Why not make supporting North and Central Jersey’s theater scene one of your New Year’s resolutions? You can start early by attending one of the final performances of “A Christmas Carol” at the Shakespeare Theatre or wait until “Marvin’s Room" comes to the Barn Theater. And this is also a great time to get involved with a theater near you. Audition opportunities abound at the Barn and at Pax Amicus Castle Theatre. And registration is going on for classes at Centenary College, Brundage Park Playhouse and the Growing Stage Company. There are also some children’s shows and concerts to see on New…

If you’re a Scrooge or a Grinch, then you’re pretty much out of luck in terms of the local theater scene. Nearly everything happening on North and Central Jersey’s stages these days is holiday-themed, but there’s certainly a lot of variety to choose from within that category. There are big musicals (“White Christmas”), children’s shows (“The Littlest Angels”) and holiday-themed concerts by the likes of Crystal Gayle and Kenny G. For those people who want some Christmas-free entertainment, Lyle Lovett is coming to The Mayo Center and the Darress Theatre is hosting an open mic comedy night. And…

If you’re a holiday kind of person, theaters in Central and North Jersey are sure to have something to make you happy. Sure, there are a lot of “Christmas Carol” and “Nutcracker” productions going on, but you can also spend some time with George Bailey and “It’s a Wonderful Life,” or see “White Christmas” live on stage. Options for kids include “Babes in Toyland,” “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” and “The Littlest Angel.” And if Christmas songs are your thing, there are plenty of concerts featuring holiday music to take in, including shows by Crystal Gayle, Kenny G and Wilson Phillips. But …

If you’re a theater lover living in Northern or Central Jersey, then you’ve got a lot to be thankful for. That’s especially true if you’re a fan of “A Christmas Carol,” since three different theaters (The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Centenary Stage Company and Somerset Valley Players) are opening their different takes on Dickens’ famous tale of Scrooge and ghosts. Other holiday tales and concerts abound on the area’s stages, but there are plenty of options for people who need a break from all those jingling bells. There’s still time to see “Over the River and Through the Woods” at the …

The holidays are fast-approaching. Although it’s not even Thanksgiving yet, the sounds and sites of Christmas are headed to the area’s stages. “A Christmas Carol” is coming to the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Paper Mill Playhouse is readying its production of “White Christmas,” Frosty the Snowman is coming to Pax Amicus Castle Theatre in Budd Lake and a Christmas moose will take stage in Morristown. More holiday-themed shows will follow, and now’s a good time to start planning what you want to see. These productions are popular, so tickets sell fast and before you know it, your schedule…

If you love weddings, then you’re bound to love two shows that are coming soon to North Jersey’s theaters. The Barn Theatre in Montville is presenting “The Wedding Singer,” a musical based on the hit Adam Sandler movie about a down-and-out Jersey-based wedding singer who rediscovers love. It’s opening Nov. 11. Over at Dover Little Theatre, it will be ladies' night with “Five Women Wearing the Same Dress,” also opening on Nov. 11. That's the story about a quintet of bridesmaids who would all rather be some place else—anyplace else—than the wedding they’re attending. But even if weddings aren’t…

It might feel like the fall theatrical season has just started, but time is running out for some shows that opened just a few weeks ago. This weekend, the curtain will close on productions from the Women’s Theatre Company, The Shakespeare Initiative, and time is running out for “Newsies” at Paper Mill and “The Last Days of Mickey and Jean” at the Bickford Theater in Morristown. In the upcoming weeks, there are performances of “To Kill a Mockingbird” at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey and “Bug” by Chatham Community Players. Music lovers can see tributes to the Grateful Dead and Johnny …

Ridge Light Opera will present two stagings with songs from "The Merry Widow" and "Kismet," along with cabaret songs, will be presented this Thursday and Saturday nights at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 140 South Finley Ave., Basking Ridge. This year’s show will be the local opera company's 17th annual Operetta and Musical Theater show. The company also presented its version of "Footloose" in Pleasant Valley Park this summer. More information on this week's musical presentations is below in listings. Information on future planned productions by Ridge Light Opera is available on the company's …

What do you want to do this week? Laugh? Cry? Make other people laugh? There are plenty of plays to see in the area, from serious dramas to side-splitting comedies. You could take in a light romance like “Cactus Flower” or a musical about a man-eating plant. And if you’ve got the performing bug, you can try everything from dancing it up in “Footloose” to doing your best zombie moves for a fun staging of “Night of the Living Dead.” Always wanted to give standup comedy at try? There’s a class for that, along with educational opportunities for young performers and writers. Just check out our On …

“Hamlet” and “King Lear” are among the greatest works of literature in history, but they don’t exactly have characters that are easy to relate to. That’s what Bonnie J. Monte has been focusing on as she prepares to direct another of Shakespeare’s great tragedies, “Othello,” for a run starting Sept. 7 and continuing through Oct. 2 at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey in Madison. “I think the biggest thing is that unlike, for example, “Lear” or “Hamlet,” where an audience can certainly watch it and enjoy it for many, many reasons, it’s hard for us to relate individually to the dilemmas of …

Ever been bitten by the theater bug? The folks who take part in local community theaters can tell you—it's an addictive hobby. You make great friends, get to flex your artistic muscles and develop talents you never knew you had. If that sounds appealing, check out the On Stage Scoop below. Coming up are auditions for several plays, including "The Cocktail Hour," "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" and "On Golden Pond." You'll also find there are classes and workshops for those just starting out, or for those who want to take their talents to a new level. But if you're more comfortable in a theater's …

In July of 1969, Pete Fornatale was a young disc jockey working at WNEW-FM in New York when he read his first live commercial — promoting the Woodstock Music and Art Fair.But that job at one of the all-time-ever greatest rock stations did not lead to three days of peace, love and music for Fornatale. In fact, it meant quite the opposite.“I was new to the station so three weeks later, when the festival happened, I was going up with some of the other disc jockeys and my program director said, ‘You know, we’re going to need somebody back here to do fill-in work and news reports, you’re elected…

It's a busy week for the region's theater scene, with two area productions of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," including one version right in our own back yards on Friday and Saturday nights at Pleasant Valley Park in Basking Ridge. Then maybe you can check out another version of Shakespeare's comedic trial by mistaken identity at the College of St. Elizabeth in Morris Township, to continue through July 31. If you're a theater or music fan, read on for the best of what's coming up nearby and not-too-far. We'll be back each week with the On Stage Scoop. ON STAGE SCOOP Plays in the …

If Hilde Steinberg has her way, emotions and tears alike will be flowing during the Somerset Valley Players’ production of "The Velveteen Rabbit." "We are going to take the audience on an emotional roller coaster,” Steinberg said. “They’re going to be happy one moment, surprised another moment. It’s going to be a magical ride.” Steinberg is directing Anita Larsen’s adaptation of Margery Williams’ 1922 children’s classic at the theater in Hillsborough from Feb. 18 to March 6. For those who are unfamiliar with the tale (and the emotions it can stir), the original story is about a boy who …

One of America's most famous gospel choirs is coming to the area. And when it does, it'll receive an opening from another gospel group—one with a decidedly shorter commute. The Harlem Gospel Choir will be at the Community Theatre in Morristown on Jan. 22. And opening up for the Harlem choir will be the Praise and Worship Choir of the Calvary Baptist Church, based just .6 miles away in Morristown. "We reached out to the Baptist Church and asked if they would like to participate. They were very much inclined," said Katie Lemery, the Community Theatre's marketing director. The invitation meant a…