Tom Wopat and Stephen Schwartz to Join BROADWAY AT MOORLAND, 6/5; Brian Stokes Mitchell Leaves Lineup

Tony Award nominee Tom Wopat and GRAMMY Award-winning Broadway songwriter Stephen Schwartz are joining the festivities in Broadway at Moorland, the 14th annual summer concert and fireworks display at Moorland Farm in Far Hills, NJ, a partnership between New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) and Far Hills Race Meeting Association. Wopat (Annie Get Your Gun, A Catered Affair) will join previously announced Tony-nominated and Emmy Award-winner Liz Callaway, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, five-time MAC-winning cabaret star Scott Coulter, Jessica Hendy (Broadway's Cats and Aida), and Kelli Rabke (Broadway's LES MISERABLES and in the Broadway revival of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat). Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin, Godspell) joins to host the evening. Conductor Jerry Steichen, who spent ten seasons with the New York City Opera, will lead the NJSO, and John Boswell, musical director for Judy Collins, Andy Williams and Bob Newhart, will music direct the evening. Due to a scheduling conflict, Brian Stokes Mitchell will no longer perform on the bill.

Taking place rain or shine on Thursday, June 5, 2014, the concert will feature an array of Broadway musical hits, culminating with a traditional grand finale fireworks display by "America's First Family of Fireworks," Fireworks by Grucci. Proceeds from Broadway at Moorland will benefit NJPAC's arts education programs which serve 60,000 students and families throughout New Jersey each season.

Gates open for Broadway at Moorland at 5:30pm and the concert begins at 7:30pm. Fireworks take place at nightfall. General admission is $40, and children 10 years old and under are free with an accompanying adult. "Member" seating, for $100 per person, is a VIP picnic area located in the rear orchestra lawn. Patrons provide their own seating and bring a picnic or purchase food and soft beverages on the premises. Tickets are available by calling 1-888-466-5722 (1-888-GO-NJPAC), at www.njpac.org, or at the Arts Center's box office at One Center Street in Downtown Newark. For sponsorship opportunities and premium ticket packages that include seating, food and beverages, patrons may call 908-234-0537.

Tom Wopat's career has brought him from television in the '70s and '80s to high visibility Broadway roles in 1999's Annie Get Your Gun and 2008's A Catered Affair (he received Tony Award nominations for both), as well as Chicago, 42nd Street, Sondheim on Sondheim and more. His new CD, I've Got Your Number, features Great American Songbook classics and songs by artists such as Paul Simon, Judy Collins and Bruce Springsteen. Known for his starring role in the '80s hit television series The Dukes of Hazzard, he recently had a role in Django Unchained.

Stephen Schwartz has written music and lyrics for Broadway shows for over 40 years, as well as for film and television, winning multiple GRAMMY and Academy Awards. From writing the songs and lyrics for Godspell in 1971 and Pippin in 1972 to Wicked in 2003, to creating songs for DreamWorks' first animated feature, The Prince of Egypt, for which he won an Academy Award, Mr. Schwartz has had a prolific career. In 2008, Wicked reached its 1,900th performance on Broadway, making Mr. Schwartz the only songwriter in Broadway history ever to have three shows run more than 1,900 performances. He was recently given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame.

About NJPAC: New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, New Jersey, is among the largest performing arts centers in the United States and is the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey -- where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. 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 seven million visitors (including one million children) since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents. Visit www.njpac.org or call 1-888-GO-NJPAC for more information.

Far Hills Race Meeting Association: Moorland Farm is the home of the Far Hills Races, an annual steeplechase event. Each year, over 35,000 attendees gather to entertain and be entertained while watching the finest thoroughbreds compete for the richest purses in the steeplechase circuit. The 94th running of this legendary event will be Saturday, October 18, 2014. For information, visit: www.farhillsrace.org or call 908-234-9115.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos

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