Photo by Thiery Donas

(VERONA, NJ) -- Pushcart Players, New Jersey's award-winning professional touring theater company for young audiences, joyfully announces its "50th Anniversary Garden Party" - a landmark celebration of five decades of storytelling, education, and imagination. The event takes place on Sunday, May 18, 2025 at 3:00pm.

The event will be held at the charming Avenue Bistro in Verona, welcoming friends, supporters, alumni, and theater lovers of all ages to an afternoon brimming with delicious fare, fine libations, laughter, and a walk down memory lane.

“We’re thrilled to honor our visionary cofounders, Ruth Fost and Carole Wechter,” said Paul Whelihan, Producing Artistic Director. “Their legacy has taken Pushcart from the little red schoolhouse to the White House — and their contributions continue to resonate in every production we bring to life.”

Special performances will include appearances by current and former company members, with musical accompaniment by Larry Hochman, Pushcart’s resident orchestrator and composer, who collaborated with Fost and Wechter throughout Pushcart’s history. Hochman, a Tony Award winner whose credits span Broadway hits like The Book of Mormon, Fiddler on the Roof, and Spamalot, will lend his signature brilliance to the festivities, ensuring an unforgettable afternoon of music, memory, and reflection on the future.

Tickets are available for purchase online. Avenue Bistro is located at 558 Bloomfield Avenue in Verona, New Jersey.

The celebration will also feature an exciting raffle with exclusive prizes, including a curated wine basket with a tasteful collection of vintages, and a “Theater Nerd Basket” packed with Broadway memorabilia, including autographed posters, original signed sheet music, and coveted tickets to performances in New Jersey and New York.

This milestone event not only honors the past, but also raises vital support for Pushcart’s continuing mission to bring high-quality, socially relevant theater and arts education to schools, community centers, and theaters nationwide.

“Don’t miss this celebration of heart, heritage, and the magic of live theater!” added Whelihan, “because the magic of Pushcart is not just in our past… it's also in our future.”

Founded in 1974, Pushcart Players is a not-for-profit, professional touring theater company specializing in arts education and productions for young audiences. The company has performed nationally and has been recognized with numerous awards for excellence in theater and education. Pushcart brings substantive musical theater, workshops, and residencies to young people and their families in schools and theaters throughout the country.

The repertory company addresses social studies, literature, history, special educational needs, social-emotional learning, and values clarification for young people, their families, and their educators. All performances by professional artists (Actors’ Equity Association) are supported by study guides, post-performance assessments, and other supplemental materials. Pushcart adapts to any location with innovative scenery, lighting, and sound systems.

As a social-profit organization, Pushcart Players’ programs are made possible in part by NJ State Council on the Arts/Department of State, NJ Cultural Trust, Pine Tree Foundation of New York, NJ State Bar Foundation, Actors’ Equity Foundation,  ADP Foundation, The Community Foundation of NJ, EJ Grassmann Trust, Hyde & Watson Foundation, The Montclair Foundation, PNC Bank/Lillian Schenck Foundation, The Sosland Foundation, Turrell Fund, The Whitehill Foundation, and numerous individual contributors.