Man up, doughboys!

The Doughman returns this Saturday! It’s Durham’s annual “Team Relay Quadrathlon” – which adds an inspired (or demented) twist to the traditional triathlon: competitive eating. Four-person relay teams run, swim, bike, and eat their way around Durham with mandated chow downs at local restaurants at the beginning of each leg.

The race starts promptly at 8:00 a.m. at Local Yogurt, 2501 University Drive. First team to complete the course and reach the finish line (without barfing) is the winner.

Get more details, and the strict list of rules, at the website.

It’s too late to sign up a team this year, but come out and watch the fun, either at one of the local participating restaurants — Dain’s Place, Hog Heaven, Dos Perros, Broad Street Cafe, Locopops, NOSH, and Local Yogurt — or at the finish line in the old Durham Athletic Park (just across from Manbites Dog).

Weekend Theater – Believe in fairies

Marcia Edmundson and Meredith Sause in God’s Ear. Photo: Alan Dehmer

A listing of Triangle theater performances
for the weekend of May 26-30, 2010, and beyond

OPENING:
FatMouth Improv – An evening of short and long form improv. One night only: Saturday 8:00. Common Ground Theatre, Durham.
www.cgtheatre.com

Mama Juggs – ‘Rie Shontel’s one-woman show about female body awareness, performed outdoors. This weekend: Saturday 5:00. Continues on June 5. Loclife Store, Raleigh.
rieshontel.blogspot.com

A Murder Is Announced – University Theatre’s TheatreFest presents a month-long festival of three Agatha Christie plays. First up, a Miss Marple mystery. This weekend: Thursday-Saturday 8:00, Sunday 3:00. Continues through June 11. Titmus Theatre at Thompson Hall, NCSU Campus, Raleigh.
www.ncsu.edu/theatre

Performance Art Night IX – Six performance artists, presented by Very Normal Productions. One night only: Friday 8:00. Common Ground Theatre, Durham.
www.cgtheatre.com

ONGOING:
The Color Purple – The touring musical based on the Alice Walker novel returns to DPAC. This weekend: Wednesday-Thursday 7:30, Friday 8:00, Saturday 2:00 and 8:00, Sunday 1:00 and 6:30. Closes May 30. Durham Performing Arts Center.
www.dpacnc.com

God’s Ear – A family coping with heartbreak gets some help from G.I. Joe and The Tooth Fairy in a “play with music” about love, loss, and life’s absurdities. This weekend: Thursday-Saturday 8:15, Sunday 3:15. Continues through June 5. Manbites Dog Theater, Durham.
www.manbitesdogtheater.org

Please contact us with any corrections or additions.
For a more complete listing of area theater,
we recommend the arts calendar at Indyweek.com.

Backstage Confidential – God’s Ear

The Upstager’s clandestine photographer (let’s just call her “N.Q.”) managed to infiltrate rehearsals for Manbites Dog’s upcoming show, God’s Ear, and came back with some shocking photos.

Even after four weeks of rehearsal, one of the actors
is still shocked by a surprising plot twist.
(L-R: Will Halman, Meredith Sause, Marcia Edmundson)

* * * *

Who fired that shot?
(Suspects L-R: Will Halman, Meredith Sause, Marcia Edmundson, Derrick Ivey)

* * * *

Discover more confidential backstage photos from God’s Ear here.

* * * *

What’s it like behind the scenes at your show?
The Upstager wants to know.
Send us your shocking backstage photos or videos,
and we’ll share them with the world.

Weekend Theater – Ding Dong!

A listing of Triangle theater performances
for the weekend of May 19-23, 2010, and beyond

OPENING:
Bang No More! – A teenager joins a street gang and things go terribly wrong. A co-presentation of AAAC and H.O.U.S.E. Theatre Arts Group. This weekend only: Friday 7:30, Saturday 2:00 and 7:30. African American Cultural Complex, Raleigh.
www.aaccmuseum.org

The Color Purple – The touring musical based on the Alice Walker novel comes to DPAC. Opens next Tuesday, continues through May 30. Durham Performing Arts Center.
www.dpacnc.com

Esther – Concert staging of an original musical retelling of the Biblical tale of Esther. This weekend only: Friday 7:30 at the Friday Center, Chapel Hill; Saturday 7:30 at the PSI Theatre, Durham Arts Council; Sunday 4:00 at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Raleigh.
estheramusical.com

God’s Ear – A family coping with heartbreak gets some help from G.I. Joe and The Tooth Fairy in a “play with music” about love, loss, and life’s absurdities. This weekend: Thursday-Saturday 8:15. Continues through June 5. Manbites Dog Theater, Durham.
www.manbitesdogtheater.org

Troilus and Cressida – The Delta Boys present Shakespeare’s Trojan War play outdoors as nature intended. This weekend only: Wednesday-Sunday 8:00. Forest Theatre, UNC Campus, Chapel Hill.
lucius.robinson@yahoo.com

A Tuff Shuffle: Backstage with Louis Armstrong – Danny Mullen’s one-man play about the jazz legend. One show only: Saturday 8:00. Hayti Heritage Center, Durham.
www.hayti.org

ONGOING:
¡Anarchist! – Tom Marriott directs Little Green Pig’s take on Dario Fo’s Accidental Death of an Anarchist. This weekend: Wednesday-Saturday 8:00. Closes Saturday. Common Ground Theatre, Durham.
littlegreenpig.com

Body Awareness – Deep Dish Theater’s production of the Annie Baker comedy. This weekend: Wednesday-Thursday 7:30, Friday-Saturday 8:00. Closes Saturday. Deep Dish Theater, Chapel Hill.
www.deepdishtheater.org

Dark Play or Stories for Boys – Carlos Murillos’ very dark comedy about virtual identities, presented by Raleigh Ensemble Players. Exrtended: Friday-Saturday 8:00. Closes Saturday. REP Upstairs Studio, Raleigh.
www.realtheatre.org

Eurydice – Sarah Ruhl’s retelling of the myth of Eurydice and Orpheus. This weekend: Thursday-Saturday 8:00, Sunday 3:00. Closes Sunday. The ArtsCenter, Carrboro.
www.artscenterlive.org

Heroes – Al Singer directs a dream cast: John Murphy, Jordan Smith and David Ring in Tom Stoppard’s translation of the comedy by Gérald Sibleyras, about three aging World War I veterans plotting to escape from a military hospital. Presented by 2nd Ave. South Players. This weekend: Thursday-Saturday 8:15, Sunday 2:00. Closes Sunday. Meymandi Theater at the Murphey School, Raleigh.
www.shalomraleigh.org

Songs for a New World – Raleigh Little Theatre stages the 1995 Jason Robert Brown musical. This weekend: Friday-Saturday 8:00. Closes Saturday. Outdoor Amphitheatre, Raleigh Little Theatre.
raleighlittletheatre.org

Spring Loaded! – A.D.D. Theatre offers an evening of sketch comedy, improv, and short plays. Friday-Saturday 8:00. Closes Saturday. Kenan Theatre, UNC Campus, Chapel Hill.
A.D.D. on Facebook

Please contact us with any corrections or additions.
For a more complete listing of area theater,
we recommend the arts calendar at Indyweek.com.

Fan Mail

Jay’s guided tour of Manbites Dog last week was a big hit with the kids from Scott’s kindergarten class at the Central Park School.

Snow Joe

Lanie (Nicole Quenelle) and G.I. Joe(s) play in the snow.

Preview pictures are up for Manbites Dog’s next production,
God’s Ear, running May 20-June 5.
See them here.

The Return of the King’s

New signs of life at King’s Sandwich Shop: Closed since 2006, the legendary Durham eatery across from the old ball park was originally scheduled to re-open at the end of 2009. That was before new owner T.J. McDermott ran into construction obstacles and bureaucratic hurdles that delayed things for months.

But now it looks like our patience is about to be rewarded: new signs spotted in the window this week are promising a June opening…

 

…as well as some neat looking King’s t-shirts with a spiffy Will Fernandez graphic:

No menu information up in the windows or at King’s website yet, but feel free to stop by during the day to tell T.J. (who is there working most days) what you’d like them to serve. (I’m lobbying hard for the return of their fabled fried bologna sandwich.)

Weekend Theater – ¡Teatro!

A listing of Triangle theater performances
for the weekend of May 12-16, 2010, and beyond

OPENING:
¡Anarchist! – Tom Marriott directs Little Green Pig’s take on Dario Fo’s Accidental Death of an Anarchist. This weekend: Thursday-Saturday 8:00, Sunday 2:00. Continues through May 22. Common Ground Theatre, Durham.
littlegreenpig.com

Eurydice – Sarah Ruhl’s retelling of the myth of Eurydice and Orpheus. This weekend: Thursday-Saturday 8:00, Sunday 3:00. Continues through May 23. The ArtsCenter, Carrboro.
www.artscenterlive.org

Oakwood: Generations – Ian Finley’s site-specific play about Raleigh history, performed in Oakwood Cemetery. This weekend only: Friday-Saturday 6:30, Sunday 2:00. Oakwood Cemetery, Raleigh.
www.burningcoal.org

Songs for a New World – Raleigh Little Theatre stages the 1995 Jason Robert Brown musical. This weekend: Friday-Saturday 8:00. Continues through May 22. Raleigh Little Theatre.
raleighlittletheatre.org

Spring Loaded! – A.D.D. Theatre offers an evening of sketch comedy, improv, and short plays. Friday-Saturday 8:00. Continues through May 22. Kenan Theatre, UNC Campus, Chapel Hill.
A.D.D. on Facebook

Walking Again – Act Trinity presents a play about Multiple Sclerosis. Two performances: Friday-Saturday 8:00. Crestwood Suites, Durham.
www.acttrinity.org

ONGOING:
Body Awareness – Deep Dish Theater’s production of the Annie Baker comedy. This weekend: Wednesday-Thursday 7:30, Friday-Saturday 8:00, Sunday 2:00. Continues through May 22. Deep Dish Theater, Chapel Hill.
www.deepdishtheater.org

Dark Play or Stories for Boys – Carlos Murillos’ very dark comedy about virtual identities, presented by Raleigh Ensemble Players. This weekend: Thursday-Saturday 8:00. Closes Saturday. REP Upstairs Studio, Raleigh.
www.realtheatre.org

Heroes – Al Singer directs a dream cast: John Murphy, Jordan Smith and David Ring in Tom Stoppard’s translation of the comedy by Gérald Sibleyras, about three aging World War I veterans plotting to escape from a military hospital. Presented by 2nd Ave. South Players. This weekend: Thursday-Saturday 8:15, Sunday 2:00. Continues through May 23. Meymandi Theater at the Murphey School, Raleigh.
www.shalomraleigh.org

Rent – Encore presentation of Hoof ‘N’ Horn’s spring production of the Jonathan Larson musical. This weekend only: Friday 8:00, Saturday 2:00 and 9:00. Reynolds Theater, Bryan Center, Duke West Campus, Durham.
duke.edu/web/hoofnhorn/RENTatDuke/

South Pacific – Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1949 musical. This weekend: Thursday 2:00 and 7:00, Friday-Saturday 8:00, Sunday 2:00. Closes Sunday. Temple Theatre, Sanford.
www.templeshows.com

Wicked – It’s the final week for the touring musical, a revisionist history of the Land of Oz. This weekend: Wednesday and Thursday 7:30, Friday 8:00, Saturday 2:00 and 8:00, Sunday 1:00 and 6:30. Closes Sunday. Durham Performing Arts Center.
www.dpacnc.com

Please contact us with any corrections or additions.
For a more complete listing of area theater,
we recommend the arts calendar at Indyweek.com.

Popular

The audience crowds the lobby of DPAC before a performance of Wicked.
Photo: Dorrie Casey

The crowds are turning out for Wicked. Now in the final week of its month-long run at the Durham Performing Arts Center, the touring production has sold out all performances. And that’s not surprising — the stage musical, based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, has been enormously popular since opening on Broadway in 2003, setting box-office records there, in other productions around the world, and with its two national touring companies.

But it’s not the first hit stage musical about Oz. In 1903, one hundred years earlier, a musical version of the original novel became one of the greatest successes in Broadway history to that point.

Here’s guest blogger Marshall Botvinick with the story:

Written by Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published in 1900. In 1902, Baum, at the urging of his illustrator W.W. Denslow, wrote the libretto for a musical version of the novel, and Paul Tietjens composed the music. Producer Fred Hamlin took on the production, hiring director Julian Mitchel, who extensively rewrote the script and brought in new songwriters. Surprisingly, Baum went along with the changes, which among other revisions, removed both the Wicked Witch of the West and Toto from the story. The production eventually caused a split between Baum and his illustrator Denslow, in a dispute about the distribution of royalties.

Weekend Theater – Some enchanted evenings

A listing of Triangle theater performances
for the weekend of May 5-9, 2010, and beyond

OPENING:
Heroes – Tom Stoppard translation of the comedy by Gérald Sibleyras, about three aging World War I veterans plotting to escape from a military hospital. Presented by 2nd Ave. South Players. This weekend: Saturday 8:15, Sunday 2:00. Continues through May 23. Meymandi Theater at the Murphey School, Raleigh.
www.shalomraleigh.org

Wait Until Dark – One Stop Productions essays the Frederick Knott thriller. This weekend: Thursday-Friday 7:30, Saturday 3:00 and 7:30. Common Ground Theatre, Durham.
www.cgtheatre.com

• • •

ONGOING:
Body Awareness – Deep Dish Theater’s production of the Annie Baker comedy. This weekend: Wednesday-Thursday 7:30, Friday-Saturday 8:00, Sunday 2:00. Continues through May 22. Deep Dish Theater, Chapel Hill.
www.deepdishtheater.org

South Pacific – Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1949 musical. This weekend: Thursday 2:00 and 7:00, Friday-Saturday 8:00, Sunday 2:00. Continues through May 16. Temple Theatre, Sanford.
www.templeshows.com

Dark Play or Stories for Boys – Carlos Murillos’ very dark comedy about virtual identities, presented by Raleigh Ensemble Players. This weekend: Thursday-Saturday 8:00. Future performances TBA. REP Upstairs Studio, Raleigh.
www.realtheatre.org

Wicked – The blockbuster musical tells a revisionist history of the Land of Oz. This weekend: Wednesday and Thursday 7:30, Friday 8:00, Saturday 2:00 and 8:00, Sunday 1:00 and 6:30, Tuesday 7:00. Continues through May 16. Durham Performing Arts Center.
www.dpacnc.com

For a more complete listing of area theater,
we recommend the arts calendar at Indyweek.com.