STEPHEN SONDHEIM'S
Book by Music and Lyrics By
ARTHUR LAURENTS STEPHEN SONDHEIM
Orchestrations by
Don Walker
Directed by Musical Direction by
NICK MONTESANO JEFF BROWN
Choreography by
AMY CARR SKALEKI
THE JERSEY SHORE ARTS CENTER
Fridays and Saturdays,
OCTOBER 7, 8, 14, and 15, 2022 at 7 :30 PM
Sunday, OCTOBER 16, 2022 at 3:00 PM
Over the past twenty years NENA has built a solid reputation of producing new Broadway shows, including the first New Jersey presentations of Rent, Avenue Q, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Carrie, and Fun Home. Never afraid of a little controversy, there were contested and discussed productions of The Laramie Project and Corpus Christi.
Proudly, the artistic team has most embraced the works of Stephen Sondheim including full productions of Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along, Into the Woods, Sunday in the Park with George, Sondheim on Sondheim, and Assassins.
Celebrating Mr. Sondheim's life and work, NENA is producing Anyone Can Whistle, his less than embraced work with a book by Arthur Laurents, his collaborator on Gyspy. NENA's Artistic Director, Nick Montesano, says "in the year since we have lost Mr. Sondheim, there have been numerous tribute productions. While 'Whistle' was considered a flop when it ran on Broadway, we think it is worth a look, especially in our political climate.".
Anyone Can Whistle tells the story of a corrupt mayoress who fakes a miracle to revitalize her bankrupt town and the ill-fated romance between the rational nurse, out to expose the fraud, and the easygoing doctor who is determined to enjoy the chaos that it brings. In the end, the show delivers a poignant message about the importance of the individual in a conformist society - but not before aiming its still-relevant barbs at government, religion, science, and anything else that stands in its way!
With its circus-like atmosphere, Anyone Can Whistle features a dazzling, melodic Broadway-style score that overflows with the youthful energy of experimentation, consisting of one showstopper after another.
NENAproductions is particularly thrilled to produce this show with a number of NENA veterans and multiple new faces. Tara Beams plays Mayor Hoover Hooper, Amy Skaleci appears as Nurse Apple, and Ray Dademo returns to NENA and Sondheim as Hapgood.