SKIT Presents A NIGHT ON BROADWAY and INTO THE WOODS JR.

ShowKids Invitational Theatre (SKIT) presents two shows this May - A Night on Broadway musical review and Into the Woods Jr.

Marking the debut for several rising stars, SKIT will present four performances of A Night on Broadway featuring family favorite songs from shows including Mary Poppins, Seussical, Shrek the Musical, Peter Pan, My Son Pinocchio and Annie, to name a few. Performances will be Friday, May 4 at 7:30pm; Sunday, May 6 at 2:00pm; and two performances on Saturday, May 12, at 2:00pm and 7:30pm. Additionally, SKIT will host a complimentary Senior Citizen Brunch at 12:30pm on Saturday, May 12, prior to the matinee performance, continuing a time-honored Hunterdon County tradition.

Following the "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!" production of Mary Poppins in January, SKIT is presenting three performances of the Tony Award-winning musical Into the Woods Jr. See the talented ensemble cast on Friday, May 18 at 7:30pm; Saturday, May 19 at 7:30pm; and Sunday, May 20 at 2:00pm.

All performances will take place at Voorhees High School, 256 County Road 513, Glen Gardner, NJ 08826. Tickets are $10-15, and can be purchased online at www.showkids.org or by calling the SKIT ticket line at (908) 638-5959.

Be careful what you wish for as Stephen Sondheim's and James Lapine's cockeyed fairytale comes to life in this adaptation of their groundbreaking musical. Into the Woods Jr. features all of your favorite characters - Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack (and his beanstalk) and the Witch in this lyrically rich retelling of classic Brothers Grimm fables.

"A Night on Broadway is an enchanting mixture of unforgettable songs and breathtaking dance numbers," says Carolyn B. Newman, SKIT producer/director. "This is such a special cast, including some wonderful seniors who have been in SKIT since they were little kids, and Into the Woods Jr.is such a meaningful show."

The Night on Broadway cast showcases students from more than 25 different NJ schools in a variety of different numbers. And Into the Woods Jr. is being produced as a special senior project where a few veteran cast members are not only performing, but blocking and choreographing the production, as well.

INTO THE WOODS JR. CASTING

North Hunterdon senior Prajeet Sarker of Clinton Twp. is the Baker. His favorite SKIT role was Robertson Ay in Mary Poppins. Prajeet will studying Government and Computer Science at Cornell University in the fall. Another North senior, Haley Marra also of Clinton Twp., plays the Baker's Wife. Haley started in SKIT when she was just 6-years-old playing an angel in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, and her favorite role to date was Winifred Banks in Mary Poppins. She will be heading to the University of Pittsburgh to study nursing.

Audiences agreed that Natalie Mehl of Lebanon Twp. was "practically perfect" as Mary Poppins, and in this production she will be perplexed by a prince as Cinderella. The Voorhees High School senior earned standing ovations "with snaps" as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde last summer in her Plays in the Park debut, and will be playing Sally in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown there this summer before heading to Liberty University to enter the new BFA program in musical theater.

Jonah Lione, 17, of Clinton doubles as Cinderella's prince and the Wolf, as in the Broadway production. A two-time "Best Youth Actor" nominee, Jonah recently charmed audiences as the lovable chimney sweep Bert.

Brooke Wachenheim of Annandale appears as Little Red Riding Hood. Brooke began her SKIT career as a wee mouse in Cinderella, and her favorite roles over the past 10+ years include Gladys Herdman in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Annie, and the wicked Miss Andrew in Mary Poppins; and Seussical and Hairspray were among her favorite shows. The North senior will be studying nursing at Stockton University in the fall.

Another North senior, Amy Schroeder of Bethlehem Twp. plays the Witch and serves behind the scenes as choreographer, and dance captain for her fifth production. Her favorite role was also from Mary Poppins, in which she appeared as Mrs. Brill. After graduation, Amy is heading to East Stroudsburg University to major in Special Education and Middle School Education.

Additional Into the Woods Jr. casting:

Cinderella's Stepmother - Sara Alicea, 17, of Lebanon Twp.

Rapunzel - Allisa Conover, 16, of East Amwell Twp.

Rapunzel's Prince - Noah Willsey of Annandale making his SKIT debut, also a North senior

Jack - Ryan Apgar, 16, of Clinton Twp.

Jack's Mother - Josie Whitmore, 15, of Lebanon Twp.

Granny - Sierra Saint-Rose, 15 of Lebanon Twp.

Florinda - Sana Sarker, 15, of Clinton Twp.

Lucinda - Sera Bunca, 16, of Asbury

Cinderella's Mother - Nala King, 13, of North Plainfield

Narrator #1 - Hannah Willsey, 15, of Clinton Twp.

Narrator #2 - Imani Smith, 15, of Phillipsburg

Mysterious Man - David Reese, 15, of Clinton Twp.

Milky White - Charlotte Ruffine, 14, of Tewksbury Twp.

Steward #1 - Owen Tabor, 13, of Lebanon Twp.

Steward #2 - Evan Bravstein, 14, of Chester

Sleeping Beauty - Sabrina Bunca, 13, of Asbury

Belle - Abby Swan, 15, of Clinton Twp.

Merida - Tori Kramer, 13, of Holland Twp.

Alice in Wonderland - Clara Bravstein, 13, of Chester

Snow White - Alexa Epstein, 15, of Califon

About SKIT

SKIT founder, director and producer Carolyn B. Newman is a Hall of Fame member, inducted by the New Jersey Association of Community Theaters (NJACT) in 2015. ShowKids Invitational Theatre has received 14 Perry nominations for best musical and more than 150 total nominations over the last 30+ years. SKIT won "Outstanding Production of a Musical", NJACT's highest honor, in 2014 for Shrek The Musical, and was nominated in 2016 for Me & My Girl, out of over 200 productions reviewed.

SKIT is a nonprofit, family community theatre group. Founded in 1986 to offer the children of Hunterdon County an opportunity to experience the joys of theatre and give the community professional quality children's theatre productions, SKIT has since blossomed into an organization that also provides families the opportunity to share quality time while providing an unending amount of wonderful memories. ShowKids Invitational Theatre programs are made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, through the funds administered by the Hunterdon County Cultural & Heritage Commission.