Les Miserables Reboots at Paper Mill Playhouse.

The Paper Mill Playhouse is soon to be at the center of national theatrical attention when it hosts the US premiere of Cameron Mackintosh’s revived production of Les Miserables. Essentially a reboot of the classic Boublil/Schonberg/Kretzmer musical, the production features new staging, set design, costumes, and orchestrations. Simply translated: there’s no turntable. Most musicals don’t have to explain themselves when undergoing a reimagining, but Les Miserables is like a Fourth of July hamburger—people have a clear idea of how they want it.

Surflight Theatre: Sand, Surf, and Songs.

Tucked away on a cozy street in Beach Haven on the family beach getaway that is Long Beach Island, the Surflight Theatre churns out productions like ice cream sundaes in July. They do that too, in fact, as the 60-year-old theater has an adjoining 1950s-style ice cream parlor that doubles as a singing-waiters performance space. Producing musicals throughout the warm months in summer-stock format that run for two weeks then give way to another production, the theater runs straight plays in the fall and an always sold-out Christmas spectacular in December. Committed to family entertainment, the Surflight also produces children’s theater on site, as well as a traveling troupe. Take a tour through this cherished-by-vacationers theater, which has grown quite a bit since originally being housed in what is now its scenery shop.

Posted by Jesse North, JerseyArts.com’s Theater Blogger.

Calvin Berger at George Street Playhouse: Get Your Glee On.

Post Show, Pre Party, Ready to Boogie Down.

Hi everyone! I’m a 25-year old arts professional, and I have complex relationship with GLEE. I want to get that out of the way up front–Ryan Murphy’s excellent new television show is at the same time a shout-out and a legacy to the perceptions of high school and growing up that John Hughes created a generation ago. And those same thoughts and feelings come rushing back in George Street Playhouse’s Calvin Berger, playing now through March 14. Barry Wyner’s new musical takes the classic Cyrano De Bergerac, spins it up, adds a character, and sets it down in a modern American high school.

Calvin Berger  is about the challenges of fitting in; I definitely can relate to that experience, as I was not one of the popular kids in high school (although, in hindsight, who was?). In keeping with the theme, I brought my best friend from high school, Sonny, to the show and the Generation Next event following.

Generation NEXT at the Bickford 3: The Review!

I Love You, You're Perfect...Now Pizza.

(Sorry this show is just so good; I really couldn’t edit this down!)

There are some genuinely tender moments in this show, especially Christine Marie Heath’s rendition of “I will be loved tonight” and Marc G. Dalio’s performance as an old man looking across the table to his wife of many years and singing “Shouldn’t I be less in love with you?”

Even though the ages in the theater seemed to range from 21 to 75, there wasn’t one member who laughed particularly louder at a comic scene or sighed at a touching moment.  There really is something for everyone.

My moment would have to be the single woman trying to get off the phone with her anxious mother wanting to know if the man she went on a date with the other night has called yet.  She chides her mother with “he said he’d call tonight so of course he won’t call tonight” line.  Every single woman knows the x 3 rule when it comes to a guy.  (Take the day he says he’ll call you and add three days and that’s the actual time you will hear from him.  It’s as valid as the Pythagoras Theorem).  So imagine the woman’s surprise, along with the audience’s, when the man actually calls her!

The stage erupts into a musical spectacular of “He Called Me,” complete with a dancing duo of Italian pizza delivery men.  When the man calls her again, the spectacular abruptly ends as she turns to the audience with a sigh to say “He’s needy.”   And alas, the relationship ends before it can even begin.  I hate to admit it but I am guilty of such a judgment.  So I guess after seeing the other side, I will have to respectfully retract my former statement that “boys are stupid” and merely conclude that it is not about finding that perfect person but finding a person who embraces your “baggage” and inner-weirdness.

When I find mine, he will take me to see theatre.

Generation NEXT at the Bickford Theatre 2: The Show!

Maris, Cynthia of DJA, and Laura of NJYP

So much to blog, so little space. As expected, Generation NEXT nailed their opening season with this event! Let me begin with the actual musical, especially since this is its final weekend of performances.

My friend and I were hoping for a night of uncontrollable, gut-busting laughter and we were not disappointed. In fact, first audience applause erupted within the first 2 minutes of the start of the show which has to be some sort of record, at least for my Theater Geekdom standards.

Act I of the show is a series of short vignettes that follow the absurdity and awkwardness of dating rituals both for men and women. Why do we spend hours of preparation on a blind date that has a very good chance of only lasting a few minutes? Why not just skip the awkward first, second, and third dates to fast forward to the sex? Or even better, the thrill of the first fight followed by the even-hotter make-up sex? In “We had it All,” the two actors are able to go through an entire relationship within a 2 minute song. (I can think of a few of my own relationships that I wish had lasted that long.)

Act II highlights the post-dating phase of our lives from raising children to growing old together. Memorable moments include a scene where the single friend comes to visit the newly proud parents only to find his once-upon-a-time cool friend only to find he has been replaced by an alien version of himself who only says words like “poopy-woopy” and “gabba babba boo.” We have all lost that friend to “the baby cult.”

Next up: More on the show…