Theater Watch: Stroll Down the Yellowbrick Road or Unravel a Love Triangle

This week at Count Basie Theatre, reconnect with your inner child by attending a performance of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz on Friday and Saturday. If you’re in the mood for something a bit more scandalous than following the yellow brick road, stop by The Two River Theater and watch a love triangle unfold in a performance of George Bernard Shaw’s play Candida.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz will be presented by the Company of Dance Arts, New Jersey’s premier pre-professional ballet company. The Company of Dance Arts brings their productions to life using an all volunteer staff, and the performers range in age from 6 to 18 years old.  

The Company of Dance Arts is known for their highly professional performances, and they have earned recognition from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Many of their exceedingly talented dancers have gone on to study in such highly respected places such as the Boston Ballet, New York City Ballet, and the Juilliard School.  

In its eleventh performance year, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is described on the Company of Dance Arts’ website as a “fantasy ballet on a whimsical romp down the yellow brick road.” 

The classic tale of Dorothy and her faithful companions is choreographed by Yvonne Lamb Scudiery and is sure to delight audiences young and old.  There will be two performances at the Count Basie; a school performance on Friday at 10am and a 3pm show on Saturday.

If scandal is what you are in the mood for this week, head to the Two River Theater starting today to take in the theater’s latest production, Candida. The play, which runs through Sunday, April 10, is described by Two River Theater as a “witty ode to love, faith, beauty and strong women that truly defines the word classic.”

The play, written by George Bernard Shaw, features a “seemingly perfect” woman by the name of Candida who is married to a respectable clergyman named James Mavor Morell. She lives the stereotypical, predictable life of a domestic housewife. Soon enough, Candida finds herself tangled in a love triangle between her husband and a passionate young poet named Eugene Marchbanks. 

The play, directed by David Staller, develops on the theme of the love triangle, where each man is pushing Candida to choose; one seeks to free her from her domesticated role and the other is afraid to lose her for good. 

At stake for Candida are her heart and her sense of identity. The suspense builds as the audience watches, wondering who she will choose. Will she throw off the chains of domestic life and run away with her passionate lover? Or will she stay and fulfill the role of wife that she knows so well?  

Tickets for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz are available by visitinghttp://www.countbasietheatre.org or by calling 732-842-9000. Tickets for Candidaare available by visiting http://www.trtc.org.

• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz at Count Basie Theatre: Friday, March 25th, 2011 at 10am and Saturday, March 26th, 2011 at 3pm.
• Candida at Two River Theater: Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011 through Sunday, April 10th.  Show times vary; visit the website to see all show times.