Bergen County Players Spells out F-U-N-N-Y

The Bergen County Players' production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a show not to be missed.

Live theatre is always a unique experience. And if you are looking for an evening of music, laughter, and some outstanding acting, do not miss The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the Little Firehouse Theatre! The Bergen County Players experienced literal hell and high-water in order to bring this musical to light. The set was supposed to be completed on August 28th. The very Sunday Hurricane Irene visited the area.  Director Larry Landsman and the cast and crew explained, during the ‘talk back’ session on Friday, 9/16, this would present a few challenges. Power was out for a week at the theatre, but as the saying goes, “The show must go on!” And so the cast and crew worked to put everything together in time for the September 10th…

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River Dell HS Becomes Rydell HS for 'Grease'

Musical runs two weekends through April 2

Performing on the stage can be complicated for the professional actor. So multiply that a few dozen times and imagine what it must be like for a high school student. River Dell Regional High School put on the musical "Grease" this season.  It was a fun trip to a bygone era. The pit orchestra was a small but impressive group of musicians, setting the tone for a terrific show. "Grease" is best known as a movie starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton John in the roles of leader of the T-Birds' Danny Zuko and conservative girl Sandy Dumbrowski (Sandra Dee). Big shoes to fill. But junior Matthew Rivas donned a classic leather jacket and played the role of Zuko well, while junior Leah Feingold portrayed Sandy with excellent character. Most of …

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Bergen County Players 'Magnificent' in David Mamet Classic Drama

The production of 'Glengarry Glen Ross' should not be missed

Greed, corruption, liars and thieves.  No, this is not a story about the government or some mega-corporation--this is the Bergen County Players' production of "Glengarry Glen Ross." "Glengarry Glen Ross" is the tale of four Realtors and their office manager, and the conniving, underhanded and downright illegal maneuvers they employ against one another to make it to the top.  The name comes from the two real-estate properties they are peddling, the Glengarry Highlands and Glen Ross Farms, both of which are truly undesirable. The play opens with office manager John Williamson (Jon Cole) having aging, once-successful but down-on-his-luck Realtor Shelley “The Machine” Levene (Frank Osmers) demanding better leads so he might get “on the board” …

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Patch Picks: Summer Camps

From theatre to religious and music to sports, check out where your kids can go this summer

Welcome to Patch Picks, a weekly feature highlighting editor and reader picks of great local businesses, destinations, services, organizations, ways to spend a day off, and more. This week, Patch Picks looks at some of the Summer Camp offerings in the area. For your little actor or actress, check out All the World's A Stage summer theatre program. Run at the First Congregational Church of River Edge from June 29 to July 29, the budding stars of stage in grades 2 through 8 will have daily lessons in acting, singing and dancing. Wednesday's will feature Master Classes with Broadway performers, casting directors, TV and Film actors and vocal coaches. For more information and a brochure, call 201-300-7985. Your children can enjoy eight weeks …

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The Holiday Patch

10 Best Holiday Performances

Patch looks at the past holiday performances in the area and a few upcoming shows outside of Bergen County

Already this holiday season, theater goers have had the chance to take in a variety of shows. Several of these have already happened - the River Dell Drama Club productions of The Christmas Carol and The Secret Life of Girls were earlier this month. Honk!, from the Bergen County Players was also performed prior to the holiday season. Ballet fans were able to catch The Nutcracker, while residents of the radio-play style era could take in A Christmas Carol this past weekend. If you're looking to stay in town this weekend, the Bergen County Historical Society will present the 27th Annual Colonial Christmas Concert. The first performances on Saturday and Sunday are currently sold out, so anyone interested in going for the 8:30 (…

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A Classic classically done

The River Dell High School Drama Club presents Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol".

Some stories are timeless. Charles Dickens first published his novella, A Christmas Carol, in December of 1843. Since that time, the classic tale has been reproduced in various forms, with dozens of stars having played the crotchety Ebenezer Scrooge ranging from the legendary John Barrymore to Patrick Stewart to Jim Carrey.  The story has been retold comically, horrifically, and in classic and modern incarnations.  There are a great many options for how to retell Dickens' tale, and the River Dell High School Drama Club chose to mix the classical with the comical. The play with directed by Annie Arjarasumpun and senior Madison Sylvester (who also played Mrs. Fred).  Scrooge (played with comic flair that far belies his age by senior Jasiu …

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Theater Review: The Haunting of Hill House

Play offers chills, thrills and everything else in between

"The Haunting of Hill House," which is based on a novel by author Shirley Jackson has been through many reincarnations, most notably, the 1999 film, "The Haunting" which starred Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Owen Wilson. The show directed by Jerry Hurley weaves together a tightly-knit cast with an interesting story line with some supernatural thrills thrown in for good measure. The story takes place during the present day at Hill House, an old stately manor located high up on a hill near a cliff. The home has been in the Crain family for years and made its way down to soon-to-be owner Luke Sanderson (played by Neil Battinelli). His family are the current owners. The first guest to arrive at the house is Eleanor Vance (played by …

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