Season 95 Schedule Change
We are so close to the finish line, yet once again facing adversity and things beyond our control. These past few weeks have brought new roadblocks in the restoration of our building, and we were forced to make the difficult decision to move Misery into March of 2023. Misery will take the place of Rumors in our scheduled lineup.
What happened?
Theatre Charlotte’s home on Queens Road was originally constructed in 1941, and over the years it has undergone various additions and renovations. We expected to hit some delays and issues because of the building’s age and history and, honestly, we encountered many more than we had hoped. Still, with opening night coming up fast, construction crews have been pushing to get the building ready, working weekends to help us pick up some time along the way. It was going to be close, but it looked like we were going to be ready!
But then, just as we thought we had gotten by the last hurdles, we learned about additional work that was required to satisfy county codes and new requirements from Duke Energy in order to turn power on to the building. This means that we have not yet been able to gain access to our building to prepare for the show, rehearse on stage, build a set, or set up front of house support.
It’s still three weeks from opening. Why does Misery have to be postponed all the way to March?
We are close…so very close, but we want to make sure that the experience of returning to our building to see a live production, is a positive one. We are not willing to compromise the safety of our actors or the integrity of our production by trying to rush to the finish line right before our opening night.
Our cast and crew for Misery have been rehearsing for several weeks now, and they are eager to share their show with you. They also realize that without adequate time to rehearse on stage, they will not be presenting a show of the quality and professionalism that they are all capable of.
Fortunately, our entire Misery cast is still on board for the show! They are excited to have the appropriate amount of time in the space with props and set pieces to make the show terrifyingly terrific and are thrilled to have a three-week run.
Why are you canceling Rumors?
Because we were starting our season later than usual, we packed so many shows in between December and June that we have absolutely zero wiggle room to squeeze Misery in without sacrificing something. We are really sad to lose this one – seriously, we desperately need some good laughs right now! We’re hoping to bring Neil Simon back to the Theatre Charlotte stage soon, and we do have a great comedy coming to you this season. Find out more below!
What about the rest of Season 95?
The remainder of our shows will go on as planned. A Christmas Carol will open on December 9th as our “soft reopening” on Queens Road followed by our grand reopening with Something Rotten in January!
We are also excited about our partnership with the Mint Museum to produce Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile. This absurd comedy will take place at the Uptown Mint Museum from May 5th – 21st, 2023. Originally, this show was not available in season packages, but with these changes we are allowing current subscribers to use their Rumors credit to attend this production.
What about my tickets?
Great question! If you had season tickets or tickets to either Misery or Rumors, expect an email from our ticketing service this afternoon. Details about tickets for each show and ticket type are below…
Misery tickets (season tickets, flex passes, single tickets) – Your Misery tickets will be automatically transferred to the March date. You will receive an email from our ticketing system letting you know what date your tickets have transferred into. If you would like to exchange for another date, you can do that online or by emailing our box office at tix@theatrecharlotte.org.
Rumors tickets for Star Subscribers – You will receive a credit from our ticketing system that can be used at any time. We recommend using your credit to come to our production of the Steve Martin comedy Picasso at the Lapin Agile in May 2023 at the Mint Museum, but you can use it to bring friends to the theatre, purchase tickets to A Christmas Carol or I and You (if you didn’t include those in your original package) or save it for later!
Rumors tickets for Flex Pass Holders – The passes that you used to reserve seats to Rumors will go back into your account and can be used for any other shows this season, including the Steve Martin comedy Picasso at the Lapin Agile in May 2023 at the Mint Museum (not originally included in our season pass offering)
Rumors tickets for Individual Ticket Buyers – You will receive a refund to your original payment method. Please allow at least 10 days for this refund to process. We hope that you will join us for other shows this season!
What does this mean for Theatre Charlotte?
We are disappointed to have to make these changes, and our staff is definitely feeling the stress. We are still moving forward and looking forward to welcoming you back into the theater this season.
This setback is a difficult one, coming after two and a half years of doing everything we can to keep Theatre Charlotte going. It is also financially challenging to lose a show on top of additional facility expenses not covered by insurance.
However, the Theatre Charlotte family is strong and committed to seeing this organization through to better days. Our cast members and production teams are incredibly understanding, accommodating, and gracious and have worked through every change and roadblock sent their way. And you, our patrons, have shown wonderful support and patience, following us around Charlotte on our Season 94 Road Trip and never wavering in your encouragement.
Together, we know we can get past this hurdle and have a fantastic Season 95!
How can I help?
First, we ask for your patience as we make these changes to our season. Our small staff is doing our best to respond to your requests while also ensuring that we are still doing the necessary work to reopen our building and keep the theatre running.
If you are able, please consider making a donation to Theatre Charlotte. Many of you made a donation after the fire, and we were often asked how much it would cost to complete the repairs. We had been optimistic that our insurance would cover the majority of the expense, and that the donations we had received could take care of anything additional. However, with additional work that has come up along the way as well as rising material, labor and construction costs on top of these delays, we are anticipating a significant out-of-pocket cost to finish this project. Unanticipated expenses are in excess of six figures.
We are looking forward to the day we are able to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy and invite volunteers into the theatre to help with some finishing touches! We know many of you have been willing and excited to help. Unfortunately, due to the permit and construction process, we have not been able to allow volunteers to help with repairs. But stay tuned, as we will be in touch about volunteer opportunities as soon as possible!
Since our Season Guide for Season 95 has already arrived in mailboxes, we've created this printable insert to tuck in between the Misery and Rumors pages. This insert has the new lineup and schedule information for you to refer back to, as needed. Click here for the insert.
Thank you for continuing to support us here at Theatre Charlotte! We hope to see you at A Christmas Carol in December!