...At The Small Empire Music Hall
Nov. 21 – Dec. 7, 2008
Professional Equity Theatre Presentation
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World Premiere!
 L-R: Allen Rickman, Amanda Maxfield (Oldwick), Scott McGowan (NY) (Closer View) |
About The Play
From the musical tradition which gave birth to the antics of Charlie Chaplin! Join us for Christmas ...At the Small Empire Music Hall,
as we follow three generations of performers as they navigate the world of the English Music Hall from before World War I to the advent of
radio. Like its American sister - Vaudeville - singers, dancers and comedians populated the variety entertainment of the day, where families
gathered for a rousing evening of fun and songs including such classics as "I’m ‘enery the 8th I am, ‘enery the 8th
I am, I am…."
From the Midwestern set of the latest Coen Brothers project (No Country for Old Men and Fargo), actor, writer and director Allen Lewis Rickman put the final touches on his latest play – Christmas at the Small Empire Music Hall - which will open at the Centenary Stage Company on Nov 21st.
In preparing for "Christmas at the Small Empire Music Hall", Rickman actually attended British Music Hall performances when in London. Rickman notes that Ninety eight percent of what he does in the theatre is comic, and "... Empire Music Hall" is replete with comic business and song, as was the genre in its original era. The characters in the play were inspired by real-life Music Hall performers, such as the renown Charles Coborn , who routinely had the audience singing along with him on such numbers as "Two Lovely Black Eyes," which he sang, tongue-in-cheek, in 7 different languages.
 L-R: Suzannah Lawson Matalon, David Hall, Michael Connolly Amanda Maxfield (Oldwick) , Scott McGowan, Lea Antolini (Sparta) (Closer View) |
Playwrights:
Allan Lewis Rickman and Karl Tiedemann
Director:
Allan Lewis Rickman
About the Playwright/Director, Allan Lewis Rickman
In a fortuitous turn, Rickman – whom Centenary Stage audiences will remember from his comic performances in last season’s My
Three Angels, was cast last spring with his wife, Yelena Schmulenson, as a Yiddish couple in the Coen Brothers A Simple Man,
which is expected to open in theatres sometime next summer. "I would film a scene, and then run back to my script and make adjustments,
call Carl Wallnau and see what actors we had on-board, then run back to film another scene." Centenary Stage Company General Manager,
Catherine Rust, said " I love the Coen Brothers’ work, and I think it’s so neat that Allen carried the name of Hackettstown
and the Centenary Stage to the set of these innovative and inspired film-makers!" Rickman and Wallnau held their first auditions
for "… Empire Music Hall" in New York this fall, then Rickman was flown out to Minneapolis to film. He flew back to New
York to hold "call-backs" for ".. Empire Music Hall", then back to Minnesota to conclude the filming. Rickman reported
he was glad to discover that both the Coen brothers are "very nice and down-to-earth" and that he actually became quite friendly
with Ethan, who also lives in New York City.
Rickman is both the author (with Karl Tiedemann) and director of CSC’s next project. He is no stranger to directing, and was recently nominated for a Drama Desk award for Best Musical revival of The Pirates of Penzance in New York. As a writer, Rickman’s comic farce, Off the Hook, which he co-authored with Karl Tiedemann, premiered in New Jersey and has been performed many times in Europe, with the next production scheduled for Luxembourg this spring. His next directing project will be an adaptation of an Elie Wiesel story, which will premiere early next year in New York.
For more information about Allen Rickman and "Christmas at the Small Empire Music Hall," call the CSC administrative offices at 908-979-0900.
Lackland Performing Arts Center
 Lackland Performing Arts Center scheduled for completion in 2009 |
The Centenary Stage Company will find a new home with construction the Lackland Performing Arts Center (Carol and David Lackland Center), scheduled for completion in Fall, 09. With a 22,000-square-foot performance space, the facility is destined to become the most sophisticated performing arts venues in northwest New Jersey. The center will include a 500-seat theatre, a black box theater, a dance studio, scene shop, a costume shop, green room and dressing rooms. In addition to housing the theatre, the 68K square foot Lackland Center will be a home for a variety of cultural activity, and will include WNTI, the College’s listener-supported public radio station, CCTV, Centenary’s Comcast-licensed television studio, and gallery space for visual artists. Named in honor of Carol Burgess Lackland, A Centenary graduate (Class of 1954), and her husband, David A. Lackland, a Centenary College Trustee, The David and Carol Lackland Center, has been designed to enrich student life and bring new cultural opportunities to northwest New Jersey. ...more
Schedule
- Christmas at the Small Empire Music Hall will be performed on the Centenary Stage from Nov. 21 – Dec 7.
- "Meet the Artists" talk-back
on the first Sunday of the production (Nov 23rd).
- CSC will also offer two special holiday matinees on Saturday and Sunday of the first weekend in December, which will coincide with Hackettstown’s "Hometown Holiday", kicking off with a torchlight parade on Friday evening, Dec 5th, and shopping until Midnight, and Centenary’s " ‘Tis the Season" celebration on Sunday, Dec 7, with crafts with Santa, sleigh rides, tree-lighting and caroling at the college.
| Nov. - Dec. 2008 - ...At The Small Empire Music Hall | ||||||
| Wed. Stu.Mat. 10am |
Wed. Mat. 2:30pm |
Thurs. Eve. 7:30pm |
Fri. Mat. 2:30pm |
Fri. Eve. 8pm |
Sat. Eve. 8pm |
Sun. Mat. 2:30pm |
| 21 | 21 | 22 | 23 Meet The Artists |
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| x | 26 | x |
x | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| 3 | x | 4 Family Night |
x | 5 |
6 |
7 |
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Tickets
Subscription Values (Review
the Full Schedule) - 
Subscription Events)
Centenary Stage Company is often referred to as "the
best deal in the state." This event can be purchased as a part of
a discounted season subscription purchase. Centenary Stage Company offers several
subscription plans for its season with the mission of making arts affordable
for all. Patrons. You may choose:
| Series A Subscription | Includes seven events: all four of the CSC Concerts as well as all three
productions in the professional Centenary Stage Company Season [Series A is no longer available - make a Sept. 2009 follow-up to order it for next season] |
$80.00 |
| Series B Subscription | Allows patrons to choose any five events from the CSC season Bundled with productions | $65.00 |
| Series C Subscription | Patrons interested exclusively in theatre may select a Series C subscription which includes the three professional Equity Centenary Stage Company productions. | $45.00 |
Individual Tickets
Individual Tickets are:
| Season Plays: | |
| Saturday: | $22.50 for adults, $17.50 for
seniors/students and $15 for children under 12 |
| Friday | $20.00 for adults, $17.50 for seniors/students and $15 for children under 12 |
| Other Evening Performances: | $20.00 for adults, $17.50 for seniors/students and $15 for children under 12 |
| Matinee showings | $17.50 |
| Thursday (2 for 1 at the door the day of the show only): | $20 |
| Concert / Dance Events | In Advance: New Jersey Ballet $22.50 for adults, $17.50 for seniors/students $15.00 for children under 12 All Other $20.00 for adults, $17.50 for seniors/students $15.00 for children under 12 The at-the-door ticket prices: New Jersey Ballet: $25.00 All Other: $22.50 |
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| Annual programming at the Centenary Performing Arts Guild are made possible in part through the generous support of the The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour (Penn PAT) , Heath Village, Coldwell Banker and Arts Guild Members and Sponsors. |
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