If you’re like most people, you probably won’t be seeing Hamilton on Broadway anytime soon. But that doesn’t mean that you need to spend the summer just binge-watching Netflix. Theaters throughout the area have upcoming productions suitable for audiences of all ages, from a bubble extravaganza to Shakespeare.
South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC)
www.sopacnow.org
This Sunday, June 19, the award-winning Paper Mill Playhouse Broadway Show Choir will perform their season finale concert on the SOPAC stage. The choir, consisting of performers between the ages of 16 and 22, performs pop favorites and songs from popular Broadway musicals. For the first time, this year’s song-and-dance extravaganza will also include “extreme a capella,” in the style popularized by the Pitch Perfect movies. This show is a perfect way for the whole family to finish Father’s Day with flair!
Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum
www.morrismuseum.org/childrens-theater
Located within the Morris Museum in Morristown, the Bickford Theatre is presenting a series of shows all summer long geared toward children between the ages of 3 and 9 years old. The shows include The Magic of Hans Christian Andersen, Whale Tales, Bubble Trouble, The Tortoise and the Hare: The Results Show and a special production of The Wizard of Oz, which is told by balloon artist Allynn Gooen, who uses balloons to create the story’s sets, props and costumes. Shows are presented on select weekdays at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for a single performance or in conjuction with museum admission; if you’re interested in seeing more than one show, purchase a subscription for admission to any three of the children’s performances.
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
www.shakespearenj.com
New Jersey’s only professional theater company dedicated to Shakespeare and other classics is now offering several promotions to make it more affordable for young people to enjoy these timeless plays. Thanks in part to an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, free tickets to performances at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey’s famous Outdoor Stage are now available for kids 18 and under. From June 22 through the end of July, the Outdoor Stage will feature The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (Revised). Three zany actors will take the audience through 37 plays in 97 minutes, in a hilarious show that will appeal to young people who are not familiar with Shakespeare, as well as seasoned fans. The Theatre’s Outdoor Stage is located on the campus of the College of Saint Elizabeth in Florham Park. Seating is general admission and audience members are encouraged to bring low-backed beach chairs. The amphiteatre opens 30 minutes before each performance; prior to that, you are welcome to enjoy a picnic on the lawn surrounding the amphitheatre. Performances are Tuesday through Sunday at 8:00 p.m., as well as Sunday at 4:30.
If you have kids home from college who are looking for something more sophisticated, Shakespeare’s Coriolanus will be featured at the The F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre at Drew University in Madison from July 6 to 24. According to the Theatre, this tragedy about political manipulation and revenge is rarely performed and is “perfect for an election year.” Tickets to this performance are being offered at a discounted price of $30 for theatergoers under the age of 30. The free and discounted tickets to these performances are available online.
By Rachel Jager
