Up & Coming Weekly

February 08, 2022

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 FEBRUARY 9 - 15, 2022 UCW 15 e renovations at Cape Fear Re- gional eatre came just in time — just in time for the girl from Kansas in spar- kling red heels. e theater's produc- tion of "e Wizard of Oz" does justice to the classic tale of Dorothy Gale and her three unlikely road companions. A new sound system, lighting and py- rotechnics bring an added measure of engagement and thrill to the audience. Beyond the technical aspects of the show, the quality of acting re- ally brought the musical together. Fayetteville native Kiara Hines took the stage as that eternal optimist, the most loyal of friends, Dorothy Gale. Hines was charismatic and a great embodiment of Dorothy. She floated around the stage just like a sunny teen- ager who cannot be dismayed even when plenty of reason for concern presents itself. Hines nailed Dorothy's innocence and juvenile behaviors. Her mannerism and voice perfectly balanced with the three co-stars that often shared the stage. e first of those co-stars, Lee Jean Jr., played the sometimes timid, brain- searching scarecrow. He was a mighty force next to Hines. Lee's own ability to carry his character's happy-go-lucky, doubtless behaviors into dance-like movement on the stage was perfect for this straw-filled friend. He was what seemed like the closest of Dorothy's friends, bringing truth to one of Dorothy's last lines, "I think I'll miss you most of all." During this show, the scarecrow did feel like one of the most comforting of friends. Tinman, played by Michael Lo- Balsamo, was the next to enter the stage beside the duo. LoBalsamo and Jean's witty banter played wonderfully against Dorothy's child-like questions and demeanor. LoBalsamo's move- ments were fluid or perhaps not so fluid, as called for by his rust-chal- lenged character. He frequently left the audience hoping for more of his lines, as he was full of heart. And lastly, but by far not the least, was Nicholas Pearson as the cowardly lion. Pearson's version of this charac- ter was perfectly played with terrific voice acting and very well-timed co- medic lines. He often left the audi- ence laughing at his additions to each conversation. Children in the audience seemed to take to the lovability of his character. ey appeared to look for- ward to each swing of his tail, a sudden exhibit of cowardice or fainting. e four friends were well-suited to come up against both the Wicked Witch of the West, played by Becca Vourvoulas and Glenda, the Good Witch, played by Nicki Hart. e actors succeeded in bringing their characters to life on stage. Vourvoulas nailed the voice and shrill laughter of Dorothy's green-faced foe. While the music in this musical was not bad, Hines herself belting out a beautiful version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," the lines and interac- tions between the characters were by far the most captivating portion of the show and an excellent reason to purchase a ticket. e four main char- acters stole the show more often than their counterparts. If the show had more conversations between them, the audience would not be found wanting. e only distraction from Oz was the use of the face shields for the ac- tors on stage. ey sometimes caught the shine of stage lights. While this addition might be the best solution in the covid-era of on-stage productions for safety, it would have been nice to watch the talent of the actors without this occasional pull back to reality. For how well-performed this production was, the audience wanted to stay in Oz, even if only for just a little while. EVENTS Plays for Days ELAINA J. MARTIN, Staff Writer. COMMENTS? editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com. 910-484-6200. Take a thrilling trip to Oz by KATHLEEN RAMSEY Becca Vourvoulas as the Wicked Witch of the West at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre. (Photo courtesy of Cape Fear Regional Theatre.) Judas play light,funny by ELAINA J. MARTIN KATHLEEN RAMSEY, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? editor@upand- comingweekly.com. 910-484-6200. Sometimes we take life a little bit too seriously. at is why we look to the arts for a reprieve. In watching a theat- rical production, we become emersed in another world and forget about our unique problems for a while. e Gilbert eater is presenting "e Last Days of Judas Iscariot." It is a crazy take on, as the title indicates, the last days of Judas Iscariot. Pulitzer- prize-winning playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis created the show. It de- buted first Off-Broadway at e Public eater on March 2, 2005, directed by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. e show centers around a court case deciding the ultimate fate of Judas Iscariot. e resulting decision will determine if Judas Iscariot goes to Heaven or Hell. During the show, the characters are in Purgatory. e bailiff is a Barney Fife-like character played by Justin Gore-Pike. Gore-Pike also plays Judas. "Judas is a sad, haunted person," Gore-Pike said. e play utilizes flashbacks to an imagined childhood and lawyers who call for such witnesses as Mother Tere- sa, Caiaphas, Saint Monica, Sigmund Freud and Satan. El Fayoumy, the lawyer, is in hell and thinks that he proves his worth to belongs in Heaven or at least Purga- tory by prosecuting this case. e witnesses are funny and provide comic relief. Mother Teresa cannot hear very well. El Fayoumy gets her earphones, and then she can hear, and she also comments on how attractive El Fayoumy is. Saint Monica is brash and uses harsh language, not something you would imagine in a play centered around Judas Iscariot. Sigmund Freud is as one would imagine and brings some comic relief to a serious subject. Satan, played by Matt Gore, takes a solemn subject and character and makes light of him. Gore-Pike describes the play as "a fun, dark comedy." e play is not for children as there is a lot of foul language, especially by Saint Monica, played by Deannah Robinson. It may also be offensive to religiously devout Christians and Jews. e stars of "e Last Days of Judas Iscariot" are Eden Kinsey, who plays Fabiana Cunningham, a lawyer in the Judas case. e other star is El Fay- oumy, played by Chris Walker. Walker describes the show as "thought-provoking and leaves you with something to talk about ... filled with many fun-loving actors who take a serious subject and flip it into some- thing funny." "e biggest takeaway is to never be afraid to challenge the system when it needs to be challenged," Gore-Pike explained. "Never be afraid to ask questions." "It is more about self- forgiveness than God's forgiveness," said Walker. "Jesus doesn't care what Judas did. He is forgiven." In the end, Jesus, played by Michael Ormiston, comes to Judas, played by Gore-Pike, and washes Judas's feet, proof that Judas was forgiven. Chris Walker as El Fayoumy and Joyce Borum as Mother Theresa in "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot." (Photo courtesy of the Gilbert Theater.)

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