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OCVTS GPAA Winter 2023 Showcases

Wednesday, November 29, 2023 @ 7:00pm



Grunin Center
1 College Drive, Toms River, NJ 08754

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Acting Showcase – November 29, 2023

Junior Acting Showcase (Act One): “A Spooky Storytime: The Nightmare Before Christmas” by Tim Burton. Come out and see the Grunin Performing Arts Academy Junior Actors as they reenact the famous story “The Nightmare Before Christmas” by Tim Burton. Our narrators will guide you through Halloweentown as they follow Jack’s journey to becoming Sandy Claws. You will experience an interactive, musical adventure as our narrators showcase the many familiar characters of the story.

Senior Acting Showcase (Act Two): “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” is based on a

children’s novel written by Barbara Robinson. This is a story of six misfit children who volunteer to star in their town’s Sunday school Christmas pageant, and a Mom who has never directed a production before. In this heartwarming tale full of shenanigans, you will see how a town learns the true meaning of Christmas. Join us for this family-friendly show that will prove to be incredibly entertaining!

Vocal Showcase – December 13, 2023

The Junior and Senior Vocalists will be presenting their Winter Vocal Showcase “An Evening of Operetta… and then some!” The performance will include selections from Gilbert & Sullivan’s operetta, “The Pirates of Penzance,” as well as some holiday pop favorites. The Grunin Performing Arts Academy Chorale and Vocal Ensemble will open the show with a holiday prelude at 6:30pm.

Dance Showcase – December 18, 2023

The OCVTS Grunin Performing Arts Academy’s Dance Department presents “The Winter

Dance Concert: A Reconstruction of The Nutcracker.”

The Nutcracker, first premiering a week before Christmas by Moscow’s Imperial Theatre in

1892, is a classic Christmas Story, a fairy tale ballet is danced in two acts, centered on the

magical story of Clara and her Nutcracker. The ballet was originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with the musical score by Pyotr llyich Tchaikovsky, which was adapted from the passage of “The Nutcracker & The Mouse King” written by E.T.A. Hoffman.

Since then, ballet companies all around the world have performed this holiday tradition and from the moment the lights dim, audiences are transported to a wondrous world of magic and wonder. A rousing snowstorm sends a blizzard of ballerinas across the stage, sweeping you to exotic locales in the enchanting Land of Sweets. Please enjoy our reconstructed rendition of The Nutcracker and other holiday selections presented by the Grunin Performing Arts Academy Dance Department’s Dance Ensemble.




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EVENT PREVIEWS

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Princeton Summer Theater has unveiled its 2026 subscription season which will run from June 11th to August 1st, featuring an exciting lineup of three mainstage pieces and a family-friendly musical. Productions include Barefoot in the Park, The 39 Steps, True West, and You're a Good Man Charlie Brown.



Crossroads

Crossroads Theatre Company presents "Sizwe Banzi Is Dead"

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- Crossroads Theatre Company presents Sizwe Bansi Is Dead from May 19 - June 14, 2026 at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center. This is a powerful, funny, and deeply moving story about identity, survival, and the extraordinary ingenuity of ordinary people navigating an unjust system.



Zoopraxic

Zoopraxic presents "In the Devil's Hands" by Helen Banner

(LONG ISLAND, NY) -- In the Devil's Hands, Helen Banner's riveting new play will extend its run to 21 performances running between May 20 and June 14, 2026. Set in the Channel Islands in the 1940s, this intimate and immersive production will have its world premiere at the new micro theatre space Zoopraxic in Long Island City (first stop in Queens).



"Slanted

"Slanted Floors" returns to its Greenpoint Apartment

(NEW YORK, NY) -- Following critical acclaim and sold-out performances, Slanted Floors — hailed by the Daily Beast as "one of New York's most unique and exclusive pieces of theatre" — returns for a strictly limited five-week engagement in its original Greenpoint apartment setting. Performances will run May 26 through June 26, 2026, with 150 seats available.



Arden

Arden Theatre Company presents "Dear Evan Hansen"

(PHILADELPHIA, PA) -- Arden Theatre Company brings the Tony Award-winning musical, Dear Evan Hansen, to the F. Otto Haas Stage this spring. Featuring a book by Steven Levenson and music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the production is directed by Terrence J. Nolen and co-conceived by Jorge Cousineau and Nolen. Performances begin May 21, the show opens May 27, and runs through July 5, 2026.












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