North Carolina Theatre Announces 2019-20 Season
Raleigh, NC – North Carolina Theatre is proud to announce its 2019-20 season sponsored by ABB on stage at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Raleigh. Opening in October, this season includes classic tales, inspiring stories, and fresh NC Theatre debuts.
“Our upcoming 2019-20 season at NC Theatre examines and celebrates family, acceptance, and fighting for a cause,” says NC Theatre’s producing artistic director, Eric Woodall. “Carefully crafted by our company to reflect all of the beautiful communities that have grown to form our regional family tree, we’ll produce contemporary blockbusters, modern stories, and heart-warming classics conceived in fresh new ways. North Carolina audiences will not want to miss coming home to NC Theatre to enjoy a fantastic season with family and friends!”
This season, NC Theatre will produce all six shows in its lineup. Woodall, a Benson, NC native, spent the past 16 years of his career in New York City as one of the top casting directors on Broadway. As the new producing artistic director for the theatre, he will combine the best Broadway talent with the Triangle’s local stars to put NC Theatre’s personal stamp on the productions in the 2019-20 season.
The 2019-20 season will begin in October with the Tony Award-winning show, West Side Story. Then, just before the holidays on the A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater stage, Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years will take audiences on a journey of American history through the lens of two African-American sisters, Sadie and Bessie Delany. Making its fabulous NC Theatre debut in February, Kinky Boots is based on true events and centers around the story of two people coming together to save a shoe factory, with the help of some high-heeled, extravagant footwear.
Next, the Tony and Olivier Award-winning musical, Memphis, tells the story of an up-and-coming white DJ and a black club singer waiting for her big break, and the challenges of fame and forbidden love. Then in May on the A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater stage comes Edges, a musical written by the minds behind La La Land, The Greatest Showman, and Dear Evan Hansen, is a musical song-cycle that focuses on the trials and tribulations of transitioning into adulthood. Finally, our season will wrap with the beautiful and timeless Rodgers & Hammerstein’s classic, The Sound of Music, which centers on Maria and the von Trapp family in the Austrian hills as they become closer and find love during a time of war.
2019-20 Season Overview
– West Side Story (October 15-20, 2019 / Raleigh Memorial Auditorium) The world’s greatest love story takes to the streets of New York in the landmark Tony Award-winning musical, West Side Story. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is given a modern twist, as two young, idealistic lovers find themselves caught between warring street gangs, the “American” Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. From the first note to the final breath, West Side Story will captivate you with its poignant and powerful story and inspiring musical score including memorable songs, “Maria,” “I Feel Pretty,” “America,” and more.
– Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years (November 8-17, 2019 / A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater) Trailblazers, activists, sisters, and best friends Sadie and Bessie Delany – both over 100 years old – take audiences on an inspiring and entertaining journey as they recount the triumphant stories of their lives, from growing up in Raleigh, North Carolina as the daughters of a former slave, to integrating a New York suburb during the Harlem Renaissance. This Tony Award-nominated adaptation of the real-life sisters’ memoirs is a funny and heartfelt family drama you won’t want to miss.
– Kinky Boots (February 11-16, 2020 / Raleigh Memorial Auditorium) Winner of 6 Tony Awards, a GRAMMY Award, and featuring 16 original songs by pop icon Cyndi Lauper, Kinky Boots is the huge-hearted, high-heeled hit that took Broadway by storm. Based on true events, Kinky Boots tells the story of two people with nothing in common – or so they think! With understanding and compassion, a struggling factory owner and a wildly fabulous entertainer join forces to create a great business and an even stronger friendship. Don’t miss the chance to dance along with us during this fearless, upbeat musical sensation – no matter your footwear!
– Memphis (March 24-29, 2020 / Raleigh Memorial Auditorium) From the underground dance clubs of 1950s Memphis comes the Tony and Olivier Award-winning musical that bursts off the stage with explosive dancing, irresistible songs, and a thrilling tale of fame and forbidden love. Inspired by actual events, Memphis follows the story of a white radio DJ who wants to change the world, and a black club singer waiting for her big break. Come along on their incredible journey to the ends of the airwaves – filled with laughter, soaring emotion, and roof-raising rock ‘n’ roll.
– Edges (May 1-10, 2020 / A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater) From Oscar, GRAMMY, Tony, and Golden Globe Award-winning songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, best known for their work onDear Evan Hansen, La La Land, and The Greatest Showman, comes Edges. This charming, witty, and honest musical song-cycle looks at what happens when we teeter at the edge of our lives. Through song, Edges explores the trials and tribulations of burgeoning into adulthood through universal issues like love, commitment, identity, and meaning – themes all ages are sure to relate to.
– The Sound of Music (July 28-August 2, 2020 / Raleigh Memorial Auditorium) From raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens to captivating classic tunes, The Sound of Music sweeps you away to the Austrian hills. Relive the beloved story of Maria, a would-be nun turned governess, who proves too high-spirited for the religious life, and the family she forever changes through song and spirit. Maria and the von Trapp family come together, as the rest of the world is on the brink of war to prove that love and family can conquer even the biggest obstacles. Featuring the unforgettable hits you know and adore including, “My Favorite Things,” “Edelweiss,” “Sixteen Going on Seventeen,” and more.
Season Ticket Information
Season tickets start as low as $227 for all six shows and are now available to purchase online and through the NC Theatre Box Office. For more information, please visit nctheatre.com or call the NC Theatre Box Office at (919) 831- 6941.
About North Carolina Theatre
Established in 1984, North Carolina Theatre is Raleigh’s premier, non-profit professional regional theatre. With its successful formula of producing top quality musicals with top national performers and local talent, North Carolina Theatre has been instrumental in the revitalization of downtown Raleigh over the years. Through its conservatory, it has provided exceptional arts training to hundreds of local youth. By offering broad access to live theatre, while strengthening economic growth, the organization continues to fortify the cultural vitality of the region. North Carolina Theatre is funded in part by the City of Raleigh based on recommendations of the Raleigh Arts Commission.