Tale As Old As Time

To kick off its 30th Anniversary Celebration, BCCT will be presenting Beauty & The Beast August 5, 6 and 7 at the Stafford Township Arts Center (STAC) in Manahawkin, NJ.

If you are familiar with the organization, you have heard the story once or twice before…how a young director, Heather Campagno, would put on plays with the children her mother would babysit during the summer. The shows were performed in the Campagnos’ basement for the kids’ families and friends, but word quickly spread, and BCCT was on its path to become the premier children’s theater company of Ocean County.

Over the past 30 years, BCCT has drawn thousands of auditioners and presented almost 90 shows to, more often than not, sold out audiences. BCCT alumni have gone off to successful careers on Broadway and other areas of the performing arts. The organization has garnered multiple awards, including Asbury Park Press’s Best of the Best Community Theater and the Ocean County Cultural and Heritage Commissions’ 2020 Cultural Response Award for its Theater in the Park Series during the Pandemic.

Beauty and the Beast will feature BCCT veteran Ella Zarrilli as Belle, Christian Cirone as The Beast, Frankie Mailley as Gaston, Searra VanDerveer as his sidekick Lefou, Gavin Powers as Lumiere, Grace Zarrilli as Cogsworth, Ava Buray as Mrs. Potts and Alex Apgar as Chip. A talented group of colorful characters rounds out the cast in this Disney classic, all under the direction of BCCT Founder Campagno.

The cast also will say goodbye to six of BCCT’s graduating seniors from across the county: Alysa Cainzos (Jackson), Christian Cirone (Manahawkin), Ian Keating (Toms River), Shellby Lawless (Forked River) and sisters Ella and Grace Zarrilli (Brick). To date, BCCT has awarded over $150,000 in scholarships to all of its qualifying graduating seniors. This year’s group will continue their studies at schools like University of Central Florida School of the Performing Arts, Muhlenberg College, Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts, among others.

Beauty and The Beast runs August 5, 6 and 7 with performances at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and two matinee shows at 2:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Ticket prices are $18 for adults and $16 for seniors and children 12 & under, plus a $1.50 service fee per ticket.

All attendees need a ticket regardless of age. The show is recommended for children over the age of four; as the run time is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes with a 15-minute intermission.

Tickets on sale now at https://bcct.booktix.com/

WHEN:

August 5 at 7:30

August 6 at 2:00 and 7:30

August 7 at 2:00

WHERE: Stafford Township Arts Center • 1000 McKinley Avenue • Manahawkin, NJ

TICKETS: Online sales available at bcct.booktix.com

INFO: info@bcct.org or 732.920.9041