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CurtainUp in New Jersey
NEW JERSEY CONNECTIONS
NJ TheatersNJ Theatre Alliance Discount Tix Information |
There are 22 professional not-for-profit theatres in New Jersey. They are all members of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, a valuable and supportive organization founded in 1981 to help promote and develop professional theater in the Garden State. In addition to these, there are also 9 up-and-coming developing theatre companies, known as Associate Member Theaters, all looking to upgrade as the Alliance's requirements and standards are met.
As my duties and assignments as a theater reviewer include all Broadway, most Off-Broadway and many Off-Off Broadway shows, my coverage of New Jersey theatres is limited to those that have been a regular part of my beat. I will, nevertheless, post information about up-coming shows worth checking out and mini-reviews of some I manage to catch but don't have time to review in more detail. Once a show we've reviewed closes, it will migrate to our Master Index of All Shows Reviewed at CurtainUp (Master Index) so that the review will still be available for reference. The little box headlined NEW JERSEY CONNECTIONS, includes besides a link to my own annotated list of area theaters, links to the NJTheatre Alliance website and its information regarding special programs and services, as well as several other websites you may find helpful.
Current Reviews & Features
The Colored Museum
A Streetcar Named Desire
Herringbone
New and Noteworthy in New Jersey
Transit of Venus (September 25 – October 19) Two offspring of two show business greats – Jake Robards (youngest son of theatre legend Jason Robards) and Prentiss Benjamin (daughter of Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss) – head the cast in Maureen Hunter’s play having its New Jersey premiere. Set in a French countryside in 1760, it is based on astronomer Guillaume Le Gentil and the women in his life. The Bickford Theatre, 6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, NJ 07960 (973) 971 - 3706
Doubt (now to September 27), the John Patrick Stanley hit about a nun in a Bronx Catholic school in 1964 suspects a popular priest of inappropriate behavior with a student, won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play in 2005. Cape May Stage, 31 Perry Street, Cape May, NJ 08284 (609) 884 – 1341.
The Colored Museum (September 25 – October 5) . . . had its world premiere at Crossroads theater in 1986 and moved to Broadway. At the time it put the Crossroads on the map (subsequently winning a Tony Award for Best Regional Theatre) and giving a major boost to the career of playwright-director George C. Wolfe. Set in a museum, eleven satirical vignettes examine the issues of color and what it means to be Black in America from slavery to hair to Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun. Watch for CurtainUp review shortly after opening) Crossroads Theatre Company, 7 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, (732) 545 - 8100
To The Ladies! (September 17 – October 18) This was the second of eight plays on which Pulitzer Prize winners George S. Kaufman and Marc Connelly collaborated. A comedy with a cast of eight, it features examples of the classic Kaufman heroine: a clever woman who outsmarts the men. This play was on Broadway starring Helen Hayes in 1922, but after 1924, no other productions of this comic rarity can be found. Nostalgia theater buffs should be inclined to check this one out. The East Lynne Theater Company, in residence at the East Lynne Theater Company, in residence at the First Presbyterian Church, 500 Hughes Street, Cape May 08204 (609)884- 5898.
Herringbone (September 5 – October 12). The quirky one-man musical tour-de-force stars BD Wong. Set in 1929, this ghost story with a dash of murder with a vaudeville twist has been appearing and disappearing for the past 25 years (but not with the same star). Watch for CurtainUp review shortly after opening. McCarter Theatre Center, 91 University Place, Princeton, NJ 08540. (609) 258 - 6500
Poetic License (September 4 – October 5) Jack Canfora’s play about greed, ambition, and madness is having its world premiere. In this purportedly gritty drama, a potential poet laureate is confronted by his past which could threaten both his career and his family. A CurtainUp review will appear shortly after opening. The New Jersey Repertory Company at the Lumia Theatre, 179 Broadway, Long Branch, NJ 07740 (732) 229 – 3166
Oklahoma (September 19 – October 19) We have heard that the Paper Mill will be taking a fresh look at this musical theater classic in which the feuding farmers and the ranchers have been turned into Democrats and Republicans (just kidding). No one would dare disrespect the immortal work of Rodgers and Hammerstein. A CurtainUp review will appear shortly after opening. Paper Mill Playhouse, Brookside Drive, Millburn, NJ 07041 (973) 379 - 3636
Rabbit Hole (September 5 – 21) This is the New Jersey premiere of David Lindsay-Abaire’s award-winning play about a family whose lives are shattered by an accident. Premiere Stages, Kean University, 1000 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ 07083. (908) 737 - 4092
A Streetcar Named Desire (September 10 – October 5) Laila Robins stars as the emotionally fragile Blanche in Tennessee Williams magnificent play. Artistic director of Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey Bonnie J. Monte directs. A CurtainUp review will appear shortly after opening. The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, 36 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ 07940. (973) 408 – 3278
Swingtime Canteen (September 3 – 14) This musical by Linda Thorsen Bond, William Repicci and Charles Busch features the nostalgic sounds of the 1940s. This stroll and a swing down memory lane was an Off Broadway hit in 1995 with famed drag artist-playwright Busch taking over one of the leads a couple of months into the run. Set in World War II England, as five gal pals, from a still glamorous movie legend to the girl next door, entertain the troops. They sing over 30 vintage classics, including a medley of the Andrew Sisters hits. Even later in the run, Busch was joined by Maxine Andrews. Even without Mr. Busch and Ms. Andrews, this show should be fun. Surflight Theatre, Engleside and Beach Avenues, Beach Haven, NJ 08008. (609) 492 - 9477
Barnum (September 17 – 28) The musical based on the life of famed circus showman P.T. Barnum has a lively score by Cy Coleman (music) and Michael Stewart (lyrics). The book by Mark Bramble follows Barnum’s 45 year-journey through successes and failures including his love affair with soprano Jenny Lynd. Surflight Theatre, Engleside and Beach Avenues, Beach Haven, NJ 08008. (609) 492 – 9477
Garden of Earthly Delights (September 3 – 14) Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch's famous and provocative painting comes to life in this flight of imaginative genius from visionary artist Martha Clarke. Clarke is remounting her lauded work in preparation for an engagement in New York. This production features live music composed by Richard Peaslee. Two River Theater Company, 21 Bridge Avenue, Red Bank, NJ 07701
Try onlineseats.com for great seats to
Wicked
Jersey Boys
The Little Mermaid
Lion King
Shrek The Musical
South Pacific
In the Heights
Playbill 2007-08 Yearbook
Leonard Maltin's 2008 Movie Guide
Wicked
Jersey Boys
The Little Mermaid
Lion King
Shrek The Musical
South Pacific
In the Heights
Playbill 2007-08 Yearbook
Leonard Maltin's 2008 Movie Guide