Arts & Entertainment

Update: Locals Helping Out Famous Harlem Choir

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One of America's most famous gospel choirs is coming to the area. And when it does, it'll receive an opening from another gospel group—one with a decidedly shorter commute.

The Harlem Gospel Choir will be at the in Morristown on Jan. 22. And opening up for the Harlem choir will be the Praise and Worship Choir of the Calvary Baptist Church, based just .6 miles away in Morristown.

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"We reached out to the Baptist Church and asked if they would like to participate. They were very much inclined," said Katie Lemery, the Community Theatre's marketing director.

The invitation meant a chance to perf­orm with a group that's become synonymous with the music of the black church. The Harlem choir—formed after its founder thought up the idea while attending a celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Cotton Club in Harlem—has sung with everyone from Josh Groban to Whoopi Goldberg. It has performed for Nelson Mandela, Elton John and Pope John Paul II, and is a fixture at BB King's Blues Club & Grill.

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The Harlem Gospel Choir says on its website it aims to "create a better understanding of the African-American culture & the inspirational music called Gospel as it relates to the Black Church. The theme of every performance is "bringing people & nations together & giving something back.'"

Lemery said the Community Theatre often tries to involve local performers with its presentations of major acts. When Kenny Rogers performed at the theater, he got an opening from the theater's own performing arts school.

Calvary Baptist Church was formed in 1889 and located on Martin Luther King Avenue in Morristown.

The performance will be Jan. 22, at 8 p.m., at the Mayo Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets range from $27 to $42.

In Madison:

Celebrating Young Talent: The Madison Young Playwrights Festival will soon be taking reservations. It's a day-long festival celebrating work written by students in the Madison schools. Watch this space for more information.

In the Area:

Audition Alert, "Footloose:" It's not too late to audition for Bernards Township Plays in the Park's production of Footloose—but time is running out. Auditions for dancers and singers will be Tuesday, Jan. 4, at 7 p.m. Auditions for adult roles are Friday, Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. Auditions are at . Rehearsals begin in late May, and the show goes up July 14, 15, 16, 21, 22 and 23. See here for a cast of characters.

Strange Name for a Play, Put on by StrangeDog: "The Virilogy," being performed Fridays and Saturdays from Jan. 7 through Jan. 22 at , watches three friends attempt to discover how to be heartbroken, how to be a man, how to be a friend, and how to fail miserably at all of the above. It's put on by the StrangeDog Theater. Tickets are available at the link.

Audition Alert, "The Dark at the Top of the Stairs:" The Dover Little Theatre, in its 78th season, is auditioning "The Dark at the Top of the Stairs," a comedy-drama of several short stories. The theater's description: The play includes "the fight between a husband and wife; the fear of an overly shy young girl on going to a dance; the problems of an introverted little boy who feels that the whole world, including his family is against him; the outwardly peaceful and inwardly corroding marriage of Cora's rowdy sister; the tragedy of a military school cadet whose mother has never provided him with a home and who suffers from the stigma of being a Jew in an alien community." Auditions are Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. and Jan. 10 at 7:30 p.m., with callbacks tentatively set for Jan. 12 at 7:30 p.m. See here for a cast of characters. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays from March 5 through 19 at 8 p.m.; Sunday matinées are March 6 and 13 at 2 p.m.

Audition Alert, 'Taming of the Shrew:" The Shakespeare Initiative at Brundage Park Playhouse in Randolph will be holding auditions for its next production, "The Taming of the Shrew," on Monday, Jan. 10, and Wednesday, Jan. 12, from 7 to p.m. Performances will be March 25 and 26, and April 1 and 2 at 8 p.m. and March 27 and April 3 at 2 p.m. For a cast of characters and more information, see here.

All That Jazz, From a Master: Bucky Pizzarelli's 85th birthday celebration will be at the , at the Morris Museum of Art, Science, Theatre and History on Jan. 11 at 8 p.m. Jazz great Pizzarelli began his career at age 17, plays a seven-string guitar named in his honor, and has collaborated with artists including Benny Goodman and Les Paul. See here for ticket information.

 

I Don't Know Art, But I Know It's A Play: in Montville will stage "Art," Written by Yasmina Reza, translated by Christopher Hampton, from Friday, Jan. 14 through Saturday, Jan. 29. From the theater's description: "How much would you pay for a white painting? Would it matter who the painter was? Would it be art? These are the questions that confront Marc, Serge and Yvan as they contemplate Serge's latest art purchase. As these three longtime friends square off over the merits of the painting, their differences in opinion provoke a critique of a more personal nature. Friendships are tested, and the aftermath challenges the strength of those bonds, and affirms the power of art." See here for ticket information.

Who's Up for Bridge: The Somerset Valley Players will produce "The Octette Bridge Club" from Jan. 14 to 30 at the theater, located at 689 Amwell Road in Hillsborough. The play, set in Rhode Island, focuses on eight sisters who meet to play bridge and gossip. It starts off in 1934, then jumps ahead 10 years for the second act. Tickets are $17 for adults and $15 for seniors or students. See here for more information and to purchase tickets.

 

Get Your Costumes and Clothes: The Tri-State Actors Theater in Sussex is having its "Annual Indoor Yard Sale: Jan. 14 through 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. IT's offering stage props, tools, ladders, costumes, clothes, jewelry and other tidbits. Tri-State is located at the Crescent Theater.

 

Get Creative: Growing Stage Theatre in Netcong has opened up registration for its winter classes for children and teens, which begin Jan. 15 on Saturday mornings and run from 10 to 12 weeks, depending on the class. They include Creative Dramatics, the Performing Arts Workshop, The Actor Speaks, Musical Performance Lab and Black Light Puppetry. See here for more information.

Three Tenors and a Baritone Walk Into A Theater (For a Start): The Centenary Stage Company's Jazz in January Concert Series begins Jan. 15 with "3 Tenors and A Baritone" (which is actually a bigger performance than it sounds; there's a rhythm section too). It continues Jan. 2 with "Bobby Caldwell and His 14-Piece Big Band" and Jan. 29 with "The Artie Shaw Orchestra, a 16-Piece Big Band featuring Matt Koza." All performances are at the Stinik Theater of the Lackland Center at 715 Grand Avenue in Hackettstown. See here for more information and to purchase tickets.

Audition Alert, "Almost, Maine": is holding auditions for "Almost, Maine," on Jan. 15 at 2 p.m. and Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. The theater's description: "On a cold, clear, moonless night in the middle of winter, all is not quite what it seems in the remote, mythical town of Almost, Maine. As the northern lights hover in the star-filled sky above, Almost's residents find themselves falling in and out of love in whimsical and often unexpected ways." Performance dates March 18 to April 2 (on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays). Cast requirements: Two men and two women, a "young" male/female couple (late 20s, early 30s), and a "not-as-young" male/female couple (late 30s, early 40s). Maine accents are not suggested. See here for more information.

How do You Spell Quirky: The "25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" is coming to the on Jan. 19, with performances continuing through Feb. 13. From the theater's description, it's the story of "six quirky competitors and three oddball adults in search of spelling bee glory." It's a musical that tells its audience, "If you like to laugh, if you like to spell, you'll like this competition very well."

 

Make 'Em Laugh: The Chester Theater Group of the Black River Playhouse is holding an eight-week comedy workshop, starting Jan. 22. It's Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to noon (as though there's anything funny about getting up early on a Saturday). For more information, call 908-892-5458 or e-mail KateLynReiter@comcast.net.

 

"The World Goes Round," You Go To Parsippany: The Women's Theater Company in Parsippany will produce "And The World Goes Round, The Songs of Kander and Ebb" in February. The revue features songs from "Cabaret," "Chicago," "Funny Lady," "Kiss Of The Spiderwoman" and other Broadway hits. Performances are Feb. 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 and 27. Friday and Saturday performances are 8 p.m. Sundays are 3 p.m. The show is at the , 1140 Knoll Road, Lake Hiawatha. Tickets are $18, $15 for seniors and $12 for students. Call 973-316-3033 or e-mail info@womenstheater.org.

 

Always Be Closing: have just wrapped up their performances of "A Christmas Carol" (performed annually at the playhouse since 1988), and are moving on to March's performance of "GlenGarry Glen Ross." This production of the 1984 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama by David Mamet—about a cutthroat sales contest that brings out the worst in four Chicago real estate agents—will be directed by Chase Newhart.


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