KISS ME, KATE Closes At NJPAC

Talented high school and college-age actors and musicians from across New Jersey will breathe new life into Cole Porter's Tony-award winning musical comedy Kiss Me, Kate this July, this summer's annual musical collaboration between the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) and the New Jersey Youth Theatre (NJYT).

Kiss Me, Kate takes NJPAC's Victoria Theater stage July 15-16th at 7:30 p.m.; July 17th at 2 p.m.; July 20th at 12:30 p.m.; July 21st at 12:30 and 7:30 p.m.; July 22-23rd at 7:30 p.m. and July 24th at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $20-$30 and are available by telephone at 1-888-GO-NJPAC (1-888-466-5722), at the NJPAC Box Office at One Center Street in downtown Newark, or by visiting the www.njpac.org.

Kiss Me, Kate combines Cole Porter's music and lyrics with Shakespeare's comedy, The Taming of the Shrew. The show proved to be Porter's biggest hit, running for more than 1,000 performances on Broadway and winning the first Tony Award for Best Musical in 1949. The show is a "play within-a-play," and each cast member's on stage life is complicated by what is happening offstage. The score features classic Porter tunes like "Too Darn Hot," "Another Op'nin,' Another Show," "So in Love," and "Always True to You (in my Fashion)."

The NJPAC/NJYT production of Kiss Me, Kate features a multi-cultural cast of 29 highly-trained New Jersey actors and 26 orchestra musicians from Bergen County in the north to Gloucester County in the south. The program prepares aspiring performers and technicians for the professional theater. Sets, props and wardrobe operations will be in the hands of professionals assisted by technical interns in each area. A list of cast and orchestra members and their hometowns is below.

The audition process was especially rigorous this year, said Director Cynthia Meryl of Westfield, and the resulting cast is full of powerhouse performers. "Kiss Me, Kate is a classic musical that truly challenges the skill levels of our performers; the entire cast must be "triple threats," able to sing, dance, and act, and do them all well. This cast is full of talent, energy and determination and will definitely rise to the occasion. I look forward to an exciting rehearsal period and production."

Sandra Bowie, Vice President of Arts Education at NJPAC, said of the production, "We are excited to again partner with New Jersey Youth Theatre for a summer filled with the highest level of theater training for young artists from all over New Jersey. Kiss Me, Kate is a classic, with a story and score that has stood the test of time."

Kiss Me, Kate's cast is: Jared Lee, Stephen Michel and Stephen Mir of Bloomfield; Samuel St. Juste of Boonton; Elyse Langely of Clarksboro; Brittany McDyer and Erica Morreale of Cranford; William Ruff of East Newark; Adam Biner, Charles Centinaro and Katy Cockrell of Fanwood; Carolyn Ferraro and Julianne Ferraro of Lebanon; Alex Thompson of Maplewood; Matt Robertson and Michael Robinson of Montclair; AlAnna Smith of Montvale; Ashley Retamar and Zubaytah Bashir of Newark; Megan McGill of Pompton Lakes; James Smith of Pompton Plains; Dion Grier and Jasmine Taylor of Roselle; Kristen Olson of Roselle Park; Caitlyn Barrows of Rutherford; Michael Zimmerman of Somerville; Kelly McCarthy of Stewartsville Chris Gordon of Succasunna; and Travis Przybylski of Westfield.

The Kiss Me, Kate orchestra is a mix of professionals and accomplished students. The students are: Vincent Neill of Bayonne; Danny Conde of Kearny; Katelyn Siobhan Hidalgo and Kelsey Mulgrew of Maplewood; Anna Mincey of Montclair; Nathaniel Williams of Newark; Erica Leh of Short Hills; Jack DeLucia and Ansy Francois of Union; Charlie McLellan and Olivia Rutler of Wyckoff.

Meryl directs the production, with musical direction by Ilene Greenbaum of Livingston and choreography by Assistant Director Sherry Alban of Edison.

Past NJPAC/NJYT Summer Musical productions include RENT, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (named by The Star-Ledger as "Best Musical Revival 2009"), 1776, Ragtime: The Musical (named by The Star-Ledger as "Best Musical Revival 2006"), Guys & Dolls, Anything Goes, West Side Story (recipient of the 2003 Music Theatre International Award of Excellence), South Pacific, Once On This Island, Brigadoon, Oliver!, Carousel and the NJYT original, Midnight Madness.

New Jersey Youth Theatre, formerly known as the Westfield Young Artists Cooperative Theatre, is one of the most celebrated youth theater companies in New Jersey, enabling young artists to receive the highest caliber, professional level theatrical experience and education possible. Performers learn firsthand about musical theater by participating in a full-scale, professional level production. Learn more at www.njyouththeatre.org

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, New Jersey, is the sixth largest performing arts center in the United States. As New Jersey's Town Square, NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the State's and the world's best artists while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAC has attracted over 6 million visitors (more than one million children) since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents. Visit www.njpac.org for more information.

Programming has been made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, by funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by Discover Jersey Arts.

NJPAC is a wheelchair accessible facility and provides assistive services for patrons with disabilities. For more information, call 888-GO-NJPAC.

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