Chester Theatre Group

Kate Lyn Reiter and Humor in the Midst Comedy Workshops are presenting a comedy night to benefit the Chester Theatre Group on June 4 at 8:00 PM at the Black River Playhouse.

The evening will feature the comedic stylings and wry observation of Katherine Brower, Dan Hoffman, Fred Holzapfel, Julie McCormick,Karen Muha, Peggy Robinson, and Phil Sweet.

The suggested donation is $15.

Call the theatre at 908.879.7304 for reservations.

CTG is proud to present (again), for one night only (again), a reading of The Ten Commandments, a comedy by Gary Hill and Perry Kroeger, based loosely (again) on the Cecil B. DeMille movie of the same name.

In the cast (again playing over 40 parts among them) are Barbara Haag, Steve Graham, Maggie Graham, Lori Lawrence, Stephen L. Fredericks, Danny Campos, Mark Happel, Steve Nitka, Perry Kroeger and Bob Jacobson as Moses.

The fun starts at 8:00 on April 16, 2011, and reservations are recommended by calling 908.879.7304.

The play was originally done in New York at LaMama in 1995.

The Chester Theatre Group at the Black River Playhouse will present a special concert production of a new musical in development, “Nightmare Alley” by noted composer and local resident Jonathan Brielle.

We are particularly pleased to provide the Black River Playhouse as a venue at this level of development for “Nightmare Alley” in order that the author may further hone his work.

The four performance dates are; Friday March 25 at 8pm, Saturday March 26 at 2pm and 8pm, Sunday March 27 at 2pm.  Admission: $10 Reservations: 908-879-7304. The Black River Playhouse is located at the corner of Maple and Grove in Chester, New Jersey.

Based on the darkly evocative 1946 William Lindsay Gresham novel of the same name, which became the subsequent cult-classic film noir, Nightmare Alley, staring Tyrone Power and Joan Blondell,  the musical now has book, music and lyrics by noted performer and writer Jonathan Brielle. It received its world premiere at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles with Gil Cates as director last April and is now in further development prior to opening in New York.

“When I first read the novel, I was so struck It by the question of how someone becomes part of a carnival side show that I felt compelled to put the story to music,” said creator Jonathan Brielle. “After working closely with the Gresham estate, we are close to raising the big top and watching these fantastic characters come to life in all their revelry and tragedy.”

Jonathan Brielle moved from TriBeCa, in Manhattan, five years ago, and now works in his state of the art studios in the former Farmersville Schoolhouse, in Califon New Jersey. Brielle looks forward to working closer to home now after being the composer in residence at the Circle Rep Company in New York for many years.

Whether on Broadway teaching his songs to the legendary Jessica Tandy in Foxfire; writing the musical themes for Ford Motors; writing music and lyrics for Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus, producing the music for “Rugrats Live,” presenting his new musical about James Joyce in Dublin; or creating one of the longest running spectaculars in Las Vegas at the legendary Stardust Hotel, Jonathan has spent his life pursuing his passion in music. He is formerly the National Projects Director of the Songwriters Guild of America and currently serves as an Executive Board Member of the Johnny Mercer Foundation, dedicated to supporting the discipline of songwriting in the tradition of the Great American Songbook.

You can find snippets of the score and production stills at BrielleMusic.com: http://www.briellemusic.com/music/nightmare.html

Nightmare Alley Facebook Page

The Chester Theatre Group at the Black River Playhouse in Chester, New Jersey will present a Valentine’s Special… the romantic comedy “Love Letters’ by A. R. Gurney. “Love Letters’ will be staged for two nights only, Friday and Saturday February 11 and 12 at 8pm.

The Pulitzer Prize-nominated play, follows the “near misses” of a relationship through a lifetime of letters between a man and a woman, will feature Pat Sheffield and Robert Sackstein, both CTG veterans. Their friendship unfolds from what is written — and what is left unwritten — in 50 years of letters, from summer camps and boarding schools through college, war, career and relationships.

The review of the Broadway production in TIME called the play “an exquisite jewel of a play….one of the four or five best American plays of the 80′s.”

“Love Letters” was first produced at the Long Wharf Theatre in 1988.  Over the years it has starred such luminaries as John Rubenstein, Stockard Channing, Kathleen Turner, Christopher Walken, Swoosie Kurtz, Richard Thomas, Elaine Stritch, Cliff Robertson, Colleen Dewhurst, Jason Robards, Robert Wagner and many others.

All seats are $10.00, Reservations recommended: 908-879-7304. The Black River Playhouse is located at the corner of Maple and Grove in Chester, New Jersey.

Join us on Saturday December 11 at 8 pm for this one of a kind Holiday Event!

Maggie Graham is bringing her show “Carol Channelling Caroling” to the Black River Playhouse as a fundraiser for our “Make The Exterior Paint Match” project.

As an impressionist, Maggie has been featured in Rick Skye’s The War of the Mama Roses as Carol Channing, Patti Lupone, Bernadette Peters and Kristin Chenoweth.

Off-Broadway, Maggie appeared in An Evening at the Carlyle as Liza Minnelli, Barbra Streisand and Ann Coulter.  Maggie wowed audiences at Gayfest’s premier production of Revolution as Judy Garland and Theatrical Gems’ Actor’s Fund benefit performance of Irving Berlin’s Mr. President as Sarah Palin.

You never know what will happen as Carol channels some of Broadway’s greatest DIVAS!

You could run into Bernadette Peters, Kristin Chenoweth, Judy Garland, Marlene Dietrich, Julie Andrews, Ethel Merman, Patti LuPone, Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli, Idina Menzel, Angela Lansbury, Eartha Kitt and many others!

Seating is limited.  All seats for this special event fundraiser are $20.  Reservations are strongly recommended and can be made by calling our box office at 908.879.7304.