Entenary Stage Company's Young Performers Workshop Presents The 2018 Summer Festival Of Shows And Opens Registration For 2018 Fall Session

Celebrating over 20 years of acclaimed musical theatre training for young thespians, the Centenary Stage Company's Young Performers Workshop returns to the Little Theater August 3 through August 12 with the annual Summer Festival of Shows. These talented young thespians between the ages of 8 and 18 will present a variety of musical theater favorites including; Blood Brothers, A Year with Frog and Toad, The Drowsy Chaperone, Arthur Miller's All My Sons and the ever-popular One-Act Festival. The Young Performers Workshop is also seeking new and returning applicants for the 2018 Fall Session. Interviews will be held by appointment on Saturday, August 11 and Sunday, August 12. Call the box office directly to schedule an interview.

With a book, lyrics and music by Willy Russell, Blood Brothers, set in Britain tells the story of fraternal twins who are separated at birth. One brother is raised in a family of great privilege and one brother is raised in poverty. Even with their different socioeconomic backgrounds, the two boys end up becoming best friends - until a misunderstanding leads to a tragic end. Originally developed as a school play, Blood Brothers debuted in Liverpool before Russell transferred it to West End for a short run in 1983. The musical won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical and went on to a year-long national tour before returning for a revival in the West End in 1988 where it stayed at the Albery Theatre for 3 years, transferring to the Phoenix Theatre in 1991. The revival ran for more than 24 years in the West End, and played more than 10,000 performances, becoming the third longest-running musical production in West End history. The musical has been produced with success on tour, on Broadway and elsewhere.

Performances for Willy Russell's Blood Brothers will be held on Friday, August 3 at 8PM; Saturday, August 4 at 2PM; Sunday, August 5 at 1PM; Saturday, August 11 at 8PM and Sunday, August 12 at 7PM. All performances will be held in the Little Theatre on the campus of Centenary University at 400 Jefferson Street Hackettstown, NJ.

Based on Arnold Lobel's beloved children's books, A Year with Frog and Toad features book and lyrics by Willie Reale and Music by Robert Reale. A Year with Frog and Toad is a whimsical musical that tells the story of two best friends: the cheerful Frog, and curmudgeonly Toad. The musical follows Frog and Toad through four colorful seasons, from hibernation to hibernation.

Performances for A Year with Frog and Toad will be held on Saturday, August 4 at 11AM; Sunday, August 5 at 4PM; Saturday, August 11 at 2PM and Sunday, August 12 at 1PM. All performances will be held in the Little Theatre on the campus of Centenary University at 400 Jefferson Street Hackettstown, NJ.

Featuring a book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar with music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, The Drowsy Chaperone is a hilarious musical farce. When a die-hard theatre fan plays his favorite cast album, the characters hysterically come to life. Winner of five Tony Awards, including Best Book and Best Original Score, The Drowsy Chaperone is a loving send-up of the Jazz Age musical, featuring on show-stopping song and dance number after another.

Performances for The Drowsy Chaperone will be held of Saturday, August 4 at 8PM; Sunday, August 5 at 7PM; Friday, August 10 at 8PM and Sunday, August 12 at 4PM. All performances will be held in the Little Theatre on the campus of Centenary University at 400 Jefferson Street Hackettstown, NJ.

Arthur Miller's All My Sons follows an American family post World War II. Joe Keller, a successful businessman, lives comfortably with his wife Kate and son Chris in a suburban neighborhood. They have only one sadness in their lives - the loss of their other son, Larry, who went missing during the war. After three years, Kate still clings to the hope that her son is alive.

Performances for Arthur Miller's All My Sons will be held Tuesday, August 7 at 7PM, Wednesday, August 8 at 7PM and Thursday, August 9 at 7PM. All performances will be held in the Lackland Performing Arts Center on the campus of Centenary University at 715 Grand Ave. Hackettstown, NJ.

Finally, the Young Performers Workshop One Act Playhouse will present a series of one-act plays directed by YPW staff and students. Performances will be held on Saturday, August 11 and Sunday, August 12 at 11AM. Performances for the One Act Playhouse are free to the general public.

Tickets for Centenary Stage Company's Young Performer's Workshop 2018 Summer Festival of Shows are $12.50 for adults, $10.00 for children under 12 and $5.00 for YPW Alumni. Tickets are available on-line at centenarystageco.org or by phone at (908) 979 - 0900.

Now seeking new and returning applicants Centenary Stage Company's Young Performers Workshop will be holding interviews for the 2018 Fall Session on Saturday, August 11 and Sunday, August 12. Led by theatre, TV and film veteran Michael Blevins, the Young Performers Workshop is one of only a hand full in the nation to offer both formal training alongside practical application. The Fall Session runs 15 weeks from September 8 through December 16. The program culminates in a two-week Festival of Shows featuring two fully realized productions of American musical theatre favorites. Additionally, students of the Young Performers Workshop Fall Session will also have the opportunity to participate in Centenary Stage Company's professional main stage Family Holiday Musical, Annie. Classes meet Saturdays by section between the hours of 10am - 6pm. Students will rehearse productions while also studying voice, dance, and acting. Registration is open to students 8 - 18 and no prior experience is required. All new applicants are required to complete an interview prior to acceptance into the program.

For more information, a full schedule of YPW 2018 Summer Festival of Shows performances or to register for the 2018 Fall Session visit centenarstageco.org or call the Centenary Stage Company box office at (908) 979 - 0900. The box office is open Monday through Friday from 1 - 5PM and two hours prior to all performances. The Centenary Stage Company box office is located in the Lackland Performing Arts Center on the campus of Centenary University at 715 Grand Ave. Hackettstown, NJ. Centenary Stage Company can also be found across social media platforms; Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Like and follow to receive the latest in CSC news and special offers.

The 2018-2019 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, the Sandra Kupperman Foundation, Zonta Morristown Chapter and CSC corporate sponsors, including Premier Season Sponsor Heath Village Retirement Community, Silver Sponsors Hackettstown Medical Center, The House of the Good Shepherd, Home Instead Senior Care (Washington), and Fulton Bank of New Jersey, and Centenary Stage Company members and supporters.

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