onstage winter 2011-12

Knight theaterLevine Center for the Arts

Blumenthal performing arts centerBelk Theater • Booth Playhouse

Stage Door Theater

spirit squareMcGlohon Theater

Duke Energy Theater

JerseY BoYs making its way back to you p. 8

memphis, the color purple: the music of our souls p. 10

onstageWinter 2011-2012

board oftrusteesJames Bullock

Joni Y. Davis

James F. Downs

Charlie Elberson

Walter D. Fisher, Jr., Past-Chair

Dorlisa K. Flur, Chair

Molly Griffin

Timothy L. Gunter

Greg Haislip

Charles L. Harrington

Sally Hawk

Rebecca Henderson

Steven A. Hockfield

W. Todd Houser

Sunny Harris Hutchinson

Susan Jamison, Secretary

Lloyd E. Johnson

John Lassiter

Dr. Joan Lorden

Dr. Edith Valladares McElroy

Edwin B. Peacock III

Rick D. Puckett, Chair-Elect & Treasurer

Jennifer Roberts

Anne Stolz

Gregory L. Taylor

Catherine Warfield

onstageeditor-in-chief Crystal Dempsey

Writers Elizabeth Bertrand Aleigh Acerni Daniel Knaub Julie York Coppens

graphic Designer Jessica StanleyCover Photo: Preston Truman Boyd, Joseph Leo Bwarie, John Gardiner, Michael Lomenda and the Company of JERSEY BOYS. Photo by Joan Marcus. Felicia Boswell (Felicia) and the National Touring Cast of MEMPHIS. Photo by Paul Kolnik.

table of contentsWinter 2011-2012

3 .............................................................................. Letter from the President

4 ................................................................................ Blumenthal News Briefs

5 ...................................................... Visiting Artists Favorite Charlotte Spots

6-7 ...................................................... Q&A With Loretta Swit of LOVE, LOSS

8-9 ...................................................Re-Creating The Magic of JERSEY BOYS

10-11 ....................................................................MEMPHIS: The Music of Our Soul

12-13 .............................................. Update on the Inaugural Blumey Awards

14-15...................................................................................................Calendar

16 ........................................Annual Meeting Celebrates Memorable Moments

17-19 .......................................... News on Membership, Corporate Partners

2 onstage | Winter 2011-2012 Tickets: 704.372.1000 | BlumenthalArts.org

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Facebook.com/NCBPAC Twitter.com/BlumenthalArts

Blumenthal Welcomes New Vice President of DevelopmentThe Blumenthal welcomes Cindy Rice as the Vice President of Development.

Rice has worked in the field of nonprofit fund development for nearly 20 years. Most recently, she worked in Washington, DC, where she was the Development Director of JRS/USA, an international aid organization that serves refugees and internally displaced people in more than 55 countries.

Prior to that, she resided in Davidson and served seven years as Executive Director for Davidson Community Players, a nonprofit community theater.

“I am excited to join Blumenthal Performing Arts, an organization I have long admired. I plan to work hard to build relationships with our current members who provide important support toward the Blumenthal’s charitable and educational programs,” said Rice. “I hope to expand that list of members significantly to increase resources for our programs that provide access to the performing arts for families, children and schools who otherwise could not afford them.

“We have incredible programs that do that: Family First, ticket scholarships, support from the Doctor Family Foundation, and our school shows. Our development efforts will focus on raising funds to expand the reach and beneficiaries of those programs in the future.”

Rice received her undergraduate degree from Nova Southeastern University in Davie, FL. She currently resides in Fourth Ward with her husband, Randy, and is thrilled to return home to Charlotte and join the Blumenthal staff.

Cindy Rice

Recently we had our Annual Meeting, a time when we look back on the achievements of the past fiscal year and ahead to future plans. These are challenging times to be selling tickets and raising money, two tasks that are important to us for the Blumenthal’s health.

I was pleased to report at the Annual Meeting that we’re doing well thanks to a lot of hard and creative work. We have focused our efforts on what I call the “Three Keys to our Future Success”:

1. Offer great programming that captures the public’s imagination.

2. Be innovative in all that we do.

3. Build close, long-term relationships with our audience.

Our “pipeline” of great programming is strong. You’ll have to wait until this spring to hear about the next Duke Energy Broadway Lights season, but believe me, it will be a phenomenal line-up. Our commitment to innovation includes social networking such as Facebook, blogs, YouTube and Twitter. And through our affinity groups and Education programs, we are working to nurture our connection to arts fans.

A major program to be launched this year is the BLUMEY AWARDS. Three years ago I began thinking about this when I went to the very first National High School Musical Theater Awards, which is called The Jimmys in honor of theater icon Jimmy Nederlander. I realized then that our kids had no way to participate since the performers come from regional high school awards shows. Now we’ll solve that with the launch of the Blumey Awards since the winners of the best actor and best actress awards here will travel to New York to perform on

Broadway in the national show. Locally, 21 schools this year will participate in the competition, and six will be invited to perform on the big stage of the Belk Theater with a full orchestra in the pit accompanying them. What an incredible night that will be!

Charlotte is a wonderfully diverse community. It’s our goal over the course of a year to see our audiences be equally diverse. Our best hope of achieving that is through supporting work that tells the stories that are relevant to theater fans of all backgrounds. We’re proud to have co-produced the musical version of THE COLOR PURPLE, which is returning to Charlotte. Currently on Broadway we are co-producing a powerful new play about Martin Luther King, Jr. called The Mountaintop that stars Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett. The Charlotte run last season of In the Heights with its lively salsa/rap score was among the most successful of its tour.

We’re grateful for your support, and I hope to see you soon at the theater.

Tickets: 704.372.1000 | BlumenthalArts.org onstage | Winter 2011-2012 3

President’swordsTOM GABBARD

Dear Friends:

Tom GabbardPresident

neWsbriefs

Blumenthal continues its streak of successful launches with You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up!You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up! joins the ranks of shows such as Traces, Basic Training and Mother Load that enjoyed a successful launch in Charlotte.

Tomato proved to be a hit with both critics and audiences. The “he said/she said” comedy, created by Annabelle Gurwitch (TBS’ Dinner and a Movie) and Jeff Kahn (The 40-Year-Old Virgin), is based on their 15 year marriage. Both creators were on hand to launch the national tour and participated in a post-show Q&A opening night.

“Because this was the first production of the tour, we had the show’s creative team on site to make adjustments to the show based on the audience feedback so the show changed quite a bit in previews,” said Douglas Young, Vice President of Programming.

All the hard work paid off. Going into its final weekend, You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up!, sold out its final Friday and Saturday night performances, proving word-of-mouth for the show was great, and audiences really connected with the show.

“As a commercial theater producer in New York, I am always seeking out the very best partners in the very best markets to launch my shows,” said Orin Wolf, President and CEO for Off Broadway Booking in New York. “The city of Charlotte embraced this new work with great enthusiasm and our box office reports reflected that.”

Special Alert Added To EmailYou may have noticed this alert added to email from us:

“PASS IT ON: BlumenthalArts.org and CarolinaTix.org are the OFFICIAL TICKETING PROVIDERS for BLUMENTHAL PERFORMING ARTS. Tickets purchased from other sources may be 1) more expensive, 2) invalid and 3) ineligible for assistance. Blumenthal Performing Arts is not responsible for tickets purchased from other sources.”

The messaging is part of the Blumenthal’s effort to educate consumers about secondary ticket brokers re-selling seats at grossly inflated prices or who are selling counterfeit tickets. The re-sell practice is legal but ticket-buyers often pay two to

four times above face value when the same general seating is available through Blumenthal at the regular price.

Before you buy…

If you’re looking at tickets from a broker or ticketing web site, check with us to see what’s available. Call Ticketing at 704.372.1000 or visit our official ticketing sites, BlumenthalArts.org or CarolinaTix.org.

$7K For 7K Campaign Rewards Facebook Community

As a kick-off to our 2011-12 season in early October, the Blumenthal celebrated its Facebook fans with a “fan-raiser” contest that gave away $7,000 worth of tickets once 7,000 people had “liked” the page.

After hitting 7,000, a sweepstakes launched that everyone who was a fan of the page could enter. After all was said and done, 66 winners received a total of 148 tickets to 30 shows which ranged from THE ADDAMS FAMILY to BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.

Along with email and social media marketing efforts of our own, supporters such as Amelie’s French Bakery and the #TweetTarts spread the word via social networks and communities.

The number of people who “liked” the page increased from 6,651 on Oct. 2 to 7,278 by Oct. 18.

Have you liked our Facebook page yet? Visit Facebook.com/NCBPAC today!


Each destination along a show’s tour becomes the cast’s temporary home-away-from-home — for days to weeks at a time. In every new city, the traveling actors and creatives try to take in a little local flavor when they’re not performing or rehearsing. We’ve asked some of our recent and repeat visitors to give us some insight into the things they look forward to when they visit the Queen City.

The Food

Charlotte has great food, and the performers and creatives who visit our fair city definitely have some favorite spots. At the top of the list? Soul food.

Several visitors mentioned memorable meals at Mert’s Heart and Soul. “Overall, the food in Charlotte was truly delicious,” says Darren Katz, director of You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up! “I enjoyed Harvest Moon Grille and Blue very much. But Mert’s was my favorite. That cornbread was to die for!”

Reed Martin of the Reduced Shakespeare Company agrees. “No other place is even close. Great food and it makes me feel like I’m really in the South. Try the red velvet cake!”

There’s another Charlotte institution that has managed to earn a few fans: Lupie’s. “I like to eat at Lupie’s in Huntersville and downtown,” says Louie Skaradek from The London Broil Show. “Great food and great staff.”

Lots to See and Do

“[Charlotte is] a great city to walk around in,” says Jeff Kahn, creator/writer of You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up! “So many bars, restaurants, cafes. I love to walk in cities.”

Some visitors like to check out our museums: “Last time the Reduced Shakespeare Company was in Charlotte, we performed The Complete World of Sports (abridged), so I thought I should

visit the NASCAR Hall of Fame,” says Martin. “I love it and I’m not even much of a racing fan!”

Others enjoy exploring our city’s kid-friendly attractions. “I love Discovery Place, the Children’s Theatre and the light rail system, because of my kids,” says Charlie Flynn-McIver, director of Live from WVL Radio Theatre: It’s a Wonderful Life. “My son could ride that train all day!”

And then, there’s the shopping. “I always visit the Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find comic shop on Seventh Street when I come to town,” says Skaradek.

“You have a fabulous mall,” says Rachelle Roberts, of SouthPark. She planned to do her Christmas shopping here while performing in Live from WVL Radio Theatre: It’s A Wonderful Life.

A Place to Call ‘Home Sweet Home’

Charlotte’s southern charm hasn’t been lost on the performers who have called the Queen City their temporary home. “The people in Charlotte were so nice and welcoming,” says Katz. “I appreciated that there was a real down-home feel to the people of Charlotte, and yet there was great diversity of opinions and culture. An interesting mix. “

“My wife and I, though we’re both from North Carolina, met in New York,” says Flynn-McIver. “We actually got married in Charlotte and spent our wedding night in The Dunhill. I particularly like how supportive of the arts Charlotte is. Bravo!”

Some have even daydreamed about living here full-time. “It has so many of the things one looks for in a great place to live: Nice people, lots of cultural activities, active downtown area, universities, professional sports and on and on,” says Martin.

“Charlotte still feels quaint even though it’s a big city,” says Roberts. “I’d love to live in Charlotte if the cards were right.” - Aleigh Acerni

Home sWeet cHarlotteOur city is a favorite ‘home away from home’ for touring shows

Discovery Place. Photo by Oscar Williams SouthPark MallMert’s Heart and Soul. Photo by Tonya Russ Price/Poprock Photography

From top: Rachelle Roberts, Darren Katz and Reed Martin.


When Love, Loss, and What I Wore comes to the McGlohon Theater Jan. 24 - 29, audiences will discover the hit show that has inspired a laundry list of fans on- and off-stage. The collection of stories, performed by a star-studded rotating cast in New York and the new national tour, uses clothing as a metaphor for the ups and downs of life. Its vignettes range from funny to poignant – just what you’d expect from writers Nora Ephron (When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle) and Delia Ephron (You’ve Got Mail) – who adapted it from a best-selling book of the same name.

Two-time Emmy Award-winning actress Loretta Swit headlines the national tour. After thrilling audiences for 11 remarkable seasons as Major Margaret Houlihan on TV’s “M*A*S*H,” Swit has gone on to weave a rich tapestry of roles on Broadway (Same Time, Next Year; The Mystery of Edwin Drood), national tours (Shirley Valentine, Mame, 42nd Street), TV and feature films.

We caught up with her by phone a day before she returned to Chicago for Love, Loss, and What I Wore. The conversation ranged from the importance of clothes in her life to her greatest love affair, and the reasons why this show is way more than a passing fad.

OnStage: Can you describe the show and what audiences can expect to see?

Loretta Swit: It is vignettes in the form of readings, except for my character (Gingy) who has a story from beginning to end. She is, in essence, the writer of those things that the other women are reading. She kind of moderates, turns over her stories to the four women sitting on stage with her. They do those different reminiscences and then every once in a while, there is an ensemble recollection. There will be a piece, for example, called “What my mother said” and each woman remembers something that her mother told her. After a while, you realize that all mothers in the world have probably said all of these things at some time or other. There’s a common bond that reaches out and grabs you. It makes you laugh and really touches your heart.

OS: Do you relate personally to many of the stories in the show?

LS: Oh, certainly. If you’re a human being, you do. There is a universality of all these memories that you cannot escape. I think women probably relate to it more strongly because we so relate to our clothing. However, when we did it in New York, I think the men enjoyed it just as much. Initially, maybe the husband says, “Oh, honey. It sounds like a girly thing’ and then goes and enjoys it enormously. That’s what happens. Love, Loss has that kind of

warmth and charm of drawing everyone in. That’s the fun of it.

OS: What kind of role have clothing and accessories played in your own life?

LS: Clothes, for an actor, are very, very important. They determine how you walk, how you sit, how you behave. They’re very much a part of the operation. If you’re doing Shakespeare, you don’t walk like you’re wearing a pair of jeans. Your clothing determines the movements and body language... you act with your whole body, your mind, your soul.

OS: Is there anything different about performing in a show with a cast of all women?

LS: I’ve done solo flights, duets, ensemble pieces. Each one is a different form of an adventure. My coach has always emphasized that the most important element on that stage is your colleagues. This format I find extremely interesting:

a conversation WitH love, loss, and WHat i Wore’s star loretta sWit

Loretta Swit


a conversation WitH love, loss, and WHat i Wore’s star loretta sWit

capturing the flavor and essence of the character of Gingy without having the audience lose the fact that I’m doing it. You’re kind of going in and out in a way. You’re sitting down with the audience on a one-to-one. The intimacy of this is very alluring to me.

OS: You mentioned intimacy, does that mean the show typically plays in smaller houses?

LS: You know, it doesn’t. Part of our job is to draw you into us. I don’t think the size of the house matters much...as long as you can hear us well. If you’re giving them that kind of honesty, truth and sensitivity, all of your emotions, all of your feelings, it will

translate. … I can’t do what I do without an audience. …If I’m on the stage, alone in the theater, I’m an actor, OK. If the audience is seated, waiting for the curtain, they’re just a bunch of people. But when we are together we

make theater, we make magic, we make love. It’s a love affair. But we need each other.

A very famous writer once wrote about how difficult our times have made it for us to feel. And when you stop feeling,

what are you? Dead. You are getting benumbed with the news of the world today: if it’s not the war, it’s the economy, the depression, the homeless. After a while, you are numb. You stop feeling... you cut it off. What an actor does for the audience is feel. And they allow themselves through the actor to feel, to cry, to laugh, to tap their toes to the music, to hug, to reach out and become one. That to me is religion. That is spiritual and that’s why I call it the romance of theater. -Elizabeth Bertrand

KnigHTS oF LAugHTerNeed a chuckle or two? How about a good belly-laugh? Or do you just want your face to hurt from smiling so hard? These shows at Knight Theater are just what you need!

Colin Quinn: long Story Short • Jan. 19 From Socrates to Snooki, the comedy veteran tackles attitudes, appetites and habits that toppled the world’s most powerful nations. And it’s directed by comedy genius Jerry Seinfeld.

Paula PoundStone • Jan. 21 The Emmy® winning comedian/author and popular panelist on NPR’s “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me” will share her wry observations but not her Diet Pepsi.

MonTy PyTHon’S SPAMALoT • Feb. 17-19 Broadway’s frisky, lovingly self-proclaimed rip-off of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” returns to Charlotte! It is not dead yet. (Python fans are laughing, already!)

an evening with Martin Short • MarCh 31 The actor (“Three Amigos,” “Father of the Bride 1, 2”) says he’ll deliver a one-man variety show. Think Carol Burnett, but more like a “Party with Marty.”

-Crystal Dempsey

Colin Quinn Paula Poundstone

Martin ShortMONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT

love, loss and What i WoreJanuary 24-29 • McGlohon Theater

Writers and sisters Nora and Delia Ephron attended the Off-Broadway opening of Love, Loss and What I Wore. Nora Ephron (When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle) and Delia Ephron (You’ve Got Mail) adapted the play from a best-selling book of the same name. Photo by: Justin Mink


JERSEY BOYS, one of the most popular and biggest selling shows in Charlotte’s theater history, returns to the Queen City on Feb. 22.

When the Tony® Award winning tale of pop music icons Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons opened here in 2010, it sold out night after night and broke Belk Theater box office records

With the Broadway run passing the 2,500th performance mark, Vegas celebrating its 1,500th show in November, and the national tour clocking well past its 2,000th performance by now, JERSEY BOYS has become a modern classic. But with that many shows performed night after night, how do the casts and musicians deftly pull off recreating a distinctive version of one of the biggest bands in pop music history consistently? Maintaining the sound is a major focus for the show’s producers.

JERSEY BOYS Musical Director Ron Melrose has seen the show over 1,000 times. Part of his job is flying from city to city to check on each production. “I try to see it through fresh audience eyes and ears pretending I’m seeing it for the first time,” he says on a brief break from readying the launch of the second national tour in New York City. “I note anything we’re getting mechanical on, a plot point that needs more time or if a certain word needs to be stressed more. There are people in each company – the stage manager, the dance captain, the conductor- whose job it is to maintain consistency. And there are three of us who travel

(and) are constantly checking in.”

Although JERSEY BOYS strives to maintain that distinct version of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, it’s not a static show. “We want it to be a little fluid. My history of musical theater tells me when Hair was starting out it was crucial that each company evolve their own hidden language and a body language of their own to convey how they would feel as a tribe. There are other shows that are cookie-cutters. JERSEY BOYS is comfortably in between,” he explains. Part of that flexibility from night to night is within the music. Sure, JERSEY BOYS is built on the pre-existing hits of its star subjects, songs like “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You,” but live theater gives the music room to breathe and change. In today’s digital landscape where Autotune and backing tracks are the norm on big budget concert tours, JERSEY BOYS production is as linked to the time period it depicts as the music itself.

“This show doesn’t have a note of pre-recorded vocals in it. We only play along with a click track on the first and last numbers in order to synchronize with the video. And the conductor is old school. He can read the audience and decide whether to slow it down or if it’s a tough house he’ll speed things up. That’s an old fashioned 1950’s and 1960’s way of conducting. Part of it is knowing what’s an acceptable change from night to night. If the

oH, WHat a sound!Cast and creative team work hard to keep JERSEY BOYS the same but different

(l to r) Michael Lomenda, Joseph Leo Bwarie, Preston Truman Boyd and John Gardiner . Photo: Joan Marcus


audience laughs longer or claps longer, the show will wait. ”

Each cast brings something new to its roles as well. “I see it take a slightly different unique form each time and that can change within a company. I watched the Broadway production last night,” says Melrose. “That show has been on for six years, and a year and a half ago we got a guy in the role of Nick Massi with bizarre timing. Jokes that didn’t land before do now and there are things that use to land that don’t anymore. It’s a take on the character that I haven’t seen in any other company.”

In September, actor Preston Truman Boyd joined the touring JERSEY BOYS cast for the role of Bob Gaudio, the Season who penned and produced the group’s beloved songs and was instrumental in bringing the story to the stage. Boyd, whose girlfriend was part of the Chicago production, had watched two other actors in the role before taking a swing at it. A classically trained opera singer who Charlotte audiences saw as The Monster in 2011’s Young Frankenstein, had been stewing over what he’d do with the role.

“When you’re sitting there analyzing the role, it’s a good sign that it’s something you’d want to play,” he says the day of the tour’s opening night in Washington, D.C. The role presents its own challenges for Boyd. “This is a new world for me vocally. I always enjoyed pop and rock music, but now I’m a singer and a pop writer on the stage. It’s a personal challenge to make sure I don’t slip into sounding like the golden age of musical theater.” Unlike many actors who audition with Gaudio in the room, Boyd wasn’t able to meet the man he was playing before assuming the role because of how quickly he got the part. Though he has yet to meet Gaudio, his portrayal has evolved over his short run.

“I’ve gotten a lot of dramaturgy on the Four Seasons and rock ’n’ roll of that time. What it was like socially back then and who Bob is as a person,” Boyd says. “It’s important to keep yourself in a role as well. There will be little things now that I find myself doing and I think ‘That’s a Prestonism,’ but if I do it like this it’s a ‘Bobism.’ ”

While the JERSEY BOYS casts change and the performances evolve, the anchor is the compelling story and more importantly the music that speaks to generations. “The music is some of the best music of all time. It’s stood the test of time in the pop world and lives up to what it was back then today as well,” says Boyd, who only knew a few songs growing up but notices an age range of thirty-to eighty-somethings mouthing along in the crowd.

Melrose talks to audience members in the lobby wherever he is taking in a show. He often finds repeat viewers who notice the subtle changes too, a good sign that JERSEY BOYS has a long life ahead.

“They’ll say, ‘It was the same, but it was different,’ ” he says. “People come back to JERSEY BOYS. It doesn’t seem to be a show that people see just once.” -Courtney Devores

JerseY BoYsFeb. 22 - March 11 • Belk Theater

(l to r) Joseph Leo Bwarie, Preston Truman Boyd, John Gardiner and Michael Lomenda. Photo: Joan Marcus

(l to r) Joseph Leo Bwarie and Preston Truman Boyd. Photo: Joan Marcus


Touring Broadway performer Rhett George has had a front-row seat to watch the empowering, healing effect of the great stories and music in two recent Broadway hits

First in THE COLOR PURPLE’s ensemble, and now as Gator in MEMPHIS — two hit shows coming to Charlotte in January — George gets to look out every night at an audience that looks like America, to a degree rarely seen in the mainstream theater of past generations. And you know what? “Black, white, it doesn’t matter,” he says. “Everyone responds the same way.”

George allows that some crowds are quieter than others at the start of this Tony Award®-winner set in the 1950s, an interracial love story (mostly true) about a pioneering Memphis deejay and the R&B singer whose career he helps launch. “But without a doubt, at the end, they’re always on their feet cheering for us.”

Adds George, whose own character in the show is haunted into silence by his father’s lynching, “MEMPHIS breaks down so many walls.”

That’s certainly been true of other musicals and plays. African-American culture has almost always had a place on Broadway, and while the record is mixed — some early titles make us cringe today, and even great contemporary musicals such as The Wiz portray stereotypes more recent shows have taken pains to avoid — most would say that overall, the Broadway musical has helped us to better know and understand one another, with

positive results.

“I believe theatre can change our society,” says critic and author Peter Filichia, whose new book Broadway Musical MVPs, 1960-2010 names Joe DiPietro, MEMPHIS’ book writer and co-lyricist, the Most Valuable Player of the 2009-10 season. The show’s composer is David Bryan, a Broadway newcomer and keyboardist for the band Bon Jovi.

As a sheltered white teen-ager in 1961, Filichia remembers sitting in the front row for the movie version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song, a flawed but appealing musical about Chinese immigrants living in San Francisco. All through the film he could hear two people in the row behind him, laughing precisely when he did—and afterwards he couldn’t wait to turn around and see his kindred spirits. “They were a couple of black guys,” Filichia recalls. “You know, back in school, the nuns always told us we were all the same — only that day, from that experience, I truly believed it. It was really one of the most important days in my life.”

He’s noticed a similar phenomenon with Katori Hall’s play The Mountaintop, which stars Samuel L. Jackson as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Angela Bassett as a Memphis hotel maid who encounters the legend on the last night of his life. Blumenthal Performing Arts is a co-producer of the Broadway production, running through Jan. 22. Hall’s award-winning script will hit

tHe music of our soulsMEMPHIS, THE COLOR PURPLE reflect Broadway’s renewed wave of diversity

Bryan Fenkart (Huey) and Felicia Boswell (Felicia) in the National Tour of MEMPHIS. Photo by Paul Kolnik.

MEMPHIS. Photo by Paul Kolnik. THE COLOR PuRPLE. Dayna Jarae Dantzler (Celie) and Traci Allen (Nettie). Photo by Scott Suchman.


regional stages in the future. “They are showing him warts and all,” Filichia says of Jackson, Hall, and Mountaintop director Kenny Leon, in their treatment of the Civil Rights giant, which drew “very audible, collective gasps” and laughs from almost everyone in the house the night Filichia saw the play. “I think we all enjoy — this isn’t just a black thing — we always enjoy seeing someone we’ve only seen at his best, in front of TV cameras, as a human being. We find out we have more in common with Martin Luther King than we expected.”

When the subject is race, the stage picture is never that simple. Take the first blockbuster in American theater history: Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin in its many popular stage adaptations. Historian David S. Reynolds and others credit the “Tom plays” for turning the tide of public opinion toward freedom and equality in the Civil War period and beyond. The performances, often by white actors in blackface, also promoted some of the worst racial stereotypes.

Another cultural landmark, the 1935 Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess, has faced similar charges for its Eurocentric portrayal of poor blacks living in Charleston’s Catfish Row. A new adaptation opening Jan. 12 on Broadway, from director Diane Paulus and African-American playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, already has generated controversy over some of its “revisions.”

Not all new musicals attempting to capture the African-American experience have succeeded. Filichia points to The Scottsboro Boys, the critically praised, box-office failure about a miscarriage of justice in Depression-era Alabama, as proof that black audiences “do not want to be reminded of minstrel shows, no matter how lofty the intention.”

Still, recent seasons have brought more stories with minority appeal to Broadway than ever before, along with more aggressive outreach and minority-centered marketing by producers — and audiences have responded, as reported by theatre writer Patrick Healy in the New York Times in June 2010. Those trends have reached touring markets such as Charlotte.

“We had fairly well integrated audiences (before),” says Blumenthal president Tom Gabbard. “There was just a product shortage. There was a lack of reason for people to gather. But a lot has changed,” he adds, pointing not just to MEMPHIS and THE COLOR PURPLE, which he expects to do good business here in January, but to other recent hits like In The Heights, which drew Latino theater-goers (as well as Anglos) to the Blumenthal in unprecedented numbers.

“I feel like audiences were primed and ready,” Gabbard says. “If we are going to get people of diverse cultures into these theaters, the stories have to be relevant… Race is a powerful part of community life here in the South. That history is very real. And these characters are so real, that even if people can’t personally identify with that person’s journey, they’re still moved by it. They travel on that journey with them.”

And maybe sing along.

“Say a prayer that change is a-comin’/Say a prayer that hope is ’round the bend,” the troubled Gator sings in MEMPHIS, once he recovers his faith and his voice. Every time Rhett George delivers those lines, he feels their transformative power. “I feel like we just need to open our eyes. When you see these (shows), take it a step further. If a show makes you think, do something you wouldn’t normally do. Try to educate yourself. Make friends out of your comfort zone. Take risks,” George says. “We can only change because our hearts and minds let us change… It’s only going to better as long as we keep pushing forward with these messages and stories.” -Julie York Coppens

Julie York Coppens covered theater for The Charlotte Observer from 2004-08; she’s now associate editor of Dramatics magazine, published in Cincinnati by the Educational Theatre Association.

MEMPHIS. Photo by Paul Kolnik. Taprena Augustine (Shug Avery). Photo by Scott Suchman.

memphisJanuary 3-8 • Ovens Auditorium

the color purpleJanuary 20-21 • Ovens Auditorium


The date is set, May 20, and the venue reserved: Belk Theater. The conductor has been hired. Most importantly, the 21 schools – representing six counties and including three private schools – have been selected to compete for The Blumey Awards, the Blumenthal’s first ever High School Musical Theater Awards program.

The Blumey Awards join the more than 30 regional high school theater award programs in the country. The

program, patterned after Broadway’s Tony® Awards, began 20 years ago when the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera began the first regional awards program. The Gene Kelley Awards honored the iconic dancer/actor/singer who is a Pittsburgh native.

Since then, the concept has spread to professional performing arts centers across the nation. In 2009, a national awards program, The Jimmy Awards, named after James M. Nederlander, chairman of the Nederlander Producing Company of America, was created to provide a week of professional training to students who were named best actor and best actress at the regional awards. At the national awards ceremony, each student has an opportunity to perform, and then a best national actor and actress, chosen by a panel of distinguished judges, are named.

For the first ever Blumey Awards, the Education Department wanted to bring an experienced conductor into the fold. Enter David Dabbon, a New York-based music director, conductor, arranger, orchestrator and composer. He will lead an orchestra of local professional musicians to accompany the competing schools on May 20. He has conducted shows and concerts throughout the country. Most recently, he provided additional orchestrations for the Tony® and Grammy®-nominated Broadway musical, Sondheim on Sondheim.

Most critically for the Blumenthal’s first year, Dabbon has served as assisting arranger/orchestrator for The Gene Kelly Awards and most recently, the National High School Music Theatre Awards. He is currently a professor at NYU/Tisch – Playwrights Horizons Theater School, Montclair State University, and is the artistic director at the Accelerando Music Conservatory.

“For students the sheer act of putting on a musical encourages them to work hard, work as a team, be creative, have fun, build confidence, and figure out how to problem solve,” said Dabbon. “The HSMTA gives students a goal of being recognized for their talents. The event is filled with such positive energy that everyone celebrates each other’s creations.”

Students get the chance to meet other peers from neighboring communities while working on “a magical and high energy evening,” he said.

With so many school programs cutting back on the arts, Dabbon believes that awards programs such as the NHSMTA and the regional HSMTA help demonstrate the large amount of people interested in the arts and the strength of its value. “To quote JFK: ‘The life of the arts, far from being an interruption, a distraction, in the life of a nation, is very close to the center of a nation’s purpose...and is a test of the quality of a nation’s civilization,’ ” Dabbon said. “I believe that very much, and that the HSMTA is a very clear way that proves it’s true, come and see for yourself!”

“The HSMTA is very much like planning a wedding, lots and lots of preparation for a one night event that will hold so many memories,” Dabbon said. “The regional HSMTA often have the same format as the Oscars and Tony Awards®. Lots of surprises, songs, dancing, awards, and scholarships.”

21 scHools to comPete in tHe blumey aWards

the BlumeY aWarDsMay 20 • Belk Theater

BlumenthalArts.org/BlumeyAwards

David Dabbon


a. l. brown high SchoolCabarrus CountyGodspell

ardrey Kell high SchoolMecklenburg CountyCrazy for You

Central Academy of technology and artsUnion CountyTBD

Central Cabarrus high SchoolCabarrus CountyClue: The Musical

Charlotte Catholic high SchoolMecklenburg CountyAll Shook Up

Charlotte Christian SchoolMecklenburg CountyWest Side Story

Cuthbertson high SchoolUnion CountyBeauty and the Beast

east gaston high SchoolGaston CountyAnything Goes

Forestview high SchoolGaston County Hairspray

Fort Mill high SchoolYork CountyXanadu

gaston Day SchoolGaston CountyWizard of Oz

hickory ridge high SchoolCabarrus CountyUrinetown independence high SchoolMecklenburg CountyGrease

Jay M. robinson high SchoolCabarrus CountyLittle Shop of Horrors

Marvin ridge high SchoolUnion CountyUrinetown

nation Ford high SchoolYork CountyTBD

north lincoln high SchoolLincoln CountyAnnie

northwest Cabarrus high SchoolCabarrus CountyTBD

northwest School of the ArtsMecklenburg CountyWest Side Story

South Mecklenburg high SchoolMecklenburg CountyBye Bye Birdie

South Point high SchoolGaston CountyJekyll & Hyde

2012PArTiCiPATingSCHooLS

THe BLuMey AWArDS: What to expect

Between Jan. 20 and April 21, a team of highly qualified judges will adjudicate the musical productions of each participating school at the respective school venues. Each judge will produce performance and production commentaries for each school as a learning tool.

When the musicals have been evaluated, scores will be tabulated by a certified public

accounting firm. The highest scores will determine the nominees and winners in each category.

On the evening of Sunday, May 20, the six schools nominated for Best Musical will perform excerpts of their shows before an audience of up to 2,100 in Belk Theater. Additionally, students who are nominated in the Best Actor and Best Actress categories will perform in a musical medley.

Outstanding achievement will be recognized in 13 areas: Best Musical, Best Actor and Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Actress, Best Featured Performer, Best Ensemble/Chorus, Best Student Orchestra, Best Overall Direction, Best Choreography Execution, Best Costume Creation, Best Set Construction and Best Lighting Execution.

At the ceremony, The Doctor Family Foundation, a tremendous supporter of Blumenthal’s educational programs, will award annually renewable $10,000 scholarships to two outstanding students who participate in The Blumey Awards. The scholarship candidates will be comprised of students nominated by fine arts teachers from each participating school.

Best Actress nominees perform in their winning roles during a medley at the 2011 Jimmy Awards at Minskoff Theater in New York City. In June 2012, the actress who wins The Blumey Award from the greater Charlotte region will be on stage at The Jimmy Awards; The 2011 Jimmy Awards nominees perform the opening and closing numbers for the judges. The Best Actor and Best Actress winners at The Blumey Awards will go on to the Jimmy Awards in June; The four Tevyes from Fiddler on the Roof caused the audience to laugh out loud at the 2011 Jimmy Awards. Top Photo: Tony nominee Liz Callaway works with a student during training for the 2011 Jimmy Awards. Nominees work with Broadway actors and creative teams during the week before the Jimmy Awards. Photos by: Henry McGee


JANUARY3-8 memphis Ovens Auditorium7 Disney in concert Charlotte Symphony Belk Theater12-13 B.B. King Knight Theater13 2012 legacy film showcase Deltas of Charlotte McGlohon Theater13-14 rachmaninoff’s paganini rhapsody Charlotte Symphony Belk Theater13-28 the amen corner On Q Productions Duke Energy Theater15 legacy concert Elwood Edna Foundation Knight Theater 19 colin quinn: long story short Knight Theater20 travis tritt Knight Theater20 slamcharlotte poetry slam McGlohon Theater20-21 the color purple Ovens Auditorium21 paula poundstone Knight Theater21-29 MadamaButterfly Opera Carolina Belk Theater22 speak up Youth poetry slam Duke Energy Theater24-29 love, loss and What i Wore McGlohon Theater28 unc clefhangers Knight TheaterFEBRUARY3-4 mendelssohn Violin concerto Charlotte Symphony Belk Theater 3-18 most fabulous story ever told Queen City Theater Company Duke Energy Theater10-11 a John Williams spectacular Charlotte Symphony Belk Theater 11 symphony lollipops: a Young person’s guide to the orchestra Charlotte Symphony Belk Theater11-12 the original tribute to the Blues Brothers Knight Theater14 they might Be giants McGlohon Theater17 slamcharlotte poetry slam McGlohon Theater17-18 copland Charlotte Symphony Orchestra Belk Theater17-19 montY pYthon’s spamalot Knight Theater18 arlo guthrie: Boys night out McGlohon Theater19 speak up Youth poetry slam Duke Energy Theater22 - mar. 11 JerseY BoYs Belk Theater24-25 Knightsounds: carmina Burana! Charlotte Symphony Knight Theater25 mike cross Expogo McGlohon Theater26 the puppini sisters McGlohon Theater29 - mar. 3 miles & coltrane On Q Productions Duke Energy TheaterMARCH2 slamcharlotte ciaa poetry slam McGlohon Theater

coming

The Original Tribute to the Blues Brothers

B.B. King Travis Tritt

They Might Be GiantsAges 14+

Don’t know if your Valentine would prefer JERSEY BOYS or COME FLY AWAY? Let us play Cupid and help you on Feb. 14!

A Blumenthal gift certificate is the perfect present for the entertainment fan! Gift certificates can be customized to any amount. And you also have the option of printing at home, so you can literally have your gift in hand as soon as you complete your order.

Gift certificates can be redeemed towards the purchase of any event on sale through the CarolinaTix system, from Broadway hits at the Belk Theater to concerts at Spirit Square to dance shows at the Knight Theater to events of all kinds in the many other venues across Charlotte and the region.

And these aren’t just for Feb. 14! Gift Certificates are available year-round and are great for birthdays, anniversaries or special occasions such as Mother’s Day.

For more information: BlumenthalArts.org/GiftCertificates. Or visit the box office in the Belk Theater lobby, 130 N. Tryon St., or call 704.372.1000.

Giving the Gift of Entertainment Just Got Easier


8 laugh for the cure Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Charlotte Affiliate McGlohon Theater8-18 sleeping Beauty North Carolina Dance Theatre Knight Theater16 slamcharlotte poetry slam McGlohon Theater17-25 eugene onegin Opera Carolina Belk Theater18 speak up Youth poetry slam Duke Energy Theater23 Knightsounds: to tchaikovsky with love Charlotte Symphony Knight Theater25 george Benson Jazz Diva Knight Theater26 the moody Blues Belk Theater27 pilobolus Knight Theater30 mavis staples McGlohon Theater30-31 all tchaikovsky Charlotte Symphony Belk Theater31 an evening with martin short Knight TheaterAPRIL1 Jeanne robertson Outback Concerts Knight Theater 1 Darrell scott McGlohon Theater3-8 stomp Belk Theater10-15 Bring it on: the musical Belk Theater16 rain: a tribute to the Beatles Belk Theater17 one night of queen Knight Theater20 slamcharlotte poetry slam McGlohon Theater22 speak up Youth poetry slam Duke Energy Theater26-28 Dangerous liaisons North Carolina Dance Theatre Knight Theater27-28 Bach & mahler Charlotte Symphony Belk Theater28 Dancing through latin america Charlotte Latin Dance McGlohon TheaterMAY1-6 come flY aWaY Belk Theater4 Knightsounds: Joie de Vivre Charlotte Symphony Knight Theater5 lollipops: peter and the Wolf Charlotte Symphony Knight Theater11-12 Beethoven missa solemnis Charlotte Symphony a Belk Theater4-19 passion Queen City Theater Company Duke Energy Theater Theater15-20 alvin ailey american Dance theater Belk Theater16 Burn the floor Belk Theater16 madeline peyroux McGlohon Theater29 - June 3 la cage auX folles Belk Theater

please Visit Blumenthalarts.org for the latest details on all shows.

The Puppini Sisters

soon....

Arlo Guthrie: Boys Night Out

Pilobolus

The schedule of shows and concerts is so great this spring that you might have a tough time choosing what to see!

You are the perfect candidate for a Go! Pak. And if you are watching your budget, this plan really is a great option.

Simply pick three or more of your favorite shows and create your own Go! Pak. It’s that easy. You’ll have guaranteed seats, guaranteed fun, great seat location… and you’ll save 5% off tickets for most shows.

As an added bonus: Go! Pak-buyers can enjoy the flexibility of an extended payment plan. You can pay for your tickets NOW through April 14 in equal monthly payments.

For more information: BlumenthalArts.org/GoPak. Go! Paks also can be purchased at the box office in the Belk Theater lobby, 130 N. Tryon St. , or call 704.372.1000.

Plan a Spring of Fun with a Go! Pak

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater


annual meeting HigHligHts “a year of memorable moments”

The 2010-2011 Annual meeting Nov. 15 on the Booth Playhouse stage featured presentations to outgoing trustees, the introduction of new trustees and an announcement of three Center Stage honorees. More than 75 board members, volunteers, sponsors, donors and staff enjoyed a lunch provided by Best Impressions Caterers, one of our partners, and entertainment by Center Stage Award winner, Noel Freidline.

Board of Trustees Chair Dorlisa Flur said that the yearly meeting is a celebration of Blumenthal Performing Arts’ many achievements. “Virtually every part of Blumenthal Performing Arts performed well last year,” said Flur. The Blumenthal hosted 894 performances last year, welcomed over 579,000 visitors and infused an estimated $35 million into the economy.

Flur recognized and thanked major sponsors: Duke Energy for its continued sponsorship of the Broadway Lights Series; The Doctor Family Foundation for continued support of education programs and scholarships, and Carolinas Medical Center for renewing as our official healthcare provider. She also praised Synder’s-Lance Inc., Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and Best Impressions Caterers.

Blumenthal President Tom Gabbard joined Flur to thank outgoing trustees Amy Blumenthal, Sam Bowles and Sue Breckenridge. Each received a limited edition lithograph. Sally Hawk, chair of the Governance Committee, then introduced new trustees Molly Griffin and Tim Gunter. She also recognized Edwin B. Peacock, who joined the board mid-season.

In his State of the Center appraisal, Gabbard praised the Blumenthal’s efforts in making the 2010-2011 such a successful season and for its continued impact on the community through education programs and ticket scholarships. Gabbard gave an update on the Blumenthal’s many producing ventures, such as Traces, which is running Off-Broadway, and The Mountaintop, a critically praised drama starring Angela Bassett and Samuel L. Jackson which opened on Broadway in September. Additionally, Gabbard teased about what shows may be on the 2012-13 season including…(wait, you didn’t think we were actually going to spill these, did you?).

And finally, Gabbard announced May 20 as the date for The

Blumey Awards, Blumenthal Performing Arts inaugural High School Musical Theater Awards.

The meeting ended with the presentations of the annual Center Stage Awards, which are given to individuals or organizations that have demonstrated excellence in service to the arts. The 2010-11 recipients include:

Kristy and Kelly Gordon – The Front-of-House volunteers, and twins, have contributed over 800 combined hours since they joined the Blumenthal team in May 2004 and Feb. 2007 respectively. Kristy Gordon is an engineer with Carrier Corporation working in the Strategic Accounts Government Group. Kelly Gordon is

an architect with Little Diversified Architectural Consulting, working recently on the NASCAR Hall of Fame and Discovery Place renovations. “Both provide the best customer service, are well prepared in their roles and are always willing to go beyond the norm to assist,” said Joyce Ford, Executive Vice President and General Manager.

Noel Freidline – Freidline is the standout favorite presenter for the Education Department’s Get To Know The Show programs. Highlights of Freidline’s contributions include his January program highlighting the music of Elton John, music composer for BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL, and his recent presentation on MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, which included a plethora of period photos and videos set to ’50s songs played by Freidline on the piano. Besides working with touring

Broadway shows, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and the Noel Freidline Quintet, he is a lecturer in music at the University of North Carolina Charlotte. •

Center President Tom Gabbard delivers The State of the Blumenthal

Noel Freidline

Kristy and Kelly Gordon with Henry Justice

More than 75 board members, volunteers, sponsors, donors and staff attended this year’s meeting. Gorgeous desserts from Best Impressions Caterers.


membersHiPnewsHow to Become a MemberBecome a Member today and start taking advantage of the great benefits! • Visit us online at BlumenthalArts.org/Support, click “Individual Membership,” then “Click Here to Become a Member” • Call the Box Office at 704.372.1000 • Visit the Box Office in Belk Theater lobby at 130 N. Tryon St.

Producer’s Circle members had an opportunity to experience their philanthropy at work by attending a school show performance of John Tartaglia’s ImaginOcean in November. The Blumenthal’s educational programming is funded in part by membership contributions, and a great way to understand a program’s impact is to experience it firsthand. A one-of-a-kind live black-light puppet show, John Tartaglia’s ImaginOcean is a magical undersea adventure for kids of all ages. Members watched as students clapped to the music, cheered on Tank, Bubbles and Dorsel as they set out to find undersea treasure, and applauded in excitement as bubbles fell from the sky. The students’ joy was contagious, and members were delighted to share the magical experience with children who would not have the opportunity without their generous support.

For more information about how you can support the Blumenthal’s educational initiatives, contact Rachel Ellis at 704.379.1353 or [email protected].

Members Experience Blumenthal Education Firsthand

chairman’s councilMr. and Mrs. William B. McGuire, Jr.

president’s councilPeg and Jay AdamczykJim and Cathy BailyMrs. Nancy B. Thomas and Mr. William M. BarnhardtArthur D. Becker, Christine K. Becker, Kimberly K. BeckerThe Blumenthal Foundation Amy and Philip BlumenthalBetsy and Alfred BrandMr. William K. Diehl, Jr.Dorlisa and Peter FlurTom and Vickie GabbardGrace, Michael and John GallowayDavid and Barbara GoodmanBeverly and Jim HanceChuck and Diane HarringtonMr. and Mrs. David L. HauserSally Hawk and Tommi LeviJ. Michael Booe and Rebecca S. HendersonScot and Diane PowellJeanne and Rick PuckettRonnie and Paulette SherrillMr. and Mrs. Eric SklutEdgar and Karen Whitener

BenefactorHoward and Margaret Bissell Laura and Sam BowlesLea and Robin BurtJeff DemingDaniel and Marilyn DiMicco

Charlie ElbersonScott FullerHarry and Gail GrimBelinda and Timothy GunterMandy and Todd HouserThomas and Nora HughesSunny and Wen HutchinsonDavid and Susan JamisonLloyd JohnsonHoward and Julie LevineMichael, Jaime and Allie MondayTom and Anna NelsonGeorge and Eva RaftelisWendy and Frank RosenBill and Brenda RyanJane and Nelson SchwabThad and Bobbie SharrettMr. and Mrs. Donald J. SherrillLisa and Glenn Sherrill, Jr.Jacqueline A. TuckerMr. E.I. Weisiger, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Michael L. White

grand patronDr. Monique AbnerLarry AdamsElizabeth AustinMr. and Mrs. John M. BarryDr. and Mrs. Edward S. BaumMike and Renee BaumbachRalph and Linda BeckMr. and Mrs. Milton BerkmanMark and Louise BernsteinRoy and Amy BivensMr. and Mrs. Alan BlumenthalRay and Peggy BouleyCrandall and Erskine Bowles

Tim and Pat BrierFrank BrownJames and Sara BuckPeter and Cynthia BuckJames R. BullockBret BurquestJeffrey CarlsonNan and Hal ClarkeSteve and Elaine CoatsHarvey and Muri CorzinBrandon and Amy CroomRoger CuddyBill and Rose CummingsNed and Adelaide Davis Amy and Alfred DawsonJames W. DonahuePepper and Roddey DowdMr. and Mrs. James F. DownsMarica and Bob DynkoGreg EwaldJ.C. and Elizabeth FaulknerBeth and Jonathan FeitWalter and Michele FisherCurt and Sara FochtmannJoyce Staley FordRobert and Stacey FrostJohn R. GeorgiusIn Memory of Judy GerhartAnne and George GoodyearMrs. Charles L. GraceRebecca and Carl GuidiceNed and Ellen HardisonBlaine and Robin HawkinsMr. and Mrs. Mark HawleyTim and Carolyn HiltonDr. and Mrs. Alex HorchakJim and Peggy HynesLynn JeffreyTom and Michelle Johnson

Patti JulliardMarie-Claire Marroum KardusMr. and Mrs. Graeme M. KeithVirginia A. KernMary Jean and Howard L. KushnerJanice S. LadleyBeverly and John LassiterJames LedbetterThe Leon Levine Foundation -Sandra and Leon LevineDr. Shannon Moran and Mr. Joseph LovalloDavid MarkoskiKarmen Cassell MartinGary and Jill MaxwellJane and Hugh McCollT. Bragg and Betsy McLeodMr. W. Edwin McMahanElsa and Joseph McNamaraAngie MedlinMarie MitchellDaniel NanceEd and Jill NewmanJanet and Peter NixonLarry and Dale PolskyJim PutnamRandy and Cindy RiceSally and Russell RobinsonLisa and Robert RollinsWilliam R. RollinsCarla and Ed RoseKen RothmelIn Memory of Larisa SamoylovMr. and Mrs. Jason C. SchmidlyDale and Mary SedivecDr. and Mrs. Robert SeymourMr. and Mrs. Charles M.

Shelton, Sr.Peggy and Pope ShufordThe Marc and Mattye Silverman FoundationTom and Sherry SkainsMr. and Mrs. Marsh SpencerWalter and Ingrid SteeleDia and Paul SteigerMs. Donita StewartRobert and Ann StolzMr. and Mrs. Jack H. ThomasDavid ThomasonMeredith and Jim ThompsonEllen and Ron VilasGreg and Sandy VlahosCatherine and Scott WarfieldLin and DP WashburnRichard WellnerLinda and Rex WeltonJill WheelockMary Ellen and Reid WilkersonMr. and Mrs. Richard T. “Stick” WilliamsBill and Pat WilliamsonEric and Jean WilsonRip and Cathey WinfieldSteve V. and Vicki WorthyGillian Albinski and Douglas Young

Producer’s circle members

Contributions received from November 16, 2010 through November 16, 2011

Students from area school attend a school show performance of John Tartaglia’s ImaginOcean in November.


Preferred Snack Food Provider of Blumenthal Performing Arts

Preferred Dining Partner of Blumenthal Performing Arts

Preferred Dining Partner of Blumenthal Performing Arts

corPorate partnersThe Blumenthal recognizes the following sponsors and corporate partners for their generous support.

Snyder’s-LanceThe Uptown Catering Company has been a generous supporter

of Blumenthal Performing Arts and their residents since 1992. Owned and operated by an award winning Certified Executive Chef and 2001 Chef of the Year, The Uptown Catering Company has been creatively serving the finest events in Charlotte since 1987. The attention to detail and culinary diversity garners the attention of brides and businesses alike with events ranging from intimate gatherings to corporate receptions and elegant ceremonies. The Blumenthal has found their attentive service to all aspects of Blumenthal Performing Arts events, from wine pairings to flowers, ensures our event’s success. Blumenthal Performing Arts is grateful for their longstanding partnership with Uptown Catering Company, who always provides an upscale experience.

Uptown Catering

cHairman, ceo, Presidential partnersleadersHiP gift

signature gift

major gifts

2011/12 Broadway Lights Series Sponsor

Official Healthcare Provider of Blumenthal Performing Arts

Preferred Caterer of Blumenthal Performing Arts

foundation giftsthe Doctor familY founDation

Education Programs and Student Scholarships

The Arts & Science Council supports Blumenthal Performing Arts’ 2012 Fiscal Year budget with a Basic Operating Grant in the amount of $345,401.

Blumenthal Performing Arts receives support from the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources.

Snyder’s-Lance has renewed its sponsorship as the Blumenthal’s Official Snack Provider. A longstanding Corporate Chairman Partner, Snyder’s-Lance decided in 2010 to add an educational component to their sponsorship. “At Snyder’s-Lance, we feel strongly that arts and culture programs have a positive impact in the community and are integral in the educational development of our youth,” said Sid Levy, Director of Communications and Community Relations. Their in-kind gift of snack products is available at performances and pre-show events for ticket scholarship recipients in the Family First program series. They also support the Blumenthal’s Community Ticket Scholarship Fund providing access to the performance arts for financially challenged students.

It is not too late to join us as a Blumenthal Performing Arts Corporate Partner. Join this great group of corporate partners whose support ensures a vibrant cultural

community and helps provide access to the performance arts for youth. If you would like information on how a partnership with the Blumenthal can help you promote your company and its investment in the community, please contact Linda Beck, 704.379.1355 or [email protected]. As a Blumenthal Performing Arts Corporate Partner, you make the best even better!

Corporate Campaign Update


Directing partnersRodgers Builders

executive partnersAlston & Bird, LLPBelk, Inc.Brixx Wood Fired Pizza - UptownFamily Dollar StoreFifth Third Bank, NCHubbell Consulting, LLCHunton & Williams, LLPInterCon Building CorporationK&L Gates, LLPKPMG LLPKing & Spalding LLPMcGuire Woods LLPMidrex Technologies, Inc.NUCORParker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLPShaw GroupSteelFab, Inc.

managing partnersAreva NP Inc.BB&TC design Inc.Carolina TractorCharlotte Pipe and FoundryClariantDirect Source, Inc.Imperial PrintingInternetwork Services Inc.Jack and Jill of America Foundation, Inc.KBR Building Group

Lincoln HarrisMcGrann Paper CorporationModular DesignsMorningstar Mini-StorageNASCAR Media GroupNorth Highland CompanyPreferred Electric Co. Inc.Robert W. Baird & Company, Inc.RSM McGladrey, Inc.Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A.Stewart Engineering, Inc.Toshiba America Business SolutionsUnited Mechanical CorporationW. B. Moore Company of Charlotte, Inc.

associate partnersAbsolute Fire ControlAcoustics IncorporatedAshley Furniture HomeStoreAster Group CorporationB.E. Holbrooks Co., Inc.Bailiwick Data Systems, Inc.C.M. Steel, Inc.CSI Leasing, Inc.Carousel Capital CompanyCarroll Financial Associates, Inc.Charlotte Engineers LLPChicago Title Insurance CompanyChildress Klein Properties

Choate Construction Co.Coca-Cola Bottling Co. ConsolidatedCochrane Steel, Inc.Collins and Wright Inc.Commercial Defeasance LLCCrosland SoutheastDesign Strategies LLCDixon Hughes PLLCE.F. Belk & Son, Inc.Ec,a Architecture, PCElm EngineeringErnst & Young LLPForsythe, Inc.Galvan Industries, Inc.Garmon & Co., Inc. Commerical FlooringHendrick Construction, Inc.Herlocker Mechanical Systems, Inc.High Performance Technologies, Inc.Hitachi Data SystemsHood Hargett & Associates, Inc.Hoopaugh Grading Co., LLCIKON Office SystemsKaras Hospitality, Inc.KDCKeith CorporationKingGuinn Associates, P.A.LITTLEMarsh PropertiesMartin Marietta MaterialsMCC Mechanical, LLCMcCombs Steel Company, Inc.McNeary, Inc.

Mechanical Contractors, Inc.Mooresville Glass and Mirror Company, Inc.MV Momentum ConstructionMyers & Chapman, Inc.NASCAR FoundationNorth Carolina Bank and TrustPinPoint Safety, LLCReznick Group, P.C.Robert Pittenger CompanyRogers Unloading ServiceSchindler Elevator Corp.Security Forces, Inc.Signature ConsultantsSprintStaley Inc.Sun Belt Office & Data Suppliers, Inc.Tandus FlooringThe Title Company of North CarolinaToler, Bly & Associates, CPA, PLLCTropical Nut & Fruit Inc.Velligan Medical ServicesWarco Construction, Inc.White Knight Engineered ProductsWillisYorel Integrated Solutions, Inc.

Contributions received from November 16, 2010 through November 16, 2011

corPorate Partners continued

restaurant/HosPitality partners

435 S. Tryon St., Suite 180 Charlotte, NC 28202

704.377.9911aquavina.com

100 N. Tryon St.Charlotte, NC 28202

704.376.8880ariacharlotte.com

Hearst Tower (Corner of 5th & College St.)Charlotte, NC 28202

704.927.2583 bluerestaurantandbar.com

201 N. Tryon St. Charlotte, NC 28202

704.348.1400thecapitalgrille.com

6903 Phillips Place Ct.Charlotte, NC 28210

704.643.1664deandeluca.com


704.332.4141dunhillhotel.com


newks.com


704.334.2739rockbottomsouth.com

10722 Carmel Commons Blvd. Suite 420Charlotte, NC 28226

704.622.9944silverfoxlimos.com


onstageWinter 2011-2012

Blumenthal performing arts130 N. Tryon St.Charlotte, NC 28202

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