Jersey Arts Resolutions, Part 2.

Hope you had a lovely New Year’s celebration, Arts Lovers! Here’s some  New Year’s thoughts from John, Colleen, and Jonathan. Read on for more about branching out, taking personal stakes in the art in our lives, and the role of arts in communities.–CV

JOHN BECK, Our Dance Blogger:

I think my biggest resolution is to get out and see more- more dance, more galleries, more poetry. This first year in New Jersey has been a whirl, and now that I’m finally feeling settled (more or less), I’m starting to realize how much art I’ve been missing.  I work down the street from Paper Mill Playhouse, and I live in Morristown, walking distance from the Community Theatre and the Morris Museum.  So I resolve to make time in my schedule for more of the great things my community has to offer… right in between cooking a healthier dinner and my trip to the gym!

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.

The CV 10 (too big for 5 this time!): Can’t-Miss Shows in the NJ Theater Season.

While some are programming their DVRs this time of year around the new fall TV season, we New Jersey theater fans are marking up our calendars with all the enticing theatrical events about to hit the Garden State. While it can be exciting to learn of all the great shows about to hit the stage, it can also be overwhelming reading through a theater company’s season. You’re in luck–we’ve compiled this list of the 10 can’t-miss theater events to keep you busy from now until sun block time.

Hot Playwright: Fresh off her Pulitzer Prize for Ruined, the Two River Theater Co. is staging Lynn Nottage’s 2003 play Intimate Apparel. Set in New York in the early 1900s, Esther, an African-American woman, creates undergarments for the poor and wealthy and gains independence in her career. Become familiar with Nottage, whose Ruined is being developed as a film for HBO.  (Two River Theater Co.;  runs through October 10)