Shakespeare Theatre to Present SOMETHING MERRY THIS WAY COMES, 12/15

Something Merry This Way Comes, the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's specially crafted antidote to the holiday glitz and commercialism, returns this season on Monday, December 15th, at 7:30pm at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue in Madison. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased online at www.ShakespeareNJ.org or by phone by calling the Shakespeare Theatre Box Office at 973-408-5600.

Harkening back to a time when families gathered around the hearth, Something Merry This Way Comes is a cornucopia of sparkling and inspiring holiday tales, songs, and poems read by members of the Theatre's esteemed company of actors. The holiday counterpart to the popular Halloween event, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Something Merry This Way Comes is "an evening to share with your family, friends, and theatre lovers of all ages, a heartwarming sojourn from the sometimes overwhelming madness of the season," says Artistic Director Bonnie J. Monte.

Artistic Associate and Casting Director Stephen Brown-Fried will direct this year's Something Merry This Way Comes. "I am thrilled to direct Something Merry for the first time. Weaving together holiday stories from around the world with classic poems is an exciting challenge. As a company, we offer this heartwarming holiday treat to our audiences-our gift to you!"

Something Merry This Way Comes will be performed at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue (Route 124, at Lancaster Road) in Madison, just minutes from routes 287, 78 and 10. Parking is free. The F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre is barrier free with access into the Theatre via a ramp and elevator access to all floors. Wheelchair seating and transfer seating is available. Infrared listening devices are available free of charge. Contact the theatre for more information. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call 973-408-5600 or visit www.ShakespeareNJ.org.

The Theatre's ambitious 2014 Main Stage season closes with Much Ado About Nothing, a production which celebrates the winter holiday season, filled with music and dance that evokes the World War II, White Christmas era. Performances begin December 3rd at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Ave. (at Lancaster Road) in Madison. Ticket prices start at $25 for preview performances and $32 for regular performances. Student rush tickets for all performances are $15, available a half-hour before curtain for with a valid student ID. Performances are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays at 7:30 p.m.; Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. For tickets, call the Box Office at 973-408-5600 or visit www.ShakespeareNJ.org.

One of the leading Shakespeare theatres in the nation, serving 100,000 adults and children annually, The Shakespeare Theatre is New Jersey's largest professional theatre company dedicated solely to Shakespeare's canon and other world classics. Through its distinguished productions and education programs, the company strives to illuminate the universal and lasting relevance of the classics for contemporary audiences.