Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum Presents
Sophie Tucker: Last of the Red Hot Mamas
Written by Richard Hopkins, Jack Fournier and Kathy Halenda
Performed by Gwendolyn F. Jones
Director: Eric Hafen
Music Director: Nick DeGregorio
WHEN: October 2 – October 19, Thursdays 7:30 PM; Fridays & Saturdays 8 PM; Saturday, October 11, 2 PM; Thursday, October 16, 2 PM; Sundays 2 PM
WHERE: Bickford Theatre, Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Hgts. Rd., Morristown
TICKETS: Reserved seats are $45 for the General Public, $40 for Senior Citizens and Members of the Morris Museum/Theatre Guild, $33 for Groups (10 or more), and $20 for Students (18 or under or with valid college ID).
Tickets may be purchased by phone at (973) 971-3706, or in person at the Bickford Theatre Box Office.
The Bickford Theatre is an integral part of the Morris Museum, located at 6 Normandy Heights Road in Morristown, NJ, and offers free parking and full accessibility. Box Office hours for phone sales are Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Walk-up hours are Tuesday through Friday, 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Gwendolyn F. Jones (Mother Superior, Nunsense) will return to the Morris Museum to portray Sophie Tucker, one of the best-known American stars of the first half of the twentieth century. Renowned for her bawdy sense of humor, Tucker influenced generations of comedians and singers including Ethel Merman, Joan Rivers, and Bette Midler. Over the course of her career, which spanned seven decades, the entertainer found popularity with hits such as Real Women Have Curves, Living Alone and I Like It, After You’ve Gone, Fifty Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong, My Yiddishe Momme, Life Begins at 40, and her uplifting signature song, Some of These Days.
About Gwendolyn F. Jones
Credits: Bickford Theatre: Nunsense and Nunsense 2; National and International tours: Hair, 42nd Street, and Annie. Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Regional: Chicago, Dear World (Barrymore Nominee), Full Monty, Sophie, Totie & Belle, Hello, Dolly!, Jekyll & Hyde, 42nd Street, Once Upon A Mattress, Mame, and Thoroughly Modern Millie. She has played the Papermill Playhouse, North Shore Music Theatre, The Benedum Center in Pittsburgh, and Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia. For several seasons, Gwendolyn Jones played Mrs. Claus with the Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular. She also performs as a Guest Artist with an extensive list of Symphony Orchestras. In her spare time, she can be found raising llama and sheep. Education: Shenandoah College and Conservatory of Music, American Musical and Dramatic Academy, NYC.
Creative Team
- Director: Eric Hafen, Artistic Director, Bickford Theatre
- Music Director: Nick DeGregorio of Livingston, NJ
- Production Stage Manager: Yumi Matsuura of Morristown, NJ
- Costume Designer: Mark Happel of Chester, NJ
- Scenic Designer: Ric McAllister of Union City, NJ
- Lighting Designer: Roman Klima of Holmdel, NJ
About The Bickford Theatre
The Bickford Theatre is a professional theater that produces and presents year-round entertainment, including a Main Stage Series, two Children’s Theatre series, a Jazz Showcase, and Blues at the Bickford. The theatre is a Senior Member of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, a not-for-profit organization of 30 professional theaters throughout the state, and works in conjunction with Actors' Equity Association (AEA) and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC). From its beginnings in 1994 to the present, tens of thousands of theater-goers from across the tri-state area have enjoyed the Bickford Theatre’s many entertaining and diversified offerings in theatre, music and dance.
About the Morris Museum
Founded in 1913, the Morris Museum is an award-winning, community-based arts and cultural institution which serves the public through high caliber exhibitions in the arts, sciences and humanities. The Museum also offers educational programs, family events, and is home to the Bickford Theatre and its wide range of performing arts offerings. Continuously serving the public since 1913, the Morris Museum has been designated a Major Arts Institution and has received the New Jersey State Council on the Arts’ Citation of Excellence, among other awards. The first museum in New Jersey to be accredited, the Morris Museum was re-accredited in 2013 by the American Alliance of Museums.
The Morris Museum is a Blue Star Museum, offering free admission to active duty military personnel and their families, from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Location & Hours
The Museum is located at 6 Normandy Heights Road (at the corner of Columbia Turnpike) in Morristown, NJ, and is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 11:00am to 5:00pm and Sunday, 12:00 to 5:00pm. In addition, the Museum is open evenings from 5:00 to 8:00pm on the second and third Thursday of the month. Admission to the Museum is $10 for adults and $7 for children, students and senior citizens. Admission is always free for Museum members. For more information, call (973) 971-3700, or visit www.morrismuseum.org.
