New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu


Middlesex County's Plays-In-the-Park 2024 Season

originally published: 05/17/2024

(EDISON, NJ) -- Middlesex County Plays-in-the-Park returns this summer to the stage at the Stephen J. Capestro Theatre in Edison, presenting three beloved musicals: Beauty and the Beast, In the Heights, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

“The cultural vibrancy of Middlesex County reaches new heights with the exceptional summer productions of Plays-in-the-Park,” said Director of the Board of County Commissioners Ronald G. Rios. “With three phenomenal shows lined up this year, we invite all County residents to immerse themselves in a season of captivating live performances. On behalf of the Board of County Commissioners, we encourage everyone to experience the joy that these shows bring to audiences of all ages.”

“Plays-in-the-Park has captivated audiences for many years. This is one of mine and Middlesex County residents’ favorite theatrical and artistic performances,” said County Commissioner Charles E. Tomaro, chair of the Infrastructure Management Committee. “My heartfelt appreciation goes to the exceptionally talented casts, crews, and production team for putting on such wonderful performances year after year.”

The Box Office opens at 5:30pm, with patrons admitted to the seating area immediately after purchasing tickets. All shows start at 8:00pm, the box office closes at 8:30pm each show night. All you need to bring is your favorite lawn chair with a back no higher than 40 inches.

Ticket price is $8 per adult; $5 per senior citizen (60 and over); children 12 and under enter for free. In the event of inclement weather, retain your ticket stub for admission to another performance this season. For more box office information, click here. Stephen J. Capestro Theatre is located at 1 Pine Drive in Edison, New Jersey.




Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info



PLAYS-IN-THE-PARK 2024 SCHEDULE:

Beauty and the Beast (June 19-29) – Experience the magic as this “tale as old as time” takes the stage! When Belle stumbles upon an enchanted castle, she comes face to face with the Beast – who is really a prince that has been placed under a magic spell! If the Beast can learn to love another and be loved in return, the spell will be broken. Will Belle be able to love a Beast? This Tony Award nominated Broadway musical featured bellowed, show-stopping songs, including “Be Our Guest”, “Beauty and the Beast”, “Human Again”, and many more! Sure to be a family favorite!

In the Heights (July 10-20) – Meet the residents of Washington Heights – a New York City neighborhood facing major changes, including rising rent and the closures of neighborhood businesses. Usnavi, who owns a corner bodega, is trying to get back to the Dominican Republic to reconnect with his culture after the death of his parents. Another family is looking for a way to pay for college for their daughter, who is trying to secure an apartment. This revolutionary musical combines Latin rhythms and dance with hip-hop to tell the story of a place where community is everything, and dreams are meant to be chased.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (July 31-August 10) – This outrageously funny musical will have you laughing from beginning to end! Pseudolus, a clever slave, is determined to win the hand of the beautiful but ditzy courtesan Philia for his young master, Hero, in exchange for his freedom. Stephen Sondheim combines situations from the 2000-year-old comedies of Plautus with classic vaudeville to create this irreverent and witty masterpiece, which made it Broadway debut in 1962!

For more information on all Middlesex County has to offer this summer, visit middlesexcountynj.gov




Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info



FEATURED EVENTS

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.


The

The Vagina Monologues

Thursday, February 13, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Grunin Center - Black Box Theater
1 College Drive, Toms River, NJ 08754
category: theatre


 

A

A Bronx Tale: The One Man Show Starring Chazz Palminteri

Thursday, February 13, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC)
30 North Van Brunt Street, Englewood, NJ 07631
category: theatre


 

Dunbar

Dunbar Repertory Company Presents "Two Trains Running"

Friday, February 14, 2025 @ 8:00pm
Middletown Arts Center
36 Church Street, Middletown, NJ 07748
category: theatre


 

Catching

Catching the Moon: The Story of a Young Girl's Baseball Dream

Friday, February 14, 2025 @ 7:30pm
The Historic Palace Theatre
7 Ledgewood Avenue, Netcong, NJ 07857
category: theatre


 

The

The Vagina Monologues

Friday, February 14, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Grunin Center - Black Box Theater
1 College Drive, Toms River, NJ 08754
category: theatre


 


 

EVENT PREVIEWS

Passage

Passage Theatre Company presents Suzan-Lori Parks' Pulitzer Prize-Winning Play "Topdog/Underdog"

Topdog/Underdog by Pulitzer prize-winning Black playwright Suzan-Lori Parks is receiving its Trenton, New Jersey premiere at Passage Theatre Company, as part of its landmark 40th anniversary season. The play opens February 21, 2025, and runs until March 9, 2025, at the Mill Hill Playhouse. A darkly comic fable of brotherly love and family identity, Topdog/Underdog tells the story of Lincoln and Booth, two brothers whose names were given to them as a joke by their father, foreshadowing a lifetime of sibling rivalry and resentment.



American

American Theater Group presents "Purlie"

(RAHWAY, NJ) -- Broadway veteran Kenny Ingram will direct American Theater Group's (ATG) production of the exhilarating and Tony Award-winning musical Purlie, running March 6-23, 2025, at Hamilton Stage in Rahway. Gary Mitchell, Jr. will provide Musical Direction. Purlie is the 1970 musical adaptation of Ossie Davis's comedic play Purlie Victorious, which just completed a hugely successful revival on Broadway last season.



Bordentown

Bordentown Regional High School presents hilarious musical "Curtains"

(BORDENTOWN, NJ) -- The musical comedy murder mystery Curtains: School Edition, with music and lyrics by John Kander and Fred Ebb, and a witty, charming book by Rupert Holmes, will be presented February 21-22, 2025 at the Bordentown Performing Arts Center by the award-winning theatre students of Bordentown Regional High School.



Gateway

Gateway Playhouse to Showcase All of The Bard's Plays in "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare..."

(SOMERS POINT, NJ) -- Gateway Playhouse will showcase all of William Shakespeare's 37 plays – in just 95 minutes – in the hilarious "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged/Revised/Again)" by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield, who originally created the show for the Edinburgh Theater Fest in 1987. Since then, it has toured the world over, delighting audiences, whether connoisseurs of The Bard or perhaps barely remember one play from high school. This delightful show comes to the Gateway for one weekend only, March 7-9, 2025.



Kelsey

Kelsey Theatre to Host Staged Reading, with Orchestra, of New Musical by Lou DiPietro

(WEST WINDSOR, NJ) -- Kelsey Theatre, on the West Windsor Campus of Mercer County Community College (MCCC), will host a one-night only staged reading—complete with a nine-piece orchestra—of the inspiring new musical "It's Never Too Late," presented by Theater to Go on Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 7:30pm.