Monday, August 24, 2009

First Annual Producer Trip to the Big Apple

I was honored to be a part of the first annual Producer Trip to New York August 5-7! As part of our annual fund, Producer level individual donors to the NCT are invited to attend auditions in New York and see a Broadway show (or two!). The inaugural trip included Walter Powell and Melody Fountain, Debbie and Mary Beth Woody, Edythe Poyner and Florence Lumsden along with staff members Lisa Grele Barrie, Carolee Baxter and me! Our guests were invited to sit in and watch as Carolee busily worked with director Josh Bergasse, musical director Edward G. Robinson and artistic director Casey Hushion to audition over 400 men and women for West Side Story. Those of us non-production folks were very impressed with the outstanding talent we saw and very glad to not have to make the tough decisions about who would and would not be in the show.

Lisa Grele Barrie and Mary Beth Woody watching auditions at Equity Audition Center in NYC

We were fortunate to see two shows while in New York. The group saw Raleigh-native Lauren Kennedy as "Mary" in Vanities at 2econd Stage and loved it. Lauren's smile is infectious and we were grateful to have the chance to see her after the show and thank her for a great night of theatre!

The whole group with Vanities star Lauren Kennedy after the show

The second night we were there we saw In the Heights and thanks to our Aritstic Director Casey Hushion (who just happens to be the Assistant Director for In the Heights) we were able to get a "backstage" tour. We quickly saw that there was no backstage (actors have to run up and down a steep flight of stairs to change clothes between numbers) and instead admired the set up close. We said hello to a few of the actors, including everyone's favorite graphitti artist "Graphitti Pete" played by Seth Stewart and had our pictures taken...repeatedly. After all, how often do you get a chance to stand on a Broadway stage?

Carolee Baxter & Lisa Grele Barrie on stage at In the Heights

On stage at In the Heights

It was a very successful trip...thank you to Walter and Melody, Debbie and Mary Beth and Edythe and Florence for trusting us to "produce" an excellent adventure for you!

Friday, August 21, 2009

John Arthur Greene in Broadway's West Side Story

Congrats to John Arthur - a former Kids on Broadway and NCT performer! He has landed the role of "Riff" in the Broadway revival West Side Story - recently nominated for 4 Tony Awards. The News & Observer did a neat article on him, and he talks about NCT - where he got his start! We wish him nothing but the best of luck with West Side Story and all of his future endeavors!

To read the full article, click here.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Up Next...Bat Boy!


Our next production is BAT BOY, August 6-9, in Meymandi Theatre at the Murphey School. This is our youth production and is a part of the Master Summer Theatre Arts School program, which is a continuation of our Kids on Broadway program.

BAT BOY is a classic love story with some serious "bite!"This delicious twist on the modern-day musical comedy tells the amazing story of a strange boy with pointy ears, his struggle to find a place in a world that shuns him, and the love that can create both miracles and madness.

Tickets are $10-$15 and are available by calling the NCT Box Office at 919-831-6941 x6944. Meymandi Theatre at the Murphey School is Burning Coal Theatre Company's new theatre located in downtown Raleigh at the corner of Person and Polk Streets. (Please note that there is also a PG-13 rating on this show).

Performance Schedule:
Thursday, August 6 at 8 PM
Friday, August 7 at 8 PM
Saturday, August 8 at 2 and 8 PM
Sunday, August 9 at 2 and 7 PM

Cast List:
Hillary Aarons (Ensemble)
Rachel Akin (Ensemble)
Amarachi Anakaraonye (Reverend Hightower)
Jackson Bloom (Ron Taylor)
Allison Bonner (Mayor Maggie)
Kathleen Bottomley (Mrs. Taylor)
Jonathan Cobrda (Bat Boy)
Jason Cooper (Dr. Parker)
Patrick Cyzewski (Bud)
Meredith Davis (Meredith Parker)
Elizabeth Galbraith (Ensemble)
Matthew Harvey (Clem)
Anna Higginson (Ensemble)
Aneesa Johnson (Ensemble)
Shelby Kurtzman (Ensemble)
Lydia Elaine Leggett (Ruthie Taylor)
Connor Lillis (Pan)
Courtney Poland (Ensemble)
Lily Rashid (Ensemble/Young Meredith)
Haley Richardson (Ensemble)
Morgan Richardson (Ensemble)
Tyler Betts Rollins (Ensemble)
Emily Schmid (Ensemble)
Mary Simmons (Loraine)
Joey Stephens (Rick Taylor)
Adam Stern-Rand (Roy)
Alex Tobey (Sheriff Reynolds)
Kelsey Walston (Shelley Parker)