“Edges,” from Tony and Oscar-Winning Pasek and Paul, Comes to Madison

The Madison Recreation Department, in partnership with Writers Theatre of New Jersey, will present Edges, a musical by Tony and Academy award-winning duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Performances will be at Drew University’s Dorothy Young Center for the Arts in the Directing Lab Theater on Thursday and Friday, August 10 and 11 at 7:30 PM and on Saturday, August 12 at 2:00 PM. Reservations and information are available online at www.wtnj.org or by calling 973-514-1787, extension 31. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $5 for students and senior citizens. Madison senior citizens are admitted for free by making a reservation through the Madison Senior Center at (973) 593-3095 (hours 8:30 am - 4:30 pm M-F). Please note: “Edges” features some adult language and therefore it is not recommended for children under 15 years of age.

Written by Pasek and Paul while still in college, “Edges” has had dozens of productions at professional theatres and universities all over the world, including a momentous update at the professional Capital Repertory Theatre in Albany, New York. The songs are hummable, clever, thought-provoking and relatable, presentingcharacters on the cusp of something new in their lives, the inevitable point of not knowing what’s going to come next. MTI, the show’s licensing company, has this to say on its website: “The songs cover such universal issues as love, commitment, identity and meaning. Characters deal with confronting emotions, escaping situations, expectations and deciphering complicated relationships.” The show’s writers encourage innovative approaches, so even if you’ve seen a production of Edges before, this will be a whole new experience.

“Most people will know the song-writing duo of Pasek and Paul from the Broadway show Dear Evan Hansen, or from their contributions to the film ‘La La Land,’” said Artistic Director John Pietrowski. “The songs in Edges are equally compelling and pertinent, and this excellent cast of artists, being of the age of many of the protagonists of the songs, provide us with a very moving and humorous night at the theatre.”

The Directing Lab theater is an air-conditioned, well-appointed, intimate performance space just off of Madison Avenue (Campus Map: https://www.drew.edu/map/DrewCampusMap.pdf). The cast are ages seventeen through twenty-four and feature several college theater and music majors and other vocalists. The project is under the direction of Actors’ Equity member Danielle Constance with musical direction by veteran teacher and musician Karen Romero. Assistant stage mangers are Cindy and Alyssa Jemas. Drew student Hailey Benson is the wardrobe stylist & video artist. Additional sound is provided by Drew student Everton Johnson. James Sullivan is Technical Director.

For more information on any of Writers Theatre’s programs, please visit www.wtnj.org or contact Writers Theatre at P.O. Box 1295, Madison, NJ, 07940, 973-514-1787 x20 or info@wtnj.org.