A magical pop culture parody of wizards, witches and “mugs,” a nostalgic and heartwarming holiday comedy, a thriller by the Queen of Crime and a rousing jukebox musical comedy are all part the new season of main stage productions of the West Hudson Arts & Theater Company.
The season, which includes three plays and a musical, will be presented at WHATCo’s new theater space at 15 Frank E. Rodgers Boulevard S., Harrison: “Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic” by Matt Cox (Oct. 20-29), a spoof of those best-selling books about a boy wizard; “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” based on the best-selling children’s book by Barbara Robinson (Dec. 1-10); a chilling telling of the iconic Agatha Christie novel “And Then There Were None” (Feb. 16-23); and “Disaster!” by Seth Rudesky and Jack Plotnick (April 26-May 5) in which the songs of the ‘70s take center stage in a comedic homage to that decade’s disaster films.
“Our WHATCo creative committee deliberated extensively to select a season that would embrace the whole of our West Hudson community, while continuing to align with our mission statement,” WHATCo board member and creative committee chairwoman Allyssa Hynes said. “We worked to create an exciting and engaging theatre experience that resonates with our dedicated audiences and talented volunteers, while also attracting newcomers.”
The balance of the season will include a unique collaboration with the Teaneck New Theatre (TNT) in association with the Hackensack Performing Arts Center (HACPAC) to bring Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Othello” to audiences this summer at HACPAC and the WHATCo stage in September.
The season will also feature the original One Act Festival, WHATCo’s annual murder mystery dinner theater fundraiser, a teen musical performance as well as other yet-to-be-announced special events and performances.
WHATCo President Brandi-Leigh Miller is ready for the coming season.
“Following the move earlier this year to our new performance space, we were humbled by the incredible response from our community and even more so with the return of many supporters from seasons past in addition to the steady influx of new theater fans, performers and volunteers,” Miller said. “We are excited to continue to welcome new and returning theatergoers to share in the excitement of our next season.”
For audition and additional information, including how to buy tickets visit www.whatconj.org or follow WHATCo on Facebook and Instagram.
Learn more about the writer ...
Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.