In all he does – and that’s a lot! – Queen City Concerts’ Zachary Tarlton puts musicians front and center.
by Page Leggett
There came a moment in Queen City Concerts’ production of The Secret Garden last November when, suddenly, the previously hidden orchestra was illuminated — revealing the musicians had been on stage the whole time.
At the magical instant, you could hear the audience gasp before breaking into applause.
So often with musicals, we can hear the music but can’t see who’s making it. Zachary Tarlton wanted to get musicians out of the orchestra pit and onto the stage.
“I designed [the show] to have a big reveal,” says Tarlton, QC Concerts’ founder and executive director. “When Mary enters the garden the first time, she’s walking right into the orchestra. The orchestra is the garden.”
Tarlton founded QC Concerts, in part, to shine a spotlight — literally and metaphorically — on musicians. They’re his people.
“I’ve always had an interest in music,” says the Charlotte native. “I’m a musician first, performer second.”
Left: Zachary Tarlton, photograph by Paul Lange. Right: Each Queen City Concerts season has a theme. The current one is “Classics Reimagined,” with each show derived from source material from another genre. The Secret Garden, shown here, was first a children’s book, photograph courtesy QC Concerts.
A cure for cabin fever
QC Concerts is one silver lining to come out of Covid.
Originally called Queen City Quarantine Concerts, the online performances were inspired by a daily livestream program called “Stars in the House.” The program created by SiriusXM host Seth Rudetsky and producer James Wesley provided entertainment to pandemic shut-ins while raising money for performing-arts workers in need.
“Since we were stuck at home, it seemed like something we needed,” Tarlton says. After a 10-week run, Tarlton figured his passion project was over. But 18 months later, in November 2021, he and his husband, Jonathan McDonald, saw a “concert-style” production — minimal set, no elaborate costumes, with the orchestra as part of the show — on a trip to New York City. It was a reunion concert for the original Broadway cast of Seussical the Musical at 54 Below, the legendary Manhattan cabaret.
“I thought Charlotte deserved a program like this,”
says Tarlton.
Charlotte’s best
Tarlton started producing bare-bones shows at the now-closed Free Will Craft + Vine in NoDa in January 2022. The trial season featured one-night-only productions of Tick, Tick … Boom!, Murder Ballad and Ordinary Days — all small, Off-Broadway rock shows.
“All three were huge hits,” Tarlton says. “People said they wanted more.’”
Tarlton delivered. QC Concerts’ second season — featuring Kinky Boots, Titanic, Cruel Intentions and Angels in America, Parts I and II — was particularly ambitious.
“We’ve been a high-speed train ever since,” he says. The company has expanded quickly, but Tarlton hasn’t sacrificed quality. Audiences notice the high caliber of performers. They’re all local, although you’d be forgiven for presuming some came from Broadway.
How does he land such talent?
“We look for shows not done often in our area, which I think is a draw for [singers and actors],” he says. “People will adjust their schedules because they want to do these shows.” Because the shows require less choreography and movement than traditional musicals, QC Concerts’ abbreviated rehearsal schedule is another plus for performers.
Zachary Tarlton, photograph by Paul Lange
The music is the star
Big musicals are expensive to produce. Concert-style shows, devoid of complicated sets and costumes, are much cheaper to put on. The audience still hears every line of dialogue and every lyric. But the focus is on the musicians rather than scenery.
A scheduling conflict led Tarlton to move Sunset Blvd. from Matthews Playhouse to Booth Playhouse in November 2023, which he calls “a pivotal moment.” When QC Concerts went from being a nomadic troupe to having a home base, the sets, costumes and choreography grew more elaborate.
“I never thought we’d be doing full seasons,” he says. “I really never thought we’d be doing full seasons in the Booth Playhouse. It’s crazy to me.”
Sleep no more
Tarlton, who was home-schooled as a teen, studied architecture at UNC Charlotte and earned a master’s degree in public administration. He works full-time in finance for Union County.
“The non-creative side of me earns money to pay the bills,” he says, “so I can have fun with theater.” For the past decade, he’s also served as music associate at Myers Park United Methodist Church’s contemporary service.
And his theater venture is purely for fun: Tarlton doesn’t earn a salary. His husband handles social media, but Tarlton does nearly everything else, including designing marketing materials and, generally, music directing each show along with a co-director.
If you’re wondering how he manages a full-time job, a demanding part-time job and a third gig, consider this: He taught spin classes at CycleBar for four years.
When does he sleep?
“I don’t,” he quips.
Never the same experience
Tarlton enjoys using his architecture background at QC Concerts. For every show, the stage — and even where the audience sits — is configured differently. He does the space planning in conjunction with the Blumenthal Arts team.
“The Wild Party (Feb. 28-March 1) is a different configuration than we’ve ever done — a thrust stage with cabaret seating on the lower floor and traditional seating upstairs,” he says. “It’s meant to feel like a 1920s jazz-era New York City apartment. Sunday in the Park with George (May 9-10) will be another complete overhaul of the space with the stage and orchestra in the middle of the floor surrounded by the audience.”
The public has responded to QC Concerts’ innovative approach. Shows sell out, or come close.
And Tarlton’s OK with either. “Not everything is RENT or Ragtime,” he says. “Sometimes, you have to do lesser-known work like The Wild Party. They deserve to be seen, too.”
But, wait — there’s more
Last year, Tarlton added something else to his already full plate. “The Signature Series,” a cabaret program, consists of one-night-only performances on occasional Sundays at The Long Room in Plaza Midwood.
Next up is Lauren Russell, who’s performed at Carnegie Hall. On March 23, Russell will perform a 60-minute program of story and song with Tarlton, as always, at the piano.
Tarlton is a humble impresario and a true gift to his hometown. He set out to entertain Charlotteans during the pandemic, then realized he’d hit on something we didn’t even know we needed.
He’s not just planning QC Concerts’ season five now; he’s already working on seasons six and seven. Working is just what Tarlton does — that is, when he’s not making music.
And lucky for us, we’re all invited. SP
Featured photograph by Paul Lange. Learn more about Queen City Concerts at qcconcerts.com.
