Angela Bassett (right) and Samuel L. Jackson performing in "The Mountaintop."

When Tom Gabbard first saw a performance of “The Mountaintop” in a small space above a London bar, “I became very interested.” The president of the North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center was impressed with the way young African American playwright Katori Hall imagined and explored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s last night in the Lorraine Motel, how the play “reminds us that this incredible visionary was a real flesh-and-blood human being who had doubts, who had worries, who ultimately had questions as to what his legacy would be,” said Gabbard.

“If you decide to bring this to the U.S.,” he told the British producer, his friend Sonia Friedman, the Blumenthal would be “honored” to play a part. That’s how Blumenthal Performing Arts joined the list of producers supporting the limited Broadway run, starring Academy Award-nominated actors Samuel L. Jackson (as King) and Angela Bassett, through Jan. 22.

“Most of all, I just believe in the play,” said Gabbard, in his office decorated with posters of productions he has backed. And, he said, it’s good business. He was responsible for raising $187,000; after finding other interested venues, he reduced the Blumenthal’s obligation to $150,000. “We will make the money back,” he said, not only on the current production but on licensing. When you’re involved with an original production, interest goes on for anywhere from 25 to 30 years, he said.

“The principal reason we get involved with these things is because we want to see new work created that ultimately will come to Charlotte,” Gabbard said. In a year with Broadway hits such as “War Horse” and “The Normal Heart,” both of which will be coming to Charlotte, the calendar was crowded; no national tour of “The Mountaintop” is planned so far.

Though reviews of the play were mixed, it has been popular, particularly with African American theatergoers, an audience Broadway has struggled to attract. “I think that again ties to our enthusiasm,” Gabbard said. “We want to see, particularly Blumenthal have diverse audiences that represent the diversity of Charlotte. The work has to be right to do that. We can’t say ‘well, we want African American audiences here’ and then do ‘Sound of Music’ for the umpteenth time.”

The musical “Memphis,” set for Jan. 3 through 8 at Ovens Auditorium, is far from the Austrian Alps. The rousing score and choreography that guide audiences through early rock ‘n’ roll — in black and white — is a showcase for a diverse and talented cast. “We honestly aim at trying to bring the best recent Broadway shows, frankly those that have been nominated for Tony Awards,” said Gabbard. “Memphis,” which won the 2010 Tony for best musical, certainly qualifies.

Blumenthal President Tom Gabbard.

Gabbard and the Blumenthal have produced or co-produced the New York, national or international tours of such shows as “Monty Python's Spamalot,” “The Color Purple” and “TRACES,” which Gabbard helped bring from Edinburgh to Charlotte for its first U.S. appearance and which “Time” magazine named one of its top 10 shows for 2011.

Close to its Charlotte base, Gabbard looks back with pride on the Blumenthal’s early support of monthly poetry slams hosted by SlamCharlotte. Part of the goal, he said, was to see an African American theater company formed. Quentin Talley, founder and artistic director of On Q Productions, said that without Gabbard's leadership and Blumenthal Performing Arts Center support, On Q — now in its third year — would not be in the position to continue its work.

“Before the partnership,” said Talley, “we were roaming around different theaters, trying to find space. The relationship has been incredible and audiences have grown due to the partnership.” Gabbard was also instrumental, Talley said, in encouraging the company to take its original production “Miles and Coltrane” to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, as well as New York, Washington and Atlanta.

Other Blumenthal programs strive to expose the entire community to its work. Family First works with local agencies to identify families who otherwise couldn’t afford it, and offers tickets to three shows, with a pre-show education activity and a meet-and-greet with the cast.

Though he has a lot to keep him busy, Gabbard said the fact that “The Mountaintop” isn’t touring is on his mind. “I hate that a lot,” he said, “but hopefully, somehow, some way we’ll get another production of it here.”

Mary C. Curtis, an award-winning Charlotte, N.C.-based journalist, is a contributor to The Washington Post, The Root, NPR, Creative Loafing and the Nieman Watchdog blog. Her “Keeping It Positive” segment airs Wednesdays at 7:10 on TV’s Fox News Rising Charlotte. Follow her on Twitter. 

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Editor's Note: This article was created as part of the Charlotte Arts Journalism Alliance, a consortium of local media dedicated to writing about the arts scene.

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