Centenary Stage Company Presents Family Front Porch Series

Centnenary Stage Company will present the first ever Family Front Porch Series this July. The Family Front Porch Series will be a series of 3 free events, which will take place on the front porch of Centenary University's Seay Building at 400 Jefferson Street in Hackettstown. Each event will be one of the Company's Young Audience Series, a series of musicals that tour the country, presenting children's theatre productions.

The musicals will be hosted outside with social distancing and masks encouraged as recommended by the state governments and CDC. The schedule for the Family front Porch Series is as follows: Wednesday, July 8th - Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical; Wednesday, July 22nd - Miss Nelson Is Missing!; Wednesday, July 29th - School House Rock Live! Jr. All shows on all days will begin at 11:00 AM. Although they are free events, reservations are required and limited. Please make your reservations at www.centenarystageco.org or call the box office at (909) 979-0900.

By Melvin Tunstall, III, Douglas Lyon, Greg Borowsky, Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical, follows 8-year-old Lily Polkadot who just moved to the "Squares Only" small town of Rockaway. As the first Polkadot in an all Square school, Lily faces an almost impossible task of gaining acceptance from her peers. From daily bullying to segregated drinking fountains, Lily's quest seems hopeless until she meets Sky, a shy Square boy whose curiosity for her unique polkadot skin blooms into an unexpected pal-ship. Inspired by the events of The Little Rock 9, Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical serves as a colorful history lesson for children, reminding them that our individual differences make us awesome, not outcasts.

Miss Nelson is Missing! (Book by Mike Artell, Adapted by Joan Cushing) is about teacher, Miss Nelson who can't control her crazy classroom because she's just too nice. But, when she disappears, her substitute is the no-nonsense Viola Swamp! With the big test approaching, the kids suddenly realize how much they miss their Miss Nelson... and they'll do anything to get her back!

The Final production of the Family Front Porch Series is School House Rock Live! Jr. The Emmy Award - winning 1970s Saturday morning cartoon series that taught history, grammar, math, science, and politics through clever, tuneful songs is instructing a whole new generation to Unpack Your Adjectives and do The Circulations! Tom, a nerve - wracked school teacher nervous about his first day of teaching, tries to relax by watching TV when various characters representing facets of his personality emerge from the set and show him how to win his students over with imagination and music, through such beloved Schoolhouse Rock songs as Just a Bill, Lolly, Lolly, Lolly and Conjunction Junction. School House Rock Live! Jr. was originally Adapted and Produced for the Stage by Theatre BAM. From the Series Created by George Newall and Tom Yohe. Based on an Idea by David McCall with Book by Scott Ferguson, George Keating and Kyle Hall, Music and Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, Bob Dorough, Dave Frishberg,Kathy Mandry, George Newall and Tom Yohe.

The Family Front Porch Series strives to bring quality family theatre events to the community during the school and theatre closures caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The schedule for the Family front Porch Series, again, is as follows: Wednesday, July 8th - Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical; Wednesday, July 22nd - Miss Nelson Is Missing!; Wednesday, July 29th - School House Rock Live! Jr. All shows on all days will begin at 11:00 AM and all events are free to the public. CDC and government recommendations regarding Covid-19, including wearing face coverings and social distancing family groups by at least 6 feet will be strongly encouraged. Reservations for these events are required and limited. Please make your reservations at www.centenarystageco.org or by calling the box office at (908) 979-0900.

For more information email the Stage Company Staff at info@centenarystageco.org. or call the box office at (908) 979-0900.

Centenary Stage Company is a not-for-profit regional theatre in residence at Centenary University.

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