'Dog Sees God' at Circle Players

It's definitely not the "Peanuts" comic strip you read with your children.

NJ Productions will perform "Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead," an unauthorized parody by Bert V. Royal, at Circle Playhouse next weekend. Showtimes are 8 p.m. July 26, July 27, Aug. 2 and Aug. 3, and 3 p.m. July 28 and Aug. 4. Tickets are  available online for $18 for general admission, and for $15 for students and seniors.

Directed by Ian Moore, this audacious and at times shocking play takes characters from the popular "Peanuts" comic strip and turns them into teenagers dealing with drug abuse, bullying, suicide, eating disorders, teen violence, rebellion, sex and sexual identity.

When C.B.’s dog contracts rabies and must be euthanized after ripping Woodstock to shreds and nearly biting his owner, C.B. begins to question the existence of an afterlife. A chance meeting with Beethoven, an artistic kid and also the target of his group’s bullying, offers C.B. peace of mind and sets in motion a friendship that pushes teen angst to the very limits.

"Dog Sees God" features the talents of Roberto Forero as C.B., Rachel Phelan as his sister, Zachariah Smith as Van, Kerielle Sollecito as Van’s sister, Michael Rosas as Beethoven, Sydney Hymanson as
Tricia, Danielle Yucht as Marcy, Nick Napoli as Matt, and Eddie Rogers and Gina Solebello as Swing.

The show is produced by Nicholas Kaminski and stage managed by Jasmine Gomez.

For other ticketing information, call (732) 968-7555.

Casting Call: 'A Chorus Line'

Every aspiring actor knows the trepidation that goes hand in hand with auditions, and the dream of being the star on the stage.

This month, Villagers Theatre in Somerset will give performers the chance for their lives to imitate art imitating life, with auditions for "A Chorus Line." "A Chorus Line" garnered almost every award imaginable, including Best Musical together with eight other Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize. At nearly 15 years, it was one of the longest-running shows on Broadway.

Auditions be held at 7:30 p.m. July 29 and July 30, with callbacks, by appointment only, on Aug. 1.

The show will be directed and choreographed by Patric Starega and produced by Marie Fiorello, with music director David Neal and stage manager Judi Thaw.

Showdates will be Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays Nov. 8-24.

Set during an audition for a Broadway show, young performers share their deepest hopes, fears and dreams as they compete for a chance of a lifetime. "A Chorus Line" is an enthralling and emotional metaphor for what drives each of us to pursue our dreams. Music is by Marvin Hamlisch with lyrics by Edward Kleban, and book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante

Characters include:

Zach	30-40 years old	The director and choreographer of the show. This is a nonsinging role.
Larry	18-30 years old	Zach’s assistant.
Alan Deluca	30 years old	Male. Baritone. From the Bronx. Very straight. Street tough, macho, newly married to Kristine.
Bebe Benzenheimer	26 years old	Female. Alto. From Boston. Very insecure about her looks but also very funny, a cover for her insecurities. Bebe feels a little excluded but just wants to be liked.
Bobby Mills	25 years old	Male. Baritone. Funny and witty. Very sharp-tongued. Bobby covers everything over with a joke, and had a hard childhood. From upstate New York.
Cassie Feguson	30-ish years old	Female. Soprano. An older dancer. Cassie is returning to the chorus after years of being a featured performer. She is a strong dancer, shy and kind-hearted. She previously had a relationship with Zach.
Connie Wong	32 years old if played by an Asian woman; 20 years old if not	Female. Alto. Experienced dancer. Short. Married. Connie is bit of a mother hen, with a great sense of humor. She was born in Chinatown, Lower East Side, New York; or in Greenville, N.C.
Diana Morales	27 years old	Female. Alto. Streetwise, a little bit tough, eternal optimist and starry-eyed. Diana is a determined athletic dancer from the Bronx.
Don Kerr	26 years old	Male. Baritone. Ladies man, married, into cars, money, and women. A hedonist, Don is cool and flirts with Maggie. He is sure of himself, an all-American guy, Cocky, he has worked with Zach before. From Kansas City.
Gregory Gardener	32 years old	Male. Baritone. Oversexed, overdrugged, done it all before. Gay. Gregory is very conscious of how he looks and appears to others. Quite a smart‐aleck, he has worked with Zach before. Very East Side New York.
Judy Turner	28 years old	Female. Mezzo. Judy is funny, gawky, nervous and scatterbrained, and also warm and hopeful. She is very awkward, except when she is dancing.
Kristine Urich	22 years old	Female. Mezzo. Wide‐eyed, naive. She is very nervous when not dancing. She is married to Al.
Maggie Winslow	25 years old	Female. Soprano. Maggie is a sweetheart, little-sister type. A dreamer, she is a fairly experienced dancer from California.
Mark Anthony	20 years old	Male. Tenor. Optimistic and a first-timer, Mark is naive but charming. He is a great dancer and an all‐American kid. Hopeful and fresh, obsessed with sex. Very young, from Arizona.
Mike Costa	24 years old	Male. Tenor. Quite aggressive, determined, cocky, sure of himself but likeable. Mike has worked with Zach before. Experienced and flirts with the girls. From New Jersey.
Paul San Marco	28 years old	Male. Baritone. Paul is introverted and slightly insecure but he loves performing. He is only now starting to feel comfortable about being gay and accepted by his parents. From Spanish Harlem, New York. He is friends with Diana.
Richie Walters	27 years old	Male. Tenor. From Missouri. African‐American, strong dancer, enthusiastic, cool and funny. Richie is very likeable and laid back.
Sheila Bryant	29 years old	Female. Alto. Oldest dancer on the line. Brassy, sexy and sophisticated. One of the more popular dancers, very funny.
Valerie Clark	25 years old	Female. Mezzo. Sexy, sassy, funny and foul‐mouthed. A brazen, direct, attention seeker from Vermont.
Cut dancers	18 to 35 years old	Men and women.

'The Frog Prince' at Somerset Valley Players

A frog. A princess. Promises broken, promises kept, and a curse lifted.

The familiar story of "The Frog Prince" is on stage at Somerset Valley Players through Aug. 4. Adapted from the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, "The Frog Prince" spins a tale of a beautiful princess and her golden ball, a magical panther in need of assistance, and an enchantress determined to teach a self-absorbed prince a lesson in humility by turning him into a frog.

Showtimes are 8 p.m. Fridays and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. All seats cost $10.

"The Frog Prince" features Mary Diehl, Abigayle Alexander, Rory Baker, Max Miller, Carissa Johnson, Alanna Ryan, Mary Burke, Felicity Howard, Hunter Metz, Jessica Ferrara, Jay Hauser, David Learn, and Kyleen Constant, Ruth Learn and Thomas Sarles.

For more information, call (908) 369-7469. Tickets are available online, at www.svptheatre.org

Somerset Valley Playhouse is located at 689 Amwell Road, Hillsborough.

Casting Call: 'Carrie, the Musical'

She's ba-ack!

Based on Stephen King's bestselling novel, "Carrie: The Musical" has not been seen since its 1988 Broadway production. Now, the original authors of the show have joined with director Stafford Arima and Middlesex County College Theater for a newly reworked and fully reimagined vision of this tale.

Auditions will be held from noon-5 p.m. Aug. 11, and from 7-10 p.m. Aug. 12 and 13. Callbacks will be held Aug. 15.

The show centers around Carrie White, an outcast bullied by the popular crowd at school, and virtually invisible to everyone else. At home, she is at the mercy of her loving but cruelly overprotective mother. But Carrie has just discovered she has a special power, and if she is pushed too far, she is not afraid to use it.

Auditionees will need to sing a rock, pop, or contemporary song in the style of the show that demonstrates their vocal range; and should bring sheet music or a CD/iPod track without vocals. Songs from the show are allowed. Auditionees must be at least 18 to audition. Auditionees will be expected to list all conflicts between Aug. 19 and Oct. 27.
Performances will be held at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and at 2 p.m. Sundays, from Oct. 18 to 27.

Carrie White (17)	A painfully shy outsider with a strong desire to belong. Victim of frequent pranks and bullying at school as well as abuse under her mother's strict religious control at home. She transforms from ugly duckling into graceful - and then vengeful - swan.
Margaret White (mid-30's to mid-40's)	A commanding, intense woman of visceral extremes, possessing zealous religious convictions, and almost abusive maternal love for her daughter.
Sue Snell (17-18)	A popular, overachieving student. Her unthinking participation in a cruel act of bullying causes a crisis of conscience that leads her on a complicated emotional and psychological journey to make amends. Smart with just a touch of shrewd edge. The play is told through her memory. Vocally, she has a pop ballad voice that delivers sincerity and strength.
Tommy Ross (Male, to play 17-18)	Popular star athlete, valedictorian, and all around standout, he's the boy that all the girls want to be with, and all the boys want to be. Yet he also has unexpected, quirky sensitivity and is just starting to mine his personal life and feelings - a budding poet. His voice should have a pop quality.
Chris Hargensen (17-18)	Rich, spoiled, and dangerous. Chris is a popular beauty whose arrogant self-assurance makes her believe that the rules don't apply to her. Loaded with sexual dynamite, she has serious daddy and anger management issues.
Billy Nolan (Early 20s)	Now in his sixth year of high school, Billy's a sexy, trashy, stupid-like-a-fox bad boy whose wise mouth troublemaking has led him to spend more time in detention than in class. All these qualities make it easy for Chris to manipulate him to do her bidding.
Miss Gardner (mid-30s)	This girls P.E. teacher can be a strict disciplinarian when necessary, but when Carrie arouses her maternal instinct, she surprises herself by also revealing a protective "Fairy Godmother" side.
Mr. Stephens / The Rev. Bliss (30s-50s)	This well-intentioned English teacher and guidance counselor struggles to help his students realize their potential. A dedicated educator, he's stretched thin in his duties, woefully underpaid, and a bit overwhelmed as to how to handle the Billy Nolans of the classroom combat zone. Doubles as the Rev. Bliss, a holy-rolling radio evangelist.
Norma (17-18)	Bitchy, gossipy and a shameless suck-up to authority, Norma is second-in-command to Chris' queen bee.
Frieda (17-18)	Sue's sometime friend. She's an easygoing, get-along follower and a tireless extracurricular committee volunteer.
Helen (17-18)	Giggly and easily shocked, her immaturity and need to belong make her the perfect example of the herd mentality.
George (17-18)	A jock. Preppy. Somewhat unsure. Tommy's wingman since childhood, George idolizes him a little too much, perhaps more than Tommy realizes.
Stokes (17-18)	A bit of a nerd, he's happy to be sometimes included as one of Tommy's posse.
Fredyy (17-18)	The wise-cracking class clown and official yearbook photographer, he can't believe any girl would ever give him the time of day.
Ensemble (17-18)	Two to four additional students who flesh out the various cliques at Chamberlain High School. They are cheerleaders, jocks, drama dorks, brains, and rebels. Most of all they are real people. A mix of strong singers, actors and dancers. Will also understudy principal roles.

Reading: 'The Tomb' at Somerset Valley Players

"Old soldiers never die, they just fade away."

So once said General Douglas MacArthur, the legendary general of the Pacific. During a staged reading tonight at Somerset Valley Players, audience members will be able to see what happens when they do die. The theater will host a staged reading of  "The Tomb," an original play by local playwright Roy Barry, at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 20.

The play begins with WWI Army Private Reggie, a medic from Mississippi, as he finds himself tied to the exterior vicinity of The Tomb of the Unknown in Virginia, in a limbo he does not fully understand. He is visited by Joe, a World War II Marine, who arrives in a flash of white light, direct from his moment of demise on an island in the Pacific. Another white flash sends Reuben, a black Korean War Army captain, to join their ranks at the tomb. Last to arrive is Blake, a California-born, Vietnam-era soldier, still in a drug haze, unaware of and unable to accept his own death.

Life experience, cultural and religious differences, and differing values threaten these four and their newly formed, delicate brotherhood. Blake’s arrival becomes a catalyst to their conflicts . . . and the new mission they identify and accept at "The Tomb."

Theater doors open at 6:30 p.m. Attendance is free, with seating on a "first-come, first-served" basis. Reservations are not being taken for this reading. There will be light refreshments and a question-and-answer sessions with the playwright and the cast after the reading.

Somerset Valley Players is located at 689 Amwell Road, Hillsborough.

Set Designer Needed

Yardley Players is seeking a set designer to design the set for "A Flea in Her Ear."

The show involves two settings: a living room in a wealthy turn of the century home, and a hotel lobby and room. Set designers will be paid.

Tech week will be Sept. 15-19, 2014. Performances will be Sept. 20-29, 2014.

For more information, contact noajjs@aol.com, or call (215) 968-1904.

'Legally Blonde: The Musical' at Villagers Theater

She's blonde. Legally blonde.

Elle Woods appears to have it all. Her life is turned upside-down when her boyfriend dumps her so he can start getting serious about his life and attend Harvard Law School. Determined to get him back, Elle uses her charm to get in as well. At school, she struggles with peers, professors, and Warner Huntington. With the help of Paulette and Emmett, though, Elle quickly realizes her potential and sets out to prove herself to the world. "Legally Blonde: The Musical,"a production of TeensVill at Villagers Theatre,will run from July 26 to Aug. 11.
Performances will begin at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and at 2 p.m. Sundays.

The cast includes Kristen Seggio as Elle Woods, Rachel Valovcin as Paulette Bonafante, Adam Magnacca as Emmett Forrest, Carlos Acala as Warner Huntington III, Brianna Bric as Vivienne Kensington, Dominick Pate as Professor Callahan, Enid Hoops as Allie Cozzi, Natalie Romeo as Brooke Wyndham, Aja Downing as Pilar, Sandy Buz as Serena, Ellen Rothfuss as Margot; and Alex Mandalakis, Caileigh Idell, Hannah Weaver, Elizabeth Valenti, Jillian Patla, Shannen Doyle, David Pastore, Tyler Crozier, Alec Richards, Darius Delk, Quentin Madia, Connor McKenna and Dorian Andrews as featured ensemble.

Tickets cost $16. Seats must be reserved online or by calling (732) 873-2710. Villagers Theatre is located at 475 DeMott Lane, Somerset.