A WORD FROM THE PRODUCER

on Monday, 16 January 2012. Posted in Blog Posts

Dear Friends -

Break out the gold --- 2012 marks the 50th Anniversary of Middlesex County's PLAYS-IN-THE-PARK! Our hats are off to the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders, whose insight and innovation has kept us alive for half a century.

We have a number of things planned to celebrate; not the least of which is our summer season of blockbuster hits. We open with what, IMHO, is perhaps the most perfect musical: MY FAIR LADY. Rarely has a show combined such beautiful songs, gorgeous scenery & costumes and witty dialogue so brilliantly. All of this integrated into a magical adaption of Shaw's PYGMALION. The show garnered a myriad of Tony's and the film captured plenty of Oscars. It's time to introduce MFL to a whole new generation.

Three Little Pigs in a Blanket

on Friday, 12 August 2011.

First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who supported our shows this summer, our 49^th season! We were very proud of all three, and hope you got to see one or two, and if so, that you enjoyed them. Next year is our 50^th anniversary, and although we do not know as yet what the line-up will be, rest assured that we are planning something special!

GODSPELL

on Tuesday, 02 August 2011.

GODSPELL opened in 1971 in Greenwich Village, moving from the Cherry Lane Theater to the larger Promenade Theater, where it became one of the longest-running off-Broadway musicals, before moving to Broadway in June of 1976.The original cast defined the personalities of each character as the show was developed. Most of the characters' names are simply the first name of the actor, so the characters are more easily identified by the song they sing. The original production of Godspell made the company a troupe of clowns who follow Jesus in an abandoned playground; subsequent productions have been set in museums, classrooms, on top of buildings, an apocalyptic world or in an abandoned theater. Since the setting is never explicitly stated in the text, directors frequently see this show as a chance to show off their creative abilities. In one such production, the setting was simply three construction scaffolds. In another, it was done with a wall, some steps, and a treasure chest. The setting has even been in a McDonald's restaurant.

HAIRSPRAY

on Monday, 18 July 2011. Posted in Blog Posts

With HAIRSPRAY playing to huge and appreciative audiences every night, and GODSPELL getting ready to move in and tech next week, I am actively working on the script for our next indoor children's musical --- THREE LITTLE PIGS IN A BLANKET. As with RELUCTNAT DRAGON and HIGH SCHOOL MONSTER MUSICAL, I am crafting the book and the lyrics and Mark Baron is composing the score.

ANNIE opens!

Written by Gary P. Cohen on Tuesday, 21 June 2011. Posted in Blog Posts

Today: Tuesday, June 21 ---- Star date

Tomorrow (Tomorrow, I love ya Tomorrow): Opening night, ANNIE, 2011

Well, another opening, another show. After six weeks, that seemed to have flown by, we're just about ready to premier the first show of our 49th season at PIP.

I always wanted to do "ANNIE". I was an agent at the William Morris Agency in NYC when the show first opened, and I had a client or two in it. I immediately loved the show, and wanted to direct it (or, at the time, play "Rooster"), but for one reason or another, 22 years went by before the opportunity arose.

A WORD FROM THE PRODUCER

Three Little Pigs in a Blanket

GODSPELL

HAIRSPRAY

ANNIE opens!

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