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Tuesday, February 28, 2017

ALLIANCE REP OPENS MOVING DRAMA IN SUMMIT ON MARCH 3

Danny and The Deep Blue Sea
by John Patrick Shanley

WHEN: March 3-18, 2017. Friday and Saturday evenings at 8pm. There is one Thursday night show, March 9th at 8pm
WHERE:
MONDO, 426 Springfield Avenue, Summit
TICKETS: adult tickets $27. Adult language and situations. No-one under 18 admitted unless accompanied by an adult.
For reservations: By Phone: 908-472-1502 or Online at http://www.alliancerep.org/

The story begins in a seedy, desolate bar where we meet Danny and Roberta, two damaged souls with secrets to share. Both seek solace and redemption as their night turns into morning. Will they find it? Or will their lives continue downhill? Danny And The Deep Blue Sea is a moving, raw drama of lust, love and the need for human connection.

The cast includes Katie Housley as Roberta and Chris Clark as Danny. “I am thrilled with my cast on this show and look forward to presenting this earlier work from the author of MOONSTRUCK to our audiences,” says director Michael Driscoll. This production is staged managed by Christine Gaden with the lighting designed by the talented Ed Person.

Critics have written "..the play is the equivalent of sitting ringside watching a prize fight that concludes in a loving embrace."- NY Times” The Drama-Logue described it as "... a funny, frightening ,hypnotic and fascinating evening of theater.."

The award winning company, Alliance Repertory Theatre, is under the Artistic Direction of Michael Driscoll and was founded in 1999 by Jerry Marino and Jeff Streger. They are a non-profit 501c3company dedicated to producing distinctive, challenging and thought-provoking theater, and to providing local actors, directors and writers the opportunity to display and expand their talents.

Sunday, February 26, 2017

REVIEW: CHATHAM PLAYERS’ PRODUCTION OF KEN LUDWIG’S FRENETIC FARCE BLOWS DOORS OFF LITTLE PLAYHOUSE SET

By Ruth Ross

Image may contain: 2 people, people dancing, people standing, shoes and textAs a dramatic genre, farce is a delicate thing. Oh, it is loud, with lots of slamming doors and over-the-top characters and performances, but if the actors don’t hit their marks with precision or the comedic timing is a nanosecond off, the entire enterprise can collapse in a confusing—and decidedly unfunny—heap.

Luckily for us, director Tom Frascatore and the talented folks at the Chatham Community Players nail the genre in their recent production of Moon Over Buffalo by none other than the farce-meister par excellence, Ken Ludwig. Adding to our delight is that this is a play about the theater—one that reveals the back-biting pettiness and feet of clay exhibited some of the people we revere the most: celebrities!

Image may contain: 2 people, people sitting, child, baby and indoorIn the summer of 1953, former Broadway stars George and Charlotte Hay have taken their run-down touring company on the road to Buffalo, New York, where they intend to produce Cyrano de Bergerac and Private Lives in repertory, all the while grumbling about missed Hollywood opportunities. With the news that noted Hollywood director Frank Capra is coming to hire the couple for his swashbuckling Scarlet Pimpernel epic, their fortunes seem to be looking up, but their marital and professional relationships are endangered by the news of George’s infidelity Image may contain: 2 people, people standingwith the company’s ingénue. The entire Hay family—including scornful mother-in-law Ethel, determinedly practical daughter Rosalind and Rosalind’s ex-boyfriend/actor/company manager Paul (right, Tess Ammerman and Thom Boyer)—work overtime to get sloppy drunk George into his Cyrano hat and nose…or is it his Elyot Chase smoking jacket? Mistaken identities, foiled plot lines, pratfalls, slamming doors aplenty and backstage shenanigans ensue in this screwball comic farce and love letter to the theater and the larger-than-life personalities who inhabit the world of the theater. (Above: Stacey Petricha and David Romankow)

Tom Frascatore’s frenetic, frantic direction manages to corral and control the mayhem occurring onstage, without dampening the merriment. On Roy Pancirov and Bob Lukasik’s terrific set, decorated by artist Andrea Sickler and featuring five doors just waiting to be slammed, an octet of very talented actors perform in one the best of Chatham Player productions I’ve seen in years.

Image may contain: 1 person, sitting, table and indoorAs the Hayses, David Romankow and Stacey Petricha really shine, from their very first appearance dueling across and around the stage to their final embrace. Romankow is perfect as the conceited has-been George, content to act even regionally, in love with his wife but not above basking in the adoration (and sexual attentions) of the blonde, buxom ingénue Eileen (played with appropriate blowsiness by a pouty Julie Anne Nolan). He portrays perhaps the best drunk (right) I’ve ever encountered, stumbling around the stage, broadly emoting while recalling lines by Shakespeare and falling over unconscious. He’s well matched by Petricha as Charlotte; ambitious, jealous, vindictive to the core, she more than he yearns for a film career. Her anxiety at watching it slip away is palpable and sympathetic. Frantically, she attempts to sober George up so he can go onstage, efforts that are Image may contain: 2 people, people standing, shoes and indoorundermined by a serious (and hilarious) mistake made by her deaf mother Ethel, played with a combination of delicious cluelessness and curmudgeonly irritation by Meryl Nadell (left, with Brendan Scullin as Howard).

Taking charge of the chaos is the couple’s practical daughter Rosalind, who has sought a career outside the theater and who has returned to introduce her television weatherman fiancé Howard to her parents. Tess Ammerman is all business and level-headedness as Roz, dragged back into a world she’s rejected and doing yeoman’s job to keep her parents from veering off the rails. Brendan Scullin is side-splitting as Howard, a literal bundle of nerves who can’t even speak his own name without stuttering, clearly a fish out of water in this world. His attempts to impress George go resoundingly and hysterically awry. Rounding out the stellar cast are Thom Boyer as Rosalind’s former beau Paul, now tasked with managing this repertory company and called into action to sub for an actor who has quit, and Lewis Decker, who provides a modicum of reason as the couple’s lawyer Richard, come to “rescue” Charlotte from this crazy life. (Below L-R: Petricha, Romankow, Decker, Scullin and Nolan)

Image may contain: 4 people, people standing

Costumes by Christina Kirk and hair and makeup by Nicole Ribeiro aptly convey both the historical period and accoutrements of a stage production. Set decoration and props by Tish Lum add to the effect, as do Joe DeVico’s sound design and lighting by John Latona and James Peterson. Steve Ruskin is to be commended on his fight choreography, which encompasses much more than just the skillful duel that introduces the principals.

Image may contain: 2 people, people standing, shoes and indoorFor many theatergoers, farce is an acquired taste. But I love it, so I approached the Chatham Playhouse this past stormy Saturday night with great anticipation. I am glad to say that my expectations were rewarded—in spades! So if you need a respite from contentious news, get on over to the Chatham Playhouse for a good laugh. It’s the perfect antidote to controversy and debate. (Right: David Romankow attempts to strangle Thom Boyer)

Moon Over Buffalo will be performed at the Chatham Playhouse, 23 N. Passaic Ave., Chatham, through March 11. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM. For information and tickets, call the box office at 973.635.7363 or visit www.chathamplayers.org online.

Monday, February 20, 2017

DOCUMENTARY ABOUT LOCAL HOLOCAUST CENTER TO BE SCREENED @ GEORGE STREET PLAYHOUSE

Margit Feldman

Margit: Not A23029
the life of Holocaust survivor Margit Feldman of Somerset

WHEN: Tuesday, February 28, at 7 p.m.
WHERE: George Street Playhouse, 9 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick.
Those interested in attending are asked to register online at https://tickets.georgestplayhouse.org/.
For additional information, call 732-246-7717 or email boxoffice@georgestplayhouse.org.

To learn more about the Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at RVCC and its other video and film projects, visit http://www.raritanval.edu/community/holocaust/index.html.

The event is being presented by George Street Playhouse in conjunction with the Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Raritan Valley Community College, Branchburg. Margit: Not A23029 was created and directed by filmmaker Harry Hillard of Bridgewater, an Adjunct Associate Professor of Film at RVCC. The film’s producer is Peppy Margolis of Clinton, RVCC Director of Community Programs.

The 25-minute film focuses on Feldman, a Holocaust survivor from Hungary, as she creates a life for herself after experiencing the traumas of the Holocaust. Filmmaker Hillard captures the challenges for Margit as immigrates to the US by herself after the war. In the years that follow, Feldman shows that she not only a survivor of the Holocaust, but also but a wife, mother, grandmother, cousin, friend and public speaker. She dedicates her life to telling the story of her survival in the hope that future generations better understand the consequences of prejudice, violation of human rights and genocides that continue today.

A Charter Member of the NJ Commission on Holocaust Education since its inception in 1971, Feldman was one of the founders of the Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at RVCC 36 years ago.

The film is narrated by Dr. Michael Berenbaum, one of country’s leading historians and scholars about the Holocaust. Berenbaum was the first director of the United States Holocaust Research Institute at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. He also served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation.

Margit-Not A23029 is a semi-finalist in the Los Angeles CineFest competition in the Short Documentary category. The film was funded by RVCC; the Jewish Federation of Somerset, Hunterdon & Warren Counties; and Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems Inc. Historical footage was provided by the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.

The event will include a question-and-answer session with Margit Feldman and Harry Hillard. A dessert reception will follow the program.

Raritan Valley Community College’s main campus is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. Serving Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for close to 50 years, RVCC is an educational and cultural center that is nationally recognized for its innovative programming, service to the community and environmental leadership. The College offers more than 90 associate degrees and certificates, as well as career training, professional development and personal enrichment courses. The College also has a performing arts center and planetarium.

RVCC is committed to offering a quality and affordable education through effective teaching, liaisons with the community’s businesses, and state-of-the-art technology. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.

NOTE: When I was growing up in Bound Brook during the 1950, Margit Feldman and her husband Harvey were friends of my parents! I met her about 15 years ago at a seminar on teaching the Holocaust held at Monmouth University by the NJ Council on the Humanities.

TRAVEL BACK IN TIME @ RHINO THEATRE: “FOREVER PLAID” & “DURANTE”

FOREVER PLAID

WHEN: Feb. 17 through 26th. Fridays and Saturdays are at 8pm and Sundays at 3pm.
WHERE:
237 Hamburg Turnpike (Studio 237), Pompton Lakes
TICKETS:$25
Get your tickets now!

Forever Plaid is a heartwarming and clever tribute to the beautiful and innocent sounds of the "guy bands" of the 50's and 60's with beautifully harmonized songs such as Love is a Many-Splendored Thing, Three Coins in a Fountain, 16 Tons, Crazy 'Bout Ya Baby, just to name a few!  Four men rock the stage and tell stories of their trials and tribulations concluding in the ultimate performance wearing the highly anticipated "Deluxe Plaid Dinner Jackets"! Don't miss this musical complete with outrageous props, crazy dancing and spectacular orchestrations.

Rave Reviews:

"Anyone nostalgic for the Age of Vaudeville will enjoy this show. There's a wide-eyed ebullience to Kemble's performance that should make it enjoyable for viewers of all ages!" — Jay Lustig, NJ Star Ledger

"Kemble hits Durante impersonation on the nose!" — Bill Nutt, Morristown Daily Record

AWARD-WINNING ONE-WOMAN SHOW ABOUT LIFE IN MUMBAI’S RED LIGHT DISTRICT COMES TO JERSEY CITY

Jersey City Theater Center (JCTC) continues Borderless with an award-winning and acclaimed solo-show

HONOUR_JCTC_pressrelease_photoHONOUR: Confessions of a Mumbai Courtesan

WHEN: February 26, 4:00pm (Talk-Back with audience follows performance)
WHERE:
Jersey City Theater Center Merseles Studios , 339 Newark Avenue , Jersey City
TICKETS: $20.00 ($15.00 for students & senior citizens/photo ID required at door).
To purchase tickets, visit: www.jctcenter.org
(201) 795-5386

Borderless, the new series by Jersey City Theater Center (JCTC) at Merseles Studios that runs through March, brings a diverse array of new and emerging voices to JCTC audiences with a comprehensive range of art, theater, readings and performances. JCTC series explore topics global in scope yet relevant to the community; Borderless examines the personal and political consequences of 21st century globalization.

“Jersey City is one of the most diverse cities in the country,” said Olga Levina, Artistic Director. “Borderless is all about giving voices to those who are often under represented. Dipti brings to life stories of people living outside of society and highlights universal truths about the humanity we all share.”

Based on interviews with Mumbai sex workers and other research conducted by the playwright, HONOUR: Confessions of a Mumbai Courtesan is a deeply moving, coming-of-age story of a girl growing up in a brothel. Other ‘characters” include her mother. eunuch, priest and pimp. Both Funny and heart-breaking, this poignant, one-woman performance depicts the exotic yet dangerous reality of Mumbai's brothels.

Five percent of all proceeds from the JCTC presentation of HONOUR: Confessions of a Mumbai Courtesan will be donated to ApneAap Women Worldwide, a grassroots Indian organization dedicated to ending sex trafficking. (www.apneaap.org).

HONOUR: Confessions of a Mumbai Courtesan, is an attempt to break stereotypes,” said Dipti Mehta. "Art and theatre can create lasting social change. JCTC's Borderless and our show are collaborating to create a better world.”

HONOUR: Confessions of a Mumbai Courtesan won Overall Excellence Award for best solo show in the 2016 Fringe Festival and received a 5-Star review by Time Out NYC. The February 26th production at Merseles Studios marks its New Jersey debut. (for more information, visit: honourcmc.com)

Dipti Mehta, currently a Jersey City resident, was born and raised in Mumbai. Her numerous film and television credits include: The Blacklist (NBC), and The Golden Boy (CBS). In addition to acting and writing, she also holds a Ph. D in Molecular and Cellular Biology and works at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in prostate cancer research.

HONOUR: Confessions of a Mumbai Courtesan is directed and dramaturged by Mark Cirnigliaro who has worked extensively in theatre for the past 16 years. Recent directing credits include the World Premiere of The Hounds of War by Bill Holland which Broadway World called, “A must see,” and the critically acclaimed production of The Judgment of Fools by Bernardo Cubria for INTAR Theatre.

Photograph by Kyle Rosenberg

KEN LUDWIG FARCE OPENS IN CHATHAM THIS FRIDAY

Chatham Community Players

Moon Over Buffalo Opens February 24

The Chatham Community Players continues its successful 95th Season with Ken Ludwig’s

Moon Over Buffalo

WHEN: February 24 through March 11; Fridays and Saturdays 8 PM; Sundays 3 PM
WHERE:
Chatham Playhouse, 23 N. Passaic Ave., Chatham
TICKETS: $25 for adults and $23 for youth (18 & under) & seniors (65+).
BUY TICKETS NOW
All seating is reserved.
Please PRINT YOUR TICKETS with BARCODE prior to your arrival at the theater.  We are unable to scan cell phones, but we can print duplicate tickets at no cost.
For Box Office information, visit ChathamPlayers.org/Tickets.
Hearing impaired listening devices are available. Please inquire at the box office.
HANDICAPPED SEATING can only be guaranteed by contacting the box office at least 24 hours prior to performances at 973-635-7363 or emailing BoxOffice@ChathamPlayers.org.

In the madcap comedy tradition of Lend Me A Tenor, the hilarious Moon Over Buffalo centers on George and Charlotte Hay, fading stars of the 1950's. At the moment, they’re playing Private Lives and Cyrano De Bergerac in rep in Buffalo, New York with 5 actors. On the brink of a disastrous split-up caused by George’s dalliance with a young ingénue, they receive word that they might just have one last shot at stardom: Frank Capra is coming to town to see their matinee, and if likes what he sees, he might cast them in his movie remake of The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Unfortunately, for George and Charlotte, everything that could go wrong does go wrong, abetted by a visit from their daughter’s clueless fiancé and hilarious uncertainty about which play they are actually performing, caused by Charlotte’s deaf old stage manager mother who hates every bone in George’s body.

For more information, including about the cast and production team, please visit our website at ChathamPlayers.org.

CHATHAM PLAYERS SCRIPT DEADLINE FOR “JERSEY VOICES” JUST A MONTH AWAY!

Jersey Voices One Act Scripts Needed

The Chatham Community Players is seeking original, one-act plays, short musicals and/or original dance pieces, written by New Jersey authors, for Jersey Voices' 23rd Annual Production.

It is once again time to be thinking about submitting one-acts for Jersey Voices. For those of you who have already sent along submissions for Jersey Voices 2017—thank you! For those of you who have not, we want to remind you that the deadline is coming up soon—this year’s DEADLINE is MARCH 15th, just under one month away!

So please put the finishing touches on those plays sitting on your desk/desktop and send them along. This year, like last year, we are only accepting submissions by e-mail to the address listed below.

Play submissions of any genre (including short musical and dance pieces), style and length up to 15 minutes running time (we're serious about this) will be accepted through March 15, 2017. Selected pieces will each be performed in our Black Box Theater in Chatham on the last weekend in July and first weekend in August.

If we've not chosen your work in the past, please don't give up on us. Each year we have produced new pieces by an author whose work we've passed over in the past; it usually has more to do with trying to balance 6 separate pieces for an enjoyable evening of theater than it has to do with the quality of the piece which has been passed over. In fact, under these circumstances, we have often held over a piece we've liked and given it consideration in the following year. Some of these 'holdovers' have subsequently been chosen, produced, and favorably received.

We are looking forward to seeing your work this year and, as we know that many of you come to see Jersey Voices, to seeing you again this summer. If you have not already introduced yourself, when you're in the audience please stay for the reception we have after each performance and introduce yourself. We'd love to meet you.

Email submissions to: JerseyVoices@ChathamPlayers.org.

For more information, write to: JerseyVoices@ChathamPlayers.org.

CHATHAM PLAYERS SET AUDITIONS FOR VAN DRUTEN PLAY

AUDITION NOTICE:

Bell, Book and Candle

The Chatham Players will hold auditions for John Van Druten’s play, Bell, Book and Candle 

WHEN:  Tuesday, February 28th and Wednesday, March 1st at 7:30 pm.
WHERE:
The Chatham Playhouse, 23 North Passaic Ave.

Production dates are May 5 thru May 20, 2017, with rehearsals to begin early-March. Elizabeth Rogers directs.

Set in the late 1950’s NYC, Bell Book and Candle centers around Gillian Holroyd, a modern-day witch. She casts a spell over an unattached publisher, Shepherd Henderson, partly to keep him away from a rival, partly because she is bored, and partly because she is attracted to him. He immediately falls head over heels in love with her and soon wants to marry her. But, witches, unfortunately, cannot fall in love. If they do, they lose their powers. This tiny complication leads to a number of difficulties. As truths are told and tempers flare, Gillian is surprised to discover that she has fallen in love, but is it too late?

For more information, including Casting breakdown, audition form and sides, please visit our Auditions Page.

GUITARISTS TO HEADLINE LES PAUL FESTIVAL CONCERT

Guitarists Frank Vignola and Vinny Raniola
To Headline the

Les Paul Festival Concert
WHEN: Saturday, February 25, 8 PM
WHERE: Berrie Center, Ramapo College, 505 Ramapo Valley Road, Mahwah
TICKETS: $30/27/24
Buy Online HERE
Box Office: (201) 684-7844

The 2017 Les Paul Festival Concert will feature:

Frank Vignola and Vinny Raniola with special guest Gary Mazzaroppi and Ramapo singers Jackie Narciso and Benjamin Sims

Frank Vignola’s stunning virtuosity has made him the guitarist of choice for many of the world’s top musicians, including Ringo Starr, Madonna, Boston Pops, New York Pops, and guitar legend Les Paul, who named Vignola to his “Five Most Admired Guitarists List.”

At 28, Vinny Raniolo has already proved to be among the elite having performed and recorded with Bucky Pizzareli, Tommy Emmanuel and David Grisman.

Frank and Vinny will be joined by Bassist Gary Mazzaroppi for this special performance. Ramapo singers Jackie Narciso and, from England, Benjamin Sims will open the show. Come and join us for a wonderful evening!

www.frankvignola.com

BARN THEATRE TO HOLD AUDITIONS FOR MUSICAL DRAMA

OPEN AUDITION NOTICE:

A Man of No Importance Auditions March 5 and 6, 2017

A Man of No Importance
book by Terrence McNally
Music & Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty
directed by Mary Ryzuk

WHEN: Friday, March 3rd, 7pm to 10 pm; Monday, March 6th, 7pm to 10 pm
WHERE:
The Barn Theatre is located at 32 Skyline Drive in Montville, NJ, just minutes off Route 287 (Exit 47)

PERFORMANCE DATES: May 12, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, June 1, 2, 3 at 8 pm and May 13, 14, 21, 28 at 2 pm (Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays).

Alfie Byrne is a bus driver in 1964 Dublin, whose heart holds secrets he can't share with anyone but his imagined confidante, Oscar Wilde. When he attempts to put on an amateur production of Wilde's Salome in the local church hall, he confronts the forces of bigotry and shame over a love "that dare not speak its name." But the redemptive power of theater changes his life and brings his friends back to his side.

A Man Of No Importance is the second successful collaboration by the team of Terrence McNally, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, all of whom won Tony Awards for Ragtime.

CAST REQUIREMENTS:

  • ALFIE BYRNE (40s)    Enthusiastic personality - Inwardly insecure
    (Baritone) Range to high “A”
  • LILY BYRNE (45-55) Alfie’s long suffering sister. Complaining but nurturing character (Belt voice—Low “E” to “A “ above middle “C”
  • ROBBIE (30s) Bus Driver- Handsome. Good build.  Loyal friend of Alfie (Tenor range)
  • CARNEY (60s) The local butcher. Excitable – Sure of himself. Righteous (Baritone)
  • ADELE (20-25) A bit insecure – Secretive (Lyric soprano range)
  • BALDY (60s) Mild mannered - Supportive nature (Baritone)  (Need not be bald)
  • FATHER KENNY (60s) Elderly. Eccentric Character part –(Non-singing role)
  • OSCAR WILDE Suave. Urban (Baritone range)
  • BRETON BERET (30s) Seductive – dangerous- Pub Patron (Baritone)

The St. Imelda Community Players

  • (MISS CROWE) 40-60)
  • (MRS. CURTIN) (40-60)
  • (MRS. GRACE) (40-60)
    Character actresses – each with different personalities – the  more eccentric the better  (MRS. CURTIN must tap dance)
  • ERNIE LALLY (50s)
  • MRS. PATRICK (30-35) Pretty - A bit sexy
  • PETER (Any age)
  • SULLY O’HARA (Any age)
  • RASHER FLYNN (Any age)

THREE TOUGH MEN -  PUB PATRONS

A guitar player in the PUB

Line dancing-Similar to an Irish gig

Actors are asked to arrive to sign in within the first hour of the audition start time. All roles are available. Casting is open, and newcomers are especially welcomed. Crew and other volunteers are also needed for the event. If interested, please contact info@barntheatre.org .

For more information or directions, call 973-334-9320 ext. 5, or visit www.barntheatre.org

***IMPORTANT: Actors will be asked to list ALL potential conflict dates AT THE TIME of your audition, (NOT after casting). Please be prepared with your calendar and out-dates, as a rehearsal schedule will be generated based upon availability of staff and cast.

OPERA THEATRE OF MONTCLAIR PRESENTS “THE MAGIC FLUTE” IN 2 VENUES: MONTCLAIR AND BAYONNE

"Introducing opera to diverse audiences
using extraordinary local talent in nontraditional venues."

WHEN: Sunday, February 25, 2 PM
WHERE:
Auditorium at The Montclair Public Library, 50 South Fullerton Avenue, Montclair
ADMISSION: Free

Opera Theatre of Montclair will present its abridged version of Mozart's THE MAGIC FLUTE. This popular FREE family-friendly event requires no reservation.  Just show up—be sure to bring the kids!!

CAST
:
Tamino - Tai Collins, tenor
Pamina - Patricia Vital, soprano
Papageno - Alan Smulen, baritone
Queen of the Night - Heather Bobeck, soprano
Sarastro - John Weidemann, bass
First Lady - Anita Lyons, soprano
Second Lady - Jill Burstein, soprano
Third Lady - Cornelia Lotito, mezzo soprano
Papagena - Allison Mion, soprano
Monostatos - Ian Castro, tenor
Rebecca Eng, piano
Mia Riker-Norrie, narrator

Opera Theatre of Montclair will also perform its family-friendly interactive Magic Flute

WHEN: Sunday, March 26, 3 PM
WHERE:
Temple Emanu-El, 735 Kennedy Boulevard, in Bayonne, NJ

TICKETS: $35/adult ($40/adult at the door) , $10/child 10 & up, FREE/child under 10.
Group tickets are $30 each (minimum of 10).

Eventbrite - CLICK HERE

Check by mail:
Opera Theatre of Montclair
32 Cloverhill Place, Montclair, NJ 07042.

This performance will serve as a fundraiser for OTM and Temple Emanu-El.

This performance will feature OTM's professional singers and the Opera Orchestra of Montclair conducted by Dr. Robert Butts.

OSCAR-THEMED PLAY @ RVCC THEATRE FOR 2 PERFORMANCES ONLY

Bette Davis Ain't For Sissies

Bette Davis Ain't For Sissies
Jessica Sherr
WHEN: Tuesday, February 21, 2017 at 12 & 7PM
WHERE:
  RVCC Theatre, 118 Lamington Rd., Branchburg
ALL TICKETS: $15

It's early evening of the 1939 Academy Awards. Young Bette Davis is nominated for Best Actress in Dark Victory, and the Los Angeles Times leaks the Oscar winners early: "This year Vivian Leigh will take home the Oscar for Best Actress." Newspaper in hand, a bold, defiant and disillusioned Bette decides to leave. Witness the iconic actress's most defining moments as a tenacious young starlet fighting her way to the top, and journey into her battle to win freedom from the grip of Hollywood's studio moguls.

RVCCArts | The Theatre at RVCC | WEBSITE | 908.725.3420

REVIEW: VERY CONTEMPORARY COMEDY PREMIERES ON CENTENARY STAGE

By Sheila Abrams

What a peculiar world we live in! Things change so fast that words we thought we knew turn out to mean something entirely different. This comes across clearly in the fresh and funny play, The Surrogate, by Patricia Cotter, now having its world premiere by the Centenary Stage Company.

Surrogate4SM

The play’s title is just one small example of how the world is changing. It has nothing to do with the legal system. It refers, instead, to a woman who is carrying a pregnancy for another woman, in a sense lending her body to produce a baby for someone else. (Above, L-R: Diana Cherkas, Caitlin Duffy, Susan Barrett and Clark Carmichael)

We do not meet Crystal, the title character, until well into the play. Virtually the entire first act is spent setting the scene, which it does brilliantly, bubbling with sharp-edged wit. We meet Billy and Sara, the couple for whom Crystal is carrying a baby boy. They already have a toddler, Tallulah (off stage but vividly “present” as a voice from a baby monitor).

The couple have dinner guests, Margaret, a close friend of Billy’s, and Jen, her lesbian partner. After a great deal of wine, and seemingly endless videos and stories about Tallulah, Billy and Sara tell their guests about the coming baby. Then they present Margaret and Jen with the news that if Billy and Sara both die, they have been chosen to raise the two children. Margaret, in her 40s and never having had children, and Jen, 50 and the mother of two adults, are horrified. Smiling and expressing how flattered they are to have been asked, they get out the door as fast as they can.

Surrogate3SMWhen Crystal does appear, she is uncomfortable with Billy and Sara and instead goes to stay with Margaret and Jen. In the course of conversations, the characters and motivations of the women emerge. The relationship between Margaret and Jen is explored in sweet and loving depth. Crystal is revealed as bright and ambitious, with an unexpected maternal streak. (Right: Diana Cherkas and Caitlin Duffy)

The final character is Rita, Sara’s mother, who lives in New Zealand, where she is a vintner. She unwittingly has financed the surrogacy and potential arrival of the new baby, believing she was giving money to renovate her daughter’s kitchen. Now she informs Sara and Billy that she is coming to San Francisco for surgery and will be staying with them. The complications are rapidly evolving into a Gordian knot.

Directed with boundless energy by Shelley Delaney, this moves along at a pace that is breathtaking. The ensemble cast performs brilliantly, with special kudos to Clark Scott Carmichael, the only man in the group, who manages not to fall into any of the usual male stereotypes.

Surrogate1SMKatrina Ferguson and Susan Barrett are wonderful as Margaret and Jen, a couple of adults in love and exploring where they belong. As Crystal, Caitlin Duffy gives her character real depth. Diana Cherkas is outstanding as Sara, more than a little rigid and having difficulty figuring out what maternity means to her. And Centenary’s own Catherine Rust is wonderfully ascerbic as Sara’s mother, Rita, driving around the stage in a motorized scooter, spackling a wall while deliver lines that could cut glass. (Above, left: Diana Cherkas and Catherine Rust)

My favorite moment in the play is when Sara comments that her mother has been reading bedtime stories to Tallulah from the obituaries.

This is a very funny play but a deep one as well. If there are any flaws, they have to do with technology. Noises that come from laptops, even if they are actually actors offstage, are often hard to decipher, at least in the back rows of the theater.

We can’t say enough about the brilliance of the stage sets. Turntables (turned, we are told, by human power, because otherwise they make noise) enable the play to be presented on five different sets, designed by Tim Golebiewski, each exquisitely detailed and realistic. I have never seen better sets on any stage.

The Surrogate will run at the Sitnik Theater at the Lackland Performing Arts Center on Centenary’s Hackettstown campus through March 5.

The Surrogate was first presented as part of Centenary’s award-winning Women Playwrights Series in 2016, when it won the Susan Glaspell Award. This is its first full production. This year’s Women Playwrights Series runs April 12, 19 and 26, and is open to the public.

Go to www.centenarystageco.org or call 908-979-0900 for more information about The Surrogate and the upcoming series.

Photos by Robert Eberle.

REVIEW: DELICIOUS, FRANTIC TALE OF ADVENTURE ENTHRALLS @ DREAMCATCHER REP

By Ruth Ross

Tales of exotic adventures have tantalized people for centuries. Marco Polo and Benjamin of Tudela penned memoirs about their travels to the Far East. Nellie Bly chronicled her trip around the world in 80 days. Louis de Rougement wrote one too. The first three may sound familiar, but who is Louis de Rougement?

Louis de Rougement is a historical figure who claimed to have survived 30 years on a remote island where he landed after being shipwrecked. When he returned to society, he became a celebrity, writing and publicly performing tales of his adventures that left late 19th-century English audiences spellbound—that is, until his story began to unravel.

In Shipwrecked: An Entertainment, playwright Donald Margulies uses classical theatrics and storytelling techniques to bring us “The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself).” Now onstage at Dreamcatcher Rep in Summit in a superb production that careens from continent to continent, from ocean to ocean, the show follows the narrator (Louis, himself) as he sets out to discover the world for himself.

On a stage cluttered with a myriad of props and costumes assembled by Laura Ekstrand, three accomplished actors portray 30 different roles, frenetically donning and doffing hats, aprons, vests and jackets, and providing a range of sound effects designed by Jeff Knapp to provide auditory atmosphere to the account. Shadow play and lighting (kudos to Nathan Avakian) further enhance this “fantastic and amazing story.” The result is a delightful vaudeville-style romp that enfolds a serious meditation on how far people are willing to blur the line between fact and fiction in an attempt to leave their mark on the world.

Shipwrecked tells the tale of a sickly boy who leaves home as a teenager, signs on as a mate for a sea captain embarking on a expedition to hunt for pearls in the southern Pacific, only to find himself marooned on a tiny speck of land when a storm wrecks the ship. There he resides for 30 years, marrying and raising a family, until his homesickness becomes so overwhelming that he flags down a passing ship and returns to England.

As Louis, Harry Patrick Christian (top, right) acts as narrator and actor. Onstage and talking nonstop during the 90-minute play, he literally works up a sweat. With infectious and exhausting energy, Christian hooks us with his enthusiasm and wild tales of Louis’ high-seas adventure, told with a wide-eyed innocence that makes him sound very credible, despite some of the fantastical details. Did a monstrous man-eating octopus really grab a fellow sailor and sweep him overboard? Did Louis really ride giant sea turtles? Did he really see flying wombats?

The two other actors, Nicole Callender (above, left, with Christian) and Scott McGowan (left, with Christian as Louis), portray 30 characters, morphing from one to another in the wink of an eye by donning a hat or assuming an accent. McGowan is especially winning as Bruno, a dog who befriends Louis on the ship and also survives the wreck. Callender is hilarious as Louis’ mother and native wife, and she and McGowan have a grand time portraying, among other characters, a pair of snobbish English society matrons as well as various aborigines.

These hijinks are deftly directed by Jack Tamburri at a hectic pace that prevents the action from lagging for even one second. Indeed, we are given no time to really think or question the details of Louis’ account; Christian’s delivery enthralls us and leads us to believe that what he tells us is true. Watching him deflate as his truthfulness is examined in a very funny Q&A session is almost sad.

With all the recent talk of “fake news” and “alternative facts,” Shipwrecked is a worthy exploration of society’s gullibility and propensity for celebrity worshi[. Although the play was written in 2006 about a person who lived over a century before, Donald Margulies reminds us that people really don’t change. Indeed, here in America, P.T. Barnum built an entertainment empire on the cynical idea that “there’s a sucker born every minute.”

The real Louis de Rougement may have been exposed as a fraud, but in Dreamcatcher Rep’s delicious production, we almost don’t mind being conned. At least we’re being entertained in the process—and the effect doesn’t have global ramifications.

Shipwrecked: An Entertainment, will be performed at the Oakes Center, 120 Morris Ave., Summit, through March 5. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM. There will be a talkback with the director and actors immediately following the February 26 matinee. For information and tickets visit www.dreamcatcherrep.org or call Brown Paper Tickets at 800.838.3006.

Sunday, February 19, 2017

REVIEW: “INDIAN HEAD,” TOPICAL DRAMA ABOUT TEAM MASCOTS, A TEACHABLE MOMENT AT LUNA STAGE

By Ruth Ross

Long before Europeans arrived in what is now New Jersey and Delaware–in the early 17th century—the Lenni-Lenape lived in the states’ forests and shores, making full use of the area resources. But their lifestyle, strange to the Europeans, engendered cultural conflict and war, and the diseases, guns and alcohol they brought with them created an impossible situation for the Lenni-Lenape to survive in their homeland. Many converted to Christianity and assimilated into the dominant white culture, leaving only a small remnant to carry on the sacred tribal traditions, often in secret.

The Lenni-Lenape themselves may be invisible to modern Jerseyans, but they live on in the dubious world of high school (and professional) team mascots and logos. One, in particular, represents the Warriors of Chipeekany High School in Cumberland County and has aroused the ire of a young Native American woman and provided a subject for Nikkole Salter’s new play, Indian Head, now receiving its world premiere at Luna Stage in West Orange.

Indian Pdt_Office_1

Another of Salter’s plays to have been “ripped from the headlines” (the other was Lines in the Dust, also produced by Luna Stage), Indian Head confronts head-on the hurtful effects of oblivious discrimination and appropriation of another culture’s symbols—in this case, in the name of sport. In addition to the team’s being called the Warriors, football plays are named after famous Native Americans (Crazy Horse, Geronimo) and indicated by huge placards held up to tell the quarterback what to run next. When Rachel Murray spray paints her high school’s new scoreboard, her mother Patricia cuts a private deal with the football coach to punish the young woman by having her serve the team as Equipment Manager for the remainder of the season. She also gets the coach to agree to her teaching the players about the Lenni-Lenape culture. Having her teenage daughter teach the boys sounds like a good idea, but the scheme backfires when Rachel sabotages the lesson and the star quarterback steals a war bonnet (called a roach) and wears it in a pre-game ceremony involving a pseudo-Native American dance performed with a sacred feather spear. An examination of the psychological trauma from a misuse of cultural customs ensues, leading to a grudging understanding between the two cultures. (Above L-R: Carla-Rae as Patricia Murray, Sydney Battle as Rachel Murray, Donavin Dain Scott as Coach Jeff Smith. photo by Christopher Drukker)

What feels like a dynamite subject for a play (especially given the recent controversy swirling around the dismissal for political correctness) garners high marks for topicality, although the play’s over-long second act, exacerbated by Kareem Fahmy’s leisurely direction, and long stretches of wordy, didactic dialogue blunt the dramatic tension. Actually more interesting than the culture clash that is the main theme are several subconflicts: mother vs. daughter, youthful protest vs. older caution, the team’s need for an inspiring mascot vs. an understanding of how hurtful such a choice can be to another.

On a multi-venue set designed by Tina Pfefferkorn and Libby Stadstad and lit by Jorge Arroyo, a quartet of accomplished actors bring Salter’s idea to life. Donivan Dain Scott is avuncular football coach Jeff Smith,  who considers Chipeekany H.S. his home and the players his family. The Indian head has been the school’s insignia since he played there decades ago, and in the name of tradition, he balks at the questions raised and protest waged against its continuance. His adult nemesis, Patricia Murray, is portrayed with mild manners and reticence by Carla-Rae. After a traumatic event at a youthful protest, Patricia seems to have gone underground, to try to change minds through education while continuing to observe her tribal rituals on the down low. Both adult actors deliver Salter’s dialogue convincingly and naturally; the characters they portray are nuanced, but it falls to them to educate the audience about their respective cultures.

Indian Pdt_Football_2

But it is the two young actors who really ignite the stage and bring the play to life. Ollie Corchado (above, with Donavin Dain Scott) as Brian Kelly, anxious for his team to win the seasonal championships so he can get a scholarship to college, is a gung-ho quarterback, filled with enthusiasm for the game, his school and the mascot. He has no idea that performing a war whoop and fake Indian dance is disrespectful to an entire culture; he gets kudos for being willing to be taught and change his ways. Sydney Battle is fierce as an angry Rachel Murray, battling not only her school but her mother’s inclination to “go along to get along,” her tendency to avoid public confrontation. Battle’s sulky expression aptly conveys typical adolescent attitude, but her resentment stems from more than teenage angst.

Deborah Caney’s costumes lend a strong feeling of verisimilitude to the production: uniforms bearing the number, player and team names for the athletes; leather jacket, prairie skirt and Native American accessories for Patricia Murray. Sound designed by Mark Van Hare, complete with cheering crowds and peppy cheerleader voices, really makes us feel as though we are in a stadium during a football game.

It may take awhile to get there, but Indian Head makes some very important observations about the mindless misuse of cultural symbols and its effect on those from whom they are appropriated. Confronted by a lack of political correctness, it’s easy to say, “Get over it,” but to do so is to deny the resulting psychological damage that hearing and seeing such insults can produce. Some judicious tightening up of the script and brisker direction will go a long way to making this “teachable moment” more accessible and dramatically satisfying.

With all this talk about immigration, it’s important to note that the Lenni-Lenape are the Original People of New Jersey and should be respected instead of being rendered invisible because they were defeated. In 2001, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights called for an end to the practice of using American Indians as mascots, logos and nicknames of schools and universities. In New Jersey, 76 schools still use Native mascots. More work is needed to right this wrong. Thank you to Luna and Nikkole Salter for bringing this injustice to our dramatic attention.

Indian Head will be performed at Luna Stage, 555 Valley Road, West Orange, through Sunday March 5. Performances are Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 PM and Sunday afternoons at 3 PM. For information and tickets, call 973.395.5551 or visit www.lunastage.org online.

Friday, February 17, 2017

ANNUAL SHOWCASE FOR EXCEPTIONAL YOUNG ARTISTS IN PLAINFIELD CHURCH

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WHEN: Sunday, February 26 at 3:00 pm
WHERE: Crescent Avenue Presbyterian Church Sanctuary, 716 Watchung Avenue, Plainfield
Ample free, secure parking in Church lot (Entrance on 1st Place - connected to church by walkway)
TICKETS: General Admission-$20, Seniors-$15, Students-$5. 
Tickets may be purchased at the door the day of the concert, or are available during normal business hours at the Crescent Avenue Presbyterian Church office. Please call 908-756-2468 or visit http://crescentconcerts.org/ for more information about this and upcoming concerts.

Crescent Concerts opens 2017 with its annual showcase of exceptionally talented young musicians from New Jersey.  The five young artists selected this year will perform great works of classical music in the splendor of the neo-Gothic Crescent Avenue Presbyterian Church in Plainfield:

Nicholas Gritz, age 13, is an eighth grader at Delbarton School who has studied piano for seven years.  He has won numerous awards for his piano playing, including the Crescendo International Piano Competition, the Cecilian Music Club Competition, the Steinway Piano Competition, the Golden Key Competition, and the National Young Musicians Showcase Competition.  He has performed at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and the NJ Performing Arts Center. He will be presenting works by Beethoven, Bach, and Griffes.

Andrew Gu, age 11, is a sixth grader at the William Annin Middle School in Basking Ridge, NJ, who studies piano and cello.  He has won several piano competitions, including the International Young Artist Piano Competition, the Greater Princeton Steinway Society Piano Scholarship Competition, and the New Jersey Music Teachers Association Young Musician Competition.  He is also the principal cellist of his school orchestra.  He will be performing piano works by Bach and Chopin, as well as a cello piece, for which he will be accompanied by his brother, Albert.

Eric Guo, age 14, is a freshman at Milburn High School who has been studying piano since 2008.  In 2015, he was awarded the Gold Prize on Music-Fest's Rising Talents Festival.  He has performed at Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia, and last summer he attended the Honors Music Institute at Penn State University.  He will be presenting pieces by Chopin, Bach, Schumann, and Rachmaninoff.

Ethan Huang, age 13, is an eighth grader at Frelinghuysen Middle School in Morristown who has been studying piano since he was six.  He has won first place in the Piano Solo and Concerto Competition at the Festival "Musica in Laguna", as well as numerous other awards.  He made his piano concerto debut at the age of seven, and has performed in Carnegie Hall, Steinway Hall and Auditorium San Nicolo (Italy).  He will be presenting pieces by Scarlatti, Beethoven, Chopin, and Medtner.

Monica Nowik, age 14, has studied flute for eight years.  She has been picked for the Wharton Student Competition Judge's Choice award, and played second chair in the Regional Band.  She currently plays with the New Jersey Youth Symphony Orchestra.  She will be performing a sonata by Schubert, and will be accompanied by her mother, Martha.

So, whether you are a lover of classical music, or an aspiring young musician yourself, join us on Sunday, February 26 and be inspired by the performances from five of classical music's rising stars.

A CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF RECORDED JAZZ @ THE BICKFORD THEATRE

Dan Levison photo by Seth CashmanAt the ‘Jass’ Band Ball: A Centennial Celebration of Recorded Jazz
featuring Dan Levinson’s Roof Garden Jazz Band

WHEN: Monday, February 20th at 8:00 pm.
WHERE: Bickford Theatre, 6 Normandy Heights Rd., Morristown
TICKETS: $17 in advance and $20 at the door.
Tickets may be purchased online at morrismuseum.org, by phone at (973) 971-3706, or in person at the Bickford Theatre Box Office. The Morris Museum’s Bickford Theatre 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.

Events were in turmoil in February 1917. The world was on the brink of World War I, the Russian Revolution was brewing, and the British Army was about to defeat the Ottoman forces in Baghdad. In New York City, the Victor Talking Machine Company recorded two songs by five musicians from New Orleans called the “Original Dixieland Jass Band” led by cornetist Nick LaRocca. The record that they made has been widely credited as the first commercially released jazz recording and it became a hit, taking the country by storm and captivating an entire world.

And now, 100 years later, Dan Levinson’s Roof Garden Jass Band will take you back to that historic moment in time with an evening of those earliest jazz tunes that exalted a war-weary nation and propelled it into a wild, hypnotic jazz-induced frenzy. Joining the popular clarinetist will be Mike Davis on cornet, Jeff Barnhart on piano, Matt Mussleman on trombone and Kevin Dorn on Drums. (Photo by Seth Cashman)

“This concert will provide a rare opportunity to hear the tunes that laid the foundation for jazz which is one of our country’s true original art forms,” said Dan Levinson. “We will be playing many ODJB tunes including ‘Livery Stable Blues,’ ‘Clarinet Marmalade,’ ‘The Sheik of Araby,’ ‘Tiger Rag,’ and ‘Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me.’ The intimate Bickford Theatre is a perfect place for jazz.”

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 Series, and other concerts. The theatre is an Equity Producing Theatre 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.

ROMANTIC, PASSIONATE OPERA TO BE PERFORMED @ 2 VENUES

Verdi's soaring arias and passionate duets have long made La Traviata one of the most popular operas ever. A cast of internationally acclaimed guest performers from NY Metropolitan Opera and beyond joins NJFO to present, acted and in costume, this powerful romantic drama that will not leave a dry eye in the house!

Learn More / Buy Tickets
Learn More / Buy Tickets

SAVE ON GEORGE STREET PLAYHOUSE’S SPRING SEASON

THERE'S STILL TIME TO SAVE ON OUR SPRING SEASON!

see all three for $90 https://www.georgestreetplayhouse.org/subscription/3playsubscription

WHERE: George Street Playhouse, 9 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick

LEARN MORE ABOUT 3 PLAY SUBSCRIPTIONS

SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION NOW OPEN + MUSIC IN THE MUSEUM @ THE ZIMMERLI ART MUSEUM

 

 

Summer Art Camp
Classes Begin June 26
Early Bird Pricing Available

WHEN: June 26 to July 28, 2017 (no class July 4)
WHERE:
Zimmerli Art Museum, 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick
Full day and half day sessions available
Early bird pricing ends March 31

Get ready for another exciting season of Summer Art Camp! All children between the ages of seven and 14 are invited to explore their creative sides and develop new skills in the arts alongside our wonderful teaching artists. New classes this year include Think Big: Mural Painting, Ocean Explorations, Express Yourself: Art and Identity, and Incas, Aztecs, Mayas, and More. We are also excited to announce a new collaboration with Rutgers Gardens to offer a week of camp in their beautiful surroundings, exploring art and nature. Whether it’s your first or fifth time joining us, we look forward to welcoming your family to the Zimmerli soon!

Registration is open now for Zimmerli members, and opens Monday, February 20 for the general public. For more information, visit the webpage, call 848.932.6787, or write to education@zimmerli.rutgers.edu.


Music at the Museum
WHEN: Sunday, February 19 / 1:30-3pm
"From the Far East"

Join us for the next concert in this series featuring classical and jazz musicians from the faculty of the Mason Gross School of the Arts Extension Division. "From the Far East" features classical works for piano, violin, and cello, inspired by Asian musical traditions, performed by Young Eun Lee on cello, Chang Ho Lim on violin, and Cong Ji on piano.

The concerts take place at the Zimmerli and allow visitors to enjoy art and music side-by-side. Each concert is preceded by a brief talk related to the performance theme and, at the conclusion, guests are invited to take a tour of museum highlights. The Music at the Museum series is organized to present a broad repertoire accessible to audiences of all ages.

Visit the website for details.

 

The Zimmerli's operations, exhibitions, and programs are funded in part by Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and income from the Avenir Foundation Endowment Fund, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Endowment Fund, and the Voorhees Family Endowment, among others. Additional support comes from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the donors, members, and friends of the Zimmerli Art Museum.

 
   

TALE OF AMAZING ADVENTURES OPENS @ DREAMCATCHER REP IN SUMMIT

CLICK HERE TO WATCH PREVIEW VIDEO

Shipwrecked! An Entertainment
The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself)

By Donald Margulies

The adventurous Louis de Rougemont invites you to hear his amazing story of bravery, survival and celebrity that left nineteenth-century England spellbound. Dare to be whisked away in a story of the high seas, populated by exotic islanders, flying wombats, giant sea turtles and a monstrous man-eating octopus. SHIPWRECKED examines how far we're willing to blur the line between fact and fiction in order to leave our mark on the world.

Make your reservations HERE

WHERE: The Oakes Center, 120 Morris Ave., Summit
TICKETS: $35 adults, $30 seniors 65+, $30 students 25. Buy in advance; no fees!
Use code MARG or BOOK to receive $3 off full price $35/$30 tickets.

 READ MORE

Special Deal for Shipwrecked Ticket Holders

DRT patrons can show a receipt from Shipwrecked to receive 10% on a meal. Receipt must be presented at beginning of meal. 10% off the bearer's food and beverage check, one 10% off coupon per table.  

Hat Tavern is located at 570 Springfield Avenue Summit, NJ 07901 908.273.7656 


Cast of Shipwrecked

New! Dreamcatcher Book Club

The February 26 talkback will focus on how the play was brought from the page to the stage. The space is also available beforehand for brown bag lunches for book groups to come together.

If you're participating in the Book Club discussion, the script can be purchased locally at:

WHERE: MONDO, 426 Springfield Avenue, Summit, NJ 07901
Or online at Amazon

SHOW TIMES:

  • Thursday, February 16: 8pm
  • Friday, February 17: 8pm
  • Saturday, February 18: 8pm
  • Sunday, February 19: 2pm
  • Friday, February 24: 8pm
  • Saturday, February 25: 8pm
  • Sunday, February 26: 2pm
  • Friday, March 3: 8pm
  • Saturday, March 4: 8pm
  • Sunday, March 5: 2pm

SPECIAL DATES

  • February 17: Opening night, post-show reception
  • February 19: Senior Sunday, free post-show talkback
  • February 26 : Dreamcatcher Book Club gathering and talkback— open to all!

Tickets: 800-838-3006 | Info: 908-514-9654

www.dreamcatcherrep.org

Use the Close.By/Summit app or website to find the products, promotions and even parking that you need, quickly and easily, all in one place!

 

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FEBRUARY EVENTS @ SOPAC!

SOPAC South Orange Performing Arts Center

Jazz in the Loft: Frank Noviello

Jazz in the Loft: Frank Noviello

WHEN: SUN, FEB 19 at 7PM
WHERE:
SOPAC, 1 SOPAC Way, South Orange (behind the train station)
Buy Tickets: $20

A true Jazz vocalist adhering to a tradition of swing and spontaneous performance. He has played and recorded with many of the area's world class Jazz players and appeared at such notable venues as Birdland, Village Gate, Shanghai Jazz, Kitano, and the Blue Note.
Curated and hosted by Lee Boswell-May. 


Musicians from Marlboro

Musicians from Marlboro

WHEN: MON, FEB 20 at 7:30PM
Buy Tickets

Join the Musicians from Marlboro for a program featuring seasoned musicians and young talent as they bring us into the intimate chamber music world of Haydn, Fauré, and Brahms. 

Presented by the Seton Hall University Arts Council.


The Improvised Shakepeare Co.

The Improvised Shakespeare Co. 

WHEN: FRI, FEB 24 at 8PM
Buy Tickets 

Witness The Improvised Shakespeare Co. create a theatrical masterpiece right before your very eyes! Each of the players has brushed up on his “thee’s” and his “thou’s” to bring you an evening of off-the-cuff comedy using the language and the themes of the immortal bard himself, William Shakepeare.  CLICK HERE FOR A PREVIEW

In the unpredictably hilarious fashion of improvised comedy, the audience attending this event will provide suggestions for the title of a play that has yet to be written, let alone performed out loud! 


Disney's Choo-Choo Soul

Kids 'N Family Series
sponsored by Robert Northfield

Disney's Choo-Choo Soul "With Genevieve!" 

WHEN: SUN, FEB 26 at 1PM & 4PM
Buy Tickets

Genevieve is the hippest of all singing train conductors. Together with DC, her beat boxing, break dancing railroad engineer, Disney's Choo-Choo Soul brings all your favorite Disney songs covered with catchy beats.

Watch the video invitation! All aboard!

THE STROLLERS TO HOLD AUDITIONS FOR DURANG COMEDY

AUDITION NOTICE:

Image result for VANYA and SONIA and MASHA and SPIKE posterVANYA and SONIA and MASHA and SPIKE 
by Christopher Durang 

WHEN: Mon, March 6 and Tues, March 7 from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM (with call-backs on Wed, March 8th)
WHERE:
Burgdorff Center, 10 Durand Rd., Maplewood NJ 07040.

Vanya and Sonia live in the family farmhouse in Bucks County, PA.  Masha, their movie star sister, comes to visit with her new boyfriend, and the quiet household is thrown into a tumult as issues of sibling rivalry, regret, love and lust erupt.

A full cast break-down and script sides are provided at www.TheStrollers.org under the Auditions tab for reference and will be provided at auditions as well.

Rehearsals are generally 3 weekday evenings and occasional weekends.  

Performances dates: Fri and Sat, May 12th & 13th, and May 19th & 20th at 8:00 PM and Sun, May 14th at 2:00 PM.

Go to www.TheStrollers.org for more information. 

You may also email us at TheMaplewoodStrollers@gmail.org.  The Strollers is a membership company; Non-Equity; no pay.