Edition 22, Volume 3
November 15, 2008

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The Great Vacation Staff
“Making Vacations Great in 2008!”

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OFFERED BY OUR ADVERTISERS

Special Nights for Students, Faculty and WCFA
at Cape May Stage

Cape May Stage, Cape May's renowned professional Equity theatre, continues its work with PNC in hosting two special evenings of theater at the Robert Shackleton Playhouse during its current run of Lanie Robertson’s “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill.”  Students and faculty members should mark their calendars for November 15 and WCFA jazz radio listeners on November 22 to take advantage of these special performances of this poignant Billie Holiday story.
 
On Saturday, November 15th, all students and faculty members are invited to attend the performance at 8pm at the discounted price of only $10 per ticket with a valid school ID. Cape May Stage and PNC encourage all college, high school and junior high school students as well as faculty members to take advantage of this special promotion.  Then, on closing night, November 22nd, Cape May Stage is generously donating a portion of the evening’s box office proceeds to benefit 101.5 FM Cape May, the jazz radio station at the Center for Community Arts.
 
"Lady Day" stars Miche Braden, as the musical jazz legend Billie Holiday. Ms. Braden marks her debut at Cape May Stage in what will be her eighth production of  “Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill.”  Dionne McClain-Freeney, a gifted and talented musician who recently joined the cast, accompanies Braden in the role of pianist Jenny Powers, bringing with her a natural and extraordinary flare to play music.
 
On stage from a young girl to an old-before-her-time 44, Billie Holiday mesmerized audiences with a commanding presence, evoking pathos and passion.  During the show, Holiday gives a swan-song performance for a few regulars at Philadelphia’s famous bar, Emerson's.  Between her soulful renditions of such classic standards as "God Bless the Child," "Strange Fruit," and "When a Woman Loves a Man," the singer recounts the highs and lows of her troubled life as an entertainer, from the mother she adored to the lover who introduced her to an unshakable heroin addiction.
 
The Star Tribune calls “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill” “…beautiful and heartbreaking," and the London Times hails the show as "original and riveting."
 
Tickets are $35 adults, $25 seniors, and $12.50 students. Call (609) 884-1341 Dinner and a show packages are available with several Cape May gourmet restaurants. The final public performance of the current run is at 8pm on Saturday evening, November 22nd.
 
For more information (click here)
Box office at (609) 884-1341.
The box office is open Monday through Sunday from 10AM – 5PM. Assisted Listening devices are also available upon request.
 
Photo credit: Tina Giaimo
Pictured: Miche Braden as “Lady Day” 

East Lynne Theater Company presents:
                               O. Henry’s Christmas Stories 

 "Cherokee's got this room full of drums and dolls and skates and bags of candy and whistles. He's goin' to bag 'em up in his red sleigh and drive down here to Yellowhammer and give them to the kids!" exclaimed Baldy, the mail rider.
   "I am surprised that our dear friend should possess such an erroneous conception of this town," said the Judge.
   "Cherokee's been gone for seven months. Lots of things could happen in that time. How's he to know that there ain't a single kid in this town, and so far as emigration is concerned, none expected?"
   "Come to think of it, its funny some ain't drifted in," remarked Trinidad.  
   The next day, Trinidad and the Judge set out to rustle up kids for Cherokee's Christmas, even if they had to rob an orphan asylum to do it.
   Thus, the adventure begins in O. Henry's "Christmas by Injunction."  East Lynne Theater Company's Artistic Director, Gayle Stahlhuth brings this and two other stories to life for five nights only when ELTC presents, "O. Henry's Christmas Stories." Like last year's well-received and reviewed production of "Louisa May Alcott's Christmas," Stahlhuth portrays over twenty-five characters in storytelling-fashion, where the flick of a wrist, the bend of the waist, the turn of the head, and the tone of voice can bring a character to life in a heartbeat.
   The Equity professional East Lynne Theater Company, New Jersey's home for American Stage Classics, presents this hour-long production on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 28 and 29, Sunday, Dec. 7, and Friday and Saturday, Dec. 12 and 13 at 8:30pm, where the company is in residence, at The First Presbyterian Church of Cape May, 500 Hughes St. As usual with ELTC's Christmas shows, the company reduces its regular ticket price as an early holiday gift to its audience.  Tickets are $20 for general admission; $10 for full-time students, and as always with ELTC productions, those ages twelve and under are free.
   Although Stahlhuth has been an active member of the performing union, Actors' Equity Association for over thirty years, and a storyteller and monologist for over twenty years, this is the first time she'll be actually performing – not reading - any of O. Henry's stories. 
   Stahlhuth is in her tenth year as ELTC's Artistic Director, and as such, has directed over half of the 50 shows she's produced, including "Why Marry?", the first play to win the Pulitzer Prize that hadn't been produced in 86 years, and "The O'Tooles Tonight," which she wrote for Elizabeth and Stuart Hodes, based on American musicals before 1900. She's appeared in Off-Broadway, regional, touring productions, and on the Chautauqua circuit.  This past year, with other companies, she directed a staged reading of "Fanny and Walt" in Atlantic City for Playwrights Theatre of NJ, and performed in the five-character musical "One Man Band" starring Broadway-veteran Ken Jennings, written by James Lecesne and Marc Elliott, with music by Emmy-winner Larry Hochman, at Luna Stage.
   Storytelling tales for "O. Henry's Christmas Stories" are from his first published short story, "Whistling Dick's Christmas Stocking," "Christmas by Injunction," and one of the most famous Christmas stories of all time, "The Gift of the Magi."   
   ELTC's Annual Cape May Fundraiser, "Variety: The Spice of Life" is at Aleathea's Restaurant on Thursday, Nov. 13.  Live entertainment, surf-and-turf dinner, and an auction all for only $60.00. Contact ELTC for reservations. All proceeds go to help the nonprofit ELTC provide quality mainstage productions and educational outreach.
   The Dinner-and-an-ELTC-Show-Combo still continues with the following restaurants: Aleathea's, The Mad Batter, Martini Beach, the Merion Inn, and The Washington Inn. (Bloody Mary’s Bar and Grill, 410 Bank Street, and Frescos will be closed for the season.)
   Season tickets for 2009 are already available and make a great Christmas present!  The price is 5 shows for only $90.00, a $40 savings for single-ticket General Admission, and must be purchased by June 30. They can still be used in any way at any time. Use all 5 for one show, or see 5 different shows, and any combination in-between. There are 5 new productions in 2009: "Alice on the Edge," provocative, witty plays by Alice Gerstenberg; "The Ransom of Red Chief," the O. Henry classic comedy; "The Butter and Egg Man," by Pulitzer Prize-winner George S. Kaufman, about Broadway producers who go to great lengths; "Sherlock Holmes’ Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle," adapted from the work by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; and "Christmas in Black and White," American classic tales told by two classy storytellers, Stephanie Garrett and Gayle Stahlhuth.  In March, there will be two more times to see the popular "Sherlock Holmes’ Adventure of the Speckled Band."
   "Hans Brinker" is the Student Summer Theater Workshop production, chosen to help celebrate the founding of Cape May 400 years ago by English captain Henry Hudson on the Dutch ship, the Half-Moon.
   East Lynne's season would not be possible without the support of Curran Investment Management, La Mer Beachfront Inn, Aleathea's Restaurant, the NJ State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts; the NJ Dept. of State, Division of Travel and Tourism; Cape May County Freeholders' Fund administered by Cape May County Division of Culture & Heritage; and the generosity of many patrons.
For information and reservations, contact ELTC at 884-5898, or (click here).

Photo is of Gayle Stahlhuth, who performs "O. Henry's Christmas Stories" for The East Lynne Theater Company

Great Vacation Things To Do

Cape May Par 3    
29 Fulling Mill Road
Rio Grande, NJ 08242
Phone 1-609-889-2600   

Cape May Par 3 is an 18-hole, Par 3 course with regulation size greens. We are minutes away from all the major resort stops including: Cape May, Avalon, Stone Harbor, Ocean City and the Wildwoods. In addition, Cape May Par 3 is a great place for you to learn the game of golf. It's short, fun, and easy and anyone can play golf here!.

Great Stocking Stuffers
Sleeve of 3 Top-Flite XL's $3.95
Eagles/Phillies Magnetic Headcovers $22.95
Eagles/Phillies Golf Towels $7.95
BallMarker Hat Clips $9.95

For information: (click here)

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All content above is subject to change without notice, please check with the event organizers before making plans!