BWW Interview: Joy Franz of ANASTASIA National TourApril 8, 2019Coming to the Durham Performing Arts Center from April 16th-21st is the national touring production of ANASTASIA. I recently had the great pleasure of interviewing actress Joy Franz, who is currently appearing in it as the Dowager Empress. A role that in the 1997 animated film was voiced by Angela Lansbury and on Broadway was originated by two-time Tony nominee Mary Beth Peil.
BWW Review: North Carolina Theatre's MAMMA MIA!February 13, 2019Based on the songs of ABBA, Mamma Mia! is set on a Greek Island where a young woman named Sophie Sheridan is about to get married, and she wants her birth father to give her away. Yet, she has no idea who it is, so she invites three men who were romantically involved with her mother 20 years ago to the wedding. When they arrive to the island, Sophie's mother, Donna Sheridan, is brought back memories of love and heartbreak.
BWW Exclusive: The Story of How RENT Came to BeJanuary 27, 2019Tonight, FOX will air their third live musical production. Following in the footsteps of Grease and A Christmas Story, the network will be presenting Jonathan Larson's Rent, a rock musical that is loosely based on Giacomo Puccini's 1896 opera, La boheme. The story follows a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and create a life in New York City's East Village in the thriving days of Bohemian Alphabet City, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.
BWW Review: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF National Tour at Durham Performing Arts CenterJanuary 9, 2019Based on Sholem Aleichem's series of short stories about Tevye the Dairyman, Fiddler on the Roof centers on Tevye, a poor milkman who lives in pre-revolutionary Russia with his wife and five daughters. Among the traditions in their little village of Anatevka, the matchmaker arranges a match between a boy and a girl, and the father must approve the arranged marriage. However, Tevye must cope with both the strong-willed actions of his three eldest daughters who wish to marry for love and outside influences of the Tsar who intrude upon his village.
TV: David Ferguson of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF National TourJanuary 6, 2019Coming to the Durham Performing Arts Center from January 8th-13th is the current national touring production of Fiddler on the Roof. I recently had the great pleasure of interviewing dance captain (and North Carolina native) David Ferguson.
BWW Review: JERSEY BOYS National Tour at North Carolina TheatreNovember 14, 2018Jersey Boys is presented in a documentary-style format that dramatizes the formation, success and eventual breakup of The Four Seasons. When I last met up with these boys, it was during their return engagement at DPAC back in 2015. Since then, the Broadway production celebrated its 10th anniversary, closed up shop, and is now running Off-Broadway at New World Stages.
BWW Review: HAMILTON National Tour at Durham Performing Arts CenterNovember 8, 2018Based on Ron Chernow's 2004 biographical novel titled Alexander Hamilton, the musical, Hamilton, tells the true story of one of America's Founding Fathers, Alexander Hamilton. An immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington's right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and was the new nation's first Treasury Secretary.
BWW Review: North Carolina Theatre's IN THE HEIGHTSOctober 17, 2018In the Heights is an original musical that is set over the course of three days, involving characters in the largely Hispanic-American neighborhood of Washington Heights in New York City. Originally conceived by Lin-Manuel Miranda during his sophomore year at Wesleyan University, the musical had its world premiere through their student theater company in April of 2000.
BWW Review: Raleigh Little Theatre's SISTER ACTAugust 17, 2018Based on Emile Ardolino's 1992 film of the same name, Sister Act follows disco diva Deloris Van Cartier as she is put in protective custody after witnessing a murder. Not only that, but she is hidden in the one place that the cops are sure she won't be found, a convent. While struggling through the restrictions of her new lifestyle, Deloris uses her unique disco moves and singing talent to inspire the choir, but in doing so, she jeopardizes her cover.
BWW Review: North Carolina Theatre's NEWSIESJuly 25, 2018Based on the 1992 Disney film of the same name, which in turn was inspired by the real-life newsboys strike of 1899 in New York City, Newsies tells the captivating story of a band of underdogs who become unlikely heroes when they stand up to the most powerful men in New York. When I last met up with these newsboys, it was during their strike at DPAC back in 2015. Since then, the tour closed up shop after a two-year run, became a hit Fathom Event, and is now available for licensing to schools, community, and regional theatres all over the world.
BWW Review: WAITRESS National Tour at Durham Performing Arts CenterMay 2, 2018Based on Adrienne Shelly's 2007 independent film of the same name, Waitress tells the story of Jenna Hunterson, a Waitress at a small town diner who is trapped in an abusive marriage to her husband Earl. When Jenna unexpectedly becomes pregnant, she begins an affair with her gynecologist, Dr. Jim Pomatter. Looking for ways out, she sees a pie contest and its grand prize as her chance.
BWW Review: BRIGHT STAR National Tour at North Carolina TheatreApril 18, 2018Originating from the 2013 collaborative album by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell titled Love Has Come for You, Bright Star tells a sweeping tale of love and redemption set against the rich backdrop in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina in the 1920s and '40s. The musical was inspired by the true story of a five-day-old baby who fell approximately 50 feet from a train into Big River in Irondale, Missouri on August 14th, 1902.
How It All Began? The Story of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTARApril 1, 2018Tim Rice & Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera that tells the story of the final week in the life of Jesus Christ. It begins with the preparation for the arrival of Jesus and his disciples in Jerusalem and ends with the crucifixion. It also highlights the political and interpersonal struggles between Jesus and one of his 12 apostles, Judas Iscariot that are not present in the Bible narratives.
TV: Desi Oakley of WAITRESS National TourMarch 21, 2018Coming to the Durham Performing Arts Center from May 1st-6th is the national touring production of Waitress. I recently had the great pleasure of interviewing actress Desi Oakley, who stars as Jenna Hunterson.
BWW Review: THE WIZARD OF OZ National Tour at North Carolina TheatreMarch 14, 2018Based on Victor Fleming's 1939 film musical of the same name as well as L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel, The Wizard of Oz (of course) follows Dorothy Gale, a young girl who lives on a farm in Kansas with her dog, Toto, until a cyclone arrives, picks up her house, and blows them away to the land of Oz. Things in Oz are strange and beautiful, but Dorothy just wants to go home. She's helped by the Good Witch of the North, but she's also in trouble with the Wicked Witch of the West, who seeks revenge for the death of her sister; the Wicked Witch of the East, for which she blames Dorothy.
BWW Review: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA National Tour at Durham Performing Arts CenterMarch 5, 2018Based on Gaston Leroux's 1910 horror novel of the same name, The Phantom of the Opera follows a deformed composer who haunts the grand Paris Opera House. Sheltered from the outside world in an underground cavern, the lonely, romantic man tutors and composes operas for Christine Daae, a gorgeous young soprano star-to-be. As Christine's star rises, and a handsome suitor from her past enters the picture, the Phantom grows mad, terrorizing the opera house owners and company with his murderous ways. Still, Christine finds herself drawn to the mystery man.
TV: Eva Tavares of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA National TourFebruary 27, 2018Coming back to the Durham Performing Arts Center from February 28th-March 11th is the new national touring production of The Phantom of the Opera! I recently had the great pleasure of interviewing actress Eva Tavares, who stars in the iconic role of Christine Daae.