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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Take a Trip Around the World in 80 Days at the CFRT This month, a diverse and talented cast of characters at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre invite you to come along on the journey as Around the World In 80 Days brings excitement and a touch of exotic to the CFRT stage. Directed by Nick Minas, the cast of hundreds is brought to In the late 1800s, travel was tedious, particularly travel over long distances. Carriages, trains and boats were the means of getting from one place to the other. But in 1873, French writer Jules Verne invited his readers to go on an incredible journey through his book, Around the World In 80 Days. The book, tells the story of an amazing journey by a very uptight, precise Englishman, Phileas Fogg, and his valet, Jean Passepartout. As the two men begin their 80 day journey, they meet a cast of characters who not only help move the journey along, but teach them that life is the ultimate journey. by JANICE BURTON is bringing this role to life. Quaintance, formerly of Los Angeles, is now a Fayetteville resident. Quaintance is returning to the stage following a three-year sabbatical. During that time she focused on teaching acting, and tackling the greatest role, that of mother. For Quaintance, the return to the stage is exciting, as it is life through the unique skills of fi ve actors. The CFRT's own Ken Griggs is playing the role of Fogg, a man whom Griggs notes "does absolutely nothing at all." Fogg, a Victorian James Bond-type character is cast as the hero of the story, although Griggs notes that he mainly has good intentions, while his loyal valet, Passepartout (played by J. Preddi Predmore), is the actual hero of the story. An adventure story like Around the World in 80 Days would not be complete without a villain, which in this story comes in the form of a police inspector who is seeking to arrest Fogg. Torsten Hillhouse plays Fogg's bumbling nemesis, and along the way learns a lot about himself and the man he is seeking to bring down. The muse in the story is the lovely Aouda, who brings a touch of color and a taste of the exotic to the stage. It is she, who teaches each of the characters that the journey is less about the world, but more about themselves. Wallis Quaintance the fi rst major role she has played in the last three years, and her fi rst at the CFRT since she and her husband, the CFRT's new artistic director, Tom Quaintance, made their home in Fayetteville. She believes that this role was the perfect one for her to make her return to the stage and to introduce herself to the Fayetteville theatre community. Minas noted that Quaintance was perfect for the role, and that he was excited that he could fi nd someone in the community to play the role. "No one could have done it better," he said. By its very nature, Around the World is a large show, but Minas and company have worked very hard to make it an intimate show. They, in fact, made the CFRT stage smaller. He explained that they are using a number of dynamic ways to move the story along, and they are asking the audience to meet them halfway by bringing their imaginations along on this fabulous journey. 25 and runs through Nov. 11. For tickets and information, visit www.cfrt.org or call 323-4233. If, by chance, someone in the audience can't keep track of the story, they don't have to worry, Tom Littman, playing a host of roles, will act as their conduct along the way. Littman, known as the man of a thousand voices, has left the cast in stitches with his frequent character changes. You can expect to laugh a lot, but also to learn a lot along the way. The show open on Thursday, Oct. JANICE BURTON, Associate Publisher. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomingweekly.com Women's Wellness Center 12 UCW OCTOBER 24-30, 2012 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM