Centenary Stage Company and the Young Performer's Workshops Winter Festival of Shows Begins 12/13

Centenary Stage Company and the Young Performer's Workshop returns with their Winter Festival of Shows running December 13th through the 21st, as well as, Spring Registration Interviews on Saturday December 13th and Sunday December 14th. The Winter Festival of Shows will be held in the Little Theatre on the campus of Centenary College in Hackettstown, NJ. This season's selection offers a variety of musicals perfect for the whole family and includes The Clown, Babes in Arms and 13 The Musical. The Young Performers Workshop (YPW) has been called "The most professional kids troupe around!" by the Star Ledger.

The Clown, follows the journey of Mumbles, a shy clown, who falls in love with the beautiful ballerina, Doria. When Dr. Tutto, the jealous circus owner discovers Mumbles secret, he frames Mumbles with the theft of the circus' money box. Written by C. Robery Jones, The Clown has a "sprightly and tuneful" score appealing to young and old alike. Performances for The Clown are Saturday December 13th at 5pm, Saturday December 20th at 5pm and Sunday December 21st at 1pm.

Babes in Arms, based on the original by Rodgers & Hart, this quintessential 'Hey, kids, let's put on a show!' musical boasts one of the greatest scores ever written. Set at a summer stock theatre, a group of young apprentices attempt to mount the original revue they've created, all while dodging the underhanded attempts of the surly theater owner to squash their efforts at every turn. Further complications are provided by the overbearing stage mother of a beautiful ex-child star and the inflated ego of a hack southern playwright. Of course, the show must go on, and so it does in a resolution of comeuppance, reconciliation and romance. Music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and book by George Oppenheimer. Performances for Babes in Arms are Sunday December 14th at 7:30pm, Saturday December 20th at 8pm and Sunday December 21st at 4pm.

13 The Musical, is the story of Evan Goldman, a teen, plucked from his fast paced, preteen New York City life and plopped into a sleepy Indiana town following his parents' divorce. Surrounded by an array of simpleminded middle school students, he needs to establish his place in the popularity pecking order. Can he situate himself on a comfortable link of the food chain or will he dangle at the end with the outcasts?! Performances for 13 The Musical at Sunday, December 14th at 5pm, Friday, December 19th at 8pm, Saturday, December 20th at 2pm and Sunday, December 21st at 7pm.

Tickets for the YPW Fall Festival of Shows are $12.50 for adults and $10 for children under 12. To purchase tickets or for further information, visit us online at centenarystageco.org. Additionally, tickets may be purchased by calling the box office at (908) 979 - 0900 or by visiting the box office located in the David and Carol Lackland Center on the campus of Centenary College. The box office is open Mon. through Fri. from 1pm to 5pm. Patrons are encouraged to check the age recommendation for individual shows.

The Young Performers Workshop will also be holding Spring Session interviews on Saturday, December 13th and Sunday December 14th in the Centenary Little Theatre Lobby, 400 Jefferson Street, Hackettstown, NJ. The Spring Session will run Saturdays from February 14th to June 7th culminating in a two week festival of shows from May 29th to June 7th.

While no prior experience is required to participate, all new applicants must complete an interview session with program director, Michael Blevins, prior to acceptance into the program. Appointments for interviews may be made by contacting the CSC Administrative Offices at (908) 979-0900. The cost of the 15-week Spring YPW Session is $395. A full description of the Centenary YPW program may be viewed online at www.centenarystageco.org.

The workshop is led by Broadway, film and television veteran, Michael Blevins. YPW is dedicated to the enrichment of young lives through experience in the theatre arts, and serves as a venue for cultivating young theatre performance between the ages of 8 and 18. The program is one of only a handful in the nation that offers both formal training and production experience for young people.

The Young Performers Workshop is part of the educational arm of the professional Centenary Stage Company. The 2014-15 season of performing arts events at the Centenary Stage Company is made possible through the generous support of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the NJ State Council on the Arts, the Shubert Foundation, the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation and CSC sponsors, including Premier Sponsor Heath Village Retirement Community, Silver Sponsors Hackettstown Regional Medical Center, The Holiday Inn in Budd Lake, and Fulton Bank, and Centenary Stage Company members and supporters.

Photo credit: Rob Hom

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