"Before I speak, I have something important to say..."

FINAL TWO PERFORMANCES NOVEMBER 27th & 28th!!!

The Collaborative Act Studio presents

GROUCHO: A LIFE IN REVIEW

Starring Ted Winocek III (previously starred as Groucho Marx in The Coconuts and A Day in Hollywood/A Night in Ukraine)

Also starring Brian Walsh and Samantha Morrone

*Special: Tickets are only $12 general admission

Performance begins at 8 p.m.

*CLICK HERE to listen to a Podcast episode with Winocek III

Courier Post says "Forget the fact the Winocek III wasn't even alive at the same time Marx was, his connection to the famed master of wit in genuine" -Nicole Pensiero

FUSION PERFORMING ARTS CENTER (Cherry Hill, NJ)

1931 Olney Ave.

Cherry Hill, NJ 08003

(856) 417-6741

2010 OBSP Season Announced!

The Off Broad Street Players have announced their 2010 season as of 8pm on November 20 prior to their Friday Night performance of OKLAHOMA. The season is as follows:

February: PIPPIN

March: WILLY WONKA Jr. (Children's Theater)

May: Neil Simon's COME BLOW YOUR HORN

Summer: CHILDREN OF EDEN

October: SMOKE ON THE MOUNTAIN (a new musical!)

and finally the (hopefully) opening show in the newly-renovated Levoy Theatre (Millville, NJ)

Irving Berlin's WHITE CHRISTMAS.

Luck be a Lady TONIGHT!!!!

For those that aren't aware, most theaters in South Jersey have announced their 2010 seasons already, however, the Off Broad Street Players have not, based on their move to the Levoy Theatre.

Prior to tonight's performance of OKLAHOMA at Bridgeton High School, Artistic Director Walter A. Webster will announce the next season. Be sure to see this great musical and get the latest scoop! Tickets to OKLAHOMA are $15 for adults and $13 for students/seniors. The show stars Don Fransko, Kaitlyn Cox, Andrew Jarema, Stephanie Bello, Luis Maravi, and Kim Hitchner.

If you're feeling lucky, check out GUYS & DOLLS Veteran's Memorial Intermediate School (in Vineland NJ) at 7pm, with additional performances this Saturday at 7pm and this Sunday at 2pm. The show is directed by Mark Melamed, produced by THE GABRIEL PROJECT, and stars recent Perry Award winner Bryan Mead as Benny Southstreet. The show also stars Carrie Cohen, Deena Parr, Paul Bossi, Sr., Carl Dolente, and Russell Chappius.

Many a new show will catch our eye!

(Don Fransko - Curley, and Katie Cox - Laurey, pose as the stars of OBSP's OKLAHOMA)

South Jersey is brimming with exciting shows opening all over the place! Get ready for a night on the town as our South Jersey theatres take you out of the rainy weather and into fun new world, starting with a place where the sun shines and the cows all moo in the clover -

OKLAHOMA - Off Broad Street Players - November 13, 14, 20, 21 at 8pm, Nov. 15 & 22 at 3pm. Tickets are $15 for Adults and $13 for Students and Seniors. All performances at Bridgeton High School.

GROUCHO: A LIFE IN REVUE - The Collaborative Act Studio. Starring Ted Winocek III as Grouch Marx. Nov 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 27, 28 at 8pm. Nov. 15 & 21 at 2pm. Ticket are $19 for Adults and $16 for senior citizens.

THE FULL MONTY - The Ritz Theatre Co. - Nov 4 & 18 at 7:30pm. Nov 6, 7, 13, 14, 18, 20, 21 at 8pm. Nov. 8 & 15 at 2pm. Tickets range from $20 - $30 general admission.

PETER PAN - Broadway Theatre of Pitman - November 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28 at 8pm. Nov 8, 15, 22 at 2pm. All tickets are $25 general admission.

________________________________________________

On a side note -

I apologize that I have been lax in getting up new posts. I am working on moving "The South Jersey Rialto" to an actual web host. As you know, "sjrialto.org" is an easier way to get to this site, but it doesn't give me many more options. Give me some feedback!

VOTE and VIEW!

VOTE NOW for Mark Melamed as The View's Ultimate volunteer. Click here to vote:

 http://www.theviewultimatevolunteercontest.com/home/vote.php

VOTING IS ONLY OPEN UNTIL October 11, 2009. Each e-mail address given will be allowed one vote per day.

Mark Melamed, a Vineland school teacher and founder of THE GABRIEL PROJECT has been nominated on The View's Ultimate Volunteer Contest. The winner of the contest receives a paid vacation to Honolulu, a stay at a luxury resort, and $10,000 towards their volunteer charity.

THE GABRIEL PROJECT was founded in 1990 by Mr. Melamed and his sixth grade class. Their mission was to raise funds to help bring aiding children from third-world areas in Africa to the United States for heart surgery. Since 1990, THE GABRIEL PROJECT has helped over 13 children in getting professional care, as well as providing food for needy families during the holidays, and providing care for two families with children suffering from Spina Bifida and Leukemia. 

THE GABRIEL PROJECT also sponsors two full-scale charity musicals per year. This fall, the group will be presenting Guys & Dolls. 

_______________

MARK MELAMED - Mark Melamed has devoted the last 20 years to The Gabriel Project. This has saved the lives of many children from third world counties by bringing them to the US for surgery not available in their own country. Mark works countless hours, fundraising, organizing events, directing musical theatical performances, reaching out to the community and the media to help pay for these life-saving surgeries. He has also developed a relationship with doctors to help take their skills and technologies to some of these countries. Mark is a teacher at Vineland, N.J. and encourages his students to assist him in these humanitarian efforts. This year, the Gabriel Project hopes to bring 4 children from the Dominic Republic here for medical treatment. 

"All I feel is lousy..."

ORDINARY PEOPLE 

Keeping emotions bottled up until they explode is the American Way, isn't it? Especially if you're a teenager, live in an affluent suburb and are deathly afraid of what other people might think. That's the simple premise behind "Ordinary People," a not-so-simple drama about a family that suffers through multiple traumas without knowing how to talk it out. Hollywood made an Oscar-winning movie out of the book, but the stage adaptation by Nancy Pahl Gilsenen is just as compelling.

The cast includes Andrew Jarema, of Pittsgrove, as Conrad Jarrett; John Muller, of Pittsgrove, as Cal Jarrett; Ellen Mather, of Bridgeton, as Beth Jarrett; Justin Peterson, of Pittsgrove, as Joe Lazenby; Jim Cook Jr., of Woodstown, as Stillman; Elizabeth Maxwell, of Bridgeton, as Jeannine Pratt; Stephanie Bello, of Elmer, as Karen Aldrich; Luis Maravi, of Bridgeton, as Doctor Berger; and Tracy Treadway, of Vineland, as Salan.

Tickets for the production are $13 for adults and $11 for students (up to grade 12) and seniors (age 60 and above). Tickets are available for purchase by phone 451-5437, as well as at the following locations: Brenner's Brew, 21 E. Commerce St., Bridgeton, and The Canvas Bag located at 46 E. Commerce St., Bridgeton. This production, in part, is sponsored by the New Jersey Council on the Arts, a partner agency with the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Cumberland County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Cultural and Heritage Commission.

For more information, please call (856) 451-5437.

Autumn on the Rialto...

ORDINARY PEOPLE - Off Broad Street Players - Oct. 2 & 3 at 8pm. Oct 4 at 3pm. Tickets are $13 for Adults and $11 for Students / Senior Citizens. All performances at Bridgeton High School. Call (856) 451-5437 for more info.

FOREVER PLAID - Sketch Club Players - Oct. 2, 3, 8, 9, 10 at 8pm. Oct. 4 & 11 at 2pm. Tickets are $17 general admission.

THE MOUSETRAP - Cumberland Players - Oct. 9, 10, 15, 16, 17 at 8pm. Oct 11 at 2pm. Tickets are $13 general admission. Senior Citizen discount at $6 on Sunday, Oct. 12.

Neil Simon's PROPOSALS - Ritz Theatre Co. - Oct. 2, 3, 7, 9 at 8pm. Oct. 4 at 2pm. Tickets range from $20 - $30.

PLAY ON! - Haddonfield Plays & Players - Oct. 2, 3, 9, 10 at 8pm. Oct. 4 at 2pm. Tickets are $19 general admission

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS - Broadway Theatre (Pitman, NJ) - Oct. 2, 3, 9, 10 at 8pm. Oct 4 at 2pm. Tickets are $25 general admission. 

----

*Congrats to South Jersey's Bryan Mead for winning the NJACT Perry Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical in A CHORUS LINE at The Road Company (Williamstown, NJ). The NJACT is a volunteer organization recognizing and supporting community theaters in New Jersey and also hosted the 35th annual Perry Awards - recognizing the best in NJ Community Theatre. 

BREAKING NEWS: Levoy support abounds!

(rendering of the 2010 Levoy Theatre facade)

The Millville City Commission approved eleventh-hour funding for the historic Levoy Theatre, Tuesday night at 7pm at the Millville City Commission meeting held at Millville City Hall.

The City Commission voted tonight to provide $375,000 from the Revenue Allocation District, as well as $300,000 forgivable loan from the Grow Millville Fund, to the Levoy Theatre Preservation Society for renovation efforts with a goal of opening in 2010.

The vote was approved 4-1. Commissioners Joe Derella, Dale Finch, and Jim Quinn as well as Mayor Tim Shannon, all in favor respectively. Commissioner Dave Vanaman was the only to dissent.

"We need a hub for downtown Millville," Commissioner Dale Finch stated, "and the hub is the Levoy Theatre."

Levoy Board Chairwoman Lauren Van Embden, 29, Millville, was represented through a letter (she was fufilling a prior commitment made last May) where she called the theatre's history a "tale as old as time," referencing the Disney musical "Beauty and the Beast."

And she is quite right. The Levoy Theatre opened on High St. in Millville on January 9, 1908 with a small theatre on the bottom floor and a dance studio on the second. It was opened by Mr. William "Pop" Somers, one of the early designers of the Ferris Wheel. Tickets were only a nickel for one and a quarter for six, according to the Levoy website.

The late Joseph Pierce Jr. (1975-2000), Levoy historian, original Chairman, and Founder of LTPS, was represented through a letter from his father Joseph Pierce Sr. recalling the passion his son had for the project and goals he set forth to the City of Millville.

Both letters were read by Amanda Page, Vice President of the LTPS, whom also voiced her own support for the project, as seen through her 12+ years on the Board.

Commissioner Jim Quinn, former Mayor of Millville, pointed attention to the UEZ (Urban Enterprise Zone) monies granted to the city. Urban Enterprise Zone refers to the areas in New Jersey that are given an opportunity to pay 3.25% sales tax instead of the regular 7%, with the State of NJ granting the other 3.25% back to the city for usage in loans and project developments.

"What a great way to use the [UEZ] monies for the downtown," Commissioner Quinn said, referring to it's allocation to the Levoy Theatre. "Absolutely no property tax will be put into the Levoy," he said.

Commissioner Quinn also recognized the Off Broad Street Players Theatre Company, currently of Bridgeton, relocating to the Levoy in Millville upon it's opening.

"We're lucky to have a group like the Off Broad Street Players that has been giving phenomenal performances during our downtown activities," Quinn said.

Concerning the economic status of the City and county, Commissioner Dale Finch noted the importance of a project like the Levoy Theatre restoration, to boost the job market.

"Everyone is looking for work," Finch said, "and the Levoy will be opening immediate construction opportunities."

Mayor Tim Shannon provided reports of surveys with conservative data from over the past 12 years. Shannon also casted his support for the project.

"We will be the shining star in performing arts," the Mayor said, "I can't wait to buy my first tux for the opening!"

More information regarding the Levoy Theatre can be found on their website LEVOY.ORG. More information regarding the Levoy's resident theatre company: The Off Broad Street Players, can be found on their website at OBSPONLINE.ORG

Be sure to stop by the Levoy Theatre this Third Friday (Sept. 18) for a special performance by the Off Broad Street Players, and make sure to watch out for the Levoy's newest fundraiser (HINT: bring crayons...)

-------------------------

Levoy support does not only appear in Millville and Cumberland County.

THINK ABROAD!

Here are a few pictures of Levoy Theatre support around the world!

(Levoy support is shown through the purple eco-friendly shopping bag taken around the globe. GO GREEN! and purchase a Levoy shopping bag today here!)

COZUMEL, MEXICO

MILAN, ITALY.

Levoy shopping bags have also seen their way to Turin, Verona, Venice, Lago di Garda, (in Italy) as well as Germany. Please send me your pictures with the Levoy shopping bag wherever you find yourself in the world!

Thanks!

-Jim Cook Jr.

ATTN: Rowan Students who love Musical Theatre!!!!

ROWAN MUSICAL THEATRE COMPANY is hosting it's first meeting of the Fall 2009 Semester on THURSDAY, Sept. 10th at 12:30. Those interested should congregate in the Wilson Hall Lobby on the Rowan Campus. 

"If you want to be involved in musical theatre on campus, this is your ticket!" said Vice President (of RUMTC), Anthony Sinigaglio, of Penns Grove, NJ,  sent out a general message on Sept. 1st to all members of the Facebook Group RUMTC. 

"Please also bring your thinking caps because we want your ideas on a number of things," the message read.

The RUMTC will be presenting YOU'RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN this October 9th and 10th at the Boyd Recital Hall in Wilson Hall at Rowan University and stars Brandon Marraffa as Charlie Brown and Sinigaglio as Linus.

The company is also planning a Cabaret evening around November or December, and a Mainstage spring musical: GODSPELL in 2010.

Get your tickets!!!!

Two Cumberland County theatre companies announce final casting and Advance ticket sales for their Fall Plays:

CUMBERLAND PLAYERS

October 9th - 17th, 2009

CAST:

Mollie Ralston - KATIE SMITH

Giles Ralston - BILL BRANIN

Christopher Wren - JASON SMITH

Mrs. Boyle - ANNE BUCKWHEAT

Major Metcalf - PAUL SUNGENIS

Miss Casewell - HEIDI DUGAN

Mr. Paravacini - RICHARD CURCIO

Sgnt. Trotter - JAMES BONER

This production of THE MOUSETRAP is Directed by John Weiner, assisted by Lisa Heney.

Advance Tickets are now on sale

OFF BROAD STREET PLAYERS

October 2nd - 4th, 2009

CAST:

Conrad Jarrett - ANDREW JAREMA

Calvin Jarrett - JOHN MULLER

Beth Jarrett - ELLEN MATHER

Joe Lazenby - JUSTIN PETERSON

Kevin Stillman - JIM COOK, JR.

Jeannine Pratt - ELIZABETH MAXWELL

Karen Aldrich - STEPHANIE BELLO

Dr. Berger - LUIS MARAVI

Coach Salan - TRACY TREADWAY

This production of ORDINARY PEOPLE is directed by Walter A. Webster, assisted by Kelsey Vizzard.

Advance Tickets are now on sale.

Survey, Wild West, and a Chocolate Factory!

2010 Survey - 

The Off Broad Street Players are awaiting their big move to the Levoy Theatre (Millville, NJ) and need YOUR help! 

Usually during the summer main stage production, Founder of OBSP/Artistic Director Walter A. Webster announces the upcoming season. For this year it would be the 2010 season, their 13th season. This year, however, there is a slight change of plans...

OBSP is reaching out for the public's opinion on what shows to include in what will be their most remarkably historic season to date, with their move into the Levoy Theatre.

Please click below to take the survey. Please provide 5 shows of your choosing that you'd like to see in the Levoy Theatre. This list can include ANY musical or play (non-musical). Please answer the question that follows as well!

CLICK HERE FOR 2010 OBSP SURVEY

AUDITIONS - 

OKLAHOMA! - Off Broad Street Players - August 26 & 27 at 7:30pm. Ages 8+ are all welcome. Performances November 13 - 22. For more info, visit the OBSP Auditions Page. 

WILLY WONKA - Haddonfield Plays & Players - August 30 & 31. 

Summer Sizzlers!!!

The OFF BROAD STREET PLAYERS present...

Thoroughly Modern Millie!

Music by Jeanine Tesori

Book By Dick Scanlan and Richard Morris

July 31st - 8pm/ August 1, 7, 8 - 8pm 

Aug 2, 9 - 3pm

August 6 (FAMILY PERFORMANCE) - 7:30pm

all performances at Bridgeton High School.

Directed by Walter A. Webster.

Orchestra under the direction of Nancy Bello

Choreographed by: Kaitlin Davis

Tickets are $15 for Adults and $13 for Student/Seniors. Bridgeton High School students are entitled to one free ticket per performance with I.D.

This high-energy foot-tapping musical opens this weekend at the Robert L. Sharp Auditorium of BRIDGETON HIGH SCHOOL. This production features Kaitlin Davis (NYC/Millville) as Millie Dillmount, Nigel Battle (Sicklerville) as Jimmy Smith, Lauren Van Embden (Millville) as Miss Dorothy, and Don Fransko (Vineland) as Trevor Graydon.

The supporting cast includes Patrice Sharkey as Ms. Flannery Ellen Mather as Mrs. Meers, Jim Cook, Jr. as Ching Ho, Zach Ott as Bun Foo, and Manetta Manson as Muzzy Van Hossmere.

_________________________________________

The Collaborative Act Studio presents...

ANGELS IN AMERICA: Millennium Approaches (Part One)

By: Tony Kushner

Directed by Marjorie Sokoloff

Tickets are $16 for Adults and $13 for Seniors. 

August 6, 7, 8, 13, 14 15 - 8pm

August 9 and 15 - 2pm.

all performances at the Fusebox Theatre (Fusion Performing Arts Center)

For more information visit The Collaborative Act Studio Online or by e-mail Ted Wioncek, Jr.  at collaborative_act_studio@comcast.net or by phone at 856-471-6741.

The Collaborative Art Studio is the resident theatre company at the Fusion Performing Art Center, an 80 seat black-box venue in Cherry Hill, NJ. TCAS is currently finishing their second season. The third season includes: Groucho, A Life in Review, Greater Tuna, Jewtopia, and closing with the second installment of this summer's mainstage production: Angels In America: Perestrokia. 

___________________________________

Also playing on The SOUTH JERSEY RIALTO:

GUYS AND DOLLS - Oakwood Summer Theatre

ANYTHING GOES - Haddonfield Plays and Players

ANNIE, Jr. - The Road Company

AIDA - The Ritz Theatre Co.

PREEEEPARE YE!

GODSPELL premiers tomorrow at the Woodstown Presbyterian Church at 7:30pm

Be sure to check out this high-energy production directed by Jim Hutchison, music direction by Shannon Sheridan. It features a stellar cast of the new Woodstown Pilesgrove Repertory Theatre Company. This is their second season, so be sure to show your support!

Tickets are $5.00 General Admission and can be purchased online.

Swing Your Razor High!!!!

(photo: Warren Westura)

Jaclyn Ingoglia (left) Kevin Melendez (right)

SWEENEY TODD: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Starring: Kevin Melendez as Sweeney Todd. Melendez, a senior at Rowan University and proud actor in Southern New Jersey and New York City, plays the bloody villain in this new critically acclaimed production by the New Jersey Youth Theatre. 

New Jersey Performing Arts Center

Sweeney Todd tells the suspenseful, razor-sharp story of Benjamin Barker (alias Sweeney Todd), who returns to the grimy streets of 19th-century London after years of false imprisonment, then vows to extract a bloody revenge by setting up his barbershop with the help of Mrs. Lovett--a widowed and quite demented baker who turns Todd's victims into the tastiest meat pies in all of London.

July 17-July 26 Sweeney Todd at New Jersey Performing Arts Center 
Victoria Theater
1 Center Street, Newark, NJ
Tickets: Adult $35-$25; Child $16

Purchase tickets at njpac.org or call 1-888-GO-NJPAC

NJPAC performance dates and times:
Friday July 17 at 7:30
Saturday July 18 at 7:30
Sunday July 19 at 2:00
Wednesday July 22 at 1:30 and 7:30
Thursday July 23 at 7:30
Friday July 24 at 7:30
Saturday July 25 at 7:30
Sunday July 26 at 2:00

July 31-August 9 
Sweeney Todd at Algonquin Arts Theater 
173 Main Street,
Manasquan, NJ
Tickets: Adult $32; Seniors (55+) $30; Students/Children $15
Purchase tickets at www.algonquinarts.org or call 732-528-9211

Algonquin Arts Theater performance dates and times:
Friday July 31 at 8:00
Sunday August 2 at 2:00
Thursday August 6 at 8:00
Friday August 7 at 8:00
Saturday August 8 at 8:00
Sunday August 9 at 2:00

Had me a blast!

If you haven't had a chance, read up on some of my exploits from my Study Abroad adventure in Italy this past May and June at JIM GOES TO TORINO

In other news, quite a few shows are opening tonight on the SJR. Please reserve these dates and tickets for a fun night out at the theatre!

HARVEY - Oakwood Summer Theatre - Davidow P.A.C. at Salem Community College. July 9, 10, 11 at 7:30pm. (856)-776-0458 for more info. 

MURDER AT THE HOWARD JOHNSON - Sketch Club Players - July 10, 11, 17, 18 at 8pm. July 12 and 19 at 2pm. Tickets are $17 Adults, $15 Seniors. (856)-848-8089 for more info. 

AIDA - The Ritz Theatre Co. - Opening Night: July 10 at 8pm. Tickets range from $20-$30. Additional performances on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from July 11 thru Aug. 8. (856)-858-5230 for more info.

ANYTHING GOES - Haddonfield Plays & Players - Opening Night: July 17 at 8pm. Tickets are $19 general admission. Additional performances on Fridays (8pm), Saturdays (8pm), and Sunday (matinees) thru July 18 - Aug. 8. (856)-429-8139

NUNSENSE - Cumberland Players - July 17, 18, 23, 24, 25 at 8pm. July 19 at 2pm. Tickets are $15 general admission. (856)-692-5626. 

ALL SHOOK UP - Broadway Theatre of Pitman - Opening Night: July 17 at 8pm. Tickets are $25 general admission. Additional performances Fridays (8pm), Saturdays (8pm), and Sundays (matinees) July 18 thru Aug. 8. (856)-384-8381

and here's the one you REALLY should look out for (because I'm in it...haha)

THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE - Off Broad Street Players - July 31, Aug 1, 2, 7, 8 at 8pm. Aug 3, 9 at 3pm. Additional FAMILY NIGHT ($7 ticket) performance Aug 6 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $15 Adults, $13 Students/Seniors. (856)-451-5437. (Further info to come.)

2010 Mainstage Seasons and Auditions!

Ciao! I've safely returned from Italia with all sorts of great experiences, stories, pictures you can see on my other blog JIM GOES TO TORINO. 

Anyway, a few local's have proudly announced their upcoming Mainstage Seasons and upcoming auditions!!!

THE ROAD COMPANY

*RENT

*Doubt: A Parable

*The Sound Of Music

*Into The Woods

*It's A Wonderful Life

SKETCH CLUB PLAYERS

*Forever Plaid

*One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Next

*Out of Sight...Out of Murder

*The Sunshine Boys

ROWAN UNIVERSITY

*The Last Days of Mr. Jekyll

*Play

*The Misanthrope

*Fiddler on the Roof

---AUDITIONS---

FOREVER PLAID - Sketch Club Players - July 13 & 14 at 7:30pm

DREAMGIRLS - The Road Company - July 12 & 13 at 7:00pm

PLAY ON! - Haddonfield Plays & Players - July 19 

Ciao!

Extra Extra!!!

If anyone has a chance to pick up a copy of the Press of Atlantic City, do so, or go to their website. Writer Daniel Walsh chronicles the booming theatre scene in Cumberland County. The South Jersey Rialto was even mentioned!!!! How exciting!
Click on the link below to be re-directed to the great story!

LOCAL THEATRE IS BOOMING

Ciao! (and Chow!)

HELLO FROM ITALIA!!!!

I know I said that the SJR would take a quick break, but I take that back! I wanted to let everyone know that I'm having a grand ole' time studying in the Italian language and History of Cinema in Turin, Italy. 

But over in South Jersey, there is plenty of fun to be part of!

CHICKEN BBQ - Levoy Theatre (Millville NJ). June 6th. Noon - 6pm. Tickets are $10 and offer a great meal and your support of the restoration of the historic Levoy Theatre, re-opening in 2010 with the Off Broad Street Players as the resident theatre company.  Tickets are available on their website, or by calling Lauren Van Embden at (856) 327-5656. Additional ticket hotspots located on High Street in Millville can be found at Bogart's Bookstore, IncredibleBulk, Philip Van Embden Law Offices (9th & Pine) and Steelman Photographics. 

SPEAKING of the Levoy! It should be mentioned that they plan on beginning construction to the inside of the theatre this month! Construction began in May to the facade of the theatre, beginning with the removal of the marquee. How EXCITING!!!! 

In other news:

THE ODD COUPLE - Sketch Club Players. June 5, 6, 11, 12, 13 at 8pm. June 7 and 14 at 2pm. Tickets are $15 Adults, $13 for Seniors and can be purchased online or by calling (856) 848-8089.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND - Ritz Theatre Co (performed through the Children's Theatre) June 3, 4, 5, 6 at 10am. Additional performance on June 6th at 1am. All tickets are $8. Tickets can be purchased on their website. And reservations can be made by calling (856) 858-5230

AN EVENING OF BROADWAY MAGIC!!!

Make plans to attend!

Not to be missed! Nick Saverine returns for a benefit performance. Saturday, May 30 at 7:30 p.m. All tickets $15. An extremely talented group of singers and performers will perform choral, solo, duet and small group numbers from a wide variety of Broadway musicals for this fabulous event. The last Broadway Benefit was a real treat, make sure you're there for this one!

Nicholas F. Saverine -- A graduate of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA and Wichita State University, Nick has performed in Austria, Germany and on Broadway in both Les Miserables and The Phantom of the Opera and in the original European Dance of the Vampires directed by Roman Polanski.

Other tours include Les Miserables, A Christmas Carol, The Student Prince, Pirates of Penzance, and Caroline, Or Change. Most recent regional productions include Footloose, Man of La Mancha, Children of Eden, The Most Happy Fella, The Will Rogers Follies, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Secret Garden, The Baker’s Wife, Annie, and Annie Warbucks.

OBSP Solos include: Domonic Barnes, Kaitlin & Lee Cox, Richard Curcio, Kaitlyn Davis, Joe Dugan, Chelsea Feltman, Donna Harrington, Andrew Jarema, Jennifer & Mark Leigh, Joyce Massey, Jody Meyers, John Muller, Matt O'Neill, Lauren VanEmden, Lauren Wood

And there's NO cure like TRAVEL!!!

The South Jersey Rialto is bursting at the seams with this spring's plays and musicals. Most of them are playing their FINAL PERFORMANCES this weekend. Exceptions on The Ritz Theatre Co. (closing the 24th of May) and The Off Broad Street Players performing ONLY this weekend!

MOON OVER BUFFALO - Off Broad Street Players. 11 N. West Avenue. Bridgeton, NJ. 08302. Directed by John Muller. Friday May 15 & Saturday May 16 @ 8pm. Sunday May 17 @ 3pm. Tickets are $13 for Adults, $11 for Students/Seniors. For more info, call (856) 451-5437 or visit obsponline.org FINAL PERFORMANCE: May 17th @ 3pm

2009 ARTS ALLIANCE CABARET: "FAMILY" - Salem County Arts Alliance. YMCA 204 Shell Rd. Carneys Point, NJ. (856) 299-7434. Tickets are $10 and includes drinks and desserts. TWO PERFORMANCES ONLY! Friday May 15th @ 7:30pm; Sunday May 17th @ 3pm. Starring Salem County natives: Mary Gismonde, Lauren Gambino, Shannon Sheridan, Marie McClintock, Debbie Callahan, Anthony Sinigaglio, Steve Meridian, Paul Kranz, John Fecateau, and Jim Hutchison. SIDE NOTE: I'm from Salem County and have worked with the majority of these performers, I urge you to support their art! Check them out on Facebook!

LAUGH LINES - Actors Core Theatre (at Sketch Club Players). 443 Glover St. Woodbury, NJ. Friday May 15 & Saturday May 16 @ 8pm. Tickets are $18 or call (856) 848-8089. This play is produced by the Actors Core Theatre during the off-season of the Sketch Club Players. FINAL PERFORMANCE: May 16th @8pm

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS - The Road Company. 405 S. Main St. Williamstown, NJ. 08094. Friday May 15 & Saturday May 16 @ 8pm. Tickets are $18 Adults, $15 Students/Seniors. (856) 728-2120. FINAL PERFORMANCE: May 16th 8pm. 

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S MUSICAL - The Ritz Theatre Co. A musicalized version of the William Shakespeare classic play. 915 White Horse Pike Arts District Haddon Twp, NJ 08107. Fridays and Saturdays @ 8pm Sundays at 2pm performances until May 24th. Tickets are $20-$30 plus servicing charge. (856) 858-5230. 

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT - Haddonfield Plays & Players. 957 E. Atlantic Ave. Haddonfield, NJ. 08033 All tickets are $19. May 15 @ 8pm May 16 @ 8pm. (856) 429-8139 FINAL PERFORMANCE: May 16th @ 8pm

OKLAHOMA - The Broadway Theatre (Pitman, NJ). 43 S. Broadway. Pitman, NJ 08071. Tickets are $25. May 15 & 16 @ 8pm (856) 384-8381. FINAL PERFORMANCE: May 16th @ 8pm.

ALSO--- I am going on a study abroad trip through Rowan U. to St. John International University in TORINO, ITALY!!!!! I am so excited about this study trip. I have never been overseas and I'm leaving this coming Monday, May 18th at 4pm from Philly flying straight into Milan. I'm nervous as all hell, but I doubt I've actually realized I'm going on this trip. Therefore, THE SOUTH JERSEY RIALTO may or may not be taking a six-week break (depending on if I'm able to post or retrieve PR from local theatre and have the time to post while in Italia) So, if you don't see anything until the last week in June, you'll know why.

Thanks and Ciao!!!

-Jim

p.s. I promise to be back in time for mainstage summer musical updates in SJ. I even had an early audition for Thoroughly Modern Millie @ OBSP tonight. We'll see what happens!

"And there's no cure like travel
To help you unravel
The worries of living today.
When the poor brain is cracking
There's nothing like packing
A suitcase and sailing away.
Take a run 'round Vienna,
Granada, Ravenna, Sienna
And then a-'round Rome.
Have as high time, a low time,
And in no time
You'll be singing "Home, Sweet Home"

-"Bon Voyage" from Cole Porter's ANYTHING GOES.

FUTURE OF THIS BLOG

This blog began as an assignment for my Online Journalism I class.
It's since began developing into a compendium of theatre events in South Jersey.
It has been a joy being the author.
This post is the FINAL assignment for every student in the class called "Future of this blog"
Will it end?

The answer is: as long as the theatre in South Jersey is alive, I will stay with this.
I actually just had a very brief conversation with a professional actress from Philadelphia, Alana Gerlach, who also is my adjunct acting instructor at Rowan. I asked her if she aspired to work in New York City. She said that she didn't, that she'd rather teach and keep acting in Philadelphia.

"I'd rather be a big fish in a small pond," she remarked.

And isn't that the epitome of every brilliant actor, actress, director, stage manager, designer, musician, and stage hand on the South Jersey Rialto? We are all big fish in this small pond.

So, this is my last post while under the jurisdiction of Rowan University. After this post, it's only because I love the theatre, sometimes more than myself. Honestly.

But before I take the next step, I have to acknowledge those deserving:
Mark Berkey-Gerard, Professor of Online Journalism. (made sure this blog is what it is)
Off Broad Street Players, my "home" theatre, (gave me many resources to do this)
Cast of All Shook Up, (for providing me my first topics, and feeding me my favorite addiction: performing.)
Cast of Moon Over Buffalo (for allowing me to attend their rehearsal and take video)
Lauren Van Embden, Chairwoman of the Levoy Theatre. (for exclusive interviews)
Bentley, Josie, and Elsie (for graciously appearing in my out-takes video)

See you on the boards!

"Life is a holiday.
I'm talking June through May.
A nightly sell out show,
and baby I'm front row.
Bye-Bye to lonely nights.
Only nights when the two of us can coo.
Skies are sunny and clear,
Long as I'm here with you."
-Thoroughly Modern Millie

(I hope you like the quote above...
could it be a hint at something?
...my lips are sealed...)

-Jim Cook Jr.

FINAL REHEARSALS: Moon Over Buffalo

The Off Broad Street Players Theatre Company is kick-starting it's final rehearsals for their upcoming comedy Moon Over Buffalo. The production is set to begin performances the weekend of May 15th.

Written by Ken Ludwig, the comedy follows two traveling actors, George and Charlotte Hay, performing “Private Lives” and “Cyrano De Bergerac” in a repertory theatre in Buffalo, NY. George receives a phone call from Hollywood director Frank Capra to inform the casts that he will be attending their matinee and is searching for replacements to star in his upcoming movie “The Scarlet Pimpernel.”

John Muller directs the second show in the 12th season for the Off Broad Street Players. This, however, is not his first run-in with a Ken Ludwig comedy. Muller has also directed the opera farce Lend Me a Tenor during the spring of 2006 with OBSP. His directorial expertise is vital in the final days of rehearsals. 

"It is crunch week. Monday, Tuesday will be tech rehearsals, in the true sense of the word," explained Muller to the cast before beginning the their rehearsal Monday night. Muller was referring to the following week in which the entire show comes together before opening night. He also explained that the final pieces of the set would be assembled on the stage.

For each show, performers rehearse in a separate performance space. OBSP currently rehearses in the Trinity United Methodist Church basement space, before moving to the Robert L. Sharp auditorium at Bridgeton High School. Once settled the final week of rehearsals ("tech week") begin, actors are able to work with staircases, doorways, and props. Also, blocking (the actor's movements) are finalized during the tech week. 

"We're gonna work with all these pieces," Muller said, "And while we're doing that, we'll be working with the lighting and we'll be working with the sound," Muller instructed to the cast.

The production stars Thurman Hogan and Beverly Beardsley as George and Charlotte respectively. During the early rehearsal process, Hogan and Beardsley were instructed in basic fencing for their scenes in "Cyrano de Bergerac"

The production also stars Lauren Van Embden (Millville) as Rosalind, the daughter of George and Charlotte, Kim Hitchner (Bridgeton) as the grandmother Ethel, Tracy Treadway (Vineland) as Richard, and Meghan Kleefeld (Vineland) as the young Eileen trapped in a brief affair with George.

Andrew Jarema, 19, of Pittsgrove, plays Paul, Rosalind's former lover whom she resists for the majority of the show.

"Paul is willing to do anything to suck up to George," Jarema said. "He's rough and ready on the outside, but a nervous wreck on the inside."

Zach Ott, 15, of Upper Deerfield, plays Rosalind's fiancee, Howard, a young man always in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"He's [Howard] this semi-nerdy weatherman whose engaged to Roz," said Ott. "He gets mistaken as Frank Capra, as Eileen's brother, and gets himself stuck in a bunch of other problems."

The rehearsals have proved the work of a strong cast and talented production team. Cast members are excited for their opening night, May 15th, 8pm, at Bridgeton High School. 

"Our cast works extremely well together," said Ott, "They're all really great. Working with John has been fantastic. Everything he does is very professional."

"Our rehearsals are very structured," Jarema said. "Everything is always completed exactly as planned. The whole cast is very enthusiastic about giving their best performance and putting our best show out there."

Additional performances will take place May 16th at 8pm and May 17th at 3pm. Tickets are $13 for Adults and $11 for Students/Seniors. All Bridgeton High School students with I.D. are eligible for a Student Rush discount ticket at the box office prior to each night's performance.

For more information please call (856) 451-5437 or contact by e-mail at press@obsponline.org. More information is readily available on their website.

Habaneras on the Rialto

CARMEN is finishing its run tonight at 8pm and 2pm tomorrrow. Be sure to dress classy for a night at the opera!

Pfleeger Concert Hall
Rowan University
Tickets are $10 adults $5 students, seniors, and staff

Free admission for all RU students with ID

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPod touch]

Suddenly See More...

Just got a few messages on facebook about some upcoming shows on the SJR...

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS - premiering tonight at 8pm at The Road Company. Tickets can be purchased online at roadcompany.com or at the door. Stars Lani Cole Compagno, whom I've had the pleasure of perdorming with before, she has a brilliant talent on the stage!

HANSEL & GRETEL - premiering tonight at 7pm at the Little Theater on Sherman Ave in Vineland, Nj. Tickets are $6. Visit cumberlandplayers.com for more info. This is part of their childrens theatre series so feel free ro bring the entire family!

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPod touch]

Originality on the Rialto!

AND JUSTICE FOR ALL 

South Camden Theatre Company

Waterfront South Theatre, 400 Jasper St. Camden, NJ. 08104

Box Office: (856) 456-2850

Opens this FRIDAY at 8pm!

This show, a festival of five one-act plays, tackles issues surrounding the American justice system and certain injustices we face. 

According to their website, The five one-act plays have been selected from sixty-four plays that were submitted in an International call for scripts. SCTC has already tackled the Iraq War and nontraditional prejudice in past festivals and now shines its light on this complex and engaging subject.

Performances:

April 24, 25, May 1, 2, 8, 9 at 8pm

April 26 May 3, 10 at 1:30pm

Directed by: Christopher Shimpf, Tom Jaurez, Connie Norwood, Ray Croce, and Brad Reiter.

And if I could just say this: there are many fun musicals and plays popping up all over South Jersey and I am delighted to see them all, however, I think there is a very strong need for theatre companies like SCTC that provide cutting-edge material, and a breath of originality on the South Jersey Rialto. I urge all theatre patrons to support the South Camden Theatre, it helps support our playwrights and Camden County arts district.

I Could Have Danced All Night!

(photo: The Daily Journal)

MY FAIR LADY opens TONIGHT!

Millville High School, 200 N. Wade Blvd, Millville, NJ. 08332.

Starring KAITLYN COX as Eliza Doolittle. A member of the Off Broad Street Players Theatre Company in Bridgeton, Kaitlyn has been most recently and notably starred as Natalie in All Shook Up and as Mary Magdeline in Jesus Christ Superstar.

April 23, 24 25 at 7:30pm

April 25 at 2:00pm

Tickets are $8.00 Adults

                     $6.00 Students/Seniors

Also features OBSP members Kelsey Vizzard and Raven Stewart.

Any Shakespeare Will Do

A Midsummer Nights Musical - Ritz Theatre Co. A completely original musical written for the Ritz Theatre Company opens this Friday, April 24 @ 8pm. Performances run this weekend, and throughout the month of May, Friday & Saturday nights at 8pm, Sunday matinees at 2pm, and Wednesdays (5/6 & 5/20) at 7:30pm.

(Lee Mead in the new West End production of Joseph at the Adephi Theatre in London. Mead won the role in a London reality T.V. show Any Dream Will Do)

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT - Haddonfield Plays and Players - Opens Friday May 1st@ 8pm. Tickets are $19. Performances run every Friday & Saturday @ 8pm and Sunday @ 2pm until May 16th. Check out their new website (it's totally cool!)

 

Mapping it out!

Sometimes, one of the biggest faults in not being able to attend the theatre is not having proper directions. With the "spring play" season approaching (meaning many theatres will be premiering non-musicals) and "Summer mainstages" (meaning full-scale summer musical staging) it is vital to know where to go. Each blue pointer on the map, if clicked, will give a description of the name of the theatre, it's address, and directions to and from.

If all it takes is driving directions, you can plan your entire trip with this simple interactive map below. ALSO, when the map is filed after I post more, you can still easily access this by checking the sidebar. Also, check the sidebar for links to all your favorite theatres in South Jersey. ;)

View South Jersey Theatres in a larger map

New website!

I was just clicking around and I noticed that Haddonfield Plays and Players completely revamped their website. Click on the link I've provided or check out their link on my sidebar. Their new interactive site was a much needed improvement. Bravo!

Children's Hour stirs...

Went to see The Children's Hour last weekend and I thought it was a good show. I had some problems with character choices and thought maybe if the cast had another week they could have been a bit more solid. I LOVED the set and the lighting. Kudos to the crew. But overall, the show was fantastic. Story in a nutshell: little girl goes to an all-girl's school and runs away to her grandmother's house. From preventing her grandmother to send her back, she decides to lie, saying the two headmistresses were having a lesbian affair. Keep an eye out for more in The Whit. There were a few points I wasn't allowed to include due to spoiler details, but I've listed them below. Check it out below -->
-----


In the end, Dobie admits to being a lesbian and being in love with Wright. Was there any interaction between the two of them that prompted her admitting this? And what makes Wright so certain that she wants to be married to Dr. Cardin?

Also, for a young girl, Mary had quite an imagination, especially to devise this accusation while attending an all-girls school during the 1930s when the idea of homosexuality was closely guarded away from schools and children. It’s also strange how Dr. Cardin never felt completely certain that the accusation was false. Or perhaps I’m completely looking too far into it.

Adamerican Idol...

Here's my newest beef, then turn-around.

Everyone is going googly eyes over this new guy on American Idol: Adam Lambert. (And by everyone I mean, teenage girls, but the world only revolves around them right?) Anyway, I heard he was making a wild tear of genius on our all-time favorite lack-of-talent reality T.V. show. So, I got all excited because I figured here was someone I couldn't out-sing, (considering I could probably leave every male performer from the past three seasons, save for David Cook, in the vocal dust...and I'm not being egotistical.) Excitedly in a fury I research Lambert to only find out that he's been in the chorus of the Broadway company of WICKED. Now I'm really mad because he's technically been paid as a professional performer and should have to starve like the rest of us (not that I'm professional, but he gets paid way more than I do.) 

Then I found this sound recording of him singing "Come To Me Bend To Me" from the Learner and Lowe musical Brigadoon from when he was 22 years old. (He's about 26 or 27 now)

AND NOW I LOVE ADAM LAMBERT!!!!!!!!! I really really really really really really hope he wins American Idol. He seriously is the best male talent they've ever had on that show. In fact, Simon Cowell gave Lambert a standing ovation after his rendition of "Mad World" last week. 

Who cares if he had that crappy little bit-role in WICKED. Its not even that great of a show anyway. 

GO BROADWAY!!!

and GO ADAM....us theatuhh junkies gotcha back son!

The hour is approaching....

Image from the movie THE CHILDREN'S HOUR starring Audrey Hepburn.

Rowan's Theatre Department is staging a new production of THE CHILDREN'S HOUR by Lillian Helman. Hellman, an outspoken political activist and women's rights advocate wrote this play in the 1930s to challenge social norms of the day. The story follows a young girls school where two students accuse two teachers of being in a homosexual relationship. Hellman also revived the play 20 years later to a record-breaking and audience-challenging run of Broadway.

April 16, 17, 18 @ 8pm

           19 @ 2pm

The production is directed by Dr. Elisabeth Hostetter* and features professional actress Allison Green. Tickets are $10 for Adults and $5 for Students/Seniors. Free admission is granted to all Rowan students with identification.

(published Friday afternoon)

(*correction made Monday morning to the name Hostetter (spelling) and the dates of the show. I apologize!)

Whats to come!

This is a big glimpse at what's to come on the South Jersey Rialto...

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS - Chesnut Ridge Middle School, Sewell, NJ. - April 16, 17, 18 @ 7pm April 18 @ 2pm. Tickets are $5. Available at the door.

ANNIE - Commercial Township School, Port Norris, NJ. - April 23, 24 @ 7pm, April 25 @ 2pm. Tickets are $5

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - Cumberland County College - April 23, 24, 25 @ 8pm, April 25 @ 2pm and 26th @ 3pm. Tickets are $12 Adults, $8 Students/Seniors.

OKLAHOMA - Broadway Theatre (Pitman, NJ) - April 24 - May 16th. Tickets are $25. thebroadwaytheatre.org for more info.

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS - The Road Company May 1st - 16th. More info on the website linked on the side bar --->

Have fun!

Where to find the tutorial

heres a little diddy if you're a blogger and need to learn HTML...i gotta learn...so....

HTML Dog

Exclusive Interview with Levoy Chairwoman Lauren Van Embden

This past Wednesday night, Levoy Theatre (Millville, NJ) Board Chairwoman Lauren Van Embden, 29, invited me to her home for an exclusive interview about her involvement with the renovations, restoration, and revitalization efforts to re-open Millville's historic 100 year old theatre: the Levoy. We chatted about how she came to join the Board of Directors, her plan, what's to come in the future. We even had few special surprise guests.

and this is just for your sheer enjoyment....

By the light of the drapes!

I went to see Neil Simon's Fools last night in the Lab Theatre at Rowan University

It was so much FUN!!!!! Went with Andrew and his friends Dominic and Amanda, all of whom loved the show! Direction by Michael Pliskin was absolutely hilarious and the sets were so innovative, using painted flats and mime-like actors as part of the set itself. Set direction was done by Matthew Wagner, 21, Theatre tech major at Rowan, who has work on mainstage shows such as Towers, Our Country's Good and last season's Spring Awakening. Wagner has also stage managed Anything Goes and Beauty and the Beast at Audubon High School. We're all sure to see more of his work for the upcoming mainstage play The Children's Hour, and soon on regional stages in South Jersey.

Great show!

76 Trombones led the big parade!

Real quick post. haha.

Probably one of my favorites, if not my all time favorite show is Meredith Wilson's The Music Man. Two times I've had the opportunity to be in this show.

It's opening this weekend at Cumberland Regional High School

April 2, 3, 4 @ 7pm and an additional matinee at 1pm on April 4th.

Tickets are $7 and can be purchased at the door.

Come see this great show!

Would you like a prescription???

Once upon a time there was a playwright named Neil Simon...he's probably my favorite. My first experience with Neil Simon began in May of 2006 when I was cast in his play Broadway Bound. That play is the third in his hailed psuedo-memoir Brighton Beach Trilogy. These shows are all absolutely beautiful, funny, heartwarming with a mix of true life experiences. I remember some audiences members having to leave the theatre after one scene in which my mother and father had a 12 page dramatic dialogue in which their relationship fails. Comedy you ask? Those plays hit a little bit closer to home.

My second experience with Neil Simon was when I assistant stage managed a production of Barefoot in the Park. This show was a bit more witty and frivolously fun. True Neil Simon style.

Tomorrow night at 8pm in the Lab Theatre at Rowan University, a very Neil Simon-esque Neil Simon play, Fools, will open. Tickets are only $1 and are a mere donation to the theatre company. I hope to be there tomorrow night. I think I'll be meeting my friend Andrew there and he plans on bringing some friends out, which is great because we need to give the student-produced theatre productions our utmost support.

The production is directed by Michael Pliskin '10 and the production is designed by Matthew Wagner '10