Category Archives: Events

Old Well – 2017

Over the weekend my wife and I did some exploring in Chapel Hill. I took the above picture of the famous Old Well while walking across the UNC campus. It’s a well known landmark for sure, but it got me thinking about its significance. So I did a little digging online find out more about its history.  I learned that the well was commissioned by the Board of Trustees back in 1795 and served as the sole drinking water source for the university for a number of years.

In 1897, university President Edwin Alderman proposed building a new structure over the well. According to Wikipedia “The current decorative form of the Old Well was modeled after the Temple of Love in the Gardens of Versailles“. The structure was designed by Eugene Lewis Harris, a portrait artist and registrar for the university. A drinking water fountain was added in 1925 which is now served by city water. In 1954 the structure over the well was torn down and replaced with a sturdier replica that stands today.

If you are the superstitious type, campus tradition states that drinking from the Old Well on the first day of class will bring good luck and good grades!

Old Well – 1892
(Photograph from the Kemp Battle Album, North Carolina Collection, UNC)

Bill Harrigan Tighe as JM Barrie and Tom Hewitt as Captain Hook in Finding Neverland
(Photo courtesy Jeremy Daniel)

This week the spirit of imagination comes to the stage when “Finding Neverland” opens at the Durham Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, May 23rd with performance through Sunday, May 29th.

Based on the Academy Award winning film of the same name, the musical follows playwright J.M. Barrie as he summons the courage to become the writer and the man he yearns to be. Barrie finds the inspiration he’s been missing when he meets the beautiful widow Sylvia and her four young sons.

Ben Krieger as Peter Lleweln Davies and Christine Dwyer as Sylvia Llewelyn Davies in the National Tour of Finding Neverland
(Photo courtesy of Carol Rosegg)

Delighted by the boys’ hilarious escapades, Barrie uses the boys’ escapades to fulfill his dreams of becoming a writer. Inventing the world of Neverland and its imaginary inhabitants and in the process creates an original play that becomes a high-society hit.

The musical is packed with mesmerizing visuals, irresistible songs and plenty of laughs. It is a timeless story about the power of imagination and proof that you never really have to grow up.

Mitchell Wray, Jordan Cole, Finn Faulconer and Ben Krieger as the Llewelyn Davies Boys in the National Tour of Finding Neverland
(Photo courtesy Carol Rosegg)

In this touring production, the role of Captain Hook is played by Broadway Veteran Tom Hewitt.  He took a moment to chat with me by phone recently between productions.

Hewitt started performing in his small hometown in Western Montana where he made the most of a great local theater seen and benefited from a loving and supportive family. “I am very thankful to my parents for allowing me to pursue theater as a kid. They were very supportive and really there is nothing more magical.”

Hewitt has made a career of playing bad guys and monsters, including on Broadway Pontius Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar; Billy Flynn in Chicago; Dracula in Dracula and he has also played Scar in The Lion King. But he brings a unique perspective to playing Barrie’s inner Hook, given that he also played the Captain Hook in both the 1998 and 2011 national touring productions.

But this is a different Captain Hook than you’ve seen before. “This Hook is a is a facet of Barrie’s personality. His job is to encourage Barrie to “pirate up” if you will, explore his darker side and write his own story – basically he helps him find his courage and conviction,” says Hewitt.

“This really is a show for the entire family,” says Hewitt. “It is a show about a show focusing on love, family, and finding the strength to go after what you believe. And along the way there is little humor and special effects added to enhance the wonder”. When I asked about the special effects Hewitt explained that they are beautiful in their simplicity. “I love the way that flying is handled in the show, it is unapologetically theatrical. I am sentimental and it always moves me,” admits Hewitt.

The magic of “Finding Neverland” opens at DPAC on Tuesday, May 23rd and runs through Sunday, May 28th. For tickets visit https://www.dpacnc.com/events/detail/finding-neverland.

Last weekend I took advantage of the nice weather and went for a run around the campus at Duke. Durham offers many great spots to run, but one of my favorites is along Campus Drive leading up to Duke Chapel. I had to stop for a moment and admire the view and grab this photo. This is graduation weekend at Duke so the chapel will be pretty busy with commencement ceremonies, but I highly recommend you check it later this summer when the campus is a little more quiet. To learn more about Duke Chapel visit https://chapel.duke.edu.

Reginald Cyntje peforms at Beyu Caffe this Friday Night
(Photo courtesy reginaldcyntje.com)

The weather is little iffy this weekend, but I’m hoping things hold off and don’t interfere with weekend plans too much. Here are my top picks for things to check out this weekend.

Friday – May 12th

Music at Beyu Caffe in Durham
Reginald Cyntje is a trombonist, educator, producer, and composer. On Friday night you can catch him at Beyu Caffe for either a 7pm and 9pm show. Reginald’s music is a combination of tradition and calypso style jazz influenced by the Caribbean music he heard growing up in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the social-justice missions that are a part of his persona, and grooves from the D.C. jazz scene. You can purchase tickets here.

Saturday – May 13th

Grow a Food Movement: Pizza in the Garden 
On Saturday take part in a community garden party complete with wood-fired pizza, local brews, and live music, to support the Raleigh Food Corridor! Hosted by the Irregardless Cafe and supported by Crank Arm Brewing, the event supports healthy food systems and healthy neighborhoods in Raleigh. Location is Well Fed Community Garden, 1321 Athens Dr. Learn more at raleighfoodcorridor.org. Tickets are $25 per person or $10 for Friends of the Corridor and can be purchased here.

Ritmo Latin Festival in Cary
Ritmo Latino is a free family festival that showcases Latino music, dance and arts. The festival includes live music, vendors, artists, Latin foods, dance lessons for adults and activities for children. All the fun goes down on Academy Street in Downtown Cary saturday from 12-7pm.

The Loose Strings Band –  Bond Park in Cary
The Loose Strings Band is an all female bluegrass band from Galax, Virginia, that has been together for 11 years. They are known in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and beyond for their tight vocal harmonies and sweet rhythms. This concert is FREE and open to the public! Performance is outside at the Sertoma Amphitheatre in Cary’s Bond Park 7-9pm. For more information visit https://pinecone.org/events/loose-strings-band.

Sunday – May 14th

Geek Craft Expo at The Armory in Durham
This is a FREE curated craft market featuring awesome handmade geek goods created by local artisans! GeekCraft Expo RDU will be held at the Durham Armory on Sunday from 11am to 6pm. For more info visit http://www.geekcraftexpo.com.

The Cast of Broadway’s CHICAGO
(Photo by Jeremy Daniel)

“Chicago” recently celebrated its 20th anniversary on Broadway in March. It’s now the longest-running American musical in Broadway history and you can see it right here in the Triangle next week when the touring production comes to the Durham Performing Arts Center with performances Friday, May 12th through Sunday, May 14th.

This a musical that tells story of  murder, greed, corruption, exploitation, and treachery set against the turbulent backdrop of prohibition era Chicago. The musical is based on a play of the same name by reporter and playwright Maurine Dalls Watkins  who covered the 1924 trials of accused murderers Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner for the Chicaog Tribune. At the time the press and public became mesmerized by the subject of homicides committed by women.

The story centers around nightclub sensation Velma (Terra C. MacLeod) who murders her philandering husband, and Chicago’s slickest lawyer, Billy Flynn (Eddie George) who comes to her aid to defend her. Things get complicated when Roxie (Dylis Croman) ends up in prison as well for murdering her lover. Billy takes on Roxie’s case as well and turns it into a media circus. Velma is not happy to see Roxie, who is stealing not only her limelight but also her lawyer and neither woman will be outdone in their fight against each other and the public for fame and celebrity.

Roz Ryan Plays Mamma Morton in the national touring company of “Chicago”

The Cook County Jail cell block Velma and Roxie are sent to as they await trial is presided over by the corrupt Matron “Mama” Morton (played by veteran Roz Ryan). Mamma runs a tight ship and keeps a list of those who owe her favors and those who have fallen in line and are on her good list. She helps Velma become the media’s top murder-of-the-week and acts as a booking agent for Velma’s big return to vaudeville.

Ryan is a Broadway and Hollywood veteran and I reached her by phone last week and had a wonderful conversation with her where she shared about what it is like to play this iconic role and traveling he globe with the production.

How long have you played Mamma Morton?
I’ve played Mama Morton on Broadway and in the touring production off and on for more than 18 years now. I never get tired of playing Mama. I started after auditioning for the first national tour. Spent a few years on Broadway then hot the road with the tour. I kind of view the role as Mama as mine. 

How did you land the audition to play Mamma?
It really is a Cinderella story. I was performing in Detroit and a musical director saw me and had me come in for an audition. I hadn’t seen the show at that point. So it was new to me when I was signed for the job. I saw it and a week later I was on stage performing in it. Ever Since then over the past 18 years, I’ve become the reliable ‘go to’ girl for the show. 

Playing such an iconic role for so many years, how do you keep it fresh?
It’s a little different each night. The character and performance is never exactly the same. Depending on the city you are in or the crowd in the theater there may be a different energy from night to night and performance to performance. My character gets to talk directly to the audience at some points during the show and that allows me to ad lib a little so I can always keep it fresh!

Where are some of the favorite places you have traveled with the show?
Oh we have been all over the world from Dubai to Australia. We are getting ready to visit Japan, Korea and the Philippines. They are all wonderful. One of my favorite pastimes is to scuba dive and take pictures of dolphins and whales. I’ve actually gotten quite good at photography. One of the benefits of traveling is not just seeing these wonderful places, but it provides me the opportunity to scuba dive in exciting locations. I actually received my scuba certification in Australia!

Do you have any other projects coming up you would like to highlight?
Well, I am always up to so much. Right now Chicago is my focus. But don;t forget I do a lot of voice-over work for cartoons and I love that too! Ultimately though I focus on the task at hand. I don’t make plans. God makes plans for me and I follow his plans.

CHICAGO opens at DPAC on Friday, May 12th and runs through Sunday, May 14th. For tickets visit https://www.dpacnc.com/events/detail/mamma-mia-1.