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.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1501747
12 UCW JUNE 21 - 27, 2023 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Discover your next favorite show during Cape Fear Regional Theatre's next season by SHEILA D. BARKER Are you ready for an incredible new theatre season? We certainly are! Cape Fear Regional eatre is thrilled to announce their lineup for 2023-2024. is new season will be an exciting one, as CFRT has selected an array of shows that are sure to delight theatre lovers from all walks of life. CFRT has a long-standing reputation for delivering quality theater productions and the upcoming season is no exception. e plays selected are sure to be filled with laughter, heartwarming moments and unforgettable performances. "is was a fun and also a very complicated season to plan," said Ella Wrenn, CFRT Man- aging Director. "We want this season to be gangbusters. We want everyone to find some- thing that they're excited about or better yet for everyone to be excited about everything." Wrenn goes on to say "Because we are on the cusp of the Capital Campaign, this is the year that we really wanted to celebrate what the building has offered to Fayetteville for the last 62 years and also be looking forward into what the next chapter of CFRT is and what live theatre in Fayetteville might look like." e Capital Campaign is the theater's plan for major renovations and expansion of the current space. Phase 1, which has been com- pleted, was to renovate the auditorium. Phase 2 will be a much larger under-taking and will force CFRT to put on productions off- site since they do not plan on putting a hold on anything during the construction period. Wrenn feels that operating through a pan- demic has helped them put a "guidebook" together of how to put on productions suc- cessfully off-site. "We internally understand what that looks like, what it feels like and how much work it requires. And perhaps even better our audi- ence understands what that looks like and what that feels like. And they know they are still going to have a fantastic time and a fan- tastic experience." e hope is that Phase 2 will be completed by Fall 2025. eme nights and special events pre-show are also in the works for the new season. Up & Coming Weekly pressed Ashley Owen, the Marketing Director of CFRT, for the inside scoop and she did say this about "Addams Family: A New Musical"—"I will say I already know, I don't know what it is going to look like, but we will be doing Wednesday's Wednes- days. I don't know what that means yet. But I know that's going to happen." More will be planned for each show as the time for them to open gets closer, usually four to six weeks before opening night. More collaborations with local businesses are also in the works (like Sip Room & District House of Taps were featured in the lobby be- fore "Jelly's Last Jam"). "We love a wine tasting. We love a costume party. We love a popcorn bar … We couldn't do any of that without our community partners." e 2023-2034 Season "e Play at Goes Wrong " (Sept. 7 to 24) Your funny bone will be tickled with this hilarious whodunit from the creators of some of Broadway's funniest shows! Witness the chaos unfold on the opening night of the Cornley University Drama Society's produc- tion of 'e Murder at Haversham Manor.' It's a 1920s whodunit where everything goes wrong, from unconscious leading ladies to corpses that can't seem to play dead. is side-split- ting production will have you laughing until you cry! Despite the unfortunate circumstances, the actors keep going, and their attempts to reach the final bow have amused audiences world- wide. Drawing inspiration from Monty Python and Sherlock Holmes, it's no surprise that this Olivier Award-winning production will keep you in stitches. "Addams Family: A New Musical" (Oct. 19 to Nov. 5) e Addams Family is a hilarious treat that celebrates the peculiarities present in every household. e story follows the tale of Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness who has grown up and found love in a sweet, smart young man from a respect- able family. However, her parents have never met him, and she begs her father Gomez Addams to keep it a secret from her mother Morticia. What ensues is a night of revelry and chaos as the family hosts a dinner for Wednesday's "normal" boyfriend and his parents, and things will never be the same again. Audiences will be entertained and delighted by this origi- nal story that explores the dynamics of family with a twist. Inside Scoop: CFRT Artistic Director Mary Kate Burke will be directing this one with Tyce Diorio from "So You ink You Can Dance" doing the choreography. And look forward to CFRT's very own Marc de la Concha as Gomez! e 2023-2024 season at Cape Fear Regional eatre offers some- thing for every one, with new and classic favorites on the sched- ule. (All photos this page courtesy Cape Fear Regional eatre) COVER