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Archive for the ‘Theater’ Category

9 to 5 (Bart Luedeke Center Theater: Rider University, May 3, 2026)

Posted in 9 to 5, Bart Luedeke Center Theater, Dolly Parton, Musicals on May 3, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: May 3, 2026] 9 to 5

This was our third musical performance at Rider University (exactly one year since the previous one).  Their theater program is fantastic and this entire performance was great.

The singers have great voices.  The actors have excellent timing.

Many of these performers have gone onto Broadway in varying roles.  And it really shows.

We have said of these shows that I’m sure there would be a difference between seeing this show on Broadway as opposed to a college.  Bigger budget, bigger stars, for instance.  But it would be hard to improve on the quality of the performances.

9 to 5 The Musical, with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton and book by Patricia Resnick, is based on the seminal 1980 hit movie. Set in the late 1970s. this hilarious story of friendship and revenge in the Rolodex era is outrageous, thought-provoking and even a little romantic.

Pushed to the boiling point, three female coworkers concoct a plan to get even with the sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot they call their boss. In a hilarious turn of events, Violet, Judy and Doralee live out their wildest fantasy – giving their boss the boot! While Hart remains “otherwise engaged,” the women give their workplace a dream makeover, taking control of the company that had always kept them down. Hey, a girl can scheme, can’t she?

The show was really funny.  Based on the movie but with extra songs.  A few parts dragged a bit, but I blame that on the book, not the performers.  In fact, everyone was great.  I felt bad for the boy playing Mr. Hart because he’s really a terrible person.  The biggest surprise for me (but clearly not for those in the know) is that a video clip of Dolly herself opened and closed the show.  It was a fun way to bring us into and out of the make believe world.

I wanted to include the cast here in case we wind up seeing anyone on Broadway some day (more…)

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John Malkovich in The Music Critic Created and Conceived by Aleksey Igudesman (McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ, April 17, 2026)

Posted in Aaron Wolff, Aleksey Igudesman, Astor Piazzolla, Claude Debussy, Eric Silberge, Eugène-Auguste Ysaÿe, Frédéric Chopin, Gia Kancheli, Hyung-ki Joo, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, John Malkovich, Ludwig van Beethoven, Mario Gotoh, McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ, Robert Schumann, Sergei Prokofiev, The Music Critic, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart on April 17, 2026| 2 Comments »

[ATTENDED: April 17, 2026] John Malkovich in The Music Critic Created and Conceived by Aleksey Igudesman

Are you kidding me?  John Malkovich in Princeton?  Of course I’m going.

I had no idea what this show was about, but John Malkovich was going to be starring in it, 30 minutes from my house!  SO I grabbed us tickets.

So what is this exactly?  Well, it’s kind of a comic musical piece.  But it’s not exactly funny and it’s more musical.  Basically, a string quartet (and piano) plays some beautiful music and then John Malkovich tears it apart using actual quotes from critics at the time.  The criticism back then are brutal and, consequentially quite funny, especially when said to the performers directly.

Igudesman wrote this piece which includes some famous musical pieces (by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Brahms, Schumann, Debussy, Prokofiev, Ysaye, Kancheli, and Piazzolla) as well as one of his own.

Aleksey Igudesman has created a sardonic mix of the most evil music critiques of the last centuries written about some of the greatest works of music.

I didn’t know Aleksey Igudesman, but he performed with the show and his violin playing was terrific.  I have no idea if this show was written with Malkovich in mind (I assume so, see the end).   But Malkovich luxuriates in the role of the evil critic who believes the music of Beethoven, Chopin, Prokofiev and the likes to be weary and dreary: “Schumann fancies himself a “composer”, while Brahms is a “giftless bastard” and Claude Debussy is simply ugly.”

Malkovich sat for much of the performance, listening to the music.  And then he would recite the scathing reviews.  By the middle of the show, the musicians started to argue back.  Especially pianist Hyung-ki Joo who directly addresses the critic and at one point even storms off. (more…)

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Circus Quixote (McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ, March 8, 2026)

Posted in Circus Quixote, Lookingglass, McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ on March 8, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: March 8, 2026] Circus Quixote

My wife and I love a Cirque or a Circus.  This one sounded fascinating, because who doesn’t know the basics if the Don Quixote story?  How could they turn this into a circus?

Well, Circus is a bit broad for this performance.  There are a few moments of acrobatics, but for the most part it is an enjoyable performance of the Don Quixote story: a kind dreamer who may be touched by madness and who goes on an impossible quest to make the world a better place.

The company that put the production on Lookingglass, is known for this kind of whimsical performance.  And while it didn’t really do “cirque” things, there were still Circusey elements: oversized puppetry, song, slapstick and even a talking monkey.

The stage setup was simple but effective with a giant windmill (that spins) and a wall/bookshelf that is interactive.

The main character, Don Quijada [Michel Rodriguez Cintra] is an old man in a rocking chair.  The prop of this chair is wonderful–rocking and becoming horselike.  He reads chivalric romances and believes that he is, in fact, a knight.  He puts on some armor (junk around the house) and calls himself Don Quixote.  He brings along a farmer named Sancho Panza [Eduardo Martinez] who acts as his squire and tried to keep him out of trouble.

I really enjoyed Laura Murillo Hart who was the Housekeeper as well as Dulcinea and other roles.  Midway through the show she comes out wearing a massively oversized dress.  Moments later we realize there is actually a puppet show going on in the bottom half of it (and that there must be two people inside the dress).

The funniest part of the show was when Cervantes breaks the fourth wall.  The beginning of Act 2 was a hilarious argument about how the story should go between the narrator and Cervantes.  (more…)

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Anything Goes (Somerville High School, Somerville, NJ, March 5, 2026)

Posted in Acting, Anything Goes, Drinking, Regrets, Set at School, Somerville High School, Somerville, NJ, Theater on March 5, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: March 5, 2026] Anything Goes

Two years ago we saw The Rider University performance of Anything Goes and it was amazing.  The performers at Rider are phenomenal.

This year, my daughter’s high school put on Anything Goes and I have to say that they did a great job, too.  The biggest difference was, of course, budget.  The set and look of the Rider performance were stunning and the high school did a great job with the set with what was clearly a smaller budget.

The other big difference was the tap dance section.  The Rider performance had two tap dancers who are utterly fantastic–I believe they are going on to professional work.  The high school also did tap dancing and they were really good.  If I hadn’t see the Rider performance first, I would have been blown away at how great the high school students did.

But the acting and singing was great. I laughed a lot at the performances and was really impressed by the singing.

And the tech crew did an amazing job!

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Kim’s Convenience (Berlind Theatre, McCarter Theater, Princeton, NJ, February 12, 2026)

Posted in Berlind Theatre, Canadian Content, Funny (ha ha), Ins Choi, Kim's Convenience, Princeton, NJ on February 12, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: February 12, 2026] Kim’s Convenience

My wife and I really enjoyed Kim’s Convenience when it aired.  My mother-in-law enjoyed it and then recently, my son watched it on his own.

When this performance–the play that started it all, performed by the writer–was announced at McCarter, I grabbed my wife and I tickets ASAP.  Then when my son found out about it he wanted to go as well.  He couldn’t go the night we had tickets, but I was able to exchange our tickets for another night and get an extra one for my son.  I haven’t been to the Berlind Theater for a long time and I forgot how tiny it is.  So even though our seats were near the back, they were still really close.

McCarter had a lot of fun with this production, setting up a Canadian/Korean market in the lobby with Canadian flags and sweaters and lots of posters. They sold Korean goods (from the local Woori Mart) and may have even brought it some Canadian favorites (some drinks and ketchup flavored potato chips). (more…)

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The Vampire Circus (State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ, October 25, 2025)

Posted in Acrobats, New Brunswick, NJ, Set in New Jersey!, State Theatre, The Vampire Circus, Vampires on October 25, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 25, 2025] The Vampire Circus

I love a good circus.  This circus–vampire themed–seemed like a really fun thing to do around Halloween.  It was also near my daughter’s birthday so I thought it would be a fun birthday present.  Amusingly, she made other plans that night so we went with my son and one of his friends instead.

The short version is that this show was much like any other cirque–aerial work, strong men and balancing.  But the overall story was vampriric.  It wasn’t “adult” or scary, but it did play up the tropes of vampire lore (somewhat).  For instance, before one of the acts, the woman was wheeled out in a coffin, but otherwise it was an aerial act with ribbons.

This is not to downplay any of the spectacle, just to give it proper setting.

Although according to the website

Set in Bohemia during the 19 century, Count Dracula contemplates a plan for world domination, when he decides to open a traveling circus with his gypsy bodyguards. The Vampire Circus is a perfect cover-up to travel unnoticed and begin his world reign of terror and turn all humans into an army of vampires for global dominance.

I didn’t get any of that but I did get

Cirque acrobatics, comical audience interactions, contortionists, jugglers, acrobats, and raving cheers for a “Mad Graveyard Clown.”

For indeed, the host, the Mad Graveyard Clown was awesome.  His audience work was fantastic.  Our favorite bit was when someone came in late while he was on stage.  He immediately found the man and had the man hold up his (the clown’s) coat.  The man stood of to the side in the audience and every time he lowered his hand a bit, the clown spotted him and made him raise his hand.  He also had a really fun sequence where he brought two kids from the audience and had them use water pistols to put out a candle.  For the climax of that bit, he moved the candle right in front of the people in the front row and gave him a huge super soaker. (more…)

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Cirque du Soleil: Ovo (Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA, July 12, 2025) (matinee)

Posted in Acrobats, Cirque de Soleil, New Brunswick, NJ, State Theatre on July 12, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: July 12, 2025] Cirque du Soleil: Ovo

My family loves going to Cirques.  We have gone to many and we’ve enjoyed them all.

But my daughter recently said that she really wanted to see a Cirque du Soleil production.  And I swear about five days later, they announced this show at the Wells Fargo Center.  And I was able to get 3PM tickets which means we would be home during the day!

On the way down, we learned that 95 was under construction and it was down to one lane in parts.  Google Maps said the wait was 20 minutes, so we left extra early.  By the time we reached the slowdown, people were literally backing up in the breakdown lane to get to the previous exit.

And they were smart because we sat in traffic for over an hour.  We missed at least 30, possibly 45 minutes of the show.  We walked in with two acts to go before the intermission.  Damn. (more…)

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Diavolo (State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ, April 13, 2023) [rescheduled date, rescheduled again and again] [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Acrobats, Diavolo, New Brunswick, NJ, State Theatre on April 13, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 13, 2023] Diavolo [rescheduled from April 28, 2020, April 29, 2021 and March 25, 2022]

After all of these postponements, I wondered if we would actually get to see it this year.

It turned out that this date was on my kids’ Spring Break and we decided to go to the beach during the day.  By the time of the show we were in no condition to go anywhere–exhaustion from the heat and the sun kept us at home.  Sorry Diavolo.

~~~~~

And now, the resurgence had made a third postponement.

By 2023, I wonder if any of the same people will still be in the troupe?

~~~

One might have thought postponing this show an entire year would have been sufficient.  But now they have postponed again for nearly another entire year.  I think I’ll be very ready to see a Cirque by then.

I love going to see Cirques–all kinds of fun acrobatics and stunts on display.  When my kids were younger, we went to a lot of them.  Then we stopped for a while and I felt it was time to do it again.

Diavolo is in fact a dance company, but they perform amazing acrobatics and physically demanding pieces (as you can see from the reviews like: “Diavolo’s performers are fearless, elegant and strong with a sense of timing by which a Swiss watch could be set, and the way the troupe interacts with the moving sets, makes for a truly spectacular and awe inspiring show”).

I found out about this show after it was cancelled, but when I saw that it was rescheduled for April of 2021, I was really interested in going to see it with the family.

VOYAGE is Diavolo’s newest adventure, inspired by travels in space and the 50th Anniversary of the first Moon Landing. A young woman dreams of traveling distances only astronauts can, escaping from the ordinary world into a surreal landscape of infinite possibilities. Gravity-defying bodies join her on a large wheel structure that rolls along the stage and on the journey in a universe that is alive with kinetic energy, fantastical whimsy, and surprising transformation.

TRAJECTOIRE is a signature Diavolo work that takes the audience on a visceral and emotional journey through the ebb and flow of the human experience. Watch as performers jump on and off a “Trajectoire” which is a 3,000 pound boat made of wood, aluminum, and steel that continuously rocks back and forth. Watch the performers struggle to find their balance on a voyage of destiny and destination in a daring display that shows the transcendence of the human soul against all odds.

diavolo

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Cirque Mechanics: Zephyr: A Whirlwind of Circus (RVCC Arts, Branchburg NJ, March 4, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Branchburg, NJ, Cirque Mechanics, RVCC Arts on March 4, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: March 4, 2023] Zephyr: A Whirlwind of Circus

I didn’t realize that this cirque was put on by Cirque Mechanics, a group we have seen before.  (I had been calling it Cirque Zephyr).

It has bee a while since we’ve seen a Cirque, and this one looked a lot of fun (and it was so close).  The date was the same day as my mother-in-law’s birthday.  Initially I thought it might be fun to get tickets to this as a fun birthday activity.  But I soon discovered that the family was planning something much bigger.  So I didn’t bother to get tickets.

Here’s the description.  And I hope RVCC gets another Cirque performance soon.

Mechanical wonders, circus gadgetry, and astonishing acrobatics are all part of Cirque Mechanics’ new show Zephyr: A Whirlwind of Circus, inspired by the power of the wind and the human ingenuity that goes into harnessing it. Centered around a giant windmill mounted on a turntable, performers fly, balance, float on air, and defy gravity in an exhilarating whirlwind circus. Fall under the spell of turning gears and whooshing sails in this tale about the unrelenting tug-of-war between man and nature. Experience the artistry and thrill of acrobatic bicycles, foot juggling, hair hanging, and the mysterious wheel of destiny in this all ages show that’ll blow you away.

(more…)

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Paranormal Cirque (Menlo Park Mall, Edison, NJ, August 3, 2022)

Posted in Cirque Italia, Edison, NJ, Menlo Park Mall, Paranormal Cirque on August 3, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: August 3, 2022] Paranormal Cirque

I was in a parking lot in Princeton and I saw a poster for Paranormal Cirque.

My family loves a good Cirque, so I was intrigued.  I saw that it was at the Menlo Park Mall (what?).  I went to the website and saw their big warning that their Cirque is Rated R.

And this big blurb:

Slow down so you can take it all in…but if you scare easily, you might want to run….as we welcome you into this new world of Paranormal Cirque! Under this Clown Castle, the black and red big top tent, Acrobats of the Air, Illusionists, freaks, mysterious creatures and all the elements that make one think of a “normal” Circus but that of normal has very little! A new show with breathtaking implications always poised between fun and the most uninhibited fear that will transport you to a dark world inhabited by creatures with incredible circus art abilities. A crazy yet fun fusion between Circus, theatre, and cabaret in perfect harmony with the evolution of a show that brings you back to when we dream … and when we had nightmares and fantasies. Scare, encompass, amuse and surprise are the ingredients for a mixture of emotions impossible to forget. This is truly a Paranormal experience like no other.

I knew my son would enjoy it.  I assumed my daughter would enjoy it.  She is 14, but has been getting into horror movies.  I figured my wife would hate it.  But I also had to wonder just what exactly made this Rated R.

I mean, they couldn’t do anything especially violent–they couldn’t actually hurt anybody, right?  So what made it different from any other cirque?

So, this was indeed at the Menlo Park Mall.  But it was set up in the parking lot!  You could see it from a long way away.  And as you got closer they did a great job of decorating around it with spooky lights and great props all around the entrance. (more…)

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