"Indoor Frankenfurter" performing "I'm Going Home" from Rocky Horror Picture Show Clad in a scarlet bodysuit, black boyshorts, a patent leather corset, fishnet tights and knee-high platform boots, the character listed in my program as “Indoor Frank-N-Furter” dramatically grabbed the ballet barre as the rock ballad began to swell behind her while she strutted her way out of the spotlight. Unbeknownst to me, behind her sultry demeanor and black face mask, the two of us happened to be sharing the same thought. Please don’t fall. Just as her song reached its climax, she swung her body over and around the barre, completing a full somersault before miraculously landing on-beat in those ankle-breaking boots. Whew, alright, she did it. No skulls busted open or broken necks; I can breathe… I mean, sure, it was Halloween. And sure, I had already danced with phantoms and been accosted by aliens earlier in the performance, but I had no interest in seeing human blood on t...
WILMINGTON, N.C. - Just over a month... This is how long the country has been locked down due to COVID-19. It's also how much time Toyah Flowers has left in her final trimester of pregnancy. While the nation has seen the many ways the coronavirus has impacted various aspects of Americans' lives, most are unaware of how it is affecting the new lives being born everyday. As a first-time expecting mother, Flowers planned to spend her final weeks before giving birth washing baby clothes, putting the finishing touches on a nursery, and celebrating with a baby shower. Instead she and her husband must prepare the best they can under numerous COVID-19 restrictions. "It's easier to look at things in [a] store and know 'that's what I want to get'." says Flowers, who is limited to online shopping for most of her baby's needs. As most hospitals in North Carolina and around the country have instituted stricter visitor policies, Flowers must com...