The Best (and worst) of Theatre in North Carolina: Improv Club, Hairspray, Das Barbecu, and Joseph & TATD

[CapnHook]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 9:22pm

I recently attended some theatre in Charlotte, Greensboro, and Raleigh in NORTH CAROLINA.

Improv Club (The Pirates) at Charlotte Comedy Theater - Charlotte

Some great improvers do hilarious improv games in this small, intimate, and nicely decorated comedy theater.

Great impressions and smart comedic improv players, this was a delight and I will be back.

Tickets were cheap, and there are on-going promotions, such as "Admit Two For One" or "$2 off." The Charlotte Comedy Theater is located on 1111D Hawthorne Lane. Call for reservations at 866-467-7681 and visit their website at http://www.charlottecomedy.com (they also offer improv classes).

Hairspray at the Belk Theater of Blumenthal Performing Arts Center - Charlotte

I saw the current national tour of HAIRSPRAY - and what a treat (and disappointment. See below).

The cast was AMAZING! Keala Settle opened the show weakling in the first moments of the show, but picked up later into the number. J.P. Dougherty was FABULOUS as Edna! I was so used to Harvey's voice, it took a while to get used to this new sound. But he was EXCELLENT and in some ways, better than Harvey! (Yes - I said it!). I saw Stephen DeRosa as "The Baker" in the INTO THE WOODS revival on Broadway. He was OK, and he was also OK in this production. No Dick Lateesa, and didn't really make the part his own, but simply did what was needed for the character, which is all we can ask for. But why not more?

There was an understudy for Link Larkin. There are two understudies for the role, and I cannot remember which performed. I *think* it was Jeremy Woodard. Whichever it was - he was FANTASTIC, and could easily have the role to his own.

The entire cast was great - and the Finale after the curtain call was VERY high-powered. The DISAPPOINTMENT (part 1) was that the Finale was more high-powered than the show! If they would have put that energy into the show - WOW!! It's sort of a deception. As long as we love the ending, the audience will forgive them for ANYTHING! Which brings me to part two of my disappointment:

I hope the show didn't win Best Book at the Tonys, because there was a HUGE issue! Act I was really great, but NOTHING happened in Act II! Act II is insanely short. The only real plot happens in "You Can't Stop the Beat." Sure, there's terriffic songs, but WHERE'S THE PLOT?? The story stays until the end, with some minor "we'll do this" and "let's do it!" detail planning.

Certainly not the best show I have seen, but it was very enjoyable and has OUTSTANDING TALENT and OUSTANDING MUSIC!

Blumenthal Performing Arts Center hosts Broadway Light Series. Visit them at http://www.broadwaylightseries.comhttp://www.broadwaylightseries.comhttp://www.broadwaylightseries.comhttp://www.broadwaylightseries.com for information on their 05-06 season. Peter Pan arrives next to follow Hairspray.

Das Barbecu at Triad Stage - Greensboro

HOLY CRAP! WAS THERE EVER A MORE AWFUL SHOW?!

Let's first provide the positive:

Triad Stage is a very decorated and respected professional theater company in Greensboro, NC. They do awesome theatre and have just started to do musicals. The theatre is BEAUTIFUL. Not tiny, not small, not large, but a perfect medium. I'd love to see a straight play here.

Back to Das Barbecu: the set was AMAZING. BRILLIANT. Metal siding with a cut-out of the state of Texas. Splits in half to open and close. Great lighting and floor, too. And PROPS TO THE DRESSERS because there are some EXTREMELY FAST costume changes in this show!

PROPS now also to the cast of 5 (each actor plays MULTIPLE ROLES in the show). They have amazing voices, and different voices and character movements for each of their roles that they do. Terriffic!

And that's all the good stuff. The show, however, is BAD! VERY BAD! First show I EVER saw that I wanted to LEAVE AT INTERMISSION! But I couldn't because I knew people involved with it.

There was ONE good part about the show - the ENDING. Literally, the closing number "Turn The Tide" was the BEST part of the show and the only song I truly enjoyed. And it was a WONDERFUL song. I'd want it on CD.

The rest of the show is BAD. VERY BAD. And I wasn't impressed with the directing, neither.

The plot involves a cowboy who possesses a magic ring in which he gives to a girl he gets engaged to. But there is a narcaleptic dwarf who wants to steal the magic ring and give it to someone else. A spell is cast on the cowboy, and he gives the ring to a different girl who he gets engaged with, and the original girl, in turn, gets engaged to a different cowboy. LORD OF THE RINGS, ANYONE?

The show was very confusing to follow - I didn't know what was going on. And the writer knew this. As part of the show, the actors stop it to make sure they knew what was going on. They explain it, out of character, in simple terms.

I still don't know what happened. Somehow the magic ring goes to everyone and back again. There are characters I don't know why they exist. There are musical numbers that don't seem to have anything to do with the show. And SOMEHOW THE COWBOY ENDS UP DEAD IN THE END! Yes, I spoiled it. When he died I was like WHAT? WHAT'S GOING ON!? My face said it all.

Book and Lyrics are by Jim Luigs and Music by Scott Warrender. Sorry, guys. NOT A GOOD SHOW. But the actors and tech tried. They, at least, tried to make it a good show.

Don't let this production turn you away from Triad Stage. They do great theatre! Visit their website at http://www.triadstage.org or call [phone]. They are located at 232 S. Elm Street in Downtown Greensboro. Bars and restaurants literally directly across the street. Choice of family friendly, gay friendly, or college friendly.

Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at
Raleigh Memorial Auditorium - Raleigh

I saw the production today, featuring BWW's very own Matthew Addison! You were BRILLIANT, Matt! How can you SEE with that hat covering yoru face in the finale?

Honestly, I did not like this show. Great talent, cute little kids, likable songs, but in a nothing show. I didn't like the method of storytelling, nor how the songs were incorporated into the show. I guess what I am trying to say is that there are major book problems.

A NC Theatre production, starring Sheena Easton and Ray Walker. NC Theatre is a professional theatre company in Raleigh, NC who do EXCELLENT THEATRE. Recently, they have brought in Broadway Equity Actors to star in their productions, such as Lou Diamond Phillips in THE KING & I and Norm Lewis, Lauren Kennedy (and another I am forgetting) for RAGTIME.

Visit their website at http://www.nctheatre.com. Their productions take place at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, which also hosts Broadway Series South. See which tours are coming through at http://www.broadwayseriessouth.com

Peter Pan at Belk Theater - Charlotte

TO BE ADDED AUGUST 1.

Blumenthal Performing Arts Center hosts Broadway Light Series. Visit them at http://www.broadwaylightseries.comhttp://www.broadwaylightseries.comhttp://www.broadwaylightseries.comhttp://www.broadwaylightseries.com for information on their 05-06 season.

SUPPORT REGIONAL THEATRE!

Updated On: 7/9/05 at 09:22 PM

[Chevstriss]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 10:31pm

I've not seen Das Barbeque performed, but it does assume a familiarity w/ Ring Cycle. I'll take your word that the show is poor, but perhaps you needed a better knowledge of the original to enjoy the parody.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 10:51pm

In the program, it does mention Lord of the Rings and others:

"Wagner's Ring Cycle. Tolkein's Lord of the Rings. George Jones and Tammy Wynette's Golden Ring. What's all this fuss about rings?"

[CapnHook]

Posted: 7/9/05 at 8:48pm

BUMP - saw JOSEPH and added my review in the original post.