, I will share my top five.

1. Waterlillies 1914-1917. This sublime painting, which stands around 6 feet tall, is by far my favorite Monet painting. I just admire the beauty, the simplicity, and the rich colors of this work. Amazing while this line of paintings is often what he is known for, he didn’t draw the painting until he was 75!

2. Beach at Trouville. The Normandy area was one of the first areas touted as a tourist destination. Monet painted vacationers along the boardwalk with their parasols and Parisian fashions.

3. The Seine at Giverny, Morning Mists. Monet so beautifully captured with Seine River in this scrumptious painting. It looks as if someone took a picture of the river using a soft filter lens. The colors brilliantly fade together to give you this lovely view of the river.

4. Garden at Sainte-Andresse. What a brilliantly colorful picture. We look out at the sea surrounded by this beautiful garden as a perfectly dressed couple stand as boats pass by while another couple sits back and enjoys the view as mush as we do.

5. Wisteria. I love the subtle shading in the background and the vibrant colors that just make this picture pop. This is just one of the many uses where Monet infuses such brilliant bursts of color while still keeping to his subtle shading he is known for.

There were only three showings of this collection in the states. San Francisco was the first to get it. We had it next in Raleigh. Next up are you nice folks in Cleveland at the Cleveland Art Museum, who get it from February 18 to May 20. You can go to www.clevlandart.org for more information and to order tickets. If you are going in Cleveland here are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Order tickets early. John asked me before Thanksgiving if I would like a ticket and we went ahead and ordered them. By Christmas all tickets were sold out. So decide on your date and order them early. Don’t be left out like many dozens we saw milling around trying to get a ticket.

2. Photography not allowed! Booo! But understandable.

3. It will be crowded and this will not be to the place to take in Waterlilles in all of its forms. Basically if you stayed in one spot for too long you were just herded on to the next painting.

4. Check with the museum about strollers. When I was here in Raleigh, large strollers were not permitted.

5. Bring your credit card. There is a massive gift shop devoted entirely to all things Monet. Not only do they have exhibit catalogs ($30 soft cover, $45 hardcover) but cube notes, exhibit posters, journals, scarves, T-shirts, magnets, soaps, and, well, you get the picture.

For more information on this unique exhibit, please go to www.monetinnormandy.org.

Very highly recommended.

Unlike its big-city competitor Charlotte, Raleigh has a sense of pride in its history. It has sat as the capital of North Carolina since 1789, when it was marked as the capital, and then permanently established in 1792. The original state capital was in New Bern, which sits in the coastal area of NC. Tryon Palace was the first governor’s residence. This stunning home can still be toured today. Raleigh was named after Sir Walter Raleigh. Raleigh, along with Chapel Hill and Durham, makes up an area known as the Triangle after the well-known Research Triangle Park. Today some 300,000 people call this metropolis home.

Here in Charlotte they would just as soon bulldoze over every historical property to make room for million dollar condos and sports stadiums. Visitors to Raleigh will enjoy strolling down streets where centuries-old buildings sit right along modern day skyscrapers. Many old buildings have been given new lives, such as the 1831 home of bank president William Polk that now is home to the State Employees Credit Union. There are old historical houses such as the Joel Lane House and the Mordecai Historical Park, and you can tour the lovely 1891 Executive Mansion, which is still occupied by the governor.

Also unlike Charlotte, Raleigh balances its sports attractions with venues for the whole family. Here you will find world-class museums, galleries, parks, and historical destinations. Raleigh also has its own theater company (the Burning Coal Theater Company) as well as a resident symphony, ballet, choir, and opera. Raleigh is also home to the world renowned hand bell choir, the Raleigh Ringers. Food fanatics and shoppers will be sure to find something here to fit every taste and budget.

Raleigh is very much a college town. NC State University as well as St. Augustine is here. The NC State Wolfpacks were of course led by Jim Valvano when they won the 1983 national championship. Later Jim went on to teach us the true meaning of being a champion when he bravely fought cancer. His foundation, the V Fountain, honors the late coach’s legacy and still raises money for cancer research. Two of the best women’s colleges, Meredith and Peace colleges, call Raleigh home. The oldest historical black college, Shaw University, draws students from all over. The Southeast Baptist Theological Seminary is one of the five largest seminaries in the country. Nearby are UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University, which are amongst the top colleges in the world. All of the universities boast incredible campuses and may be toured.

If you are ever visiting you may notice plaques all over the state with tidbits of information. This mile marker program highlights historical places all over the state and gives brief information about the site. Some places are no longer in existence, while many others are still standing proudly. There are more than 1000 markers all over and there is even a website dedicated to the markers. Go to www.ncmarkers.com, where you can also order a book listing all the markers. Raleigh and the cities that make up Wake County are hopping with mile makers. There are over 100 in Wake County. Everywhere I went in Raleigh I found a mile marker.

One note: Raleigh is home to the very lovely Emily Proctor, who plays the smart and feisty Calleigh Duquesne on CSI Miami .

Whether you are in Raleigh for business or pleasure, Raleigh is a most welcoming hostess. You will find all the comforts and conveniences of the big city, yet a city that still retains that small city southern charm. No matter if you have a day here or a week, you will simply be amazed at all the marvelous things you can do in the southern capital city.