Centenary College Theatre Department Reveals New Musical Theatre Concentration

The Centenary College Theatre Department launches its new musical theatre concentration this spring with the wildly funny and entertaining Broadway smash musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, April 30-May 10 in the Lackland Performing Arts Center, Hackettstown NJ. Winner of the TONY and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee features the fast-paced book by Rachel Sheinkin and a lively and witty score by William Finn. The cast of misfit tweens spell their way through a series of words in hopes to win the ultimate prize of a lifetime, attending the National Bee in Washington DC. This hilarious ride, complete with audience participation, is a must see for family members age 8 through adult. Directed by Jeremy Hilgert, well known as the Cowardly Lion in CSC's The Wizard of Oz, with choreography by assistant professor of theatre and dance Lea Antolini-Lid and Centenary theatre senior Lisa Kosak, the cast and crew include Tyler Milazzo (Wantage), Dominick Garatino (Andover), Yentl Oliver (Irvington), Tom Farber (Hackettstown), Sarah Farber (Hackettstown), Megan Schmiedhauser (Stanhope), Ernest Scarborough (Trenton), Christopher Kolwicz (Mahwah), Carey Lawson (Cape May Courthouse), Sasha Onishchuck (Long Island), Cina Gabel (Vernon), Lisa Kosak (New Providence), Cody Riker (Wantage), Stephanie Anderson (Mount Arlington), and Ameer Copper (Newark).

The new musical theater concentration will offer students the advantage of conservatory-style training within a liberal arts setting. "We are very excited about the new program and believe it offers students many diverse opportunities to perform as they hone their performing skills," states Antolini-Lid. "We currently perform two fully staged musicals within the school year as well as implementing musicals in our Young Audience Series." The musical theater concentration students will also have the unique opportunity to work alongside guest professional artists from theater and dance through the Centenary Stage Company, a not-for-profit professional equity theater company in residence on the campus of Centenary College.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee musical will run April 30 - May 10 in the Lackland Performing Arts Center, Hackettstown NJ. Tickets are $17.50 - $10 with performances on Thursday 7:30PM, Friday and Saturday 8PM, and Sunday 2PM. Prospective theatre students attending the Centenary College Open House on May 2 will receive complimentary tickets to see the performance that day. For more information, contact the Centenary Stage Company box office at (908) 979-0900 or visit www.centenarystageco.org.

Founded in 1867 by the Newark Conference of the United Methodist Church, Centenary College's academic program integrates a solid liberal arts foundation with a strong career orientation. This mix is designed to provide an educational experience that prepares students to succeed in the increasingly global and interdependent world.

Centenary College's main campus is located in Hackettstown, N.J., with its equestrian facility in Washington Township (Morris County). The Centenary College School of Professional Studies offers degree programs in two locations: Parsippany and Edison, and at corporate sites throughout New Jersey. The School of International Programs recruits international students for study at Centenary and Centenary students for study abroad.