MEOW!​​​​​​​ Cats is Back!

by Bruce Chadwick - published 2023-03-08
Years and years and years ago, when the musical Cats opened on Broadway, my late wife and I went to see it. We both fell in love with the oddball cat named Rum Tum Tugger. Several months later, we got our first cat and immediately, right away, named her Rum Tum Tugger. She was a handful - food strikes, carousing with the neighborhood Tom Cat, knocking over garbage cans, hiding in the attic over the garage once for three days complaining about everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PHOTOS from "Fiddler on the Roof" at Bergen County Academies

by John Posada - published 2023-03-05
(HACKENSACK, NJ) -- Students from all over Bergen County performed in Fiddler On The Roof, the winter musical at Bergen County Academies. The BCA theatre department presented this beloved music from March 2-4 and photographer John Posada was on hand to take photos.

PHOTOS from "Seussical" at Middletown Arts Center

(MIDDLETOWN, NJ) --The MAC PLAYERS, Middletown Arts Center’s community theater group, is kicking off its 2023 season with Seussical, a fantastical, magical, musical extravaganza! Fun for the whole family, Seussical creates the witty, wild and whimsical world of Dr. Seuss as it has never been seen before. When chaos erupts in the Jungle of Nool, it will take The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz and a gaggle of characters to bring harmony back to their world. The production is entering its final weekend at the Middletown Arts Center (March 10-12), and offers new reserved seating. Fawn Nocera Photography was on hand to take photos.

Algonquin Arts Theatre Announces Cast and Creative for "Kinky Boots"

(MANASQUAN, NJ) -- Algonquin Arts Theatre (Pamela Ward-Executive Director) is proud to announce the cast and creative team for its spring musical, Kinky Boots. The show will run at Algonquin Arts Theatre from March 24-April 2. Kinky Boots is the winner of every major Best Musical award, including the Tony, the Grammy and London's Olivier Award. Based on the 2005 film of the same title and true events, this huge-hearted hit tells the story of two people with nothing in common - or so they think!

Paper Mill's Hercules - Strongest Man in World and a Delight on Stage

by Bruce Chadwick - published 2023-03-03
All of my life, people have compared me to the mythical character Hercules, the strongest man on earth. They all said I had the massive, muscular body, incredibly strong arms, bravery beyond a doubt and the remarkable ability to defeat dinosaurs and other menacing monsters in battle.

A Lightning Thief On The Growing Stage

by Gina Marie Rodriguez, JerseyArts.com - published 2023-03-02
"When teenager Percy Jackson discovers he's a demigod, he and his friends embark on an epic journey to find Zeus's missing lightning bolt and prevent a war among the gods."  That is the synopsis for "The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical," produced by The Growing Stage, The Children's Theatre of New Jersey, in Netcong March 10-26, 2023.

"Clean Slate" Marks a Fresh Start With World Premiere in Trenton, NJ

by Gina Marie Rodriguez & Dave Tavani, JerseyArts.com - published 2023-03-02
A rehabilitation camp for disaffected teens, a haunted wood plagued by lost souls, and a path to redemption for all — this is but a taste of the upcoming musical "Clean Slate."

REVIEW: "Disney's Hercules" at Paper Mill Playhouse

by Adam F. Cohen - published 2023-03-02
There’s a fine line with Disney’s adaptations of its animated musicals to the stage. Of the cannon, only “Lion King” has successfully fully made the leap from two dimensional. Paper Mill Playhouse and Disney’s stab at updating the big screen version of “Hercules” has wonderful elements, many strong performances, a solid book, but feels under baked in battle for audience dollars. There's clear appeal for families, especially boys which is admirable.

The MAC PLAYERS presents "Seussical"

(MIDDLETOWN, NJ) -- The MAC PLAYERS, Middletown Arts Center’s community theater group, kicks off its 2023 season with Seussical, a fantastical, magical, musical extravaganza! Fun for the whole family, Seussical creates the witty, wild and whimsical world of Dr. Seuss as it has never been seen before. When chaos erupts in the Jungle of Nool, it will take The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz and a gaggle of characters to bring harmony back to their world. The production runs over two weekends at the Middletown Arts Center, March 3-5 and March 10-12, and offers new reserved seating.