Dear Evan Hansen at Durham Performing Arts Center

Cast and Dates Announced for 2021 National Tour of A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL

October 20, 2021

Returning for the 2021 holiday season, Big League Productions, Inc. has announced the tour dates and cast of the critically acclaimed national tour of A Christmas Story, The Musical. The tour will open for preview performances in Waterbury, CT, followed by a two-week sit down in Boston, and engagements in Baltimore and Durham, NC.

BWW Interview: Ben Davis of North Carolina Theatre's 9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL

October 12, 2021

From October 12th-17th, North Carolina Theatre will be presenting a production of 9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, which is located inside Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. The show features a book penned by Patricia Resnick, who was one of the screenwriters behind the original movie, and an original score written by Dolly Parton. North Carolina Theatre's production stars Sara Jean Ford as Judy Bernly (the Jane Fonda role), Lauren Kennedy, the Producing Artistic Director of Theatre Raleigh, as Violet Newstead (the Lily Tomlin role), and Ryah Nixon as Doralee Rhodes (the Dolly Parton role). Not to mention that Raleigh's own Ira David Wood III, the Artistic and Executive Director of Theatre in the Park, will be making a special appearance in the show as the Chairman of the Board. I recently had the great pleasure of interviewing actor Ben Davis, who will be taking on the role of Franklin Hart, Jr. Ben has previously appeared on Broadway in LES MISÉRABLES, LA BOHÈME (which earned him along with his fellow cast members a special Tony Award in 2003), THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, VIOLET, and DEAR EVAN HANSEN.

BWW Interview: 2021 Triangle Rising Star Award Winners Elena Holder & Joshua Messmore

June 20, 2021

BWW Review: 2021 Triangle Rising Star Awards

May 21, 2021

In 2016 and 2017, I had the great pleasure of attending the Triangle Rising Star Awards at the Durham Performing Arts Center. In 2018 and 2019, I wasn't able to do so due to other commitments I had when they were being held. Last year, the 10th annual show was set to take place on May 28th with former American Idol runner-up, Broadway alum, and Raleigh native Clay Aiken serving as guest host. However, the COVID-19 pandemic (which took full swing in March of 2020) ended up forcing DPAC to suspend performances until further notice. Though this year, the Triangle Rising Star Awards have returned (albeit, virtually), and I was able to tune in from the comfort of my home.

When Will Broadway On Tour Return? Find Out What's Coming Up Near You!

April 14, 2021

Updated 10/18/2021. After over a year of Broadway tours being paused, productions are now beginning to announce returns to theatre across the country! Find out when Broadway will return to your city.

BWW Review: For Fans Looking for a Redemptive Adaptation After the Disastrous Movie, THE LIGHTNING THIEF Musical Delivers

April 10, 2019

I can see where The Lightning Thief musical might be compared to a cross between Harry Potter and Dear Evan Hansen. Based on Rick Riordan's book of the same name, the musical tells the story of Percy Jackson and friends, a group of half-bloods who straddle the line between being half-God and half-mortal, and their quest to become heroes of their own story. In short, the Gods are real, they have kids, and their kids have issues.

BWW Interview: Izzy Figueroa Reflects on THE LIGHTNING THIEF, Being a Role Model, and More

April 06, 2019

The Lightning Thief musical, based on Rick Riordan's book, has been called a cross between Harry Potter and Dear Evan Hansen, which may be one of the reasons why legions of fans are flocking to see the show as it makes away across the country. Initially developed as a one-hour musical in 2014 by Theatreworks USA, a full-length expanded version opened at The Lucille Lortel Theatre in 2017 for a limited run and was nominated for three Drama Desk Awards. Earlier this year, the show launched a national tour. The tour will stop at the Durham Performing Arts Center this week. 'It's a wonderful experience because it stays so true to the book, which is the biggest thing for me and what most fans who come to see the show appreciate,' says Izzy Figueroa. 'It doesn't fall far at all from what you've already read.'

BWW Blog: How I Discovered Arts Management

March 26, 2019

Hello, BroadwayWorld! My name is Chloe Lang, a junior Public Relations major with a minor in Theatre at Appalachian State University.  I'm so excited to be writing for BroadwayWorld! I have spent countless hours on this site reading blogs and getting updated on theatre news and I'm honored to be featured! I would love to share my journey to arts management with you all.

BWW Review: DEAR EVAN HANSEN Spins a Telling and Cautionary Tale for a Digital Age

March 14, 2019

Dear Evan Hansen, today's going to be a good day and here's why... That's how the juggernaut of a little show that could, opens. Nearly 427,000 hashtags later, DEAR EVAN HANSEN is not only a phenomenon but literally part of America's cultural heritage. Artifacts from the show, still running on Broadway, were accepted into The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History collection last fall, a decision which Curator Ryan Lintelman says was a no-brainer. 'It has this freshness to it that helps people to connect to these issues of social media and the internet, of depression and anxiety, and how you present yourself in a world that's increasingly digital,' he said. DEAR EVAN HANSEN tells the story of Evan, an awkward, self-conscious, and lonely teen. He is encouraged by a doctor to write affirmation letters to himself, one of which is intercepted by an outcast named Connor in the school computer lab. After Connor commits suicide, Connor's mother finds Evan's letter. Evan then finds himself entangled in a lie that was never meant to be told, living a life he had only imagined. DEAR EVAN HANSEN opened on Broadway in 2016 and won six 2017 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. And rightfully so. This is the right show for right now, a commentary on a media age that connects us virtually, but often, imprisons and cripples us socially.