Tintypes (Peace College Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 10-16 in the Leggett Theatre, 15 East Peace St., Raleigh, NC) is advertised as “A Subversive Little Musical” conceived by Mary Kyte, with help from Mel Marvin and Gary Pearle. Directed and choreographed by Deb Gillingham, the PCT production of Tintypes stars Yolanda Batts, David Bartlett, Christian Sineath, Meghan Beeler, and Kenny Gannon. According to preshow publicity, “The growing pains of a nation are chronicled in this grand pageant of pre-World War I America, told in the exuberant words and music of the day. Like Ragtime, this nostalgic but thrillingly subversive revue takes us back to turn of the century America, when the innocent, slower-paced days of ice cream socials and hoop skirts are giving way to a bustling world of automobiles, electricity and the telephone, where American optimism and ingenuity run high in leaders like J.P. Morgan, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. It is also a time of growing social turmoil, as increased immigration begins to change the cultural and ethnic makeup of the nation. The story of these changing times blazes to life in a tuneful, high-spirited brew of popular songs from 1890 to 1917, performed by five archetypes of the period: Anna Held, the beautiful music hall star; Emma Goldman, the notorious socialist; a black domestic worker; a Chaplin-esque Russian immigrant; and the outrageous Teddy Roosevelt, the youngest man ever to be elected President.” Musical director Brett Wilson, scene designer Thomas Mauney, lighting designer Paul B. Marsland, and costume designer Judy Chang complete the production team. For more information visit http://www.peace.edu/theatre/. For tickets, telephone 919/508-2051 for tickets or e-mail kgannon@peace.edu.
About The Author
Robert McDowell
Robert W. McDowell is a Raleigh, NC, freelance writer, editor, and theater critic who served as CVNC's theatre editor from September 2002 to May 2010. Since 1973, the Columbia, SC, native and 1970 graduate of East Carolina University in Greenville, NC, has written theater, book, and music previews and reviews for the Raleigh News & Observer, The Raleigh Times, North Carolina Magazine of Raleigh, and Spectator Magazine of Raleigh. In April 2001, Robert McDowell established Robert's Reviews, an e-mail theatrical newsletter, to help fill a growing void in Triangle theater coverage. Triangle Theater Review is an expanded version of the original newsletter, circulated by e-mail. He also co-edited and supervised the production of Jim Valvano's Guide to Great Eating (JTV Enterprises, 1984), a 224-page celebrity cookbook; and he served as a fact checker for Valvano: They Gave Me a Lifetime Contract, and Then They Declared Me Dead (Pocket Books, 1991).