NJPAC Announces Its Upcoming Season and Cabaret Calendar

CALENDAR OF EVENTS SEPTEMBER 2009 - JUNE 2010 ALL EVENTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
(Visit the NJPAC website at www.njpac.org for program notes and updates.) (as of September 1, 2009)

BROADWAY

Metro area exclusive!
Oprah Winfrey Presents
The Color Purple
The Musical about Love
Wednesday, December 16 at 7:30; Thursday, December 17 at 1:30 & 7:30; Friday, December 18 at 8:00; Saturday, December 19 at 2:00 & 8:00; Sunday, December 20 at 2:00 & 7:30; Monday, December 21 at 7:30; Tuesday, December 22 at 7:30; Wednesday, December 23 at 1:30 & 7:30; Saturday, December 26 at 2:00 & 8:00; Sunday, December 27 at 2:00 & 7:30 * PrudentiAl Hall Tickets: $23-$79

This soul-stirring musical is based on Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and the Oscar-nominated film adaptation by Steven Spielberg. The Color Purple tells the unforgettable and inspiring story of Celie, a woman who triumphs over tremendous odds to find joy in life and her true inner beauty. Nominated for 11 Tony® Awards, this landmark theatrical event is fueled by a roof-raising score that melds jazz, gospel and blues. "The Color Purple is a soaring, epic tale that made a joyful noise in my heart," says Time. Contains adult content.

Legally Blonde - The Musical
Tuesday, June 1 at 7:30; Wednesday, June 2 at 7:30; Thursday, June 3 at 7:30; Friday, June 4 at 8:00; Saturday, June 5 at 2:00 & 8:00; Sunday, June 6 at 2:00 & 7:00 PrudentiAl Hall Tickets: $23-$79

It's here, and it's "AN ELLE OF A SHOW" (TIME). The hilarious MGM film is now a smash hit musical, and now Legally Blonde The Musical is coming to you. Legally Blonde follows sorority star Elle Woods, an underestimated blonde who doesn't take "no" for an answer. When her boyfriend dumps her for someone more "serious," Elle puts down the credit card, hits the books, and sets out to go where no Delta Nu has gone before: Harvard Law. Along the way, Elle proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style. After turning Broadway and MTV hot pink, this "Feel-Good Song and Dance Juggernaut" (New York Magazine) is "The Best New Musical Around!" (WOR). Please note there are no discounts for the Saturday, 6/5, evening performance, or select areas of the Orchestra for all performances.

CABARET

The Women's Association of NJPAC presents Spotlight Gala 2009 with special guest artist Christine Ebersole Saturday, October 3 at 5:30

The 14th Annual Spotlight Gala, hosted by the Women's Association of NJPAC, welcomes one of Broadway's most acclaimed leading ladies, Christine Ebersole. She's already received two Tony Awards for her legendary performances in 42nd Street and Grey Gardens, and she always
brings the same charm and wit to the more intimate cabaret setting-the mood she'll evoke for this special night celebrating the opening of NJPAC's 2009-2010 season. Before and after the performance, enjoy networking with over 1,000 guests, beginning with a cocktail reception at 5:30pm, and followed by dinner and dancing until midnight. Support the arts in New Jersey with this elegant night on the town!
For Gala tickets and table sponsorship information, call 973-642-8989 ext. 3334

An Evening of Classic Lily Tomlin
Friday, October 23 at 8:00 * PrudentiAl Hall
Tickets: $23-$92

From television to Broadway to the big screen, Lily Tomlin has long been one of America's foremost comic voices, known for an unforgettable gallery of characters as human as they are hilarious. This Tony®-winning, Oscar-nominated star returns with a collection of her greatest hits-from precocious Edith Ann and schizophrenic street lady Trudy to Mrs. Beasley, Sister Boogie Woman, and (of course) irascible telephone operator Ernestine.

Rita Moreno
An Evening with Rita Moreno
Saturday, October 24 at 7:00 & 9:30 * The Chase Room
Tickets: $48-$68

The eternally elegant Rita Moreno is one of the few performers to win all four of entertainment's most prestigious awards: the Oscar, the Emmy®, the Tony®, and the Grammy®. We first fell for her in the big screen West Side Story; since then, she's conquered every medium she's graced. For her NJPAC debut, Moreno brings that singular personality back to her Broadway roots, with songs by Harold Arlen, Kander & Ebb, Andrew Lloyd Webber and more.

Tom Wopat
Love Swings
Saturday, January 30 at 7:00 & 9:30 * The Chase Room
Tickets: $48-$68

This Tony-nominated leading man brings a distinctively suave touch to the cabaret setting, lending his virile baritone to American standards with a laid-back approach that sets hearts to swooning. "Cool tunes, manly grace, the scent of musk, and Gary Cooper getting in touch with his delicate side in High Noon-all rolled into one," says The New York Observer. "Wopat delivers more than we've seen on one cabaret stage in many a donkey's year. He is a real revelation."

Karen Akers
Simply Styne: A Valentine Celebration
Saturday, February 13 at 7:00 & 9:30 * The Chase Room
Tickets: $48-$68

Karen Akers is the embodiment of the sophisticated chanteuse-cool, statuesque, seductive, with a voIce That Vogue describes as "plush as black velvet." This season, she arrives to celebrate immortal songwriter Jule Styne. From the big-band flavor of early Styne hits like "It's Been a Long, Long Time" and "I've Heard That Before" to her personal take on timeless tunes from Gypsy, Bells are Ringing and Funny Girl, this is a match made in cabaret heaven. "Perfection!" says The New York Times. "Akers' voice has never been more lustrous or full-bodied, nor her expressive wingspan so wide."

Eric Michael Gillett
The Best of My Love
Saturday, March 6 at 7:00 & 9:30 * The Chase Room
Tickets: $48-$68

He used to be the Ringmaster for Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus-so imagine the showmanship this MAC and Bistro Award winner brings to the cabaret setting. With The Best of My Love, his wry and moving look at the intricate ways of the heart, this ineffably charming performer pays tribute to the love song with an eclectic set that freely combines theater tunes with reinvented "Top 40" hits by Hall & Oates, The Eagles, Madonna and more. "There's a smile in Gillett's voice, and it colors his work like a rainbow," says Back Stage.

Live National Broadcast from NJPAC!
A Prairie Home Companion
with Garrison Keillor
Saturday, April 17 at 5:45 * PrudentiAl Hall
Tickets: $23-$92

Be transported to "the little town that time forgot"-and that ensuing decades can't improve. For more than three decades now, Garrison Keillor has hosted public radio's beloved Prairie Home Companion, famous for its folksy mix of comedy sketches, original songs, and, of course, Keillor's signature monologue, "The News from Lake Wobegon." Be a part of Prairie Home history at this NPR radio broadcast live from PrudentiAl Hall! Please note there are no discounts for this performance.

Jessica Molaskey
Small World
Saturday, May 8 at 7:00 & 9:30 * The Chase Room
Tickets: $48-$68

This veteran Broadway performer is that rare singer-actress who moves effortlessly from American standards to contemporary pop to out-and-out jazz. Her repertoire has no borders-from Berlin, Loesser and Rodgers & Hammerstein to Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell and Antonio Carlos Jobim-yet everything she touches feels freshly re-imagined, alive and breathing. "Formidable talent, impeccable taste and acute wit," says The New York Times. "She has a quality of being able to sound like she's laughing and crying at the same time."

Please note there are no discounts on Cabaret performances.