WANNA PLAY AN INSTRUMENT? GROUP CLASSES & CLINICS @ THE RANDOLPH PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

RIO CLEMENTE PRESENTS HOLIDAY JAZZ CONCERT & BENEFIT IN RANDOLPH

Rio Clemente presents the

ImpresaRio Series Holiday Jazz Concert and Benefit

WHERE: The Music Den, 1030 Route 10 West, Randolph

Seating is limited. Click here to purchase tickets!

SAM SHEPARD PLAY READING FESTIVAL CONTINUES IN SUMMIT

WHERE: Mondo, 426 Springfield Ave., Summit
TICKETS: $15
E-mail SallyPonzio@aol.com or call 941.993.3195 for reservations.

Curse of the Starving Class is a very sophisticated drama that seeks to link deep archetypal themes of human suffering and fate to very specific and contemporary political and social issues. The family whose plight is dramatized are indeed beset by a curse about which they can do nothing, but Shepard refuses to specify what that curse is. The play is clearly a symbolic drama.

The Sam Shepard Play Reading Series will be directed by Frank Licato. Frank has been a professional director, actor and teacher for over 30 years.  He is Artistic Director of Hudson Theatre Works, a professional theatre in Hudson County, NJ.  His shows have been nominated for 17 Perry awards and he won for best director for Grapes of Wrath.  He was honored by the New Jersey Theater Alliance for his directorial work, was named best director at the New York Fringe Festival and Best Director by the Off-Off Broadway Review.

He has acted in movies with Alan Arkin, Martin Sheen, Sylvester Stallone and Frank Sinatra.  He was named best actor by the Boston Critics for his performance in Judgement by Barry Collins at the Boston Shakespeare Company and was nominated for an Obie award for his performance in Deathwatch by Jean Genet.

Frank is also a well-known acting teacher and audition coach.

WPU PRESENTS A HOST OF HOLIDAY EVENTS

Mack Brandon's
Holiday Gospel Explosion

WHEN: December 14, 8:00 PM
WHERE: Shea Center for Performing Arts, William Paterson University, 300 Pompton Road, Wayne
Buy Now!

Share in the celebration of gospel as this premier vocal ensemble graces the stage, exalting a soulful and spirit-filled compilation of gospel songs. The concert, will feature some of the best voices in the state from the New Jersey African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church Conference Choir and the Ramapo College Gospel Choir.

Kaleidoscope Theatre presents

Snow White's Christmas

WHEN: December 15, 2 PM;Pre-show activities begin at 1:15 PM
WHERE: Shea Center for Performing Arts, William Paterson University, 300 Pompton Road, Wayne
Buy Now!

Celebrate the holiday with Snow White, the handsome prince and of course those seven dwarfs. Employing comedy, music and a special message on friendship, patience and diversity, Snow White's Christmas is sure to get you in the holiday spirit!

It's A Wonderful Life: Live from WVL Radio Theatre

WHEN: December 20, 8 PM
WHERE: Shea Center for Performing Arts, William Paterson University, 300 Pompton Road, Wayne
Buy Now!

This 1940s radio style adaptation of Frank Capra's beloved tale comes to life through the bygone radio format of a few talented actors, live sound effects—and a listener's imagination.

WINNER OF 10TH ANNUAL PLAY SERIES ONSTAGE @ WPU FOR 3 WEEKENDS

Winner of the 10th Annual Play Series!

THE ALICE OF WARD 13
By Jonathan G. Galvez
Directed by Edward Matthews

WHEN: December 12-14, 8:00 PM; December 19-21, , 8:00 PM; December 15 & 22, , 3:00 PM
WHERE: Hunziker Black Box Theatre, William Paterson University, 300 Pompton Road, Wayne
ADMISSION: $18
Directions to our Venue

After five years in a catatonic state, Catherine's condition is about to change thanks to an inexperienced nurse, a conflicted sister and a crazy patient with ideas of her own.  This comedy-drama takes the audience and Catherine on a strange journey through the looking glass and out the rabbit hole.

CELEBRATE THE WINTER SOLSTICE IN MAPLEWOOD & NYC

Winter Solstice Concert with Adam Rudolph and Steve Gorn
WHEN: Sunday, December 22 @ 4 PM
WHERE: SHAKTI YOGA: 1861 Springfield Avenue in Maplewood
TICKETS: $20 advance, $25 at the door
http://shaktinj.com/

Meditative World Music...a rich mix of luscious melodies from India with infectious rhythms from Morocco and beyond.

 Maggie Surovell
WHEN: Friday, December 13, @ 8:00 PM; Saturday, December 14, @ 8:00 PM; Sunday, December 15, @ 2:00 PM
WHERE:  The T. Schreiber Studio and Theatre, 151 W 26 Street 7th Floor
New York, NY
http://maggiesurovell.com/katz/
A Tribute to the Songwriting of One of America’s Great Comedians.
Run time: about one hour
Free refreshments will be served after each show.

Winter Solstice Celebration
WHEN: Dec. 19 and 20 at 8 PM, Dec. 21 at 2 PM and 7:30 PM
WHERE: Cathedral of St. John the Divine | 1047 Amsterdam Ave., New York
http://solsticeconcert.com/

Brazilian Solstice – A Holiday Celebration on a Spectacular Scale
The sunny and rhythmic music of Brazil will warm your heart this December when Brazilian superstar Ivan Lins and colleagues join with the Paul Winter Consort in the 34th Annual Winter Solstice Celebration at New York’s St. John the Divine, one of the world’s largest cathedrals.

The Winter Solstice Celebration has become New York’s favorite holiday alternative to the Nutcracker and Radio City’s Christmas Spectacular. This event is a contemporary take on ancient solstice rituals, when people felt a calling to come together on the longest night of the year to welcome the return of the sun and the birth of the new year. Nondenominational and open to all, this secular celebration shares the Cathedral’s universal mission of being a “unifying center” and takes full advantage of the extraordinary acoustic qualities of the Cathedral.

Paul Winter, the saxophonist, composer and bandleader long known for his pioneering work with world music, jazz and the voices of the natural world, returns with this latest solstice offering. The music of Brazil will be a special focus of this year’s event, and feature Ivan Lins, singer and guitarist Renato Braz, a Brazilian chorus, and the 25 dancers and drummers of the Forces of Nature Dance Theatre. The ten-member Paul Winter Consort will also include dynamic gospel singer Theresa Thomason.

“BLACK BIRD” GETS STAGED READING AT THE BLACK BOX

A BLACK BIRD SINGING (TENTATIVE TITLE)
A new play by Mary Kelly

WHEN: Sunday, December 15, at 2:00 PM
WHERE: The Collective Art Tank’s new space at 529 Bangs Avenue, Asbury Park, NJ.
ADMISSION: $5 suggested donation. 
For more information log onto www.blackboxnj.org.

A Blackbird Singing (Tentative Title) follows an American family over the course of ten years and exposes the struggles of growing up in the 21st century. Two twin brothers graduate high school.  One joins the army, and one goes to business school, leaving their widowed mother behind, and beckoning the question: What is left of the American dream? 

“I like playing with the idea of what a play is and is not,” says playwright Mary Kelly.  “We get stuck in the rut of plays having to be a certain way.  This play explores and, I hope, explodes those notions.”

A Black Bird Singing (Tentative Title) is part of the New Play Initiative at the Black Box, which presents readings of new works in progress on the third Sunday of each month. “Mary has a unique sense of creating plays that pulls together traditional playwriting with performance art and poetry to create visually stunning imagery and provocative stories that challenge our thinking of what plays are,” says Alexis Kozak, Literary Manager of the Black Box.

PLAYHOUSE 22 PRESENTS ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PLAY

A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Directed and adapted by Tony Adase, based on the novella written by Charles Dickens

WHEN: December 13-22, Friday evenings at 8 PM, Saturdays at 4 PM and 8 PM and Sundays at 3 PM
WHERE: Playhouse 22 is conveniently located at the East Brunswick Community Arts Center at 721 Cranbury Road, East Brunswick
TICKETS: $15 and are available online at Playhouse22.org, by calling the Box Office at 732.254.3939 or at the Box Office window

Fred Dennehy (above) of Cranbury returns as the irascible Ebenezer Scrooge. A Christmas Carol is the immortal story the story of a miserable miser who learns to keep Christmas in his heart with the help of several ghostly spirits.  Playing the Ghost of Jacob Marley is Rory Chalcraft (above left) of South River, along with Jacqueline Master of North Brunswick as the Spirit of Christmas Past, Christopher Rowland as the Spirit of Christmas Present and Wade Guerra as Tiny Tim.

Voted Best Community Theater in "The Best in Central Jersey Readers Choice Awards" for three years running.

MAGICAL STORY BEHIND CHRISTMAS LETTER @ SVP THROUGH DEC. 22

By Andrew J. Fenady
Directed by Emily M. Windus

WHEN: December 6th through December 22nd, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM and Sundays at 2:00 PM with an additional matinee on Saturday, December 14th, at 2 PM
WHERE: Somerset Valley Players, 689 Amwell Road, Hillsborough
TICKETS: $18 (Adults), $16 (Seniors/Students).
For tickets please visit www.svptheatre.org
For more information please contact us at 908.369.7469.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus . . . and here is a magical story behind those famous words, where in 1897 New York City a skeptical little girl sparks the noble flame of the Christmas spirit, igniting the timeless editorial which uplifts the spirits of a determined immigrant family believing in the American dream and renews the faith of a hardened newspaper reporter seeking redemption from personal adversity.

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MORRIS CHORAL SOCIETY PRESENTS 10TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR THIS WEEKEND

10^TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR

WHEN: DECEMBER 13, 8 PM & DECEMBER 15, 3 PM
WHERE: The Bickford Theatre, 6 Normandy Heights Rd., Morristown
TICKETS: $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $15 for children under 18. Tickets are available at the Bickford Theatre box office, 973.971.3706. For more information, call 973.998.7239 or visit www.morrischoralsociety.org.

The 85-voice Morris Choral Society kicks off its Concert Season with the tenth Holiday Spectacular. Under the direction of Wayne Walters (right), the chorus will perform “Christmas: Broadway to Hollywood,” featuring show-stoppers and holiday favorites from Broadway Musicals and Movies. (Photo Credit Rebecca Beneroff)

Guest artists for the popular program include The Christmas Singers, best known for their regular appearances at Morristown’s Music at Noon concert series. The Christmas Singers are led by Parsippany resident June Van Thoen and include Wayne Walters also of Parsippany, Patricia Ruggles of Florham Park and Robert Long of Madison. (Above: Photo Credit Morris Choral Society)

Express Male, a sextet of tenors, baritones and basses drawn from the chorus, will offer their own selection of stage and screen holiday numbers and will join the ensemble for a rousing rendition of Fredrick Silver’s The Twelve Days After Christmas. The members of the group are John Collins of Raritan, Bud Leppard of Morristown, Chip Wood of Basking Ridge, Wayne Walters of Parsippany, Rob Walters of Long Valley and Nicholas Schumacher of Randolph. Convent Station’s Ken Rapp will be the piano accompanist.

“The chorus looks forward to this annual holiday celebration,” said Mr. Walters. “In addition to traditional tunes such as Jingle Bell Rock and It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas, we will perform Professor Peter Schickle’s composition O Little Town of Hackensack and other lighthearted fare. We also will invite the audience to join in the much-loved sing-along.”

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FINAL WEEKEND FOR CENTENARY STAGE’S “A CHRISMAS CAROL”

A CHRISTMAS CAROL: THE MUSICAL

WHEN: through Dec 15, Thursdays at 7:30 PM, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, Sundays at 2 PM
WHERE: The Lackland Center at 715 Grand Ave in Hackettstown
TICKETS: $27.50 for adults on Matinees and Fridays and $29.50 on Saturdays with discounts for seniors, students and children under 12. Thursday evening tickets are $27.50 with a two-for-one Family Night discount when purchased at the door (Above: Osborn Focht is “Scrooge”)

“You will leave the theatre with the proper joyous holiday spirit,” says Examiner critic Rick Busciglio about the Centenary Stage Company production of A Christmas Carol: The Musical, which runs in the Lackland Center.

Getting  the full Broadway treatment,  the production retains its emotional power and pure joy. The Star Ledger declared that “Centenary Stage Company grandly picks up where Madison Square Garden left off.” (Above L-R: Mr. & Mrs. Fezziwig)               

Tickets may be purchased online at www.centenarystageco.org, at the CSC Box Office in The Lackland Center at 715 Grand Ave in Hackettstown, or by calling 908-979-0900. The Box Office is open Monday through Friday 1-5 PM, and 2 hours prior to performance times. CSC also operates a second Box Office during the season at 217 Main Street in Hackettstown open Monday through Friday.

BEACH BOYS CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS @ THE STATE THEATRE IN NEW BRUNSWICK!

The Beach Boys Christmas

WHEN: Tuesday, December 17, 2013, 8 PM
WHERE: The State Theatre at15 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick NJ
TICKETS: $85, $75, $65, $55, $35
Ticket Office: 732.246.SHOW (7469) or visit online at www.StateTheatreNJ.org

For more than three decades, The Beach Boys have been one of America’s most beloved groups with a ton of hits including “Surfin’ USA,” “Kokomo,” “I Get Around,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” and “Good Vibrations.” With their signature tight harmonies and California style, the Boys are back with an evening of fan favorites and Christmas tunes including “Little Saint Nick.”

Line-up includes Mike Love (lead vocals), Bruce Johnston (keys, vocals), John Cowsill (drums, vocals), Tim Bonhomme (keys), Randell Kirsch (bass, vocals), Scott Totten (guitars, vocals), and Christian Love (guitars, vocals).

Captained by Mike Love, The Beach Boys play an astoundingly busy schedule of concerts, averaging 150 shows a year, ranging from their triumphal February appearance at the Winter Olympics to gala New Year’s celebrations and special events worldwide. In 1974, Mike Love’s concept album Endless Summer ignited a second generation of Beach Boys fans and stirred a tempest that rocked the music world.

Grammy^®-winning songwriter Bruce Johnston (Barry Manilow’s “I Write the Songs”) joined The Beach Boys in 1965, replacing Glenn Campbell, who filled-in for Brian Wilson, on vocals/bass, when he retired from touring. Highly regarded as a singer-singer, Johnston’s vocal work with such legendary artists as Elton John and Pink Floyd firmly established him among rock’s elite artists. 

The Beach Boys concert is sponsored by Magic 98.3 and WCTC 1450 AM and underwritten by Caryl Mackin-Wagner and Michael Wagner.

The State Theatre ticket office, located at15 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick NJ, is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 10 AM to 6 PM; Wednesday 11 AM to 7 PM; Saturday 1 PM to 5 PM; and at least three hours prior to curtain on performance dates unless otherwise specified. For information on group outings and discounts, call 732-247-7200, ext. 517. Some additional ticket and transaction fees may apply.

State Theatre, a premier nonprofit venue for the performing arts and entertainment. The theater exists to enrich people’s lives, contribute to a vital urban environment, and build future audiences by presenting the finest performing artists and entertainers and fostering lifetime appreciation for the performing arts through education. The State Theatre’s programs are made possible, in part, by funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and contributions from numerous corporations, foundations, and individuals. The Heldrich is the official hotel of the State Theatre. Magic 98.3 is the official radio station of the State Theatre. The Star-Ledger is the official newspaper of the State Theatre. United is the official airline of the State Theatre.