Pages

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

RIDGEWOOD GILBERT & SULLIVAN TO PERFORM “IOLANTHE” TO CELEBRATE 80 YEARS IN RIDGEWOOD!

image

This Fall, the Ridgewood Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company is celebrating 80 years of performing Gilbert & Sullivan productions in the town of Ridgewood.

To commemorate their 80th Anniversary, they are performing Iolanthe, which was the very first production that the company ever performed.

Iolanthe 
directed by Michael Blatt
assistant directed by Joy Forlenza
music directed by Laura Ravotti.

WHEN & WHERE: Saturday, November 4, at 7:30pm: Ridgewood United Methodist Church; Sunday, November 5, at 3:00pm: Ridgewood United Methodist Church; Sunday, November 12, at 3:00pm: Ridgewood United Methodist Church
TICKETS: online at www.ridgewoodgands.org for $20 or at the door for $22. The company’s full performance schedule can also be viewed on the website.

Ridgewood Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company (also known as Ridgewood G&S) has always been based in Ridgewood, New Jersey, but also travels to perform for Gilbert & Sullivan enthusiasts in the surrounding tristate area. Ridgewood G&S produces all the works of Gilbert & Sullivan and continues to do so today. Although their tradition of performing only Gilbert & Sullivan has remained the same, its business model has evolved overtime.

Ridgewood Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company was founded in 1937 by Kay and Jack Edson and Oliver and May Hall, after the Radburn Singers had decided to stop producing the operas of William S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. The company’s first show, Iolanthe, opened on November 25, 1937, Thanksgiving Day and the 55th anniversary of the premiere performances of Iolanthe in London and New York, at George Washington Junior High School. Tickets were only $1 to see the fully staged show performed with an orchestra.

A few years after the company’s opening, the United States’ participation in World War II led to a resulting gasoline shortage. Since significantly fewer patrons could come to Ridgewood to see the shows, the company started bringing their show on the road to other communities in the area. This business model proved so popular that it has been maintained ever since and is still now, in fact, an integral part of the rehearsal and performance schedule. Ridgewood G&S has performed as far away as upstate New York, New York City, Connecticut, southern New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Most such performances, some fully staged and some in concert, are sponsored by outside organizations that pay a modest fee and sell their own tickets (or provide free admission as a community service).

Ridgewood Gilbert & Sullivan provides free concert versions of the shows to senior citizens at retirement homes and libraries throughout Northern New Jersey and Rockland County, NY. The concerts serve as fundraisers to help the company produce their upcoming shows. Of course, Ridgewood G&S has never forgotten its local supporters either, and always gives at least two full shows each season in Ridgewood.

With one production every spring and fall since November 1937, Ridgewood G&S has given approximately 1500 performances featuring over 800 singers in dozens of communities in the Tri-State Area and beyond. The company took great pride in being invited by the International G&S Festival to take its productions of The Grand Duke in 2010 and HMS Pinafore in 2011 to Gettysburg, PA, where it competed successfully against other G&S companies from around the world.

The company consists of a large group of people ranging from as young as 16 to early 80s. Every year, there's 1 or 2 people who perform with the company for the first time, and other company members have been performing on-and-off with the company since the 1970s and 80s. What brings these people together is their ability to sing and their desire to perform Gilbert & Sullivan. Several of the company members are professionally trained in singing operetta, though the company considers itself a community theater group and encourages singers of all levels to audition for its chorus.

By following D’Oyly Carte tradition, Ridgewood G&S has produced the operas in a manner which would certainly have met with the approval of Gilbert and Sullivan themselves. The title character of Iolanthe has reached an age of “a couple of centuries or so,” and although Ridgewood G&S still has a way to go to achieve that claim, the success of its first 80 years certainly has it headed in the right direction.

TOP: Most recently, Ridgewood Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company produced Gilbert & Sullivan’s Patience for their Spring 2017 production.

CASTING CALL FOR 3 SHOWS @ RHINO THEATRE GROUP

CASTING CALL!

Upcoming Auditions for THREE new shows

TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE

Don't miss Rhino Theatre's revival of their sold-out 2009 classic, THE PRODUCERS!

Click HERE for tickets:

Monday, October 30, 2017

RVCC ART STUDENTS’ WORK ON SHOW @ JURIED EXHIBITION

ErnstbergerExercise 214th Annual RVCC Art Students Juried Exhibition

WHEN:  November 3-24, An opening reception and awards ceremony will be held at the RVCC Art Gallery on Friday, November 3, from 5-7 p.m. Refreshments will be served
WHERE
: Art GalleryRaritan Valley Community College, 118 Lamington Rd., Branchburg

The exhibition is being coordinated by RVCC faculty member and Art Gallery Coordinator Darren McManus. (Left: Hunter Ernstberger, “No Bees, No Life!” digital (Photoshop & Illustrator), Spring 2017, Visual Design 1)

Artwork completed by RVCC students in the College’s Visual and Performing Arts Department during the past year—since the Fall 2016 Semester—will be featured in the juried show. The artwork will include a wide variety of media including ceramics, painting, drawing, sculpture, graphic design, multimedia, photography, illustration, interior design, video and printmaking.

Tatiana-Zalewski_SELTZEREach student was permitted to submit up to three pieces of artwork for consideration. The guest juror for this year’s exhibition is Tom Moran, Chief Curator at Grounds For Sculpture in Hamilton. Moran will evaluate all the entries, make the final selections for the exhibition and determine the award winners.

Since 2011, Moran has been instrumental in the development of Grounds For Sculpture’s exterior sculpture installations and the organization’s solo exhibitions. A sculptor in his own right, Moran is an expert in the field of public art having served as the program director for three decades in the successful completion of over 400 public art projects with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. He also served as an NEA Art in Public Places projects site evaluator, and for many years as a peer reviewer for the United States General Services Administration’s Design Excellence Program for Art-in-Architecture. (Above, right: Tatiana Zalewski, “Seltzer,” experimental cell phone photograph, Fall 2017, Digital Art Making)

KEVIN-CORRALES_Old Man SmokingMoran has lectured throughout the United States and internationally and served as a grants review panelist for the New York State Council on the Arts, the Oscar B. Cintas Foundation and other organizations. He received an MFA from Rutgers University.

Gallery hours for the RVCC Art Students Juried Exhibition are Mondays, 3-8 p.m.; Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; Wednesdays, 3-8 p.m.; Thursdays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Fridays, 1-4 p.m. For further information, contact the Visual and Performing Arts Department, 908-218-8876, or visit www.raritanval.edu/arts.

Raritan Valley Community College’s main campus is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu

(Above left: Kevin Corrales, “Old Man Smoking,” gouache on Bristol, Spring 2017, 2D Design)

THE THEATER PROJECT SEEKS WRITERS TO SUBMIT SHORT PLAYS TO ANNUAL COMPETITION


How many playwrights do you know?

In addition to our event for teens and our showcases
for the writers in our Playwrights Workshop, our THINK FAST event invites outside writers to submit short plays to our annual competition.

Submission deadline: Nov 17; details on our
web site.

Please share this information with the playwrights in your life—
and if you don't know any, start hanging around more theaters!

"Writers are the leaders in society—the people who start to get new ideas out." —Allan Savory

WHO: Adult Playwrights, New York/New Jersey metropolitan area

THINK FAST! is the brainchild of the members of The Theater Project’s Playwrights’ Workshop, who act as judges for the competition.  “We were looking for ways to support playwrights in the metropolitan area,” says Joseph Vitale, a member of the workshop whose plays have been produced in New York and New Jersey. “Our event gives writers the opportunity to stage their works in a professional theater and in a vibrant, culturally sophisticated community.” 

“One acts allow writers to experiment with a range of characters, topics and plots. Nothing is more exciting than seeing new work take shape, and we’re happy to be able to share that with our community.” says Mark Spina, artistic director of The Theater Project.

Plays can be either dramas or comedies but must be no more than 15 minutes running time. The deadline for submitting plays is November 17, 2017.

Plays selected will have three performances—on Friday, February 16, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, February 17 at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, February 18 at 2 p.m. At each performance, the audience will vote for its favorite play. The winner will receive the “Audience Choice” award after the Sunday performance. In addition, a panel of judges will bestow awards for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Play. The recipient of the “Judges’ Choice” award for Best Play, will receive a $500 prize.

Performances will take place The Burgdorff Center for the Performing Arts, 10 Durand Road, Maplewood, NJ.

There is no submission charge but plays selected for “Think Fast” will be required to submit a $150 production fee to help underwrite the cost of the competition.

Complete submission details are available on our theater’s web site: www.thetheaterproject.org/short-play-competition.html

The competition accepts electronic submissions only at OneActFest@TheTheaterProject.org. Include in the Subject line: “Submission + the Title of Your Play.”

The Theater Project, a professional theater company based in Maplewood, NJ, began in 1994 with the goal of bringing the best contemporary plays to our community. The company is known for presenting outrageous comedy as well as drama with social commentary.  It presents performances and classes in Cranford, Maplewood, Rahway and Union.


JCTC ARTSpeaks Invites Audiences to Ask Three Jersey City Artists Pop Questions

JCTC_artspeaks_hesterwakspeirsanti-pressrelease_photoARTSpeaks

WHEN: Wednesday, November 1, 7:30pm -10:00pm
WHERE:
Jersey City Theater Center, Merseles Studios, 339 Newark Avenue, Jersey City
ADMISSION: $5.00 suggested donation
(201) 795-5386
For more information visit: www.JCTCenter.org 


Three of the best-known artists in Jersey City reunite for ARTSpeaks, a quirky yet revelatory evening of discussion and dialogue presented by Jersey City Theater Center (JCTC) at Merelses Studios.

The three artists—Kayt Hester, Robert Piersanti and Joe Waks—featured in the new JCTC ARTSpeaks have exhibited in galleries, group and solo shows throughout the New Jersey/New York area and beyond. While each Powerpop artist work in different mediums, they were first gathered together as a threesome in one of the most popular and well-attended downtown Jersey City art shows of the summer, "Powerpop Trio" at LITM, a leading gallery, bar and restaurant.

That acclaimed exhibition featured solely new work by the three artists, revealing a fresh take on contemporary American culture that delved beneath the surface of seemingly familiar images to discover some new social, political and cultural truths about how we live now.

According to the LITM Facebook post about the show:

  • Hester searches for beauty in the everyday mundane with her bold, stark pieces created with torn bits of masking tape.
  • Piersanti draws upon a lifetime fascination with 50's and 60's pop culture featuring Jersey City locals as subjects. His paintings have evolved into a visual diary of the people and events in his life.
  • Waks tempers reality (“America’s faded grandeur and current status as a junkie desperately fixing for cheap Chinese-made smart phones”) with a heapin’ helpin’ of humor, a super-sized serving of irony and a couple of squirts of hope. His art is a commentary on our absurd, interconnected world.

The success of the summer’s Powerpop Trio show and how it revealed natural connections in terms of theme and world-view between seemingly very diverse, Jersey City artists made reuniting them for a follow-up autumnal JCTC ARTSpeaks a natural.

“Anyone who has looked into the art scene in Jersey City or surrounding areas will have come across the work of these three artists,” said Lucy Rovetto, Visual Arts Coordinator, JCTC and ARTSpeaks curator. “Even if you don't frequent art shows but have grabbed a slice at Two Boots Pizza in Jersey City, you’ve seen Piersanti's history of Jersey City mural. You may have walked past Wak's vintage-with-a-twist advertising images as street art plastering construction site barriers or as hand-painted murals on buildings and underpasses. If you were around during the 2016 Election you may have seen Hester's Bernie Sanders piece displayed in a prominent window on Newark Avenue.”

She added, “their creations are familiar backdrops in Hudson County. But who are the people behind those familiar images? What makes them tick? Why do they do what they do? Have they ever been in love or arrested. Come to ARTSpeaks at Merseles Studios with your questions and maybe together we’ll get some answers.”

ARTSpeak profiles visual artists in a refreshingly fun and original format. Held in the intimate Black Box Theater at Merseles studios, ARTSpeak features an interview with individual artists, accompanied by projections of their work. The profile segments are followed by an audience Q&A—but with a unique twist: Audience members are encouraged to ask “Quirky Questions” using index cards, where they can write down any question—no matter how off-the-wall or inappropriate—they’ve always wanted to ask an artist. The index cards are read by an ARTSpeak moderator, ensuring the anonymity of the person asking the question.

Works by all three of the Powerpop Trio will be displayed at Merseles Studios for ARTSpeaks and will also be for sale at the event—at a range of affordable price points. A work by each participating artist will also be raffled at ARTSpeaks, giving three audience members a chance to go home with an original piece of art (and/or hand-made object) donated by the artist exclusively for ARTSpeaks .

To find out more about the Powerpop Trio, visit the websites of Kayt Hester, Robert Piersanti and Joe Waks.

IMAGE: Powerpop Trio: Robert Piersanti, Joe Waks, and Kayt Hester at the show opening at the LITM gallery in August. (photograph by Andrea Morin).

LSO OPENS SEASON WITH “AN EVENING OF FANTASY” ON SATURDAY

Nov 2017 LSO Concert Flyer

An Evening of Fantasy

WHEN: Saturday November 4, at 7:30pm
WHERE:
Livingston High School Auditorium, 30 Robert Harp Drive, Livingston
TICKETS: $25 for adults, $15 for seniors and students, and free for children under 12.
For more information on this evening, please visit www.lsonj.org  or call (973) 980-1809.

The Fanfare Overture composed by Rick Ippolito, has a special significance to our illustrious Maestro LaGruth. The work is “Dedicated to Anthony LaGruth and the Garden State Philharmonic in Commemoration of Maestro LaGruth’s 5th Anniversary as Artistic Director.” Bold and triumphant, the piece serves as a wonderful celebration of the effort and dedication shown by Maestro LaGruth.

The Concert Suite from Dances with Wolves is compiled from the soundtrack written by Oscar winner John Barry for the 1990 movie starring Kevin Costner. Arranged by Steven Rosenhaus, the suite features several prominent and moving themes of the movie, including Two Socks at Play, the Love Theme and the John Dunbar Theme. The music is full of a rich elegance and rustic sound to match the setting of the plains.

Hexenritt, written by Engelbert Humperdinck, is a musical prelude to Act II of the opera Hansel and Gretel. Written in 1892, the opera tells a version of the fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel, who, after becoming lost in the forest, are caught by a witch in a gingerbread house who wishes to turn them into gingerbread and eat them. Yet, these clever children are able to turn the tables on the witch, turn the magic back onto her and escape, freeing other children in the process. The hexenritt, or Witch’s ride, comes after the audience learns of the witch’s existence in the story, and is meant to suggest the witch flying around the forest on her broomstick looking for children.

The Symphony Fantastique is the work most closely associated to Hector Berlioz. The work is comprised of five movements, each of which tells part of a coherent story. In the story, a young artist, Berlioz himself, poisons himself with opium in a fit of despair over a hopeless love and sinks ever deeper into hallucinations that include his murder of the girl and execution for the crime. The girl is an idée fixe, an obsession with him, and is represented in each movement by a musical theme that changes subtly based on the theme of the movement. Throughout the work, you can feel and hear the change in his perception through musical motifs, culminating in a whirlwind of a finale certain to electrify.

Audience members can expect professionalism and enlightening commentary from affable maestro, in a convenient suburban wheel chair accessible venue, with Free adjacent parking.

For more information on the Livingston Symphony Orchestra Opening Concert,  please call (973)980-1809, or visit the orchestra at www.lsonj.org  or on Facebook :Livingston Symphony Orchestra-NJ or Instagram:@livingstonsymphonynj

NEW PLAY TO OPEN @ LUNA STAGE NOVEMBER 2

Paradise

Paradise
By Laura Maria Censabella
Directed by Kel Haney

A Co-Production with Passage Theatre

WHEN: November 2 - November 19, 2017; Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 8pm; Sundays at 3pm; Plus an added matinee performance on Thursday November 9th at 2pm. Talkback Schedule: Sunday, November 5th and Thursday, November 16th
WHERE
: Luna Stage, 555 Valley Road, West Orange
TICKETS: $27; Seniors and students $22

Two outsiders—a gifted Yemeni-American teenager and her disillusioned biology teacher—form an unlikely scientific partnership in the hope of securing her a scholarship. But when conflicts arise over religion, science, and the boundaries of mentorship, their capacity to alter the course of each other's lives becomes greater than either had imagined.

Lily BalsenLILY BALSEN: tours nationally in a solo adaptation of 'The Secret Life of Bees,' staged by master director Wynn Handman. NYC theatre credits include A Good Muslim and Kandahar to Canada (Ensemble Studio Theatre), Pentecost and Therese Raquin (Atlantic Stage 2/PTP), and Comedy of Sorrows (HERE Arts). Regional credits include Barrington Stage (MA), Theatre J (Washington, D.C.), Alliance Theatre (Atlanta), Olney Theatre (MD) and Walking the Dog Theatre (NY). She also records audio narration for children's books, and enjoys writing and performing original sketch comedy. She attended Middlebury College. lilybalsen.com, @lilybalsen, @lilyzlb.

Grant ShaudGRANT SHAUD: Broadway: Relatively Speaking (three plays by Woody Allen, Elaine May, and Ethan Coen), Torch Song Trilogy (Harvey Fierstein). Off-Broadway: Writer's Block (Woody Allen), Atlantic Theater Co.; The Starry Messenger (Kenneth Lonergan), The New Group; Four Dogs and a Bone (John Patrick Shanley), Manhattan Theatre Club; After Ashley (Gina Gionfriddo),Vineyard Theatre, and others. Regional: Out of the City (Leslie Ayvazian), Passage Theatre, Trenton, NJ; Laughing Wild (Christopher Durang), Los Angeles; Out, Philadelphia Theater Co. Film: "Wall Street," "The Distinguished Gentleman," and others. Television: Series regular on "Murphy Brown," "Oliver Beene," and "Madigan Men" (with Gabriel Byrne), and various guest spots, most recently "Odd Mom Out" and "Younger." Grant is a member of The Ensemble Studio Theatre (NYC).

LLaura Maria Censabellaaura Maria Censabella is pleased to be working with Luna Stage and Passage Theatre on this co-production of Paradise. It premiered at Underground Railway/Central Square Theater in spring 2017 and was initially commissioned by Ensemble Studio Theatre and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. It will also be produced by Gulfshore Playhouse later this fall. Laura's full-length play Carla Cooks The War won the $10,000 William Saroyan Human Rights/Social Justice Drama Award for 2015. Other plays have been developed/produced at the O'Neill Playwrights Conference, Philadelphia Festival Theatre for New Plays, the Women's Project and Productions, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Portland Stage Company, The New Harmony Project, The Working Theatre, and Urban Stages Outreach, among others. She has won three writing grants from the New York Foundation for the Arts; two in Playwriting for Abandoned in Queens (published in The Best Short Plays 2012-13) and Carla Cooks The War (published online by Connotation Press), and the Geri Ashur Award in Screenwriting for Truly Mary. Truly Mary was subsequently developed at The New Harmony Project with director Angelo Pizzo and producer Michael London. For two years she wrote for daytime serial television, winning two Emmy Awards, and her short film Last Call is available on Netflix (Best Short Drama Prize at the Breckenridge Film Festival). She received a B.A. in Philosophy from Yale University with a concentration in Theater Studies, and is part-time Assistant Professor in Playwriting at the New School for Drama where she won the Distinguished University-Wide Teaching Award.

HEAR THE MUSIC OF STYX @ bergenPAC ON SUNDAY

image

DennisDeYoung_bergenPAC_940x400_osn.jpg

Dennis DeYoung: The Music of STYX

WHEN: SUNDAY, NOV. 5, 2017 – 8 PM
WHERE
: bergenPAC,30 N. Van Brunt St., Englewood
TICKETS: $99-69-49-29
Tickets available at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling bergenPAC’s Box Office at (201) 227-1030.

Dennis DeYoung was the lead singer and co-founder of legendary rock band STYX. He co-wrote several of the band’s hits and will perform songs like “Lady,” “Babe,” “Come Sail Away” and “Mr. Robato.” His energetic tour showcases the group’s greatest hits from three decades of racking them up. DeYoung combines his unique voice with a talented group of musicians to bring the true STYX sound to fans.

GUITAR LEGENDS TO APPEAR @ NJPAC ON NOVEMBER 10

John McLaughlin/Jimmy Herring: Meeting of the Spirits

WHEN: Friday, November 10, Doors 7:30pm / Performance 8pm
WHERE:
New Jersey Performing Arts Center, 1 Center Street, Newark NJ
TICKETS: Start at $25

Guitar legends John McLaughlin & the 4th Dimension and Widespread Panic's Jimmy Herring & The Invisible Whip join forces for McLaughlin's farewell tour—featuring each artist in separate sets followed by a performance of music McLaughlin played with his 1970s electric band, Mahavishnu Orchestra.

Part of TD James Moody Jazz Festival

For more than five decades, the music of English guitarist, bandleader and composer John McLaughlin has transcended boundaries, securing him a spot as one of improvised music's most influential artists. A pioneer of jazz fusion, his genre-busting Mahavishnu Orchestra is remembered for a complex, virtuosic style that melded electric jazz and rock with Indian influences, resulting in classic albums like Inner Mounting Flame, Birds of Fire, Between Nothingness and Eternity and more. For this tour (which McLaughlin has said will likely mark his last U.S. performances), the guitar great will revisit much of the music he first played with Mahavishnu, this time backed by his current band, 4th Dimension, featuring Ranjit Barot (drums), Gary Husband (keyboards, drums) and Etienne M'Bappé (bass).

McLaughlin will share the evening with Jimmy Herring, the virtuoso guitarist who has long been at the creative forefront of the American rock-jam movement, known for his inspired contributions to the Aquarium Rescue Unit, The Allman Brothers, Widespread Panic, and The Dead. "Herring possesses the heart and soul of a rocker, the chops and harmonic awareness of a jazz artist, and the simpatico personality of a jam-band player," says Guitar Player.


Also Part of TD James Moody Jazz Festival

  • November 4: The Manhattan Transfer
  • November 5: Hiromi Duet featuring Edmar Castañeda
  • November 5: CrossCurrents: Zakir Hussain & Dave Holland
  • November 8: Chris Botti
  • November 10: Christian McBride & Dianne Reeves: One on One
  • November 11: Grupo Niche and Willy Chirino
  • November 12: Dorthaan's Place: Kevin Mahogany
  • November 12: Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition
  • November 12: Ella and Dizzy: The Centennial Celebration with Gregory Porter, Lizz Wright, Regina Carter, Valerie Simpson, Randy Brecker and Sean Jones, backed by the Christian McBride Big Band


About TD James Moody Jazz Festival

Co-produced by NJPAC and WBGO Jazz 88.3FM, the TD James Moody Jazz Festival was inaugurated in 2012 and named in recognition of the jazz saxophone virtuoso from Newark. NJPAC's annual celebration of "America's classical music" is a spree of more than two dozen concerts and related activities - over half of which are free to the community. Guided by Christian McBride, NJPAC's Jazz Advisor, the festival has presented artists such as The Manhattan Transfer, David Sanborn, Tony Bennett, Wynton Marsalis, Al Jarreau, Dianne Reeves, Sérgio Mendes, Bill Charlap, Esperanza Spalding, Fantasia, Chris Botti, Pat Metheny, and the Keith Jarrett/Gary Peacock/Jack DeJohnette trio, among many others.

TD James Moody Jazz Festival is intrinsic to Newark, a city renowned as the home and creative inspiration for jazz geniuses including Sarah Vaughan and pianist Willie "The Lion" Smith, and institutions such as Savoy Records, the Rutgers-Newark Institute of Jazz Studies and WBGO Jazz 88.3FM. Among the festival's unique events are One on One with Christian McBride, a concert-and-conversation series featuring jazz's top talents; Dorthaan's Place Sunday jazz brunches at the Arts Center's NICO Kitchen + Bar; and a schedule of concerts and special attractions held off-campus throughout Newark.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNEY OF SONG IN FREEHOLD ON NOVMBER 12

Broadway and Beyond

Broadway and Beyond: An International Journey of Song, featuring Phyllis Chapell

WHEN: November 12, 2017, at 2:00pm,
WHERE
: The Jewish Heritage Museum is located in the Mounts Corner Shopping Center, at 310 Mounts Corner Drive Freehold, NJ, at the corner of Route 537 and Wemrock Road (between the CentraState Medical Center and Freehold Raceway Mall).
TICKETS: $10 for members, $12 for non-members
For more information or to make a paid reservation (non-refundable), call the Museum at 732-252-6990, or visit www.jhmomc.org.

Phyllis Chapell has spent her life developing a universal musical style, singing "world songs." Her repertoire includes songs in 13 languages from Brazil, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, as well as American folk, jazz, and popular music. She also has a repertoire of award-winning original songs. Phyllis has performed and recorded with countless other individuals and groups, including Intercultural Journeys—a multicultural ensemble founded by Philadelphia Orchestra cellist, Udi Bar-David.

The JHMOMC is a tax-exempt organization under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Museum is handicapped and assisted-listening accessible.

PAINTING, WINE & CHEESE PARTY IN FREEHOLD

Glass, Paint & Ceramics

Glass, Paint, and Ceramics: A Painting, Wine, Cheese, and Dessert Party

WHEN: Wednesday, November 15, 2017, at 7 p.m.
WHERE
: Around the Corner Art Center, 290 Mounts Corner Drive, Freehold (next to the Museum).
TICKETS: $45 per person

Turn clear glass pieces into your own creative treasures. Choose a ceramic piece and watch magic happen! The program will be held at: Tickets are

For more information or to make a paid reservation (non-refundable), call the Museum at 732-252-6990, or visit www.jhmomc.org.

The Jewish Heritage Museum is located in the Mounts Corner Shopping Center, at 310 Mounts Corner Drive Freehold, NJ, at the corner of Route 537 and Wemrock Road (between the CentraState Medical Center and Freehold Raceway Mall). It is on the second floor of the historic Levi Solomon Barn.

The JHMOMC is a tax-exempt organization under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Museum is handicapped and assisted-listening accessible.

CROSSROADS THEATRE PRESENTS NJ PREMIERE: “THE MECCA TALES”

WHERE: Middlesex County College Performing Arts Center, Blue Colt Drive, Edison
Purchase Tickets Here!

NJ premiere of THE MECCA TALES, a riveting play that explores the power of ritual and redemption, and what it means to be an American Muslim woman in this day and age.

Crossroads Theatre Company thanks its major supporters:

American Express

Johnson & Johnson

Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation

Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund

Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders

New Brunswick Cultural Center

New Jersey Council on the Arts/ Department of State,

a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts

MONTCLAIR OPERETTA CLUB PRESENTS “TICK, TICK…BOOM!” FOR 2 WEEKENDS ONLY

Montclair Operetta Club presents:

Tick, Tick... BOOM!

WEN: Friday, November 3, 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, November 4, 8:00 p.m.; Sunday, November 5, 2:00 p.m.; Friday, November 10, 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, November 11, 8:00 p.m.; Sunday, November 12, 2:00 p.m.
WHERE:
Westminster Arts Center, 49 Franklin Street, Bloomfield
TICKETS: $25 General. $22 Seniors. $15 Student (with college ID). $4 for Bloomfield College students (College ID required).
http://www.mocmusicals.org/
BUY TICKETS HERE

Tick, Tick... BOOM! is a musical written by American composer Jonathan Larson, who won a Pulitzer and three Tony Awards for his musical Rent. Tick, Tick... Boom! tells the story of an aspiring composer named Jon, who lives in New York City in 1990. Jon is worried he has made the wrong career choice. The story is autobiographical, as stated by Larson's father.

TWO RIVER THEATER ANNOUNCES AUDITIONS FOR “A LITTLE SHAKESPEARE: THE COMEDY OF ERRORS,” ADAPTED AND DIRECTED BY SARA HOLDREN

clip_image001

AUDITION NOTICE:

A LITTLE SHAKESPEARE: THE COMEDY OF ERRORS
ADAPTED AND DIRECTED BY SARA HOLDREN

WHEN: Monday, November 13, by appointment only. New this season, Two River is also accepting video auditions through Wednesday, August 15. To schedule an audition or for more information about video auditions, contact Amanda Espinoza, Education Assistant, at aespinoza@trtc.org and include your full name, school, and cell phone number.
WHERE: Two River Theater, 21 Bridge Ave., Red Bank

A Little Shakespeare

One of Two River’s most popular Education programs, A Little Shakespeare launched in 2014 and now introduces the works of Shakespeare to hundreds of young people each season. Through this program, Two River produces a 75-minute abridged version of a Shakespeare play performed by as many as 20 high school students, directed and designed by theater professionals. Student actors are cast through auditions, which are followed by three months of rehearsals, including script analysis, blocking, and character development. 

This season, the Little Shakespeare production will be The Comedy of Errors, adapted and directed by Sara Holdren. Holdren, who was appointed the theater critic for New York magazine in July 2017, is a director and teacher. She specializes in Shakespeare, reimagined classics, and spectacular, outsized stories new and old.

A Little Shakespeare includes a series of eight performances, including four student matinees, which are geared toward young people ages 9 and up. Each student matinee includes a one-hour in-school pre-show workshop conducted by a professional Two River teaching artist, as well as a talkback after the show with the student actors.

Auditions for Actors

  • Student actors should prepare a memorized Shakespeare monologue that consists of 15-20 lines of text from any Shakespeare play. Students will then be paired up and asked to read scenes.

Opportunities for the Production Crew and Run Team

Students interested in opportunities to work as an assistant director, assistant stage manager, director, assistant designer, or on the production’s run crew should email Amanda Espinoza, Education Assistant, at aespinoza@trtc.org by December 1 with information about yourself and your experience.

For more information about A Little Shakespeare: The Comedy of Errors, visit https://www.tworivertheater.org/education/edu2.php

Sponsorship

Two River Theater’s Education programs are supported by The Stone Foundation of New Jersey, The Jorgensen Foundation, Investors Foundation, The Community Foundation of New Jersey, and OceanFirst, and are made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Two River Theater is supported in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, Monmouth University, The Shubert Foundation, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Riverview Medical Center, The Stone Foundation of New Jersey, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation,  The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, Springpoint Senior Living Foundation at the Atrium at Navesink Harbor, Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Jorgensen Foundation, US Trust, Wells Fargo, William T. Morris Foundation, Kessler Foundation,  Investors Foundation, The John Ben Snow Foundation, VNA Health Group, Brookdale Community College, and many other generous foundations, corporations and individuals.

LA STRADA ENSEMBLE THEATER SETS FIRST DINNER TEATER EXPERIENCE NEXT WEEKEND

La Strada Ensemble Theater is all aboard with their revival of their very first dinner theater experience

Murder on the Paradise Line

WHEN: Fri. November 3rd & Sat. November 4th (dinner at 6pm, show at 7pm) and Sun. November 5th (brunch at 1pm, show at 2pm). (La Strada suggests arriving at JSAC 15 to 20 minutes before dinner is served.)
WHERE
: Jersey Shore Arts Center, 3rd Floor Café Space (66 South Main Street, Ocean Grove NJ)
TICKETS: $45 tickets (which include dinner, show, and dessert) can be purchased online at www.lastradaensemble.org or by calling (732) 455-2748.
GET YOUR TICKETS

Murder (written by La Strada veteran, 23 year old Brick resident, Dennis Gribben) offers theater-goers the rare taste of mystery heavily sprinkled with laughs.  Gribben has created something truly unique in Murder on the Paradise Line  a Two Act comedy about a murder mystery on a train.  His characters are rich and outlandish, fast talking and familiar (in a 1940s screwball comedy fashion) but the show itself is utterly one-of-a-kind.

Opening at La Stradas homebase  at the Jersey Shore Arts Center 3rd floor Café space on November 3rd through the 5th, Paradise is a perfect pairing of delicious fare and fabulous farce.  Each audience member will enjoy a sumptuous meal pre-show and dessert and coffee at intermission.  he show itself is set in the dining car of the economically failing Paradise Line  a once beloved entertainment excursion train which has fallen on hard times. The audience is introduced to Monty Marmamilton and his business partner Robertson whose relationship has soured over the years due to bad business, as well as several other odd and interesting characters including: an overprotective mother, a hot tempered Irish chef, a less than reliable Russian dancer, a bumbling train conductor, and Marmamilton’s much younger wife who moonlights as a showgirl. As the train leaves the station, the lights go out and, when they flicker back on, someone is shot dead!  Who has committed this murder most foul?  Its up to Detective Nebbirg and his not-so-welcome assistant, Alex, to interrogate those onboard, solve the case, and reveal The Blackout Killer  before he (or she) strikes again!

STARRING: Terrence Berry, Evan Black, Michelle Curcio, Melanie Jacob, Donna Knowlton, Nathan Magno, Anthony Morici, Levi Morici, Soren Morici, Alexa Spinowtiz and W. Allen Wrede.  It is directed by A.J. Ciccotelli

Saturday, October 28, 2017

PIXIE DUST PLAYERS HOLDS 1 AUDITION FOR 2 SHOWS!

clip_image001

http://www.pixiedustplayers.org/auditions.html

WHERE: Hamilton Stage, 360 Hamilton St., Rahway

AWARD-WINNING HIT SHOW OPENS @ BICKFORD THEATRE 2 WEEKENDS ONLY

Carl Wallnau and Kim Zimmer looking at painting; photo by William Westura

BAKERSFIELD MIST
by Stephen Sachs
directed by Producing Artistic Director Eric Hafen

WHEN: October 26 to November 5; Thursday, November 2, 2:00 PM; Friday, October 27 (Opening Night) and November 3, 8:00 PM; Saturday, October 28, and November 4, 8:00 PM; Sunday, October 29, and November 5, 2:00 PM. There will be a conversation with the cast and creative team on Thursday, November 2, following the evening performance.
WHERE:
Bickford Theatre, 6 Normandy Heights Rd., Morristown
TICKETS: $45 for the General Public; $40 for Seniors; $38 for Museum Members; and $20 for Students (18 & under or with valid college ID).
Group rates are available. There is a $3 service charge per ticket. The show contains Adult Language.
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 is 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.

The play, which received the Elliott Norton Award for Best New Play in 2013, was a smash hit when it opened for a limited run on London’s West End. It contains Adult Language.

Leading the cast in the role of Maude Gutman is the very popular Kim Zimmer, a four-time Daytime Emmy Award Winner for Outstanding Lead Actress. Kim will share the stage with Carl Wallnau, the celebrated Artistic Director of the Centenary Stage Company. He will play Lionel Percy.

Inspired by true events, this hilarious and thought-provoking comedy/drama asks timeless questions about what makes art and people truly authentic. Maude Gutman, a 50-something unemployed bartender living in a trailer park, has bought a painting for a few dollars from a thrift store. At first she almost throws it away but instead convinces herself that it is a lost masterpiece by Jackson Pollack worth millions. So to evaluate the painting, world-class art expert Lionel Percy travels from New York to Maude’s home in Bakersfield to determine whether it is authentic or not. What ensues is a fiery, entertaining, and wonderfully funny debate over class, truth, and what we perceive as valuable.

It is a play loved by both audiences and critics. When it opened in London, The Telegraph called it “…one of the best plays on now in London.” And during the run in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Times said it was “a perfect marriage of emotion and ideas!” Vanity Fair praised Bakersfield Mist, proclaiming that it was “not to be missed” and the Orlando Sentinel gushed that it was “cleverly funny….”

Producing Artistic Director Eric Hafen has more than 35 years of theater experience having acted in or directed productions throughout the Northeast, including shows off-Broadway and in New Jersey. When asked about Bakersfield Mist, he said, “When I read the play, I knew that it was perfect for the Bickford Theatre because of our affiliation with the Morris Museum. Stephen Sachs tackles the large questions on creativity and the value of art with wit and humor. And our audience will love it.”

Playwright Stephen Sachs is the author of eleven plays produced both here and abroad and has received many awards not only for his plays, but also for his work as an artistic director and theatre director. As the co-founder and co-artistic director of The Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles, he has won multiple awards including the prestigious Ovation award twice. And he has twice been a finalist for the PEN Literary Award for Drama.

RUTGERS JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL TO RUN OCTOBER 29– NOVEMBER 12

image

The Rutgers Jewish Film Festival heads into its eighteenth run, bringing New Jersey a broad range of award-winning, international films. Of the 15 films being screened at the festival, 10 are New Jersey premieres and represent seven countries. Discussions with filmmakers, actors, scholars, and other noteworthy guests enrich the film going experience.

WHEN: Oct. 29 – Nov. 12
WHERE
: The festival will be held at two venues: AMC Loews New Brunswick 18, 17 US Highway 1 South, New Brunswick (AMC); and Princeton Garden Theatre, 160 Nassau Street, Princeton (PGT). The festival is sponsored by Rutgers’ Allen and Joan Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life.
TICKETS: For festival schedule and ticket information, or to purchase tickets online, visit the website BildnerCenter.Rutgers.edu/film. Festival staff can also be reached by phone at 848-932-4166, or by email at rujff@sas.rutgers.edu. Film tickets are $13 with discounted tickets for seniors and students available. Advance ticket purchase is strongly recommended as screenings often sell out prior to the festival.

Harmonia, a major contender at the Israeli Academy Awards in 2016, opens the festival with a special appearance by lead actor Alon Aboutboul. With award-winning cinematography and music, this stunning drama is a modern twist on the biblical tale of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar, set against the musical backdrop of an orchestra in Jerusalem. Opening night also includes a buffet dinner and dessert reception for festival sponsors. Two additional screenings of the film will be held: On October 31 at AMC, and on November 7 at PGT.

The festival features the New Jersey premieres of several Israeli documentaries that highlight the diversity of Israeli society, politics, and history. Ben-Gurion: Epilogue is a fascinating film based on recently discovered interview footage with the renowned Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion. The film’s director, Yariv Mozer, will speak about the making of the film at two of the festival’s screenings. The Settlers offers an intimate look at life inside the Israeli settlements in the West Bank and explores the historical factors that have led to the current situation. Dimona Twist shares the never before heard personal stories of seven women who immigrated to Israel in the 1950s and the challenges they faced in making lives for themselves in the tiny development town of Dimona.

Films from the United States make a strong showing at this year’s festival. Among them is Keep the Change, which won Best Narrative Feature and Best New Narrative Director at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival. This rom-com set in New York City portrays the burgeoning love story of two adults on the autism spectrum. The film is entertaining as a universal love story, but it is also unique in that a number of the starring cast members have autism themselves. Screenwriter and director Rachel Israel and lead cast members Brandon Polansky and Samantha Elisofon will be in attendance at the November 5 matinee screening to speak with the audience after the film.

The festival is proud to present the Australian documentary On the Banks of the Tigris: The Hidden Story of Iraqi Music, a moving film about the meaning of home and the power of music. The film follows Majid, a Muslim who escaped from Iraq, who embarks on a musical odyssey to uncover the hidden story of Iraqi Jewish musicians. The film will be followed by remarks and a short musical performance by CUNY professor and professional musician Dr. Samuel Torjman Thomas.

Among the festival highlights are three Holocaust-related films: 1945, A Bag of Marbles, and The Invisibles. 1945, a recent Hungarian release, is a stunning drama, shot in black and white, that deals with the destructive nature of anti-Semitism in a rural Hungarian town in 1945. (Based on the short story “Homecoming” by Gábor T. Szántó, who will speak at one of the screenings.) A Bag of Marbles showcases the fortitude and resilience of two young Jewish brothers who must flee occupied France for the Free Zone in 1941. Recommended for middle and high school students, this film will be screened several times during the festival, including a free screening for students, presented in partnership with the Herbert and Leonard Littman Families Holocaust Resource Center at the Bildner Center. The Invisibles, a docudrama, is a dramatic thriller about four young German Jews who manage to survive the Third Reich in Berlin living in plain sight.

Closing night features The Testament, a riveting drama about an Israeli historian whose fight against Holocaust deniers in Austria leads to a shocking discovery about his own family’s secrets. An additional matinee screening will be held on November 2 at AMC.

Following is a full list of films and speakers at the festival:

Harmonia (Israel, 2016, drama, 98 minutes)
Hebrew with English subtitles • Director: Ori Sivan

This riveting drama is a modern twist on the biblical story of Sarah, Abraham, and Hagar. An orchestra conductor, Abraham, and his wife, Sarah, cannot have children, and their life revolves around their music. When Hagar, a beautiful young musician from East Jerusalem, joins the orchestra, a love triangle develops. Two sons are born and intense rivalries emerge, leading to a clash of cultures and an ultimate showdown.

  • Sunday, October 29, 7:00 p.m., at AMC (Opening Night)
    Speaker: Alon Aboutboul, lead actor
  • Tuesday, October 31, 3:30 p.m., at AMC
    Speaker: Prof. Gary A. Rendsburg, Rutgers University
  • Tuesday, November 7, 11:30 a.m., at PGT

New Jersey Premiere

1945 (Hungary, 2017, drama, 91 minutes)
Hungarian with English subtitles • Director: Ferenc Török

On a sweltering August day in 1945, a rural Hungarian village prepares for the wedding of the town clerk’s son. Meanwhile, two Orthodox Jews arrive at the train station carrying mysterious boxes. The villagers fear the Jews may be returning to reclaim their homes and possessions lost during the war. Based on the acclaimed short story “Homecoming” by Gábor T. Szántó, this stunning film exposes the corrosive power of anti-Semitism and collaboration during the Holocaust.

  • Tuesday, October 31, 7:30 p.m., at AMC
    Speaker: Gábor T. Szántó, novelist and screenwriter
  • Tuesday, November 7, 2:00 p.m., at PGT
  • Saturday, November 11, 9:30 p.m., at AMC

New Jersey Premiere

A Bag of Marbles (France, 2017, drama, 110 minutes)
French with English subtitles • Director: Christian Duguay

In occupied France in 1941, Maurice and Joseph, two young Jewish brothers, must flee Paris for the Free Zone to the south. The brothers demonstrate an incredible amount of wit and courage evading the Germans as they attempt to reunite with their family in the unoccupied part of the country. The film is based on the best-selling memoir of the same name by Joseph Joffo.

  • Sunday, November 5, 4:30 p.m., at AMC
    Speaker: Prof. Michael Levine, Rutgers University
  • Thursday, November 9, 12:30 p.m., at AMC

New Jersey Premiere

Ben-Gurion: Epilogue (Israel, 2016, documentary, 70 minutes)
English and Hebrew with English subtitles • Director: Yariv Mozer

In the depths of an archive in Jerusalem, six hours of interview footage with Israel’s mythic founding father, David Ben-Gurion, were recently discovered and brought to light for the first time in this fascinating documentary. It is 1968 and Ben-Gurion has retired to his kibbutz in the desert. His soul-searching is the focus of this film, and his clear voice provides a surprising vision for Israel’s future.

  • Sunday, November 5, 5:00 p.m., at AMC
    Speaker: Prof. Nir Kedar, Bar-Ilan University
  • Wednesday, November 8, 7:30 p.m., at PGT
    Speaker: Yariv Mozer, director
  • Thursday, November 9, 7:30 p.m., at AMC
    Speaker: Yariv Mozer, director

Northeast Premiere

The Cakemaker (Germany and Israel, 2017, drama, 104 minutes)
English, Hebrew, and German with English subtitles • Director: Ofir Raul Graizer

The Cakemaker is a sensitive portrayal of love and relationships. Thomas, a young German baker, is having an affair with Oren, an Israeli married man who makes frequent business trips to Berlin. When Oren disappears, Thomas travels to Jerusalem looking for answers. Without revealing his secret, he begins working for Oren’s widow at her small café, and becomes involved in her life in unexpected ways.

  • Thursday, November 2, 7:30 p.m., at AMC
    Speaker: Yoav Sivan, Israeli journalist
  • Thursday, November 9, 3:30 p.m., at AMC

New Jersey Premiere

Dimona Twist (Israel, 2016, documentary, 71 minutes)
Hebrew with English subtitles • Director: Michal Aviad

This moving documentary focuses on the lives of seven women from North Africa and Poland who came to Israel by ship in the 1950s and 1960s. They were sent to live in Dimona, a development town in the desert with a population in 1955 of 300. For the first time, they share their personal stories about the difficulties of adjusting to their new homeland, and their determination to create rich and meaningful lives. Intimate conversations are interwoven with stunning archival footage and the music of the time.

  • Thursday, November 2, 1:15 p.m., at AMC
    Speaker: Dr. Eric Goldman, film scholar and educator
  • Sunday, November 5, 12:30 p.m., at AMC
    Speaker: TBA

New Jersey Premiere

The Invisibles (Germany, 2017, docudrama, 110 minutes)
German with English subtitles • Director: Claus Räfle

This dramatic thriller tells the story of four young German Jews in 1943 who manage to survive the Third Reich in Berlin living in plain sight. Taking on false identities and risky activities, they endure through resourcefulness, luck, and the decency of fellow Germans. Skillfully weaving interviews with dramatic reenactments, The Invisibles tells the story of these bold survivors who have become contemporary witnesses.

  • Sunday, October 29, 3:30 p.m., at AMC
  • Saturday, November 4, 7:15 p.m., at AMC

New Jersey Premiere

Keep the Change (USA, 2017, drama, 94 minutes)
English • Written and directed by Rachel Israel

A feel-good romantic comedy set in New York City, Keep the Change is the story of two people who meet in a support group at the Jewish Community Center. When David, an upper-class charmer, meets the outgoing and quirky Sarah, who fully embraces her individuality, an unexpected romance blooms.

  • Tuesday, October 31, 12:30 p.m., at AMC
  • Sunday, November 5, 2:00 p.m., at AMC
    Speakers: Rachel Israel, screenwriter and director, and lead cast members Brandon Polansky and Samantha Elisofon

Menashe (USA, 2017, drama, 82 minutes)
Yiddish with English subtitles • Director: Joshua Z. Weinstein

In Borough Park, Brooklyn, a Hasidic widower battles for custody of his son. Shot in secret entirely within the Hasidic community portrayed in the film, and performed entirely in Yiddish, Menashe is a tender, life-affirming look at the universal bonds between fathers and sons. Based largely on the real life of its Hasidic star Menashe Lustig, the film is strikingly authentic and deeply moving.

  • Wednesday, November 8, 1:00 p.m., at PGT
  • Saturday, November 11, 7:15 p.m., at AMC

Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curious George’s Creators (USA, 2017, documentary, 80 minutes)
English • Written and directed by Ema Ryan Yamazaki

This charming documentary explores the extraordinary lives of Hans and Margret Rey, the authors of the beloved Curious George children’s books. A wonderful mix of home footage, interviews, and original animation tells the story of the Reys’ early adventures in Germany, Brazil, and France, and their remarkable escape just days before the Nazi invasion: the couple fled Paris on bicycles with the original manuscript about Fifi the monkey—later renamed Curious George. The film is narrated by Sam Waterston.

  • Sunday, November 12, 4:00 p.m., at AMC
    Speaker: Jacob Kafka, film animator

Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer
(USA and Israel, 2016, drama, 117 minutes)
English • Written and directed by Joseph Cedar

Norman Oppenheimer (Richard Gere) is a small-time operator who befriends a young Israeli politician visiting New York. Three years later, when the politician becomes the Israeli prime minister, Norman’s life dramatically changes for the better—and worse. This smart dramatic thriller is the first English-language film from Academy Award–nominated director Joseph Cedar.

  • Sunday, November 12, 3:15 p.m., at AMC
    Speaker: Joseph Cedar, director

New Jersey Premiere

On the Banks of the Tigris: The Hidden Story of Iraqi Music
(Australia, 2015, documentary, 79 minutes)
English and Arabic with English subtitles • Director: Marsha Emerman

After Majid Shokor escaped from Iraq and settled in Australia, he discovered that the songs he loved as a child in Baghdad have a hidden history. Majid, who is Muslim, makes a bold journey to Israel, Europe, and Iraq to meet exiled Iraqi musicians, hear their music and stories, and unite them in a concert in London for peace and reconciliation.

  • Sunday, November 5, 11:45 a.m., at AMC
    Speaker: Dr. Samuel Torjman Thomas, CUNY, will speak and give a short musical performance.

New Jersey Premiere

The Settlers (Israel, 2016, documentary, 107 minutes)
Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles • Director: Shimon Dotan

The Settlers traces the history and growth of the Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Interweaving archival footage with current interviews of settlers, Palestinians, academics, and politicians, Shimon Dotan’s film provides an intimate look at life inside the settlements and examines the incremental protests, governmental indifference, and political calculation that have led to the current situation.

  • Sunday, November 12, 1:00 p.m., at AMC
    Speaker: Dr. Assaf Harel, Binghamton University, SUNY

New Jersey Premiere

The Testament (Israel and Austria, 2017, drama, 88 minutes)
English, German, and Hebrew with English subtitles • Director: Amichai Greenberg

Yoel Halberstam, a historian leading a legal battle against Holocaust deniers in Austria, discovers that his mother’s testimony casts doubt on his family’s past. This riveting drama portrays a man who is willing to risk his career, his religious beliefs, and his identity to discover the truth.

  • Thursday, November 2, 4:00 p.m., at AMC
  • Sunday, November 12, 7:30 p.m., at AMC (Closing Night)
    Speaker: Dr. Yakir Englander, Israeli American Council

The Wedding Plan (Israel, 2016, drama, 110 minutes)
Hebrew with English subtitles • Director: Rama Burshtein

At 32, Michal, an Orthodox Jewish woman, is looking forward to the comfort and security of marriage. She is blindsided by her fiancé’s decision to call off the wedding with only a month’s notice. Believing that Mr. Right will appear, she books a venue, sends out invitations, and buys a wedding dress—groom TBA.

  • Saturday, November 4, 9:30 p.m., at AMC

THE NEW JERSEY BALLET RETURNS TO CENTENARY STAGE COMPANY FOR TWO DAYS OF DANCE

Marietta Song_SMThe New Jersey Ballet: A DOUBLE FEATURE

WHEN: Saturday, November 4, at 8PM and Sunday, November 5, at 2PM
WHERE
: Sitnik Theatre, Lackland Performing Arts Center, 715 Grand Ave., Hackettstown
TICKETS:  Saturday, November 4, at 8PM, $25.00 for adults and $18.50 for children under 12 in advance.  Tickets for New Jersey Ballet’s production of Cinderella on Sunday, November 5 at 2PM are $20.00 for adults and $17.50 for children under 12 in advance. All ticket orders increase $5.00 day of performance.

Saturday evening’s selections include Design with Strings.  Choreographed by John Taras and set to the music of Peter I. Tchaikovsky, this one–act ballet, set to Tchaikovsky’s haunting Trio in A Minor, shows the strong neoclassical influence of Taras’ master, George Balanchine.  Facets choreographed by Ali Pourfarrokh with music by Gustav Mahler will also be featured.  Set to the third movement of Mahler’s Fourth Symphony the ballet is a lyrical piece for three couples, which explores deep emotions and interactions between people.  It captures the elegiac flow of the music and unfolds in an unbroken phrase.  NJ Ballet’s Resident Choreographer George Tomal’s Marietta’s Song (above left) will also be presented.  A romantic pas de deux using music from a rarely produced German opera, Die Tote Stadt [The Dead City], composed in 1920 by Erich Wolfgang Korngold the opera tells the story of Paul a young widower obsessed with death, and Marietta, a cold – hearted temptress who tries to lure him back to the world of the living.  The evening will conclude with Saturday Night set to a series of smoky songs by blues singers Etta James and Kev’ Mo’ (Kevin Moore).  Choreographed by Ginger Thatcher, the piece captures unexpected themes and nuances in the music and reveals them in a smooth incorporation of ballet and jazz dancing.

Cinderella in Chair_SMThen on Sunday, November 5 at 2PM the New Jersey Ballet returns with the family favorite Cinderella (right).  The New Jersey Ballet brings the classic fairy tale to life with lavish sets, costumes and performed with New Jersey Ballet's original "storyteller" narration so little children can follow the story.  Cinderella is rich, colorful entertainment with a moral for children of all ages.

Performances of the New Jersey Ballet at Centenary Stage Company are sponsored in part by Heath Village Retirement Community.

For more information or to purchase tickets visit centenarystageco.org or call the Centenary Stage Company box office at (908) 979 – 0900.  The box office is located in the Lackland Performing Arts Center; 715 Grand Ave. Hackettstown, NJ.  Box office is open Monday through Friday from 1 – 5 pm and two hours prior to each performance.  Centenary Stage Company can also be found across social media platforms; Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  Like and follow to receive the latest in CSC news and special offers.

The 2017-2018 season of performing arts events at the Centenary Stage Company is made possible through the generous support of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the NJ State Council on the Arts, the Shubert Foundation, the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, the Sandra Kupperman Foundation, and CSC corporate sponsors, including Premier Season Sponsor Heath Village Retirement Community, The House of the Good Shepherd, Silver Sponsors Hackettstown Medical Center, Home Instead Senior Care (Washington), and Fulton Bank of New Jersey, and Centenary Stage Company members and supporters.

WHAT PARENTS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ADDICTION: FREE PROGRAM IN LIVINGSTON NOVEMBER 6

imageimage

What Parents Need to Know about Addiction

Sponsored by Temple B'nai Abraham and Temple Sharey-Tefilo Israel

WHEN: Monday, November 6, 7:30 PM
WHERE:
Temple B'nai Abraham, 300 E. Northfield Rd., Livingston (on corner of East Cedar Street; enter E. Cedar Street)
ADMISSION: This event is free and open to the community

A nationally-renowned addiction psychiatrist and immediate past president of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry,Laurence M. Westreich, MD, Author of the just published

A Parent's Guide to Teen Addiction
(books will be available for purchase)

Dr. Laurence Westreich is the author of two books for general audiences, Helping the Addict You Love and, out this month, A Parent's Guide to Teen Addiction.  The current opioid crisis and heightened concern about teen use (and abuse) of drugs and alcohol make his visit extraordinarily timely.  Dr. Westreich's mission is to enlighten parents, educators and all who are involved with and concerned about adolescents to understand what addiction is, the signs to look for, and what to do when we see them.

Westreich will speak at an appearance cosponsored with Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel.  In addition to teaching and research at the NYU medical school, Dr. Westreich is a consultant to Major League Baseball and maintains a private practice in New York City and Montclair.

WEST ORANGE LIBRARY PATRONS: VOTE TO SUPPORT THE NJ LIBRARY CONSTRUCTION BOND ACT ON NOVEMBER 7TH!

Dear West Orange Public Library Patrons,

Election Day, Tuesday November 7th, will be here before we know it. We want to bring your attention to one specific question on the ballot regarding The New Jersey Construction Bond Act.

If approved, The New Jersey Library Construction Bond Act will provide $125,000,000 for construction and renovation projects in NJ libraries. The bond act aims to upgrade public library facilities while also improving the NJ economy through the jobs these construction and renovation projects will create throughout the state.

To learn more about New Jersey Library Construction Bond Act Click Here

Thank you for taking the time to read this email and thank you for your continued support and patronage of our library!

Sincerely,

The West Orange Public Library Staff

www.wopl.org

973-736-0198

CENTENARY STAGE COMPANY AND CENTENARY UNIVERSITY’S ALL STUDENT NEXTSTAGE REPERTORY PRESENTS “SCHOOL HOUSE ROCK LIVE JR.”

SchoolHouseJRWEBSchoolhouse Rocks Live Jr.

WHEN: November 2 through 6; Thursday, November 2 at 7:30PM; Friday, November 3 at 8PM; Saturday, November 4 at 2PM; Sunday, November 5 at 5PM and Monday, November 6 at 7:30PM. 
WHERE:
Little Theatre located on the campus of Centenary University at 400 Jefferson Street, Hackettstown 
TICKETS: are $12.50 for adults and $10.00 for children under 12.           

For more information or to purchase tickets visit centenarystageco.org or call the Centenary Stage Company box office at (908) 979 – 0900. The box office is located in the Lackland Performing Arts Center at 715 Grand Ave. Hackettstown, NJ. The box office is open Monday through Friday from 1 – 5PM and two hours prior to each performance. Centenary Stage Company can also be found across social media platforms; Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Like and follow to receive the latest in Centenary Stage Company news and special offers.

The Emmy Award – winning 1970s Saturday morning cartoon series that taught history, grammar, math, science, an politics through clever, tuneful songs is instructing a whole new generation to Unpack Your Adjectives and do The Circulations! Tom, a nerve-wracked school teacher nervous about his first day of teaching, tries to relax by watching TV when various characters representing facets of his personality emerge from the set and show him how to win his students over with imagination and music, through such beloved Schoolhouse Rock songs as Just a Bill, Lolly, Lolly, Lolly and Conjunction Junction.

Originally adapted and produced for the stage by Theatre BAM from the series created by George Newall and Tom Yohe and based on an idea by David McCall, Schoolhouse Rock Live Jr. features a book by Scott Ferguson, George Keating and Kyle Hall; music and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, Bob Dorough, Dave Frishberg, Kathy Mandry, George Newall and Tom Yohe. 

Directed by Centenary University Assistant Professor of Theatre and Centenary Stage Company’s Young Audience Series director, Lea Antolini–Lid.  Antolini–Lid received her BMA in classical voice from the University of the Arts and her MFA in acting from Brandeis University where she also had the opportunity to teach movement for the actor under the tutelage of Susan Dibble.  She has performed professionally in NYC and in cities on the east coast.  Recent credits: Working, The Last Five Years, The Fantasticks! (Women’s Theater Company of NJ); The Learned Ladies, Mary Poppins, Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz, Oliver!, A Christmas Carol and Christmas at Small’s Empire Music Hall (Centenary Stage Company); A Year with Frog and Toad, Mid – Summer Night’s Dream, Junie B. Jones and Suessical (The Growing Stage Theater Company); 400 Parts per Million, Lying (Blessed Unrest Theater Co. NYC). 

The cast features Centenary University students in all roles from performing to technical and stage management.  NEXTstage Repertory is the all student production company highlighting the close collaboration between the Centenary University Theatre Department and the professionally producing Centenary Stage Company.

2017 SHAKESPEARE SPEAKEASY TO BENEFIT STNJ!

The Shakespeare Speakeasy Featuring Live Jazz and Fabulous Wine Pull

WHEN: Friday, November 10, 2017; from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
WHERE:
STNJ Factory, 3 Vreeland Road in Florham Park, N.J
ADMISSION: Tickets to this fabulous event are only $125 per person. Proceeds will go toward supporting the Theatre’s arts education programs for young people.
To R.S.V.P., call 973-845-6732 or purchase online at ShakespeareNJ.org by November 6. A special password is needed at the door, and you can only obtain the password by purchasing your tickets. Then, grab your fedoras and prepare to get a taste of the past at this special one-night-only event!

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is throwing its annual Fall Fundraiser, The Shakespeare Speakeasy. Step back in time to the 1920’s and join the Shakespeare gang as they transform their theatre factory into a bohemian speakeasy.

This year, The Shakespeare Theatre is excited to welcome the Ben Zweig Trio who’ll be treating guests to live jazz music throughout the night. The event will also feature special speakeasy cocktails, delectable fare to nibble on, a very exciting mini-silent auction with special offerings, and the return of the fabulous “boot-leg” wine pull!

For more information, visit ShakespeareNJ.org or call 973-845-6732. Festive attire is encouraged, and be sure to have your password ready at the door!

THE THEATER PROJECT’S 16TH ANNUAL YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS COMPETITION: THINK A YOUNG PLAYWRIGHT IN YOUR LIFE

Nothing teaches critical thinking skills like
LIVE THEATER!

Chances are ... there is a kid in your life who has the energy and  imagination to write a short play ... but needs to know that someone is interested!

2018 DEADLINE: January 22

At left: the winners and honorable mentions of last year's event.

http://www.TheTheaterProject.org

FREE PEACE CONCERT ON THURSDAY @ WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY IN WAYNE

One United Movement, through music and enlightened words, sharing a universal message of nonviolence

ARTISTS 4 PEACE: BE THE CHANGE TOUR

Grammy-nominated Ganda Boys deliver lively performances that both energize and connect fans through the power of love. Their music, as heard on "The Forgotten People," addresses the unprecedented flow of over 60 million displaced people from troubled countries around the world. By their side is Yael Deckelbaum, an award-winning Israeli/Canadian singer-songwriter and activist (similar to Joan Baez), whose music carries a message of hope. Her song "Prayer of The Mothers" was the anthem for Women Wage Peace, a movement of Palestinian and Israeli women advocating for a two-state solution. They are joined by special guest American singer-songwriter Kristin Hoffmann, in hopes of making the world a better place.

WHEN: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 7:00 PM
WHERE:
William Paterson University, 300 Pompton Road, Wayne
ADMISSION: Freeeeee

GANDA BOYS

YAEL DECKELBAUM

KRISTIN HOFFMANN

COMMEMORATE KRISTALLNACHT WITH THE HOLOCAUST COUNCIL OF GREATER METROWEST NJ

clip_image001clip_image001[6]

clip_image002

Friday, October 27, 2017

SATIRICAL LOOK @ MARRIAGE & THE FAMILY ONSTAGE @ CIRCLE PLAYERS IN PISCATAWAY

The Marriage of Bette and BooThe Marriage of Bette and Boo
by Christopher Durang
directed by Richard Butler of Dunellen
produced by Faith Agnew Dowgin of Spotswood

WHEN: Fridays: November 3, 17 at 8:00pm; Saturdays: November 4, 11, 18, at 8:00pm; Sunday: November 12, 19 at 3:00pm. A talkback will be held following the Sunday, November 12 performance. Audiences are invited to join in a special wine and cheese reception in the theater lobby following the opening night performance.
WHERE:
Circle Players Theatre, 416 Victoria Avenue, Piscataway
TICKETS: $18 for adults and $17 for students and seniors.
For reservations, call (732) 968-7555, or buy tickets online at  www.circleplayers.org.

The Marriage of Bette and Boo is an illuminating, hilariously dark dissection of marriage and the family in contemporary America by theatre’s master satirist. Conveyed in a series of dazzlingly inventive interconnected scenes, the play moves wickedly on through three decades of divorce, alcoholism, and madness—all with farcical brilliance.

Appearing in the cast are: Kevin Albanese of Woodbridge as Matt; Alicia Harabin of Somerville as Bette Brennan; Bobby Marusiefski of Rahway as Boo Hudlocke; Nancy Jean McBride of Bernardswille as Margaret Brennan; J.D. Robinson of Highland Park as Paul Brennan; Kate Murray of Somerville as Joan Brennan; Adriana Spizuoco of West Orange as Emily Brennan; Lewis Decker of Millington as Karl Hudlocke; Alison Byrne of Metuchen as Soot Hudlocke; Bob Dumpert of Franklin as Father Donnally.

Please be advised: due to the unique layout of this theater in the round, latecomers cannot be seated after the performance has started. Please plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before curtain.

“OUR TOWN,” AMERICAN CLASSIC, OPENS IN CHESTER

by Thornton Wilder
Directed by Kate Lyn Reiter

WHEN: November 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18 at 8:00 PM; November 12, 19 at 2:00 PM
WHERE
: Chester Theatre Group, Black River Playhouse, corner Grove & Maple Sts., Chester
TICKETS: Adults $20; students/seniors $18
908-879-7304
Tickets may be purchased online at www.chestertheatregroup.org .

Our Town could be Chester N.J. or Any Town, USA. It's about the day to day events in a small town from 1901 to 1913. The paper is delivered, the milkman visits, Mom makes breakfast for children going to school, time passes and life continues.  It is only when such routines are interrupted that the fleeting beauty of the everyday is brought more clearly into perspective. A Stage Manager guides us through this elegant metaphysical portrait of the ordinary but remarkable joys and sorrows that define our lives. Our Town is a great American play celebrating the magic that makes a community.

Ever since its first performance at the McCarter Theater in 1938, Thornton Wilder’s Our Town has been beloved by audiences and lauded by critics everywhere. Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning portrait of small-town life in the early twentieth century has enjoyed four acclaimed runs on Broadway, a film, several musical and television adaptations and countless productions at theatres across the country and all over the world.

The talented cast of Our Town includes Sarah Henley of Washington; Will Roper of Berkeley Heights; Bobby Becht of Morris Township; Arden Henley of Washington; Colleen Grundfest of Watchung; Alexa Yudoff of Succasunna; John Santucci of Watchung; Chip Prestera of Stirling; Karen Thornton of New Providnce; Gayle Hendrix of Chester; Kevern Cameron of Hamburg; Gloria Lamoureux of Succasunna; Jackie Jacobi of Edison; Steve Nitka of Hackettstown; Bob Sackstein of Chester; Paula Roper of Berkeley Hts; and Roseann Ruggiero of Ledgewood. The production is directed by Kate Lyn Reiter

The Chester Theatre Group performs in The Black River Playhbouse, an intimate, 100-seat theater in the heart of Chester Borough’s historic district. The venue’s in-the-round format ensures that every seat offers an engaging, memorable experience for each audience member. The theater is located on the corner of Grove Street and Maple Avenue. For more information, visit the CTG website at http://www.chestertheatregroup.org.