I often have more than one of my Star Ledger entertainment stories run on the same day as editors like them to go out on the weekends. This week is no exception. I have three stories that were posted online today and will be in print tomorrow.
First, an article about “Shrek The Musical” at the Mayo Performing Arts Center. Here’s how that one starts:
“Shrek The Musical” centers on two ogres finding love in a fairy-tale land populated by a wisecracking donkey, a flirtatious dragon and a know-it-all gingerbread cookie.
And yet the story has a deeper message, with special appeal to the more than 50 actors — ages 7 to 21 — who are part of the Mayo Performing Arts Center’s production.
“‘Shrek’ is about accepting people for who they are, for tolerance, inclusion and not judging a book by its cover,” said Cathy Roy, Mayo’s director of education and the director of his show. “We felt it was timely to do something like this. … The show gets is message across with a lot of heart and humor.”
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Then a new musical about fear and prejudice in a small town.
Here’s the lede for that one:
The musical “Small Town Story” — which will premiere at South Orange Performing Arts Center May 31 — was commissioned almost a decade ago but the subject matter is particularly timely:
When the high school drama club announces an upcoming performance of “Rent,” residents of a fictional Texas town clash over the appropriateness of the show’s subject matter. The issue pits neighbors against neighbors, parents versus children.
But the characters soon come to learn that viewing the opposition in black and white benefits no one. It’s a lesson that likely resonates beyond the theater.
“Most characters in our piece have shades of gray,” said Sammy Buck, who wrote the musical’s book and co-wrote the lyrics. “It’s not just the polemic who’s right and who’s wrong. … That’s one thing we do as a country that gets us into trouble. We need to ask people why they feel the way they do.”
Director Eddie Prunoske said the show is nuanced, as are people.
“Real art is about making people whole and human, and not monsters,” he said. “Even if we disagree, most people are doing what they think is right.”
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And finally, a preview of an upcoming jazz series at the Count Basie Theatre featuring an interview with a member of Snarky Puppy.
Here’s a peek:
Snarky Puppy, a Grammy-winning jazz fusion collective that also performed during last year’s festival, returns this year. Guitarist Bob Lanzetti, an Ocean County native, said playing at the Basie was one of his childhood goals. He’s now done so multiple times and “the experience is always great.”
“People talk about ‘jazz is dead,’ but I don’t think that’s the case,” Lanzetti said. “We find decent audiences everywhere. I think we got lucky because we incorporate a lot of different things, never straight-ahead jazz.”