Jeffrey Kare - Page 11

Based on Berry Gordy's 1994 autobiography To Be Loved: The Music, the Magic, the Memories of Motown, this musical tells the true story behind Mr. Gordy's founding and running of the Motown record label, and his personal and professional relationships with Motown artists such as Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, and Michael Jackson. The music and lyrics for the musical are taken from selections from the Motown catalog.

Based on the 2000 British independent film directed by Stephen Daldry, this musical tells the story of Billy Elliot, a young English kid who trades boxing gloves for ballet shoes. His personal struggle and fulfillment is balanced against a counter-story of family and community strife caused by the UK miners' strike in County Durham, in North Eastern England.

Coming to the Durham Performing Arts Center from February 17th-22th is the national touring production of Motown: The Musical featuring Reed Shannon in the roles of Young Berry Gordy, Stevie Wonder, and Michael Jackson.

Based on material previously written by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, featuring a catalog of many recognizable songs by George and Ira Gershwin, Nice Work If You Can Get It tells the story of wealthy playboy Jimmy Winter, who meets rough female bootlegger Billie Bendix on the weekend of his wedding. Jimmy, who had been married three times before, is preparing to marry Eileen Evergreen, a self-obsessed modern dancer. Thinking that Jimmy and Eileen wouldl be out of town, Billie and her gang hide cases of alcohol in the basement of Jimmy's Long Island mansion. But when Jimmy, his wife-to-be and her prohibitionist family show up at the mansion for the wedding, Billie and her cohorts pose as servants, causing hijinks galore.

Based on the Gregory Maguire novel titled Wicked: The Life & Times of The Wicked Witch of the West, this musical tells the story of The Wizard of Oz from the witches' perspective long before Dorothy dropped in. Wicked tells the story of two unlikely friends, Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda the Good, who struggle through opposing personalities and viewpoints, rivalry over the same love-interest, reactions to the Wizard's corrupt government, and, ultimately, Elphaba's public fall from grace.

Returning to the Durham Performing Arts Center from January 7th-25th is the national touring production of Broadway's smash hit musical Wicked featuring Emily Behny in the role of Nessarose, a role originated on Broadway by Michelle Frederer.

Based on the Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, the musical tells the story of a little orphan with equal measures of pluck and positivity who charms everyone's hearts despite a next-to-nothing start in 1930s New York City. She is determined to find her parents who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of a New York City Orphanage run by the cruel, embittered Miss Hannigan. With the help of the other girls in the Orphanage, Annie escapes to the wondrous world of NYC, finds herself a new home and family in billionaire Oliver Warbucks, his personal secretary Grace Farrell, and a lovable mutt named Sandy.

Based on the classic fairy tale of the same name, this musical version of Cinderella concerns a young woman forced into a life of servitude by her cruel stepmother, who dreams of a better life. With the help of her Fairy Godmother, Cinderella is transformed into an elegant young lady and is able to attend the ball to meet her Prince.

Coming to the Durham Performing Arts Center from December 9th-14th the new national touring production of Annie features Gilgamesh Taggett in the iconic role of Oliver 'Daddy' Warbucks.

Based upon the fairy tale Cinderella, particularly the French version Cendrillon, ou la Petite Pantoufle de Verre, by Charles Perrault. The story concerns a young woman forced into a life of servitude by her cruel stepmother, who dreams of a better life. With the help of her Fairy Godmother, Cinderella is transformed into an elegant young lady and is able to attend the ball to meet her Prince, but, in this version, she must open the Prince's eyes to the injustice in his kingdom.

Coming to the Durham Performing Arts Center from November 18th-23rd is the national touring production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella features Andy Jones in the role of Prince Topher, a role originated on Broadway by Tony Nominee Santino Fontana.

Focused on seventeen dancers auditioning for spots on the chorus of a Broadway show, A Chorus Line is set on the bare stage of a Broadway theatre during an audition for a musical. It also provides a glimpse into the personalities of the performers as they describe the events that have shaped their lives and their decisions to become dancers.

Coming to the Durham Performing Arts Center from October 8th-19th is the brand new national touring production of the long-running hit, 'The Phantom of the Opera', featuring Broadway veteran Linda Balgord in the role of Madame Giry

Based on the 1987 film of the same name, Dirty Dancing tells the classic coming of age story documenting a teenage girl's relationship with a dance instructor whom she encountered during her family's summer vacation.

Coming to the Durham Performing Arts Center from September 16th-21st, the national touring production of 'Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage' based on the 1987 classic of the same name features actor Jesse Liebman as Neil Kellerman, a role created on screen by acclaimed theatre director, Lonny Price.

In my humble opinion, North Carolina Theatre's production of 'The Little Mermaid' is absolutely a delightful night out to the theatre!