Raleigh Theatre + Broadway News

BWW Blog: Paige Faure - A Happy Buzz

(5/24/2013) - My mother in law, Rebecca, and I were talking about this thing we are calling 'the post-show happy buzz'. It's the palpable energy felt after a musical that keeps you, as the performer, hungry for more even when you're spent. It keeps the audiences coming back with that indescribable 'I just love theatre' feeling. It keeps producers investing, marketing, promoting even when it may be risky. It's the silent but mutual agreement that what we are creating, seeing, experiencing is real and connecting us all when it's very easy to feel disconnected. That we can laugh together, confer on topics normally untouched, and shamelessly lavish ourselves in song and dance for the sake of itself. And in this world of joyful theatrical drunkenness, we take all kinds! It's a big ol' open invitation to humanity. I mean, the fact that I was at the doctors office the other day and the quirky consulting physician went from talking to me about the whooping cough vaccine to how much he and his wife are wild about seeing shows should be indication enough. He spoke to me longer about Phantom of the Opera then about my ear infection. (Side note: he also said I was a spitting image for Mindy from 'Mork and Mindy'. I really don't see it. I did say he was quirky...)

THE RASCALS: ONCE UPON A DREAM Launches North American Tour Today

(5/24/2013) - Producers Steven Van Zandt and Maureen Van Zandt, Marc Brickman, Larry Magid and Base Entertainment have announced that the sold-out Broadway engagement The Rascals: Once Upon a Dream will embark on a tour to play venues across North America. The tour kicks off today, May 24, 2013 at Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

Jonathan Fitts Leads 2013 Summer Theatre Conservatory for Burning Coal

(5/23/2013) - Burning Coal Theatre Company has announced that Jonathan Fitts, a recent graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, will conduct its 2013 Summer Theatre Conservatory for Teens in July. Jonathan will then take over as Director of Education at Burning Coal Theatre Company. A photo of Jon is attached and his bio is below.

PlayMakers Rep to Welcome NYC's The TEAM for New Work Debut, 5/29

(5/21/2013) - New York theater ensemble The TEAM -- which will be developing a new performance piece while in residence with PlayMakers Repertory Company at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill -- will unveil its work-in-progress May 29 at 7:30 p.m. at Frey Rehearsal Hall in the Center for Dramatic Art on Country Club Road.

Theatre In The Park Announces 2013-2014 Season

(5/21/2013) - Simply The Best - this is what Theatre In The Park is calling the 2013-2014 Season as three of their most popular and requested shows, a world premiere, and a new "Second Series" makes its way on the stage all leading up to the 40th Anniversary of A Christmas Carol in December, 2014.

Burning Coal Theatre Company Announces 8-Week Classes for Adults

(5/20/2013) - Burning Coal Theatre Company's artistic director, Jerome Davis, will conduct an eight week acting class based on the concepts the legendary acting teacher, Uta Hagen. The class will take place Mondays from 7 to 10 pm, June 10 through July 29th. The class is a scene study class which emphasizes ideas discussed in Ms. Hagen's landmark book Respect for Acting. Tuition is $200. To enroll, or for more information, please call 919.834.4001. Further information may be found at http://burningcoal.org/uta-hagen/. The class is open to people of all skill and experience levels age 16 and up.

Theatre Raleigh Opens I DO! I DO!, 5/29

(5/20/2013) - On the heels of the successful run of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Theatre Raleigh gets ready for the next engagement of their popular Hot Summer Nights Series with I Do! I Do! This is the touching story of two soul mates navigating the perils of life, set to the strains of a tuneful, charming score. The show opens on Wednesday, May 29 and runs through Sunday, June 9at Kennedy Theater at the Duke Energy Center.

BWW Blog: DROWSY CHAPERONE's Paige Faure - Traveling with Baby

(5/20/2013) - Well, after 14 hours, 4 poopy diapers, 3 overpriced water bottles, 2 Toblerones and 1 mid-flight meltdown, Henry and I made it to Houston in one piece.

Now Playing Onstage in Raleigh - Week of 5/19/2013

(5/19/2013) - Upcoming Shows - Week of 5/19/2013 for Raleigh

Deep Dish Theater Announces Upcoming Season

(5/17/2013) - Deep Dish Theater has announced its 13th Season, opening August 23, 2013.

Tickets Go on Sale Today for GHOST BROTHERS OF DARKLAND COUNTY National Tour!

(5/17/2013) - AEG Live has announced that the southern gothic, supernatural musical Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, written by Stephen King, with music by John Mellencamp and T Bone Burnett, has confirmed a tour of 20 American cities throughout the Midwest and Southeast beginning October 10 in Bloomington, IN, and ending November 6 in Grand Rapids, MI. Tickets go on sale today, May 17 at 10am at aeglive.com.

BWW Reviews: SISTER ACT Lifts Spirits in Durham

(5/16/2013) - The lauded film-turned-hit-Broadway-musical Sister Act has come to town and is playing at the Durham Performing Arts Center. The show has everything from crime drama to nun choreography. It's fun for the whole family.

Common Ground Theatre Announces June Events

(5/16/2013) - Common Ground Theatre (www.cgtheatre.com) is a performance and teaching space located in west Durham, offering performing arts and educational groups a flexible, well-equipped alternative space. The Theatre provides a convenient venue for Triangle audiences to experience the diversity of our area's arts and educational offerings.

SISTER ACT Opens Tomorrow in Durham

(5/13/2013) - SISTER ACT, the family friendly, over the top spectacle with nuns that rock, opens at DPAC on Tuesday, May 14 for eight performances, through Sunday, May 19!

Now Playing Onstage in Raleigh - Week of 5/12/2013

(5/12/2013) - Upcoming Shows - Week of 5/12/2013 for Raleigh

Carol Burnett Returns to DPAC Tonight

(5/12/2013) - Come spend Mother's Day with comedic legend, Carol Burnett when she returns to DPAC, Durham Performing Arts Center tonight, May 12, 2013. 'Laughter and Reflection with Carol Burnett: A Conversation with Carol where the Audience Asks the Questions' is Burnett's off-the-cuff conversation with the audience, a format that grew out of the question-and-answer sessions she shared with her studio audience on each episode of The Carol Burnett Show.

RLT's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Announces Haiti Scholar Talk, Book Clubs & Open Rehearsals

(5/10/2013) - In advance of Once On This Island, Raleigh Little Theatre will present a mini-festival examining the culture and history of Haiti and examining the island nation's cultural dialogue with the United States. The highlight of this is a scholar talk on Sunday, May 19 called 'Haiti on Stage & Screen,' led by Duke professor Laurent Dubois.

Stephen King, John Mellencamp and T Bone Burnett's GHOST BROTHERS OF DARKLAND COUNTY to Kick Off National Tour, Oct 2013

(5/10/2013) - AEG Live has announced that the southern gothic, supernatural musical Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, written by Stephen King, with music by John Mellencamp and T Bone Burnett, has confirmed a tour of 20 American cities throughout the Midwest and Southeast beginning October 10 in Bloomington, IN, and ending November 6 in Grand Rapids, MI. Tickets go on sale Friday, May 17 at 10am at aeglive.com.

BWW Blog: Paige Faure - A Very DROWSY Opening

(5/9/2013) - Hello, how are we? I'm feeling a little drowsy myself.

BWW Reviews: Raleigh Natives Shine in NC Theatre's THE DROWSY CHAPERONE

(5/9/2013) - It's an old-fashioned musical - with a twist. NC Theatre's current production is the 2006 Broadway musical, The Drowsy Chaperone, subtitled, 'A Musical Within a Comedy.' The show's premise is that the narrator, named simply Man in Chair, guides the audience through his favorite show album (on vinyl, of course), the fictitious 1928 The Drowsy Chaperone. In a tongue-in-cheek look at the musical comedies of Broadway in the 1920s, the Man in Chair provides modern-day commentary on the things that make such shows at once laughable and wonderful. The show-within-the-show tells of a star, Janet Van Der Graaff, about to give up life on stage for marriage. Of course, no classic musical would be complete without its own off-the-wall subplots. The Drowsy Chaperone includes everything from a spit-take obsessed butler/hostess pair to pun-loving gangsters disguised as bakers, as well as Van Der Graaff's chaperone who has her own romantic entanglements with the hopelessly clumsy Adolfo. The premise is what makes this show work - the modern-day lens creates a show which is accessible without sacrificing on humor.

STAGE TUBE: Clay Aiken, Beth Leavel and More in Highlights of NCT's DROWSY CHAPERONE

(5/8/2013) - American Idol star, Clay Aiken, is returning to the stage as 'Man in Chair' in North Carolina Theatre's production of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE along with Tony-Award winner, Beth Leavel, who is reprising her role as 'The Chaperone.' The show is currently playing through May 12 at the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. BroadwayWorld has a first look at highlights from the production below!

BWW TV Exclusive: On the Road with PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT- Episode 12!

(5/7/2013) - BWW is excited to spend a year on the road on the bus with the cast of PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT! In Episode 12 of our On the Road series, Taurean Everett brings us along for their adventures in Durham, North Carolina. Check out this installment below and tune in later for more episodes as the cast journeys across the country!

Photo Flash: First Look at Clay Aiken, Beth Leavel and More in NCT's DROWSY CHAPERONE

(5/7/2013) - American Idol star, Clay Aiken, is returning to the stage as 'Man in Chair' in North Carolina Theatre's production of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE along with Tony-Award winner, Beth Leavel, who will be reprising her role as 'The Chaperone.' The show is set to open tonight, May 7 through May 12 at the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production shots below!

STAGE TUBE: Sneak Peek at Clay Aiken and Beth Leavel in Rehearsals for NCT's DROWSY CHAPERONE

(5/7/2013) - American Idol star, Clay Aiken, will be returning to the stage as 'Man in Chair' in North Carolina Theatre's production of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE along with Tony-Award winner, Beth Leavel, who will be reprising her role as 'The Chaperone.' The show is set to open tonight, May 7 through May 12 at the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at rehearsals and interviews below.

THE WIZARD OF OZ North American Tour to Launch from Las Vegas in September 2013; Danielle Wade to Play 'Dorothy'

(5/6/2013) - Producers Bill Kenwright, The Really Useful Group, David Mirvish, Troika Entertainment & Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures have just announced that the first North American tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber's new stage adaptation of THE WIZARD OF OZ will commence on September 10, 2013 at The Smith Center in Las Vegas, NV.

Now Playing Onstage in Raleigh - Week of 5/05/2013

(5/5/2013) - Upcoming Shows - Week of 5/05/2013 for Raleigh

Voting Opens for the 2013 BroadwayWorld Awards! Vote Now for the Best of the 2012-13 Theatre Season...

(5/2/2013) - 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 11th Annual BroadwayWorld.com Awards!

Burning Coal Theatre Company Announces KIDSWRITE 2013

(5/2/2013) - Burning Coal Theatre Company has announced the plays that will be produced as part of KidsWrite 2013. The performance will include plays from students at Raleigh Charter School, Enloe High School and Wake Young Men's Leadership Academy. Performances of KidsWrite 2013 will take place on Friday, May 24th at 7:30 pm and Saturday, May 25th at 2 pm and 7:30 pm. Tickets are $10. No reservations necessary. More information may be found at www.burningcoal.org or by calling 919.834.4001.

Tickets On Sale Now for CPCC Summer Theatre Season

(5/2/2013) - Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) Summer Theatre announces individual tickets are now on sale for its 40th anniversary season. This year, the troupe is bringing an incredible lineup of quality shows at prices the entire family can enjoy. Tickets are available for $18 and $22, with tickets for children under the age of 14 available for $10 and just $7 for the children's show. In addition, parking is free for all shows.

BWW Reviews: Fabulous and Heartwarming, PRISCILLA Takes on Durham

(5/1/2013) - Durham just got a whole lot more glittery!

Tickets for Piedmont Players Theatre's TREASURE ISLAND Go On Sale Monday

(5/1/2013) - Based on the masterful adventure novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island one of the most frequently told stories in the world. Described as a stunning yarn of piracy on the tropical seas, it begins at an inn on the Devon coast of England in 1775 and quickly becomes an unforgettable tale of treachery and mayhem featuring a host of legendary swashbucklers including the dangerous Billy Bones (played unforgettably in the movies by Lionel Barrymore), the sinister two-timing Israel Hands, the brassy woman pirate Anne Bonney, and the hideous form of evil incarnate, Blind Pew.

Lee Street Theatre Presents HOTEL 6, 5/15-18

(4/30/2013) - Lee Street theatre will present ther 5th Annual Original 10-Minute Play Festival, HOTEL 6.

RLT Opens THE BREMENTOWN MUSICIANS This Friday

(4/30/2013) - A musical based on The Grimm Brothers' tale, The Brementown Musicians opens May 3 for a three-week run in the Gaddy-Goodwin Teaching Theatre at Raleigh Little Theatre. Donny the donkey and his fellow animals, including a cat, a dog and a rooster, are discarded by their owners. They follow their dreams of becoming famous musicians and in the process, save Brementown.

THE RASCALS: ONCE UPON A DREAM to Launch North American Tour, May 24

(4/29/2013) - Producers Steven Van Zandt and Maureen Van Zandt, Marc Brickman, Larry Magid and BASE Entertainment have announced that the sold-out Broadway engagement THE RASCALS: ONCE UPON A DREAM will embark on a tour to play venues across North America. The tour kicks off May 24, 2013 at Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT Comes to DPAC, Now thru 5/5

(4/29/2013) - The first national tour of Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical is coming to the Triangle at DPAC, from tonight, April 30 to May 5.

BWW Interviews: PRISCILLA's Wade McCollum Discusses the Show as it Rolls into Durham

(4/29/2013) - Get out your most sparkly shoes, because Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is headed for Durham. This glitzy show follows drag queens through the Australian outback on a bus named, of course, Priscilla. The big production numbers are paralleled only by the heart of the storyline. Ultimately, it's a show about accepting yourself and others for their own brand of fabulous. I recently had the chance to speak with Wade McCollum, who plays Tick/Mitzi. I got the scoop on what it's like to perform in such a demanding show, how he prepared, and the ins and outs of his complex character.

BWW Reviews: SPELLING BEE Gets Big Laughs in Downtown Raleigh

(4/28/2013) - The current production at Hot Summer Nights | Theatre Raleigh, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee follows a group of kids (played by adults) as they navigate the fiercely competitive pre-teen spelling circuit. As the young characters compete for the top prize (a trip to Washington, DC to compete in nationals), they deal with social pressures, family tension, rampant hormones, and more. Don't let the plaid jumpers and pink overalls fool you - though this show is about kids, it's certainly for adults. The writing provides a grown-up's perspective on the chaos of pre-adolescence as the contestants proclaim that life is 'Pandemonium.' Audience members get in on the action as well, as several volunteers become contestants in the bee. Folks who are game for anything and don't mind some good-natured humor aimed their way should absolutely try their hand at the bee.

Now Playing Onstage in Raleigh - Week of 4/28/2013

(4/28/2013) - Upcoming Shows - Week of 4/28/2013 for Raleigh

Jazz and Shakespeare Meet in SUCH SWEET THUNDER at North Carolina Shakespeare Festival Tonight

(4/27/2013) - This April, the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival will again present the unique concert and theatrical performance Such Sweet Thunder, a jazz suite composed by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn inspired by works by Shakespeare.

50 SHADES! THE MUSICAL Continues North American Tour, Now thru June 2013

(4/26/2013) - Hot on the heels of sold-out engagements in New York and Chicago, "50 SHADES! THE MUSICAL," the original, critically-hailed parody of the phenomenally popular books, is taking its whips, feather dusters and outrageous laughs on a tour of North America.