'The Prom' at Axelrod and more things to do this weekend at the Jersey Shore and beyond
The Axelrod Performing Arts Center will mount New Jersey’s first professional production of the Broadway musical "The Prom" beginning Friday and running through May 21.
The show is directed by Broadway actor and director Todd Buonopane, choreographed by Brooke Engen, with music direction by Michael Gilch.
“Not many shows have the ability to make you laugh till it hurts and then cry your eyes out,” Buonopane said. “ 'The Prom' does that. Add in a cast of Broadway vets and exciting up-and-comers, how could we go wrong?"
The story traces the unscripted adventures of a quartet of Broadway has-beens who hop on a tour bus to infiltrate a small-town in Indiana with their New York values. There they meet high school student Emma Nolan, who has been banned from the school dance for wanting to attend with her girlfriend.
Leading the cast as Dee Dee Allen is TV and Broadway star Vicki Lewis. The company also includes Broadway vet John Scherer as Barry Glickman, and New York theater favorites Emily McNamara as Angie Dickinson, Richard E. Waits as Principal Hawkins, and Matt Hill as Trent Oliver.
A special Pride Night cocktail reception kicks off the festivities at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 12, in conjunction with Garden State Equality. More information is available at axelrodartscenter.com.
Go: "The Prom," Friday through May 21, Axelrod Performing Arts Center, 100 Grant Ave., Deal Park, $32 to $59; 732-531-9106, ext. 14, axelrodartscenter.com.
Drag Queen Visibility Day in Asbury Park
Drag queen story time, a bake sale and karaoke are just some of the events planned as Asbury Park and Paradise nightclub celebrate Drag Queen Visibility Day on Sunday.
Paradise, 101 Asbury Ave., will host events starting at 1 p.m. featuring local drag performers.
The event is being held at a time when anti-drag and anti-transgender laws are being passed in state legislatures across the country. There have been 469 anti-LGBTQ legislative measures introduced in the U.S. in 2023, according to the ACLU.
Sapphira Cristal, Miss Paradise 2023, will host the event, which is split into two acts. More information is at paradisenj.com/pageant.
Go: Drag Queen Visibility Day, beginning at 1 p.m. Sunday, May 7, Paradise nightclub, 101 Asbury Ave., Asbury Park; paradisenj.com/pageant.
Produce Pete in Manasquan
How did Pete Napolitano become WNBC's famed "Produce Pete"? How did a small lot by a gas station pave the way for his family's produce store in Bergenfield that stood for nearly 50 years?
Napolitano answers those questions and tells plenty of stories in "They Call Me Produce Pete," written with Asbury Park Press freelancer Susan Bloom.
Napolitano and Bloom will appear from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday at BookTowne in Manalapan for a discussion with fans and to sign copies of the book.
More information is at producepete.com.
Go: Produce Pete Napolitano and Susan Bloom book signing, 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, BookTowne, 171 Main St., Manalapan; 732-722-7255, booktowne.com.
More: Here's why Bamboozle 2023 canceled, and what you need to know about getting a refund
Old-time baseball weekend in Freehold
Looking to hit a home run this weekend? Take a swing in Freehold.
The “Glory Days: Baseball in Our Hometown” exhibit opens 7 p.m. Friday at Borough Hall. The display is based on the new book, “Baseball is in My DNA: The History of Baseball in Freehold, New Jersey, 1857-1973” by Glenn Cashion. He's a ball player of note and cousin of Bruce Springsteen, no stranger to the borough's playing fields himself.
The exhibit features images and artifacts depicting how deeply intertwined Cashion's family is with his hometown and his favorite sport. There's also a video on the backstory of the Boss' ode to baseball, “Glory Days.”
On Saturday, there will be a home run derby, pie-eating contest, games for children and a baseball game between the Monmouth Furnace and Harrisburg Keystones at Lincoln Field on Lincoln Place. They're playing in vintage 1864 style with 1864 rules. The action starts at 11:30 a.m.
Go: "Glory Days" exhibit," opens 7 p.m. Friday, Freehold Borough Hall, 30 Mechanic St.; freeholdboroughnj.gov. Plus, vintage baseball game, 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Lincoln Field, Lincoln Place.
'Hello, Dolly!' at Algonquin
Get ready, Manasquan: Dolly Levi is coming to town.
Algonquin Arts Theatre presents Jerry Herman's classic musical "Hello, Dolly!" Saturday through May 21.
Dolly Levi (played by Lynne Truex) is a widow, a matchmaker, and also a professional meddler — but everything changes when she decides that the next match she needs to make is to find someone for herself.
Set in New York City at the turn of the century, "Hello Dolly!" is full of humor, romance, big scenes, wonderful songs and great dancing.
Go: "Hello, Dolly!," May 6 to 21, Algonquin Arts Theatre, 60 Abe Voorhees Drive, Manasquan, $26 to $43; 732-528-9211, algonquinarts.org.
'Our Shrinking, Shrinking World' in Long Branch
New Jersey Repertory Company presents the world premiere of “Our Shrinking, Shrinking World,” written by Richard Dresser and directed by Joe Cacaci.
Dr. Lyman Hidalgo-Nyquist is a psychotherapist with a climate-induced apocalyptic complex, a loose grasp of therapeutic technique, and a looser grasp of professional ethics. When his long-suffering clients decide to see a new, younger therapist who's just moved to town, Lyman's professional jealousy spikes — along with his fear of losing income.
The play stars Molly Carden, Kaileela Hobby, Kevin O’Rourke and Jeff Rubino. Performances begin Thursday and run through May 27.
Go: "Our Shrinking, Shrinking World," through May 27, NJ Rep, 179 Broadway, Long Branch, $40 to $60; 732-229-3166, njrep.org.
Raritan River Music Festival
Raritan River Music Festival will present a series of four concerts throughout May. Laura Oltman, co-founding director of Raritan River Music, explained the “Tributes” theme in a news release.
“We are the product of those who came before us, set the stage, laid the foundation for creating the music and culture of today," she said. "This year, we honor the founders of musical organizations that have been influential in our lives, providing the legacy upon which Raritan River Music has grown to become an integral part of the community.”
The festival will present ensembles and soloists in concert, in addition to online video streaming provided by The Animal Farm music production studio. Performers include the Bergamot String Quartet, the Four Nations Ensemble, the Mohawk Trail Piano Trio, Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo, and soloists Clare Hoffman, flute; Martha Mooke, electric viola; and Robert Bonfiglio, harmonica.
All concerts take place inside historic venues in scenic settings throughout western New Jersey. The venues are fully accessible for people using wheelchairs and walkers. There will be four concerts on Saturday evenings in May, and then recorded concert broadcasts through YouTube Premieres on Sunday through Wednesday following each concert.
At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 6, Four Nations Ensemble presents “Les Grands: French Baroque Music from Court & Concert” at Clinton Presbyterian Church, 91 Center St., Clinton. Step back in time as the group – with harpsichord, lute, flute, voice, violin and cello – brings to life music by François Couperin and his grand colleagues composing and performing at the Palace of Versailles, and at salons and concert halls around Paris in the early 1700s.
Tickets are $25 advance, $30 at the door (if available).
Go: Four Nations Ensemble, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 6, Clinton Presbyterian Church, 91 Center St., Clinton, $25, $30 at the door. Raritan River Fest runs May 6 to May 27; 908-213-1100; RaritanRiverMusic.org.
Beer, pizza collaboration in Bradley Beach
The restaurant at Main Street and Evergreen Avenue in Bradley Beach has long been known as Vic's Italian Restaurant. But when Vittorio “Vic” Giunco first opened the place in 1933, he called it Vic's Tap Room.
The nearby Bradley Brew Project is paying homage to that history with its new brew, Vic's Tap Room Pilsner. The beer, a collaboration between the two, will be released Monday, May 8. It is a 5.8% Italian-style Pilsner that will be available in cans and on draft.
"Celebrating 90 years of Vic's Tap Room, this collaboration with our local community friends at Vic's is brewed with intercontinental hops and malt for a crisp, clean and deeply aromatic experience," reads a news release from the brewery.
Go: Vic's Tap Room Pilsner collaboration, 714 Main St., Bradley Beach; 732-455-8047, bradleybrew.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Jersey Shore things to do include The Prom at Axelrod in Deal
