Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM OCTOBER 14-20, 2020 UCW 13 COVER STORY Cape Fear Regional Theatre innovates, continues to entertain a STAFF REPORT PRUDENCE MAINOR, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcom- ingweekly.com 910-484-6200. "Lady Day at the Emerson Bar & Grill," the musical play that opened Cape Fear Regional eatre's long- awaited 2020-2021 season, is far from the block- buster musical openers of previous seasons. is is a piece of serious theater particularly well suited to its makeshift staging. Performed in a parking lot behind an abandoned building on Hay Street, complete with ambient traffic noise as background, it is easy to imagine that one is seated in the gritty South Philly neighborhood where the play is actually set. "Lady Day" is the story of one of the great jazz legend's last performances just a few months before her untimely death. A victim of her times (or of her own vices, let each member of the audience decide), Billie Holiday has been stripped of the cabaret card that entitled her to play the big clubs and reduced to singing in a small venue in a place she thought she'd sung herself free of. Janeta Jackson gives a selfless performance as Holiday. ose who saw her in "Crowns" know the power of Jackson's voice, which breaks through most notably in numbers such as "Ain't Nobody's Business" and "Strange Fruit." But Jackson is play- ing Holiday at the end of her career, when alcohol and drugs have taken their toll on her health as well as her voice. Her performance reflects this. Clad in mink and glitter at the outset, Jackson as Holiday disintegrates onstage and the songs follow her down. Brian Whitted as Jimmy Powers, Holiday's accom- panist, brings his piano in at critical moments to prevent a complete breakdown. Much as folks pass- ing the scene of an accident, the audience is drawn along, mesmerized. "Lady Day," written by Lanie Robertson, is called a musical play because there is much dialog in ad- dition to the musical numbers. Holiday's onstage ramblings give the audience an idea of the trajectory of her life. Some of her reminisces are hilarious but much of the dialogue is raw. Holiday is presumably speaking to a Black audience so theatergoers who are not Black may squirm a bit. Given COVID-19 restrictions and the fact that CFRT's theater is undergoing renovations, Artistic Director Mary Kate Burke and company are to be commended for choosing an opener that is well suited to both our time and place. e cast is small. e lighting is low. e night itself becomes part of the show. Social issues that are still relevant over 60 years after Holiday's death are served up, if not as entertainment exactly, then certainly as art. And art is always worth supporting. If you want to hear Billie Holiday at her best, buy a CD. If you want to wit- ness a heroic performance of serious theater, book a ticket to one of the performances of "Lady Day at the Emerson Bar & Grill." For information on performance schedules and ticket availability, please visit cfrt.org or call the box office at 910-323-4233. "Lady Day" kicks off CFRT season by PRUDENCE MAINOR After closing its doors to audience members back in March, the Cape Fear Regional eatre spent the last 6 months innovating and leading the way for regional theaters during the pandemic. One of the first to create daily online programming for kids, CFRT launched virtual Edutainment classes that offered daily lessons for students in grades K-5. After 9 weeks of online classes, CFRT opened its doors for 15 sessions of summer camps between June and August, following CDC guidelines for in- person camps and ultimately reaching almost 200 campers. In September, CFRT announced the receipt of a $225,000 Community Organization Resource grant from the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County, Inc. for the 2020-2021 Season. "We are so honored to receive this grant from the Arts Council. is funding will allow us to continue producing high quality productions and serving parents and children adapting to this new paradigm. We know how essential art is to healing and process- ing, and we look forward to another year of creatively engaging with our community," said Ella Wrenn, CFRT's managing director. CFRT is committed to presenting an annual series of plays, performances, and special events that, in addition to entertaining, will enlighten, inspire, and educate performers and audiences. "We are proud of the work we've done through- out the last year to continue to provide the award- winning productions and nationally recognized education initiatives, and we could not have this impact without the tireless advocacy and support of the Arts Council," said Artistic Director Mary Catherine Burke. Just last week, CFRT returned to in-person produc- tions with "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill." e show is being performed outside, right down the block from CFRT behind Haymount Auto Repair. Extensive safety procedures are in place for these performances. Audiences will be limited to fewer than 50 people in accordance with state COVID-19 guidelines. Seating will be in six-foot distanced pods of two or four. Masks will be required of all audience members, and temperatures will be checked at the entrance. Robust sanitation will take place between performances and the show will be as low contact as possible with digital programs and no paper tickets. e rest of the 2020-2021 season will be performed in the spring. Dates for those shows will be an- nounced later in the year. e Wizard of Oz Click your heels together and join Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, Dorothy, and her little dog, too. ey're off to see the Wizard in the magical land of Oz, but in order to make it there, they have to face the Wicked Witch of the West. is iconic musical reminds us that there truly is no place like home. Join us for this beloved family friendly musical that has entertained generations. e show is by L. Frank Baum and adapted by John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company. It is based upon the classic motion picture. It is rated G for everyone. Clue: On Stage It's a dark and stormy night, and the host of a dinner party has turned up dead in his own man- sion. Inspired by the board game and film, join Miss Scarlett, Colonel Mustard, Professor Plum, and other colorful guests for this hilarious murder mystery. As the guests race to find the killer, audiences will be in stitches to try and figure out who did it, where, and with what. Rated PG for parental guidance, this play contains mild and comedic themes of violence. It is based on the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn, the motion picture and the board game "Clue." Buddy: e Buddy Holly Story Before the Beatles, there was Buddy Holly and the Crickets. It's the 1950's and a young man from Texas with big glasses and an even bigger dream of catapulting to the top of the Rock and Roll charts. With classic songs like "Peggy Sue," and "at'll Be e Day," along with "La Bamba," this high octane musical is a celebration of a man whose music and values were ahead of his time. e show is rated PG for parental guidance and contains some mild adult themes. It is written by Alan Janes. e Color Purple Based on Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, this landmark musical is about a remarkable woman named Celie. All she knows is heartbreak and despair, until her friend Shug helps her realize her own self-worth. Celie uses her flair for fashion to build a better future. With a joyous score featur- ing jazz, gospel, blues, and African music, it is a story of resilience and a testament to the healing power of love. e show is rated M for mature audiences, it con- tains some language and adult themes.Based upon the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel written by Alice Walker and the motion picture.