theater Archives - Page 8 of 11 - Have Sippy Will Travel

PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE FOOD AND COAT DRIVE

November 21, 2013 by Samantha Leave a Comment

Paper Mill Playhouse is proud to announce two initiatives to help the needy in New Jersey this holiday season. For the 17^th year Paper Mill Playhouse will partner with Jersey Cares as a collection site for their winter coat drive. New and gently used coats can be dropped off during the run of Paper Mill Playhouse’s production of OLIVER! through December 29. The Millburn theater will also be collecting non-perishable food items to be distributed to area food pantries for their “Food, Glorious Food” Drive. Any person that donates a coat or non-perishable food item will be rewarded with a Paper Mill Playhouse 75^th Anniversary scratch-off game ticket for a chance to win valuable prizes. Items will be collected in the main lobby at Paper Mill Playhouse, 22 Brookside Drive in Millburn, New Jersey.

The “Food, Glorious Food” Drive was the brainchild of 12-year-old actor Chance Friedman of Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, who plays an orphan Oliver! “I’m having the time of my life singing Food, Glorious Food, but the sad truth is that even in these modern times, people in our community go hungry each day,” remarked Chance. “I’d like to do my part to fight hunger and I could use your help. When you come to see Oliver! this holiday season, please bring a non-perishable food item and drop it in the ‘Food, Glorious Food’ drive bin in the lobby of the theater. Make a donation, and consider yourself part of our hunger-fighting family.” Chance created a special video message to encourage people to donate to these worthy causes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13JeIveNbr4.

In addition to Paper Mill’s food drive efforts, the design team of Oliver! considered those less fortunate while finding footwear for the 49 cast members in the production. Shoes purchased for the production were ordered from Toms and from Bob’s Shoes. For every shoe purchased, these companies donate a shoe to a child in a developing country. “The workhouse orphans in Oliver! needed a good homespun-type uniform shoe,” stated costume designer Amanda Seymour. “We thought how perfect the look of Toms and Bob’s are for this production, and how fitting that for every shoe purchased, one went to a child in need.”
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Filed Under: holidays, theater Tagged With: theater

Symphony Space – Theater For Kids

November 11, 2013 by Samantha 2 Comments

Disclosure- I received tickets to this show in order to review it. All opinions are my own and honest.

This past weekend, we headed out to Symphony Space to see the “Treehouse Shakers” preform their latest show, “Hatched”. A puppet show about life on the farm (complete with lots of farm noises and even several chances to “pet” and interact with some of the puppets), this music and dance show was aimed at the younger audience members.

Kids Theater

“Hatched,” written and directed by Mara McEwin, this dance-play offers a generous mix of things that kids love; it’s part farm, part museum and all theatre. Performed via movement, handcrafted puppets, music and minimal human dialogue, the story is set at an American family farm. An adorable, fluffy chick meets a feisty old rooster, a wobbly calf learning to walk, a gaggle of dancing chicks, a lamb, and a noisy nest of baby birds.

Intimately staged to live music performed by Anthony Rizzo, young audience members are encouraged to interact with the newborn animals as they explore their worlds. Through movement and music, the calf learns to walk, the baby birds attempt to fly, and the lamb makes a new friend with the curious hatched chick. Audience members interact and play with the characters on stage; they give the chicks their feed, milk bottles to the lamb, are licked by the cow, and feed worms to the baby birds. Babies in the audience will be enticed by the animal sounds and textures, while toddlers and preschoolers will love watching and imitating their favorite farm animals as they come to life.
Preschoolers will delight in learning about life on the farm, and older kids will be entertained by the delightful storytelling, live music and dance.

The Senior Players Workshop at Paper Mill Playhouse

August 29, 2013 by Samantha Leave a Comment

A new Senior Players Acting Workshop, emphasizing creation of one person plays, will be offered from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon for 20 weeks beginning Monday, September 10 at the Paper Mill Playhouse. It will be taught by Ed Schiff, star of stage, screen, and TV shows.

There will be space for actors 55 years of age and up for Mr. Schiff’s acting workshop. If you would like to register, or to get more information, call Ms. McNany at (973) 379 3636, extension 1669. The cost for the 20-week session is $285.
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Filed Under: entertainment, lifestyle, theater Tagged With: nj shows, NJ theater, paper mill playhouse, papermill playhouse, The Senior Players Workshop at Paper Mill Playhouse, theater

Top London West End Musicals

July 16, 2013 by Samantha Leave a Comment

London is a fantastically multicultural and exciting city with vast amounts of history, art and shopping to name a few of its offerings. The West End of London has long been synonymous with musical theater and catching a show is still a great way to spend an evening with friends, your partner or family.

Wicked

This is a fantastic show about the Witches of Oz and how they became known as good and bad. Based on the book by Gregory Maguire this now long running musical shows the audience how the yellow brick road and the plight of Dorothy might not be the whole story.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

The Roald Dahl classic story has been adapted for the stage and is a new addition to the West End circuit. All the reviews so far have been outstanding and it looks to be the latest musical hit.
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Filed Under: entertainment, theater, travel Tagged With: London theater, theater in london, Top London West End Musicals

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

May 1, 2013 by Samantha 4 Comments

Paper Mill Playhouse is now three shows into their Spring Children’s Theater program, with their most recent show being Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

This play tells the tale of a little boy who has one of those days where it would probably be better to move to Australia then deal with it any longer. From a horrible beginning of waking up for school with gum in his hair to a dental appointment, Alexander’s day is the personification of a bad day for a little kid. So much of a bad day that when Little Man was watching it, he was quite anxious for Alexander’s bad day to end. But by the end of the play Alexander learns an important lesson and his bad day gets a sweet coating. As this sweet coating revealed itself, Little Man also liked the play even more.

The play itself was wonderfully done by Theatreworks USA. Theatreworks specializes in bringing professional theater level shows to youth and family audiences across the nation. Professional is indeed the correct word. The woman who played Alexander was a wonderful singer as we the rest of the cast. Within minutes of realizing Alexander was played by a woman, the illusion was set and we were watching a day in the life of a little boy. The play is full of singing and dancing numbers as well as humor for both children and adults.
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Filed Under: entertainment, theater Tagged With: Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day, children's theater, paper mill playhouse, papermill playhouse, papermill playhouse children's show

A Chorus Line Debuts at Paper Mill Playhouse #Theater #Musical

October 10, 2012 by Samantha 5 Comments

Opening this week at the Paper Mill Playhouse is the classic “A Chorus Line”, the “singular sensation” since 1975. The cast will include Paper Mill veterans and Broadway talent, proving that you don’t need to cross a bridge or tunnel to experience the most exceptional talent the country has to offer.

Paper Mill Playhouse, known for world-class productions, brought it all to the table (or stage, as it were) for this inter-generational audience favorite. With chart-busting musical numbers from Marvin Hamlisch (a score that has won nearly every award one can imagine), the cast has audience members singing along in their seats.
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Filed Under: entertainment, theater Tagged With: A Chorus Line, dance, musical, musical theater, theater

Dreamworks How To Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular

October 1, 2012 by Samantha 10 Comments

When I first heard about the live performance of How to Train Your Dragon it sounded interesting, but boy was I in for a surprise. The show is a spectacular combination of music and sights, for both adults and kids to enjoy. The show is filled with wonders, such as the combination of live action and video. One part of the show was created to look like the actor is running along a path- but in reality it was an actor running through projected and real scenery while hanging perpendicular to the screen, then all about the stage (and wall) area. The dragons were amazing, the robotics involved to make these creatures move, roar, shoot fire or lasers is truly fantastic. Shadow dragons flying above or shooting fire completed the effect, along with pyrotechnics that shot flames and tied it all together.

The pre-show Hero’s Welcome package was a great idea. The package included all of us getting dressed up as vikings for a posed picture, then meeting the main human characters (Astrid and Hiccup) for photos and Dragon Training Certifications. After the show, they had an explanation of how things worked. Pretty in Pink had to take her certificate for show and tell in school, so that she could show everyone that she is now a Dragon Trainer (she was so proud). Little Man was absolutely aglow from the idea that he was a viking and he had a chance to hold a sword and a shield. He also wanted to hug all the dragons- so no worries that they will be too scary for your little ones.
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Filed Under: entertainment, family, kids, theater Tagged With: family show, kids show, kids theater, live show

Clifford the Big Red Dog Coming to Keswick Theatre

October 1, 2012 by Samantha 2 Comments

Clifford is coming soon to the Keswick Theater, and we cannot wait to go see the show. What child doesn’t love this Big, Red Dog?

Clifford the Big Red Dog is coming to the Keswick Theatre on Sunday, October 14^TH for 2 BIG shows at 1 and 4PM to celebrate his 50^TH Birthday in a special live theatrical show featuring new songs, dancing and laughter the whole family will love.
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