nj arts maven

PLAY HONORS PRESIDENTS’ MOTHERS @ ROSELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth Ross) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 18:48:15 PST

First Mothers: The Women Who Raised America’s Presidents
Produced by Pages of History, Inc.
Directed by Deb Guston
By L.E. McCullough

WHEN: Friday, Mar. 9, at 7:00 PM
WHERE:t Roseland Public Library, 20 Roseland Ave., Roseland NJ.
ADMISSION: free.

Despite the personal and political diversity of the men occupying the White House over the last two centuries, one common factor emerges — the essential ethical character and philosophical outlook of each were strongly shaped by his Mother.

Through compelling first-person dramatizations, FIRST MOTHERS presents crucial moments in the lives of 14 women who not only gave birth to Presidents. . . but helped set the destiny of the United States as we know it today.

These were women of action, no matter how remote they were from the centers of power or how humble or restricted their personal circumstances, says playwright McCullough. They all had deep religious conviction and an unshakeable belief that an individuals moral strength would create a better world.

First Mothers: The Women Who Raised Americas Presidents stars veteran New York actresses Wynne Anders, Lisa Bansavage, Laura Fois and Vivian Meisner.

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT:
With 22 published books of original plays and monologues and more than 180 plays in print, L.E. McCullough is among the nations most prolific and widely-distributed historical dramatists.

His Plays of America from American Folklore has been named to Glencoe/McGraw-Hills Recommended Children’s Reading List, along with literary classics such as Great Expectations, To Kill a Mockingbird, A Separate Peace, Lord of the Flies, Our Town and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

McCullough’s historical playwriting commissions include works on WW II journalist Ernie Pyle, 1920s jazz bandleader Charlie Davis (Indiana Historical Society), pharmaceutical magnate Col. Eli Lilly (Ninteenth Star Productions), Ben Franklin (Historic Philadelphia, Inc.), U.S. Constitution (National Constitution Center), Galileo (First Run Productions) and Battle of Trenton (Magnet Theatre). His stage play on legendary African-American pianist Leroy Carr, Blues for Miss Buttercup, won the Urban Stages Emerging Playwrights Award for its New York City debut.

His most recent New York production was as book writer for Orphan Train, a searing look at Americas surplus children that premiered at the New York Musical Theatre Fest and was directed by Patricia Birch.

http://www.pagesofhistory.org

PAGES OF HISTORY, INC. LIVE THEATRE, LIVING HISTORY

Their mission is to create and produce presentations of original plays that promote the study of history, current events and social topics of contemporary interest, with a particular interest in bringing these presentations to schools and young audiences.

Pages of History is an affordable performance and workshop program that brings professional actors and playwrights into schools to show students and teachers how they can enhance their curriculum by creating and performing one-act plays.

MUSICAL PLAY INAUGURATES NEW THEATER COMPANY

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth Ross) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 18:07:00 PST

SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD
By Jason Robert Brown

WHEN: Friday and Saturday, March 9 and 10, at 8:00 PM
WHERE: Pleasantdale Presbyterian Church, 471 Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange, at the corner of Eagle Rock Avenue.
TICKETS: $20 with senior and student discounts available at $18. Group rates are also available. For more information, please visit the WEBSITE. For tickets, please CLICK HERE or call 212.868.4444.
Tickets purchased at the door are available ONLY via cash or check. Sorry for any inconvenience.
Following both performances, the company will host a wine and cheese reception to thank the performers, donors and audiences for being a part of the new company.

Songs For A New World is a collection of music by composer Jason Robert Brown featuring a variety of musical genres including pop, jazz, gospel and classical. This powerhouse cast, supported by an exquisitely crafted score, takes us on a journey of hope, fear, dreams and a vivid expression of the human heart. Songs For a New World is about those moments in life when everything seems perfect and then suddenly disaster strikes, in the form of the loss of a job, an unexpected pregnancy, the death of a loved one, the end of a marriage or imprisonment. But it’s even more about surviving those moments. It's about the way we regroup and figure out how to survive in a new set of circumstances—a new world.

Pleasant Valley Productions was formed earlier this year by long-time friends and colleagues, Camille DiLorenzo, Ilene Greenbaum, and Howie Tilkin. The company’s mission is to create a professional theatre experience for local area performers, audience members, students and volunteers while providing a broad range of musical theatre works with the highest possible production value. DiLorenzo, Greenbaum, and Tilkin have been working together creating exciting and award-winning theatre for over ten years. The collaborators each bring their own skills to the new company. DiLorenzo boasts a 25 year theatrical career as director, producer, stage manager, performer, and arts education professional. Greenbaum has worked as music director and conductor for countless companies in New Jersey and New York for over 30 years. Tilkin, a recent graduate of NYU, currently serves as a Broadway and off-Broadway stage manager and production assistant.

(Above: cast members Jonathan Wentz, Mitchell Olson, Todd Shumpert, Christina Ryan, Lyle Dungee, Melissa Loderstedt Timpson, Uton Onyejekwe, Danielle Meola Valencia, and Cindy Jung)

PLAY ABOUT REDEMPTION @ NJ REP IN MARCH

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth Ross) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 12:14:00 PST

New Jersey Rep
Presents
SUMMER IN SANCTUARY
By Al Letson

WHEN: March 8-25, 2012; Thursdays, Fridays at 8:00 PM; Saturdays at 3:00 PM and 8:00 PM; and Sundays at 2:00 PM. Special previews are on Thursday, March 8 at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM and Friday, March 9 at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM
WHERE: New Jersey Rep, 179 Broadway in Long Branch
TICKETS: $35 with discounts for students (full-time 13-25), and groups of 10 or more. Additional performances can be scheduled on Thursday and Friday matinees or Sunday nights for groups of 30 or more.
For tickets call 732.229.3166 or visit www.njrep.org for online ticketing.
Warning: Strong adult language.

New Jersey Repertory Company is proud to present Summer In Sanctuary, an explosive new play by Al Letson, a nationally recognized award–winning slam poet, performer, playwright, and the host and producer of the popular State of the Re: Union on National Public Radio.

The title refers to “Sanctuary,” a community center located on 8th Street, in one of the toughest sections of Jacksonville, Florida, where Mr. Letson spent three months as a creative writing teacher at a summer camp for inner city teenagers. His intentions were noble. Letson grew up in a middle-class family in North Jersey, the son of a Southern Baptist preacher, and he wanted to make a difference. Imbued with idealism, he enthusiastically went down to Jacksonville but very quickly learned that “sanctuary” was a dangerously deceptive word, and that soon he would be challenged as he had never before been challenged, and that all his ideals of “giving-back,” good intentions and resolve, would soon be tested bitterly.

The kids he was supposed to “instruct” were fighting for survival on a daily basis in an environment rife with poverty, drugs and violent crime, and the fact that Mr. Letson is African-American did not give him a free pass. He had been dropped into a veritable war-zone, and although he sought desperately to connect and to impart the literature that he loved to his students, he was completely unprepared for what came next. He was confronted from the get-go with sullen faces, curses and rage, and quickly learned that the job description of “creative writing teacher” was much too narrow and that he would have to improvise if he was to survive serving as coach, therapist, advisor, chauffer, videographer and policeman. He found that things could explode at any moment and often did in this highly charged uncertain environment, and that the kids that he was trying to teach could be swallowed up at any time by the dangerous neighborhood where gang killings were the norm.

Most would have fled, but much to Letson’s credit he stayed put and dug in his heels, recognizing that although the painful journey that he was about to embark upon would test his character to the extreme, he could emerge with his compassion and ideals burnished and strengthened by reality.

With poetry, music and videos Summer in Sanctuary takes the audience on an intimate journey with Letson into the dark and wavering soul of America where redemption is still possible.

Special thanks to the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust for support of NJ Rep and this production of Summer in Sanctuary. Additional funding provided by The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, The Horizon Foundation for NJ, and the NJ State Council on the Arts.

NJ Rep is a non-profit, professional theater located at 179 Broadway in Long Branch, only minutes from the Jersey Shore. Free on-site parking and easy access from NJ Transit (North Jersey Coast Line) and Academy Buses.

CENTENARY STAGE COMPANY PRESENTS THIRD ANNUAL BLUES FESTIVAL

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth Ross) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 11:40:00 PST

Roomful Of Blues plays an inspired, lively and heated brand of rippling, up-tempo, horn-dominated R&B.”—Rolling Stone

CENTENARY STAGE COMPANY BLUESFEST
WHEN: March 8—10
WHERE: Lackland Center, 715 Grand Ave., Hackettstown (on Centenary College campus)
TICKETS: $25 in advance and $30 the day of performance. The March 10 performance will be $30 in advance and $35 the day of performance. Both performances will have a student discount of $15, with student ID. A special “Blues Pass” is also available, offering both days of performances for $50.
Tickets are available through the Centenary Stage Company box office open 1-5 PM. Monday through Friday and two hours prior to each performance. They may also be purchased online at www.centenarystageco.org or by calling the box office at 908.979.0900.

With nationally-renown musicians such as Roomful of Blues and Blood Sweat and Tears vocalist and harmonica virtuoso Rob Paparozzi, the festival offers top-notch entertainment throughout the weekend. Joining Roomful of Blues and Paparozzi for the festival will be The Hudson River Rats, Quimby Mountain Band, the VooDudes, Rhett Tyler, and Johnny Charles and Nasty Ned.

HUDSON RIVER RATS
WHEN: Friday, March 9, 7 PM
WHERE: Lackland Center

Kicking off the Lackland activities will be Grammy-nominated harmonica player and vocalist Rob Paparozzi (left). Known for his work as the lead singer for Blood Sweat and Tears, Paparozzi now brings his own band, The Hudson River Rats, to Hackettstown. A native of New Jersey, Paparozzi has also performed and with legendary musicians such as B.B. King, Whitney Houston, and Bruce Springsteen and toured with the Original Blues Brothers band. Paparozzi’s Hudson River Rats features blues musicians Ed Alstrom, John Korba, Chris Eminizer, Bernard Purdie, George Naha, and Bailey Gee. Also making an appearance at Friday night’s performance will be the veteran Blues Festival band, The VooDudes, accompanied by Hackettstown’s local Quimby Mountain Band. (Photo above by Jay Rosenblatt)

ROOMFUL OF BLUES
WHEN: Saturday, March 10, 6:30 PM
WHERE: Lackland Center

Roomful of Blues, the eight-piece award-winning lineup of musicians who have been recording albums and touring worldwide since 1967. Described by Billboard as “a tour de force of horn-fried blues… so tight and so right, ” the Roomful of Blues has earned a total of five Grammy nominations, seven Blues Music Awards, and most recently was awarded a Boston Music Award for Best Blues Act in 2011. The Roomful of Blues will feature Phil Pemberton on vocals, Chris Vachon on guitar, John Turner on upright and electric bass, Travis Colby on piano, Ephraim Lowell on drums, Rich Lataille on alto and tenor saxophone, Mark Earley on baritone and tenor saxophone, and Doug Woolverton on trumpet. Also performing on Saturday night will be Rhett Tyler, who has been described as “The certain face of future blues” by John Swenson of Rolling Stone. Following Rhett Tyler will be performances by harmonica player, vocalist, and veteran show host of American Roots Live, Nasty Ned, who will be accompanied by guitarist Johnny Charles.

The BluesFest will move downtown during the weekend with a “Down-town Kickoff” on Thursday, March 8, from 5 – 7 PM at the Gazebo on Main Street with music by Amplified Heat, presented by Mr. Music.
A performance on Friday, March 9, by Rockin’ Blue will take place from 4- 6:30 PM at Marley’s Gotham Grill on Main Street in Hackettstown.
Marley’s will also host a performance by Great Fraud on Saturday, March 10, from 4-6 PM and a “post-show party” on Saturday, from 10:30 – 12 midnight, featuring Brooke Shive and the 45s at Marleys.

Blues Festival is a co-production of Centenary Stage Company and Joe Hirsch Productions, and is sponsored in part by PNC Bank. The 2012-13 season of performing arts at Centenary Stage Company is made possible (and affordable) through the generous support of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the NJ Council of the Arts, the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, and Centenary Stage Company members and sponsors, including Premier Sponsors Fulton (formerly Skylands) Community Bank and Heath Village Retirement Community, as well as Hackettstown Regional Medical Center and Mama’s Café and Baci

FILM ADDRESSES EFFECT OF HOLOCAUST ON 2nd GENERATION

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth Ross) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 11:12:00 PST

CONCERT + ART SHOW WELCOME SPRING @ FARMSTEAD ARTS IN MARCH

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth Ross) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 11:25:57 PST

ART EXHIBITION & SALE OF CONTEMPORARY ART
WHEN: March 4 – April 22; opening reception on Sunday, March 4.
WHERE: Farmstead Arts Gallery, 450 King George Road, Basking Ridge
ADMISSION: Free

SPANISH & LATIN AMERICAN ROMANTIC DUETS CONCERT
WHEN: Sunday, March 11, at 2 PM
WHERE: Farmstead Arts Gallery, 450 King George Road, Basking Ridge
TICKETS: $20 per person, Students/Seniors $10
Tickets for the Farmstead Arts concert are limited, and can be purchased at http://farmsteadguitarduo.eventbrite.com, at the Farmstead during gallery hours, or on the day of the concert based on availability.

Original works in oil and watercolors by Dorothy Siclare of Millington, Maryann Ficker of Bridgewater, Linda Lam of Bridgewater and Rasalia Tignini Verdun of Roselle Park will be on display and for sale. The four award-winning artists have been painting together for several years. Their works have been featured at the Visual Art Center of New Jersey, Somerset Arts Association, Livingston Arts Association, Watchung Art Center, and the Contemporary Art Group and in fine galleries across New Jersey and New York.

The Farmstead Arts concert series will feature the Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo performing Spanish and Latin American music by Piazzolla, Rodriguez, Brouwer, Lennon/McCartney, Ponce, Machado, Jobim and Albeniz. Called a "revelation to hear" by The Washington Post, the Duo, comprised of Michael Newman and Laura Oltman, have delighted audiences on five continents for over 30 years.

Artistic Directors of both the Raritan River Music Festival and New York Guitar Seminar at Mannes, they serve on the faculty and are ensemble-in-residence at Mannes College of Music, and are recipients of numerous honors, including awards from the National Endowment for the Arts and Chamber Music America.

Innovators in chamber music, Newman & Oltman have collaborated with such diverse artists as author Frank McCourt, Irish fiddler Eileen Ivers, composer Osvaldo Golijov and mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, among others. The duo has recorded twelve critically-acclaimed albums and taken the lead on developing a new repertoire for the ensemble.

ART CLASSES
WHEN: March 24 – April 28
WHERE: Farmstead Arts Gallery, 450 King George Road, Basking Ridge

Classes for teens and adults include a basic drawing class on Saturdays from 11:15 AM – 1 PM with Susan Antin and a water color class with Frank Pietrucha on Saturday mornings from 9 – 10:45 AM
Register at www.farmsteadartclasses2012.eventbrite.com, or at the Farmstead during gallery hours.
Individual and small group weaving classes for all ages from beginners to advanced are offered on an on-going basis by Farmstead Artist in Residence Michelle L. Marigliano. Contact Michelle at 732.801.9577 for more information.

For a complete list of Farmstead Arts events and classes and to register for classes, visit www.farmsteadartscenter.org, or visit Facebook. For more information, e-mail farmsteadartscenter@gmail.com, or call 1.347.927-8748.

The farmhouse is wheelchair accessible. Anyone anticipating the need for additional accessibility services is requested to make a request by sending an e-mail to the farmsteadartscenter@gmail.com at least three weeks in advance.

Funds for these events have been made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, through the State/County Partnership Local Arts Program Grant administered by The Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission.

GREEDY MISER IN WACKY COMEDY OPENS @ SOMERSET VALLEY PLAYHOUSE THIS WEEKEND

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth Ross) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 11:07:31 PST

SLY FOX
By Larry Gelbart
Directed by Christopher Rollings

WHEN: March 2-18, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, Sundays at 2 PM
WHERE: Somerset Valley Players, 689 Amwell Road, Hillsborough
TICKETS: $15 for Adults and $13 for Seniors and Students.
For tickets, please visit www.svptheatre.org or call 908.369.7469.

A fast-paced comedy about money-grubbing greed in the old West finds a crafty miser pretending to be dying in order to see which of his phony friends he can fleece of their gold, as the farcical fools cow-tow to his every crazy wish and wacky whim in their silly self-centered hopes to be named his only heir.

Starring

Peter (PJ) Campacci	Greg Chornomaz
Janet DeAugustine	Lynda Dickson
Amy Dilts	Megan Halvorsen
Zita Heinz	James J. Houston
Carl Leone	Michael A. Muller
Kate Murray	Rudy Palma
Eric Radell	Peter Reimann
Lou Savarese	Noah Stanzione

Watch SLY FOX commercial here

Just a few miles west of Route 206.
"Yes, we are the little red schoolhouse!"
Wheelchair Accessible and Air Conditioned

NEW MOON PLAY READING USHERS IN MARCH @ LUNA STAGE

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth Ross) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 08:48:00 PST

New Moon Play Reading

23.5 Hours
Written by Carey Crim
Directed by Giovanna Sardelli

WHEN: Monday, March 5, 7:30 PM
WHERE: Luna Stage, 555 Valley Road, West Orange
ADMISSION: $5 Suggested Donation at the Door. No Reservations Necessary.

Tom Hodges was that teacher. The one a student adores. The one a parent admires. The one who went above and beyond and actually made a difference. But when a student accused Tom of crossing the line, despite his claims of innocence, he did the time. Now, years later, as he returns home to reconnect with his wife, estranged son and closest friends, they are all forced to face their doubts about who Tom really is: upstanding husband, father and Educator of the Year, calculating sexual predator, or perhaps, both.

Call 973.395.5551 for more information

PREMIERE STAGES: DAY OF EVENTS WITH NOTED ACTOR & CIVIC ACTIVIST RICHARD DREYFUSS

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth Ross) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 18:26:00 PST

Premiere Stages is thrilled to host a day of events featuring the Academy Award Winning Actor and Civics activist, Richard Dreyfuss. On Monday, March 5th, Mr. Dreyfuss will visit the Kean Campus to engage the campus and local community in three planned lecture events. The schedule for the visit is as follows:

2:00 PM—A hour-long lecture focusing on the importance of civics education in public schools presented in conjunction with the Kean Department of History and the Kean Center for History, Politics, and Policy.

3:30 PM—A conversation with Kean Department of theatre students moderated by Premiere Stages Artistic Director John Wooten on the evolution of acting.

7:00 PM—A reading of The Commandant by Frederic Morton starring Mr. Dreyfuss, presented in conjunction with the Kean Jewish Studies and World Affairs Program, the Masters Program in Holocaust and Genocide Studies, and the Kean Holocaust Resource Center.

WHERE: All events will be held in the Kean University Center Little Theatre. ADMISSION: Events are free and open to the public, but reservations are required. For more information, please call 908.737.4092 or e-mail premiere@kean.edu

SMILING RHINO THEATRE SEEKS TEEN SINGERS/DANCERS FOR “FAME JR.”

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth Ross) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:09:00 PST

AUDITIONS:

WHERE: Smiling Rhino Theatre, 247 Wanaque Ave., Pompton Plains
973.248.9491
www.smilingrhinotheatre.com

MORRIS MUSEUM ANNOUNCES KIDS’ WORKSHOP

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth Ross) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:49:00 PST

Art Links: Connecting Children to the Arts—Exploring Abstract Expressionism & Jazz

WHEN: Saturday, March 3, 11 AM – 3 PM
WHERE: Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown
ADMISSION: Free with museum admission
Space is limited and pre-registration is required. To register call 973.971.3708 or e-mail mzarcone@morrismuseum.org.

Children will create their own masterpieces in workshops at the Morris Museum exploring Abstract Expressionism and Jazz on Saturday, March 3. A sampling of participants’ artwork will be on view in a special museum exhibition on March 8. This educational program is offered in conjunction with the current exhibition, Celebrating Our Legacy: The 20^th Anniversary Exhibition of Art in the Atrium, on view at the Morris Museum through March 18, which features the work of Abstract Expressionist artist Norman Lewis and 29 other African-American artists.

Children’s Art Workshops

Workshop 1 - 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM for ages 6-8
Workshop 2 - 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM for ages 9-12

This educational program offers an opportunity for children to study and create their own artworks in the style of artist Norman Lewis (1909-1979), who was the first major African-American member of the art movement known as Abstract Expressionism. The workshops will be led by Maureen Palmquist, art teacher at Red Oaks School, an independent school (pre-K to grade 6) in Morristown, NJ. Ms. Palmquist has been teaching art for over 20 years; she seeks to connect children to art as an extension of life, and “to open children’s eyes, through the creative process, to universal values like compassion and tolerance”.

Support for this program is provided by Morris County Chapter: The Links, Inc.

About Art in the Atrium
Art in the Atrium, Inc. (ATA) is a non-profit arts organization located in Morris County, New Jersey, that showcases fine art by established and emerging African-American artists through an annual exhibition, the largest of its kind in New Jersey. ATA’s mission is to increase community understanding and awareness of African-American art and artists.

About Featured Artist Norman Lewis (1909 – 1979)
Norman Wilfred Lewis was born in Harlem, New York, to Bermudian immigrant parents. A skilled painter, sculptor, tailor, pianist, dancer, puppeteer, and educator with a passion for drafting, calligraphy and needlepoint, Lewis was the first major African-American member of the art movement known as Abstract Expressionism. As such, he occupies a unique position in the canon of American art. During the Harlem Renaissance, Norman was a founding member of the Harlem Artists Guild and part of the “306 Group” that included artists, writers and musicians from various big bands, including Duke Ellington’s. Norman Lewis enjoyed a long and prolific career that spanned decades, achieving notable milestones and ground-breaking exhibits, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum. (Top: Untitled, 1947, Norman Lewis, Collection of Tarin Fuller)

About the Morris Museum
The Morris Museum is an award-winning, community-based arts and cultural institution which serves the public through the presentation of high caliber permanent and changing exhibitions in the arts, sciences and humanities. The Museum also offers educational programs, family events, and is home to the Bickford Theatre and its wide range of performing arts offerings. Continuously serving the public since 1913, the Morris Museum has been designated a Major Arts Institution and has received the New Jersey State Council on the Arts’ Citation of Excellence, among other awards. In 2013 the museum will celebrate its Centennial Anniversary. These programs are made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts; the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation; the F.M. Kirby Foundation and the New Jersey Cultural Trust.

HOURS: Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 11 AM to 5 PM; Thursday, 11 AM to 8 PM; and Sunday, 1-5 PM. Admission to the museum is $10 for adults and $7 for children, students and senior citizens. Admission is always free for museum members and is free to the public every Thursday between 5 and 8 PM. For more information, call 973.971.3700, or visit www.morrismuseum.org

CELEBRATE THE VISUAL & CULINARY ARTS IN TRENTON

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth Ross) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 19:02:02 PST

Yes, cooking is an ART and it is CULTURAL! That’s why this notice is included on NJ Arts Maven blog:

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS. (Link on graphic will not work)

PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE & VSA-NJ TO OFFER CREATIVE DRAMA CLASS FOR STUDENTS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth Ross) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:28:04 PST

CREATIVE DRAMA CLASS
For students with developmental disabilities ages 9 to 12

WHEN: This class meets Fridays from April 13 through May 25, from 3:45 till 4:45 PM.
WHERE: Paper Mill Playhouse, 22 Brookside Drive, Millburn
TUITION: This six week program costs $170 per student. Space is limited, so register today.
INSTRUCTOR: Leslie Fanelli of VSA-NJ

Designed specifically for children with developmental disabilities, and planned in cooperation with VSA-NJ, an organization which provides a wide array of arts programming for children and adults with disabilities, this brand-new class will include theater improvisation, story telling, music, movement and visual art. The series will creatively address and include diverse learning styles and modes of communication.

“I am very pleased to broaden the offerings in our Theater for Everyone programming,” stated Lisa Cooney, Paper Mill Playhouse’s Director of Education. “In this instance, as with all of our classes, we'll certainly see how arts education is not merely the icing on the cake to a child's education, but it's really the baking soda that helps all kids grow and explore ways of communicating.”

Paper Mill Playhouse has long provided a Theater For Everyone model, and in 2011 the theater began offering a groundbreaking program, Sensory Friendly live theater performances for children with autism and other developmental disabilities.

Mickey McNany, Paper Mill Playhouse’s Theater School Director comments, “My granddaughter has Down Syndrome, and for her ninth birthday we had a theater party, and she acted out the most enchanting Sleeping Beauty. She had invited many of her friends from Stepping Stones, a school for children with disabilities. After the party, many of the parents thought it would be wonderful if there was a program where their children could have the opportunity to play these roles. My response was, ‘Why not!’ Paper Mill Playhouse is thrilled to offer this new class in partnership with VSA-NJ.”

Paper Mill Playhouse embraces a long history of providing access services to patrons of the theater and beyond. At Paper Mill Playhouse, we believe that the joy of live theater should be shared by everyone regardless of developmental or physical disability. We are proud to have our accessibility programming recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts, VSA arts/ MetLife, and the New Jersey Department of Recreation as a role model for other performing arts organizations.

Paper Mill offers a wide variety of access programs and services including: sign-interpreted performances, open-captioned performances, audio-described performances, pre-show sensory seminars and barrier-free access theater-wide. Richard Herring, former director of the NJ Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing comments, “the comprehensive communication (interpreted performances, captioning and assistive listening devices) offered to patrons of Paper Mill Playhouse are among the most progressive and inclusive in New Jersey entertainment.”

Paper Mill Playhouse received the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ 2009 Excellence in Accessibility Leadership Award, the 2009 Arts Presenters/MetLife Award for Innovation and Excellence in Access, and the Cultural Access Network of New Jersey’s 2010 Sustainer Award and 2011 Innovators Award for its “Sensory-Friendly” live theater performances. These awards recognize the theater’s innovative access programming, its commitment to accessibility, and its example to other arts organizations in New Jersey and across the country.

Paper Mill Playhouse Access programming is generously supported by MetLife Foundation, The Merck Company Foundation, C.R. Bard Foundation, Inc., Fund for the New Jersey Blind, and Cultural Access Network of New Jersey.

Founded in 1978, VSA-NJ is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the creative power of people with disabilities. The organization is part of the international VSA network, an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE, a not-for-profit arts organization, is one of the country's leading regional theatres. Paper Mill Playhouse programs are made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, A Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Paper Mill Playhouse is a member of Theatre Communications Group, the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, the Council of Stock Theatres, and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.

LIBERTY HALL HOSTS BREAKFAST, TEA & AN EXHIBIT

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth Ross) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:11:12 PST

Liberty Hall Museum at Kean University asks: “Would you, could you in a box? Would you, could you with a fox?” The celebrated museum invites young patrons and their families to see if they like green eggs and ham!

DR. SEUSS’ BIRTHDAY BREAKFAST
WHEN: Sunday, March 4, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 noon
WHERE: Liberty Hall, Kean University campus, 1003 Morris Avenue in Union
FEE: $20.00 per child, $25.00 per adult.
Reservations are required.

Liberty Hall hosts a Dr. Seuss’ Birthday Breakfast, celebrating the birthday of the beloved author / illustrator of children’s books. Guests are invited to enjoy a whimsical breakfast while museum staff entertains with classic Dr. Seuss stories.

“There’ll even be a special guest!” said Bill Schroh, director of museum operations. “One who’ll tickle the fancy of Seuss lovers young and old alike!”

LUCK OF THE IRISH AFTERNOON TEA
WHEN: March 14 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM
FEE: $40 per person and reservations are required.

The “Luck of the Irish Afternoon Tea” is the perfect place to sip tea, lunch on finger sandwiches and desserts while gazing at the formal English garden from the comfort of Liberty Hall’s glass-enclosed porch. A tour of Liberty Hall will follow afternoon tea.

THE WEARY AND THE WOUNDED:
72 Hours in the Life of a Civil War Nurse
WHEN: Ongoing exhibit during 2012
ADMISSION: Free; a fee applies for a tour of Liberty Hall.

This exhibit commemorates Christine Kean Griffin’s service, and the service of all Civil War nurses.

Liberty Hall Museum at Kean University was the one-time home of New Jersey’s first elected governor, William Livingston. Chronicling more than 200 years of American history, the museum and its grounds are a treasure trove of significant riches. Along with forgotten letters from Thomas Jefferson, Liberty Hall also houses extensive collections of antique furniture, ceramics, textiles, toys and tools owned by seven generations of the Livingston and Kean families. The property boasts manicured gardens and fruitful orchards and vegetable fields. The Firehouse is the latest addition to the Museum’s complex housing antique fire engines and a collection of fire memorabilia.

General admission to the museum for regular visits is $10 for adults, $8 for Kean University alumni, $6 for students (ages 3 – 17) and free to children under three, Liberty Hall Museum members and Kean University students, faculty and staff. Liberty Hall is open to the public Monday through Saturday 10 AM to 4 PM. For further information, e-mail libertyhall@kean.edu or visit www.kean.edu/libertyhall.

RVCC SCHEDULES 2 SHOWS FOR STARRY-EYED KIDS

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth Ross) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:53:23 PST

TWINKLE TWONKLE

WHEN: Fri., Mar. 2, at 10 AM and 12:30 PM; Sat., Mar. 3, at 1 & 3:30 PM
WHERE: The Theatre at RVCC, 118 Lamington Road, Branchburg
TICKETS: FRIDAY TICKETS: Call Cristina at 908.526.1200 x8267
SATURDAY TICKETS: Box Office (908.725.3420, M-F, 11-4)
At the door, beginning at 11:30 AM, Saturday or on-line at http://www.rvccArts.org

From one of England's most prized children's theater companies comes a sparkling new show inspired by Mother Goose's most beloved nursery rhymes and the science of our solar system. Stella loves the stars. Ryan loves nursery rhymes. When his teddy bear is missing and a new bear constellation appears in the sky Ryan extends the telescope and starts climbing into the stars in search of his bear. Stella has no choice but to follow.

THE LITTLE STAR THAT COULD
A show at the RVCC Planetarium
WHEN: Saturday, March 3, at 1 & 3 PM
Recommended for ages 6-12 accompanied by an adult
TICKETS: Box Office (908.725.3420, M-F, 11-4)
At the door, beginning at 11:30 AM, Sat.
Or on-line at http://www.rvccArts.org
Or, call the RVCC Planetarium at 908.231.8805 for reservations!

Join Little Star, an average yellow star, as he meets other colorful stars in our galaxy during his quest for a name and a planet to call his own. Imagine his surprise when he discovers planets already orbiting him.

HOLOCAUST ARTIFACTS EXHIBIT OPENS @ KAPLEN JCC

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth Ross) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:40:15 PST

STORIES OF SURVIVAL: HOLOCAUST ARTIFACTS EXHIBIT
Tell It To Your Children...Let Them Pass It On From Generation to Generation (Joel 1:3)

WHEN: March 1 – 28; Reception with Survivors and their families: Sunday, March 11, 1-3 PM
WHERE: The Waltuch Gallery at the Kaplen JCC, 411 E. Clinton Ave., Tenafly
Gallery hours are Monday – Thursday, 9 AM – 10 PM; Friday and Sunday, 9 AM – 5 PM; closed Saturday and Jewish holidays.
ADMISSION: free and open to the community.
For more information contact Steve Golden at 201.408.1426.

The Kaplen JCC on the Palisades will feature a rare display of Holocaust-related artifacts belonging to survivors who are residents of Northern New Jersey. Each artifact in this exhibit—whether a document, a piece of clothing, a photo or a news clipping—tells a powerful story of survival that took place in Germany, France, Holland, Poland, Italy, England and China. The goal of the exhibit is to share these stories in hope of spurring survivors and the public at large to collect and preserve Holocaust artifacts of this kind in museums and other institutions, where they can remain permanently accessible to future generations. (Above: Franciszka (Frania) Sobkowa, nursemaid and housekeeper to the Bienstock family of Drohobycz, Poland, with two of the Bienstock children)

Plans for the exhibit were initiated nearly a year ago, when the JCC and Dr. Mordecai Paldiel, a professor at Stern College who is the exhibit’s curator, invited local Holocaust survivors and their families to share their Holocaust-related mementos and personal artifacts in a special exhibition at the JCC. (Left: Johann Sirota, born 1896 in Mikalowska, Podolsk, Ukraine)

“Since a large population of Holocaust survivors live in this area, our hope was to assemble a meaningful assortment of artifacts that could serve as a visible, tangible reminder of what these survivors endured,” says Dr. Paldiel. “Holocaust survivors have now reached the age when they can finally look back and reflect on their and their families’ experience with some sense of peace. Having endured the most horrific experience in human life imaginable, they miraculously garnered the strength to recoup, raise families, and in some cases new families, and become successful in many economic, cultural and social endeavors. Many survivors have saved their passports or visas or photographs from this unforgettable time in history, and we believe that it is vitally important that these items be preserved and viewed and reflected upon…so that they won’t be lost forever.”

The exhibit, nearly a year in the making, documents the personal stories of seven residents of Bergen County, whose lives were shaped by what they and their parents experienced during the Holocaust. On display are their passports, visas, work permits, travel permits, authentic and false identification cards; photos of themselves or lost loved ones; religious artifacts; and personal items. Each artifact tells a story that will take the viewer back in time to Germany, France, Poland, Lithuania—and even to distant Shanghai, where many Jews fled for safety. And every item serves as an enduring reminder of the strength of the human spirit and its ability to cope with and overcome evil, suffering and adversity. (Above right: The passport belongs to Kurt Roberg.)

“The exhibit represents just a small handful of survivors from among a much larger group living amidst us,” asserts Professor Paldiel. “And yet if we were able to compile them all, they would most likely communicate one important and powerful theme: that even in the aftermath of the unthinkable, survivors found the strength, courage and determination to reassert happy and meaningful lives. This exhibit is living proof of their incredible spirit, and it is my hope, and that of the JCC, to ensure that we remain vigilant against the dangers of prejudice and hatred, and, through exhibits such as this, send a message that freedom and tolerance are not values to be taken for granted, but ones to be constantly asserted and taught to future generations.” (Above left: Rachela Jacobowitz, nee Wolman, born 1924 in Sochaczew, Poland)

CELEBRATE SPRING WITH AN ART CLASS @ MONTCLAIR ART MUSEUM

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth Ross) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 13:54:26 PST

Members' Priority Registration is now open for Spring and Summer Classes!

The Yard School of art offers classes every day of the week in all media. Exciting new offerings include:

Learning to See: Color Theory for Oil and Acrylic Painting
Introduction to Art Journaling
Introduction to Writing and Illustrating Children's Books
Printmaking and the Artist Book
Pastel to Go
Intermediate/Advanced Digital Photography
Portrait Photography
Introduction to Graphic Design

And new for kids and teens:

Artful Animals
Creature Cups
Masks and More
Beyond the Sketchbook
Digital Painting
Fashion for all
Art of the Tween
Digital Art and Design
The Digital Portfolio

Check out all Spring courses and workshops!

Register now for SummerART 2012, including SummerART Camp!

The Montclair Art Museum’s Yard School of Art offers an extensive summer arts program for adults, children, and teens. Our eight-week SUMMERART Camp for kids is perfect for keeping children cool
and creative during their summer break. They offer three types of camp: a theme-based camp held in their Museum studios that uses all kinds of fine art mediums, a Pottery Camp, and a Digital Media Camp. Additionally, they offer a series of classes for teens, as well as a variety of adult classes and workshops.

Browse offerings for kids, adults, and teens!

Register today!

WINNERS OF 10TH ANNUAL YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS COMPETITION ANNOUNCED

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth Ross) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 08:25:00 PST

Performance and Award Ceremony
for The Theater Project 10^th Annual
Young Playwrights Competition

WHEN: One Performance Only, Saturday, March 10, at 2 PM
WHERE: The Cranford Community Center, 224 Walnut Ave, Cranford, NJ
TICKETS: Tickets are free and limited seating is available on a first come first serve basis.
More info: www.TheTheaterProject.org
E-mail: theaterproject@aol.com
Telephone: 908.809.8865

First Prize goes to Justine DeSilva from Ridgewood
Second Prize goes to Emma Hathaway of Rutherford
Third Prize goes to Angel Shin of River Vale
Dennis Gribben of Brick, Victoria Grayner and Kelly Sheridan both from Dumont will receive Honorable Mentions

The writers of the three winning entries will have their work performed by the professional actors of The Theater Project at the awards ceremony in Cranford. Each will also receive a savings bond. The Honorable Mention writers will receive citations and gift certificates. The Friends of the Cranford Library have donated a prize for the contest.

The competition was inspired by a generous donation from Linden resident Bill Mesce, Jr. who will speak at the event. Mr. Mesce is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter, whose recent novel The Advocate was published by Bantam Books.

The goal of the Young Playwrights' Competition is to encourage the next generation of theater practitioners and audience by honoring their work and bringing it to life.

ABOUT THE THEATER PROJECT
The Theater Project founded in 1994 (previously performing at Union County College) is joining forces with the What Exit? Theater Company, one of the state’s leading comedy platforms. Under the banner The Theater Project, the new organization will produce main stage productions along with a host of other programming out of the Burgdorff Cultural Center in Maplewood. The Theater Project’s Mark Spina will remain Artistic Director, and What Exit? Founder and Artistic Director Bev Sheehan will take on the roles of Casting Director and Special Events Coordinator.

The Theater Project has recently received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, and the New Jersey State Council for the Arts. More information is available at TheTheaterProject.org.

CHESTER THEATRE GROUP HOLDS AUDITIONS FOR IRISH PLAY

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth Ross) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:27:37 PST

AUDITIONS NOTICE:

THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE
By Martin McDonagh
Directed by Steve Catron (eagleswon@yahoo.com)

WHEN: March 4 and 6 at 7 PM
WHERE: Black River Playhouse (Corner of Grove and Maple) in Chester, New Jersey
Performance Dates: May 4-6, 11-12, and 18-20, 2012.
For further information, contact the director, Stephen Catron, at leenane@chestertheatregroup.org

All roles are open. The play has four characters, 2 males, 2 females:

MAUREEN FOLAN – 40s.
MAG FOLAN – her mother, 60s.
PATO DOOLEY – 40s.
RAY DOOLEY – Pato’s brother, 20s

The play is a blend of black comedy, melodrama, and bleak tragedy. Set in the Irish village of Leenane in the early 1990s.

Centering on the life of Maureen Folan, a 40-ish-year-old spinster who takes care of her selfish and manipulative 60-ish-year-old mother Mag. Maureen's sisters have escaped into marriage and family life, but Maureen, with a history of mental illness, is trapped in a seriously dysfunctional relationship with her mother.

The Folan cottage is visited by Pato Dooley and his younger brother Ray. Pato is a 40-ish construction worker fed up with having to live and work in England, disappointed by the limitations and loneliness of his life. The day-to-day sameness is tedious also for Ray 20-ish, a non-threatening "bad boy."

The glimmer of a last-chance romance between Maureen and Pato sparks up in the first act, and continues in the second one with a notable monologue of Pato. The plot, full of deceptions, secrets and betrayals interspersed with turnabouts, keeps surprising the audience.

MARCH INTO ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS & ADULTS @ THE MONTCLAUR ART MUSEUM

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth Ross) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 09:46:21 PST

WHERE: The Montclair Art Museum, Bloomfield Ave., & Mountain Ave., Montclair

Monthly Family Programs

Park Bench
Second Wednesday of the Month
March 14, 9:30 – 11:30 AM
$6 per child, Adults $12 (FREE for adult Member)
Movement

Home School Days
Third Thursday (Ages 9 – 13) and Friday (Ages 4 – 8)
March 16 and 17, Noon – 2 PM
$6 per child, Adults $12 (FREE for adult Member)
Transformations

Monthly Tours

Closer Look
First Friday of the Month
Coincides with MAM's FREE First Fridays
March 2, 2 PM
Look Now: Modern and Contemporary Art from Private Collections

Create Your Own Website Using Free Online Tools
Sunday, March 4, Noon – 4 PM
$85 Members, $105 Nonmembers
Liron Sissman, M.B.A.
Register online

In this four-hour hands-on workshop, participants will create and publish their own website using free online tools. Participants will be guided through the use of free online templates, and a free web-hosting service, to create a professional looking website. There is no need to preregister your domain name. However, if you already own a domain name this workshop will guide you through the application of templates to design and upload your site to your domain name and to easily maintain your site. Please bring jpeg images of your work (preferably at 72dpi) along with files containing your résumé, biography, and artist statement.

It’s Your Turn! Introduction to Wheel Throwing
Two dates offered: Sunday, March 4 or Sunday, March 11, 10 AM – Noon
$50 Members, $75 Nonmembers
Evan Wagman
Register online

These one-day workshops are ideal for a beginner who wants to learn or experiment with throwing pottery on the wheel. Through ample individual attention from the instructor, and as well as demos and discussion, students will learn the steps and techniques of wheel throwing, including centering clay, throwing bowl and vase forms, and trimming. Students will select glazes and return to pick up the fired pots two weeks from the workshop date.

MAM and the Adult School of Montclair

George Inness After Hours Tour
Professor Adrienne Baxter Bell, Marymount Manhattan College
Thursday, March 8, 7 – 8:30 PM
Call 973.746.6636 to register through the Adult School of Montclair. Enroll EARLY! Limited to 25 participants
$18 MAM Members, $20 Nonmembers

Join Dr. Adrienne Baxter Bell for a special after-hours tour of MAM's current exhibition, George Inness: Private Treasures, which brings together ten Inness works from private collections in the Montclair area. Often called the “Father of American Landscape Painting,” Inness and his work are central to American art history, as well as a part of Montclair’s history. Inness spent the last nine years of his life in Montclair, from 1885 onward, and the town was frequently the subject of his art. Adrienne Baxter Bell authored George Inness and the Visionary Landscape and George Inness: Writings and Reflections on Art and Philosophy.

Image: George Inness, Breaking through the Clouds, ca. 1883-1894, oil on canvas. Montclair Historical Society.

Sculpy Animals (Ages 6 – 12)
Saturday, March 10, 2 – 4 PM
$50 Members, $75 Nonmembers
Donald Theiberger
Register online

Create animals and creatures using colorful Sculpy clay! Bunnies in the bathtub, sharks biting scuba divers, giant squids wrestling ships, penguins surfing or watching TV … the possibilities are endless!

Come Build Montclair in Lego ™
Sunday, March 11
Two sessions: 2 – 4 PM or 5 – 7 PM
$35 per family
Advance registration required. Must register in-person at The Store at MAM, Tuesday – Sunday, 9 AM – 5 PM

Work with architect Stephen W. Schwartz of Building Blocks Workshops to visualize your community as you’ve never seen it before. With over 60,000 LEGO™ building blocks at their disposal, families will be given a photograph of a specific building in Montclair to recreate. These building models will then be placed on a 30 x 20 foot map of downtown Montclair. Suitable for families with children ages 5 – 14. Maximum four persons per group, with at least one adult per group. Space is limited to 50 families for the two-hour event, and a parent or adult must accompany children.

Painting the Pastel Figure
Sunday, March 11, 10 AM – 4 PM
$90 Members, $110 Nonmembers
Alex Piccirillo
Register online

Working with master pastelist and longtime instructor Alex Piccirillo, students will explore rich and beautiful techniques of drawing and painting the figure. In these full-day workshops, students will work from a series of long and short poses, as well as a variety of poses in genre scenes that will challenge and inspire. Students may use pastels, acrylics or oils, or drawing media of choice. Intermediate level and above. Please visit montclairartmuseum.org for a list of suggested supplies.

Exploring the Painting Techniques of George Inness
Sunday, March 18 & Sunday, March 25, 10 AM – 1 PM
$90 Members, $110 Nonmembers
Gary Godbee
Register online

George Inness was probably the most poetic and important American landscape painter of the 19th century. Bridging the sensibilities of the Hudson River School with the innovations of the Barbizon School painters in France, Inness forged a personal, forward-looking art that stands alone in the history of American painting. This workshop will explore the oil techniques Inness employed in his mature works. Students will complete a monochrome underpainting on the first day using the indirect painting method perfected by Inness, followed by the completion of the painting the next week in full color using traditional glazing and scumbling techniques. We will visit George Inness: Private Treasures on view at MAM for further inspiration. Please visit montclairartmuseum.org for a list of suggested supplies.

Image: George Inness, Silence Before the Storm, 1887, oil on canvas. Collection of Thomas and Karen Buckley.

Digital Painting in Photoshop
Sunday, March 18 and Sunday, March 25, 1 – 4 PM
$90 Members, $110 Nonmembers
Lawrence Mascia
Register online

Learn how to think outside of the box from a master digital illustrator and create stunning art with Photoshop. This course is for amateur and professional digital artists who want to learn how to get professional results from the paint features of Photoshop CS5 used with Wacom Bamboo Tablets. You will learn a variety of digital illustration techniques. Topics include painting from still life and live models, custom brush making, creating shadows and highlights, and much more!

Madeline at MAM

John Bemelmans Marciano
Saturday, March 24, 2 PM
$10 Members, $15 Nonmembers
FREE for children 12 and under when accompanied by an adult

Following in his grandfather, Ludwig Bemelmans footsteps, John Bemelmans Marciano continues the story of Madeline,one of the most beloved storybook characters. He has written and illustrated several of his own endearing picture books including Madeline at the Whitehouse, Madeline Says Merci, and Madeline and the Cats of Rome. His clever and humorous, rhyming text gives kids, young and old alike basic lessons in kindness and consideration. His familiar and charming illustrations add to the fun. Learn about this fascinating family legacy and how John continues the tradition with everyone’s favorite character - Madeline. A Q&A and book signing will follow the reading.

MAM/MSU Art Talks

Holland Cotter
Thursday, March 29, 7 PM
$10 Members, $15 Nonmembers
FREE for MSU staff and students

Please join The Montclair Art Museum in welcoming Holland Cotter, chief art critic at the New York Times. Earlier in his career, he was a contributing editor at Art in America and an editorial associate at ArtNews; before that he coedited New York Arts Journal. In 2010, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Art Writing from the College Art Association. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 2009. In its citation, the Pulitzer committee said it was honoring Cotter for “His wide ranging reviews of art, from Manhattan to China, marked by acute observation, luminous writing and dramatic storytelling.”

Please arrive early. The galleries will have extended hours from 5 to 7 PM. Tickets to the lecture include admission to the Museum on the day of the program.

This series is a collaboration between the Master of Fine Arts degree program of Montclair State University and the Montclair Art Museum.

WBGO KIDS JAZZ Concert

The Brandee Younger Quartet
Saturday, March 31, 12:30 PM
FREE

Discover America’s musical art form at the WBGO Kids Jazz Concert series. Guest artists will play and a discussion will take place about jazz with rhythms. This interactive, hour long concert gives kids the opportunity to learn about the distinct qualities of jazz and why it’s a reflection of our community, our nation, and our world. This year MAM welcomes The Brandee Younger Quartet. A Q&A session with the artists will follow the concert. Adults must be accompanied by a young person.

NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC TIX $45 FOR LIMITED TIME ONLY

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth Ross) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 07:58:42 PST

Special Limited-Time Offer: Best Available Seating for Only $45*!

New York Philharmonic
WHEN: Friday, March 9, 8 PM
WHERE: NJPAC, One Center Street, Newark

David Zinman, conductor
Alisa Weilerstein, cello

Beethoven: Symphony No. 8
Barber: Cello Concerto
Beethoven: Symphony No. 4

"Exhilarating in the extreme. Every strand of argument bristles with life ... Zinman’s view of the Eighth makes for essential listening."—Gramophone Magazine

David Zinman is the greatest American conductor you may not yet be aware of. Or perhaps you are, without realizing: it was Zinman who transformed the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra into a world-class ensemble during his tenure there (1985-98), and you may own a copy of his exquisite (and best-selling) recording of Górecki’s Symphony No. 3 (Symphony of Sorrowful Songs). "Great" is definitely how you will think of Zinman after this concert, his long-overdue NJPAC debut. In the past decade, at the helm of Zurich’s Tonhalle Orchestra, he began re-examining the Beethoven symphonies, a process that resulted in a series of recordings that blew the cobwebs off these venerable masterpieces. Zinman brings those insights to this splendid program with the New York Philharmonic, a rare chance to hear two of Beethoven’s finest but least-heard symphonies—the dazzlingly compact Fourth and Eighth.

In between these two masterpieces, Zinman and the New York Philharmonic are joined by one of the finest young artists of the new generation, the soulful young American cellist Alisa Weilerstein, in Samuel Barber’s haunting, virtuosic Cello Concerto. Expect real excitement when Weilerstein meets Zinman and the New York Philharmonic—the kind of encounter that fills classical music with energy, insight, and infinite new possibilities.

EXCLUSIVE E-MAIL CLUB OFFER:
*Order at least two tickets to see the New York Philharmonic from Friday, February 24 through Monday, March 5, and receive best available seating for just $45 per ticket.

To take advantage of this offer online, choose your seats from any section with available seating and, when you reach the “Checkout” page, enter promotion code PHIL45 in the “Enter Promotion Code” box, then click on “Apply Promo” to convert your price paid to the $45 per ticket price. This offer also applies when you order via phone at 1-888-GO-NJPAC or at the NJPAC Box Office, February 24th through March 5th, and mention Promotion Code PHIL45.

* Offer does not apply to previously purchased tickets

THE STROLLERS ARE CASTING “SIDE MAN” FOR MAY PRODUCTION

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth Ross) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 07:42:35 PST

AUDITION NOTICE:

SIDE MAN
By Warren Leight
Directed by Cynthia Ross

WHEN: Tuesday, March 6, and Wednesday, March 7, at 7:30 PM; Callbacks: Thursday, March 8, at 7:30 PM

Performance Dates: May 11-20, Friday & Saturday 8 PM; Sunday, May 20, 2 PM
WHERE: The Burgdorff Center For The Performing Arts, 10 Durand Rd., Maplewood (NJ Transit train station is at the end of the street.)

It is not necessary to make an appointment to audition.

The Strollers is casting 5 men and 2 women in its production of SIDE MAN, a memory play narrated by a young man about his father—a talented, self-absorbed jazz trumpeter—and the tumultuous relationship between his parents in a lost era when jazzmen were beloved, and there was no shortage of Saturday night gigs.

All the characters are presented over the course of 32 years spanning from 1953 – 1985.

CLIFFORD GLIMMER (Male)” The 29 year-old narrator of the play. Overly responsible, sensitive and wry. He does not want to be perceived as a victim.
TERRY GLIMMER (Female ): Clifford's mom. We see her transformation from a tough, yet naive Italian girl from East Boston to a hard-drinking, cigarette-smoking woman in her mid 50s. Despite her anger, she cares deeply for her son, her husband and his music.
PATSY (Female ): Waitress at Charlie's Melody Lounge, confidante to Terry and Clifford, and lover at one time or another to all the musicians except Gene.
GENE GLIMMER (Male): Clifford's dad. A spacey, seemingly detached man who most comes to life when playing his trumpet.
AL (male ): The macho (for these guys) lead trumpet player, nicknamed "Romeo" by the others. (Lead trumpet is to a big band what concertmaster is to an orchestra.)
ZIGGY (male ): Trumpet player and Gene's pal. His odd speech impediment (a bilateral lisp) does not stop his constant stream of wisecracks, it can hide his anger.
JONESY (male ): A one-eyed, prophetic, junkie trombone player.

Please note that the Strollers is a membership company and performers are expected to join.

For more information on this show, click to contact The Strollers by e-mail.

AUDITIONS FOR MUSICAL IN NORTHERN JERSEY NEXT WEEK!

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth Ross) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 13:28:17 PST

AUDITION NOTICE

From the theater production company that brought you RENT and, most recently, URINETOWN the MUSICAL, One Dream Productions now holds auditions for their next production:

NEXT TO NORMAL

WHEN: Monday, February 27 (7-10 PM) & Tuesday, February 28 (7-10 PM)
WHERE: The Knights of Columbus, 770 Kinderkamack Road, River Edge CALLBACKS: Wednesday, February 29 (6-10 PM)
REHEARSALS: First rehearsal is Monday, March 19. Rehearsals will be 3-4 nights a week at the Knights of Columbus in River Edge, NJ (The same place as auditions).
PERFORMANCES: We will have ten (10) performances taking up two weekends (The last weekend in May and the first weekend in June)
All performances will be at Luna Stage in West Orange, New Jersey.

http://onedreamproductionsllc.tumblr.com/

WHAT TO PREPARE:
Please prepare TWO (2) songs, one ballad and one upbeat: 16-32 bars each. An accompanist will be present at the auditions, but you are welcome to perform your songs a cappella instead.

AGE RESTRICTION: Must be at least 17-years-old to audition!!

Next to Normal is the acclaimed, ground-breaking musical "that pushes Broadway in new directions" (Rolling Stone). Winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize and 3 Tony Awards, including Best Score and Best Leading Actress in a Musical, Next to Normal has been described as a contemporary musical that explores how one suburban household copes with crisis. With provocative lyrics and an electrifying score of more than 30 original songs, Next to Normal shows how far two parents will go to keep themselves sane and their family's world intact.

CAST OF CHARACTERS:

Diana: a middle-aged wife and mother, afflicted with bipolar depression and delusions for nearly 16 years.
Dan: Diana’s husband, who tries to be supportive and optimistic despite his wife’s crippling and seemingly permanent illness.
Gabe: Dan and Diana’s 18-year-old son; a bright, talented young man who serves as a narrator of his mother’s problems throughout the play.
Natalie: Dan and Diana’s 16-year-old daughter, who tries to do well in school, but finds the stress of dealing
with her mother’s illness is too much to handle.
Henry: Natalie’s musician boyfriend, who tries to be supportive as Natalie tries to cope with her family.
Dr. Madden: Diana’s unconventional new doctor, attempts a number of unusual treatments to alleviate Diana’s depression.

Production Staff:
Director/Musical Director: Mike Haber
Stage Manager: Amanda Villafuerte
Assistant Stage Manager: Chris Bediones & Ariana Trahanas
Costume Designer: Christa Lewandowski
Props Mistress: Laura Iacometta

DLT TO HOLD AUDITIONS FOR SONDHEIM PLAY

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth Ross) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 07:30:07 PST

DOVER LITTLE THEATRE to hold AUDITIONS for

COMPANY
By Stephen Sondheim
Directed by Alison Earnest
WHEN: March 4 and 5; Call backs March 7 at 7 PM
WHERE: Dover Little Theatre, 69 Elliott Street, Dover

Performances are May 5 – 19, 2012

The clashing sounds and pulsing rhythms of New York City in the 1970’s underscore this landmark "concept" show, considered by many to have inaugurated the modern era of musical theatre. Our anti-hero, confirmed bachelor Robert, makes his way through a series of encounters with girlfriends and “those good and crazy people,” his married friends, in vignette after hilarious vignette, as he weighs the pros and cons of married life. In the end, he realizes being alone is "alone, not alive."

Auditioners must come prepared with a song and will be asked to read from the script. For call backs, auditioners will be given a selection from the show to sing as well as additional scenes to read.

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:

LEAD: Robert, male, baritone, 30-45, the central character; his 35^th birthday brings the group together

THE COUPLES:

Sarah, female, alto, 30-45, learning karate and has issues with food and dieting. Married to Harry.
Harry, male, baritone, 30-45, Friendly and affable, but with a slight drinking problem. Married to Sarah.
Susan, female, mezzo, 25-35, A gracious Southern belle who suffers from fainting spells. Married to Peter.
Peter, male, baritone, 25-35, Formerly Ivy League, possibly gay. Married to Susan.
Jenny, female, soprano, 30-45, Sweet, but a bit square. Married to David.
David, male, tenor, 30-45, Chic and a bit controlling. Married to Jenny.
Amy, female, alto, 25-40, Neurotic, gets cold feet on her wedding day. Engaged to Paul.
Paul, male, tenor, 25-40, Amy’s fiancé, Jewish, who has learned how to put up with her manic spells.
Joanne, female, alto, 35-55, Cynical and very acerbic. Only drinks with Robert. Married to Larry.
Larry, male, tenor, 40-60, Joanne’s third husband. Sweet and understanding.

THE GIRLFRIENDS:

April, female, mezzo, 25-35, A naïve flight attendant. Self-described as “dumb”
Marta, female, mezzo, 25-35, Hip and vulgar. Loves New York
Kathy, female, alto or mezzo, 25-35, A small town girl. Robert’s long time on-and-off girlfriend.

For more information visit the website. If you have questions regarding the auditions, call the theatre at 973.328.9202 and leave a message for the director, Alison Earnest.

LECTURE SERIES HELPS YOU “TASTE” THE ARTS

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth Ross) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 15:20:00 PST