Cape May Stage Keeps the Entertainment Strong in the 2011 Second Stage Series

Dave Konig appears on June 6, 8PM.

Liz Callaway will appear July 18

After Brad Zimmerman had us laughing in the aisles a week ago, the Second Stage builds on that hilarity to bring back Dave Konig on June 6th in The Further Adventures of A Hebrew School Dropout.  Dave Konig was so popular we had to turn away forty people last season!  He is back in a totally new show.  With "Say Goodnight Gracie" playing on the main stage, we continue to bring twenty first century versions of George Burns to our stage.  The following week (on June 13) two comics (Aaron & Nick) are coming to keep the momentum going in An Evening of Stand Up.  All of these comedy shows are at 8PM on Monday nights.  Tickets can be reserved online at capemaystage.com or by calling 884-1341!


There are little over two weeks left to see "Say Goodnight, Gracie" with Joel Rooks who played George Burns on Broadway.  Besides being a poignant love story and filled with hilarious anecdotes about the life of George Burns, this is a play about survival.  Burns and Allen survived the death of vaudeville to become stars of radio and talking pictures and that new invention called television.  There is an audible gasp when Joel Rooks is first revealed as George Burns.  The archival footage and Gracie voice-overs are from the Broadway production, as well.  Playwright Rupert Holmes was nominated for a Tony Award in the Broadway production.  See it here for a third of what you would pay in New York.  Look at our "Dinner-and-a Show" options and save still more!


The actors for Theresa Rebeck's "The Understudy" will be arriving from New York next week to begin rehearsals for the next main stage production.  Cape May Stage is a whirlwind of activity!   Once July arrives, the “Women of Broadway Series” kicks into high gear with Liz Callaway, Maureen McGovern and Tovah Feldshuh. 


Go to capemaystage online or call 884-1341 to find out how to save money for the Broadway Series and experience unforgettable evenings in our Robert Shackleton Playhouse!!

A Fantastic Opening Night! "Say Goodnight, Gracie" Has Audiences On Their Feet!

Joel Rooks stars as Gorge Burns in "Say Goodnight, Gracie"

The place to be on May 12th was the opening night party for "Say Goodnight, Gracie" at Harry's Ocean Bar and Grille at the Montreal Inn.  An overflow crowd of well-wishers joined Joel Rooks to celebrate his performance of George Burns!  With the sound of the surf across the street and a cold drink in your hand, some of Cape May's most fascinating people got together to laugh and discuss the evening's fare. But if you missed this one, there are still five more opening nights on the Cape May Stage calendar for you to enjoy!

"Say Goodnight, Gracie" is a love story between Gracie Allen and George Burns, but it is also the story of immigration in this country.  As we debate immigration policy anew in 2011, there is a resonance in this play that is even more contemporary.  It is also the history of show business and the death of certain institutions like vaudeville to make room for new technology like television.  Once again, broadcast television seems to be an endangered species as the convergence of computers and digital content take over our leisure time.  Of course, Say Goodnight, Gracie is pure entertainment, but it can provoke thoughtful discussions as well!

Call 884-1341 or go online to capemaystage.com to order tickets now.  Those looking for extended savings can get a subscription and save 15% or go to the "Dinner & A Show" page on the website and choose one of Cape May's finest dining establishments while getting a discounted ticket to the area's finest theatre!  Cape May Stage was voted ‘#1 Equity Theatre in South Jersey’ by the People's Choice Awards and capemay.com names it the ‘Best Theatre in Cape May County’.  People all over the country talk about the programming and amazing performers who come to Cape May Stage.


Brad Zimmerman in "My Son The Waiter - a Jewish Tragedy"Speaking of amazing performers, this is your last chance to get tickets for performing on Monday, May 23.  This is a show you don't want to miss.  It was selected to launch our third annual Second Stage Series because we think of Brad Zimmerman carrying on the tradition begun by George Burns.  Prepare to laugh until it hurts!  Call 884-1341 or go to capemaystage.com to get tickets.

The 2011 Second Stage Series Gears Up for Another Season!

 

March came in like a lion with bitter cold and winds sweeping through the historic streets of Cape May.  T. S. Eliot called April "the cruelest month" but we see it as the harbinger of warmth and laughter as Cape May Stage prepares for our twenty-third season and an especially vibrant Second Stage Series on Monday nights!  Chris and Dave Clemans continue to sponsor the wildly popular Second Stage Series that brings a cornucopia of programming from stand-up comics, to cabaret singers, to modern dance.

Often times, the Second Stage Series presents acts that inform the main-stage show.  We have brought documentary films that examine the life of a real person when that person exists as a fictional character in a play.  We have brought new works that compliment the subject or theme of the main-stage show.  Many people begged us to bring back the wildly popular "Say Goodnight, Gracie" claiming they could not get tickets the first time or hoping to even see it again.  We relented.  Joel Rooks returns to Cape May in his triumphant performance of George Burns.  Not only is this a poignant love story, it is filled with the hilarious acts of Gracie Allen and George Burns.  It is also the story of immigration and trying to make it in show business.  Our Second Stage brings "My Son, The Waiter - A Jewish Tragedy" as a modern day version of George Burns.  Brad Zimmerman has opened for Joan Rivers and his stand up act is truly hilarious!  There will be all sorts of comedy evenings to compliment this show.  We also have big names from the world of Broadway like Liz Calloway, Tovah Feldshuh, Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker.  Our very special treat is Ron Raines performing Broadway legends with Don Poppin- the Tony Award-winning musical director of just about every musical you can think of in the last forty years!  Yes, he goes back to the original "Oliver."

 

The best way to keep up to date is by joining our facebook page, following us on twitter, signing up for our e-blasts and book-marking capemaystage.com as one of your favorites.  Of course, you can always find out about us in "Exit Zero" or call us at 884-1341.

Cape May Stage consistently wins the award for best theatre in Cape May County and the People's Choice awarded us the top theatre in South Jersey and among the top three in the entire state.  We welcome back all of our loyal supporters and look forward to seeing even more new faces as we continue to grow.  You can feel the excitement that is just around the corner.  Come join the party at Cape May Stage!!!

Final Week for "The Little Prince"-- See You Next Year!

Cape May Stage closes its season with a double header on December 30 - there will be a matinee at 3 pm and the farewell performance of The Little Prince at 8 pm.  This beloved children's classic has been re-thought in a stunning production by Scott Hitz! It has been a triumph for the theatre continuing the tradition of bringing the very best theatre to Cape May before these productions move elsewhere. After the December 30 production, crews will pack up the set and puppets to bring them to Bristol Riverside Theatre and then on to New York! That is why you voted Cape May Stage "Best Theater in Cape May County 2010"!

We intend to continue that tradition in 2011 by bringing back favorite productions like Say Goodnight Gracie while adding what are bound to be new favorites like Steel Magnolias and more world premieres! Gift subscriptions are still available by calling 884-1341 or going online to capemaystage.com!

We so appreciate the tremendous support the community bestows upon Cape May Stage.  This past season helped establish us as a serious theatre of stature.  Grantors have taken notice and individuals have stepped up with annual giving so that we can continue the momentum of making Cape May Stage a destination all its own!

We thank you for joining the party and look forward to celebrating again with you next year!  As our reputation grows, so does all of Cape May! We think next season will be the best ever. Happy New Years!  See you in May!

Re-Imagining an International Classic

People are coming from far away as the word spreads that something exciting is happening at the corner of Lafayette and Bank Street. Not simply content with doing the usual Christmas fare, Cape May Stage embraces the essence of the holiday and brings one of the world’s most beloved children’s classics to its stage in a bold new production. The Little Prince has been translated into more than 190 languages and has sold 80 million copies, mak- ing it the biggest selling French-language book and one of the best selling books of all time. When you add puppets by multiple Emmy award-winner Michael Schupbach in a newly conceived production by guest director Scott Hitz, you get a theatrical triumph.

PNC Arts Alive is sponsoring a Pay What You Can Night on Sunday, December 12 at 8pm so that everyone can experience the magic of this show. Just come to the box office at the corner of Lafayette and Bank Streets and pay whatever you can afford.

The demand for tickets is so great that we have added five shows to the schedule for the last two weeks: performances on December 22, 28 and 29 have been added at 8pm as well as a matinees on December 21 at 3:30pm and December 30 at 3pm.

“One sees clearly only with the heart. The essential is invisible to the eyes.” These words uttered by the fox to the little prince might serve as a theme for the whole of the 2010 season. Cape May Stage has endeavored to bring the- atrical fare that touches the heart from the very first play – Class – through comedies like I Hate Hamlet and musicals like romance/romance to the more challenging works like Happy Days and topdog/underdog. Even the Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) brings a love for theatre and great language so that it can lampoon it. The Little Prince is the grand finale of an extraordinary season.  Call (609) 884-1341 to order your tickets today!

A Heart-warming Holiday Event Opens this Week at Cape May Stage

TOMORROW is Thanksgiving and we at Cape May Stage give thanks for having an open and embracing community of theatre-goers along with artists that choose to do their work on our intimate stage.  After feasting with friends and family members, the artists and staff of Cape May Stage return to open the most anticipated show of the season: Antoine de Saint -Exupery’s The Little Prince.

Every opening at Cape May Stage is a joyous event, but this Friday, November 26 will be particularly special. Congress Hall is the location of the festivities, and all of the actors and puppeteers will be celebrating the launch of a major theatrical event. Scott Hitz is the creator of this extraordinary show. He was the Master of Puppetry this past season at the famed O’Neill Center in Connecticut.  Scott was on the production team of the Broadway hit Avenue Q and has been working on this show for over a decade.

Michael Schupbach (pictured) is a multiple Emmy Award-winner known for his work on Sesame Street and the prestigious Shakespeare in the Park in New York. Michael has designed the puppets for this production and will be performing here at Cape May.

After performing throughout December at Cape May Stage, The Little Prince will move to Bristol Riverside Theatre in Pennsylvania and continue from there.  Because this production is geared for families, Cape May Stage has introduced a matinee schedule on Saturdays and Sundays. The anticipated demand for tickets has the premier Equity theatre producing two shows every Saturday and Sunday.

There will be a half-price senior night on Sunday, December 5 at 8pm sponsored by PNC Arts Alive. We are able to do these special shows because PNC believes in what Cape May Stage is doing.  We are in an elite group of theatres chosen for this honor. You have also chosen Cape May Stage as the Best Theater in Cape May County 2010. We have chosen to do The Little Prince at Christmas time in an effort to expand holiday fare. This children’s classic is a celebration of seeing through new eyes. The wonder and mystery of an aviator landing his plane in the desert is re-imagined in a giant sand box with talking flowers and wise animals. The holidays are a time of magic, and The Little Prince will be a magical evening of theatre.

Call (609) 884-1341 for tickets today and don't miss out on this inspiring event!

Comedy Makes Way for Holiday Cheer! As "Complete Works..." comes to a close November 20, "The Little Prince" Opens Friday, November 26!

"The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)" roars in for its final performance on Saturday night, November 20!  Our three comedians will be riding that roller coaster ride to your funny bone for the rest of this week and then those walls of the Globe Theatre will come tumbling down to make room for a giant sand-box that will house our next production of "The Little Prince."


PNC Arts Alive selected Cape May Stage to be part of an elite group of theatres to receive support from its five year, five million dollar arts initiative from the PNC Foundation. Through their support, Cape May Stage is producing a special ASL performance on Friday, November 19th.  At this performance, signers will be at the side of the stage translating the antics of our cast to American Sign Language.  This is yet another way that Cape May Stage reaches out to all members of the community so everyone can enjoy what you voted "The Best Theatre in Cape May County 2010".


Thanksgiving is around the corner and the hustle and bustle of shopping could use a brief pause to catch one's breath.  Retailers have dubbed the Friday after Thanksgiving "Black Friday" because they expect so much traffic as the holiday season gets started.  At Cape May Stage, we call that Friday "Opening Night"!  "The Little Prince" is Antoine de Saint-Exupery's most famous novella and Cape May Stage brings that story to life in a groundbreaking production that is already scheduled to move on to bigger venues.  The holidays bring out the child in everyone and this production celebrates that innocence. Little nuggets of wisdom are told through words like "One sees clearly only with the heart.  The essential is invisible to the eyes."  Scott Hitz was on the production team of the Broadway smash hit "Avenue Q" and uses his expertise with puppets to tell this story in a whole new way.



Cape May Stage creates seminal theatre.  Work that begins here is often seen later in larger and more expensive venues.  The best value for art and entertainment is right here in our little town.  Call 884-1341 or go to capemaystage.com and reserve your seats today!