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This Week in Theatre: Previews for Plays Taking Place April 2-9, 2024

originally published: 04/02/2024

Here are previews of plays taking place from April 2-9, 2024 including a look at productions currently being presented and those coming soon. Click on the title to go to the full preview. New Jersey Stage covers Equity, community, college, and high school theatre. Check back every week for the weekly theatre preview. Jump to Featured Events, Event Previews, Event Listings, Coming Soon.

Send press releases to info@newjerseystage.com to have your events previewed at New Jersey Stage. There is no cost for preview articles. Featured listings are found in the NJ Stage calendar, reserved for advertisers, and provided with individual event pages for every performance. Event pages are also available for $10 per event (multiple performances count as a single event). Click here for more information on our event pages. Event pages are also included with every banner ad purchase. Banner ads run from $50-$100 for a full month of coverage.

FEATURED EVENTS

Lewis Center for the Arts' Program in Theater & Music Theater presents "Flight of a Legless Bird"  (PRINCETON, NJ) -- The Lewis Center for the Arts' Program in Theater and Music Theater at Princeton University presents Flight of a Legless Bird, a new play by Princeton senior Ethan Luk. The play follows and braids the lives of Robin and Leslie, two queer artists, from the 1980s to the 2000s. Robin, a filmmaker in New York's West Village, confronts the reality of a HIV/AIDS diagnosis; Leslie, an accomplished Cantopop star and actor, grapples with his personal hurdles and newfound fame in Hong Kong. The production is directed by Luk, who is also in the cast, in collaboration with playwright and retired Lecturer in Theater R.N. Sandberg. Performances are April 5, 11 and 12 at 8:00pm and April 6 and 13 at 7:30pm at the Berlind Theatre at McCarter Theatre Center, 91 University Place.

Algonquin Arts Theatre presents "Fiddler on the Roof"  (MANASQUAN, NJ) -- Algonquin Arts Theatre presents the classic musical, Fiddler on the Roof from April 6-21, 2024. A journey of love, loss, faith and family, Fiddler on the Roof is a celebration of life and all its challenges. The original production won ten Tony Awards, including a special Tony for becoming the longest-running Broadway musical of all time.




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Axelrod Performing Arts Academy presents "Moana Jr."  (DEAL PARK, NJ) -- The Axelrod Performing Arts Academy presents a musical adaptation of Disney's Moana, Jr. at the Axelrod Performing Arts Center in Deal Park. Moana Jr. is a 60-minute musical based on the groundbreaking 2016 animated film, bringing the adventures of Moana and her village of Motunui to life on stage. Performances take place Saturday, April 6 at 7:00pm, and Sunday, April 7 at 2:00pm.

The 24 Hour Plays Make NJ Debut at Mile Square Theatre  (HOBOKEN, NJ) -- On April 7, 2024, The 24 Hour Plays make their New Jersey debut at Hoboken's Mile Square Theatre. Established in 1995, The 24 Hour Plays are a non-profit theater company that bring creative communities together to write, rehearse and perform new plays and musicals in twenty-four hours. Showtime is 7:00pm.

EVENT PREVIEWS

Bergen County Players presents "The Fantasticks"  (ORADELL, NJ) -- Bergen County Players (BCP), one of America's longest-running little theater companies, continues its 92nd season with the longest-running musical classic, The Fantasticks. Full of buoyant humor, charming tunes, and a sprinkle of magic, The Fantasticks has been hailed as "a beautiful, poetic, and highly theatrical tale of the power and depth of love — gained, lost and found again" (Broadway World). Performances run March 9 through April 6, 2024.

Music Mountain Theatre presents "Hello, Dolly!"  (LAMBERTVILLE, NJ) -- Music Mountain Theatre (MMT) presents a four-weekend run of Hello, Dolly! from March 15th to April 7th. This is the fourth mainstage show of MMT's 2024 season, and the first to premiere on the Martinson Stage at MMT. The stage will be so named following a ribbon-cutting ceremony the previous evening in honor of John H. Martinson, a generous supporter of MMT.

Lewis Center for the Arts' Program in Theater & Music Theater presents "She Loves Me"  (PRINCETON, NJ) -- The Lewis Center for the Arts' Program in Theater and Music Theater at Princeton University presents She Loves Me, the classic Broadway rom-com that tells the story of two co-workers who, unbeknownst to them, are secretly writing to each other through A Lonely Hearts Club. The production features Princeton seniors Casey Beidel and Madeleine LeBeau and is co-directed by juniors Faith Wangermann and Alison Silldorff. Performances are March 29 and 30 and April 5 and 6 at 8:00pm in the Wallace Theater at Lewis Arts complex on the Princeton campus.




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Paper Mill Playhouse presents "Gun & Powder"  (MILLBURN, NJ) -- Paper Mill Playhouse presents Gun & Powder from April 4 – May 5, 2024. The new musical features book and lyrics by Angelica Chéri and music by Ross Baum. Directed by Stevie Walker-Webb, choreographed by Tiffany Rea-Fisher and music directed by Austin Cook, Gun & Powder is a new musical inspired by the true story of Mary (Renée) and Martha Clarke (LaFontaine), African American twin sisters who take extraordinary measures to settle their mother’s sharecropper debt and save her home.

Middlesex College presents "Footloose, the Musical"  (EDISON, NJ) -- Middlesex College's Visual, Performing, and Media Arts Department presents Footloose, the Musical across two weekends (April 4-6 and April 11-13, 2024) at the Performing Arts Center in Edison. This is a stage adaption by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie based on the original screenplay by Pitchford. The musical includes music by Tom Snow and lyrics by Dean Pitchford with additional music by Eric Carmen, Sammy Hagar, Kenny Loggins, and Jim Steinman.

Asbury Park Theater Company presents "Kabaret Kaput, A Surrealist Rock Kabaret"  (ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- Asbury Park Theater Company (APTCo) is collaborating with Musician, Theater Maker and Story Teller Remember Jones who will co- produce and direct Kabaret Kaput, A Surrealist Rock Kabaret. This concert style cabaret will star Ellen Foley, Robert I. Rubinsky, and Jonathan Freeman. Kabaret Kaput will have three performances at the Jersey Shore Arts Center from April 5-7, 2024.

Salvador Dali and Sigmund Freud Meet in Lisa Monde's Play "Dali's Dream"  (NEW YORK, NY) -- Salvador Dali's wish to meet the famous psychoanalyst comes true in a dream... where Dali finds himself at Dr. Sigmund Freud's sanitarium and becomes part of the famous sessions conducted by the "father of modern psychology". All of this happens in Lisa Monde's play Dali's Dream. The limited engagement runs April 5-27, 2024 at The Gene Frankel Theatre in NoHo. The play is produced by MONLI International Company LLC and The Onomatopoeia Theatre Company.

Auditions for Middlesex County Plays-in-the-Park 2024 season to be held April 5-7  (EDISON, NJ) -- Middlesex County Plays-in-the-Park is looking for talent for the upcoming plays: Beauty and the Beast, In the Heights, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Auditions will take place at their theater in Edison April 5-7.

F. Murray Abraham to Appear in a Staged Reading of "Fragments" by Edward Albee at Black Box PAC  (TEANECK, NJ) -- Black Box PAC has announced that F. Murray Abraham will appear in a special benefit performance of Edward Albee's Fragments on Saturday, April 6, 2024 at Debonair Music Hall. F. Murray Abraham has appeared in more than 80 films including Amadeus, for which he received the Academy Award® for 'Best Actor,' as well as Golden Globe® and L.A. Film Critics Awards. Showtime is 8:00pm.

Two River Theater presents the World Premiere of "A Thousand Maids" by Tony Meneses  (RED BANK, NJ) -- Two River Theater has announced the cast and creative team for the world premiere comedy, A Thousand Maids, by Two River favorite Tony Meneses (The Hombres, Guadalupe in the Guest Room), directed by Drama League Director's Project Fellow and recipient of the Yale 2019 Kauffman Memorial Prize, Aneesha Kudtarkar (Water by the Spoonful, Queen). The show will run April 6–28, 2024 in the Marion Huber Theater.

The Ma'ayanot Yeshiva High School Drama Society presents "The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time"  (TEANECK, NJ) -- The Ma'ayanot Yeshiva High School Drama Society, in ongoing partnership with Black Box Studios, presents The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, based on the novel by Mark Haddon and adapted by Simon Stephens. The acclaimed play will be presented live on stage in the new Ma'ayanot Performing Arts Center in Teaneck from April 9-11, 2024.

EVENT LISTINGS

Click on the title to go to the event page for complete information on the show.




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Friday, April 5 @ 8:00pm - Flight of a Legless Bird at McCarter Theatre Center (Berlind Theater), 91 University Place, Princeton, NJ 08540



Saturday, April 6

2:00pm - Fiddler on the Roof at Algonquin Arts Theatre, 60 Abe Voorhees, Manasquan, NJ 08736

7:00pm - Disney's MOANA JR. at Axelrod Performing Arts Center, 100 Grant Avenue, Deal Park, NJ 07723

7:30pm - Flight of a Legless Bird at McCarter Theatre Center (Berlind Theater), 91 University Place, Princeton, NJ 08540



Sunday, April 7

2:00pm - Disney's MOANA JR. at Axelrod Performing Arts Center, 100 Grant Avenue, Deal Park, NJ 07723

3:00pm - Fiddler on the Roof at Algonquin Arts Theatre, 60 Abe Voorhees, Manasquan, NJ 08736

5:00pm - Late Nite Catechism at The Vogel, 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank, NJ 07701

8:00pm - Mile Square Theatre presents "The 24 Hour Plays" at Mile Square Theatre, 1400 Clinton Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030



Tuesday, April 9 @ 7:00pm - Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding at The Vogel, 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank, NJ 07701

COMING SOON

Ocean County Library Toms River Branch presents When Radio Entertained People  (TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- Return to the era when families gathered around the wireless set for "theater of the imagination." The Ocean County Library Toms River Branch will host a live presentation by When Radio Entertained People (WREP) on Wednesday, April 10, 2024 at 7:00pm.

Centenary Stage Company presents 2024 Women Playwright Series Readings  (HACKETTSTOWN, NJ) -- Centenary Stage Company's Women Playwrights Series returns this spring with three brand-new play readings. Readings will take place on Wednesdays throughout April at 7:00pm in the Sitnik and Kutz Theatres of the Lackland Performing Arts Center at 715 Grand Avenue, Hackettstown, NJ on the campus of Centenary University. The Women Playwright Series readings are free to attend with donations welcome, advanced reservations have a $5.00 fee. Centenary Stage Company will also offer a live streaming option accompanying the in-person performances. Live stream access is free to participate with donations appreciated.

Holmdel Theatre Company presents "Peter and the Starcatcher"  (HOLMDEL, NJ) -- Holmdel Theatre Company is staging a new production of Peter and the Starcatcher, the Tony-award winning play that explores the origins of "The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up" (a.k.a. Peter Pan). The production will run for two weekends (April 12-21, 2024) and is directed by Kirk White and co-produced by Laurie Devino and Jessica Randell.

North Star Theater Company presents "Deathtrap"  (SPARTA TOWNSHIP, NJ) -- The North Star Theater Company presents Deathtrap across two weekends (April 12-14 and April 19-21, 2024) in Schaffer Hall at St. Mary's Episocopal Church. The classic play by Ira Levin involves Sidney Bruhl, a playwright who is struggling to write his next big Broadway thriller. He invites one of his students to his home after reading his script. The twists and turns begin as Sidney sees an opportunity to turn his situation around.

Ocean County College Repertory Theatre Company presents "The Importance of Being Earnest"  (TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- The Ocean County College Repertory Theatre Company presents The Importance of Being Earnest across two weekends (April 12-14 and April 19-21) in the Black Box Theater at Grunin Center for the Arts. Experience Oscar Wilde's comedic masterpiece where two witty bachelors craft alter egos to escape their mundane lives.

CDC Theatre to hold auditions for "The SpongeBob Musical"  (CRANFORD, NJ) -- CDC Theatre is holding auditions for The SpongeBob Musical on Saturday, April 13, 2024 from 12:00pm to 4:00pm. They are seeking performers in grades 8-12. If Sign ups are filled, walk-ins will be welcome. Callbacks, if needed, will take place on April 15th by invitation only.

Black Box Studios presents "Keith Moon: The Real Me"  (TEANECK, NJ) -- Black Box Studios presents a special one night only performance of Keith Moon: The Real Me, the story of the legendary drummer of The Who, on Sunday, April 14, 2024 at Debonair Music Hall. Doors open at 6:30; showtime is 7:30pm.

Ella Dershowitz and Jill Eikenberry to Star in World Premiere of "Two Hander" at NJ Rep  (LONG BRANCH, NJ) -- New Jersey Repertory Company (NJRep) will continue its 27th Season with the World Premiere of Two Hander by Julia Blauvelt, directed by NJ Rep Artistic Director SuzAnne Barabas. The play stars Ella Dershowitz and Jill Eikenberry and runs from April 18 through May 12, 2024.




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Vivid Stage presents NJ Premiere of "Kodachrome"  (SUMMIT, NJ) -- Vivid Stage, in residence at Oakes Center (120 Morris Avenue) in Summit, will present the New Jersey premiere of Kodachrome, a play about love, nostalgia, the seasons and how we learn to say goodbye, written by Adam Szymkowicz, from April 18-28, 2024.

Bergen County Players presents "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time"  (ORADELL, NJ) -- Bergen County Players (BCP), one of America's longest-running little theater companies, concludes its 2023-2024 mainstage season with the critically acclaimed, Tony Award-winning play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Adapted for the stage by Simon Stephens from Mark Haddon's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, and directed by Alyson Cohn of Wyckoff, this play tells the story of Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old who is wrongly accused of killing his neighbor's dog.

Curtain Up! "Broadway at the Shore" at the Ocean County Library Waretown Branch  (WARETOWN, NJ) -- Enjoy the melodies that light up New York's theater district without traveling to New York City. Join singer Cosette Lyncheski for "Broadway at the Shore" at the Ocean County Library Waretown Branch on Monday, April 22 at 6:00pm.

FEATURED EVENTS

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Sherlock

Sherlock Holmes: The Baker Street Irregulars

Thursday, January 30, 2025 @ 7:30pm
The Historic Palace Theatre
7 Ledgewood Avenue, Netcong, NJ 07857
category: theatre

Click here for full event listing

 

George

George Street Playhouse presents "Small"

Thursday, January 30, 2025 @ 7:30pm
New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC)
11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
category: theatre

Click here for full event listing

 

Here

Here There Are Blueberries

Thursday, January 30, 2025 @ 7:30pm
McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theater)
91 University Place, Princeton, NJ 08540
category: theatre

Click here for full event listing

 

Sherlock

Sherlock Holmes: The Baker Street Irregulars

Friday, January 31, 2025 @ 7:30pm
The Historic Palace Theatre
7 Ledgewood Avenue, Netcong, NJ 07857
category: theatre

Click here for full event listing

 

George

George Street Playhouse presents "Small"

Friday, January 31, 2025 @ 2:00pm
New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC)
11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
category: theatre

Click here for full event listing

 

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EVENT PREVIEWS

Magnolia

Magnolia Productions presents "Almost, Maine"

(ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ) -- Magnolia Productions presents Almost, Maine at the Navesink Library across two weekends (February 14-15 and February 21-22, 2025). This is John Cariani's heartwarming tale of regular people falling in and out of love in strange and sometimes hilarious ways.



Fund

Fund for Irish Studies at Princeton University presents a Conversation with Ireland's Abbey Theatre

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Princeton University's Fund for Irish Studies continues its 2024-2025 series with a conversation with members of Ireland’s Abbey Theatre: Literary and New Work Director Ruth McGowan and well-known Irish actor and Associate Artist Derbhle Crotty will discuss writing and performing in Ireland and perhaps offer readings from some Irish plays. Fund for Irish Studies co-chair and director of the Program in Theater and Music Theater Jane Cox will moderate the conversation on Friday, February 7, 2025 at the James Stewart Film Theater at 185 Nassau Street. The event begins at 4:30pm.



Algonquin

Algonquin Arts Theatre presents "The Diary of Anne Frank"

(MANASQUAN, NJ) -- Algonquin Arts Theatre presents four performances of The Diary of Anne Frank from February 15-22, 2025. Embark on a poignant journey through history with one of the most powerful and enduring stories of resilience, family, hope, and the human spirit. Anne Frank's eloquent and deeply moving words leap from the pages of her diary to the stage.



Centenary

Centenary Stage Company's NEXTStage Repertory presents Shakespeare's "The Tempest"

(HACKETTSTOWN, NJ) -- Centenary Stage Company's NEXTStage Repertory presents William Shakespeare's The Tempest adapted and directed by Stephen Michael Davis from February 6-10, 2025. The Tempest is Shakespeare's comedy about betrayal, ill-treatment, and the development of magical arts, all set against the backdrop of a plot for revenge.



Small

'Small' Brings Big Energy to George Street Playhouse

When thinking about occupations kids say they want when they get older, a list comes to mind – doctor, superhero, firefighter, etc. But not many would find their passion at the horse racing track and say they want to become a jockey. In "Small," an autobiographical play written and performed by Robert "Bobby" Montano, the story follows Montano as he races and fulfills his dream on the horse racing tracks of Long Island, New York. It does not stop there, however. The 90-minute play is a story of love, loss and more as Montano grapples with some difficult life decisions.