TOMMY, COUNT TO TEN and HERE AND NOW Set for Centenary Stage's 2014 Festival of Shows, Now thru 8/17

The Centenary Stage Company's Young Performers Workshop presents their Summer Festival of Shows with a full week of musical favorites. The festival will run today, August 8th through August 17th at the Little Theatre on the campus of Centenary College in Hackettstown, NJ. This season's selection will include Tommy, Count to Ten, Here and Now.

The workshop has been led by Broadway, film and television veteran, Michael Blevins, for over 20 years. YPW is dedicated to the enrichment of young lives through experience in the theatre arts, and serves as a venue for cultivating young theatre performance between the ages of 8 and 18. The program is one of only a handful in the nation that offers both formal training and production experience for young people. The young performers devote their weekends over a 15 week time-frame rehearsing challenging dance numbers and learning complex vocal arrangements to create a memorable theatre experience for all audiences to enjoy.

The Who's Tommy, hailed as a breakthrough upon its release, is a rock musical by Peter Townshend and Des McAnuff based on The Who's 1969 double album rock opera Tommy. Nominated for ten Tony awards and recipient of five including "Best Original Score" and "Best Direction of a Musical", as well as, Grammy winning for "Best Musical Show Album", Peter Townshend's tale of a young boy's journey from pain to triumph is the most electrifying evening of rock and roll ever to play in a theatre! Hit songs include "Pinball Wizard" and "See Me, Touch Me". The schedule for The Who's Tommy is Friday Aug. 8th at 8pm, Saturday Aug. 9th at 2pm, Sunday Aug. 10th at 7pm, Saturday Aug. 16th at 8pm and Sunday Aug. 17th at 7pm.

Count to Ten is a new musical co-written by YPW's very own Michael Blevins. A tap-dancing writer's Broadway ambitions are thwarted because his new musical lacks a real love story. Forced to develop the show at a performing arts camp full of spoiled, rich, and in some cases neglected stars of tomorrow, he finds he can no longer tap-dance around his issues and succumbs to the true call of his heart. Count to Ten is a cross-generational, dance-filled, upbeat musical everyone can "tap" into! Performance dates are Saturday Aug. 9th at 8pm, Sunday Aug. 10 at 2pm, Friday Aug. 15th at 8m, Saturday Aug. 16th at 2pm and Sunday Aug. 17th at 7pm.

Here and Now, an unusual play in every way in subject matter, telling the story of a group of high school students, teachers, and parents as they move from performance to reality. Inspired by true events, a group of actors begin rehearsing a play when their identification with the characters becomes stronger. As the confusions and tensions of their parts surface, the actors and the audience will learn that they are not alone with the pressures and confusions of today. Performance dates are Tuesday Aug. 12th at 7pm, Wednesday Aug. 13th at 7pm and Thursday Aug. 14th at 7pm.

Tickets for the YPW Summer Festival of Shows are $12.50 for adults and $10 for children under 12. To purchase tickets or to find more information on other shows in the 2014 - 2015 season, visit us online at centenarystageco.org or call (908) 979 - 0900. Patrons are encouraged to check the age recommendation for individual shows.

YPW is also interviewing for the Fall Session on Saturday Aug. 16th and Sunday August 17th. The Fall Session runs from September 13th through December 21st. Please call (908) 979 - 0900 to schedule an appointment for an interview. Additional information about the program and the registration form can be found online at centenarystageco.org.

The Young Performers Workshop is part of the educational arm of the professional Centenary Stage Company, a professional Equity theatre in residence on the campus of Centenary College. Programs at CSC are made possible through the generous support of the Geraldine Dodge Foundation, the NJ State Council on the Arts, and CSC members and sponsors.

YPW CAST

Adrianna Alongi (Hackettstown), Teax Armijo (Chester), Olivia Bailey (Washington), Giulia Bailey (Washington), Elaine Belenguer (Long Valley), Cydney Black (Hackettstown), Noel Cho (Nutley), Zack Clark (Hackettstown), Raegen Davies (Hackettstown), Gracelyn Donovan (Blairstown), Tyler Donovan (Blairstown), Izac Donovan Cruz (Budd Lake), Bashirah Foy (Phillipsburg), Kira Herkenham (Hackettstown), Rachel Lee (Flanders), Danielle Long (Chester), Nicollete Long (Chester), Erica Murphy (Chester), Anthony Nunez (Landing), Christopher Nunez (Landing), Quinn O'Hara (Hackettstown), Raphael Pelczmann (Morristown), Richard Ramsey Cort (Belviedere), Kiana Rodriguez (Randolph), Alani Rose (Long Valley), Jeremiah Serna (Hackettstown), Julia Sonko (Hackettstown), Grace Toner (Long Valley), Julie Ullmann (Newton), Teddy Walsh (Hackettstown), Katie Yarussi (Hackettstown), David Yawger (Columbia), Dennis Zuravlev (Hackettstown).

Pictured: YPW's fall 2012 production of HELLO, DOLLY!

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