MoorArts Gala Draws Hundreds for Evening of Arts

MoorArts' first-ever gala fundraiser was a success, according to organizers. Check out photos from the event here.

Hundreds of art and music lovers flocked to the Moorestown Community House Saturday night for MoorArts first-ever gala fundraiser, "An Evening of Performing and Fine Arts." Noted stage performers, singers and musicians serenaded guests throughout the evening in a cabaret-style show, while in an adjacent gallery, patrons perused artwork by seven professional artists and 14 exceptional student artists from the Moorestown Public School system.  No official figures have been released yet, but MoorArts communications trustee Candace Coleman said the turnout for the $100-per-ticket event was impressive. Proceeds will help fund MoorArts student scholarships and teacher grants in the arts.  For more information about MoorArts, visit www.moorarts.…

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MoorArts Gala Not Your Typical Fundraiser

“It isn’t something where you go and get something to eat, talk to people and leave. This is a show.”

Moorestown’s affinity for the arts is well-documented. So it’s only natural that MoorArts would hold its own fundraising gala this weekend, featuring dozens of artists and performers from around town. The only thing that’s strange is that it took this long for it to happen. “We do a lot of events throughout the year,” said Candace Coleman, MoorArts communications trustee. “But we wanted this to be different from the other fundraisers. We wanted to have arts be the centerpiece of it.” The gala, scheduled for Saturday night at the Community House, will be a showcase of fine arts and cabaret-style performances. Noted Broadway performer (Chicago) and Moorestown native, Christopher Newcomer, will be one of the headliners. Newcomer got his start…

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Share Your Photos from the Holiday Parade Here

The 52nd annual parade will march through downtown Saturday afternoon.

Upload your photos from the Moorestown Lions Club Holiday Parade by clicking on "Upload Photos and Videos" above. __________________________ In a world where everything is constantly getting bigger, faster and flashier, there is comfort in tradition. And after more than a half-century, the Moorestown Lions Club’s Holiday Parade is just that. All manner of marching bands and string bands, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, fire trucks, elected officials, a Citizen of the Year and a llama will march through downtown Saturday—just like they have every year for the past 51. “One of the things that’s great about this parade, and not to sound trite, is its sameness,” said parade organizer Pete Thorndike. “It’s not dull. Probably half the people …

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Moorestown Man Makes Broadway Debut in "Chicago"

Chris Newcomer will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when he debuts at the Ambassador Theater on Broadway at the end of the month.

For Chris Newcomer, July 31 will be—in one sense—the first day of the rest of his life. Next Tuesday, Newcomer will make his Broadway debut in Chicago as Mary Sunshine, the newspaper reporter who follows the trials of femme fatales Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart. In spite of his extensive theater background, Newcomer’s imminent arrival on the Broadway stage is something of a surprise. The 29-year-old said he’s spent the last decade or so pursuing a career as an opera singer and came upon the Chicago role almost by chance. In November, a friend helped set him up with an audition for a version of Chicago on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. He auditioned on a Monday, and the producers were so impressed, that by Friday he was singing in front of the…

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MoorArts Makes Audience Part of the Show—Literally

The organization's production of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" opens Friday at Moorestown High School.

MoorArts takes audience participation to a whole new level with its production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, opening this week. For the show—which according to a MoorArts’ release focuses on “a group of brainy middle-school misfits, each vying to emerge as the winner of the county spelling competition”—audience members will be seated on stage with the cast and four of them will be selected as “contestants” in the bee in advance of each performance. “It’s a very intimate kind of stage setting. It’s a very different experience for us,” said communications trustee Candace Coleman. MoorArts president Georgean Wardzinski said, due to the level of crowd interaction the play calls for, “Each show has its own unique appearance,” …

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Under the Radar

And Another Thing ...

The heat makes us all a little crazy—especially one cranky Moorestown Patch columnist.

The word "tetchy" perfectly describes how I'm feeling today. If I were participating in MoorArts' upcoming production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, I would ask for the word's origin (Middle English or "vulgar" Latin), then ask for it to be used in a sentence. Here's my sentence: "The usually unflappable librarian became tetchy from a combination of screaming children and Legos flying at her head." Call me kooky, but I'm tired of living in an Easy-Bake Oven. The heat is making me crazy and more than a bit peckish (another great word). I don't think I'm being presumptuous in saying everyone is feeling the heat. In much the same way that a string of snowstorms and the ensuing cabin fever makes us all kind of cranky, a string …

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MoorArts Hosts 'Concert in the Park' at Perkins

The arts group previewed its upcoming production of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee."

MoorArts hosted an evening of exciting vocal entertainment at Perkins Center for the Arts on Wednesday, part of the Moorestown Parks and Recreation Department’s Concerts in the Park. The audience was treated to a variety of music performed by former MoorArts stage stars and Moorestown High School faculty members. The cast of the 2012 MoorArts summer theatre production, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, closed the evening with a rousing preview of the show. MoorArts headliners Jen Rosario Kent (Into the Woods, Thoroughly Modern Millie), Carol Jones (Godspell, Hairspray) and Christine Serenbetz (Hairspray) returned to Moorestown to serenade the crowd with popular ballads, jazz standards and show tunes. Moorestown High School …

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UPDATED: MHS Theater Program Awarded for Spring Musical

The high school was recognized for its efforts to include students with disabilities in the spring production of "The Wedding Singer."

Moorestown High School (MHS) was honored recently for its spring musical production of The Wedding Singer at an awards ceremony recognizing high school musicals statewide. The high school was up for three awards at the Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards last Tuesday in Millburn. Most notably, the school was the sole recipient of the “Theater For Everyone” Inclusion and Access Award, which recognizes schools that provide opportunities for students (and audiences) with disabilities to perform and participate in productions. This year, the spring musical included the efforts of students in the freshman/sophomore Life Skills class, taught by special education teacher Kim Warren. The students, to correspond with their vocational training, …

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Photo Gallery: Moorestown Day

Thousands turn out for the 36th annual Moorestown Day festival Saturday, as well as the annual Scott Coffee Moorestown Rotary 8K.

Thanks to a combination of beautiful weather and plentiful vendors, local residents came out in droves Saturday for the 36th annual Moorestown Day festival. From one end of Main Street to the other, the crowds had plenty to do—from theater performances courtesy of MoorArts and the Moorestown Theater Company and inflatable games, to pie-eating contests and face painting, not to mention the plethora of food options. Members of the Moorestown Business Association, which sponsors the event every year, believed they had a record number of vendors, as well as one of the nicest days weather-wise they've ever had. More than 1,000 people—also potentially a record-setter—ran in the Scott Coffee Moorestown Rotary 8K, which unofficially kicks off the …

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What's the Best Part of Moorestown Day?

Food, fun, friends, pie-eating contests? Tell us what you love best about Moorestown's big summer festival.

With the 36th annual Moorestown Day just 24 hours away, we want to know what your favorite part of the day is. Is it the food? Event chair Jeanette Habina said in addition to the traditional sweet and salty street festival treats (read: junk food) we all know and love, there'll also be some healthier snacks available, including a salad vendor. So if you're thinking ahead to beach season, maybe steer clear of the soft pretzels and hot dogs and head toward the greens. Is it the music? Local acts Buddy Rhodes and The Accords will perform in front of the Community House between 12-3 p.m. and Bob's Bandits will perform outside the library during its book sale from 10-11 a.m. From noon-2 p.m., MoorArts will put on musical numbers from its …

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