Jeffrey Kare

Bekah Brunstetter is a native of North Carolina who just so happens to be a prolific playwright. Among her works are F*CKING ART, I USED TO WRITE ON WALLS, BE A GOOD LITTLE WIDOW, GOING TO A PLACE WHERE YOU ALREADY ARE, and THE CAKE.

Based on Chris Columbus’ 1993 Academy Award-winning film of the same name adapted from Anne Fine’s 1987 novel titled Alias Madame Doubtfire. This musical follows Daniel Hillard, an out-of-work actor who loses custody of his kids in a divorce. So he masquerades as Scottish nanny Euphegenia Doubtfire to stay in their lives. This was the second in an unofficial trilogy of Broadway musicals adapted from classic movies about men disguising themselves as women. In 2019, we got Tootsie. In 2022, we got Some Like It Hot.

Kicking off Theatre Raleigh’s 2024 concert series is Broadway star Telly Leung. For those unfamiliar, he has appeared in long-running hits such as Rent and Aladdin, revivals of Flower Drum Song, Pacific Overtures, and Godspell, as well as short-lived musicals such as Allegiance and In Transit.

Funny Girl is a semi-biographical musical that follows real-life actress, singer, and comedian Fanny Brice. The story explores her humble beginnings as a struggling stage performer who dreams of making it big with the famed Ziegfeld Follies as well as her stormy relationship with entrepreneur and gambler Nick Arnstein. Through it all, Fanny defies the odds and becomes one of the greatest stars of her generation. Following out-of-town tryouts in Boston and Philadelphia, the original production starring Barbra Streisand opened on March 26th, 1964 at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway.

Within the past few months, Theatre Raleigh has brought Broadway stars Norbert Leo Butz, Rachel Bay Jones, and Ariana DeBose down to the Triangle area for one-night-only concert performances. On November 3rd, they brought down Tony-nominated actor Norm Lewis to their De Ann S. Jones Theatre.

MJ is a jukebox/biographical musical that follows the life and career of singer Michael Jackson. Centered around the making of his 1992 Dangerous World Tour, this show offers a rare look at the creative mind and collaborative spirit that catapulted Jackson into legendary status.

Beautiful tells the inspiring true story of Carole King when she was starting out as a teenage songwriter at 1650 Broadway in the 1960s. Back then, she was writing songs in collaboration with her husband at the time, Gerry Goffin, for so many different musical acts such as Bobby Vee, The Drifters, The Shirelles, Little Eva, The Chiffons, The Beatles, and The Monkees. That was all before she went on to become one of the most successful singer-songwriters in music history.

Curtains is set at Boston’s Colonial Theatre in 1959. When the leading lady of a new musical, Robbin’ Hood, mysteriously dies on stage, the entire cast and crew become suspects. It is up to a local fast-talking detective, who just happens to be a musical theatre fan, to save the show, solve the case, and maybe even find love, all without getting killed.

Based on P.L. Travers’ children’s novels as well as Walt Disney’s 1964 Academy Award-winning movie musical of the same name, Mary Poppins follows a nanny who arrives on the doorstep of Jane & Michael Banks. Mary Poppins takes the children on many magical and memorable adventures, but Jane and Michael aren't the only ones upon whom she has a profound effect. Using a combination of magic and common sense, Mary Poppins must teach the family members how to value each other again.

From July 25th-30th, North Carolina Theatre will be presenting MARY POPPINS at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, which is located inside the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts. I had the great pleasure of interviewing actress Sara Jean Ford, who will be taking on the role of Winifred Banks. Some of her previous Broadway credits include THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, FINIAN’S RAINBOW, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING, and CATS.

In 2017, I was fortunate enough to have attended the Tony Awards. Rachel Bay Jones was among the winners that night for her performance as Heidi in Dear Evan Hansen. On July 7th, I saw her perform in person for the very first time.

What did our critic think of Norbert Leo Butz at Theatre Raleigh?

Six reimagines the stories of the six wives of King Henry VIII in the style of a pop concert. Each ex-wife gets to sing and tell her story to determine who suffered the most from marrying Henry and should therefore become the group’s lead singer. This musical originally began as a submission to the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland by two Cambridge University students, Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss. Since then, the show made its way to London’s West End, where it earned five 2019 Laurence Olivier Award nominations (including Best New Musical).

On May 18th, the 2023 Triangle Rising Star Awards took place through the Durham Performing Arts Center. This regional competition brings together high school musical theater students from Central and Eastern North Carolina to perform and compete for the chance to represent the Triangle in The National High School Musical Theater (otherwise known as The Jimmy) Awards in New York City on June 26th. The national competition celebrates outstanding student performances in high school musical productions from all over the United States. Shortly after the Triangle Rising Star Awards, I had the great pleasure of interviewing both of this year's winners, Noah Colvin of Enloe High School and Lilly Pritchard of Heritage High School.

The Triangle Rising Star Awards is a regional competition that brings together high school musical theater students from Central and Eastern North Carolina to perform and compete for the chance to represent the Triangle in The National High School Musical Theater (otherwise known as The Jimmy) Awards in New York City on June 26th.

Based on Tim Burton's 1988 Academy Award-winning film of the same name, Lydia Deetz is a strange and unusual teenager who is obsessed with death. Luckily, her new house is haunted by a recently deceased couple and a degenerate demon. When Lydia calls on this ghost to scare away her insufferable parents, Beetlejuice comes up with the perfect plan, which involves exorcism, arranged marriages, and a girl scout who gets scared out of her wit.

Jersey Boys is presented in a documentary-style format that dramatizes the formation, success, and eventual breakup of The Four Seasons. I previously covered this show twice before. First, when the national tour came to DPAC in 2015. Then when it stopped at North Carolina Theatre back in 2018. Now, I've seen Theatre Raleigh's production, which is directed by Broadway's longest-running Nick Massi, Matt Bogart.