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!

Acting Interns light up Cape May Stage in Two Separate Productions this Summer

The word has spread that Cape May Stage attracts the highest level of talent in the state and requests from students to watch our process have come pouring in. For the first time, Cape May Stage is producing shows cast entirely from our acting interns and stage managed by our stage management interns.

We have interns from North Carolina, Nevada, Connecticut and Philadelphia as well as local students in Cape May. They will perform family entertainment called “Cape May Kids” written by Marlena Lustik about Cape May in the 1950s that is nostalgic for grandparents and hilarious for children. That show will be performed on Monday mornings through August 16 at 10 AM right inside the Robert Shackleton Playhouse.

Rich Orloff’s “Romantic Fools” will be performed by our interns after the main stage production on Saturday nights in July. These comic vignettes about dating are the perfect way to start or end an evening! Tickets to this show get you a free drink and free admission to Cabanas on the beach! Come see “I Hate Hamlet” or “Romance/Romance” and stay for this sexy and fun show! Or just come for “Romantic Fools” and have a romantic dinner first!

On July 12, Mary Testa is back with another extraordinary evening. This is part of our popular “Broadway Series” of extraordinary stars coming to Cape May. Last season she was the hit of the summer. Mary Testa is a two time Tony Award nominee and she will be appearing with two time Tony Award winner Michael Starobin whose orchestrations for ”Next To Normal” just won the Pulitzer Prize. After the show the entire audience is invited to the Washington Inn at their new wine bar. Come meet Mary Testa and Michael Starobin while feasting on tempting morsels and sampling new and interesting vintages!

The Second Stage always has something exciting to offer! Come see what all of the excitement is all about!

"I Hate Hamlet" Has Audiences Exploding with Laughter!

That roar your hear most evenings walking past Cape May Stage is not the ocean (though it is only a few blocks away). "I Hate Hamlet" has audiences exploding with laughter and there are only a few weeks left to see one of the best casts ever assembled on that stage. David Birney is priceless as the ghost of Barrymore and John Patrick Hayden brings his expert timing and considerable charm to his hilarious character of Andrew Rally. Broadway veteran and now Cape May resident, Marlena Lustik affects a German accent and a sensuality to seduce the ghost of Barrymore that is spell-binding. Another beloved Cape May resident and veteran of feature films, Kate McCauley Hathaway has audiences convulsing with laughter as the séance leader/real estate agent Felicia Dantine! Anthony Reimer is perfect as the LA TV director and Karis Danish is sweet and hysterical as Andrew's girlfriend, Deidre. These artists play as an ensemble that is like a well-tuned clock! See "I Hate Hamlet" and then come back on a Monday night for our Second Stage!

The Second Stage presents "And Where She Stops Nobody Knows" with two time Emmy nominee James Reynolds and his wife Lissa Layng in this unpublished play by Oliver Hailey on July 5! This poignant and funny play is the story of a woman whose search for love introduces her to everyone from cannibals to lunatics. Many Cape May residents have said they can share similar tales! Reynolds and Layng are artistic directors of The Fremont Theatre Center in South Pasadena, California. James Reynolds is perhaps best known for playing Abe Carver on NBC's "Days of Our Lives". It is there that he first met Cape May Stage Artistic Director Roy Steinberg. Lissa Layng wowed audiences here last season in the award winning "A Woman Of Independent Means" which has toured internationally. They are together on stage for this one night only. This evening was chosen to launch the Broadway Series, which has Tony and Emmy Award nominees from Hollywood and New York performing in the intimate venue that is Cape May Stage! Special subscriptions offer $50 savings!

The extraordinary Mary Testa is next up in the Broadway Series! This two time Tony Award nominee is a powerhouse that lights up the stage. Her "Sleepless Variations" last season was talked about all year long. Mary Testa is delightful and funny and unpredictable but always entertaining! Mary Testa burst on the scene in William Finn's "In Trousers" and is a frequent collaborator with him and the most important composers of our day. You can see her on July 11 in another tour-de-force! This Broadway Series is the best value anywhere for seeing world-class artists for a fraction of what you would pay in New York! Cape May offers the added bonus of a free performance and our lovely town with its glorious beach and charming winding streets is the cure for whatever ails you!

Come to Cape May Stage and find out why we were voted "Best Theatre in Cape May County" by "Cape May Magazine" and capemay.com in 2009. We were also voted the Best Theatre in South Jersey by the People's Choice Awards and top three in the state! If you are in Cape May, Cape May Stage is a must!

"What is Art? Nature concentrated..."- Come see for yourself on June 7.

"Let It Be Art" is the title of Ronald Rand's internationally acclaimed play that is part of the Second Stage program coming to Cape May Stage on June 7, 2010. Ronald Rand portrays Harold Clurman, the great critic, director and acting teacher. The play was chosen because of the thematic link to Charles Evered’s play "Class" that is currently on stage. Directed by Roy Steinberg, "Class" stars Heather Matarazzo and Thaao Penghlis and is the story of an acting student seeking instruction from a master acting teacher and how both learn lessons far beyond acting. Clurman was concerned with elevating theatre to an art - he examined the difference between the poetic and prosaic in theatre. Artists and philosophers have pondered the meaning of art for centuries.

Balzac said "What is art? Nature concentrated…" while Beethoven mused "Art? Who comprehends her? With whom can one consult concerning this great goddess?" Modern playwrights like Brecht have exclaimed, "Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it." Philosophers have had widely differing thoughts about art starting with Aristotle who wrote, "All art is concerned with coming into being...." through Goethe who famously intoned "Art is long, life is short, judgment difficult, opportunity transient..." and finally Malraux who penned, "All art is a revolt against man's fate."

Audiences in Cape May are invited to come up with their own opinions after viewing "Let It Be Art" on June 7. Like the character of Elliot in "Class", Ronald Rand is a master acting teacher and will be leading a workshop called "The Art of Transformation" on June 8. The workshop costs $35 for adults and $25 for students with a special $5 savings for those who see the show and take the workshop. All of these tickets are available at capemaystage.com.



There are only two weeks left to see the world premiere of "Class" with Heather Matarazzo (from "Welcome to the Dollhouse" and "The Women on Broadway) and Thaao Penghlis (the Emmy nominated actor from "Days of Our Lives" and "Mission Impossible”). Come see what the whole town is talking about!

"Let It Be Art!" -- Don't you just love the sound of that?!

Many of those who saw the screening of "Adopt A Sailor" last Monday, identified a theme in Charles Evered's work that was also apparent in Cape May Stage's production of "Class": an innocent or student changes the life of a sophisticate or teacher. "Class" tells the story of a master acting teacher and how a mysterious student transforms his life. Master acting teachers begin with Stanislavski in Russia and pick up in the United States with Lee Strasberg, Stella Adler, Sandy Meisner, Robert Lewis, Harold Clurman and Uta Hagen. "The Fervent Years" by Harold Clurman tells the story of the Group Theatre where most of the aforementioned teachers had some affiliation. Harold Clurman founded the Group Theatre and the Second Stage is proud to bring Ronald Rand's internationally acclaimed production of "Let It Be Art" to the Robert Shackleton Playhouse on June 7th. Ronald Rand plays Harold Clurman in a tour-de-force production that will entertain as well as enlighten. Mr. Rand is also a well-known acting teacher who has traveled the globe with his workshop called "The Art of Transformation". There is a special package offered that saves people five dollars if they sign up for both the show and the workshop. The workshop is $35 for adults and $25 for students. The show is $20 general admission with a special $12.50 admission for students. These opportunities don't come along very often. Anyone interested in performing or even knowing about how performers craft their work should be at this workshop! The Second Stage brings world-class artists to Cape May. How extraordinary to find this program in our own backyard!

The Second Stage is also producing Thaao Penghlis' "Journeys" on May 24^th which will shortly be a television series. Thaao has traveled to sacred sites around the world and has encountered people and places that are not in any tourist guidebook. Come discover what he has experienced. Some of it is very funny and all of it is fascinating! And because of the intimacy of our playhouse, you’ll have the opportunity to ask this Emmy nominated actor questions. You'll gain special insight when you later see it on television.

Cape May Stage is thankful to PNC Arts Alive for sponsoring a special senior matinee on May 30 for the world premiere of "Class". Everyone is talking about this special play with two bravura performances. Seniors enjoy a special discount for this May 30th matinee!

Soon the Second Stage will expand the programming to include comics and cabaret artists. Right now we are complimenting our main-stage production with programs that give even more insight into the subject of the play and the artists performing in it!

The World Premiere play, Class, by Charles Evered opens May 14!

The opening production of Cape May Stage previews on May 14th and promises to bring this already lauded company to new heights! Charles Evered has chosen Cape May Stage to mount the world premiere of "CLASS" over much larger and wealthier companies because of what he saw last season. There is a reason Cape May Stage was chosen the "Best Theatre in Cape May County" by capemay.com and "Cape May Magazine". This opening production is directed by Artistic Director Roy Steinberg and features two prominent actors from the world of feature films, Broadway and television. Heather Matarazzo has appeared in scores of feature films as well as television and Broadway. Thaao Penghlis was nominated for an Emmy for his work on "Days of Our Lives" and is well known for his film and television work.

The author will be at opening night on May 15th and will remain in Cape May so that he can be at the Second Stage Series opening program on Monday, May 17th. On that night, Cape May Stage will partner with the Cape May Film Society to screen Charles Evered's feature film "Adopt A Sailor" with Bebe Neuwirth and Peter Coyote. Charles Evered will join the producer of the film, Kim Waltrip to answer questions and talk about the making of the film. Last season we screened Athol Fugard's "Tsotsi" to gain more understanding of "Master Harold ...and the boys". This season we will get more insight into the work of Charles Evered by seeing his theatre and film work together!

Chris and Dave Clemans sponsor the Second Stage Series each year to enhance the cultural vibrancy of our town. Last season saw clowns, cabaret, magicians, poetry readings, film screenings and solo plays. This season will expand upon that strong foundation with a Broadway Series of Tony Award and Emmy Award winning artists. The Broadway Series is presented in July and August and offers a special subscription for patrons so that they get five shows for the price of four.

In May, we continue our regular Second Stage program with Emmy nominee Thaao Penghlis presenting "Journeys" which will give Cape May audiences a sneak peak into what will become a television series. Thaao Penghlis has voyaged to sacred sites all over the world and gained access to places not normally seen by tourists. This "Mission Impossible" star will lead you to destinations both physical and spiritual. It is an evening not to be missed. Tickets are $20 for a one time only opportunity on May 24th!

The Second Stage is off to a spectacular start. Come see a feature film with the director and producer describing the process of making it. Then see a live version of what will eventually be a television series with the creator and host of the show only a few feet from you at the glorious Robert Shackleton Playhouse! What a joyous place is Cape May!