FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 1, 2023
BIG NIGHT IN FOR THE ARTS JUST GOT BIGGER!
Tik Tok Dance Duo Cost n’ Mayor Join the Line-up and
Grammy-Nominated Country Musician Rissi Palmer to Play Live at Triangle Watch Party
Raleigh, NC—Austin and Marideth Telenko popularly known as “Cost n’ Mayor,” a lovable dance duo whose routines are as synchronous as their couple-hood, are performing during Big Night In for the Arts on March 9, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. (More on Cost n’ Mayor’s journey below.) The arts councils from Chatham, Durham, Orange, and Wake Counties, in partnership with WRAL-TV, are joining forces once again to broadcast this regional fundraiser to ensure that the arts and culture community will continue to thrive and remain a part of what makes the Triangle a unique place to live, work, and play.
New this year will be an in-person Triangle-Wide Watch Party beginning at 6:00 p.m. at The Mayton in Downtown Cary, NC. Guests will enjoy drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and live music. Then at 7:00 p.m. the third annual Big Night In for the Arts will be shown on the big screen. During the show, WRAL-TV anchors will be at the party to give live updates, and, as a special treat, Grammy-nominated country musician Rissi Palmer will perform live for the broadcast from The Mayton. (More on Rissi below)
Individual tickets for the Triangle-Wide Watch Party are now on sale for $75 while they last.
In addition to Cost n’ Mayor and Rissi Palmer, this year’s superstar line-up includes roots music duo Chatham Rabbits, Tony Award-winning star Beth Leavel, Appalachian-Venezuelan fusion duo Larry & Joe, sculptor Patrick Dougherty, and spoken word poet and current Piedmont Laureate Dasan Ahanu.
Join us on March 9, 2023 at the Big Night In Watch Party starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Mayton or tune in to WRAL-TV or WRAL.com at 7:00 p.m. from the comfort of your home and show your support of the arts! The broadcast will be closed captioned and audio described to increase accessibility for everyone interested in participating. For more information visit https://bignightin.org/
More on Cost n’ Mayor: After only dating two months, professional dancers Marideth and Austin decided to visit Marideth’s hometown of Raleigh right after the pandemic began in March 2020 to get away from New York City for what they thought would be “two weeks tops.” Weeks turned to months, so they decided to stay in Raleigh to save money and stay safe. While quarantining in her parents’ attic, they launched their Tik Tok career with their original choreography performed in perfect unison creating “movements that physically embody the sounds.” Fast forward three years and the couple are now married, living in Los Angeles, and performing on Good Morning America, The Kelly Clarkson Show, and with the grammy-award-winning group, Pentatonix, for their national tour. Even with all their success away from Tik Tok, Austin and Marideth continue to share their exciting journey through dance and marriage with their 6 million + followers daily.
More on Rissi Palmer: Rissi’s gift lies in reaching across all musical boundaries. While she made her mark in Country Music, she is equally at home in R&B music, bringing the entire spectrum of popular music to bear on music she calls “Southern Soul.” Highlights throughout her musical career include performances at The White House, New York’s Lincoln Center, and multiple appearances on the Grand Ole Opry. She has toured extensively across the country, sharing stages with Taylor Swift, The Eagles, and more. As a passionate voice for country artists of color and those who have been marginalized in mainstream country music, Rissi launched her own radio show Color Me Country with Rissi Palmer on Apple Music and the Color Me Country Artist Grant Fund designed to support new country artists of color who are just beginning to build their music careers.
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About Big Night In for the Arts:
Born during the pandemic out of a love and respect for the arts, Big Night In for the Arts is a regional fundraising event to ensure that arts and culture will continue to thrive and remain part of what makes our region a unique place to live. Arts agencies from Chatham, Durham, Orange, and Wake Counties have joined together in support of a mutual cause. In partnership with WRAL-TV, the Chatham Arts Council, the Durham Arts Council, the Orange County Arts Commission, and the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County are working together to maximize efforts to rally robust financial support for artists and arts/cultural organizations during Big Night In. For more information, please visit bignightin.org
About United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County:
The United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County is designated by the Wake County Commissioners and the North Carolina Arts Council as the official local arts agency for Wake County. As a private nonprofit, United Arts has worked for more than 30 years to build a better Raleigh and Wake County through the support of and advocacy for the arts. United Arts partners with businesses, individuals, foundations, and government to provide life-changing arts programming and support to our schools and community, resources and opportunities for artists, and arts integration training for teachers. Learn more at UnitedArts.org
About WRAL-TV’S Parent Company:
Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc. is a diversified communications company which owns and/or operates WRAL-TV, WRAZ-TV, WRAL-FM, WRAL-HD2, WNGT-CD, WCMC-FM, WCMC-HD1, WDNC-AM, WCMC-HD2, WCMC-HD3, WCLY-AM, WCMC-HD4, Microspace, WRAL Digital and Wolfpack Sports Properties (a joint venture with Learfield) in Raleigh, NC; WILM-TV, WILT-LD and Sunrise Broadcasting in Wilmington, NC; The Durham Bulls Baseball Club, Bull City Hospitality, the American Underground startup hub in Durham, NC; and real estate interests including the American Tobacco Historic District in Durham, NC, and Rocky Mount Mills in Rocky Mount, NC.