Ahoy, mateys.
Are you fascinated by treasure trunks laden with stolen booty, sunken ships that hold wondrous and tragic secrets, and that spine-chilling pirate known as Blackbeard?
If so, have we got an evening for you! On July 29 at 7 p.m., Mike Daniel, world-renowned naval historian, underwater adventurer and marine coordinator for the film industry, presents his exciting and educational seafaring lecture titled “Pirates, Shipwrecks and Treasures” in the Mariam & Robert Hayes Performing Arts Center’s Wilson Theatre. The Center is located at 152 Jamie Fort Road (off Hwy 321) in Blowing Rock, N.C.
This lecture, presented in conjunction with the Blowing Rock Stage Company’s production of Peter Pan (on stage at the Center July 18-Aug. 3) is appropriate for ages 6 and older, and includes the true stories of some of Daniel’s most renowned discoveries, as well as bone-rattling information on the nefarious Blackbeard, on whom Peter Pan’s Captain Hook is based.
In 1996, Daniel discovered Blackbeard’s flagship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge (QAR), one of the world’s most important underwater archaeological discoveries. In 1972, Daniel — who is currently the President of Maritime Research Institute, North Carolina’s partner in the excavations of the QAR — discovered the treasure-laden Spanish Galleon, the 1656 Nuestra Senora de la Maravilla, the richest treasure ship found to date in the Western hemisphere. In 1990, Daniel discovered the 1838 Seminole Indian War battle site in his hometown of Jupiter, Fla., the history of which is the foundation of the United States’ presence in South Florida. An authority on Columbus, Daniel acquired the permit to excavate the harbor of Isabella, Columbus’ first city in the New World. He is also an authority on Ponce de Leon and his discovery of Florida.
As a result of Daniel’s many deep-sea discoveries and his retrieval of some of the most valuable treasures ever recovered from the sea, he has appeared on Good Morning America and been featured in People magazine, National Geographic, Smithsonian and American Archaeology, among others.
Mike Daniel will present his lecture in the Wilson Theatre, 2nd floor, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10, $5 for students, and are available now by calling the Box Office at 828-295-9627. You may pay by credit card or by cash (in person). Tickets can also be purchased online at www.HayesCenter.org by credit card. Special group rates are also available. Season and Flex Passes can be purchased and used throughout the entire ’08 season.
“This is a rare opportunity for for anyone interested in treasure hunting or charmed by the story of Peter Pan, to hear and dialogue with a man who is probably second only to Mel Fisher in his passion for finding last treasures,” said Rick Suyao, Marketing Director for the Hayes Center. “Many fans travel hundreds of miles out of their way to hear Mike speak, and with our production of Peter Pan, we’re bringing him right here in our very own back yard.”