Raleigh Theatre + Broadway News

Burning Coal to Present OAKWOOD UNPLUGGED, 5/18 & 19

(5/14/2012) Burning Coal is excited to premiere Oakwood: Unplugged, a musical performance in the historic Oakwood Cemetery, 701 Oakwood Avenue Raleigh, NC, Friday and Saturday, May 18 and 19th at 6:30 pm and Sunday, May 20th at 2 pm. Adult tickets are $20, students $10, and are available by calling 919.834.4001 or visiting www.burningcoal.org.

Grant Llewellyn Leads North Carolina Symphony in RHAPSODY IN BLUE, 6/3

(5/14/2012) North Carolina Symphony Music Director Grant Llewellyn leads the orchestra and featured pianist Clara Yang in “Rhapsody in Blue” in a special Sunday concert during this summer’s Rex Healthcare Summerfest Series.

DSI Comedy Theater Presents CHOOSE YOUR OWN MUSICAL!, May-June, Carrboro

(5/12/2012) This May, DSI Comedy Theater is taking on musical theater as it introduces the fully improvised musical, Choose Your Own Musical!. This take on musical theater runs Saturdays in May and June at 9:30 p.m. starting tonight, May 12.

BRIGADOON, RUINED, et al. Set for Burning Coal 2012-2013 Season

(5/8/2012) Burning Coal Theatre Company has just announced its new season of plays for the coming 2012/2013 season including BRIGADOON and RUINED.

FatMouth Improv Set for Common Ground Theatre, 5/19

(5/8/2012) FatMouth Improv will pursue the answer all of America wants to know on Saturday May 19th at the Common Ground Theatre, Durham at 8 p.m. with special guest Ken Wolpert & Musical Accompanist Glenn Mehrbach.

Burning Coal Theatre Company Presents 'Business Speak' Acting Class, Now thru 5/28

(5/7/2012) Burning Coal Theatre Company’s Artistic Director, Jerome Davis, and Education Director Ian Finley teach this class on the art of public speaking. Dates and times are today, May 7 through May 28, 2012, Mondays from 6:30-9:30 pm. The class costs $120, due at the first class. Classes will take place at the Murphey School, 224 Polk Street, Raleigh, NC. For further information, visit www.burningcoal.org. To register, call 919-834-4001.

BWW Reviews: WICKED Flies Back into Durham

(5/5/2012) Wicked has clearly established itself as a runaway success, so I don’t think what people need now is my personal “review” of the show. Ever since being nominated for the Tony Award for best musical, people have known that the show is good. But I do want to put in my two cents about seeing the touring company at the Durham Performing Arts Center.

Voting Opens for the 2012 BroadwayWorld.com Awards - Vote Now on the Best of the New York Season!

(5/3/2012) The TONY Awards Nominators had their say earlier this week and now it's your turn! We're pleased to announce that voting has now opened for the 10th Annual BroadwayWorld.com Awards!

DSI Comedy Theater Presents Social COMedia, 5/4-25

(5/3/2012) DSI Comedy Theater is giving audiences a reason to keep their cell phones on during live comedy with their newest endeavor, Social COMedia.

Natalie Merchant Performs With the North Carolina Symphony, 5/29

(5/2/2012) Internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant joins the North Carolina Symphony for a one-night-only performance of music from her latest album, Leave Your Sleep, alongside new and previously recorded songs. Just sixty seats remain for this crossover concert in Raleigh’s Meymandi Concert Hall, Tuesday, May 29 at 7:30 p.m.

DSI Comedy Theater Announces CHOOSE YOUR OWN MUSICAL!, May-June, Carrboro

(5/2/2012) This May, DSI Comedy Theater is taking on musical theater as it introduces the fully improvised musical, Choose Your Own Musical!. This take on musical theater runs Saturdays in May and June at 9:30 p.m. starting Saturday May 12.

North Carolina Symphony Launches Rex Healthcare Summerfest Series, 5/26

(5/2/2012) Later this month, North Carolina Symphony fans can! The orchestra, led by Resident Conductor and Summerfest Artistic Director William Henry Curry, launches the 2012 edition of its Rex Healthcare Summerfest Series with “Summerfest Opening Night” at Cary’s Booth Amphitheatre.

Burning Coal's JUDE THE OBSCURE Closes on Saturday

(5/1/2012) Burning Coal's Jude the Obscure, Parts 1 & 2 by Ian Finley, Jon Fitts and Bruce Benedict has entered its final week. Remaining performances are Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 pm and Saturday afternoon at 2 pm. Part 1 runs Thursday evening and Saturday afternoon. Part 2 runs Friday and Saturday evening.

BWW Reviews: Looking Back or Looking Forward - HENCEFORWARD... at Deep Dish Theater

(4/30/2012) There’s a first time for everything. This past weekend marked the first time I saw a play in which one of the main characters is a robot. You’re going to have to trust me that it’s not quite as strange as it sounds – it’s Deep Dish Theater Company’s production of Alan Ayckbourn’s Henceforward…. So, R2-D2 doesn’t take the stage, but two of the actresses share the role of a NAN300F, a robot originally designed to care for children.

Beth Leavel, Jenn Colella, et al. End Run in NC Theatre's STEEL MAGNOLIAS, Closing Tonight, 4/29

(4/29/2012) Tony Award-winning actress and Raleigh native, Beth Leavel, stars as ‘M’Lynn’ in North Carolina Theatre's production of Steel Magnolias. The play ends its run tonight, April 29, in A.J. Fletcher Theater at the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Raleigh.

Burning Coal Theatre Company to Host Politheatrics 2012, 6/28-7/8

(4/27/2012) A festival of devised work centering on the theme of politics from across the southeastern United States and beyond, June 28 – July 8, 2012 at Burning Coal Theatre Company’s Murphey School Auditorium, 224 Polk Street, Raleigh, North Carolina. All tickets to all performances $5. No reservations necessary. For further information, call 919-834-4001 or visit us online at www.burningcoal.org. A complete listing of performances and events will be forthcoming.

Burning Coal Theatre Company and SheCow Productions Present FOR COLORED GIRLS..., 5/10-20

(4/27/2012) Burning Coal Theatre Company and SheCow Productions present For Colored Girls Who’ve Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf by Ntozake Shange.

APASSIONATA Horse Entertainment Show Kicks Off North American Tour Today

(4/27/2012) Now in its ninth year, APASSIONATA Europe’s most successful live entertainment show, featuring more than 40 horses and seen by more than five million fans in over forty cities, will make its North American debut today, April 27, 2012, at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. The new show entitled “The Beginning” will kick off an eighteen month, sixty-six city arena North American tour.

Burning Coal Theatre Company Continues KIDSWRITE, 6/1-3

(4/26/2012) Burning Coal Theatre Company of Raleigh, NC today announced the following play scripts that will be produced as part of the KidsWrite 2012 Festival of New Plays.

North Carolina Symphony Presents Free Summer Concerts Across the State

(4/26/2012) This summer, the North Carolina Symphony will present eight free outdoor concerts in communities across the state. Beginning with a program featuring several all-American favorites, May 31-June 4, and including the Symphony’s popular Independence Day concerts, July 1-4, and “Pops in the City” in the Raleigh Amphitheatre, Sept. 9, these performances collectively labeled “Concerts in Your Community” are a gift to the people of North Carolina to launch the Symphony’s 80th year of service to the state.

North Carolina Symphony Presents SIMPLY SINATRA, 5/18-19

(4/25/2012) Vocalist Steve Lippia joins the North Carolina Symphony next month to celebrate a true American original, Frank Sinatra. The orchestra, led by Resident Conductor William Henry Curry, presents “Simply Sinatra” at Raleigh’s Meymandi Concert Hall on Friday and Saturday, May 18-19 at 8:00 p.m.

North Carolina Symphony Presents Free Concerts for Western North Carolina Students, 4/26-27

(4/23/2012) Every year, the North Carolina Symphony and its small ensembles present over 45 free education performances to elementary and middle school-age students across North Carolina. The series forms the core of the most extensive education program of any U.S. orchestra.

Human Nature Comes to Raleigh Tonight

(4/23/2012) HUMAN NATURE, Australia’s #1 pop vocal group with millions of albums sold worldwide, brings “Human Nature: The Motown Show” to Raleigh Memorial Auditorium tonight, Monday April 23, 2012. The chart-topping quartet and their seven-piece band, The Funk Foundation, is embarking on its first U.S. tour this spring visiting nearly 40 cities to celebrate the success of the TV special, “Human Nature Sings Motown with Special Guest Smokey Robinson,” which premiered in December 2011 on PBS stations nationwide. This outstanding evening of hit-driven entertainment features Motown's greatest music, inspiring audiences young and old to be “dancing in the streets” and the aisles.

BWW Reviews: Bringing Hardy to Life: JUDE THE OBSCURE at Burning Coal Theatre Company

(4/22/2012) New work is exciting – it is the lifeblood of the arts community. I am honored by every opportunity I get to see new work opening itself up to the world for the very first time. I was particularly honored to see Burning Coal Theatre Company’s world premiere of Jude the Obscure because it is based on my very favorite book.

Matt Cavenaugh, Jenn Gambatese Join Winston-Salem Symphony in I HEART THE 80'S, 4/21

(4/21/2012) Broadway stars Matt Cavenaugh (West Side Story, Grey Gardens) and Jenn Gambatese (Tarzan, All Shook Up) will appear in concert with Maestro Robert Moody and the Winston-Salem Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, April 21st 2012 at 7:30pm at the R.J. Reynolds Memorial Auditorium. Together they will perform I HEART THE 80'S (produced by Broadway Pops International). Everyone will have the time of their life with music from "Dirty Dancing", Lionel Richie, Neil Diamond, Duran Duran and so much more!

APASSIONATA Horse Entertainment Show Kicks Off North American Tour, 4/27

(4/20/2012) Now in its ninth year, APASSIONATA Europe’s most successful live entertainment show, featuring more than 40 horses and seen by more than five million fans in over forty cities, will make its North American debut on April 27, 2012, at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. The new show entitled “The Beginning” will kick off an eighteen month, sixty-six city arena North American tour.

NC Theatre 2012-13 Broadway Season Will Include CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, SHREK and More

(4/19/2012) North Carolina Theatre, celebrating 30 seasons as the region’s premier non-profit, professional regional theatre, and Broadway Series South, the anchor presenter of First National Touring shows and a producer of Broadway and concerts in the region for more than a decade will build on their partnership to bring a laugh-out-loud Broadway season to the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts for their 2012-2013 season.

ROMEO AND JULIET & More Set for North Carolina Shakespeare Festival 2012-13, High Point

(4/18/2012) The North Carolina Shakespeare Festival will mark its 2012-13 schedule with the 35th MainStage production, an innovative, contemporary look at Romeo and Juliet, along with its beloved annual production of A Christmas Carol and a spring statewide tour by the Shakespeare To Go program, the festival announced today.

Matt Cavenaugh, Jenn Gambatese Join Winston-Salem Symphony in I HEART THE 80'S, 4/21

(4/17/2012) Broadway stars Matt Cavenaugh (West Side Story, Grey Gardens) and Jenn Gambatese (Tarzan, All Shook Up) will appear in concert with Maestro Robert Moody and the Winston-Salem Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, April 21st 2012 at 7:30pm at the R.J. Reynolds Memorial Auditorium. Together they will perform I HEART THE 80'S (produced by Broadway Pops International). Everyone will have the time of their life with music from "Dirty Dancing", Lionel Richie, Neil Diamond, Duran Duran and so much more!

Theatre In The Park Announces 2012-2013 Season: NEXT TO NORMAL, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and More

(4/17/2012) Opening Theatre In The Park's season in September is the Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning musical Next to Normal. With what's being described as "a thrilling contemporary score by Tom Kitt and book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, Next to Normal is an emotional powerhouse of a musical about a family trying to take care of themselves and each other. Making its Triangle debut, this emotionally charged contemporary classic is not to be missed."

Burning Coal Theatre Company Announce New Class THE IDEAL SPEAKER for May

(4/17/2012) Burning Coal Theatre Company’s Education Director and Piedmont Laureate Ian Finley will teach a 4-week class on the art of public speaking this May 7-28, 2012. THE IDEAL SPEAKER: Actor's Tools for All Professions will teach students how to utilize an actor’s tools of Confidence, Articulation, and Improvisation in their professional life.

BWW Reviews: NOISES OFF, Funny On at PlayMakers Repertory Company

(4/16/2012) This sounds like an exaggeration, but I promise that it’s not: Noises Off at PlayMakers Repertory Company in Chapel Hill is, honest-to-goodness, the funniest thing I have seen in quite some time. It reminded me that live theater is magical – I cannot think of a single movie which is as funny as this live-action comedy. Michael Frayn’s writing is brilliant – how any human is able to write something so tight and fast-paced is beyond me. It’s not a popular piece for nothing. Under the skillful direction of Michael Michetti, the cast is able to capture the blissful comedy of the piece, beat by beat.

OLIVER! Set for NC Theatre, 7/17

(4/16/2012) The NC Theatre will present OLIVER! from July 17th through July 22nd at the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium.

Raleigh Little Theatre Presents THE CRUCIBLE, 4/13

(4/16/2012) The Raleigh Little Theatre presents THE CRUCIBLE by Arthur Miller at the Cantey V. Sutton Theatre from April 13 – 29, 2012, directed by Haskell Fitz-Simons.

Pink Martini Added to North Carolina Symphony’s 2012/13 Pops Series

(4/16/2012) Pink Martini will return to Raleigh this December for three holiday celebrations with the North Carolina Symphony, the orchestra announced today.

North Carolina Symphony Closes THE MUSIC MAN at Meymandi Concert Hall

(4/15/2012) The North Carolina Symphony takes concertgoers to River City, Iowa, next month when Resident Conductor William Henry Curry leads the orchestra and noted area actors in a semi-staged production of Meredith Willson’s treasured Broadway musical The Music Man.

BWW Student Center's School in the Spotlight: Furman University

(4/13/2012) Last year, BroadwayWorld.com, the largest theater website on the Internet, launched a comprehensive Student Database listing college and university performing arts programs across the country. This free service makes it easier for prospective students by showcasing programs searchable by schools, location, degrees and concentrations.

North Carolina Symphony and Area Actors Present Meredith Willson’s THE MUSIC MAN, 4/13-15

(4/12/2012) The North Carolina Symphony takes concertgoers to River City, Iowa, this week when Resident Conductor William Henry Curry leads the orchestra and noted area actors in a semi-staged production of Meredith Willson’s treasured Broadway musical The Music Man. The Pops Series performances take place at Raleigh’s Meymandi Concert Hall on Friday and Saturday, April 13-14 at 8:00 p.m. A matinee performance follows on Sunday, April 15 at 3:00 p.m.

North Carolina Symphony Pub Series Returns This Monday

(4/12/2012) The 2011/12 edition of the North Carolina Symphony’s Pub Series, the popular and relaxed dinner concerts featuring small ensembles of Symphony musicians, return for two final installments beginning this Monday.

Burning Coal Theatre Presents World Premiere of JUDE THE OBSCURE, 4/12-5/5

(4/12/2012) Burning Coal Theatre Company will close its 15th season with the world premiere of Jude the Obscure, Parts 1 & 2 by Ian Finley, with music and lyrics by Thomas Hardy, Bruce Benedict, Jerome Davis and Jonathan Fitts. The production will run April 12 – May 5, 2012 at the Murphey School, 224 Polk Street, Raleigh, NC. Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 pm (April 12 – 14, 19 – 21, 26 – 28 and May 3 - 5, 2012), Saturdays at 2 pm (April 21, 28 and May 5, 2012) and Sundays at 2 pm (April 15, 22, 29, 2012). Sunday, April 15 (Part 1) and Sunday, April 22nd (Part 2) at 2 pm are our ‘Pay What You Can’ days. Those performances will also be Audio Described. Tickets are $20 or $15 for students, seniors and active military. All tickets are $10 on Thursday evenings. For reservations and information, please call 919-834-4001 or visit www.burningcoal.org.