JUNIE B. JONES THE MUSICAL Continues Kids Series at Black Box PAC

The Black Box Performing Arts Center continues to emerge as the Tri-State area's premiere destination for both cutting-edge professional theater and collaborative performing arts education - in the heart of Teaneck, NJ- just a quick ride over the George Washington Bridge.

Junie B. Jones The Musical is the first professional pop musical for kids in BBPAC's second full 2017-18 season of professional theater, which includes four more 'mainstage' productions, ongoing immersive late-night rock musicals, and thedevelopment of at least three original works for the stage.

This production of Junie B. Jones The Musical - presented in special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI) - is a collaboration of all-star Black Box performers Allison Falkenstern, Jason Felix, Sara Giacomini, Samuel Hapner-Goldman, Nachi Lederer, Danielle MacMath, and Sari Rosen. The director is Allison Falkenstern, the choreographer is Nachi Lederer, and the producer is Black Box Studios.

Junie B. Jones continues to play on Saturdays and Sundays at 11:00AM from NOW through December 17 at Black Box Studios' new home, Teaneck's Black Box Performing Arts Center (200 Walraven Drive. (just off Palisade Ave., GPS: 290 Walraven Drive), Teaneck, NJ 07666.

Wowee-wow-wow! From Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich, the team that brought you Dear Edwina, comes Junie B. Jones The Musical- a heartwarming adaptation of the best-selling book series by Barbara Park. It's the first day of first grade, and a lot is happening: Junie B.'s very best friends have found new pals to hang out with, the words on the blackboard are fuzzy and nonsensical (could this mean she needs ~gasp~ glasses?!?), and Junie B. must find a way to let her talents shine at the big Kickball Tournament! Join Junie B. as she navigates the ups and downs of the school year, featuring a loveable cast of characters, memorable songs, and dances that will make you want to jump up and join in! This comical musical is sure to delight audiences of all ages.

Junie B. Jones plays the following (remaining) schedule:

Saturday 11/18, 11am

Sunday 11/19, 11am

Saturday 11/25, 11am

Sunday 11/26, 11am

Saturday 12/2, 11am

Sunday 12/3, 11am

Saturday 12/9, 11am

Sunday 12/10, 11am

Saturday 12/16, 11am

Sunday 12/17, 11am

Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for students/seniors, and just $12 for children under age 12. Tickets are now available at www.blackboxpac.com. Group rates for 10 or more are available by calling (201) 357-2221. Tickets can also be purchased at the venue; call (201) 357-2221 for box office hours.

Black Box Performing Arts Center is located at 200 Walraven Drive, just off Palisade Ave., Teaneck, NJ 07666 (GPS: 290 Walraven Drive). Following this season's opener Hand To God by Robert Askins, the New York City area's most eclectic theatre offerings continue at BBPAC with Junie B. Jones The Musical for kids and families, and with Sam Shepard's Pulitzer Prize winning Buried Child, to be followed by a workshop of a new musical in early December, a series of cutting edge student productions in mid-December, a January production of Henrik Ibsen's Peer Gynt, and more: www.blackboxpac.com. In 2016/17, BBPAC's first full season included productions of Joshua Harmon's Bad Jews, Willy Russell's Blood Brothers, Evil Dead The Musical, Edward Albee's The Goat Or, Who Is Sylvia?, Caryl Churchill's Cloud 9, Michael Gurin's Twist Of Faith, Matthew Lopez's The Whipping Man, and Ayad Ahktar's Disgraced.

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ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Allison Falkenstern (Director, Lucille/Bobbi Jean Piper/Jose, Junie B. u/s) recently graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University and is excited to get started in the professional theatre world. Junie B. Jones is Allison's fourth show working with Black Box and her first professional directing credit. She would like to thank the entire cast for being so open and helpful during this process and also Matt for giving her the opportunity to lead this production.

Jason Felix (Daddy/Mr. Scary/Gladys) is an aspiring actor in both realms (theatre & film). Raised in a Colombian/ Dominican household, Jason's BBPAC credits include Hand To God (Assistant Director/Production Design), Disgraced (Production Design)the titular role of 'Skip Gold' in Skip & Rivka's Not-So-Kosher Interactive Wedding Experience, Stage Manager for Twist of Faith, Production Stage Manager and "Soldier" in Cloud 9, Jake in Evil Dead: The Musical, Sammy/Mr. Lyons in Blood Brothers:The Musical, and more.

Sara Giacomini (Junie B. Jones) is a recent graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University's Musical Theatre program. She has been working in the NJ/NY area as both an actress and a teaching artist. Some of her recent credits include: Hand to God(Jessica), Blood Brothers (Linda), Cloud 9 (Maud/Lin) at BBPAC and Faith in Shackles (Anne Frank) at the NJ Fringe Festival. Sara currently works as a teaching artist at BBPAC and George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, NJ. "Never apologize for your art." saragiacomini.com

Samuel Hapner-Goldman (Camille/Lennie/Sheldon) is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University with a B.A. in Theater Arts. Past credits include Reality by Lia Romero (Josh), and Laugh Out Loud (Cry Quietly) by Stacie Lents (Jeremy). Samuel would like to thank Black Box Performing Arts Center for the opportunity to be in such a fun show, as well as the cast and crew ofJunie B. Jones for all their hard work.

Nachi Lederer (Choreographer, Herb/Chenille) is glad to be back on the BBPAC stage, after studying Theatre and Dance at Muhlenberg College for the past 2 years. Some of Nachi's favorite past roles at Black Box include Billy (The Cripple of Inishmaan), Leaf Coneybear (The 25th Annual ... Spelling Bee), and Jack (Into the Woods). Enjoy the show!

Danielle MacMath (May/Grace/Mother) is back at Black Box after spending the summer as an Acting Apprentice at Vassar College and New York Stage & Film's Powerhouse Theater. She is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University, where she studied Theater, Literature, and Education. FDU credits include The Crucible (Mary Warren), Much Ado About Nothing (Ursula), Fire Exit (Janice), and Oklahoma! (Gertie). Black Box credits include Evil Dead (Cheryl) and Cloud 9 (Edward/Victoria). Love and thanks to the Black Box team. Twitter: @daniellemacmath

Sari Rosen (Lucille/Bobbi Jean Piper/ Jose) is a senior at Teaneck High School. She has been involved in Black Box for over 9 years and over 20 productions. Some of her favorite credits include Sweeney Todd (Beggar Woman/Lucy) American Idiot(Extraordinary Girl) and The Great American Trailer Park (Pickles). She has directed middle-schoolers in many productions as well, including: Wonderland, Little Shop of Horrors, and Zombie Prom: Atomic Edition. She has also been involved in theprofessional aspect of Black Box performing in Evil Dead: The Musical (Linda) lights and sound for Cloud 9, and stage manager of Hand to God.

Matt Okin (BBPAC Artistic Director) founded Black Box Studios in 2007 and opened Black Box Performing Arts Center in November 2015. Recent directing credits include: Hand To God, Heathers The Musical: High School Edition (teens), Disgraced,Cloud 9, Skip & Rivkah's Not-So-Kosher Interactive Wedding Experience, The Goat Or, Who Is Sylvia?, Blood Brothers AMusical, Evil Dead The Musical, Bad Jews, RMTI's new production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (teens), True Groove Productions' Diana & Navy & The Golden Tooth, The Pillowman, and Passing Strange (all at BBPAC); the Off-Broadway premiere of Huey Esquire's This Time, A New Musical Romance (at Theater For The New City, as well as BBPAC); andthe BBS Ensemble's productions of Falsettos "In Concert", House Of Blue Leaves, and Next To Normal (all at bergenPAC), among many others. As a playwright, director, and composer, Matt's original plays and musicals include: Beltsville/Rockville, Part One: Rise Of The Goatman (NJ workhops), Out Of Whack: The All-Kids Rock Musical (devised, at Theater For The New City), Soul Searching (45th Street Theater, DR2 Theater, D-Lounge, and the NYMF), Generations (various NYC venues and NYMF), and A Match Made In Manhattan: The Interactive Jewish Wedding Experience (NYC and national tours). Other original plays, produced both in New York and on national tours include: Second Chances, Twist Of Faith, Walter Liked To Sit In His Big Backyard, Cherry Hill, The Ugly Wife, and Pigs. Matt received a BFA in Dramatic Writing from New York University's Tisch School Of The Arts.

Bookwriter/Lyricist Marcy Heisler and Composer Zina Goldrich have been collaborating since 1993. They were recently voted "Best Knocking on Broadway's Door Songwriting Team" in the Village Voice Best of NYC edition, and were the 2002 recipients of ASCAP's Richard Rodgers New Horizons Theatre Award. For Theatreworks USA, they have just completed Top Secret Personal Beeswax: The Life and Times of Junie B Jones, which will begin 2 national tours, and be featured Off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel in July 2004. They are also the authors of Dear Edwina and Dear Edwina Junior, which have been performed around theworld, and are set to be featured in the Chicago Humanities Festival later this year. In April 2000, they teamed with bookwriters Charlie Shanian and Shari Simpson to premiere their full-length musical Adventures in Love at St. Paul's Ordway Music Theatre. In 1998 they joined Off-Broadway's Second Stage Theatre as Joseph Papp Artists-in-Residence, where they workshopped Allison Under The Stars with bookwriter Susan Kim. Together and apart, they have provided original songs for CBS Television's Murphy Brown, NBC's Three Sisters, Disney, PBS and others. As performer/writers, Goldrich and Heisler have appeared at Carnegie Recital Hall, The Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, and The Ford Center of the Performing Arts, and are veterans of the Toyota Comedy Festival, Chicago Humanities Festival, and Montreal's prestigious "Just Pour Rire" Comedy Festival, and New York's 24-hour A Train Musicals. They are MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs) and Bistro Award winners in the categories of Outstanding Special Material, Outstanding Songwriters, and Song of The Year. Heisler is currently working with Disney Theatricals, penning new adaptations of 101 Dalmatians, Cinderella, and The Jungle Book for young audiences. Goldrich can be found on Broadway playing keyboards for productions including the current Avenue Q. Their new songbook is available for purchase at www.goldrichandheisler.com.

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