Tag Archive for ‘Hot summer Night’s at the Kennedy’
Competition Is Fierce in Theatre Raleigh’s “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” April 24-May 5
Theatre Raleigh will kick off Hot Summer Nights’ 2013 season with a gala production of the 2005 Off-Broadway and Broadway hit musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, on April 24-28 and May 1-5 in the Sara Lynn and K.D. Kennedy, Jr. Theater in the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh [...]
“Avenue Q” Wins Over Raleigh Audiences
Avenue Q is a sometimes-raunchy but always-sweet musical. While Hot Summer Nights’ production nails the sweet part, it often glazes over the raunchy bits. Yes, there is a sex scene involving nude puppets, a scene that the cast enacts with gusto, but much of the show’s raunchiness is delivered in a way that softens the blow. Swear words are mumbled and vulgar actions are hidden, as if director Richard Roland had doubts about whether or not Raleigh was ready for the show.
“Dames at Sea” Is Another Big Hit for HSN and TR
Broadway’s Todd Michel Smith (in slickly understated performance, a la Gene Kelly) and Raleigh’s Emily Gardenhire are the dynamic duo at the heart of this rousing rendition of “Dames at Sea.” They demonstrate great chemistry, strong singing voices, light feet, and a fine flair for comedy as they portray Dick the sailor-songwriter and Ruby the bubbly newcomer to the chorus who quickly becomes the apple of his eye.
Broadway’s Todd Michel Smith Stars in HSN and TR’s Sizzling Production of the Musical “Dames at Sea”
Next up for Hot Summer Nights and its new parent company, Theatre Raleigh, is a light and lively rendition of “Dames at Sea,” a jaunty backstage and maritime musical mash-up, with music by Jim Wise and book and lyrics by George Haimsohn and Robin Miller. A parody of the spectacular 1930s movie musicals by legendary Hollywood director and choreographer Busby Berkeley (1895-1976), in which a plucky understudy becomes a huge star overnight, as the audience cheers every step of the way, “Dames at Sea” premiered Off-Off-Broadway in 1966, and opened Off-Broadway in 1968 and in London’s West End in 1969.
BROADWAY’S TODD MICHEL SMITH* STARS IN DAMES AT SEA AT THE KENNEDY
Hot Summer Nights & Theatre Raleigh Set Sail with First Musical of the Season RALEIGH – Dames at Sea comes ashore July 5-15 at the Kennedy Theater in Raleigh with Broadway’s Todd Michel Smith* (Hairspray) at the helm of the ship’s cast. Produced by Hot Summer Nights and Theatre Raleigh, with book and lyrics by George [...]
DAMES AT SEA
In this toe-tapping uproarious musical comedy that comes to you from Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy, a group of performers are preparing for their upcoming show, Dames At Sea.
Bryan T. Donovan’s Zany Antics as Robert Rocket HSN’s “Boeing-Boeing” into the Comic Stratosphere
“Boeing-Boeing,” the inaugural production of Hot Summer Nights and its newly formed larger parent company, Theatre Raleigh, is a real humdinger, based on Beverley Cross and Francis Evans’ revised English-language script for the critically acclaimed 2008 Broadway revival of Marc Camoletti’s 1960 French sex farce, which is set during the Swinging Sixties in a plush bachelor pad near Paris-Orly Airport.
Hot Summer Nights’ 2012 Season-Opener, “Boeing-Boeing,” Is a Classic French Farce by Marc Camoletti
Hot Summer Nights and its new larger parent company, Theatre Raleigh, will kick off their ambitious 2012 season with a sizzling professional production of “Boeing-Boeing,” Beverley Cross’ English adaptation of a classic French farce by Marc Camoletti (1923-2003), on June 13-17 and 20-24 in the K.D. & Sara Lynn Kennedy Theatre in back of the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Raleigh, NC. “Boeing-Boeing” debuted in Paris on Dec. 10, 1960; and Beverley Cross’ English adaptation premiered in London in 1962 and then ran for seven years in the West End.
Susie Potter talks about June Theatre in the Triangle
Susie chats with Sharon and Valonda about theatre to see in the Triangle including Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at Theatre In The Park, The Boy Friend at Raleigh Little Theatre, Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy, and West Side Story at the Durham Performing Arts Center.
Hot Summer Nights 2012 Auditions Announced
Auditions are scheduled for Saturday, February 18th from 2PM-8PM at the NCT Studios
Light and Lively: “A Christmas Story: The Musical” Is an Early Christmas Present for Triangle Theatergoers
The light-and-lively national mini-tour of “A Christmas Story: The Musical,” which features an invigorating score by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and a sassy script by Joseph Robinette, based on the ever-popular 1983 Warner Bros. motion picture, is an early Christmas present for Triangle theatergoers still digesting their Thanksgiving turkey.
Five-City Tour of “A Christmas Story: The Musical” Hopes to Score a Bull’s Eye in Raleigh, NC
“The [1983] movie lends itself beautifully to the musical-theater genre,” claims director John Rando, “because so much of the movie is seen through the imagination of Ralphie Parker (Clarke Hallum)…. He imagines himself a cowboy, and he wants a [genuine Red Ryder] BB gun.”
Tony Award® Nominee Alan Campbell Stars in Hot Summer Nights’ Season Finale “Oh, What a Night!”
Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy’s rollicking musical revue “Oh, What a Night!” features songs from Broadway’s blockbuster musicals, such as “Wicked,” “Jersey Boys,” and “Les Misérables,” and stars Tony nominee Alan Campbell and fellow Broadway veterans Lisa Jolley and Ray Walker.
Lauren Kennedy Sizzles in “Violet,” But Shares the Spotlight with Melvin Tunstall and Yolanda Rabun
The current Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy production of “Violet: A New Musical” is hot, hot, hot. Raleigh native Lauren Kennedy provides much of the sizzle in this Southern-fried 1997 Off-Broadway musical comedy, and Melvin Tunstall III and Yolanda W. Rabun add pizzazz.
Broadway’s Lauren Kennedy Will Star in “Violet: A New Musical” at Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy
Critically acclaimed Broadway star Lauren Kennedy will return to her hometown next week to tackle the title role in Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy’s upcoming production of “Violet: A New Musical,” a 1997 Off-Broadway musical based on N.C. author Doris Betts’ 1973 short story “The Ugliest Pilgrim.”
Sharon Talbot’s “A Field of Glory” Is a Talky Play Whose Plot Is Similar to a Classic Civil War Story
Sharon Talbot’s Civil War drama, “A Field of Glory,” is a “work in progress.” The question is, “Is ‘A Field of Glory’ original enough to capture the audience’s imagination and to inspire other producers to produce it?”
Sharon Talbot’s Civil War Drama “A Field of Glory” Makes Its World Premiere at Hot Summer Nights
“['A Field of Glory'] is funny, believe it or not,” claims playwright Sharon Talbot claims. “It’s about the hilarious relationship between … two headstrong, loving, thorny, forward-looking, witty Southerners who — reunited after six months of battle — have managed to keep their sense of humor.”
“The Marvelous Wonderettes” by Roger Bean Is a Sweet and Sassy Tribute to 1950s and ’60s Girl Groups
“The Marvelous Wonderettes” is a sweet and sassy tribute to the great girl groups of the 1950s and 1960s who cranked out a string of Top 40 hits that provided the soundtrack for much of Baby Boomers’ childhoods and teenage years. But Generations X and Y will also get a kick out of Roger Bean’s frisky musical revue.
“The Marvelous Wonderettes” Is a Hilarious Homage to 1950s High School Songleader Squads
“The Marvelous Wonderettes” is a hilarious homage to 1950s high school Songleader squads. It features a breezy book by Roger Bean and a score comprised of 1950s and 1960s Top 40 hits, such as “Mr. Sandman,” “Lollipop,” “Sugartime,” “All I Have to Do Is Dream,” and “Dream Lover.”
Patrick Barlow’s “Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps” Opens Hot Summer Nights’ 2011 Season with a Bang
When it comes to cutting the fool, Jason Peck and Jesse Gephart are a dynamic duo who compare favorably to the classic comedy teams of Laurel and Hardy and Abbott and Costello. Their monkey business helped “Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps” earn a standing ovation from Hot Summer Nights’ opening-night audience.
Hilarity Meets Hitchcock in “The 39 Steps”
Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy will open its seventh season with “Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps,” English actor, comedian, and playwright Patrick Barlow’s 2005 farce that preshow publicity claims brings hilarity to Hitchcock, on June 8-12 and 15-19.
The Top Triangle Theatrical Productions of 2010
For years, Triangle Theater Review has argued that the Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill area of North Carolina has the liveliest theater scene between Washington, DC, and Atlanta, GA. The year 2010 provided further proof, if any was needed, that we have the onstage talent, the backstage genius, and the wherewithal to mount any show available for local production.
“A Christmas Story” Could Become a New Triangle Yuletide Tradition
This rib-tickling rendition of “A Christmas Story” may well have started a new Triangle tradition. Indeed, “You’ll shoot your eye out” may become as familiar a Yuletide slogan in these parts as “Bah! Humbug!” and “The glass slipper fits!”
A Christmas Story Delights Fans of the Film
A Christmas Story is one of America’s favorite Christmas movies. Lovers of the movie, which tells the story of young Ralphie and his quest to receive a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas, will not be disappointed by the play version presented by collaborative efforts from Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy, Broadway Series South, [...]
Beloved Classic “A Christmas Story” Opens on Dec. 7th
Written by Jean Shepherd and adapted by Philip Grecian, “A Christmas Story” follows nine-year-old Ralphie Parker in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun under the tree for Christmas. Ralphie pleads his case before his mother, his teacher and even Santa Claus himself, at Goldblatt’s Department Store. The consistent response: “You’ll shoot your eye out.”
Lauren Kennedy Provides the Candle-Power and Matthew-Jason Willis Creates a Setting Where She Can Shine in “Tell Me on a Sunday”
Lauren Kennedy can caress a lyric until it purrs like a six-week-old kitten or pump up the volume until her voice rattles the Kennedy Theater rafters. Indeed, her vivacious versions of “Take That Look Off Your Face,” “Unexpected Song,” and “Tell Me on a Sunday” earned lengthy applause and whoops of joy on Wednesday, during her warmly applauded hour-long opening-night performance, which ended with a fervent standing ovation for Kennedy and her effervescent accompanists: musical director Julie Florin (piano), Drew Lile (guitar), John Simonetti (bass), Les Webster (percussion), and Joan Beck (violin).
Lauren Kennedy Stars in “Tell Me on a Sunday,” Andrew Lloyd Webber’s One-Act Song Cycle
Lauren Kennedy says, “I jumped at the chance [to perform TELL ME ON A SUNDAY] when director Matthew-Jason Willis and I discussed [this one-woman show], because it is a score I’ve been desperate to tackle, and I adore working with him! He had some fascinating and fresh ideas on the show that really excite me”
“Death and the Maiden” | Review by Susie Potter
THE TENSION IN “DEATH AND THE MAIDEN” IS PALPABLE, ARIEL DORFMAN’S PLAY IS DRAMA AT ITS MOST INTENSE
LISA JOLLEY, CANADY VANCE THOMAS, AND JESSE R. GEPHART ARE A SCREAM IN “THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL”
Thanks to the hilarious hijinks of Broadway funny lady Lisa Jolley as agoraphobic housewife Jeannie Garstecki, sultry chanteuse Canady Vance Thomas as runaway stripper Pippi, and Jesse R. Gephart as Pippi’s crazed Magic Marker-sniffing boyfriend, gun-toting boyfriend Duke, THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL comes with a bladder-control advisory: Don’t try to watch this show with a full bladder, even if you’re wearing adult diapers! Your cup will runneth over.
The Great American Trailer Park Musical | Jun 30-Jul 4 plus Jul 7-11
The joint is jammed and jumping with raucous laughter. It’s like ‘The Honeymooners’ meets THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN URINETOWN.
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