Theatre Raleigh Appoints Eric Woodall as New Artistic Director

Theatre Raleigh has announced the appointment of Eric Woodall as its new artistic director. A North Carolina native, Woodall brings a wealth of experience to the role, having established a remarkable career as a director, teacher, producer, Broadway casting director and television and stage actor.

 

Triangle theater patrons are familiar with Woodall from his most recent role as executive artistic director of the North Carolina Theatre where he directed 14 productions, including "Mary Poppins," "West Side Story," "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Billy Elliot," and "Driving Miss Daisy." His visionary leadership and creative direction have left an indelible mark on the local theater scene. 

 

Theatre Raleigh, a professional nonprofit theater company based in North Raleigh, is renowned for featuring both Broadway stars and local and regional talent in its annual productions and concert series. Since 2023, the theater has hosted acclaimed performers such as Ariana DeBose, Julie Benko, Beth Leavel, Rachel Bay Jones, Norm Lewis and Norbert Leo Butz. 

 

Woodall is currently starring in a lead role in "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike," which runs at Theatre Raleigh until Sunday. He also joins the Theatre Raleigh team in time to help with its production of "Bull Durham, A New Musical," which will be staged from Sept. 10-22, 2024. Rehearsals start next month for the musical based on the classic MGM film starring Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins. This is the first time the musical will be staged in Durham, home to the Durham Bulls minor league baseball team that inspired the film. Theatre Raleigh's executive director Lauren Kennedy Brady acquired the rights to the show with the intention of taking the reworked musical to Broadway. 
 

“It is a very exciting time and I am thrilled to welcome Eric Woodall to Theatre Raleigh as artistic director as I step into the role as executive director," Kennedy Brady said. "Our collaboration over the years has been incredibly successful, with many of our patrons' favorite shows directed by Eric since 2011. His aesthetic vision has been a tremendous inspiration to me, and there is no one I trust more to help guide the vision of Theatre Raleigh. Like me, his roots are here, and his professional experience spans New York City and Broadway. Between the two of us, I think Theatre Raleigh's best years are in front of us!"

 

Kennedy Brady and Woodall first met as young performers in a Village Dinner Theater production of "Sound of Music” and continued to cross paths at North Carolina Theatre during their formative years.

They both consider De Ann S. Jones, who founded North Carolina Theatre in the 1980s and was a driving force in the local theater community, as a mentor. Jones helped many actors who ended up working on Broadway, including Kennedy Brady and Woodall, 

 

"It is a dream come true to join forces with Lauren Kennedy Brady and Theatre Raleigh," Woodall said.  "Much like De Ann S. Jones, who inspired us both, Lauren is a visionary and has redefined professional theatre in Raleigh. Our combined Broadway careers and desire to give back as freely as it was given to us here at home will set us up for new heights. We are ready to break new ground and pave the way for Raleigh to be the North Carolina theater mecca it deserves to be."

 

A native of Benson, N.C., Woodall graduated with honors from Carnegie Mellon University. His acting career includes being a regular on ABC's soap opera "Loving," appearances on other television shows and performances in Broadway touring productions. Woodall served as a resident director for the Broadway, touring and Las Vegas productions of "Mamma Mia!" He spent 16 years as a casting director with Tara Rubin Casting where he won an Artios Award. Woodall worked with such legendary figures as Stephen Sondheim, Cameron Mackintosh, Susan Stroman and Hal Prince. His credits include some of Broadway's most successful shows: "Phantom of The Opera," "Les Misérables," "Aladdin," "Sunset Boulevard" and "Mamma Mia!" Woodall also has taught at universities and theater training programs across the country, including New York University, Carnegie Mellon, Duke University, the University of North Carolina and Elon University. He is an active member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), Actors' Equity Association (AEA), Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and the Casting Society of America (CSA).

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