The ‘Lollapalooza summer of rock musicals’ is coming — Charlotte, get ready.
This is not your typical “return to the theater” season announcement.
This is Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte bursting out of the COVID-19 quarantine gates with a game plan guaranteed to rock the city — in an outdoors, socially distanced sort of way, of course.
The team has decided to launch Season 33 with an outdoor summer series: “Rock The Park.”
“We don’t want to hurry back indoors, so we’re going to do our first three shows outside. And what a beautiful place to do a show, it doesn’t get any better than this. Charlotte in the summertime, in the fall, it’s gonna be beautiful out here,” Chip Decker, ATC executive director, told CharlotteFive.
We’re talking three — high-energy — shows: “Rock of Ages”, “Head Over Heels” and “Rocky Horror Show”.
“It will be like a Lollapalooza summer of rock musicals,” said Shannon Reichley of ATC.
Held at “The Barn at MoRA” at 8300 Monroe Road near McAlpine Park (yes, there’s an actual barn and silo, built in 1932 on a Levine family property), the Actor’s Theatre team actively worked with the MoRA neighborhood group to make this happen for us all.
Here’s how it will work:
Food trucks will be on site, as well as beer and wine options (stay tuned for details about that).
BYOC: Bring your own chairs, blankets, etc.
VIP booths and lawn seating will be available.
Shows will be rain or shine.
Parking will be free.
All COVID-19 protocols and safety measures will be in place.
Purchase tickets at Actor’s Theatre’s website.
“Everybody is at the part where they are chomping at the bit to do something, to get out and have fun, also to be a little social distanced,” Decker said. “People are still a little apprehensive about getting pushed into a dark space indoors. So we thought, what better way to kick off the return of theater than to go outside, have a great time, be safe and socially distanced and rock out to a great summer musical.”
The last four shows of the season will be back in the Hadley Theatre at Queens University, which has been dark since February 2020 due to the pandemic.
Rock The Park schedule (Season 33, Act 1)
ROCK OF AGES
by Chris D’Arienzo
July 28-Aug. 21
Per ATC: “Shredding guitar solos, fierce vocals, and monster ballads set the stage for this energetic tribute to classic 80s rock. It’s gonna be ‘Nothin’ But A Good Time’ and you’ll be riding high on nostalgia and hairspray.”
Tickets: Tickets go on sale May 28. Pro tip: If you sign up for the Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte email newsletter or become a member, you can buy them early on May 27. If you make a donation to ATC, you can buy tickets on May 26.
HEAD OVER HEELS
by Jeff Whitty and James Magruder
Sept. 1-25
Per ATC: “’We Got the Beat!’ And so does the kingdom of Arcadia in this unconventional fairy tale love story set to the iconic hits of The Go-Go’s. ‘Get Up And Go’ get your tickets!”
THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW
By Richard O’Brien
Oct 6-31
Per ATC: “Set to a blistering rock score, two young lovers try to survive a night in the castle of a manic genius with an insatiable libido. This classic tribute to science fiction, B movies, and fishnets is everything your mother warned you about!”
Hadley Theatre, Season 33, Act 2
Starting in January 2022, Actor’s Theatre will be back inside Hadley Theatre with the following shows:
HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH
by John Cameron Mitchell & Stephen Trask
GHOSTS OF BOGOTÁ
by Diana Burbano
HYPE MAN
by Idris Goodwin
BECOMING DR. RUTH
by Mark St. Germain
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Rock the Park
by The Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte
How to get there: The address is listed as 8300 Monroe Road, but don’t be fooled: It’s actually a block off of Monroe Road on McAlpine Park Drive. This Google Maps link will get you there; look for the barn and silos and you’re in the right spot.
