The second annual Rumson St. Patrick’s Day Parade takes to the borough streets on Sunday. Below, the Moody Blues.
Friday, February 28:
RED BANK: From the harmonies of their early, raw recordings to the dramatic sweep and ambitious scope of their orchestral masterpieces – to their repeated reunions, and a new century of crowdpleasing tours – one might be tempted to call them the British Beach Boys.
But the Moody Blues have done what they’ve done without all the meltdowns, litigation, and endless appearances on the county fair circuit of their American cohorts. And this weekend, the longtime trio of Justin Hayward (guitar), John Lodge (bass) and Graeme Edge (drums) comes to Red Bank for two consecutive nights (Friday and Saturday, 8 pm) at the Count Basie Theatre, on a Timeless Flight Tour that promises to mix those lush album-era radio classics (“Tuesday Afternoon,” “Question,” “Ride My Seesaw” and the game-changing “Nights in White Satin”) with more recent vintage oldies (“Your Wildest Dreams,” “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere”) and highlights from solo projects past. Leaving the symphony orks at home, the core Moodies are joined by an auxiliary corps of young musicians on keyboards, flute and extra drums. Tickets ($50 – $145) can be reserved right here.
RED BANK: Yes, it’s got a talking bear. Stormtroopers with pig snouts. And even a Third Reich Ronald Reagan.
But most of all Pinkolandia has the compelling story of two young Chilean sisters – adrift with their exiled family in a 1980s Wisconsin of baseball Brewers, Duran Duran and Dukes of Hazzard – who cope with feelings of anger and displacement by inhabiting their own private alternate realities. Monolingual observers might struggle themselves with the Spanglish dialogue in the domestic sequences (not to mention the generally fractured nature of the fantasy-infused storyline), but Andrea Thome’s one-act play rewards as much as it challenges. Jose Zayas directs the Two River Theater Company production inside their “black box” Huber space – just as he did a 2012 reading at TRTC’s annual Crossing Borders Festival, and a fully staged 2013 engagement in NYC. Take it here for tickets to the show that continues through March 23 – and look here for an interview with Andrea Thome, right here on redbankgreen.
Saturday, March 8:
FAIR HAVEN: There’s the pioneering African American journalist T. Thomas Fortune, whose historic home is currently the subject of an intensive rescue effort. Industrialist Sigmund Eisner, whose legacy includes a public library, a Galleria, and a former chairman of the Disney entertainment empire. Trailblazing attorney Florence Forgotson Adams, the father-and-son Drs. James Parker, the Dorns, the Irwins – and famed illustrator James Avati, the “Rembrandt of the Paperbacks” remembered in a 2011 feature that appeared here on redbankgreen. They are all among the Legendary Locals of Red Bank profiled by veteran newspaperwoman Eileen Moon in her new book, an entry in Arcadia’s Legendary Locals series that the Two River Times editor and journalist will be discussing in a 2 pm book signing appearance at River Road Books. If you miss this one, the author will be coming to Red Bank Public Library on the afternoon of Saturday, March 29.
NAVESINK: While the Monmouth Players are between productions in their current Season of (Neil) Simon – a schedule that concludes with Laughter on the 23rd Floor, opening on April 5 – producer-director Lori Renick detours from Simon Sez to the world of Sez She – a collection of monologues by Jane Martin that “roam the range of contemporary perspective on everything from sexual harassment, to sleeping in theaters, to the erotic appeals of silence.” An assembly of area actresses (Anastascia Carroll, Daria Cefalo, Roberta Davis, Grace Modla, Candy Predham, Jill Christy Reiss) deliver the “hilarity, surprise and homespun philosophy” on the stage of the newly re-energized Navesink Arts Center. Showtimes are Saturdays (March 8 and 15) at 8:15 pm, plus Sundays (March 9 and 16) at 2 pm; call (732)291-9211 for tickets ($15) – and take it here for a feature story regarding the rebirth of the historic Navesink Library, on redbankgreen.
Sunday, March 9:
RUMSON: The reappearance of those minty Shamrock Shakes jogs the memory to the effect that this Sunday marks the sophomore edition of a recently minted local tradition: the 2014 Rumson St. Patricks Day Parade, commencing at 1 pm in a colorful procession that boasts “eight bagpipe bands, floats, marching bands from area high schools, Irish step dancers, classic cars, veterans groups, scouting organizations, non-profit clubs and organizations, schools, novelty acts, and local and area business and civic groups.” Brigadier General Pete Dawkins (US Army, ret.) serves as Grand Marshal for an afternoon that further features a salute to the men and women of the military – and there’s still time to be part of the big event, or to get updated information; take it to the official website or call (732)224-9097.
RED BANK: It’s a musical journey that rambles from back porches to Broadway – a celebration of the American Songbook that spans Stephen Foster to Pete Seeger; Aaron Copland to Lerner and Loewe; the classical compositions of Edvard Grieg to the USO canteen of “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.” Dr. Ryan Brandau leads the superior homegrown organization known as the Monmouth Civic Chorus and featured soloists back to the Basie for one of the MCC’s most eclectic programs of the season. Tickets ($25 – $30) for the 4 pm concert can be reserved right here.
