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THE FRESH BEAT BAND COMES TO THE STATE THEATRE
(New Brunswick, NJ) AEG Live and State Theatre present The Fresh Beat Band-Live in Concert for two performances on Wednesday, March 28, 2012 at 3pm and 6pm. Special $119 VIP Fresh Beat Band party packages are available for both shows. VIP party packages include one ticket in the first 10 rows and a pre-show meet and greet with all of the members of The Fresh Beat Band. Regular tickets range from $19-39. The Fresh Beat Band, Nickelodeon's popular preschool music group and stars of the hit TV series of the same name, will hit the road in February 2012 for the first time ever on a 15-week nationwide concert tour. Kiki (Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer), Shout (Thomas Hobson), Marina (Tara Perry), and Twist (Jon Beavers) will perform The Fresh Beat Band hits from seasons one, two, and three of the live-action music series that teaches preschoolers about music appreciation and how to express their feelings through movement, song, and instrumental music. For tickets or more information, call the State Theatre ticket office at 732-246-SHOW (7469), or visit us online at www.StateTheatreNJ.org . The State Theatre ticket office, located at 15 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick NJ, is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 10am to 6pm; Wednesday 11am to 7pm; Saturday 1pm to 5pm; and at least one hour prior to curtain on performance dates. For information on group outings and discounts, call 732-247-7200, ext. 517. Some additional ticket and transaction fees may apply. State Theatre, a premier nonprofit venue for the performing arts and entertainment. The theater exists to enrich people's lives, contribute to a vital urban environment, and build future audiences by presenting the finest performing artists and entertainers and fostering lifetime appreciation for the performing arts through education. The State Theatre's programs are made possible, in part, by funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and contributions from numerous corporations, foundations, and individuals. The Heldrich is the official hotel of the State Theatre. Magic 98. 3 is the official radio station of the State Theatre. The Star-Ledger is the official newspaper of the State Theatre. United is the official airline of the State Theatre. 
South Orange Performing Arts Center is located at One SOPAC Way, South Orange, NJ, 07079. All artists and prices are subject to change at the time of this release. For more details on the upcoming season, including a complete schedule and ticket information, visit SOPACnow.org , or contact the SOPAC Box Office at 973.313.2787 (ARTS). Here's a look at upcoming events.
JANUARY
SOPAC is excited to launch the new "In the Loft" series - a casual, affordable and fun concert series featuring up-and-coming musicians and seasoned professionals. Cash bar. No drink minimum. An accomplished, versatile musician, Colin John commands the stage with both his guitar prowess and passionate singing honed from years steeped in Memphis' rich music community. His infectious, genre-defying style was described by the British music magazine Mojo as "ferociously entertaining funked - up R&B" and a reviewer in Akron's Beacon Journal suggested John sounds like "Albert King channeling Steve Vai." Heath Mensher (Vocals, Harp) and Benoir (Guitars, Vocals) have been playing together since they were children, honing their blues skills on Long Island. They formed the Suffering Blues Band with renowned Bassist Kentucky Parkis and drummer Freddie McCondichie. Performing their traditional gutbucket blues and hard funk style, The Suffering Blues Band sound was an audience favorite at the 2011 South Orange International Blues Festival.
Vocalist Rosena M. Hill (Come Fly Away, The Color Purple), trombonist Jason Jackson (Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Dizzy Gillespie All Star Big Band) and legendary jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut, pay tribute to the music of Sarah Vaughan, and the musicians that influenced her sound. SUN 1/29 @ 3PM TOOMAI STRING QUARTET A Tribute to Two Latin American Masters: Ernesto Lecuona and Manuel Ponce During the first thirty years of the 20th century, Ernesto Lecuona and Manuel Ponce created musical innovations that are ingrained in the cultural identities of Cuba, Mexico, and Latin America as a whole. Toomai performs original arrangements of Lecuona's and Ponce's piano works, along with works by composers who were influenced by these icons of Latin American music. TUE 1/31 @ 7:30PM GUITARIST EMANUELE SEGRE + BROOKLYN CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY In a concert celebrating music of Italy, internationally acclaimed Italian guitarist Emanuele Segre joins the Brooklyn Chamber Music Society in a concert featuring the Boccherini Quintet No. 4 for Guitar and Strings (Fandango), the Paganini Guitar Quartet, and Tchaikovskys beloved Souvenir de Florence.
FEBRUARY
CDDC returns for its 4th captivating season with Inspired, an evening featuring world and company premieres by Dorfman and guest choreographer Doug Elkins. With works inspired by life and a gala theme celebrating lives inspired by dance, this performance brings dance that is fresh, passionate, and deliciously physical. With Dorfmans sensuous and visceral duet, Keystone, intensely satisfying Hourglass and Elkins signature electric and, often hilarious, Narcoleptic Lovers, this program promises that you, too, shall be Inspired.
FRI 2/10 @ 8PM JANE MONHEIT Blessed with an extraordinarily warm and supple voice, perfect pitch, inventive musicality and an insightful approach to storytelling, [Jane Monheit] has the capacity to express herself convincingly in virtually any area of the music world. Los Angeles Times An extraordinarily gifted vocalist whose sincere and romantic interpretations have made her a favorite in both the jazz and cabaret worlds, Monheit has garnered numerous accolades in the past decade. Her first album, Never Never Land, was voted top debut recording by the Jazz Journalists Association and stayed on the Billboard Jazz chart for over a year. Subsequent albums either charted high, or in several cases, debuted at number one, and yielded two Grammy nominations in the Best Instrumental Arrangement accompanying Vocals category. SAT 2/11 @ 11AM HUDSON VAGABOND PUPPETS: MAMMOTH FOLLIES Enter prehistoric times and be shaken by the earth-shattering dances of more than twenty dinosaur puppets. Through one-of-a-kind songs and original choreography, this dinosaur musical extravaganza focuses on the complications and tribulations of evolution. Is the show spectacular? "Of course!" says Bessie, our adorable Apatosaurusnow, would you argue with a 26-foot long dinosaur?
SUN 2/12 @ 5PM JAZZ IN THE LOFT: CLAUDIO RODITI SOPAC is excited to launch the new "In the Loft" series - a casual, affordable and fun concert series featuring up-and-coming musicians and seasoned professionals. Cash bar. No drink minimum. "One of the very best performers in jazz" Allmusic.com Brazilian-born born trumpet and flugelhorn player, Claudio Roditi kicks-off the first concert of the Jazz in the Loft series at SOPAC. Known for his warm, fluid sound combining post bop and Brazilian elements, Roditi has worked with Herbie Mann, Charlie Rouse, Paquito D'Rivera and Dizzy Gillespie's United Nations Orchestra. A current South Orange resident, Roditi has recorded a dozen albums as a leader and has received Grammy Award nominations for his albums Symphonic Bossa Nova and Brazilliance X 4.
SAT 2/18 @ 8PM ERIC ROBERSON with ANGELA JOHNSON Known in music circles as The King of Independent Soul, New Jersey-native and Grammy Nominated soul artist Eric Roberson makes his SOPAC debut. His records and performances have received rave reviews and praise from fans and artists. Jill Scott called him a brilliant singer with a voice like red velvet cake. Joining Roberson is the multi-talented, independent R&B singer/songwriter Angela Johnson.
MARCH
FRI 3/9 @ 8PM MALACHY MCCOURT LOVING LIFE AND LAUGHING AT DEATH Throughout his rollicking life, Malachy McCourt has held a multitude of careers, from dish washer, longshoreman, and pub keeper to actor, writer, radio and TV host, and candidate for governor! Hes done everything hes ever wanted to do in his life and encourages others to do the same. McCourt will share his experiences through poetry, song, and his outrageously hilarious stories.
SAT 3/10 @ 11AM ENCHANTMENT THEATRE COMPANY: SYLVESTER AND THE MAGIC PEBBLE Enchantment Theatre Company brings William Steigs Sylvester and the Magic Pebble to the stage in an inventive production that incorporates projected scenery and animation with masked actors, puppets, theatrical magic, dance and original music. The good citizens of Oatsdale are all aflutter: the Duncans young son Sylvester is missing! No matter that the folks from Oatsdale are animals and Sylvester and his parents are donkeys, the concern and love they share in this delightful show are definitely human and lead to a renewed appreciation for one another and the happiest of happy endings.
SAT 3/10 @ 8PM PAM TILLIS A child of country music royalty, multiple Grammy and Country Music Award winner Pam Tillis comes to SOPAC for an intimate, electric and heartfelt performance. With seven #1 hits including Maybe it was Memphis and Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life), and six million records sold, she is a bona fide Nashville superstar.
Ms. Gabrielians program features Bachs Liszt Prelude and Fugue in A Minor for Organ; Beethovens Sonata Op. 111; Debussys Four Preludes from Bk. II; Ghost Variations by Schumann; and Gounods Liszt Waltz from Faust.
SUN 3/18 @ 5PM JAZZ IN THE LOFT: JAZZ LEGACY ALL-STAR JAM WITH JOHN LEE As part of SOPACs new IN THE LOFT Series jazz/blue concerts in a casual, club caf atmosphere in SOPACs upstairs loft space. Cash bar. No drink minimum. Bassist, composer, educator and producer, John Lee is the co-founder of Jazz Legacy Productions and also serves as the executive director of the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars and All-Stars Big Band with whom he performs regularly. A resident of South Orange, NJ, John has played in the bands of Sonny Rollins, Max Roach, McCoy Tyner, Larry Coryell, Joe Henderson, and Dizzy Gillespie. John Lee puts together a line-up of jazz artists from the area to perform in a classic Jazz Legacy All-Star Jam as part of the Jazz in the Loft series.
TUE 3/20 @ 7:30PM PIANIST RICHARD GOODE Classical Concert Series Presented by Seton Hall Arts Council. One of todays leading interpreters of Classical and Romantic music, Richard Goode has been hailed for playing of tremendous emotional power, depth, and expressiveness. This Grammy-winning artist returns to the Seton Hall series in a program featuring Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin.
SAT 3/24 @ 8PM KYLE EASTWOOD BAND Son of actor Clint Eastwood, jazz musician Kyle Eastwood has seen just as much success as his father. His second album, Paris Blue, hit number one on the French Jazz charts. An accomplished musician and composer, he has composed music for several movies that have gone on to win Academy Awards.
SUN 3/25 @ 2PM THE CASHORE MARIONETTES IN SIMPLE GIFTS Simple Gifts, is a series of touching portrayals and poignant scenes from everyday life set to stunning music by such composers as Vivaldi, Strauss, Beethoven and Copland. Through a combination of virtuoso manipulation, beautiful music, theatrical illusion, and artistic insight, the original vignettes presented in Simple Gifts provide an entertaining and sensitive vision of what it is to be human. The performance explores a range of emotions with characters and actions that are amazingly convincing. The marionettes are engineering marvels and the quality of movement is extraordinary.
SUN 3/25 @ 5PM BLUES IN THE LOFT (ARTISTS TBD) As part of SOPACs new IN THE LOFT Series jazz/blue concerts in a casual, club caf atmosphere in SOPACs upstairs loft space. Cash bar. No drink minimum. TUE 3/27 @ 7:30PM JAZZ KNIGHTS OF WEST POINT Jazz n the Hall Presented by Seton Hall Arts Council. Bringing over three decades of musical excellence to their audiences, the West Point Bands Jazz Knights present the best in big band favorites, popular music, and original compositions and arrangements for jazz ensemble.
SAT 3/31 @ 8PM LES NUBIANS Grammy Nominated international recording artists Les Nubians have intrigued audiences for almost a decade with their inventive and glamorous Afropean style. Adoring fans pay tribute to the French/Cameroonian sister duo for their continuous flow of jazzy nuances, hard hitting drum 'n' bass lines, harmonious melodies, conscious proclamations and humanitarian endeavors.
APRILSAT 4/14 @ 8PM ADAM PASCAL + ANTHONY RAPP Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp, original cast members of the Tony Award-winning musical RENT, reunite in an up close and personal concert featuring a mix of pop and original songs, popular Broadway music, as well as sharing the stage and their RENTaffiliation.
SUN 4/15 @ 5PM JAZZ IN THE LOFT: JOHN DUKICH South Orange resident John Dukich performs an evening of Jazz Standards and International songs. A versatile performer who sings in English, Spanish and Portuguese, John captivates his audiences with rich tones and a smooth, warm delivery. Johns repertoire includes romantic ballads with moving lyrics and haunting melodies, swinging standards, smooth Bossa Novas, and popular Brazilian and South American songs less-known to audiences in the United States. His natural, easy approach to Brazilian music results from extensive visits to Brazil. His experience as an instrumentalist (trombonist) is conveyed in his phrasing and interpretation.
Arthur Millers penultimate play, Resurrection Blues, is a satirical allegory that poses the question: What would happen if Christ were to appear in the world today? In an unidentified Latin American country, a revolutionary leader is rumored to have performed miracles throughout the countryside. The heads of state plan to crucify the mysterious man and sell the exclusive TV rights to an American reality show. Resurrection Blues is a comedic and tragic satire of precarious morals in our media-saturated age!
SUN 4/29 @ 5PM BLUES IN THE LOFT (ARTISTS TBD) As part of SOPACs new IN THE LOFT Series jazz/blue concerts in a casual, club caf atmosphere in SOPACs upstairs loft space. Cash bar. No drink minimum.
MAYTUE 5/1 @ 7:30PM SETON HALL UNIVERSITY FACULTY JAZZ ENSEMBLE Jazz n the Hall Presented by Seton Hall Arts Council. Ever growing in popularity since its debut two years ago at SOPAC, the Seton Hall University Faculty Jazz Ensemble has become widely known by the University students and general public for its exciting performances of great historic jazz music of every style.
THU 5/3 @ 7PM SETON HALL UNIVERSITY ORCHESTRA Presented by Seton Hall Arts Council. The Seton Hall Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Murray Colosimo, will present a Spring Concert of light classical orchestral favorites.
SAT 5/5 @ 11AM THEATER IV: A.A. MILNES HOUSE AT POOH CORNER Whether we are very young or wise to the ways of the world, every so often each of us has to get back to the House at Pooh Corner to spend some tender time with faithful friends. You know their names by heart: Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, Kanga and Roo, Rabbit, Christopher Robin, and of course, that lovable bear called Winnie-the-Pooh. This production is based on the A. A. Milne classic of the same name. Featured stories portray the building of Eeyores house, Tiggers arrival in the Hundred Acre Wood, the origin of the game of Pooh Sticks, Rabbits plan for reducing Tiggers bounce, and Christopher Robins growing up and leaving for school.
SUN 5/6 @ 3PM LYSANDER PIANO TRIO Beloved Piano Trios: From Viennese Classics to Piazzolla Lysander Piano Trio (Grand Prize 2011 Coleman Chamber Music Competition) performs some of the great works of the piano trio repertoire. Previously the Bronze Medal winner and highest ranked piano trio at the 2010 Fischoff Competition, the ensemble was founded by graduate students at The Juilliard School in New York in the fall of 2009. THU 5/10 @ 8PM SUZANNE VEGA With her sultry voice, Suzanne Vega seamlessly joins her poetry and contemporary folk song with a sound that is utterly unique and identifiable to her alone. A pioneer among singer-songwriters, Suzanne has embarked on a project to re-imagine her own songbook, including 'Luka' and 'Ton's Diner,' in a stripped down and intimate manner.
SAT 5/12 @ 8PM TOM WOPAT Best known for his role on "The Dukes of Hazzard," Tom Wopat has also appeared on Broadway in Sondheim on Sondheim, I Love My Wife, Guys and Dolls, Chicago, 42nd Street, Glengarry Glen Ross, and Catch Me If You Can. He received Tony nominations for his roles in A Catered Affair and the revival of Annie Get Your Gun. Wopats latest CD Consider it Swung is a swinging collection of standards. SUN 5/20 @ 2PM ARTSPOWER: ARE YOU MY MOTHER? Not knowing that her mother has left the nest to gather food, Baby Bird decides to find her. While searching, Baby Bird meets an array of colorful characters - Cat, Dog, and Hen - each of whom she greets with the simple plea: are you my mother? Unfortunately for Baby Bird, neither Cat nor Dog nor Hen turns out to be her mother. Baby Bird, however, is persistent. She is determined to find her mother no matter what. Her courage is bolstered by the unlikely family of characters who are ready to lend a paw or a wing to help their friend. Based on P.D. Eastmans classic picture book for young readers, Are You My Mother? Is ArtsPowers enchanting musical about Baby Birds journey an adventure that overflows with love, dedication, and friendship. Adapted for the stage by playwright and lyricist Greg Gunning and composer Richard DeRosa, Are You My Mother? shows children and adults alike how loss can be turned into empowerment and how Baby Bird ends up finding more than she is looking for. 
(New Brunswick, NJ) -- George Street Playhouse has selected a contemporary classic for the fourth slot of its current season Reginald Rose's powerful courtroom drama Twelve Angry Men. Theatre and television legend JACK KLUGMAN will make his return to the Playhouse to join the ensemble, portraying Juror Number 9. It marks a full circle for Mr. Klugman, as he is the last living cast member of the landmark 1957 film. George Street Playhouse Artistic Director DAVID SAINT will helm the production, which is slated to begin performances on Tuesday, March 13 and run through Sunday, April 8. Opening night is set for Friday, March 16. "Twelve Angry Men is a classic piece of theatre and film history, and I am thrilled to bring it to George Street Playhouse," said Mr. Saint. "It is a play I have wanted to produce for a long time, and am delighted to have Jack Klugman in the cast. Not only is he a quintessential actor, it is especially meaningful for him to return to the play, as he is the last living cast member of the 1957 movie. The entire staff of the Playhouse is so happy to be welcoming him back to New Brunswick." Individual tickets, beginning at $26.50, as well as subscription and flexible admission packages, are now available and may be purchased through the George Street Playhouse Box Office, 732-246-7717 or on the Playhouse website: www. GSPonline.org . George Street Playhouse is located at 9 Livingston Avenue in the heart of New Brunswick's Dining and Entertainment District, easily accessible by car or public transportation. Visit the GSP website (GSPonline.org) for directions, as well as dining or parking recommendations. Twelve Angry Men was written in 1954 and didn't make its Broadway debut until 50 years later. Originally conceived as a television play presenting on the 1950's-era anthology series Studio One, its writer Reginald Rose, expanded it into a stage version in 1955, and wrote the Academy Award nominated screenplay in 1957. In 2007, Twelve Angry Men was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." A young man is on trial for the first degree murder of his own father a charge which carries a mandatory death sentence. As the curtain opens, the twelve men are instructed by the judge on the gravity of their deliberations, saying that if there is the slightest doubt in their minds as to the guilt of the defendant, they must acquit. Eleven members believe that the young man is guilty; one juror Juror 8 is not convinced, and asks the others to persuade him. The drama depicts a jury forced to reconsider its nearly unanimous decision by the single dissenter who sows a seed of reasonable doubt. Throughout their deliberations, the men do not even call each other by name because they don't know their names. But as the deliberation goes one, they learn more about each other than they ever bargained for. Three-time Emmy Award winner Jack Klugman returns to George Street Playhouse after appearing in previous seasons in The Sunshine Boys and The Value of Names. He is best known as 'Oscar Madison' in the TV series The Odd Couple and as the star of Quincy, M.E. For over fifty years, Klugman has made countless stage, film and television appearances that have made him one of America's most loved and respected actors. His first big break on the New York stage came in 1959 with Gypsy, opposite Ethel Merman in Gypsy. Since then his numerous film appearances include: Twelve Angry Men, Cry Terror, Days of Wine and Roses, The Detective, Goodbye Columbus, Who Says I Can't Ride a Rainbow, with Judy Garland, The Two Minute Warning, and Dear God. He also appeared several times on Rod Sterling's classic television anthology The Twilight Zone. In 1971, he landed his big break in The Odd Couple produced by Garry Marshall (Happy Days, Mork and Mindy, Laverne and Shirley) opposite Tony Randall. Klugman went on to have seven successful seasons with his next television show, Quincy, M.E. Mr. Klugman's work has earned him many awards, including three Emmies, his first for Best Actor in a Dramatic Series for The Defenders, and two for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for The Odd Couple. Other awards include a Golden Globe award for The Odd Couple, a Tony award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical for Gypsy, and even a Chloe award for his role in an Eagle Brand Snacks commercial in which he appeared again with Tony Randall. It is theatre, however, that has endured for Mr. Klugman and he recently toured with a one-man show about his life as well as appearing regionally in The Value of Names, " When I'm in the theatre, it's the only time I really feel at home in the world." Reginald Rose started writing for television in 1951 for CBS, eventually writing for all the major networks. He wrote various episodes of Studio One (of which Twelve Angry Men was one), Playhouse 90, was one of the creators of The Defenders, as well as the mini-series Studs Lonigan and Escape from Sobibor. His other plays include Black Monday, The Porcelain Year, Dear Friends and This Agony, This Triumph. His screenplays include Crime in the Streets, Twelve Angry Men (which he also co-produced), Man of the West, The Man in the Net, Baxter!, Somebody Killed Her Husband, The Wild Geese, The Sea Wolves, Whose Life Is It, Anyway?, The Final Option and Wild Geese II. Mr. Rose has been honored with three Emmy Awards, an Academy Award nomination (for Twelve Angry Men), the Writers Guild of America Award and the Writers Guild of America Laurel Award. David Saint (Director/Artistic Director) Now in his fourteenth season at George Street Playhouse, Artistic Director David Saint has directed twenty-nine mainstage productions. Most recently he directed Ken Ludwig's The Fox on the Fairway; the NJ premiere of the Broadway hit God of Carnage; the world premiere of Joe DiPietro's Creating Claire; Boyd Gaines and Rachel Dratch in A.R. Gurney's Sylvia; Marlo Thomas and Keith Carradine in Arthur Laurents' New Year's Eve; Donald Margulies' Sight Unseen; Jack Klugman and Paul Dooley in Neil Simon's The Sunshine Boys; William Finn's landmark musical Falsettos, the film noir musical Gunmetal Blues, Inspecting Carol, the world premiere of Arthur Laurents' 2 Lives; The Last Five Years, Lend Me a Tenor, the world premiere of Charles Evered's Celadine starring Amy Irving and Jonathan Larson's tick, tickBOOM!. Mr.Saint's time in New Brunswick has been marked by collaborations with such artists as Uta Hagen, A.R. Gurney, Arthur Laurents, George Grizzard, Chita Rivera, Eli Wallach, Frances Sternhagen, Anne Meara, Dan Lauria, Stephen Sondheim and Jack Klugman. Mr. Saint has directed on Broadway, off-Broadway, and at most of the leading regional theatres around the country. Recent credits include directing the first national tour of the recent Broadway revival of West Side Story, A.R. Gurney's new play The Fourth Wall at Primary Stages, starring Sandy Duncan, as well as the world premiere of Mark St. Germain's The God Committee at Barrington Stage. Other regional credits include Manhattan Theatre Club, Playwrights Horizons, McCarter Theatre, Long Wharf Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Paper Mill Playhouse, Bay Street Theatre, Walnut Street Theatre, and Seattle Repertory Theatre, where he served as Associate Artistic Director to Daniel Sullivan, directing many productions including the West Coast premiere of Wendy Wasserstein's An American Daughter. Other productions include two Anne Meara plays: After-Play, in New York and Los Angeles, and Down the Garden Paths, which began at George Street Playhouse and moved to New York; the national tour of The Cocktail Hour, with Fritz Weaver and Elizabeth Wilson; Fame: The Musical; The Fourth Wall, with Betty Buckley and George Segal; Fourplay, with Elaine May and Gene Saks; Sons and Fathers, with Holly Hunter; and the West Coast premiere of Lend Me a Tenor, as well as world premieres by such authors as Jonathan Larson, Peter Parnell, Jonathan Marc Sherman, Aaron Sorkin, Wendy Wasserstein and others. Mr. Saint was recently a panelist for the Philadelphia Theatre Initiative for the Pew Charitable Trust, has taught at Bennington College, and directed the short film Celebrity. He is the recipient of the Alan Schneider Award, Helen Hayes Award, Los Angeles Drama Critics Award, and several Drama-Logue Awards. GEORGE STREET PLAYHOUSE 
(New Brunswick, NJ) - The play that took Broadway (and the art world) by storm last season, John Logan's Red, is the first play of the New Year in George Street Playhouse's 2011-2012 season. Directed by Anders Cato (The Seafarer, Souvenir, Doubt at GSP), the Tony Award-winning play will star two veteran actors: Bob Ari (Broadway's Frost/Nixon) as Rothko, and Randy Harrison (Broadway's Wicked, Showtime's Queer as Folk)as Ken. The play begins performances in New Brunswick on Tuesday, January 31 and runs through Sunday, February 26, 2012, before moving on to Cleveland Playhouse. Opening night is set for Friday, February 3. "I cannot think of a better director for the marvelous play than Anders Cato," said George Street Playhouse Artistic Director David Saint. "In addition, I am thrilled to welcome two accomplished actors to our stage for the first time, Bob Ari and Randy Harrison. This combination of director and cast is sure to result in a remarkable evening of theatre." Individual tickets as well as multiple-admission package are currently available and may be purchased through the George Street Playhouse Box Office, 732-246-7717 or online at www.GSPonline.org . George Street Playhouse is located at 9 Livingston Avenue, in the heart of New Brunswick's dining and entertainment district, easily accessible by car or public transportation. The design team for Red includes set designer Lee Savage, costume designer Jennifer Moeller and lighting designer Dan Kotlowitz . Original music for the production will be composed by sound designer Scott Killian. "The child must banish the father. Respect him, but kill him." So says the artist Mark Rothko to his new assistant Ken in John Logan's Tony Award-winning play Red. Lit from within and fueled by the passion of their creator, Mark Rothko's Seagrams Murals are powerful paintings of crimson, maroon and black that were intended to hang in a building designed by architectural titans. But when a new assistant enters his studio, Rothko finds himself reconsidering the future of his works as he is confronted by the rise of the next generation. Bob Ari (Rothko) Broadway : Frost/Nixon (u/s Richard Nixon), The Constant Wife, Bells Are Ringing, Laughter on the 23rd Floor. Off-Broadway : The Late Christopher Bean, Die Mommie Die!, Jolson & Company, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Baby Anger, June Moon. Tours: Frost/Nixon (U.S.), West Side Story (Europe), Guys & Dolls (Europe). Regional Theatres: Delaware Theatre Co., Coconut Grove Playhouse, Walnut St. Theatre, Wilma Theatre, Long Wharf, A.C.T., New Jersey and Utah Shakespeare Festivals, Hartford Stage, McCarter Theatre, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and many others. Film: Two Lovers, Wanted, Kissing Jessica Stein, Music of the Heart, Cradle Will Rock. Television: Law and Order SVU, Ed, Law and Order, Cheers, Cagney and Lacey, Soap, L.A. Law, Diff'rent Strokes, The Jeffersons, All My Children. Randy Harrison (Ken) made his Broadway debut in the musical Wicked. His off-Broadway credits include A Letter for Ethel Kennedy (MCC Theatre), Oak Tree at the Perry Street Theater, Antony and Cleopatra for Theatre for a New Audience and many others. Regional credits include several appearances at the Berkshire Theatre Festival, as well as the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Anne Bogart's SITI Company, the Guthrie and others. He is well known for his television debut in the Showtime series Queer as Folk, which ran from 2000-2005. Other television appearances include the made-for-TV movie Bang, Bang You're Dead based on the play of the same name. He is soon to be seen in Patrick Donelley's upcoming post-modern feature film adaptation of Julius Cesar, starring as Brutus opposite John Shea in the title role. John Logan's award-winning plays include Never the Sinner, Hauptmann, Speaking in Tongues, Scorched Earth, Music from a Locked Room, Snow and Riverview: A Melodrama with Music. His new adaptation of Ibsen's The Master Builder appeared in the West End in 2003. He is a member of the Victory Gardens Theatre Playwright Ensemble. Mr. Logan's work as a screenwriter includes Hugo (directed by Martin Scorcese), Sweeney Todd, The Aviator, Gladiator, The Last Samurai, Any Given Sunday and RKO 281. Anders Cato (Director) feels honored to be back at George Street Playhouse, where he directed Circle Mirror Transformation, I Am My Own Wife, Doubt, Souvenir, and The Seafarer. He has worked extensively at the Berkshire Theatre Festival, where he recently directed Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years and a new adaptation of Ibsen's Ghosts. Other directing credits include War, and Craig Lucas's adaptation of Miss Julie at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater in New York, When the World Was Green at American Repertory Theater and Moscow Art Theatre, Blood Orange at Cherry Lane Theatre, A Dream Play at Westbeth Theatre, The War in Heaven at La Jolla Playhouse, All My Sons, Tango Palace, and In Berlin at 7 Stages, an adaptation of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment at Cleveland Playhouse, Mrs. Warren's Profession at The Alley Theatre in Houston, and Texts for Nothing at The Royal Court Theatre in London. Under the leadership of Artistic Director David Saint, George Street Playhouse has become a nationally recognized theatre, presenting an acclaimed mainstage season while providing an artistic home for established and emerging theatre artists. Noted Arts Administrator Norma Kaplan was appointed Managing Director in September 2011. Founded in 1974, the Playhouse has been well represented by numerous productions both on and off-Broadway recent productions include the Outer Critics' Circle Best Musical Award-winner The Toxic Avenger, the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Drama League nominated production of The Spitfire Grill and the recent Broadway hit and Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning play Proof by David Auburn, which was developed at GSP during the 1999 Next Stage Series of new plays. In addition to its mainstage season, GSP's Touring Theatre features four issue-oriented productions that are seen by more than 40,000 students annually. George Street Playhouse programming is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and by its lead season sponsor, Johnson & Johnson. 
(New Brunswick, NJ) -- Noted musician, composer, television personality, and radio host John Tesh will be performing a rare New Jersey appearance at the State Theatre in New Brunswick on Sunday, May 13, 2012 at 7:30pm. Ticket prices are $25-$80. A portion of the proceeds from this evening will be donated to a local charity via MusicWorks Entertainment. This rental event is presented by MusicWorks Entertainment. This special "Mother's Day" performance will feature the artist performing with his Swing Band and feature many classic songs plus his own original compositions. For tickets, call the State Theatre ticket office at 732-246-SHOW (7469), or online at www.StateTheatreNJ.org . The State Theatre ticket office, located at 15 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick NJ, is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 10am to 6pm; Wednesday 11am to 7pm; Saturday 1pm to 5pm; and at least one hour prior to curtain on performance dates. 
(Union, NJ) -- Kean University will present an International Film Series of Acadamy Award nominated and winning films by artists from Canada, Japan, Argentina, Israel and Mexico from January 29 through February 26. The series will be presented in the Jules Schwartz Lecture Hall of Kean Universitys newly constructed environmentally green Science and Technology (STEM) Building, a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified (LEED) academic facility on Kean Universitys east campus. On Sunday, January 29 at 3:00 p.m. the series begins with Water, a film by Deepa Mehta (Canada, 2005). Chuyia, a child already married but living with her parents, becomes a widow at eight-years-old. By tradition, she is unceremoniously left at with a group of widows forced into poverty at a temple in the holy city of Varanasi during monsoon season. The film chronicles the Hindu widows living a life of austerity in an ashram by the river Ganges set in 1938 when Gandhi's party is making inroads in women's rights. Amid all this water, the work questions whether rebirth is possible or if tradition drowns all. Departures,a film by Yjir Takita (Japan, 2008) is the Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film screened on Sunday, February 5 at 3:00 p.m. Daigo Kobayashi is a devoted cellist in an orchestra that has just been dissolved and he finds himself without a job. He answers a classified ad entitled "Departures" thinking it is an advertisement for a travel agency only to discover that the job is actually for a funeral professional. While his wife and others despise the job, Daigo takes a certain pride in his work and begins to perfect the art of "Nokanshi," acting as a gentle gatekeeper between life and death, between the departed and the family of the departed. The film follows his profound and sometimes comical journey with death as he uncovers the wonder, joy and meaning of life and living. On Sunday, February 12 at 3:00 p.m. another Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film, The Secret in their Eyes continues the series. This film by Juan Jose Campanella (Argentina, 2009) features a retired federal justice agent, Benjamn Espsito, who is writing a novel, using an old closed case as the source material. Hoping to find closure for one of his past unresolved homicide cases and for his unreciprocated love with his superior, Esposito relives a past that rises up before his eyes and awakens all his demons. Telling a story from the past becomes a narrow, winding path he must take to understand and find justification for his own life and to give some meaning to the years remaining to him. From Israel comes Ajami, a film by Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani and Academy Award nominee Best Foreign Language Film (2009) on Sunday, February 19 at 3:00 p.m. This powerful crime drama is set on the streets of Jaffas Ajami neighborhood, a melting pot of cultures and conflicting views among Jews, Muslims and Christians. It is told through a cross section of the citys inhabitants: a young Israeli fighting a criminal vendetta against his family, a Palestinian refugee working illegally to finance a life-saving surgery, a Jewish police detective obsessed with finding his missing brother and an affluent Palestinian dreaming of a future with his Jewish girlfriend. As their stories intersect and the films narrative shifts back and forth in time a dramatic collision of different worlds and the tragic consequences of enemies living as neighbors is revealed. Pans Labyrinth, a film By Guillermo del Toro (Mexico, 2006) garnered three Academy Awards for Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction and Best Makeup, shown on Sunday, February 26. Pans Labyrinth unfolds through the eyes of Ofelia, a dreamy little girl who is uprooted to a rural military outpost commanded by her new stepfather. Powerless and lonely in a place of unfathomable cruelty, Ofelia lives out her own dark fable as she confronts monsters both otherworldly and human. Award-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro delivers a unique, richly imagined gothic fairy tale set against the postwar repression of Francos Spain. It is a timeless tale of good and evil, bravery and sacrifice, love and loss. All movies in the International Film Series are screened at 3:00 pm. Tickets are only $8 standard or $5 with a Kean University ID and can be purchased by calling Kean Stage Box Office at 908.737.SHOW (7469), online at www.keanstage.com , or at Kean Universitys Wilkins Theater Box Office, 1000 Morris Avenue. 
(New Brunswick, NJ) - New Brunswick's State Theatre is proud to present the 6th annual Hub City Carnivale, a four-week winter festival, January 27 - February 24, 2012, with performances ranging from The Temptations and The Four Tops to kids' band Dan Zanes & Friends to the beloved musical Fiddler on the Roof. Also featured this month are an assortment of fun social events, including "Motown Karaoke" and chocolate tastings by Thomas Sweet of New Brunswick. For a complete list of events and prices, visit www.StateTheatreNJ.org/HubCity. "The Carnivale brings a colorful variety of first class performing arts and entertainment to the community and helps propel us through the winter," said President & CEO Mark W. Jones. Hub City Carnivale kicks off with an explosive performance by the Tony Award-winning show BLAST! (1/27/12). With 35 brass, percussion, and other performers, BLAST! features electrifying showmanship punctuated with the pageantry of music and theater. The festival's other performances include Sing-A-Long Sound of Music (1/29/12) on the theater's 46' HD screen; OYSTER, a magical and mysterious work combining the dreamlike qualities of Fellini and the keen intellect of Pina Bausch by Israel's Inbal Pinto & Avshalom Pollak Dance Company (2/1/12); an HD screening of The Royal Opera's production of Puccini's Il Trittico, captured live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in London (2/2/12); a double bill featuring two of Motown's best, The Temptations and The Four Tops (2/3/12); and One Man Lord of the Rings (2/4/12), an energetic one-man recreation of the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy, performed by Charles Ross, the mastermind behind the world-wide smash hit show One-Man Star Wars. The legendary rock group, The Yardbirds, which once included the likes of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page, perform in a double bill with rock-metal band, Vanilla Fudge (2/9/12). To get audiences in the mood for Valentine's Day, the theater is showing Woody Allen's Golden Globe-nominated film, Midnight in Paris (2/10/12) starring Owen Wilson (Wedding Crashers) and Rachel McAdams (The Notebook). In keeping with the evening's romantic theme, there is a pre-movie chocolate tasting (free with purchase of movie ticket) by Thomas Sweet. Glen Burtnik & Friends return to the State Theatre with a tribute to classic rock bands of the explosive 60sincluding The Kinks and The Rolling Stonesin The British Invasion Concert (2/11/12). Other performances during the festival include a concert by Tschaikowski St. Petersburg State Orchestra (2/12/12) with Music Director Roman Leontiev and piano soloist Alexandre Pirojenko; the Tony Award-winning musical Fiddler on the Roof (2/17-2/18/12); a captured-live HD screening of the Bolshoi Ballet's performance of Copplia (2/22/12) starring Viacheslav Lopatin and Natalia Osipova; and a spectacular rock concert complete with 200,000 watts of light, by The Pink Floyd Experience (2/24/12). Continuing a Hub City Carnivale tradition, Presidents Day (2/20/12) is Family Day at the State Theatre. Families can spend the school-day holiday enjoying dozens of performances, workshops, and hands-on activitiesmany of them freeplus costumed characters, the Philadelphia Zoo's Zoo on Wheels, face painting, balloon animals, a live DJ, food, and more. The festival, which runs from 10am to 4pm, encompasses multiple venues: the State Theatre, George Street Playhouse, Crossroads Theatre, United Methodist Church, and the popular Hub City Big Top, an enormous tent set up in front of the State Theatre. The mainstage events for Family Day are The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus and Dan Zanes & Friends. Many Hub City Carnivale events have discounted tickets available as part of the State Theatre's "Take5"campaign. Tickets are available for select shows listed below with the "Take5" pricing.
HUB CITY CARNIVALE EVENT CALENDAR:BLAST! Sing-A-Long Sound of Music Inbal Pinto & Avshalom Pollak Dance Company Il Trittico in HD, The Royal Opera The Temptations and The Four Tops One Man Lord of the Rings(TM) The Yardbirds & Vanilla Fudge Midnight in Paris in HD Glen Burtnik & Friends Tschaikowski St. Petersburg State Orchestra Fiddler on the Roof Mon, February 20 - "FAMILY DAY on PRESIDENTS DAY" The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus
On the Crossroads Theatre stage... 11am (Mon, February 20) 12pm (Mon, February 20) 1pm (Mon, February 20) 2pm (Mon, February 20) 3pm (Mon, February 20) Copplia in HD, Bolshoi Ballet The Pink Floyd Experience Festival partners and event sponsors include The Landis Family, Jim and Liz Hance, Ann and Lou Asbaty, Omar and Madiha Boraie, Rutgers Student Life, Financial Resources Federal Credit Union, Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation, Dave and Carolyn Horn, TheHydeand WatsonFoundation, J. Seward Johnson, Sr. Charitable Trusts; The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, RTS Unified Communications, Stewart Filmscreen Corporation, the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, Vornado Realty Trust, and Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures. For tickets or more information, on Hub City Carnivale visit www.StateTheatreNJ.org/HubCity. The State Theatre ticket office, located at 15 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick NJ, is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 10am to 6pm; Wednesday 11am to 7pm; Saturday 1pm to 5pm; and at least one hour prior to curtain on performance dates. For information on group outings and discounts, call 732-247-7200, ext. 517.
"Take5" tickets are available for select sections. Limited seating is available first come first serve. Discounts are not retroactive and cannot be combined with Rewards Club or any other discount offers. The "Take5" offer ends at 5pm on 3/5/12. Additional fees may apply. No refunds unless the show is cancelled. 
(Union, NJ) Love and romance are the themes for Liberty Hall Museum at Kean University with special Valentine's events during February. Visitors can enjoy several opportunities to celebrate with their significant others and take in the museum's impressive collection of artifacts in the historic Victorian mansion. Liberty Hall hosts the Sweetheart Valentine's Tea on Wednesday, February 8 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. A menu of finger sandwiches, herbal teas and dessert is offered in the glass enclosed porch overlooking formal English gardens, picturesque even during the winter months. A guided tour of the museum accompanies the luncheon. On Saturday, February 11 from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm, Liberty Hall opens its doors for couples to share a unique evening. Wine and cheese is served and a romantic move is shown during Liberty Hall's Valentine's Day Date Night. The Annual Valentine's Day Afternoon Tea will be held on Sunday, February 12 from noon to 3:00 pm, offering something special for that someone special. Guests will enjoy a Valentine's repast while being entertained by a presentation on the history and traditions of Valentine's Day. The afternoon includes a fashion show of period garments worn by historic couples. Reservations are required for all events and can be made by calling 908-527.0400. The program fee for the Sweetheart's Valentine's Tea is $40 per person; the fees for the Annual Afternoon Tea and the Date Night are both $55 per couple. The museum is an entertainment destination not only for couples, but also for history aficionados, families, seniors and student groups The ongoing exhibit during 2012 is The Weary and the Wounded: 72 Hours in the Life of a Civil War Nurse. This exhibit commemorates Christine Kean Griffin's service, and the service of all Civil War nurses. Admission to this exhibit is free; a fee applies for a tour of Liberty Hall. Liberty Hall Museum at Kean University was the one-time home of New Jersey's first elected governor, William Livingston. Chronicling more than 200 years of American history, the museum and its grounds are a treasure trove of significant riches. Along with forgotten letters from Thomas Jefferson, Liberty Hall also houses extensive collections of antique furniture, ceramics, textiles, toys and tools owned by seven generations of the Livingston and Kean families. The property boasts manicured gardens and fruitful orchards and vegetable fields. The Firehouse is the latest addition to the Museum's complex housing antique fire engines and a collection of fire memorabilia. General admission to the museum for regular visits is $10 for adults, $8 for Kean University alumni, $6 for students (ages 3 17) and free to children under three, Liberty Hall Museum members and Kean University students, faculty and staff. Liberty Hall is located at 1003 Morris Avenue in Union, New Jersey. It is open to the public Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For further information, e-mail libertyhall@kean.edu or visit www.kean.edu/libertyhall. 
Such As Us, an alternative rock band based in the New York/New Jersey area, has three upcoming shows in New York City. The band will be performing at the Alphabet Lounge on Friday, February 3; Connolly's Klub 45 on Friday, February 24; and Bar East Ale House on Thursday, March 8. The band is touring in support of their first full-length CD, "...In This One Cold Blink Of Time..." which was released last August. The CD has 15 original songs that are melodic and poetic. The lyrics cover a wide range of progressive issues faced in modern times such as justice, peace and love, etc. Such As Us has a sound reminiscent of The Mamas & The Papas but with a modern twist. They address important issues- justice, peace, love, the environment and so on. And they are unapologetic activists in New York Friends of Clearwater, an organization founded by folk icon, Pete Seeger. They also have joined the protesters in the Occupy Wall Street movement. The band is comprised of Melissa Connell (Missy) on Bass, Vocals; Chris Kitlan Burns on Guitar, Vocals; Vivian Stoll (Viv) on Drums; Gina Tlamsa on Flute, Violin, Mandolin and Vocals; Carl Fortunato on Keyboards and Vocals; Michael Lengyel on Percussion; and Joni Note on Percussion. Among their fans is Sid Bernstein, the famous promoter who used to work with The Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Here are the details for the three shows: 2. Connollys Klub 45 3. Bar East Ale House 
(CAMDEN, NJ) -- South Camden Theatre Company, a nonprofit professional theatre organization located in Camden, New Jersey continues its season of "Tenn X Ten" featuring works written by and inspired by Tennessee Williams in celebration of the centennial of his birth. The first three-week production of 2012 features the world premiere of "Tennessee's Final Curtain" on Friday February 10 at 8p.m. "Tennessee's Final Curtain is written by South Camden Theatre Company's founder and producing artistic director Joseph M. Paprzycki and directed by Allan Radway the Producing Artistic Director of Simpatico Theatre Project in Philadelphia. Joseph M. Paprzycki states, "My play 'Tennessee's Final Curtain' allows you into Tennessee's personal world of ghosts and demons on the night he died; a death that is still controversial to this day. This production is the result of over twelve years of work, staged readings in three states and an off-off Broadway workshop production in New York. I invite the audience to come with us on our journey to see the inspiration for his greatest characters and the reason Williams was known in some circles as 'His Greatness'". "Tennessee's Final Curtain" reunites four theatre professionals who all started their careers together at Philadelphia's now closed Brick Playhouse in 1997. Joseph M. Paprzycki's first full length play to be produced, "Understudies" had a cast that included the professional stage debuts of Allen Radway and Tenley Bank and the earlier work of William Rahill. This foursome worked again in 2007 and also staged a reading of "Tennessee's Final Curtain" inNew York City at the Dramatists Guild to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Tennessee Williams's death. Now fifteen years later, Allen is the Producing Artistic Director of Simpatico Theatre Project in Philadelphia and has taken the directing reigns to bring the world premiere of the play to South Camden Theatre Company by bringing all four back together at New Jersey's newest theatre opened in 2010 the Waterfront South Theatre. Additionally, Allen most recently starred in The Wilma Theatre Company's "Our Class". Tenley Bank has worked at Theatre Exile and BRAT productions and returns to acting in this world premiere. William Rahill continues to act for South Camden Theatre Company, Theatre Exile, Iron Age Theatre Company and others through the region. Performances will be held Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. and Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. at the 96-seat Waterfront South Theatre located at 400 Jasper Street in Camden, New Jersey. Tickets are available for purchase for $15 online at http://www.southcamdentheatre.org , by calling 1-866-811-4111 or at the door. For more information about South Camden Theatre Company, please visit http://www.southcamdentheatre.org . Follow the company on Twitter at @ArtWillSaveUs and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SouthCamdenTheatreCompany. About South Camden Theatre Company, Inc. About Waterfront South Theatre 
(GLASSBORO, NJ) - The three-day, educationally-focused Rowan Jazz Festival celebrates its 42nd year and concludes with a gala concert event "Jazz Goes to the Movies" on Friday, February 17, 2012 at 8 pm in the university's Pfleeger Concert Hall. Festival director and acclaimed jazz artist Denis DiBlasio welcomes noted saxophonist, arranger, composer and educator Mike Tomaro as this year's guest artist, joining Rowan's Lab Band, Jazz Band and other performers at the concert. Hosted by the Maynard Ferguson Institute of Jazz Studies at Rowan, the concert caps a three-day event (February 15-17) that focuses on providing a non-competitive, educational environment. Schools from throughout the region take part in adjudication sessions, workshops and performances aimed at teaching, as well as spotlighting high school and middle school jazz musicians. The daily schedule from 9 am to 4:30 pm in Wilson Hall gives each participating ensemble an opportunity to perform in front of clinicians, guests and other schools. Members of the Rowan jazz faculty and visiting artists work with each band and provide valuable feedback. A clinic in the middle of each day can include anything from addressing specific topics to performances. These daily clinics are free and open to the public. "This is a lively event filled with great playing and great educational experiences wrapped up in a friendly atmosphere," DiBlasio notes. "The non-competitive environment allows for groundbreaking, loose, interactive moments that have become the cornerstone of the festival." Participating schools include Arthur P. Schalick High School (Pittsgrove), Berlin Community School, Cherry Hill High School East, Cherokee High School (Marlton), Deptford High School, Germantown Academy (Fort Washington, PA), Kingsway Regional High School (Woolwich Township), Northern Burlington Regional High School (Columbus), Ocean City High School, Overbrook High School (Pine Hill), Ranney School (Tinton Falls), St. Augustine Prep (Richland), Southern Regional High School (Manahawkin) and Washington Township High School (Sewell). Tomaro has been the Director of Jazz Studies at Duquesne University since 1997 and was with the Army Blues Jazz Ensemble for 17 years, serving as its Enlisted Musical Director and performing for Presidents Reagan, Bush and Clinton and heads of state from around the world. Additionally, he has performed with such artists as Rosemary Clooney, Ray Charles, Michael Feinstein, Linda Ronstadt, Johnny Mathis, Wayne Bergeron, Terence Blanchard, Louis Bellson, Terry Gibbs, Nancy Wilson, Dizzy Gillespie Tribute Big Band, Woody Herman Orchestra and the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra. His CDs include Forgotten Dreams (Seabreeze Jazz), Dancing Eyes (Seabreeze Jazz), Home Again (Positive Music) and Nightowl Suite (Seabreeze Jazz), which features his Three Rivers Jazz Orchestra. His more than 150 published compositions and arrangements have been performed by the likes of David Liebman, Wayne Bergeron, Ivan Lins, Claudio Roditi, Mike Stern, Ernie Watts, Bobby Shew, Randy Brecker, Al Vizzutti, and many more. Tomaro has earned degrees from Duquesne and George Mason University. He is a Yamaha Performing Artist and endorses Vandoren reeds, mouthpieces and ligatures exclusively. Tickets for the concert are $15 each, and free for Rowan students and staff with valid ID. Purchase tickets online at www.rowan.tix.com or call the box office at 856-256-4545. Admission to the daytime events is free. For more information on the festival and the daily schedule, contact Denis DiBlasio at 856-256-4500, ext. 3528. Pfleeger Concert Hall is located in Wilson Hall on the campus of Rowan University, Route 322 in Glassboro. 
(FAIR LAWN, NJ) -- The Old Library Theatre, will present 4x4+1 five original one act plays chosen as winners of the First Annual Playwright's Festival. To kick off the 2012 Season, 4x4+1 will showcase the talent of area playwrights Tom Winkler of Maywood, Joe DelPriore of North Bergen, Robert Daria of Leonia, Craig M. Tiede of Jersey City and Omar Kozarsky of Mahwah. For the festival, The Old Library Theatre, solicited original works from local writers. The cast includes over 20 New Jersey actors and actresses. The original plays that will be presented are: The Old Library Theatre is in residence at the Fair Lawn Community Center and receives support from the Fair Lawn Recreation Department.
The Fair Lawn Community Center is located at 10-10 20th Street (corner of 20th and Kipp) in Fair Lawn, NJ. For more information visit: http://www.oldlibrarytheatre.net SCOTT STURLA HOLDS VIDEO RELEASE AT BARDI'S
(New York, NY) -- Scott Sturla is proud to announce the official video release for his acclaimed song "8 Days", at a special video screening and concert at Bardi's on February, 17th, 2012. The emotionally stirring single " 8 Days" has garnered national attention and is based on the actual events surrounding Scott Sturla's brother, Stff. Srgnt. James Sturla's severe injuries in Iraq, his 27 surgeries, his recovery and return to Iraq. "8 Days" has been re-recorded with a full band including Keith Woodward on drums, Doug Worthington on guitar and Tony Talamo on bass. The video was created by Brian Fitzpatrick (Bayondai Design LLC - www.bayondaidesign.com ). For more information on Sturla, please go to: http://www.sturlaband.com Scott Sturla has donated 100% of proceeds from the "8 Days" single to a Family & Friends For Freedom. Their mission is to raise funds for injured Marines and their families. Family & Friends For Freedom was started by the Sturla family. Their website: http://www.injuredmarinesfund.org Bardi's is located at 149 Newark Pompton Turnpike in Pequannock, New Jersey. There will be an opening acoustic performance by Brian Fitzpatrick at 10pm and then a preview of the "8 Days' video at 10:45 pm. Sturla will perform following the video screening. There will be a $5.00 cover charge. Singer/Songwriter Scott Sturla is renowned for his powerful vocals and his gift for creating passionate songs. Scott has performed both acoustic and electric shows in the North Jersey area as well as in Washington DC for the GI Film Fest and Thanks USA. The single "8 Days" was selected to be used for the 1st Annual GI Film Fest event in 2007. After stepping away from the music scene for some time, Scott and his band STURLA are back. Scott wrote the song "8 Days" based on actual events that started on the 22nd of September, 2004. Scott's younger brother, Stff. Srgnt. James Sturla was severely injured in Iraq after he and his fellow Marines came under attack near the Al Anbar Province. After 27 surgeries and 24 months later, Scott's brother returned to Iraq. The song explores his true emotions and respect for what his brother and all the men and women in the armed forces stand for. "It's hard enough to say goodbye once and receive the phone call 8 days later, but to say goodbye twice is probably the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with." - Singer / Songwriter, Scott Sturla STURLA is a four piece acoustic fronted band from New Jersey. Their original compositions display the skills of expert musicians who deliver hearfelt lyrics and vocals. STURLA is currently in the studio working on their new album "Ten Years Of Therapy" , due out this summer. http://www.reverbnation.com/sturla Family & Friends For Freedom Fund, Inc.: Their mission is to raise funds for Injured Marines and their families. Our severely wounded Marines continue to fight battles here at home with their struggle to adjust to their injuries. Our mission is to provide financial support to injured Marines while they continue their long road to recovery. As stated in our Bi-laws, Family & Friends For Freedom Fund, Inc is organized exclusively for charitable purposes to provide financial aid to injured marines and their families, as well as post traumatic stress disorder cases from war, and all branches of the U.S Military as the need arises.
(New Brunswick, NJ) -- State Theatre presents The Yardbirds and Vanilla Fudge on Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 8pm. Discounted tickets ranging from $20-55 are available for these performances as part of the State Theatre's "Take5" promotion. Just mention the promotional code "Take5" when ordering tickets to receive the discount (not all seating sections apply). The Yardbirds line-up includes founding member Jim McCarty (drums, backing vocals), Ben King (guitar), Andy Mitchell (guitar), and Dave Smale (bass). The Vanilla Fudge line-up includes three of the four original members: Mark Stein (lead vocals, keyboard), Vince Martell (guitar, vocals), and Carmine Appice (drums), and joining them is Pete Bremy (bass). Known as much for their strict allegiance to the blues as for their international chart-topping hit "For Your Love," The Yardbirds have never lost their drive and jet-propelled beat, due mainly to McCarty. Their "Train Kept A' Rollin'" inspired Aerosmith to tackle the same song. Their early forays into heavy rock inspired Page to form his own band, originally named The New Yardbirds, but ultimately named Led Zeppelin. The Yardbirds, electrifying, eclectic, and way ahead of their time, melded heavy rock, wild jams, and an improvisatory feel, and continue to influence generations of bands.
Vanilla Fudge Vanilla Fudge was one of the first American groups to infuse psychedelia into a heavy rock sound to create "psychedelic symphonic rock": an eclectic genre which would, among its many offshoots, eventually morph into heavy metal. Initially they were best known for their dramatic, heavy, slowed arrangements of contemporary pop songs which they developed into works of epic proportion. Originally they were a blue-eyed soul cover band called The Pigeons, formed in New Jersey in 1965. They built a following by touring up and down the East Coast, and by providing freelance in-concert backing for hit-record girl groups. They recorded a set of eight demos that were released several years later as While the World Was Eating Vanilla Fudge. The East Coast, in particular, New York and New Jersey, created a sound all its' own. Inspired by groups such as The Rascals and The Vagrants, The Pigeons reworked many of their own existing arrangements of covers to reflect their unique interpretation of this "East Coast Sound." In 1966, the Pigeons drafted drummer and vocalist, Carmine Appice, a disciple of the renowned drummer Joe Morello. In early 1967, The Pigeons manager, Phil Basile, convinced producer, George "Shadow" Morton to see them live. Impressed by their heavy-rocking and psychedelic version of The Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On," Morton offered to record it as a single. This resulted in a deal with Atco, which requested a name change, resulting in Vanilla Fudge. The band toured extensively behind its covers-heavy, jam-oriented debut album, Vanilla Fudge; which was released in 1967. This concert is part of the State Theatre's winter festival, Hub City Carnivale, four weeks of performances, activities, and attractions for all ages. For tickets or more information, call the State Theatre ticket office at 732-246-SHOW (7469), or visit us online at www.StateTheatreNJ.org . The State Theatre ticket office, located at 15 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick NJ, is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 10am to 6pm; Wednesday 11am to 7pm; Saturday 1pm to 5pm; and at least one hour prior to curtain on performance dates. For information on group outings and discounts, call 732-247-7200, ext. 517. Some additional ticket and transaction fees may apply. State Theatre, a premier nonprofit venue for the performing arts and entertainment. The theater exists to enrich people's lives, contribute to a vital urban environment, and build future audiences by presenting the finest performing artists and entertainers and fostering lifetime appreciation for the performing arts through education. The State Theatre's programs are made possible, in part, by funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and contributions from numerous corporations, foundations, and individuals. The Heldrich is the official hotel of the State Theatre. Magic 98. 3 is the official radio station of the State Theatre. The Star-Ledger is the official newspaper of the State Theatre. United is the official airline of the State Theatre. 
(WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ) -- It was as brassy as Patton. As riveting as Rosie. It could even be said to have helped win a World War. Rising from the dust of the Great Depression, bursting with "can-do" confidence (and a positive energy that flew like the stars 'n stripes in the face of some dark and uncertain times), the music of the 1940s was the big, bold sound of a generation tested by adversity. A sound that linked the corniest corners of popular culture with the wild-card sophistication of the latest trends in jazz. The sound of a nation that was just learning to work shoulder-to-shoulder to accomplish the seemingly impossible. Above all else, it was fun to listen and dance to - whether it was a jaunty pop novelty like "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" and "Swingin' on a Star," or a bandstand blowout like "Sing! Sing! Sing!" and, of course, "In the Mood." Taking its title from that signature hit by the Glenn Miller Orchestra, "In the Mood: A 1940s Musical Revue" returns to the stage of the Pollak Theatre at Monmouth University in what's fast becoming an annual tradition, on the afternoon of Sunday, February 12, 2012. The long-running, international touring show from Bud Forrest Entertainment makes a Lincoln's Birthday whistle-stop at the West Long Branch campus, with an energetic ensemble of young singers and dancers out in front of the big-band String of Pearls Orchestra - and a string-of-hits soundtrack drawn from some of the best-loved chapters of the Great American Songbook. Channeling the voices of the WWII era's biggest music stars - including the effervescent Andrews Sisters and that skinny kid from Hoboken, Frank Sinatra - as well as the classic organizations of bandleaders like Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Harry James and the Dorseys - "In the Mood" is a snapshot of a long-ago moment that continues to resonate with multi-generational audiences, for whom a chance to hear a big band swing the hits live on stage (and watch a snazzy troupe of swing dancers show how it's done) is a rare treat. More than just nostalgia for the sound and the spirit of a vintage USO show, "In the Mood" is the sound of the young - the young people who made possible the American century (both on the home front and "over there"), and a still-young country preparing to seize its spotlight moment on the world stage. For additional information, or to purchase tickets, please contact the Monmouth University Performing Arts Box Office at 732-263-6889, or online at www.monmouth.edu/arts. 
(Bloomfield, NJ) - 4TH WALL THEATRE continues its 15th anniversary season with The Story of My Life. This endearing show boasts music and lyrics by Neil Bartram and a book by Brian Hill. The show received four Drama Desk Award nominations in 2009, including Outstanding Musical. New Jersey theatre critic Peter Filichia called the show "A tender, yet strong musical. For everyone who has ever shared with a friend a movie, a secret, or a hurt -- and isn't that indeed everyone? -- The Story of My Life might well change the story of your life." This two-person musical features Jim Stanek, a member of the original Broadway company, in the role of Alvin Kelby. He is joined by 4th Wall favorite Matt Burns of Basking Ridge. Stanek was part of the Broadway casts for Indiscretions, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Rivals, Little Women, Lestat and The Story of My Life. His Off Broadway credits include: Desperate Writers, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Night Sky, Frankenstein, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, and I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change. In addition, Stanek has made numerous regional theatre appearances along with his work on television. Matt Burns appeared in Starlight Express, EFX, Enter the Night in Las Vegas, Tokyo Disneyland, and Merv Griffin's Resorts in Atlantic City. Most recently he has worked with 4th Wall Theatre, Chatham Playhouse, Studio Players, and Ridge Light Opera. 4th Wall Executive Director, Gwen Ricks-Spencer, formerly of Montclair, directs. She is joined by Markus Hauck, of New York City, who serves as the musical director. Kate Swan of Teaneck is the Production Manager and Martha Thalheimer of Glen Ridge serves as the Stage Manager. This modern day musical unfolds as a "memory" play. The Story of My Life tells the story of two childhood friends and how their friendship profoundly defined their lives. Thomas Weaver is a best-selling, award-winning author, and Alvin Kelby was his best friend for thirty years. Time tests the bonds of their friendship, and when it does, Thomas calls on the only resource he has - his stories of Alvin - to learn where things went wrong. The show is a rich and melodic musical and provides a soaring tribute to the power of friendship and the people who change our lives forever. "The story is 90 minutes of laughter, tears and everything in between," says Ricks-Spencer. "It celebrates the significant moments of our lives not necessarily the big ones, like graduation, marriage, etc., but rather the small things that help shape who we are, how we view the world, and who we lean on. The Story of My Life encourages us all to remember the special people in our lives. In addition, we get to enjoy some really wonderful music along the way." The writers of the musical met while performing in a show together. Bartram and Hill were interested in creating a piece which explored the idea of a long-time friendship of two men. They called upon their own personal friendships growing up and the idea that meeting one person can have a profound effect on what you do and become. The Story of My Life had a brief run in New York but is finding new audiences around the country. The two writers also collaborated in writing Somewhere in the World and The Nightingale and the Rose. The Story of My Life will play at the Westminster Center for the Arts on the campus of Bloomfield College in Bloomfield and runs for three nights only, February 9, 10 at 11 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are only $24 with discount tickets available for students and seniors. Tickets may be purchased by calling 973-748-9008 ext. 279. Visa, MasterCard and Discover are accepted. Tickets may also be purchased on-line and additional information is available at www.4thwalltheatre.org 
(ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ) -- On Friday, February 24 at 8 pm, Barbara Lipton will present an illustrated talk on the Tibetan holiday of Losar, the Tibetan Buddhist New Year. Ms. Lipton is the former Director of the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art on Staten Island. An accomplished photographer, she has traveled and photographed extensively in Tibet and is the author of "Treasures of Tibetan Art: The Collections of the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art." The Celebration of Losar will include a performance on the singing bowls by Marco Dolce, an internationally acclaimed recording artist, musician, and sound healer. Audience members will share "A Taste of Tibet", light refreshments typically served at a Tibetan New Year's celebration. The Celebration of Losar will be held at the Paper Moon Puppet Theatre at 71 First Ave., entrance on W. Garfield St. Seating is limited. Reserve your space at http://www.atlantichighlandsartscouncil.org , or call 732-737-7160. ROWAN THEATRE STAGES PEARL CLEAGE'S "FLYIN' WEST"
(GLASSBORO, NJ) -- Exploring a range of themes such as sisterhood, race, oppression, community and persecution, the Department of Theatre & Dance at Rowan University stages Pearl Cleage's potent historical drama Flyin' West, February 16 - 19, 2012 (Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, and Sunday at 3 pm) in Tohill Theatre on the Glassboro campus. Directed by Dr. Elisabeth Hostetter, Cleage's play tells the story of African-American sisters who head for the "Wild West" in 1898 to build a life of freedom and prosperity in the wake of Reconstruction. In the all-black town of Nicodemus, Kansas, they face the challenges of long winters and hard work, while the play deals with ideas from racism and miscegenation to feminism, pride and liberty. "I think of this show as a photograph," Hostetter states, emphasizing that the play preserves the histories of a place and time in America's history, in addition to telling this particular story. "It gives us an image of what these lives were like." Hostetter is joined by a creative team that includes resident designers Bart Healy (set) and Robert Thorpe (lights), as well as visiting artist Amy Best (costumes), an Associate Professor and Costume Designer at DeSales University. The cast features Nia Ali of Perth Amboy, RoShawn Briscoe of Dover (DE), Jamilah Fossie of Pennsauken, Dinah Ikpah of Williamstown, Dwight Merritt of Collingswood and Kassi Wilson of Somerville. An Associate Professor of Theatre at Rowan, Hostetter's previous directing and acting projects include How I Learned to Drive, The Children's Hour, Night of the Iguana, Who Will Carry the Word and For Colored Girls. In 2004, Edwin Mellen Press published her first book, The Berlin State Theater Under the Nazi Regime. She also co-founded the "Other Words Project," with her husband Dr. Anthony Hostetter, to produce recently-translated plays with politically relevant subject matter. Her interest in German theatre earned her a National Endowment for the Humanities Award to study Bertolt Brecht in Berlin in 2000. She received her Ph.D. in Theatre History from the University of Missouri, her M.A. from University of Texas/Austin and her B.F.A. in Acting from Virginia Commonwealth University. Tohill Theatre is located in Bunce Hall on the campus of Rowan University, Route 322 in Glassboro, NJ. Tickets are $10, general admission; and $5 for seniors, non-Rowan students and Rowan alumni. Tickets for Rowan students and staff are free with valid ID. For reservations and information, visit rowan.tix.com or call the box office at (856) 256-4545. 
(New Brunswick, NJ)-- State Theatre presents the musical Fiddler on the Roof for three performances on Friday, February 17 at 8pm and Saturday, February 18 at 2pm and 8pm. A FREE Pre-performance Insights is available at 7pm before the Friday, February 17 performance and at 1pm before the Saturday, February 18 performance. The Insights takes place at the United Methodist Church, 323 George Street. Discounted tickets ranging from $25-67 are available for these performances as part of the State Theatre's "Take5" promotion. Just mention the promotional code "Take5" when ordering tickets to receive the discount (not all seating sections apply). Based on the stories of Sholom Aleichem, the Tony Award-winning musical Fiddler on the Roof has been lauded by critics again and again, and won the hearts of people all around the world. Filled with a rousing, heartwarming score, which includes "Tradition," "Matchmaker, Matchmaker," "If I Were A Rich Man," and "Sunrise, Sunset," Fiddler on the Roof is a timeless classic. Fiddler stars veteran actor John Preece as Tevye. Preece has performed in Fiddler on the Roof over 3,400 times, more than 1,700 of which were in the role of Tevye. This production marks Preece's 10th national tour of Fiddler on the Roof. Other cast members include Barbi McGuire of Maplewood, NJ (Yente, The Matchmaker), Pamela Chabora (Golde), Brooke Hills (Tzeitel), Sarah Sesler (Hodel), Chelsey LeBel (Chava), Brenne Rimberg (Shprintze), Kristin Morris (Bielke), Andrew Boza (Motel, The Tailor), Joshua Phan-Gruber (Perchik, The Student), and David B. Springstead, Sr. (Lazar Wolf, The Butcher). A perennial hit since it first opened in 1964, Fiddler on the Roof is a poignant story about the enduring bonds of the family. The musical is centered on Tevye, a humble milkman from the Russian village of Anatevka. Tevye wrestles with the new customs of a younger generation when his daughters choose suitors who defy his idea of a proper match. Tevye soon comes to realize, through a series of incidents that are at once comic and bittersweet, that his children will begin traditions of their own. At the story's close, the villagers of Anatevka are forced to leave their homes and even the sturdy mores that have guided everyday life begin to crumble. Paradoxically, it is the enforced loss of the rigid traditions and home life that Tevye has tried so tenaciously to preserve that leads the family to reconcile and draw closer still. Fiddler on the Roof is part of the State Theatre's winter festival, Hub City Carnivale, four weeks of performances, activities, and attractions for all ages. Fiddler on the Roof is underwritten by Omar and Madiha Boraie with additional support by Rutgers Student Life. For tickets or more information, call the State Theatre ticket office at 732-246-SHOW (7469), or visit us online at www.StateTheatreNJ.org . The State Theatre ticket office, located at 15 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick NJ, is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 10am to 6pm; Wednesday 11am to 7pm; Saturday 1pm to 5pm; and at least one hour prior to curtain on performance dates. For information on group outings and discounts, call 732-247-7200, ext. 517. Some additional ticket and transaction fees may apply. State Theatre, a premier nonprofit venue for the performing arts and entertainment. The theater exists to enrich people's lives, contribute to a vital urban environment, and build future audiences by presenting the finest performing artists and entertainers and fostering lifetime appreciation for the performing arts through education. The State Theatre's programs are made possible, in part, by funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and contributions from numerous corporations, foundations, and individuals. The Heldrich is the official hotel of the State Theatre. Magic 98. 3 is the official radio station of the State Theatre. The Star-Ledger is the official newspaper of the State Theatre. United is the official airline of the State Theatre. 
(West Orange, NJ) -- The New Jersey Theatre Alliance, its 35 professional member theatres, and partner organizations are happy to offer the fifteenth annual Stages Festival throughout the month of March 2012. "New Jersey's professional theatres have so much to offer," says John McEwen, Executive Director of the Theatre Alliance. "The Stages Festival serves as a month-long open-house to the state's residents giving them a chance to see the wide variety of programming that exists right in their own back yard with shows, sample classes or play-development events at little to no cost." The Stages Festival began 15 years ago as a one-week program for young people and their families (originally called Family Week at the Theatre), but the program was so popular, and member theatres kept offering new events for people of all ages, that the Theatre Alliance with the help of their funding partners expanded it beyond the original week. The organization and its member theatres now provide a full month of performances, workshops and programs for theatre lovers in all the stages of their lives. Events are held at member theatres, but also in local libraries, schools, hospitals and senior centers. For the fifth year in a row, the Theatre Alliance is also sponsoring a private event for service men and women and their families on McGuire Air Force Base in Burlington County. The Stages Festival is a co-sponsored project of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional program sponsors are Bank of America and The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey. The program's mission is to give families the opportunity to experience the diversity of New Jersey's professional theatres by offering affordable, exciting and educational programming at member theatres and in non-traditional venues throughout the state. Ocean County teacher Joanne Betancourt has been hosting a Stages Festival event in her district for many years. "Though all the years that I've worked with this wonderful program, I've seen how families share the bonding experience and how kids light up watching characters they've read about come to life. If the Theatre Alliance didn't bring this program to our school, there are many children who wouldn't have the chance to go to the theatre with their families." Performances aren't the only part of the program; classes and workshops have always been a popular aspect The Stages Festival and this year over 20 offerings give theatre lovers a chance to participate in a variety of workshops under the guidance of professional artists ... a great way to unleash creativity. Examples of workshops from north to south include: Actors Shakespeare Company (Hudson county) is offering a stage combat workshop for young people, an physical comedy workshop for ages 12 and up, and a Shakespearian centered acting workshop for the whole family; Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre (Essex county) is offering an acting workshop for middle and high school students; East Lynne Theater Company (Cape May county) is offering a workshop that covers improvisation and the basics of scene work for ages 15 and up. Other member theatres will be offering acting workshops, pre- and post- show discussions, and more for all ages. Older children will appreciate the dynamic programming provided by some of the most exciting companies in the region, while younger children will delight in the experience of seeing many familiar fairy tales and fables enacted in a live format.
Some highlights of this year's Stages Festival and Family Week at the Theatre include:FOR THE YOUNGER SET Familiar stories told with laughter and adventure serve as a wonderful way to introduce children to the delights of live theatre, while keeping their parents happily entertained. Touring productions from Pushcart Players and Centenary Stage Company and Surflight Theatre will be performing all over the state in Atlantic, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Mercer, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Salem, and Warren Counties with several productions including: A Year With Frog and Toad; If You Give a Mouse a Cookie; Red Riding Hood & Other Stories; Stone Soup and Other Stories; and the popular bi-lingual Cuentos del Arbol (Tree Tales).
FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL and up ... George Street Playhouse will offer several opportunities to see their acclaimed production IRL: In Real Life in Atlantic, Cape May and Ocean. The production, and the conversation that will follow, will invite discussion about how young people can take an active role to end cyber bullying. Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's (Morris) Shakespeare LIVE! Company will bring the best of the Bard to audiences in a fast-paced and exciting productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream and Macbeth (both adapted for young audiences), at their Madison, NJ theatre. Surflight Theatre's touring company will perform the popular Schoolhouse Rock LIVE! with songs and laughs for kids and their parents, who may recall the Saturday morning television of their youth with productions in Cumberland, Morris, and Ocean counties.
ADULTS WILL LOVE There are several opportunities to catch East Lynne Theater Company's popular "radio play" Sherlock Holmes' Adventure of the Norwood Builder at their performance space in Cape May and in Ocean and Bergen County.
SPANISH/BI-LINGUAL PERFORMANCE
MAINSTAGE TICKET DEALS FOR ALL AGES Several member theatres are offering special deals to The Stages Festival patrons for main-stage productions in March including: Ticket deals vary; check www.stagesfestival.org for more information about dates, times and restrictions.
Accessibility/Accessible Performances
The following performances by Pushcart Players are being offered during The Stages Festival on Saturday, March 3.
(LINCROFT, NJ) -- On February 25, members of Musicians On A Mission will partake in a unique mixture of music, art, food, and massages at the Monmouth Museum. Musical performances will be by Ronnie Brandt (country), Wakah Chan (jazz), Joel DeWitt (classical), Arlan Feiles (folk), and Gary Wright (blues). In addition, the event will feature art exhibits, gourmet fare, hand and neck massages, herbs for sale and punch with a punch! The event will run from 5pm to 8pm. The Monmouth Museum is located at 765 Newman Springs Road in Lincroft, NJ on the Brookdale Community College campus. Advanced tickets for this event are available for $20. Call (732) 747-2266 for ticket information. Musicians on a Mission, a nonprofit organization founded in 2010, was conceived with the goal of utilizing the power of music to create connection and inspire giving. The organization's events, which showcase some of the best that local music has to offer, create quite a buzz within the community. For each event, a worthy local charity is chosen to receive 100% of the proceeds. Since its inception, Musicians on a Mission has raised awareness and funds for numerous local charities while touching countless lives in the process. For more information visit www.musiciansonamission.org 
(New Brunswick, NJ) -- State Theatre presents the Tschaikowski St. Petersburg State Orchestra on Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 3pm. Led by Conductor Roman Leontiev, the program includes Maurice Ravel, Daphnis et Chloe, Suite No. 2; Fryderyk Chopin, Concerto No. 2 in F minor for Piano & Orchestra, Op. 21 with piano soloist Alexandre Pirojenko; and Dmitri Shostakovich, Symphony No. 8 in C minor, Op. 65. Discounted tickets ranging from $20-50 are available for this performance as part of the State Theatre's "Take5" promotion (mention the promotional code "Take5" when ordering tickets to receive the discount, not all seating sections apply). Additional "Valentine's Day" packages are also available for this show, including Dining and Getaway packages as well as the "Tickets Plus" package ($134 for two tickets, two glasses of wine, and a box of chocolate). For more information on packages, visit www.StateTheatreNJ.org . Formed after World War II, the Tschaikowski St. Petersburg State Orchestra has established itself as a versatile ensemble with repertoire ranging from Baroque to 20th century music to new works written especially for the orchestra by local and international composers. The Tschaikowski St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra tours regularly around the world and has performed with some of Russia's most distinguished soloists and conductors. Roman Leontiev, music director and chief conductor Alexandre Pirojenko, piano soloist The State Theatre symphony series is sponsored by The Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundation. This performance is part of the State Theatre's winter festival, Hub City Carnivale, four weeks of performances, activities, and attractions for all ages. For tickets or more information, call the State Theatre ticket office at 732-246-SHOW (7469), or visit us online at www.StateTheatreNJ.org . The State Theatre ticket office, located at 15 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick NJ, is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 10am to 6pm; Wednesday 11am to 7pm; Saturday 1pm to 5pm; and at least one hour prior to curtain on performance dates. For information on group outings and discounts, call 732-247-7200, ext. 517. Some additional ticket and transaction fees may apply. State Theatre, a premier nonprofit venue for the performing arts and entertainment. The theater exists to enrich people's lives, contribute to a vital urban environment, and build future audiences by presenting the finest performing artists and entertainers and fostering lifetime appreciation for the performing arts through education. The State Theatre's programs are made possible, in part, by funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and contributions from numerous corporations, foundations, and individuals. The Heldrich is the official hotel of the State Theatre. Magic 98. 3 is the official radio station of the State Theatre. The Star-Ledger is the official newspaper of the State Theatre. United is the official airline of the State Theatre. 
(NEW YORK, NY) -- On May 4, 2012, Barone will reassemble the original quartet and recreate the Cool Blue Halo album in its entirety, along with very special guests and added songs, at City Winery nearly 25 years to the day of the release of the original album. This performance will be recorded and filmed for CD and DVD release due out Fall of 2012. Heralded by Rolling Stone as introducing "chamber rock," the all-acoustic performances captured on the original Cool Blue Halo blended classical, jazz, and and art-rock elements fearlessly standing out against blandly formulaic post-punk orthodoxy. In his recent assessment of the original album NPR's Tom Moon called it "A plaintive masterpiece created at a time when making pop was practically an act of subversion." Recorded live at New York's Bottom Line on a single evening in May 1987, the original album featured singer, songwriter and guitarist Barone leading an acoustic ensemble of cellist Jane Scarpantoni, acoustic guitarist Nick Celeste and percussionist/keyboardist Valerie Naranjo. Tom Moon's complete article and audio links can be found here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9167880 About Richard Barone: As musical and theatrical director, he has scored shows and staged all-star concert events at world renowned venues including Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. His memoir FRONTMAN: Surviving the Rock Star Myth was published by Hal Leonard Books and performed as a Musical Reading at Carnegie Hall. His recent solo album, Glow (Bar/None Records), was produced by Tony Visconti and others. His latest, Collection 2: Before & Afterglow, was released in December 2011. Full bio and more at http://RichardBarone.com . Barone lives in Greenwich Village, New York City. 
(LONG BRANCH, NJ ) -- New Jersey Repertory Company, located at 179 Broadway in Long Branch is proud to present "Summer In Sanctuary," an explosive new play by Al Letson, a nationally recognized awardwinning slam poet, performer, playwright, and the host and producer of the popular "State of the Re: Union" on National Public Radio. Performances for this limited run are March 8 - 25 and tickets can be ordered by calling 732-229-3166 or by visiting www.njrep.org . The title refers to "Sanctuary," a community center located on 8th Street, in one of the toughest sections of Jacksonville, Florida where Mr. Letson spent three months as a creative writing teacher at a summer camp for inner city teenagers. His intentions were noble. Letson grew up in a middle-class family in North Jersey, the son of a Southern Baptist preacher, and he wanted to make a difference. Imbued with idealism he enthusiastically went down to Jacksonville but very quickly learned that "sanctuary" was a dangerously deceptive word, and that soon he would be challenged as he had never before been challenged, and that all his ideals of "giving-back," good intentions and resolve, would soon be tested bitterly. The kids that he was supposed to "instruct" were fighting for survival on a daily basis in an environment rife with poverty, drugs, and violent crime, and the fact that Mr. Letson is African-American did not give him a free-pass. He had been dropped into a veritable war-zone, and although he sought desperately to connect and to impart the literature that he loved to his students, he was completely unprepared for what came next. He was confronted from the get-go with sullen faces, curses, and rage, and quickly learned that the job description of "creative writing teacher" was much too narrow and that he would have to improvise if he was to survive serving as coach, therapist, advisor, chauffer, videographer, and policeman. He found that things could explode at any moment, and often did in this highly charged uncertain environment, and that the kids that he was trying to teach could be swallowed up at any time by the dangerous neighborhood where gang killings were the norm. Most would have fled, but much to Letson's credit he stayed put, and dug in his heels recognizing that although the painful journey that he was about to embark upon would test his character to the extreme, he could emerge with his compassion and ideals burnished and strengthened by reality. With poetry, music and videos "Summer in Sanctuary" takes the audience on an intimate journey with Letson into the dark and wavering soul of America where redemption is still possible. Special thanks to the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust for support of NJ Rep and this production of "Summer in Sanctuary." Additional funding provided by The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, The Horizon Foundation for NJ, and the NJ State Council on the Arts. Performances are Thursdays, Fridays at 8:00 pm; Saturdays at 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm; and Sundays at 2:00 pm, March 8 - March 25. Special previews are on Thursday, March 8 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm and Friday, March 9 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm. Tickets are $35 with discounts for students (full-time 13-25), and groups of 10 or more. Additional performances can be scheduled on Thursday and Friday matinees or Sunday nights for groups of 30 or more. Warning: Strong adult language. For tickets call 732-229-3166 or visit www.njrep.org for online ticketing. NJ Rep is a non-profit, professional theater located at 179 Broadway in Long Branch, only minutes from the Jersey Shore. Free on-site parking and easy access from NJ Transit (North Jersey Coast Line) and Academy Buses. 
(WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ) -- The Carolina Chocolate Drops will perform at Monmouth University's Pollak Theatre on February 17 at 8 p.m. Opening act is M. Shanghai String Band featuring Asbury Park resident Richard Morris. It's a sound that's as old as the hills even if, technically, the genre known as "Americana" has only existed as a Grammy-recognized category for two years. For the Grammy winning, North Carolina-based troupe of troubadors known as The Carolina Chocolate Drops, the specialty of the house is the African American string and jug-band sound that helped transform American popular music during the radio-and-phonograph era of the 1920s and 30s. In a little more than five years since playing their first impromptu gig, the Drops have topped the Billboard bluegrass charts (with their 2010 debut release Genuine Negro Jig) and demonstrated the ongoing relevance of legacy sounds in an anything-goes musical landscape an approach that's found them mixing fiddles, kazoos and banjos with elements of hip-hop and alt-country. On the night of Friday, February 17, the three vocalists and multi-instrumentalists of The Carolina Chocolate Drops ("strong and sometimes dangerous" singer Rhiannon Giddens, Dom Flemons and newest member Hubby Jenkins) are joined by cellist Leyla McCalla in their first visit to the Pollak Theatre, on the West Long Branch campus of Monmouth University. Presented by the Center for the Arts at Monmouth as part of the 2011-2012 Performing Arts series, the 8:00 p.m. concert arrives just days in advance of the release date for Leaving Eden, the current configuration's recorded debut on Nonesuch Records, and a highly anticipated set that finds the Chocolate Drops working with sought-after producer Buddy Miller (Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, Robert Plant) on a set of originals and covers that includes the spotlight track "Country Girl." Opening for The Carolina Chocolate Drops will be one of the hottest acts on the region's burgeoning roots-music scene the Brooklyn-based M Shanghai String Band, a celebrated ten-to-eleven piece combo known for performing "Opry style" around a single microphone (as well as having taken their name from the Chinese restaurant where they first convened to practice). Featuring the mandolin mastery of Monmouth County's own Richard Morris, and co-fronted by guitarist and songwriter Matthew Schickele son of PDQ Bach professor and past Pollak Theatre performer Peter Schickele the Shanghai collective offers up a "one from Column A, one from Column B" musical menu that Time Out NY described as "vigorous, heartfelt, acoustic country with all the fixins!" For additional information, or to purchase tickets, please contact the Monmouth University Performing Arts Box Office at 732-263-6889, or online at www.monmouth.edu/arts.
(ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ) -- Bring your Valentine to Atlantic Highlands on Tuesday, February 14, when the award-winning Jersey Shore musical duo 'Sibling Rivalry' will host and moderate the Atlantic Highlands Arts Council Open Mic. Justin and Alina, or 'Sibling Rivalry' are still in their teens, but have already performed at venues from The Saint and the Stone Pony in Asbury Park to the Hard Rock Caf in Manhattan, NJPAC and the PNC Arts Center, and even Disney World. Musicians, artists, poets, filmmakers, all creative souls and all who love good original live performance are invited to share the fun at this friendly, free open mic, now arranged by acoustic musicians Jeff and Elaine. Artists and performers sign up beginning at 7:00 pm, the show starts at 7:30 pm. at On the Deck Restaurant, 10 Simon Lake Drive, in the Atlantic Highlands Municipal Harbor overlooking the Raritan River, Sand Hook Bay, and the Manhattan Skyline. Refreshments are available to purchase, and tax-deductible donations to the Atlantic Highlands Arts Council are welcome. |
