Vickie Evans - Page 2

The Blumenthal Performing Arts Center is hosting its first annual Charlotte International Arts Festival.  One of its creative dance performers is the Urban Bush Women (UBW).   Celebrating its thirty-five year anniversary, UBW celebrated the power of women with its Legacy + Lineage + Liberation dance presentation. Urban Bush Women is captivating, exhilarating, and very entertaining.

The Charlotte International Arts Festival will feature over 200 events of international and local talents to include the legendary Urban Bush women and jazz artist, Michael Phillips.

Toni Stone hit a homerun for me. There were so many takeaways. I left feeling educated, inspired, empowered, and enlightened much more than I was when I came.

From my perspective, the trait of a good stage play is the ability to generate conversations between the theater patrons with a 1,000 (figuratively) possible interpretations and possible outcomes. Succession definitely exceeded my goal.

'Put On Your Purple And Black...The National Black Theatre Festival Is Back'. Yes! Yes! Yes! The premiere 'crème de la crop' theatre festival for people of all colors is back after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19. People from all over the world gather onto what is referred to as 'holy ground' in Winston-Salem, North Carolina to celebrate excellence in Black/African American Theatre. Founded by the late great, Larry Leon Hamlin, The National Black Theatre Festival (NBTF) is proud to celebrate its 33rd anniversary.

Read our critic's review. 'Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!' I heard myself screaming loudly in sync with the other 2,000 plus fans at the Belk Theatre, located in the heart of Uptown Charlotte, as we rendered a standing ovation to the incredible splendor of the Tony award-winning musical, Hamilton (winner of 11 Tony awards and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2016).

'When You Talk About Love'...You Must Be Talking About Ms. Patti LaBelle. Ms. LaBelle Performed At The Belk Theater, In Charlotte, NC. This Timeless Beauty Always Delivers A Fun Time Of Chart-Topping Songs Filled With Joy And Amusement.

Syncopated Ladies, founded by Chloe' Arnold, is the most viewed female tap dance band in history. They were recognized by Beyonce, whose support catapulted them on a global platform.

Step Afrika! An infusion of drums, dance, and singing that foretells the true uprising of the Stono Rebellion that birth The Negro Act of 1740.

Ain’t Too Proud To Beg (ATPTB), The Life and Times Of The Temptations, based on the book by Dominique Morisseau, is a compelling, “tell-all” biographical musical about the triumphs and trials of Motown’s number one male group.

BNS Productions present an adaptation of the Langston Hughes classic, 'Black Nativity', directed by Jermaine Nakia Lee

A Conversation With Stacey Abrams was phenomenal, fun, and frank. This political advocate made such impact sharing her professional and personal life. The audience walked away educated, enlightened, and entertained. I was so glad to be 'in the room'.

Meet The Masterminds, Director Elizabeth Flax and Playwright Coolidge Harris II, Behind The Stage Play, 'Greenwood', Based On The Tulsa, Oklahoma Massacre, A Love Story With A Historical Proponent. Performed At Matthews Playhouse, Matthews, NC, September 17th and 18th.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is one of ten of August Wilson's productions about the African American experience. Ma Rainey depicts the life of the famous blues singer, Gertrude 'Ma' Rainey, and Black Bottom is one of the songs she made famous. BNS Productions, based in Charlotte, NC, did an excellent job of bring this awesome work the the stage...with a twelve day running from August 11-22. It was sold-out many nights. So, as a result of its awesomeness, it is returning on September 12 for an encore performance.

BNS Productions brings August Wilson's FENCES to Charlotte, NC. Tony Award-Winning Fences is Wilson's 6th cycle out of a 10-Cycle series of Pittsburgh-based stage plays about the African American experience.

Akeelah and the Bee is a family-fun production that highlights an 11-year old African-American girl's journey of surviving the inner-city challenges of the Chicago projects to her acrimonious success as a finalist/winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.  The stage adaptation remained true to the movie's original theme about overcoming obstacles (poverty, bullying, inner-city woes such as shooting and drugs, racial and societal stereotypes, etc.), while stressing the importance of the strong community ties and love that undergird Akeelah's rise to success. 

Broadway World awarded musical, Be A Lion, written by Rory D. Sheriff, who recently won a?oeBest Directora?? at the Atlanta Black Theater Festival, returns with improvements and upgrades to the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center's Duke Energy Theater, at Spirit Square.

With the iconic song 'A Whole New World', Aladdin certainly delivered 'the magic' of Disney that took the audience on a mind-blowing journey of 'toe tappin' dance performances and tickled our imagination to believe that we too could embark on a fairy-tale infused 'magic carpet ride'. 

The 2019 National Black Theatre Festival has ended with memories of grandeur and spectacular stage plays. Here is my review of the productions I attended.

When the stars come out…there is magic in the air.  That's exactly how the opening day of the National Black Theatre Festival (NBTF) in Winston-Salem felt…majestic and magical.  As the originators and attendees declare…”This Is Holy Ground!”   The NBTF is “taking over” the city of Winston-Salem, North Carolina this entire week, July 29-August 3.