Raleigh Theater Reviews

Review: FUNNY GIRL National Tour at Durham Performing Arts Center
by Jeffrey Kare - November 08, 2023

Funny Girl is a semi-biographical musical that follows real-life actress, singer, and comedian Fanny Brice. The story explores her humble beginnings as a struggling stage performer who dreams of making it big with the famed Ziegfeld Follies as well as her stormy relationship with entrepreneur and ga...

Review: Norm Lewis at Theatre Raleigh
by Jeffrey Kare - November 04, 2023

Within the past few months, Theatre Raleigh has brought Broadway stars Norbert Leo Butz, Rachel Bay Jones, and Ariana DeBose down to the Triangle area for one-night-only concert performances. On November 3rd, they brought down Tony-nominated actor Norm Lewis to their De Ann S. Jones Theatre....

Review: MJ National Tour at Durham Performing Arts Center
by Jeffrey Kare - October 12, 2023

MJ is a jukebox/biographical musical that follows the life and career of singer Michael Jackson. Centered around the making of his 1992 Dangerous World Tour, this show offers a rare look at the creative mind and collaborative spirit that catapulted Jackson into legendary status. ...

Review: North Carolina Theatre's BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL
by Jeffrey Kare - October 11, 2023

Beautiful tells the inspiring true story of Carole King when she was starting out as a teenage songwriter at 1650 Broadway in the 1960s. Back then, she was writing songs in collaboration with her husband at the time, Gerry Goffin, for so many different musical acts such as Bobby Vee, The Drifters, T...

Review: WICKED Still Holds Up After Twenty Years at DPAC
by Nicole Ackman - August 26, 2023

What did our critic think of WICKED at DPAC?...

Review: Raleigh Little Theatre's CURTAINS
by Jeffrey Kare - August 12, 2023

Curtains is set at Boston’s Colonial Theatre in 1959. When the leading lady of a new musical, Robbin’ Hood, mysteriously dies on stage, the entire cast and crew become suspects. It is up to a local fast-talking detective, who just happens to be a musical theatre fan, to save the show, solve the case...

Review: THEATRE RALEIGH'S THE PROM
by Nicole Ackman - August 07, 2023

What did our critic think of THEATRE RALEIGH’S THE PROM?...

Review: North Carolina Theatre's MARY POPPINS
by Jeffrey Kare - July 26, 2023

Based on P.L. Travers’ children’s novels as well as Walt Disney’s 1964 Academy Award-winning movie musical of the same name, Mary Poppins follows a nanny who arrives on the doorstep of Jane & Michael Banks. Mary Poppins takes the children on many magical and memorable adventures, but Jane and Michae...

Review: Rachel Bay Jones at Theatre Raleigh
by Jeffrey Kare - July 09, 2023

In 2017, I was fortunate enough to have attended the Tony Awards. Rachel Bay Jones was among the winners that night for her performance as Heidi in Dear Evan Hansen. On July 7th, I saw her perform in person for the very first time....

Review: Norbert Leo Butz at Theatre Raleigh
by Jeffrey Kare - June 24, 2023

What did our critic think of Norbert Leo Butz at Theatre Raleigh?...

Review: SIX National Tour at Durham Performing Arts Center
by Jeffrey Kare - June 21, 2023

Six reimagines the stories of the six wives of King Henry VIII in the style of a pop concert. Each ex-wife gets to sing and tell her story to determine who suffered the most from marrying Henry and should therefore become the group’s lead singer. This musical originally began as a submission to the ...

Review: Theatre Raleigh's THE WEIGHT OF EVERYTHING WE KNOW
by Jeffrey Kare - June 01, 2023

...

Review: 2023 Triangle Rising Star Awards
by Jeffrey Kare - May 19, 2023

The Triangle Rising Star Awards is a regional competition that brings together high school musical theater students from Central and Eastern North Carolina to perform and compete for the chance to represent the Triangle in The National High School Musical Theater (otherwise known as The Jimmy) Award...

Review: MOULIN ROUGE! Is a Thrilling Spectacle
by Nicole Ackman - May 08, 2023

The cast of the musical Moulin Rouge! has a difficult task. The beloved 2001 movie directed by Baz Luhrmann has achieved near-cult status. Its cast included Ewan McGregor, Nicole Kidman, and Jim Broadbent, all at the top of their game. A musical based on a film so iconic has a lot to live up to....

Review: THE COLOR PURPLE Inspires At North Carolina Theatre
by Nicole Ackman - April 24, 2023

Whether you've read Alice Walker's novel or seen Spielberg's film adaptation, it's fair to assume that you might already know the main beats of this modern American classic. But seeing North Carolina Theatre's production of the musical adaptation will make you feel like you're experiencing the story...

Review: BEETLEJUICE National Tour at Durham Performing Arts Center
by Jeffrey Kare - April 12, 2023

Based on Tim Burton's 1988 Academy Award-winning film of the same name, Lydia Deetz is a strange and unusual teenager who is obsessed with death. Luckily, her new house is haunted by a recently deceased couple and a degenerate demon. When Lydia calls on this ghost to scare away her insufferable pare...

Review: Theatre Raleigh's JERSEY BOYS
by Jeffrey Kare - April 07, 2023

Jersey Boys is presented in a documentary-style format that dramatizes the formation, success, and eventual breakup of The Four Seasons. I previously covered this show twice before. First, when the national tour came to DPAC in 2015. Then when it stopped at North Carolina Theatre back in 2018. Now, ...

Review: LES MISERABLES NATIONAL TOUR, at DPAC
by Nicole Ackman - April 12, 2023

The issues that LES MISÉRABLES touches on are unfortunately as relevant today as they were in 1862 when Victor Hugo’s novel was first published and in 1985 when the musical adaptation first opened in London....

Review: THE JUNGLE BOOK at Gamut Theatre's Young Acting Company and Rasika School of Dance
by Andrea Stephenson - April 01, 2023

This production of The Jungle Book is visually beautiful and engaging, and appeals to audiences of all ages. While this production is sold out, the caliber of this performance is a testament to the work of Gamut Theatre and Rasika School of Dance. Readers should plan to get tickets early for their u...

BWW Review: JAGGED LITTLE PILL National Tour, DPAC
by Nicole Ackman - March 01, 2023

The problem with jukebox musicals is that the music they use often takes away from the story that they're telling. It's not an issue with a show like MAMMA MIA, in which the plot is so light that the music complements it. However, when trying to tell a serious story, the songs can feel limiting and ...

Review: North Carolina Theatre's DREAMGIRLS
by Jeffrey Kare - February 08, 2023

Based on the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Supremes, The Shirelles, James Brown, and Jackie Wilson, Dreamgirls tells the story of a young female singing trio from Chicago, Illinois called 'The Dreams,' who become music superstars. Through gospel, R&B, smooth pop, di...

Review: COME FROM AWAY National Tour at Durham Performing Arts Center
by Jeffrey Kare - January 19, 2023

Come From Away is based on a true story of when the isolated community of Gander, Newfoundland played host to the world. What started as an average day in a small Canadian town turned into an international sleep-over when 38 planes, carrying thousands of people from across the globe, were diverted t...

Review: TINA - THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL National Tour at Durham Performing Arts Center
by Jeffrey Kare - January 04, 2023

Tina - The Tina Turner Musical follows the life and career of legendary recording artist Tina Turner. The story begins with her upbringing in Nutbush, Tennessee, continues with her tumultuous relationship with Ike Turner, and ends with her transformation into the global queen of rock 'n' roll. In ca...

BWW Review: ELF THE MUSICAL National Tour, DPAC
by Nicole Ackman - December 01, 2022

Elf, which was released in 2003, has undoubtedly achieved that status with its endlessly quotable lines and endearingly funny performance by Will Ferrell as Buddy. Many of these beloved holiday films have been adapted for the stage, like White Christmas and A Christmas Story, so it’s natural that El...

Review: HAIRSPRAY National Tour at Durham Performing Arts Center
by Jeffrey Kare - November 17, 2022

Based on John Waters' 1988 cult film of the same name, Hairspray takes place in Baltimore, Maryland in the year 1962. The story centers on a plump teenage girl named Tracy Turnblad, whose lifelong dream is to dance on the local TV dance program known as The Corny Collins Show. When Tracy wins a role...