Perry Tannenbaum - Page 3

Bartlett Sher fiddles with the legendary perfection of MY FAIR LADY, freshly illuminating the characters of Professor Higgins, Eliza, and Freddy - while risking unexpected tech difficulties.

Sometimes orchestras program pieces to meet popular demand, and at other times, they program works to meet expectations or fulfill a sense of obligation. It's so easy to yield to inertia. This past weekend's Charlotte Symphony concerts balanced both types of choices. The DVOŘÁK'S NEW WORLD SYMPHONY is so popular in the Queen City that an extra row of seats was set up at Belk Theater behind the already-packed Grand Tier.

Free Reign Theatre Company's following is surprisingly strong for a young company, but their daring and robust production of LEAR demonstrates why: they're the real deal.

With Hans Graf at the podium for the first time at Knight Theater, Charlotte Symphony and guest artist Angelo Xiang Yu were in top form on a program highlighted by Debussy's 'L'Après-midi,' Mozart's 'Turkish' Concerto, and a snippet of Piazzolla.

Opera Carolina has put a lot of trendy fun into its new take on Verdi's MACBETH, a bit over-the-top at times in applying 'Game of Throne' style - but never off-target

With a fine mix of veterans and rising stars among its suspects, Theatre Charlotte's AND THEN THERE WAS NONE keeps us one step behind a maniacal killer.

Not the most vicious satire you will ever see, Christian Spuck's LEONCE AND LENA is certainly among the zaniest, teeming with delightful eccentrics, anti-balletic antics, and shtick.

Charlotte Symphony continued its skein all-Russian concerts with somewhat diminished returns as they failed to conquer Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain for the third time in the last 10 years, but with Christopher James Lee wielding the baton with more controlled fury, they slayed with Stravinsky's FIREBIRD Suite.

While his fixed-set concept is too confining and his Van Helsing isn't on her best form, Tony Wright's new COUNTESS DRACULA is plenty of fun at its best, smoking with feline sharpness, sexuality, and grace.

Like its title, CYRANO is a shortened adaptation of Edmond Rostand's 'Cyrano de Bergerac.' Presented outdoors at the Winthrop Amphitheater, the Shakespeare Carolina production is an engaging intro to this classic - if you can comfortably plow through the distractions of a wayward sound system.

There aren't many plays for pre-schoolers that boast the right pace and sustain their attention, Children's Theatre's new adaptation of A SICK DAY FOR AMOS MCGEE hits the sweet spot, quietly modeling friendship and kindness.

Outdoor Shakespeare is back in Charlotte with a fine Actor's Theatre production of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. Master access, bring a beverage, and get a good sightline - NOT in the middle - for the dreamiest experience.

GBS is often decried for his didacticism, but in SAINT JOAN, he allowed the story to carry him away from his usual soapbox. With some judicious pruning and an infusion of lively swordplay, Free Reign Theatre has made this masterwork even more agreeable and accessible.

Although nuVOICES 5 was all about women playwrights, the staged readings in the revived Actor's Theatre of Charlotte festival at Queens University featured plenty of diversity - and plenty of onstage and tech talent.

You might think SHOW BOAT is impossibly quaint and politically incorrect. Well, it is, but an excellent CPCC Summer Theatre cast keeps the ol' boat afloat on 'Ol' Man River.'

Israeli filmmaker/director Amos Gitai has crafted a multimedia piece that hurls accusations at his countrymen - most fiercely in Hebrew rather than Arabic. It's a powerful indictment, even if it is a bit one-sided and inflammatory.

Getting over the seedy scenery and the pre-recorded orchestra, I found Theatre Charlotte's THE PRODUCERS more politically incorrect - and nearly as enjoyable - as the previous three times I've seen this Mel Brooks romp.

Charlotte Ballet's SPRING WORKS, with a surprise cameo from the Merce Cunningham centennial, is another varied and provocative display by the Queen City's preeminent performing arts troupe

Well-aware of the Peter Shaffer implications of programming MOZART'S REQUIEM with a Salieri symphony, Charlotte Symphony flipped the script, revealing a happy-go-lucky Salieri and a fearsome Mozart.

Although Tchaikovsky's SLEEPING BEAUTY suite was the headliner, Charlotte Symphony and guest conductor Joseph Young were far more convincing in American fare by Aaron Copland and Michael Daugherty.