(HACKETTSTOWN, NJ) -- The 2019-20 season kicks off with Centenary Stage Company’s annual, celebratory “Curtain Up!” gala on Saturday, September 21 at 8:00pm in the Sitnik Theatre of the Lackland Performing Arts Center. This year’s “Curtain Up!” headliner will feature Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Darlene Love, the voice that helped launch a hundred hits like the No. 1 ”He’s a Rebel,” ”(Today I Met) the Boy I’m Gonna Marry,” ”He’s Sure the Boy I Love” and ”Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).”
Those were the songs she sang for the legendary producer Phil Spector during the glory days of the girl-group era, as well as countless songs she sang backup on for artists like Sam Cooke, Elvis Presley, Dionne Warwick, Cher and Aretha Franklin. She also toured the country as a member of Bob. B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans and had a regular spot on the TV show Shindig, where she crossed paths with such legends as Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles and the Supremes.
The Academy Award is also part of Darlene’s illustrious life. In 2013, she received an Oscar for her work in the film Twenty Feet from Stardom. When Darlene went on stage to be greeted with the Oscar on behalf of all the film participants, she burst into song and won a standing ovation from the Academy audience led by the wildly applauding Bill Murray.
As an actress, Love is perhaps best remembered for playing Roger Murtaugh's wife in the Lethal Weapon film series and fans of David Letterman will remember her performances of "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)" each year from 1986 to 2015.
Rolling Stone Magazine has proclaimed Darlene Love to be “one of the greatest singers of all time” and that certainly rings true, but perhaps Paul Shaffer says it even more concisely: “Darlene Love is Rock N’ Roll!” In 2011, Darlene Love was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Love's most recent album Introducing Darlene Love was released September 18, 2015 on Steve Van Zandt's label, Wicked Cool Records. The album features 10 songs, including singles and features by Van Zandt, two new songs by Bruce Springsteen, and covers of Joan Jett and Elvis Costello songs, among others.
Tickets for Darlene Love are $49.50 Orchestra and $45.00 Mezzanine for seats in advance. As with all concerts, January music fest and special events ticket prices increase $5.00 on the day of the performance. The performance will be held in the Sitnik Theatre of the Lackland Performing Arts Center at 715 Grand Avenue, Hackettstown, NJ.
For more information regarding any of the 2019-20 series of events visit centenarystageco.org or call the box office at 908.979.0900. The Centenary Stage Company box office is located in the Lackland Performing Arts Center at 715 Grand Ave., Hackettstown, NJ in residency on the Campus of Centenary University. The box office is open Monday through Friday from 1-5 PM and two hours prior to every event. Centenary Stage Company can also be found across social media platforms; Facebook, Instagram & Twitter. Like and follow to receive the latest in CSC news and special offers.
The 2019-20 season of performing arts events at the Centenary Stage Company is made possible through the generous support of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the NJ State Council on the Arts, the Shubert Foundation, the Blanche and Irving Laurie foundation, the Sandra S. Kupperman Foundation, and CSC corporate sponsors, including Grand Producer House of the Good Shepherd, Season Sponsor Heath Village Retirement Community, Home Instead Senior Care (Washington), Fulton Bank, Hackettstown Medical Center, Atlantic Health and Centenary Stage Company members and supporters.
