Village Playbox

by Sarah Dorsey Well I surely attended the tale of Sweeney Todd this week (opening night no less) at Village Playbox in Haddon Heights, NJ. The musical, book by Hugh Wheeler and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, takes place in 19th-century London on the dark and gothic Fleet Street. The musical tells the tale of Sweeney Todd, once Benjamin Barker, and his accomplice Mrs. Lovett. They work together– barber shop and pie shop– to get revenge on those that falsely accused h

by April Johnson Before the Bad Bunny concert, I mean, Super Bowl LX, I was fully entertained at Village Playbox production A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Natasha Thompson. This comedic story was written by William Shakespeare in 1595. Set in Athens Greece, betrothed and star-crossed lovers become entangled, maybe past the point of untying; among other subplots including nymphs, humans and beasts. In the opening of the story, Egeus brings his rebellious daughter H

By: Amber Kusching Steel Pier, named for the steel girders that supported the structure, has been an integral part of the Atlantic City Boardwalk for over 120 years. Opening on June 18, 1898 as a performance and entertainment pier, the Steel Pier quickly drew crowds with its renowned performers, and amazing and unique acts. Many celebrities walked the boards, ranging from the Three Stooges and Frank Sinatra to The Beatles and Benny Goodman. Though most people nowadays know i

by Mike McKeon You know, the one thing I’ve always loved about Spring was the concept of rejuvenation it brings. The scent of new flowers in bloom with birds singing. Beautiful blue skies to get lost in and try to lose your worries, even if for a short time. Because all of these things give me, and hopefully all of you, hope. I must say, I felt the message of hope boldly and clearly in this past weekend's production from The Village Playbox of Man of La Mancha, directed by J

by April Johnson Held in the neighborhood church’s recreation center, First Presbyterian Church of Haddon Heights is a hidden jewel that houses theater company The Villagers Playbox. As a first-time visitor (surprisingly), I was welcomed by the friendly staff and led into the intimate auditorium occupying a full house on opening night. The Man who Came to Dinner, a three act play written in 1939 by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, produced by Sam H. Harris; premiered on B

by Angela Robb This past Saturday evening I walked down to the basement of First Presbyterian Church and School and into the home of Village Playbox to see "A Comedy of Tenors" by Ken Ludwig. This was the first show I have seen with this theatre company and I was welcomed to a small house (I counted only 40 seats) and stage with additions built onto it making it look a lot bigger than the stage I stood on during my auditions here over the years. Starting with "A Comedy of Te

by Stephen T. Kreal On Friday, May 4th, I got to see the opening performance of Village Playbox’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar at the First Presbyterian Church in Haddon Heights, NJ. Normally, Village Playbox performs in the lower-level theater space beneath the church. The church graciously allowed VPB to hold the run of performances in the sanctuary of the church. It was directed by John Blackwell and assistant-directed by Haley Trimble. Natasha Thompson was stage

by Stephen T. Kreal On Friday evening, November 10th, I went to see Neil Simon’s “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” at Village Playbox in Haddon Heights, NJ. The play was directed by Steve Allen. “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” opened on Broadway (Richard Rogers Theater) on November 22nd, 1993 and ran for 320 performances. It was adapted as a made-for-TV movie in 2001. Based on real events from the life of playwright Neil Simon, with characters inspired by real-life people that Si