All in Theater

Carmen Matarazzo Talks "Sweeney Todd" and Crafting the Role of Tobias

Carmen Matarazzo Talks "Sweeney Todd" and Crafting the Role of Tobias

Gina Marie Rodriguez
Podcast, Theater, Music

Carmen Matarazzo, a graduate of Pinelands High School in New Jersey, is an actor/drummer who has been seen in multiple productions at his high school and several theaters across the state including: Mary Poppins (Robertson Ay), Clue: On Stage (Professor Plum), Spring Awakening (Ernst), The Addams Family (Lucas), The Sound of Music (Captain Von Trapp). 

Carmen will star as Tobias Ragg in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at the Levoy Theatre in Millville, New Jersey Feb. 10 - 19. His older brother, Gaten, who plays Dustin on Stranger Things, will be tackling the same role on Broadway within a span of two weeks.  

Jersey Arts chats with Carmen about Sondheim, Sweeney Todd and how Carmen and his siblings came to love the business of show.

Eagle Theatre is Having a "Wild Party"

Eagle Theatre is Having a "Wild Party"

Maddie Orton
Podcast, Theater, Music

It’s a night of music, dancing, drugs, and deception—and that’s only act one! Andrew Lippa’s The Wild Party takes the stage at Hammonton’s Eagle Theatre from February 9-26, bringing Joseph Moncure March’s 1928 narrative poem of the same title to life. The musical tells the story of a romance between Vaudeville performers gone awry, and is set against a backdrop of eccentric characters, catchy tunes, and a soirée that won’t soon be forgotten.

Jersey Arts talks with Producing Artistic Director and show Director Angela Longo about The Wild Party’s cult following, history, and upcoming Eagle Theatre production.

"The Night Falls" — A New Dance-driven Production at PEAK Performances

"The Night Falls" — A New Dance-driven Production at PEAK Performances

Gina Marie Rodriguez & Dave Tavani
Video, Dance, Theater

PEAK Performances, together with Ballet Collective Inc., will present the world premiere of The Night Falls, a dance-driven music theater production, in the Alexander Kasser Theater at Montclair State University Feb. 9-12. 

A hauntingly unique work of art, the production melds mediums into a symphonic commentary on grief, despair, and resistance. Seeking to encourage audiences to live life to the fullest, the piece thrives on its desire to see beauty through difficulty. 

Jersey Arts visits The Night Falls' dance company and creative team during a rehearsal at Alvin Ailey studios in NYC to learn more about this novel production. 

Two River Theater Aims at Racism, High Art in "Living & Breathing"

Two River Theater Aims at Racism, High Art in "Living & Breathing"

Jesse North & Dave Tavani
Video, BIPOC Voices, Theater

What happens when life imitates art too literally? Lots of drama. Two River Theater is presenting the world debut of “Living & Breathing,” a world premiere play by Mando Alvarado. This new play examines the world of high art, racial identity, and a friend group that’s ready to buckle. Jersey Arts goes to rehearsal in Red Bank to learn more from the team behind this new show.

A Homecoming at Crossroads Theatre Company

A Homecoming at Crossroads Theatre Company

Maddie Orton
Podcast, Theater

Crossroads Theatre Company's upcoming production of Chicken & Biscuits Dec. 21-31 at New Brunswick Performing Arts Center as is about coming home. The play itself is a comedy about a family reuniting and will run over the holidays as many people head home to celebrate and hopefully catch some theater with family and friends. It is also a homecoming of sorts to returning Artistic Director Ricardo Khan, who co-founded Crossroads Theatre Company in 1978, returned in 2020, and is working with director Lynda Gravátt, one of his early collaborators. Jersey Arts Podcast chats with Ricardo Khan about his upcoming show, co-founding Crossroads, and what the spring season has in store.

The Hip Hop Nutcracker Celebrates Its 10th Season at NJPAC Featuring Spectacular Hip-hop Dancers and The Rap King of Christmas Kurtis Blow

The Hip Hop Nutcracker Celebrates Its 10th Season at NJPAC Featuring Spectacular Hip-hop Dancers and The Rap King of Christmas Kurtis Blow

Carolyn M. Brown
Article, Dance, Theater, Music

The Hip Hop Nutcracker is celebrating its 10th season at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center with two stunning performances taking place Saturday, Dec. 17 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The show pays homage to the original George Balanchine ballet, retold through modern, expressive hip-hop culture.

The holiday dance spectacle features hip-hop pioneer Kurtis Blow, who performs as the master of ceremonies, and a cast of a dozen all-star dancers who will display supercharged hip-hop choreography.

Blow says audiences will see an incredible fusion of hip-hop dance styles dating back to the ‘90s, from the electric boogie and pop & lock to B-Boying and break dancing with power moves, head spins, windmills, back spins and air twists.

This year’s show features more energized dance routines by the ensemble and blended styles of classical and hip-hop music by electric violinist Vivek Menon.

"Jersey City Nutcracker" Brings Holiday Tradition Home

"Jersey City Nutcracker" Brings Holiday Tradition Home

Maddie Orton
Dance, Theater, Podcast

For more than a decade, Jersey City has had its own special holiday tradition: Nimbus Dance’s Jersey City Nutcracker. The city-centric show runs from Dec. 9 through 23 at the new Nimbus Arts Center.

Host Maddie Orton talks with Nimbus Dance Founding Artistic Director Sam Pott, who choreographed and co-wrote the piece, School Director Harumi Elders, and student dancer Izzy Baculod about being a part of this celebrated annual show.

True Story of Miracle Mop Inventor ‘Joy’ Sweeps Into George Street Playhouse

True Story of Miracle Mop Inventor ‘Joy’ Sweeps Into George Street Playhouse

Jesse North & Dave Tavani
Video, Theater, Music

George Street Playhouse is debuting the new musical “Joy” about the life of inventor and entrepreneur Joy Mangano.

As the inventor of the Miracle Mop, the best-selling self-wringing mop from the ‘90s, Mangano launched a mammoth cleaning product empire on QVC and Home Shopping Network, became an inspiration to women across the country, and was portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence on film. The uplifting new musical is the next benchmark in her remarkable life.

Jersey Arts TV goes to the rehearsal room in New York City to find out more about this new show.

Shakespeare Theatre of NJ Highlights Two Plays by African-American Playwright Alice Childress

Shakespeare Theatre of NJ Highlights Two Plays by African-American Playwright Alice Childress

Gina Marie Rodriguez & Dave Tavani
Theater, Video, BIPOC Voices

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey presents two one-act plays, “Florence” and “Mojo: A Black Love Story,” by Alice Childress Oct. 26 to Nov. 13 at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre in Madison, New Jersey.

Childress (1916-1994) was an actress and a founding member of the American Negro Theatre in 1940 before becoming a groundbreaking playwright. She is often acknowledged as the only 20th-century African-American woman to have written, produced and published plays for four decades.

The Theatre has a mission to integrate education and learning into its endeavors to promote a culture of enlightenment.

“Florence,” written in 1949, explores the issues of female empowerment, interracial politics and working-class life. “Mojo: A Black Love Story,” written 1970, captures the love between a man and a woman once married yet still deeply committed to each other.

Correspondent Gina Marie Rodriguez speaks with Director Lindsey Smiling, “Mojo” actress Darlene Hope and costume designer Patrice Trower about what Childress' work means to them and the theater community.

Renovated Bergen Performing Arts Center Fills Calendar, Puts Students in Spotlight

Renovated Bergen Performing Arts Center Fills Calendar, Puts Students in Spotlight

Laurie Granieri
Theater, Music, Article, Comedy & Variety

The Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood reopens its doors this week with plenty to celebrate. Not only is the venue set to host its first full season of live events in three years, but also guests also notice that the venue has undergone substantial renovations and its Performing Arts School students can again perform among professionals on its stage.

“MANIA: The ABBA Tribute” will feature approximately 15 members of Bergen PAC’s Performing Arts School Show Choir, an audition-only ensemble of vocalists ranging in age from 13 to 18.

“It’s part of The Performing Arts School’s mission to provide students with professional, hands-on training and rewarding opportunities to perform publicly in front of large audiences,” says Alexander Diaz, executive director of Bergen PAC.

Zara Phillips No-Holds Barred

Zara Phillips No-Holds Barred

Shen Shellenberger
Theater, Music, Article

British-born New Jersey-resident Zara Phillips – wearer of multiple hats like singer-songwriter, author, playwright, filmmaker, public speaker and adoption rights advocate – will present the U.S. premiere of her current one-woman play, "Somebody's Daughter," based on the 2018 book of the same name Saturday, Oct. 21, at Hopewell Theater and again Saturday, Dec. 10, at Outpost in the Burbs.

The play was written and will be performed by Phillips and feature music by her husband, Richard Thompson.

Subtitled A moving journey of discovery, recovery and adoption, "Somebody's Daughter" is the most recent of Phillips' three books to offer an honest, few-if-any-holds-barred account of the frequently hidden challenges that face an adoptee.

Cultures and Kin Clash in Family Drama "Her Portmanteau" at George Street Playhouse

Cultures and Kin Clash in Family Drama "Her Portmanteau" at George Street Playhouse

Jesse North & Dave Tavani
Theater, Video, BIPOC Voices

A story about a mother and her daughters, split by cultures. In “Her Portmanteau,” a George Street Playhouse production on stage at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center Oct. 11 — 30, we follow a Nigerian-American family trying to reunite amid the stark differences of lifestyles and values when relatives are spread across continents.

Correspondent Jesse North is at rehearsal in New Brunswick to talk with the creatives bringing this family to life on stage.

Renée Elise Goldsberry Talks About "Hamilton," "Girls5eva," and Her Ever-Evolving Concert

Renée Elise Goldsberry Talks About "Hamilton," "Girls5eva," and Her Ever-Evolving Concert

Maddie Orton
Podcast, Theater, Music, Film

Renée Elise Goldsberry is the Grammy Award- and Tony Award-winning talent behind Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton and currently appears on She-Hulk and Girls5eva.

Goldsberry is headed to Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown on September 30th for her concert called Opening Night: An Evening with Renée Elise Goldsberry.

She chatted with host Maddie Orton about creating a show of songs she loves.

The Lost Princess of Oz World Premiere Combines Ballet, Song and Bluegrass

The Lost Princess of Oz World Premiere Combines Ballet, Song and Bluegrass

Shen Shellenberger
Theater, Dance, Article

The creative passion that abounds in “The Lost Princess of Oz,” the upcoming extravaganza of movement and music presented by the Axelrod Contemporary Ballet Theatre Company (AXCBT) in partnership with the Center for the Arts at Monmouth University, will fill you with positivity and immerse the renovated Pollack Theater at the University where it runs Aug. 20 through Aug. 28.

The story is based on two of the 14 books from L. Frank Baum’s Land of Oz series, “The Lost Princess of Oz,” published in 1917, and “Ozma of Oz,” published in 1907. The quirky tales follow the adventures of familiar characters, Dorothy et al, and a handful of characters from the tales including Frogman, Patchwork Girl, and the clockwork man Tik-Tok.

Conceived of and created by AXCBT Artistic Director Gabriel Chajnik, with a libretto by Shannon Hill, an original bluegrass-infused score by Houston-based composer Chris Becker, a six-piece musical ensemble, professional dancers from AXCBT, and grade school-age dance students participating in the Axelrod Performing Art Academy, the production brings the century-plus stories into 2022.

The Future May Be Closer Than You Think in “The Hummingbirds,” a Comic-Drama of Menace

The Future May Be Closer Than You Think in “The Hummingbirds,” a Comic-Drama of Menace

Gina Marie Rodriguez
Theater, Video

The future may be closer than you think in “The Hummingbirds,” a comic-drama of menace.

Been unemployed too long? At the Unemployment Bureau, we can place you in a job you may not be qualified for or a job that's not safe, but you will do it. Because if you can walk, you can work!

“The Hummingbirds,” makes its U.S. premiere at The New Jersey Repertory Company in Long Branch Aug. 4 – 28.

B'way's Alex Newell, Mark Evans and Charlotte d’Amboise Serve Up Political Satire in "The Last Supper"

B'way's Alex Newell, Mark Evans and Charlotte d’Amboise Serve Up Political Satire in "The Last Supper"

Maddie Orton
Video, Theater, Music

A 1995 indie comedy about death has found new life as a musical. "The Last Supper" tells the story of a group of liberal grad students who decide to play judge, jury, and even executioner with conservative dinner guests. Adapted by Jeremy Desmon and Jeff Thomson, the show explores political extremism, punditry, and morality through bitingly dark humor.

"The Last Supper" has its world premiere at South Orange Performing Arts Center July 27 — Aug. 7. For more information, visit SOPACnow.org.

Imparting the Living Art of Storytelling

Imparting the Living Art of Storytelling

Shen Shellenberger
Article, Poetry & Literature, Theater

Storytelling is not just a descriptive term. It is evocative. It is personal. It is inclusive. It is communal.

Maybe you remember your aunt, the one who always wore a big purple hat, recounting the days when she and your father were young. Or you flash back to a night when you and your friends tried to outdo each other with terrible tales of ghosts and one-legged men. Or you think about your mother creating spur-of-the-moment, silly stories as you two walked to school. And while these experiences may come from various sources, the root is the same.

Storytelling Arts is a non-profit community of storytellers, story writers, and teaching artists who work to protect, promote, and impart the living art of storytelling, and to be a resource for teachers and others who work with young people.

Launching Pad for Theater Pros Turns 60

Launching Pad for Theater Pros Turns 60

Maddie Orton
Video, Festivals, Theater

On sunny summer afternoons, the walkway at Middlesex County’s Plays-in-the-Park overflows with theater lovers. Thousands of audience members pour into the outdoor community theater to see quality productions — and maybe even Broadway-bound performers — for the price of a few dollars and a lawn chair.

Now celebrating its 60th season, the outdoor community theater has become a tradition for generations of family and friends — many of whom line up hours in advance of the box office opening to get a good seat for the price of a few dollars and a lawn chair.

We spoke with Artistic Director Margaret Davis, actor Andre Williams, Director Frank Andrews, and Choreographer Aimee Mitacchione about this treasure in Edison.

The Haunting of Night Vale … and NJPAC

The Haunting of Night Vale … and NJPAC

Christopher Benincasa
Podcast, Theater, Music

***EDITOR’S NOTE: The performance at NJPAC has been rescheduled to Fri, 04/21/23 at 7:00 p.m. ***

Next Friday, June 24, the team behind the hit podcast series Welcome to Night Vale brings it’s live show, The Haunting of Night Vale, to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, New Jersey.

According to The New York Times, “the news out of Night Vale sounds like what might occur if Stephen King or David Lynch was a guest producer at your local Public Radio Station.” The arts and culture magazine Vulture called it “the foundational institution of the fiction-podcast genre.”

The show at NJPAC is the last performance of a monthslong US tour, and it’s happening just a week after Welcome to Night Vale’s tenth anniversary.

We recently spoke with co-creator and writer Jeffrey Cranor and cast member and live show emcee Kate Jones about hitting that ten year milestone, life on the road and in the recording studio, and what it’s like when your quirky, spooky, funny podcast suddenly gets millions of new listeners.

The Words, Wit, and Life of Dorothy Parker Take the Stage at East Lynne Theater

The Words, Wit, and Life of Dorothy Parker Take the Stage at East Lynne Theater

Gary Wien
Theater, Article, Poetry & Literature

“I’m not a writer with a drinking problem, I’m a drinker with a writing problem.”

Dorothy Parker may be best known for the quotes that have long outlived her, but there was far more to the legendary writer than just her wit. Her life is celebrated and her work comes alive in East Lynne Theater Company’s production of “Dorothy Parker: A Certain Woman.” The play runs from June 15 through July 23 at The Cape May Presbyterian Church where the company is in residence.

Dorothy Parker (1893-1967) was a poet, journalist, critic, screenwriter, human rights activist, and philanthropist. She was a member of The Algonquin Round Table, a popular writer for "The New Yorker," won the O. Henry Short Story Award for "The Big Blonde," and received two Oscar nominations — the first for the original "A Star is Born” and the second for “Smash Up: The Story of a Woman.” A collection of her work, "The Portable Dorothy Parker," has never been out of print.

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