Somerset Valley Players to Open 51st Season in January

Hillsborough, NJ – The Somerset Valley Players (SVP), Hillsborough Township’s award-winning community theater, is set to begin its 51^st season in 2018.

The SVP Board of Directors announced the 2018 schedule. “We think the slate of productions will have something for all of our diverse audiences,” said President Emily M. Windus. “We had such a fantastic 50^th anniversary season, we want to build on that momentum in 2018. Our 2017 season included two New Jersey premiers and garnered 18 nominations for the NJACT Perry Award recognition, including one win. We’re confident that shows we’ve selected for 2018 will continue our tradition of quality live performances made accessible and affordable for the Hillsborough community and beyond.”

The season kicks off on January 19, 2018, with the comedy “Love, Lies, and the Doctor’s Dilemma.” That production is followed by “California Suite” (March 2), “Calendar Girls” (April 20), “Grand Hotel – The Musical” (June 8), “Cheaper by the Dozen” (July 20), “Smokey Joe’s Café – The Songs of Leiber and Stoller” (September 7), “Wait Until Dark” (October 19), concluding with the holiday show “A Seussified Christmas Carol (November 30).

SVP’s Vice President of Production, Todd R. Bennington, said, “We couldn’t have asked for a more balanced season. Patrons can choose between shows inspired by popular movies, such as Calendar Girls and Grand Hotel. Or enjoy Broadway smash hits like California Suite, Smokey Joe’s Café and Wait Until Dark. For good measure a hilarious farce, Love, Lies, and the Doctor’s Dilemma will help everyone start the year off with a good laugh,” Bennington continued.

“Our commitment to feature family friendly shows is one of our missions,” he said. “Introducing young audiences to the magic of live theater is something we love to do. Our summer show, Cheaper by the Dozen is based on a true story about a large family that lived in Montclair, New Jersey, and A Seussified Christmas Carol will be a delightful way for families to celebrate the year-end holidays.”

Windus added “Because we are truly a ‘community’ theater, we thank our volunteers and the individual and business sponsors whose support ensures that we can continue to bring the art of theater to local audiences.”

Somerset Valley Players are located at 689 Amwell Road (Route 514) in Hillsborough. For information about current or planned shows, tickets and volunteer/sponsorship opportunities, go to www.svptheatre.org.

The playhouse is housed in a former one-room schoolhouse, one of the few such historical buildings that exist in the Township.