The North Charleston Cultural Arts Department is set to host the last dinner theatre performance of the season in North Charleston on Friday, March 18, with Noches Tropicales presented by South of Broadway Theatre Company. The program will feature music from South America, the Caribbean, and Latin America that will raise the temperature and set audiences’ toes tapping. Dinner for the evening is catered by Embassy Suites and includes an entrée of pecan roasted salmon with Dijon & maple baste and smoked tomato jam. Tickets are on sale until Tuesday, March 15.
Noches Tropicales is a fiery musical revue headlined by Cesar Lozada, a Veneuzuelan dancer/singer and authentic practitioner of the Latin Arts. Lozada’s talents range from the intense Argentinian Tango to the spicy Cuban hits of Celiz Cruz to the haunting melodies sung by the gauchos of South American Savannas. He will be joined on stage by dancers Melody LoDuca, Edward “Shi” Johnson, and Sarah Sharpe, as well as guitarist/violinist Roger Bellow, and drummer Brad Bolcholz. As an added treat, Mary Gould, founder and producer of South of Broadway Theatre Company (SOBTC), will revisit her Brasilian roots with the sultry sounds of classics by the great Antonio Carlos Jobim, including Girl From Ipanema, Desafinado, and Corcovado.
The production is arranged and musically directed by Venezuelan composer and musician, Abdiel Iriarte. This is Abdiel’s second collaboration with SOBTC. He visited the Lowcountry during October of 2014 to compose and produce the highly acclaimed music for the company’s production of The Nance.
South of Broadway opened its doors in North Charleston’s Olde Village in 2003, and for several years focused on youth programs. In 2009, SOBTC expanded to include adult mainstage performances, and finally achieved a reputation for quality, edgy, and thought-provoking professional theatre. Today, South of Broadway is a full-service theatre company providing live theatre performances from August through May. Learn more at southofbroadway.com.
Noches Tropicales will be presented at the Charleston Area Convention Center Ballroom (adjacent to the North Charleston Performing Arts Center) at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston. The ballroom doors open at 7:00pm for dinner. Tickets are $40 per person. Group discounts are offered for parties of four or more. Ticket price includes dinner, play, and gratuity. Tickets for just the play can be purchased for $10. Parking is free. A cash-only bar will be available. To purchase tickets, contact Pam Smith at 843-740-5847 by Tuesday, March 15. For information on additional programs and events, contact the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843) 740-5854 or visit the Arts & Culture section of the City’s website.