Travel The World With Mainstage This Summer

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — Travel to the Caribbean, African savannah, the North Pole, and New York City with Mainstage Center for the Arts’ 29th season of Summer Stage. The Children’s Theatre season includes: Once on this Island, Jr.; The Lion King, Jr.; Elf, Jr.; and Broadway for Kids. In addition, Mainstage presents Grease as its annual summer weekend production.

The Children’s Theatre season kicks off July 12-14 with a journey to the magical island of Haiti in the captivating performance of Once on this Island, a Caribbean adaptation of the popular Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale The Little Mermaid featuring a poignant story and catchy, Caribbean flavored score.

Once on this Island is sponsored by Precision Power Wash and First Bank. Then, the African savannah will come to life for Simba’s adventures in the Prideland and in the jungle in the Lion King, Jr., July 19-20. Lion King is sponsored by Lamp Post Diner, Challenge Island, Precision Power Wash, and Mc Guinness Funeral Home.

Then, Buddy the Elf takes a quest from the North Pole to NYC to find his true identity in Elf, Jr., July 26-28. This heart-warming production is based on the popular movie. Elf, Jr. is sponsored by Beneficial Bank. The season wraps up August 2 -4 as Broadway for Kids, a musical revue takes the stage. This high-energy performance features medleys from popular Broadway shows. It is sponsored by Four Brats Cheesecakes.

In addition to the Children’s Theatre Season, MCA will present its annual summer Mainstage production, Grease. This rollicking musical evokes the look and sound of the 1950s with Rydell High's senior class of 1959’s duck-tailed, hot-rodding "T-Birds” and their gum-snapping, hip-shaking "Pink Ladies."

An 8-year run on Broadway and two subsequent revivals place Grease among the world's most popular musicals. Grease, runs July 22, 28, and 29, 7:30 pm and July 23, 2 p.m. in the Dennis Flyer Theatre, Camden County College, Blackwood. Grease is sponsored by First Bank, Meadows Diner, Bowman & Co, Cordasco Financial, and Advocare DelGirono Adult Medicine.

“We’re excited to present a season that includes a couple of Summer Stage favorites as well as three shows that are brand-new to us. Families have told us that they’re really looking forward to our first-time offerings of the Lion King, Jr., Elf, Jr., and Grease. It’s going to be a great summer!” said Anne Marie Weaver, MCA Director of Special Projects.

The opening night of Once on this Island will feature special activities to kick off the summer season. This includes cold samples from Starbucks at the Gloucester Premium Outlets, children’s science games by Challenge Island, and one lucky audience member will be randomly selected to win a basket of “island-themed” prizes. The Elf, Jr. production, will feature “Christmas in July” activities in the theatre lobby.

Mainstage’s ticket prices for Children’s Theatre performances are offered at the low price of $10 for children/senior citizens and $12 for adults. Public performances for each show are 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 10:30 a.m. Friday.

The Thursday evening performances of Lion King, Jr and Elf, Jr. are sign interpreted. Grease is $8 for children 6 and under, $10 for children ages 7-12; $12 for ages 13 -18, $15 for senior citizens, and $18 for adults. Group prices are available for both the Children’s Theatre productions and Grease.

In addition to the Summer Stage Children’s productions, the young participants in Summer Stage’s Broadway Babies (entering kindergarten and first grade), Kids Stuff (entering second and third grades) and Apprentice (entering fourth and fifth grades) also receive the opportunity to perform.

Apprentice will present The Jungle Book Kids and The Aristocats Kids on August 6th. Broadway Babies and Kids Stuff will present musical revues on July 15 and August 5. Also the Video Film Production students will present their own original short films in a Film Premier, Friday, August 4 at 7:30 p.m.

For more information or to purchase tickets to any of Mainstage’s shows this summer, please visit www.mainstage.org or call (856) 227-3091.

Photo Caption: Ti Moune (Anaya Colon of Cherry Hill), is a peasant girl who falls in love with a wealthy boy, Daniel, in Once on this Island, Jr., running July 12-14 at Camden County College’s Dennis Flyer Theatre.

Mainstage Center for the Arts, located in Blackwood, NJ is committed to make the arts experience enjoyable for all its patrons. In an effort to make the shows, concerts, events, workshops, classes, and offices accessible to as many as possible, Mainstage offers many services for patrons requiring assistance. For anyone in need of assistance, please notify the office at 856-227-3091 at the time of purchasing tickets, or at least five days prior to the event you are attending.

Mainstage Center for the Arts, the parent program for Summer Stage, is a 501 © (3) non-profit organization committed to providing a creative, vibrant, and nurturing environment for youth and adults. This program is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts and by funds from the National Endowment for the Arts.