Kean Stage celebrates the holiday season by presenting shows sure to please theater goers with varied tastes. As a part of the University, the Kean Stages presents shows at their two main venues, both of which are well equipped with great sound systems, good parking, and friendly staff to help you out. The first two shows highlighted in this article are at Enlow Recital Hall on Kean’s East Campus on North Avenue. The building is well marked and it is only a few blocks off of Morris Avenue, close to the Main Campus. The second venue is the Wilkins Theatre which is right off of Morris Avenue on the main campus. Also well marked, Wilkins is best accessed from the Morris Avenue middle entrance.
Selected Shorts
The celebration started on November 16 with Selected Shorts in conjunction with Symphony Space who produces the podcasts of the shows. Selected Shorts are broadcast on more than 150 radio stations across the country and consistently ranks as one of the most popular podcasts on iTunes.
The program consisted of three well known stage and television personalities: Michael Cerveris, Dana Ivey, and Richard Masur. The three each read short story selections about the holidays. It’s one thing to read a short story. But give these stories to accomplished actors and you have an entirely new dimension added to it.
That evening, Mr. Cerveris read “And Two Eyes Made Out of Coal” by Augusten Burroughs. He also did a co-reading with Dana Ivey of “Gifts of the Jewish Magi” by Allegra Goodman. Ms. Ivey did her solo reading of “The Hope Chest” by Jean Stafford. The final selection for the evening, “Christmas in New York,” had Richard Masur perform the reading duties.
It was a most unique opportunity to sit back, relax, and enjoy the thrill of having something read to an audience. The short story is a unique genre which has many aspects to it. This group of selections created a holiday mood in a very enjoyable way.
The Klezmatics
The next program from Kean Stages is The Klezmatics on Sunday, December 8, 2:00 p.m. at Enlow Recital Hall. This amazing group will perform their modern take on Eastern European Jewish music Since their emergence more than 30 years ago, the Klezmatics have raised the bar for this age-old, nearly forgotten art form and helped change the face of contemporary Yiddish culture.
Although often called a “Jewish roots band,” the music is both traditional and progressive, incorporating jazz, folk, Latin, rock and even punk influences. It will appeal even to those who are not familiar with the genre.
Tickets are $40-$60 and can be purchased at the Kean Stage Box Office in Wilkins Theatre, 1000 Morris Ave., Union, on Kean University’s main campus, by phone at 908-737-7469 or online at keanstage.com.
Darlene Love
A singer who is synonomis with the Christmas and holiday season is Darlene Love. She returns to Kean Stage at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 14 to perform Love for the Holidays, a Christmas show like no other. The event will take place at Wilkins Theatre.
“I’m thrilled to be performing my annual holiday show at Kean Stage in celebration of my 50-plus years in showbiz and to bring some love and joy to the folks in Union, N.J. by singing my #1 classic, Christmas, (Baby Please Come Home),” said Love.
Over the years, Ms. Love’s name has become affiliated with several other holiday songs, including A Marshmallow World and All Alone on Christmas, which was written by Steve Van Zandt for the 1992 movie Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. She will do other songs as well.
Tickets are $40-$70 and can be purchased at the Kean Stage Box Office in Wilkins Theatre, by phone at 908-737-7469 or online at www.keanstage.com. Save 25% with code HOLIDAY19.