NC Theatre Productions Honored

We are excited to announce that two of our productions made it in the Top 10 Home-Grown Productions in Triangle Arts & Entertainment's list - The Full Monty starring Sally Struthers and Ira David Wood III and Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella.

Sally Struthers as Jeanette Burmeister in The Full Monty

Cast of Cinderella

Our music director/conductor, Edward G. Robinson, received a mention for Best Musical Direction in Independent Weekly's The Year in Triangle Theater.

Andrea McArdle as Miss Hannigan in Annie

Congratulations to the cast and crew of all of our past productions. We are looking forward to an exciting, new year and producing a new round of Broadway blockbusters!

Our 2011 season: The Producers (February 12-20), Hello, Dolly! (May 7-15), Hairspray (July 23-31), Evita (October 22-30). All performances are in Raleigh Memorial Auditorium at the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts. We hope you'll make it one of your resolutions to attend a cultural event - like a Broadway production at NC Theatre this year!

Photo credits: Curtis Brown Photography

Girls Night Out!

It is amazing how magical the words "Girls Night Out!" can be! I sent out an email to some of my friends asking them to come see The Full Monty with me on Wednesday night, and had 44 "yes" responses! It was a perfect evening. Sally Struthers and Joe Coots came to greet us in the Backers' Club before the show and couldn't have been friendlier!

All the girls plus Sally and Joe

One of my friends asked me how long I had known Sally, because she acted like we were best friends. She is precious! Joe is a wonderful, personable character as well, who seems to love having a good time. All of my "girls" sat near each other at the show, and I have never heard so much deep-belly laughter coming from a group of women in my life. We were giddy, and it was positively therapeutic!

To me, life is all about making memories and we certainly made them that night. Only six of us "younger" women were crazy enough to brave the late-night entertainment, but sleep deprivation is a small price to pay for the fun we had after the show at Cabaret Night at Solas with the cast. The music was beautiful as many of the cast members sang some of their favorite songs. They graciously let us take pictures with them after the entertainment. That's a big thrill for those of us who admire talent from afar, and it made us feel like we were really getting the NYC/Broadway (or at least the Raleigh/Glenwood Ave.) experience.

Janice McKenzie & Joe

Joe and Wanda Stevenson at Solas

My daughter, Mary Beth, getting some sugar from Joe!

Family photo with Joe

Edythe Poyner, Josie Hall and myself at Solas with Ken Griggs, cast member "Teddy" of THE FULL MONTY

Edythe (who had a walk-on role that night!) and myself

Thanks for a wonderful evening!

Debbie Woody

Come to Cabaret Night Tomorrow!

You are invited to join the cast of THE FULL MONTY at Cabaret Night - an intimate, up-close-and-personal event where some of the cast members will sing some of their favorite musical theatre selections and more.

Cabaret Night will be held at Solas, located in downtown Raleigh on Glenwood Avenue, and will start immediately following the Wednesday evening performance. The event will be on the second floor and there will be no cover.

Solas is located at 419 Glenwood Avenue Raleigh, NC 27603.

We hope to see you there!

Unemployed men in the Triangle are excited for a night out!

After the News & Observer article ran on the front page on Wednesday, we have had an overwhelming response from unemployed men in the Triangle seeking a fun night out away from their troubles and stress with friends or family. Here are some touching testimonials from some men who have shared their stories with us:

"I have been laid off twice in 18 months by different construction companies. It has put a burden on everyone in my family."

"Being laid off has stopped all spending on anything not necessary. Going to the theatre, concerts and movies definitely fall into that category. It would be wonderful to "get away" even for a couple of hours."

"The decline in construction has caused me to be out of work for 2 years. I've relocated to NC and now babysit for my granddaughter."

"I've lost my job due to a merger - my only jobs since the fall of 2009 were temporary. I've exhausted my unemployment and my girlfriend is struggling to keep paying our bills."

"I am in the construction industry and been unemployed since December 2008. My wife is now working three part time jobs and every month is a struggle to try to make ends meet."

"I work in the construction industry and have been unemployed for 2 years. I am married with 2 beautiful girls age 3 and 7. My wife is our only source of income and she has to drive 100 miles a day to get to work. We rarely do anything extra but have faith that God will provide for us."

We hope that these men and more will enjoy a night out and enjoy our production!

The Full Monty in the Media

I've had the pleasure of getting to know both Sally Struthers and Ira David Wood III over the past week and a half. They have been troopers, heading to various radio and TV stations with me last week and this week. In case you missed them, here are some links to the interviews. Enjoy!

G105 Interview

WPTF Interview

Y102.9 Interview

MIX 101.5 Interview with Bill & Lynda

News 14 Interview with Tracey Early

100.7 Interview with Kitty Kinnin

After the interview at MIX 101.5 with Bill & Lynda in the Morning

In the studio with Dave Kent from 93.9 KISS FM

Sally's interview with Roy Dicks of The News & Observer.

News & Observer article on our anonymous corporate donor who is giving 200 free tickets away to jobless men in the Triangle.

USA Today picked up the story as well - see it here.

Tune in to WRAL's Noon News telecast tomorrow - Sally and David will be on the air at around 12:45 talking about the show.

Art Imitates Life in The Full Monty

The Full Monty tells the story of six unemployed Buffalo steelworkers and their personal struggles as they search for work and self-esteem. This mirrors the current economic crisis that is hitting men much harder than women in the workplace, largely because male-dominated industries like construction and transportation are bearing the brunt of job losses. An anonymous corporate donor who understands the uplifting power of the arts, has generously underwritten tickets to unemployed men in the Triangle. NC Theatre has set aside 100 tickets for the Saturday, February 27th performance at 8 PM and the Sunday, February 28th performance at 2 PM.

Matt Lenz, director of The Full Monty, says "This show is about humanity. It's about 100% real people that we can all relate to - and they are literally fighting for their lives and their relationships they value most. Terrence McNally's book manages to be enormously touching and hilariously funny at the same time, and the characters are so rich and so real. David Yazbek's fabulous rock score is astonishingly fresh, accurate and evocative of the place and the people he's making sing."

"For any man who has not been in our audience lately - this show is for you! If you're out of work, we invite you to join us for an unforgettable night of theatre with guaranteed laughs and a lot of renewed sense of hope and possibility - for free!" says Lisa Grele Barrie, President & CEO of North Carolina Theatre.

Download the order form at www.nctheatre.com and fax it back to NC Theatre at 919-831-6951. The deadline for this is Thursday, February 25th at 4 PM, so act quickly!

Fun with The Full Monty Cast!

On Friday night, Carolee and I stopped by one of my favorite restaurants, The Pit, to see Sally Struthers, Joe Coots and Ira David Wood III. They got a taste of Ed Mitchell's famous BBQ and he even stopped by to say hello!

Sally (Jeanette Burmeister) & Ed Mitchell, the Pitmaster

Joe Coots (Dave) + Ed Mitchell

On Sunday night after a fabulous designer run at the studios, I took the cast out to The Raleigh Times Bar (another favorite) for a few drinks and delicious appetizers! We all had a great time. It was nice to relax after a busy week and a few of the cast members even went around and helped promote the show!

Jarrod Emick (Jerry) and Angie Schworer (Vicki)

Kingsley Leggs (Horse) taking his Full Montini shot - for all of you Dreamgirls fans, he starred as "James Thunder Early" in that production and is back again for The Full Monty

The Raleigh Times was nice enough to bring us all The Full Montini shots - they were delicious. Make sure you order one when you are there!

Sally was excited about these signs!

Meet Pat - Sally Struthers' traveling chicken AKA her purse

Sally Struthers, Julie Reiber (Georgie) and Pat

Brittnye Batchelor, our hair/wig/make-up assistant and me

Joshua Stalls (Chorus) & Stephen Schellhardt (Malcolm)

Joe Coots (Dave) and Ken Griggs (Teddy)

Anne Karner (Susan), Tracy J. Wholf (Estelle) and me

Cessalee Stovall (Joanie), John Carroll (Buddy) and Mary Adamek (Molly)

I had a great time with everyone - I want to thank all of the cast members who came out and hung out with me! Til next time...

Kristin Buie, Communications/Company Manager

PS - If you don't have your tickets to The Full Monty, click here for our special $35 tickets in the mezzanine (code word: MADNESS)!

The Full Monty Cast at Raleigh Times Bar!

Join us on Sunday night, February 21st at 7:30 PM at the Raleigh Times Bar, located at 14 E. Hargett Street in downtown Raleigh. Some of the cast of The Full Monty will make an appearance and have a good time before the show opens. Meet and mingle with them before you see them on stage!

If you don't have your tickets for the show yet, now is the time to buy!! Click here to purchase.

Our Walk-On Roles for The Full Monty

Edythe Poyner and Walter Powell are loyal NCT patrons and donors. One of the benefits they receive as a donor at the Director Level is they get to pick ONE show in our season and be a part of the cast! Both of them have chosen to be a part of The Full Monty! Once they choose their show, members of the creative team decide which scene/number is best for them to be in. Prior to the show, they will head back stage to get ready, meet some of the cast members and wait for their shining moment.

Edythe will appear in the Wednesday, March 3rd performance with a lot of her friends cheering her on! Walter's date is to be determined. Stay tuned to hear their thoughts on the process.

If you are interested in finding out how you, too, can get a walk-on role email jcaviness@nctheatre.com or call 919-831-6941 x6946.

To purchase tickets to The Full Monty, click here or call 800-745-3000.

Full Monty Casting Complete!

While we are still in the final stages of casting The Full Monty, I couldn't resist to give you a peek at who some of the MONTYs are and some of our other cast members. We are so excited about this production (running February 27-March 7) and are proud of the cast we have assembled to date.

Starring two-time Emmy Award winning actress Sally Struthers as "Jeannette" and Raleigh's own Ira David Wood III as "Harold"!

Sally Struthers Ira David Wood III

And...

Jarrod Emick AKA "Jerry"

You may recognize him from our recent production of Yeston & Kopit's Phantom - he was Philippe. On Broadway, Jarrod has been in Ring of Fire, The Boy From Oz, The Rocky Horror Show, The Full Monty, Damn Yankees (1994 Tony Award winner) and Miss Saigon. He was also in the National Tours of Les Miserables and Miss Saigon.

Kingsley Leggs AKA "Horse"

Kingsley performed on the NC Theatre stage as "James Thunder Early" in our production of Dreamgirls. On Broadway, he performed in The Color Purple and Miss Saigon and was in the National Tours of Miss Saigon, Ragtime, It Aint Nothing But The Blues and Forbidden Hollywood.

Joe Coots AKA "Dave"

Joe played 'Dave' in the National Tour and regional productions of The Full Monty - most recently starring Elaine Stritch. He has also been in the productions Crazy For You!, Annie Get Your Gun, Jesus Christ Superstar, 7 Brides for 7 Brothers and Joseph...Dreamcoat.

Angie Schworer AKA "Vicki" (Harold's wife)

Angie has been in the Broadway productions of Young Frankenstein, The Producers, Chicago, Annie Get Your Gun, Sunset Boulevard, Crazy For You, The Will Rogers Follies and Encores! Tenderloin.

Julie Reiber AKA "Georgie" (Dave's wife)

On Broadway, Julie was the "Elphaba" standby in the smash-hit Wicked and also appeared in All Shook Up and Bklyn. She also played in the National Tours of Rent, Bklyn and Jekyll & Hyde.

Thomas Cannizzaro AKA "Ethan"

Thomas appeared in Monty Python's Spamalot and Cabaret on Broadway and in the National Tours of Cabaret, Grease and The Velveteen Rabbit.

Jennifer Shrader AKA "Pam" (Jerry's ex-wife)

Pam recently appeared on the NCT stage in Miss Saigon as 'Ellen.' Her Broadway credits include Beauty and the Beast and Swing. She was in the National Tours of Beauty and the Beast, Sunset Boulevard, Annie and Joseph...Dreamcoat.

John Carroll AKA "Buddy Keno Walsh"

He has appeared in Broadway Bares and in the National Tours of A Chorus Line, Chicago, Movin' Out and Fosse.

Stephen Schellhardt AKA "Malcolm"

Stephen was in the National Tours of Altar Boyz and in several regional productions including Fiddler on the Roof, Little Women, The Full Monty, Les Miserables and several others.

Other cast members include:

Mary Adamek, Phillip Burgess, Jonathan Elliott Coarsey, Trey Fitts, Vinny Genna, Ken Griggs, Anne Karner, Jeremy Mills, Cessalee Stovall and Tracy J. Wholf.

You do not want to miss this show!

The Full Monty Auditions - Raleigh & NYC

Auditions for The Full Monty and Cinderella were last Sunday, December 12th in Raleigh and they were a huge success. We had a ton of new faces show up and are so pleased with the turnout. It was particularly interesting and challenging this time around because we were holding auditions for two completely different productions. The Full Monty director (Matt Lenz) & choreographer (Joshua Rhodes) flew in along with Cinderella director (Gabriel Barre) & choreographer (Jennifer Paulson Lee). Casey Hushion, NCT's artistic director, and Carolee Baxter, NCT's producer were there also. While it was a long day - we had callbacks later that night - we saw many talented singers and dancers from the Raleigh area.

The next morning, Sunday December 13, we flew up to New York City to hold The Full Monty auditions. On Monday we held appointments at Ripley Grier Studios and saw LOTS of people - practically everyone showed up and it was a crazy day! Call backs were on Tuesday, and those who made it to that round were given 'sides' for a particular character and a song that the character sings, and came back to read/sing those for the creative team on Tuesday. They definitely have some tough decisions to make - so many talented people came in - I can't wait to find out who is cast and share it with you!

While the auditions did make for long days, we were able to do some fun things at night! It was absolutely beautiful (but freezing) in the city - all of the Christmas decorations are up and it was really nice being up there right before the holidays. Carolee and I saw Next to Normal, which was great but very sad. The cast was phenomenal and it was Alice Ripley's birthday the night we saw it! She came out of the stage door and everyone sang 'happy birthday'.

The next night I saw the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and it was SO amazing! Our very own conductor/musical director Edward G. Robinson led the orchestra and it was so much fun to see him up there. He was truly a rock star. A few different times they would raise the pit and he was singing and doing a fabulous job. After the show was over, he took me backstage. I got to meet Ted, the camel (see picture), which was the highlight of the tour for me! The theatre and stage is massive, so it was interesting to see how everything fit together back there - one big puzzle piece. The Rockettes were always in sync and a lot of fun to watch - if you get the chance to go up there at Christmastime, you should definitely see this show. Special thanks to Eddy for taking me backstage - I had a blast!