All his songs but no Elvis

Broadway Series South will host All Shook Up, a touring Broadway play. The performance will begin at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium Tuesday.

Although the actors sing Elvis’ song, this play has nothing to do with the king of rock ‘n’ roll. It’s about an outsider and a love triangle.

One of the people caught up in this triangle is Natalie (Jenny Fellner). Fellner said she was excited about this show because it was her first time touring. She has “gotten to see a lot of the country.” Fellner does admit there are downfalls to touring.

“This has been hard for me not having my home base and living out of a suitcase,” she said.

But each city has its own excitement for her.

“There are different crowds in every city,” Fellner said. “It’s hard to get the energy to do it every night, but then you think you are going to be in a different city, and it’s going to be a different show.”

And as far as the show goes, she has her “favorite moments and numbers.”

“There is a number in the show where I have a transformation on stage, and I am completely alone,” Fellner said. “It’s well-written and funny.”

The show will run from March 20 – 25. Tickets cost between $24 – $64. For more information visit, www.BroadwaySeriesSouth.com or www.allshookup.com

— Kathleen Gordon

Dakota Darling celebrates CD release

Melodic, Brit popish, fairly radio worthy songs.

This is how Ben Davis, vocalist, guitarist and keyboard player for Dakota Darling, described the local band’s sound.

Containing three members in addition to Davis, the rest of the band consists of vocalist, guitarist and recent alumnus in aerospace engineering Mike Schroeder, Larry Dempsey on bass and Zack Van Hoy on drums.

These members bring a variety of sounds and experience to the table. Schroeder is a member of Yearling, another home-grown band, and spent time at the Berklee College of Music. Dempsey played in Evenfall, and Davis and Van Hoy both played in February’s Leaving. Van Hoy also played drums for the local hardcore band, Called to Arms.

Although Dakota Darling has only been together about a year, it has been performing since April and has already built a fan base. According to Davis, the guys are excited about finally having their music available for those fans, and the CD release show for their first album, Minutes Till the World, Friday night will serve as the band’s jumping-off point.

The show begins at 9 p.m. Friday, March 16 at The Brewery. Tickets cost $5 for 21-year-olds and $7 for those under 21.

Members of the band’s label Firefly Music will be present, giving away shirts, stickers and CDs.

For more information about Dakota Darling go to www.myspace.com/dakotadarlingmusic, or check out www.myspace.com/wearefirefly to learn more about its label.

— Laura White

Indian influence, sitar style

From the time she was a small child, Anoushka Shankar was immersed in music. Her mother took her to concerts in London and taught her to sing, and by the time she was 9-years-old her father was teaching her to play sitar.

“I was always interested, because it was very normal to be interested,” Shankar said.

She said the reason she chose to play the sitar, a traditional Indian string instrument, was initially because it was around. Her father, Ravi Shankar, is a renowned sitar player, and she said he has been her greatest influence.

However, Shankar said the more she played the sitar the more it appealed to her for other reasons. She loves the versatility of the instrument, as well as its deep and soulful sounds. She also said the difficulty in mastering the skill of playing it appealed to her personality — she loves a good challenge.

She began touring with her family at the age of 13, and while she is trained in classical sitar, she has begun to move toward more experimental music. She said she is influenced by individualistic, honest musicians like Bjork and Sting, who “creates such beautiful music that hits you so hard.”

Shankar will bring her Indian-inspired sounds to Stewart Theatre March 16 at 8 p.m. Tickets can be obtained in person on the second floor of Talley Student Center, over the phone at (919)515-1100 or online at http://www.ncsu.edu/centerstage/tickets.htm.

— Laura White

Spoken word poetry, pilgrimage and prayer

Through performances such as spoken word, poetry and rap, as well as other presentations, the Muslim Student Association will bring its faith to life Sunday night in Stewart Theatre.

Ian LaBennett, designer for MSA as well as a member of the executive board, said the organization is excited about bringing the beauty of its religion to campus. He said MSA wants to show campus that there is more to being Muslim than what students see on TV.

According to LaBennett, the event is open to all ages, and many members of MSA will have parents and siblings there. MSA Night is also open to all religions. He said he feels learning about other cultures is important, and he hopes to see all kinds of people at the event.

MSA Night begins March 18 at 6 p.m. Tickets are $5 for students, $7 for general admission. For more information check out msanight.com.

–Laura White