Here are previews of plays taking place from July 10-16, 2023 including a look at productions starting this week, those continuing this week, and those closing this week. New Jersey Stage covers Equity, community, college, and high school theatre. Check back every week for the weekly theatre preview. Click on the title to go to the full preview.
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FEATURED PREVIEWS
Wednesday, July 12, 2023 - The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey presents "And A Nightingale Sang..." (MADISON, NJ) -- The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (STNJ) continues its main stage season with C.P. Taylor's And a Nightingale Sang... from July 12-30, 2023. This endearing play about a working-class family in England during the Blitz of WWII is, at turns, hilarious, romantic, moving, and inspiring; a celebration of life in the midst of the destructive forces wreaking havoc in the world.
Thursday, July 13, 2023 - Premiere Stages presents "Satellites" by Erin Breznitsky - An Innovative Exploration of Time and Space (UNION, NJ) -- Premiere Stages at Kean University will present the Premiere of Satellites by Erin Breznitsky from July 13-30 in Kean University's Bauer Boucher Theatre Center. Selected as the winner of the 2022 Premiere Play Festival, the first production of this new play will be one of Premiere's most ambitious to date, as a talented team of designers work with the director and cast to meld together projections, sound, lighting, scenic design and costumes to take audiences on a journey to space and back.
Friday, July 14, 2023 - Middletown Arts Center Presents "The SpongeBob Musical", produced by The MAC Players (MIDDLETOWN, NJ) -- The MAC Players at the Middletown Arts Center make a splash this summer with The SpongeBob Musical, a stunning, all-singing, all-dancing, dynamic stage show running over two weekends, July 14–16 and July 21–23. When the citizens of Bikini Bottom discover that a volcano will soon erupt and destroy their humble home, SpongeBob and his friends must come together to save the fate of their undersea world. A delight for audiences young and old, The SpongeBob Musical is based on the beloved animated series created by Stephen Hillenburg and a book by Kyle Jarrow.
Friday, July 14, 2023 - OCC Repertory Theatre Company Presents "Kiss Me, Kate" at Grunin Center (TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- The Ocean County College Repertory Theatre Company will present Kiss Me, Kate July 14-16 and 21-23 on the Main Stage at the Grunin Center for the Arts, located on the main campus of Ocean County College. The first Broadway show ever to win the Tony Award for Best Musical, Kiss Me, Kate tells the story of feuding former spouses forced to play opposite each other in a production of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew.
Saturday, July 15, 2023 - Light Opera of New Jersey presents "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder" (SOUTH ORANGE, NJ) -- Light Opera of New Jersey continues its 27th Season of operetta and musical theatre with a production of 2014 Tony award-winning A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder at South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC). The play is based on the 1907 novel Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal by Roy Horniman. Performances take place July 15-16 and July 22-23.
Saturday, July 15, 2023 - Algonquin Arts Theatre presents "The Sound of Music" (MANASQUAN, NJ) -- Algonquin Arts Theatre presents The Sound of Music from July 15-30, 2023. Join Maria, Captain Von Trapp and his children in one of the most beloved musicals of all time, The Sound of Music. This classic has enchanted audiences for more than 50 years, featuring a trove of cherished songs, including "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," "My Favorite Things," "Do Re Mi," "Sixteen Going on Seventeen." The Sound of Music has won the hearts of audiences worldwide, earning five Tony Awards and five Oscars.
Vanguard Theater presents "Spring Awakening" (MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- Vanguard Theater presents Spring Awakening from June 22 to July 16, 2023. This hit musical features music by Duncan Sheik and book and lyrics by Steven Sater. An electric, vibrant celebration of youth and rebellion, censorship and its consequences, Spring Awakening fuses issues of morality, sexuality, and rock and roll into a story that packs a powerful emotional punch.
Vivid Stage presents Vivid Solos reading series in July (SUMMIT, NJ) -- Vivid Stage presents Vivid Solos, a play reading series, every Wednesday in July. The readings take place at 6:30pm on the lawn of the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey. Bring a comfy lawn chair and your favorite snack and enjoy a summer eve with them. The series includes works by Jerico Bleu, Steve Harper, Douglas McGrath, and Ian August.
Shakespeare Theatre of NJ presents "Shipwrecked! An Entertainment - The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself)" on the Outdoor Stage (MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (STNJ) will re-open its ever-popular Outdoor Stage venue on July 5th with Shipwrecked! An Entertainment - The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself) by Donald Margulies. Since 2002, the company’s annual productions at this Greek-style amphitheater, located on the bucolic campus of Saint Elizabeth University, have provided thousands of people throughout the region with delightful productions under the stars. As always, this summer’s show is the perfect romp for all ages – from the youngest tots to venerable seniors.
Plays opening this week
Tuesday, July 11, 2023 - Surflight Theatre presents "Something Rotten!" (BEACH HAVEN, NJ) -- Surflight Theatre continues their 2023 season with the hilarious musical comedy, Something Rotten! with performances from July 11-30. Welcome to the Renaissance and this outrageous, crowd-pleasing musical farce. Receiving 10 Tony Nominations, it was hailed by Time Out New York as "the funniest musical comedy in at least 400 years." From the co-director of The Book of Mormon and the producer of Avenue Q comes something original...something fresh...Something Rotten!
Thursday, July 13, 2023 - Brookdale Summer Shakespeare Ensemble presents "Much Ado About Nothing" (LINCROFT, NJ) -- In an era of rapidly changing cultural landscapes and evolving theatrical tastes, it is truly remarkable to witness an event that has stood the test of time and continues to captivate audiences year after year. Such is the case with Brookdale Community College PAC's Summer Shakespeare performance, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this season. As we applaud this milestone, we must also recognize the invaluable contribution this free event has made in serving the community, fostering artistic appreciation, and keeping the spirit of Shakespeare alive.
Friday, July 14, 2023 - Exit 82 Theatre presents "Rock of Ages" (TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- Exit 82 Theatre presents Rock of Ages by Chris D'Arienzo weekends from July 14-30.It’s the tail end of the big, bad 1980s in Hollywood, and the party has been raging hard. Aqua Net, Lycra, lace, and liquor flow freely at one of the Sunset Strip's last legendary venues, a place where sex machine Stacee Jaxx takes the stage and scantily clad groupies line up to turn their fantasies into reality.
Plays ending this week
East Lynne Theater Company presents "A Tale of Two Cities, Cobbled Together by the Brothers Lovejoy" (CAPE MAY, NJ) -- East Lynne Theater Company's new Artistic Director Craig Fols will open his inaugural mainstage season with his own original adaptation of Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" titled "A Tale of Two Cities, Cobbled Together by the Brothers Lovejoy". Fols' stage version of this world-renowned classic will make its world premiere on June 14 and will run Wednesdays to Saturdays through July 15.
The Theater Project presents "Sunset Park" (MAPLEWOOD, NJ) -- "No matter how old you get, love, longing, jealousy, and hope remain constant" -- Sunset Park by award-winning writer Joseph Vitale kicks off the Summer Season at The Theater Project, a leading incubator for rising talent and a showcase for New Jersey artists. The company is returning to Maplewood's Burgdorff Cultural Center, 10 Durand Road, with a packed schedule of new and lesser-known work. Sunset Park, performing July 6- 16, consists of four intertwining stories about growing older and coming to terms with the changes in our lives.
Centenary's 2023 Summerfest presents "Rock of Ages" (HACKETTSTOWN, NJ) -- Centenary Stage Company and the NEXTStage Repertory are set to present the first mainstage production for the 2023 Summerfest, Rock Of Ages, from July 6-16 in the Sitnik Theatre of the Lackland Performing Arts Center on the Centenary University campus at 715 Grand Avenue, Hackettstown, NJ. The five-time Tony Award®-nominated Broadway musical, with a Book by Chris D'Arienzo and Arrangements and Orchestration by Ethan Popp, Rock Of Ages tells the story of a small-town girl, a city boy, and a rock 'n' roll romance on the Sunset Strip.
Plays continuing this week
First Avenue Playhouse presents "On Golden Pond" (ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ) -- First Avenue Playhouse presents On Golden Pond weekends throughout July with opening night on July 8, 2023. The play by Ernest Thompson is a classic and poignant family story that is both humorous and touching. Armand Marino directs the production.
Broadway Theatre of Pitman presents "Grease" (PITMAN, NJ) -- The Broadway Theatre of Pitman is presenting the classic musical, Grease, weekends throughout July. The play takes place in 1959, and Rydell High School's senior class is in rare form. The too-cool-for-school "Burger Palace Boys" are stealing hub-caps and acting tough and their gum-snapping, chain-smoking "Pink Ladies" are looking hot in bobby sox and pedal pushers. The 1950s high school dream is about to explode in this rollicking musical that is both an homage to the idealism of the fifties and a satire of high schoolers' age-old desire to be rebellious, provocative and rebellious.
FEATURED
Tuesday, July 11, 2023 @ 8:00pm - Shipwrecked! An Entertainment - The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself) at Shakespeare Theatre Of NJ - Outdoor Stage, 2 Convent Road, Florham Park, NJ 07932
Wednesday, July 12, 2023 @ 6:30pm - Vivid Solos: SNOW [Black man. White out conditions.] by Steve Harper at Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, 68 Elm Street, Summit, NJ 07901
Wednesday, July 12, 2023 @ 7:30pm - And A Nightingale Sang... at Shakespeare Theatre Of NJ - F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ 07940
Wednesday, July 12, 2023 @ 8:00pm - Shipwrecked! An Entertainment - The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself) at Shakespeare Theatre Of NJ - Outdoor Stage, 2 Convent Road, Florham Park, NJ 07932
Thursday, July 13, 2023 @ 8:00pm - Shipwrecked! An Entertainment - The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself) at Shakespeare Theatre Of NJ - Outdoor Stage, 2 Convent Road, Florham Park, NJ 07932
Thursday, July 13, 2023 @ 8:00pm - And A Nightingale Sang... at Shakespeare Theatre Of NJ - F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ 07940
Thursday, July 13, 2023 @ 8:00pm - Vanguard Theater presents "Spring Awakening" at Vanguard Theater, 180 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair, NJ 077042
Thursday, July 13, 2023 @ 8:00pm - Satellites at Premiere Stages - Bauer Boucher Theatre Center, 1000 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ 07083
Friday, July 14, 2023 @ 7:00pm - The MAC Players present "The SpongeBob Musical" at Middletown Arts Center, 36 Church Street, Middletown, NJ 07748
Friday, July 14, 2023 @ 7:30pm - Kiss Me, Kate at Grunin Center, 1 College Drive, Toms River, NJ 08754
Friday, July 14, 2023 @ 8:00pm - Shipwrecked! An Entertainment - The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself) at Shakespeare Theatre Of NJ - Outdoor Stage, 2 Convent Road, Florham Park, NJ 07932
Friday, July 14, 2023 @ 8:00pm - And A Nightingale Sang... at Shakespeare Theatre Of NJ - F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ 07940
Friday, July 14, 2023 @ 8:00pm - Vanguard Theater presents "Spring Awakening" at Vanguard Theater, 180 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair, NJ 077042
Friday, July 14, 2023 @ 8:00pm - Satellites at Premiere Stages - Bauer Boucher Theatre Center, 1000 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ 07083
Saturday, July 15, 2023 @ 2:00pm - And A Nightingale Sang... at Shakespeare Theatre Of NJ - F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ 07940
Saturday, July 15, 2023 @ 3:00pm - Satellites at Premiere Stages - Bauer Boucher Theatre Center, 1000 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ 07083
Saturday, July 15, 2023 @ 7:00pm - The MAC Players present "The SpongeBob Musical" at Middletown Arts Center, 36 Church Street, Middletown, NJ 07748
Saturday, July 15, 2023 @ 7:30pm - The Sound of Music at Algonquin Arts Theatre, 60 Abe Voorhees, Manasquan, NJ 08736
Saturday, July 15, 2023 @ 7:30pm - Kiss Me, Kate at Grunin Center, 1 College Drive, Toms River, NJ 08754
Saturday, July 15, 2023 @ 7:30pm - And A Nightingale Sang... at Shakespeare Theatre Of NJ - F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ 07940
Saturday, July 15, 2023 @ 8:00pm - A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder at South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC), One Sopac Way, South Orange, NJ 07079
Saturday, July 15, 2023 @ 8:00pm - Shipwrecked! An Entertainment - The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself) at Shakespeare Theatre Of NJ - Outdoor Stage, 2 Convent Road, Florham Park, NJ 07932
Saturday, July 15, 2023 @ 8:00pm - Vanguard Theater presents "Spring Awakening" at Vanguard Theater, 180 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair, NJ 077042
Saturday, July 15, 2023 @ 8:00pm - Satellites at Premiere Stages - Bauer Boucher Theatre Center, 1000 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ 07083
Sunday, July 16, 2023 @ 2:00pm - A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder at South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC), One Sopac Way, South Orange, NJ 07079
Sunday, July 16, 2023 @ 2:00pm - Kiss Me, Kate at Grunin Center, 1 College Drive, Toms River, NJ 08754
Sunday, July 16, 2023 @ 2:00pm - And A Nightingale Sang... at Shakespeare Theatre Of NJ - F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ 07940
Sunday, July 16, 2023 @ 2:00pm - Vanguard Theater presents "Spring Awakening" at Vanguard Theater, 180 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair, NJ 077042
Sunday, July 16, 2023 @ 2:00pm - The MAC Players present "The SpongeBob Musical" at Middletown Arts Center, 36 Church Street, Middletown, NJ 07748
Sunday, July 16, 2023 @ 3:00pm - The Sound of Music at Algonquin Arts Theatre, 60 Abe Voorhees, Manasquan, NJ 08736
Sunday, July 16, 2023 @ 3:00pm - Satellites at Premiere Stages - Bauer Boucher Theatre Center, 1000 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ 07083
Sunday, July 16, 2023 @ 4:00pm - Shipwrecked! An Entertainment - The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself) at Shakespeare Theatre Of NJ - Outdoor Stage, 2 Convent Road, Florham Park, NJ 07932
Sunday, July 16, 2023 @ 7:00pm - Vanguard Theater presents "Spring Awakening" at Vanguard Theater, 180 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair, NJ 077042
Sunday, July 16, 2023 @ 7:30pm - And A Nightingale Sang... at Shakespeare Theatre Of NJ - F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ 07940
Sunday, July 16, 2023 @ 8:00pm - Shipwrecked! An Entertainment - The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself) at Shakespeare Theatre Of NJ - Outdoor Stage, 2 Convent Road, Florham Park, NJ 07932
Plays coming soon
Chimera Productions presents "Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons" (PRINCETON, NJ) -- New Jersey-based theater company Chimera Productions is proud to present its 15th production, Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons by Sam Steiner on July 19, 20, 21, and 22, 2023. The play, presented in the intimate 60-seat theater inside Princeton’s Paul Robeson Center for the Arts, is a witty, satirical play that offers a constant balancing act between political parable and classic love story, with a dash of the absurd to keep you on your toes. It’s an insightful look into our modern lives and how a single word—or five—can change everything. Chimera Productions is returning to the stage with its first play since 2019.
"Rock of Ages" Takes Center Stage at the Sieminski Theater (BASKING RIDGE, NJ) -- The Sieminski Theater and Centenary Stage Company present the 80's rock musical Rock of Ages, an exhilarating and unapologetic homage to the timeless classics of rock 'n' roll on Saturday, July 22 at 7:30pm and Sunday, July 23 at 2:30pm. The play takes place in 1987 and the fabled West Hollywood club the Bourbon Room is the seedy, sordid, vibrant heart of the Sunset Strip.
NJ Rep to Present World Premiere of "A Tailor Near Me" by Michael Tucker (LONG BRANCH, NJ) -- The New Jersey Repertory Company will present the world premiere of Michael Tucker's comedy A Tailor Near Me, directed by James Glossman. Starring Tony Nominee Richard Kind and James Pickens, Jr., this limited run will begin on July 27 in advance of its July 29 opening night and will run through August 27, 2023. In the play, a man goes to a tailor to have his suit pants let out because he's gained some weight since he last wore them. The tailor convinces him that what he really needs is a new suit, which leads to a negotiation, which leads to the making of a bespoke suit, which leads to alterations in both of their lives.
Award-Winning Playwright John Patrick Shanley to Workshop New Play at The Black Box (ENGLEWOOD, NJ) -- The Black Box continues to attract some of theatre's finest talents. Limited tickets are now available for a unique summer fundraiser: a staged-reading workshop presentation of a brand new play by Oscar, Tony, and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer John Patrick Shanley, a comedic and poignant three-hander work-in-progress titled The Lost Years. Two special performances at The Black Box will be on Friday, July 28th and Saturday, July 29th at 8:00pm, each followed by a conversation with Mr. Shanley and the creative team.
The Black Box continues Edward Albee: From A to Zoo series with "The Man Who Had Three Arms" (ENGLEWOOD, NJ) -- The Black Box, Northern NJ's incubator for new and under produced works from world-class artists, in association with The Estate of Edward Albee, presents Edward Albee: From A To Zoo, An Exclusive Stage Reading Series of Edward Albee's Plays. Next up is The Man Who Had Three Arms (1981), which ran briefly on Broadway in 1983 but closed shortly after being unceremoniously lambasted in reviews. This led to Mr. Albee's reprieve from the NYC theater scene until he finally emerged with Three Tall Women, the play that earned his third Pulitzer, showing one can rise above the critics. Come see and judge for yourself on Monday, July 28th at 7:30pm at The Black Box, 8 East Palisade Avenue, 2nd Floor, between Van Brunt and Dean Streets in Englewood, NJ.
