276 stories by "Lauren Van Hemert"
It's hard to believe, but it's been a year since we launched RDU on Stage. Between us, we have reviewed over 90 shows in the Triangle (and beyond). Hear which shows and performances stood ou…
On this episode, I'm doing something a bit different. I am chatting with two different artists about two different princess stories, one steeped in Raleigh theater history, and one working i…
Why is representation on stage so important? If you've followed this podcast, you know that is a question I frequently ask. And perhaps nobody has given me a more insightful, personal answer…
Alton Fitzgerald White is the only black actor who has played in a lead role in five hit shows on Broadway; John in MISS SAIGON; Ken in SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE (he originated the role in London's …
Alan Campbell has had anything but a predictable career. He's done everything from television to film to Broadway, including starring opposite Glenn Close in the musical Sunset Boulevard,…
Did you know, that the RDU on Stage podcast is nominated for a https://wral5.secondstreetapp.com/2019-WRAL-Voters-Choice-Awards/gallery/193006845?fbclid=IwAR3CA1XhvDrv6e9NmEXKtVQn5fHwnM82…
Mickey Rowe was the first autistic actor to play Christopher Boone in the Tony Award-winning play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Talleri McRae is a theatre artist, edu…
Broadway stage veteran Gayle Turner says she's proud to bring HAVING OUR SAY: THE DELANY SISTERS' FIRST HUNDRED YEARS, a tale of divine sisterhood to the https://nctheatre.com/ (North Car…
Anyone who has beat out Heart and Soul on the piano, fell in love with the soundtrack to "Sleepless in Seattle" or can remember Ray Charles singing Georgia on My Mind is familiar…
The unlikely friendship of black community activist Ann Atwater and C.P. Ellis, the Exalted Grand Cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan, brought together to co-chair a series of meetings about the des…
It's always so much fun to sit down with Ira David Wood III (David) and Ira David Wood IV (Ira), mostly because the father-son pair have such good stories to tell. I'm also never quite sure …
There have been many studies on the links between creative people and drug and alcohol abuse. And while many of these studies are somewhat outdated or inconclusive, the fact is that in the s…
A year ago, I interviewed Kristin Chenoweth in advance of her concert in Boone, North Carolina. So, with the release of her seventh album https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VRFYDQV?p…
Last week, Bill Maher made a comment, "Fat-shaming needs to make a comeback." As an actor, educator, and combat artist, Tara Nicole Williams, has experienced fat-shaming and bullying and has…
Ethel Waters was a pioneer who broke down barriers on Broadway, in films, and on television. She was the first to sing the song "Stormy Weather" at the famed Cotton Club in 1933. In fact, he…
The story of The Scottsboro Boys, which began in 1931 and evolved over the course of 80 plus years, has inspired books, documentaries, songs, movies, and even a Broadway musical. But the sig…
Erin Sullivan's admiration for Marilyn Monroe began five years ago when she was chosen by Tony Award-winning playwright Mark Medoff to originate the role of Marilyn in his last play MARILEE …
Recording artist and actor http://www.yolandarabun.com/ (Yolanda Rabun) considers Nina Simone, a mentor of sorts. Last summer she had the opportunity to sing at the icon's childhood ho…
Hear what North Carolina Theatre's Elizabeth Doran (President/CEO) and Eric Woodall, Producing Artistic Director, have to say about NC Theatre's the decision-making process, as it pertains t…
Hear what Jason Robert Brown has to say to about his music, shows, and Hal Prince, the man he called a role model and friend.
About the Guest
The New York Times refers to Jason as "a leading…
According to The New York Times, the https://ncblackrep.org/nbtf-info/ (National Black Theatre Festival) is one of the most historic and culturally significant events in the history of black…
Puppetry is one of the oldest types of performance art in the United States. Within the last five years, there has been a renaissance of puppetry happening across the world. Puppets are appe…
When you look at the scope of Vivienne Benesch's career thus far, she certainly has an impressive resume, from actress to director to the Producing Artistic Director of http://playmakersr…
Hear what Tony Award-winner Karen Ziemba (CONTACT) has to say about music, dance, her first Broadway show, A CHORUS LINE, and of course, the North Carolina Theatre production of ANNIE.Â
A…
Today's podcast is divided into two parts, two conversations with two theater-makers who couldn't be more different. But the commonality that ties these two together is the subject of repres…
