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CurtainUp in New Jersey
NEW JERSEY CONNECTIONS
NJ TheatersNJ Theatre Alliance Discount Tix Information |
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.
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Current Reviews & Features
No Man's Land
New & Noteworthy July and August 2010
* indicates a full length review has been posted and will remain linked in our archives
Romance/Romance (July 21 – August 21) Nominated for a Tony for Best New Musical in 1988, this musical double-header is a charmer about the highs and lows of love. It has become a staple of regional theatres. Barry Harman wrote the book and lyrics and Keith Herrmann wrote the music. Act I is called A Little Comedy, a witty adaptation of a 19th century short story of Arthur Schnitzler. Act II is Summer Share and based on an 1898 play by Jules Renard but updated to the late 1980s and set in the Hamptons. Cape May Stage 31 Perry Street, Cape May, NJ 08204 (609) 884 - 1341
Emma Goldman: My Life (now through July 10) Lorna Lable wrote this new play (a world premiere) about the political activist who always spoke her mind, whether it was on women’s rights or the widening gap between rich and poor. Certainly a fascinating woman in a fascinating time, this courageous immigrant set a precarious but notable course for herself in the early 1900. Sounds like it could be worth a look. The East Lynne Theater Company in residence at The First Presbyterian Church of Cape May 500 Hughes Street, Cape May, NJ 08024 (609) 884 – 5898
Paul Robeson Through his Words and Music (July 14 – 24) Gayle Stahlhuth’s play interweaves two dozen songs that were sung by Robeson including "The House I Live In" and "Joe Hill. " The narrative portion explores the life of Robeson, the son of a former slave as an actor, activist, and humanitarian, and one of the most popular performers of his day. The East Lynne Theater Company is in residence at The First Presbyterian Church of Cape May 500 Hughes Street, Cape May, NJ 08024 (609) 884 – 5898
The Dictator (July 28 – September 4) Leave it to the East Lynne Company to dig up this 1904 Broadway comedy by Richard Harding Davis. In it, Brooke Travers flees NYC by jumping onto a ship and landing in Puerto Banos, Central America. Believing he’s a "wanted man, " he assumes different names, swaps identities with the American Consul, and still fins time to fall in love”! It might be worth a trip to Cape May just to see who’s in charge of this Banana Republic. The East Lynne Theater Company in residence at The First Presbyterian Church of Cape May 500 Hughes Street, Cape May, NJ 08024 (609) 884 – 5898
Sunlight (July 8 – August 15) It’s time for another rolling world premiere in this new play by Sharr White in which a liberal university President battles the conservative Dean of the law school…who is his son-in-law and former protégé. We are promised (in the press release) that the personal and political will collide in this play about loyalty, power, and torture memos. Sounds like good summer fun. Read CU review shortly after opening. New Jersey Repertory Company, at the Lumia Theatre, 179 Broadway, Long Branch, NJ 07740 (732) 229 – 3166
The Good Counselor (July 15 – August 1) is a new drama by Kathryn Grant. It was winner of the 2010 Premiere Stages Play Festival and was selected from more than 300 submissions. In it, a bright, young public defender, hounded by his community and haunted by his past, struggles to defend two neglectful mothers: one his client, the other his own. A novel aspect of the play is that it literally prompts the audience to serve as the jury in determining what it means to be a good parent. A jury box has been incorporated into the audience seating and patrons who arrive early have the opportunity to sit as jurors to hear Vincent, the young defender, deliver his opening and closing arguments directly to them. It should be a fun way for audiences to feel like they are part of the action while watching and considering the unique events surrounding the case. Read CU review shortly after opening. Premiere Stages, Zella Fry Theatre, Kean University, 1000 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ 07083, (908) 737 – 4092
In the Heights
Playbill 2007-08 Yearbook
Leonard Maltin's 2008 Movie Guide
