>> Deborah: WELCOME TO "NORTH CAROLINA WEEKEND."
I'M DEBORAH HOLT NOEL.
IT IS SAFE TO SAY THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A TIME IN OUR STATE'S
HISTORY WHEN WILMINGTON WAS ANYTHING LESS THAN A POWERFUL
ATTRACTION FOR FOLKS ACROSS THE STATE AND BEYOND.
AND WE ARE NOT ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE BEACH, SEAPORT, AND
FINANCIAL POWER THE CITY CAN OFFER.
WILMINGTON HAS ALSO BEEN AN IMPORTANT SHOWPLACE FOR THE
ARTS.
AND IN RECENT MONTHS, IT HAS ADDED A HIGH-TECH PERFORMING
ARTS VENUE SURE TO BRING EVEN MORE HIGH-PROFILE EVENTS AND
VISITORS.
RICK SULLIVAN INTRODUCES US TO THE BUILDING KNOWN LOCALLY AS
THE CENTER.
>> Reporter: PRIOR TO THE CIVIL WAR, THE BIGGEST TOWN IN NORTH
CAROLINA WAS WILMINGTON, WITH A POPULATION OF JUST UNDER 10,000
IN 1858.
THAT'S WHEN THALIAN HALL WAS COMPLETED.
IT WAS AND STILL IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BUILDINGS IN
NORTH CAROLINA.
>> IT'S A PRETTY EXTRAORDINARY THEATRE.
A BUILDING THAT HAS GONE THROUGH MANY, MANY CHANGES OVER ITS
HISTORY.
IT KEEPS GETTING MORE AND MORE BEAUTIFUL.
IT'S LIKE AN OLD FAMILY HOME, THAT EACH FAMILY, EACH
GENERATION, HAS ADDED ANOTHER LAYER TO IT.
>> Reporter: THIS GRAND OLD HALL SET THE BAR PRETTY HIGH FOR
WILMINGTON'S ARTS VENUES.
NOW, MORE THAN 160 YEARS LATER, THIS IS EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA'S
NEWEST PLACE TO PLAY.
IT'S CALLED THE CAPE FEAR COMMUNITY COLLEGE HUMANITIES AND
FINE ARTS CENTER, ALSO KNOWN AS THE CENTER.
>> IT'S JUST UNDER 160,000 SQUARE FEET.
IT COVERS AN ENTIRE BLOCK IN DOWNTOWN WILMINGTON.
IT -- WE HAVE MULTIPLE VENUES, PERFORMANCE VENUES.
WE HAVE OUR MAIN PERFORMANCE HALL, WHICH SEATS 1559.
WE HAVE A STUDIO THEATER WHICH SEATS 108.
OUR LOBBY SPANS THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THIRD STREET AND CAN
HOLD UP TO 2200.
>> Reporter: IN ADDITION TO HOSTING PERFORMANCES, THE
BUILDING IS EXPECTED TO SEE 10,000 STUDENTS A WEEK PASSING
THROUGH ITS EDUCATIONAL AREAS.
IT'S ALREADY HAVING A MASSIVE IMPACT ON THE AREA'S ARTS AND
EDUCATION, AND THAT IMPACT IS SURE TO GROW.
>> ♪ I'M THINKING ABOUT YOU ♪ ♪ AND I THINK YOU WHEN ♪
>> THIS IS THE LARGEST PERFORMING ARTS VENUE AND MOST
TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA.
AND SO IT'S DEFINITELY A GAME-CHANGER FOR THE CAPE FEAR
REGION AND THE TYPES OF PERFORMANCES THAT WE CAN
EXPERIENCE IN TERMS OF BROADWAY TOURING THEATRICALS AND
LARGE-SCALE CONCERTS AND COMEDY, IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF GUESTS
THAT WE CAN HAVE EXPERIENCING A PROGRAM AS WELL AS THE STAGE
TECHNOLOGY AND ACOUSTIC EXPERIENCE THAT WE CAN OFFER.
>> Reporter: WHILE THE NEW FINE ARTS CENTER CAN NOW PACK THE
HOUSE WITH ABOUT THREE TIMES THE CAPACITY OF THE HISTORIC HALL
DOWN THE STREET, THALIAN HALL'S RELEVANCE TO THE COMMUNITY
REMAINS INTACT.
>> A CONCERN THAT THE COMMUNITY HAD WHEN THE NEW HALL WAS BEING
BUILT, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO SEE ANYTHING HAPPEN THAT WOULD
JEOPARDIZE THE VITALITY OF THALIAN HALL AND ITS
SUSTAINABILITY.
AND WHAT WE'VE SEEN SO FAR IS, IT'S -- IT CERTAINLY HAS NOT
DONE ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
IT'S ACTUALLY ADDED TO THE MIX.
THE PIE HAS GOTTEN BIGGER.
THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE BUYING TICKETS.
SO WILMINGTON IS BECOMING AN EVEN GREATER DESTINATION FOR THE
PERFORMING ARTS WITH THESE TWO FACILITIES.
WE PRACTICALLY CAN -- YOU KNOW, WE CAN ALMOST WAVE AT EACH OTHER
DOWN THE STREET.
>> Reporter: AND BEYOND THE POSITIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT AND THE
ABILITY TO LAND IMPRESSIVE PERFORMERS, THE CENTER GIVES
WILMINGTON THE POTENTIAL TO DEVELOP ITS OWN THEATER TALENT,
MUCH LIKE WHAT WE'VE SEEN WITH DECADES OF LOCAL EXPOSURE TO THE
FILM INDUSTRY AND THE TALENT THAT HAS COME OF IT.
>> THAT'S HOW WE FUNCTION HERE.
AND THIS FIRST AND FOREMOST IS A LABORATORY FOR STUDENT LEARNING.
AND SO -- >> Reporter: THAT'S HOW WE ROLL.
>> THAT'S HOW WE ROLL.
THAT'S RIGHT.
EVERY PERFORMANCE THAT WE'VE HAD HERE FROM DAY ONE TO TONIGHT,
STUDENTS HAVE BEEN A PART OF EACH PROGRAM.
>> Reporter: IN WILMINGTON AT THE CAPE FEAR COMMUNITY COLLEGE
HUMANITIES AND FINE ARTS CENTER, I'M RICK SULLIVAN FOR "NORTH
CAROLINA WEEKEND."