By Jacquelyn Pillsbury
McCarter Theatre Center for the Performing Arts has been entertaining people for over 80 years.
With more than 200 performances of theatre, dance, music, and special events each year, people come from all over New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and 23 other states to be entertained at the venue.
“McCarter has the distinction of being the largest, and perhaps the only, performing arts center in the area that is both a producing theater and a performing one,”said Tom Mille, McCarter director of public relations.
The difference is that a producing theater puts on shows they produce and are not seen elsewhere, while a performing theater is a venue for other artists to perform. “There is always something going on here. We never have a dark time of year,” he said.
According to Miller, the upcoming 2014-15 season has larger than usual family programming this year.
From Dec. 5 to 28, McCarter will once again be presenting a full-scale production of Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol,” a tradition that started in 1980 by former artistic director Nagle Jackson, and continued since 1991 with two different versions by David Thompson.
At the helm of the production is Director Michael Unger, returning for his 16th year. Unger’s direction is complemented by an original score from composer Michael Starobin, whose accolades include Tony Awards in 2004 and 2009 for his orchestrations of Assassins and Next to Normal.
At the center of the production is Broadway veteran Graeme Malcolm as Ebenezer Scrooge. Malcolm’s portrayal of Dickens’ famous miser has been described by the Star Ledger as “one of the best Ebenezer Scrooges that McCarter has seen.”
The production features a massive motorized set by Broadway designer Ming Cho Lee and a cast of 37, including AJ Cedeño, Kimiye Corwin, Ali Ewoldt, Creed Garnick, David Kenner, January LaVoy, James Ludwig, Nikiya Mathis, Bradley Mott, Nancy Robinette, Michele Tauber and Sari Weinerman. The Adult Ensemble includes Andrew Clark, Alex Domini, Kyle DuPree, Heather Gault, Samuel Ladd, Katie Mariko Murray, Patrick Roberts, Avery Sobczak, Daniella Tamasi and Arielle Taylor.
The Young Ensemble is comprised of fourteen local children: Reyna Bae of Pennington, Hope Blair of Ewing, Russell Clark and Ivy Cordle of Princeton, Andrew Davis of Yardley, Madeline Fox of Lawrenceville, Noah and Jonas Hinsdale of Princeton Junction, Neha Kalra of Robbinsville, Christopher Levine of Hillsborough, Aynisha McQuillar of Ewing, Priyanka Nanayakkara of East Windsor, and Sophia Telegadis of Princeton and Troy Vallery of Yardley.
The talents seen onstage are matched by those behind the scenes. McCarter welcomes back musical director Charles Sundquist, returning for his 23rd production, joined by Tony Award-winning (Thoroughly Modern Millie) choreographer Rob Ashford, lighting designer Stephen Strawbridge, costume designer Jess Goldstein, sound designer Brian Ronan and set designer Ming Cho Lee, whose career has spanned more than 50 years and a bevy of major awards including the Tony Award and the National Medal of Arts.
Based on the annual success of “A Christmas Carol,” McCarter Theatre is planning another large-scale family program, Ken Ludwig’s “Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery.”
The world-premiere production of this comedy/mystery will open in Washington D.C.’s Arena Stage in January, then move to Princeton from March 10 to 29.
“This show has something for everyone from age 7 to 70,” Miller said.
He added it might be a little scary for children under six or seven, but it will appeal to audiences of all ages. “Baskerville” consists of only five actors playing more than 30 roles — including one actor playing Sherlock Holmes and one playing Dr. Watson. Ken Ludwig is the creator of Broadway’s “Lend Me a Tenor,” and “Crazy for You.”
Throughout the rest of the season, there will be one and two day performances by a wide variety of family-friendly entertainers, starting with Princeton native and pre-school performer, Laurie Berkner and her band on Jan. 24.
February brings Jim Henson’s “Sid the Science Kid” to life on the McCarter Stage. Followed by Australia’s National Circus, Circus Oz, performing “In but wait…there’s more” in their only East Coast engagement. Circus Oz performs a combination of stunt-jumping acrobatics, juggling, unicycling, trapeze flying, knockabout comedy, and human physical exuberance in a vaudeville-style show appropriate for audiences of all ages.
Later that month, Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy will be fiddling, singing and step-dancing, along with their five children and their Celtic band of dancers and singers.
The Peking Acrobats return in March for another family-friendly show of jaw-dropping gymnastics, cycling, juggling, acrobatics, and tumbling.
In April the Popovich Comedy Pet Theater will be performing. Miller said the show uses rescue animals: dogs, cats, ducks, and turtles, “something different and outside of the usual fare.” In this family-oriented show, Gregory Popovich combines his comedy and juggling skills with the talents of his 15 cats and 10 dogs, all once strays rescued from animal shelters.
McCarter Theatre Center for the Performing Arts, 91 University Place. Phone: (609) 258-2787. On the internet: mccarter.org.
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