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Chatham Life & Style is a digital magazine based in central North Carolina. Since 2018, we have sought to amplify queer, neurodivergent, BIPOC, and women writers as they speak to and about our community through music & theatre reviews and events coverage. If you are interested in writing with us, please reach out.
By Erim Akpan, staff writer
Ring of Fire ★★★★★
North Carolina Theatre
A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater
Raleigh, NC
April 29 - May 8, 2022
Learn more about the production at nctheatre.com/shows/ring-fire
If I could choose just one word to describe NC Theater’s production of Ring of Fire, that word would be “masterpiece.”
The show, with direction and music direction by Randy Redd, landed somewhere between tribute concert and musical, leaning heavily toward the former. Five musicians —Carrie Lyn Brandon, Austin Hohnke, Jenna Moll Reyes, Rodolfo Soto, and Miguel Ragel Wilson—performed a delightful tribute to Johnny Cash.
There wasn’t acting in the traditional sense: no single musician took on the role of Johnny Cash. Instead, all of them did, sharing line delivery in a way that uniquely channeled the spirit of the late country music legend. One musician might start off saying, “I was driving late one night,” and another one would continue, “and I got tired, so I pulled over.” Then a third would pick up from there, and so on.
The cast was superbly talented. After every song, the musicians would swap instruments, trading places with each other or picking up an unnoticed instrument on the ground. By the end of the first act, any given musician had spent time on the piano, drums, two types of guitars, a double bass guitar. Brandon even pulled out an accordion several times. And they were all amazing on every single instrument.
The sound design (Eric Alexander Collins) was impressive as well. One moment that particularly stood out to me was during “Five Feet High and Rising,” a song about a flood at Cash’s childhood farm. There were periodic thunderclaps that rumbled through the space just as if a real storm were raging outside. And of course, the complexity of keeping a revolving door of instruments sounding at their best for two hours is laudable on its own.
Even the costume design (LeGrande Smith) was brilliantly executed. After intermission, the performers returned to the stage wearing all-black in a genius nod to the later singer. Despite all wearing the same color, each musician still had their own unique flair: Reyes had a silver glittering top, Wilson wore shiny leather pants, Hohnke sported a tasseled cowboy jacket, and so on.
The lighting design (CJ Barnwell) was masterful. A slight mist swirled under the spotlights like dust, fitting perfectly with the country atmosphere. The lights hopped to each musician with perfect timing when they shared line delivery. The colors changed to suit each song: a warm flow for “I Still Miss Someone,” an cold blue for “Delia’s Gone.” Hanging strings of golden lights also added to the atmosphere, sometimes hanging straight down, sometimes pulled into an elegant chandelier shape.
It is rare to find a show where so much thought, talent, and passion have been poured into every aspect, from the diversity of its cast to the music, choreography, lighting, sound, costuming, and nods to the original artist. Whether you’re a longtime fan of Johnny Cash or just want to see a unique show radiating excellence from every pore, you won’t want to miss out on NCT’s Ring of Fire. -- E. Akpan
Erim Akpan (she/her), staff writer, is a North Carolina writer and entertainer. She enjoys performance arts of all kinds, most frequently reviewing arts events and local festivals for Chatham Life & Style. When not writing, she enjoys performing as a storyteller, spinning flower sticks, and teaching writing workshops to help other writers share their stories with the world. She began writing for Chatham Life & Style in 2019.
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