On Deck: "Complete Works of Williams Shakespeare [abridged]" opens October 27-November 20!

The final four performances for Topdog/Underdog are upon us and this gripping, edgy show will close on Saturday, October 23.  These closing nights are a kind of theatrical event of their own as set walls come down and furniture is hauled away to make room for the next show.  We switch gears completely as The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) gets ready to preview a week from today (Wednesday)!


Cape May Stage purposefully keeps programming entirely different theatrical styles and genres so that you can experience all kinds of theatre at the highest level!  We close a thought-provoking Pulitzer Prize winning play and change things up with pure silliness and fun!  This fast paced, improvisational play uses current topical references and popular culture interspersed with more or less "Shakespearean" dialogue for an evening of sheer delight!  And patrons will be thrilled to know this production includes matinees on Saturdays and Sundays at 3PM as well as evening performances Thursdays-Saturdays at 8PM.


The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) began at the Paramount Ranch in Agoura, California and was a big hit at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.  Soon after, it played at the Arts Theatre in London and at the Westside Theatre Off-Broadway in New York.  Eventually, the play moved back to a full West End production at the Criterion Theatre in London.


There have been many productions of the play since then and we had to decide whether to take an already existing production or mount our own version.  We decided to start anew using the Artistic Director of the Westerly Rhode Island Shakespeare Festival to helm the show so that it would be fresh and alive and have a theatricality that comes with new people working together for the first time.  The set was shipped from Utah where Shawn Fisher is the head of the design department in the graduate school at their university.

 Get ready to laugh!  Call (609) 884-1341 for tickets today!

It's all About Survival this month at Cape May Stage!

Next weekend, Cape May Forum asks "Can Humor Save The World?" and Cape May Stage has programming on the main-stage and on our Second Stage that prepares us to answer that question.

Topdog/Underdog previews tonight and opens tomorrow with a gala after-party where audience can meet the actors and production team.  This Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play uses humor to address some very serious issues about power dynamics, race and sibling rivalry.  The language is raw and vibrant. The issues are gripping.  The characters are dynamite.  Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks won a "Genius award" from the MacArthur Foundation.  There is so much excitement leading up to the opening of this cutting edge play!  Two brothers deal with shifting identity and betrayal.  Humor is the key element used in making these street characters appealing so that an audience can identify and root for them.  Shakespeare used this same device in Henry IV - Parts 1 & 2 so that thieves and cowards in the tavern scenes become lovable clowns though their deeds are contemptible. Aristotle tells us, "in a comedy the people on stage are like us but less than us" (2.4). There will be discussions and analysis of how humor is used in this play during Cape May Forum's tenure next week.

Killadelphia will be coming this Monday, October 4.  Another edgy, comedic look at a serious subject comes to our Second Stage.  In the summer of 2008, Philadelphia was in the midst of a murder epidemic that put it on par with some third world countries.  Sean Christopher Lewis takes an unflinching look at the causes of the crime rate and its effects on the community.  It has been described as "a mixtape of a city" and the New York Press called the piece "explicitly authentic".  It is the perfect companion piece to the gritty Topdog/Underdog and uses humor in much the same way to distance the spectator so they can absorb the true meaning and message of the author.  The solo play is at 8 PM and tickets are $20.

The following night Cape May Stage will be honoring Arlette de Monceau Michaelis who wrote Beyond The Ouija Board about her experience in World War II as a teenager in occupied Belgium.  Dr. Ron Goldstein brought Ms. Michaelis to the attention of Cape May Stage.  There is little funny about Nazis occupying one's country but Arlette Michaelis filters her experience through the eyes of a rebellious teenager and her awesome courage is at times quite funny as well.  Ms. Michaelis has been lecturing about this experience for many decades and her students are more likely to remember these stories than the lessons she taught as a teacher for the last thirty years.  This evening is absolutely free and Ms. Michaelis will be presented with a plaque for her great service.

Tickets to all of these programs can be reserved at capemaystage.com or by calling 884-1341!

In all of the above programs violence and serious issues are endured through the use of humor.  Cape May Stage joins with Cape May Forum to ponder the question "Can Humor Save The World".  The answer may be less important than the question.

"Happy Days" in its Final Two Weeks! "TopDog/ Underdog" Takes The Stage!

"World without end" is the end of one of Winnie's prayers in Samuel Beckett's Happy Days but the play will end this Saturday night so catch the final four performances of this astonishing piece of theatre. It is not a common occurrence that a theatre will have a performer like Lynn Cohen in such an important piece of literature.

Cape May Stage continues to push the envelope with the next production on its roster.

Next week, Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks will preview on Wednesday and open on Thursday. This play won the Pulitzer Prize and the Tony Award for Best Play in 2002 and has been performed all over the world. Ms. Parks is the recipient of a Genius grant from the MacArthur Foundation. Emmy nominee James Reynolds (a Cape May favorite) directs his son, Jed in this groundbreaking play! Joining Jed Reynolds is Stephen Rider who was featured in a film called The Great Debaters produced and directed by Denzel Washington. Denzel has now become a very active mentor of Stephen.

Topdog/Underdog is a funny, probing look at who is on top and who is on the bottom. The play is a darkly comic fable of brotherly love and family identity. It tells the story of Lincoln and Booth, two brothers whose names were given to them as a joke, foretelling a lifetime of sibling rivalry and resentment. Haunted by the past, the brothers are forced to confront the shattering reality of the future. Variety said, "… the vitality, freshness and gritty lyricism of Parks' writing are unlike anything to be heard on a Broadway stage". This production comes to us from the Fremont Theatre Center in California. Cape May Stage partnered with the Fremont to co-produce this extraordinary play! It is just one of the innovative moves that Cape May Stage is doing to keep the best work in front of its audience.

Opening night at Cape May Stage always includes a gala after-party with the cast and production team. Come celebrate with a special group of revelers! The set and lights are by Shawn Fisher who designed Proof last season.

The Second Stage is particularly proud to present Killadelphia on October 4 at 8PM. This critically acclaimed one-man show is written and performed by Sean Christopher Lewis and is described as a "mix tape of a city". In the summer of 2008 it was often said that that Philadelphia had "more bodies than days". Lewis introduces us to inmates of the Graterford Prison, their victims, the mayor, local rappers, conservative talk show hosts, trauma surgeons and the citizens of the City of Brotherly Love. The stunning result will be on Cape May Stage.

"An Intimate Evening of Grand Parlour Magic" appears on our stage Septemner 13 at 8PM!

All season long, magic has been a part of Cape May Stage's Second Stage. During the summer months, special family oriented shows had children giggling and adults astounded. Now Michael Walsh and Johnny Mass have put together "An Intimate Evening of Grand Parlor Magic" on September 13 at 8PM. This is a more sophisticated evening that is geared towards adults. With charming glances and contagious smiles, Walsh and Mass will mystify minds with their brand of magical effects. Elegant diners have traveled to the Magic Kingdom in Hollywood for decades to witness this type of magical entertainment. It is one of the few places in Southern California where gentlemen are required to wear a tie! It is in this tradition that Grand Parlor Magic is produced - though at the Robert Shackleton Playhouse you can wear whatever you like! After all, this is still Cape May!


Lynn Cohen takes a break from "Happy Days" (which, taking on a role like this as an actress, is akin to climbing K2) on September 17 and we have brought internationally acclaimed Nora Armani to our stage for one night only! " On The Couch with Nora Armani" has been performed in Paris, London, Cairo, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Boston, Houston, Montreal and Geneva in both its English and French versions. Rave reviews follow each performance. Cairo in the 60's, Hollywood in the 80's, London in the 90's...with humor and nostalgia, she remembers the Bosphorus and Istanbul, now if she can just remember herself! Told through song and dance, this is a special night for Cape May audiences!


PNC Arts Alive is sponsoring an ASL sign-interpreted performance of Happy Days this weekend on September 11! An interpreter will be signing the performance for the deaf community. There is a reduced price Senior Night on Sunday, September 19! Again, these nights are all presented through the generosity of PNC’s Arts Alive mission to help area residents gain access to the arts, and help arts organizations expand and engage audiences!

Magic and world-class artists doing plays by Nobel Prize winners and internationally acclaimed artists are all on one stage. London? Paris? New York? No, it's Cape May Stage!

Tony Winner Karen Ziemba will enchant audiences on August 16 in one exclusive performance!

Tony Award winning actor, singer, dancer Karen Ziemba comes this Monday (August 16) to Cape May Stage as part of the popular Broadway Series! You may have seen Karen Ziemba when she starred on Broadway as Roxie Hart in "Chicago" or as Rita Racine in "Steel Pier" for which she received her first Tony Award nomination. She received another Tony Nomination for "Never
Gonna Dance" and won the Tony Award for Susan Stroman's production of "Contact" at Lincoln Center. Karen also appeared on Broadway in "A Chorus Line". Her first Broadway stage kiss was from Jerry Orbach in "Forty Second Street". She is seen frequently on television and in feature films and you can see her in the intimate Robert Shackleton Playhouse where the furthest seat is seven rows away. Your ticket also admits you to a special "after-party" at the Washington Inn Wine Bar with haute cuisine hors' d'oevres passed as you mingle with the star and her accompanist! These tickets are only $50 for the performance and the party!

The final two weeks of "Romance/Romance" are upon us! This sold-out hit continues to wow audiences with a stellar cast of Broadway veterans. Patrons at the theatre can't stop talking about the elegant production that starts in turn of the century Vienna and ends up in the Hamptons which looks a good deal like Cape May! We all need a little romance in our lives. Walking down the narrow winding streets of our little town and stopping at one of our fabulous restaurants before going to the theatre is a lovely way to have a romantic evening with your special someone. "Dinner-and-a show" is an affordable way to make that romantic night even more enjoyable. Visit capemaystage.com to see the participating restaurants and make a reservation right now!

Soon the highly anticipated return of Lynn Cohen in Samuel Beckett's "Happy Days" will be opening on the main stage. This play looks at a long-term relationship through the eyes of the most celebrated writer of the twentieth century. As we head into fall, we gear up for more challenging fare from this Nobel Prize winning writer! Get your dose of romance now and have your very soul touched later! Cape May Stage brings every aspect of theatrical experience to its stage!

Cape May Stage Lights Up with Romance, Music, Opera, and of course.... Magic!

"Romance/Romance" had a spectacular opening this past Thursday spreading the magic of romance throughout Cape May! Audiences can't stop talking about these Broadway performers. The theatre is magic and when something special happens everyone wants to see it!

Directed by Peter Reynolds and featuring the musical theater talents of Broadway’s Jennifer Evans (Ragtime¸ Jersey Boys), Charles Hagerty (Wicked, Les Miserables), Jeffrey C. Wolf (Cabaret, Cloud 9), and Nikol Wolf (Evita, Radio City Christmas Spectacular), Romance/Romance is a perfect combination for a summer night in historic Cape May, NJ. Romance/Romance, now playing Tuesdays- Sundays, pairs two distinctive one-acts to create an entertaining musical that explores the highs and lows of love.

The Second Stage Series picks up on that magic with a special family show today at 11:00 AM called Magic at the Cape that will astound both children and adults. This popular celebration of all things magical will be performed again next Wednesday, August 4 at the same time! Michael Russell Walsh and Johnny Mass wowed audiences last Christmas with their Grand Parlour Magic Show and they are back by popular demand!

The foibles of dating are explored by Cape May Stage's acting interns in Romantic Fools this Saturday night at 10:30 PM. These talented and attractive performers will tickle your funny bone - or some other body part! Have a drink and come to the show or start your evening at the show and get a coupon for a complimentary beverage at Cabanas! It's on us! Cape May Stage is a party! Join the fun!

Speaking of fun, get ready for Operation Adelmo on August 2. Noted operatic baritone Adelmo Guidarelli presents Operation Adelmo: The Clown Prince of Opera! In this raucous and hilarious show, Guidarelli entertains both die-hard opera lovers and self-avowed haters of the art. By weaving well-known arias with their pop culture counterparts, Guidarelli keeps the audience laughing. This operatic clown has sold out venues in New York and all over the world! We are so lucky to have his special brand of madness in Cape May!

The Broadway Series continues on Monday, August 9 with Emmy nominee Dominic Chianese who plays Uncle Junior on "The Sopranos". Did you know that even Mafia hit men have a soft romantic side? Hear Dominic sing Italian Songs from his Childhood interspersed with anecdotes about his acting career. It will be great fun!

Bravo Adelmo! Bravo Romance! Bravo Cape May Stage!!

Fill Your Summer with "Romance/Romance!!" (It'll make you feel good....)

As "I HATE HAMLET" ends this Saturday, the next play for Cape May Stage bounds on to the stage at the Robert Shackleton Theatre! "ROMANCE/ROMANCE" with book and lyrics by Barry Harman and music by Keith Herrmann is actually two small musicals. The first act is called "The Little Comedy" and takes place in turn of the century Vienna. The second act is called "Summer Share" and takes place on the beach in the Hamptons.

"ROMANCE/ROMANCE" features a cast of Broadway veterans including Charles Hagerty, Jennifer Evans, Jeffrey C. Wolf and Nikol Wolf. The director is Peter Reynolds who is the head of the musical theatre department at Temple University and is a well-known theatre professional in Philadelphia. His musical director is John Daniels who will be at the Walnut Street Theatre after leaving us. Nikol Wolf who assisted Susan Strohman on Broadway is our choreographer. The official opening is on July 22 with a gala after-party! Opening-nighters are treated to a special party where they get to rub shoulders with the actors and designers and director. Come be part of the party and celebrate romance!

Once again, PNC Arts Alive is offering a special half-price Senior Night on July 25th! What a wonderful opportunity for those over 62 to see a romantic musical at the height of the season for a reduced price and, as an added bonus, composer Keith Herrmann will be featured in a post-show discussion immediately after the performance.

The Second Stage brings magic to Cape May Stage on July 28th at 11 AM. Magic has its roots in ancient China and India. It is mentioned throughout the Bible! The Second Stage is known for bringing the best family entertainment to Cape May. Our interns perform a nostalgic look at Cape May in the 1950s in their "Cape May Kids" written by Marlena Lustik who plays Lillian Troy in "I Hate Hamlet". Children laugh at the antics of these kids as their parents and grandparents remember a time before cell phones and ipods. Skeeball was the activity of choice and cars had no seat belts or air conditioning. Seems like another century, doesn’t it…. Oh yeah, it was!

The magic of romance and the magic of theatre combined with actual magic on the stage of the Robert Shackleton Playhouse make July a very special month for Cape May Stage! Be a part of it! For reservations call 884-1341 or go to capemaystage.com and order online. It's like magic!