BWW Interview: Arnetia Walker on THE WIZ, DREAMGIRLS, & YES, VIRGINIANovember 11, 2021From November 18th-21st, Judson Theatre Company will be presenting a new holiday comedy by Stan Zimmerman & Christian McLaughlin titled YES, VIRGINIA at Owens Auditorium inside the Bradshaw Performing Arts Center. Actress Arnetia Walker stars in the production opposite Mindy Sterling. She has appeared on Broadway in THE SIGN IN SIDNEY BRUSTEIN'S WINDOW, TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA, RAISIN, THE WIZ, and DREAMGIRLS. Her TV credits include: QUANTUM LEAP, NURSES, THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR, MAD ABOUT YOU, NYPD BLUE, MALCOLM & EDDIE, JUST SHOOT ME!, THE STEVE HARVEY SHOW, TOUCHED BY AN ANGLE, CITY OF ANGELS, JUDGING AMY, EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, and DYNASTY. Her film credits include: THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS, THE WIZARD OF SPEED AND TIME, SCENES FROM THE CLASS STRUGGLE IN BEVERLY HILLS, LOVE CRIMES, FOR LOVE OF THE GAME, and COLLEGE ROAD TRIP. I had the great pleasure of interviewing her about all of this and more.
BWW Interview: Stan Zimmerman on THE GOLDEN GIRLS and YES, VIRGINIANovember 2, 2021Stan Zimmerman is a playwright who has two events coming up at Owens Auditorium inside Bradshaw Performing Arts Center, both of which will be presented by Judson Theatre Company in Pinehurst, North Carolina. On November 14th, he'll be sharing some behind the scenes stories from his days of working as a writer on the first season of THE GOLDEN GIRLS in an event titled AN EVENING ON THE LANAI. Meanwhile, a new holiday comedy he co-wrote with Christian McLaughlin titled YES, VIRGINIA starring Mindy Sterling & Arnetia Walker will be running from November 18th-21st. I had the great pleasure of interviewing him about all of this and more.
BWW Review: TOOTSIE National Tour at Durham Performing Arts CenterOctober 20, 2021Based on Sydney Pollack's 1982 Academy Award-winning film of the same name, Tootsie follows Michael Dorsey, a skilled actor with a talent for not keeping a job. Desperate and out-of-work, Michael makes a last-ditch effort at making his dreams come true...by disguising himself as actress Dorothy Michaels. In a meteoric rise to Broadway stardom, Dorothy soon has audiences falling at her feet while Michael (disguised as Dorothy) is falling for his co-star, Julie Nichols. It isn't long before Michael realizes that maintaining his greatest acting success is going to be much harder than he expected.
BWW Review: North Carolina Theatre's 9 TO 5: THE MUSICALOctober 13, 2021Based on Colin Higgins' 1980 Academy Award nominated film of the same name, 9 to 5 follows three female coworkers in the late 1970s. Pushed to the boiling point, they team up to concoct a plan to get even with the sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot they call their boss. In a hilarious turn of events, Violet, Judy, and Doralee live out their wildest fantasy - giving their boss the boot! While Franklin Hart remains 'otherwise engaged,' the women give their workplace a dream makeover, taking control of the company that had always kept them down.
BWW Interview: Ben Davis of North Carolina Theatre's 9 TO 5: THE MUSICALOctober 12, 2021From October 12th-17th, North Carolina Theatre will be presenting a production of 9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, which is located inside Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. The show features a book penned by Patricia Resnick, who was one of the screenwriters behind the original movie, and an original score written by Dolly Parton. North Carolina Theatre's production stars Sara Jean Ford as Judy Bernly (the Jane Fonda role), Lauren Kennedy, the Producing Artistic Director of Theatre Raleigh, as Violet Newstead (the Lily Tomlin role), and Ryah Nixon as Doralee Rhodes (the Dolly Parton role). Not to mention that Raleigh's own Ira David Wood III, the Artistic and Executive Director of Theatre in the Park, will be making a special appearance in the show as the Chairman of the Board. I recently had the great pleasure of interviewing actor Ben Davis, who will be taking on the role of Franklin Hart, Jr. Ben has previously appeared on Broadway in LES MISÉRABLES, LA BOHÈME (which earned him along with his fellow cast members a special Tony Award in 2003), THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, VIOLET, and DEAR EVAN HANSEN.
BWW Review: Theatre Raleigh's PEACE OF CLAYOctober 3, 2021Peace of Clay explores the pressures, hopes, and aspirations of a young man coming of age in a southern city in the 1980s. Raised by a devoted mother in the projects, Clay tries to pursue his path in the midst of obstacles large and small while also discovering his own power and strength.
BWW Review: Raleigh Little Theatre's BEEHIVE: THE 60S MUSICALAugust 13, 2021Beehive: The 60s Musical is a revue that celebrates the powerful female voices of the 1960s with such timeless hits as 'My Boyfriend's Back', 'Be My Baby', 'Son of a Preacher Man', and 'Me and Bobby McGee'. Told from the perspective of six young women who come of age in this enigmatic decade, Beehive takes us from their first Beehive Dance to the challenges we faced as a nation.
BWW Review: Burning Coal Theatre Company's GIRLS AND BOYSJune 28, 2021Loosely based on Euripides' Medea, Girls and Boys tells the harrowing tale of a young upwardly mobile lady who is a business woman, a wife, and a mother of two young children. In short, she has it all. But can she keep it? This one-woman play written by Dennis Kelly originally premiered at The Royal Court Theatre in London on February 8th, 2018 with Carey Mulligan in the starring role.
BWW Review: Burning Coal Theatre Company's NINE LIVESJune 25, 2021Nine Lives follows the journey of a young gay African man who is seeking asylum in the U.K. The young man, Ishmael, lives out of a suitcase. As he struggles to convince the government of his need for asylum, he comes to see the U.K. as a cold, aloof, and heartless place. Until he meets a young woman from the wrong side of the tracks. A single mother with a low-paying job, she represents for him a lifeline to the future. But how can their friendship ever be what each needs it to be?
BWW Review: 2021 Triangle Rising Star AwardsMay 21, 2021In 2016 and 2017, I had the great pleasure of attending the Triangle Rising Star Awards at the Durham Performing Arts Center. In 2018 and 2019, I wasn't able to do so due to other commitments I had when they were being held. Last year, the 10th annual show was set to take place on May 28th with former American Idol runner-up, Broadway alum, and Raleigh native Clay Aiken serving as guest host. However, the COVID-19 pandemic (which took full swing in March of 2020) ended up forcing DPAC to suspend performances until further notice. Though this year, the Triangle Rising Star Awards have returned (albeit, virtually), and I was able to tune in from the comfort of my home.
BWW Review: Raleigh Little Theatre's A NUMBERMarch 5, 2021This happens to be my first review for BroadwayWorld in over a year. The last one I did was for North Carolina Theatre's production of Kinky Boots back in February of 2020, which took place one month before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Thanks to the streaming option from Raleigh Little Theatre, I am now back in business.
BWW Interview: Vivienne Benesch of PlayMakers Repertory CompanyAugust 23, 2020I recently had the great pleasure of interviewing Vivienne Benesch, who is the Producing Artistic Director of PlayMakers Repertory Company in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. At PlayMakers, she has helmed productions of Life of Galileo, Leaving Eden, The May Queen, Three Sisters, Love Alone, RED, and In The Next Room (or the Vibrator Play).
BWW Interview: Elizabeth Doran & Eric Woodall of North Carolina TheatreJuly 27, 2020On June 8th, North Carolina Theatre announced that based on recommendations from the City of Raleigh and given the circumstances surrounding the current health pandemic, they ended up canceling the remainder of their 2019-20 Season, which includes productions of Memphis, The Sound of Music, and Edges.
BWW Interview: Robert Hartwell of North Carolina Theatre's MEMPHISMarch 9, 2020From March 24th-29th, North Carolina Theatre will be presenting a production of Joe DiPietro & David Bryan's 2010 Tony-winning musical, Memphis, at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium. I recently had the great pleasure of interviewing Robert Hartwell, who will be directing and choreographing the production.