The Stone Church Players’ (SCP’s) 16th season continues with She Loves Me, a musical featuring music by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick (Fiddler on the Roof) and a book by Joe Masteroff (Cabaret). An endearing “jewel box musical,” She Loves Me is Directed by long-time SCP collaborator Christine Jay (2021’s Little Women) with musical direction by newcomer Hannah Elarmo. The show will run two weekends, June 7th, 8th, and 15th at 7:30 pm and June 9th, 15th, and 16th at 2 pm. Produced by Artistic Director Michael McClellan, the crew also includes John Leslie as Stage Manager and Darren DeAngelo as Set Designer, with costuming by Playtime Costumes.
Felicia Russell (Comedy Tonight, A Musical Fundraiser, The Bridges of Madison County, and Little Women) leads the cast as Amalia Balash, the newest employee at Maraczek's Parfumerie and a skilled saleswoman if somewhat anxious and a little naive. Ms. Russell is a college student and aspiring playwright. Her original one-act play, “Mary, Mary”, was performed last year as part of the MAC one-acts play-reading festival at the Middletown Arts Center. Opposite her is Perry-nominated John Paul Durazzo (The Bishop’s Wife, The Crucible, and The Bridges of Madison County) returning to the SCP stage as Georg Nowack, a hopeless romantic. Mr. Durazzo, a theater veteran, made his debut with SCP in 2022 and has since appeared in five productions, most recently April’s fundraiser “Comedy Tonight”.
Loretta Boyle (A Little Night Music) and Perry-nominated Alec Kelsey play Ilona Ritter and Steven Kodaly, coworkers entwined in an on-again, off-again love affair. Ms Boyle, a seventh grade language arts teacher, is returning to the SCP stage after more than ten years and has appeared in principal roles with Phoenix Productions, Spring Lake Theatre Company, and Algonquin Arts Theater. Mr. Kelsey, originally from North Carolina, is making his SCP debut. A trained actor and singer, his most recent credits include Gabe in Next to Normal and Hanschen in Spring Awakening, both with the Premier Theatre Company. SCP founding member David Beil (The Bishop’s Wife, It’s a Wonderful Life, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream) plays Mr. Maraczek, owner of Maraczek’s Parfumerie. In addition to performing in over 20 SCP productions, Mr Beil is often seen on stage at the First Avenue Playhouse and the Premier Theatre Company.
Rounding out the principal cast are Darren DeAngelo (Miracle on 34th Street, Little Women, and Hamlet) and Cayden Jay (Miracle on 34th Street, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Once Upon a Mattress) as Ladislav Sipos and Arpad Laszlo, clerks at Maraczek's Parfumerie. A member of the SCP board, Mr DeAngelo also serves as set designer, having previously built the sets for The Crucible, Macbeth, and The Bridges of Madison County. Cayden, a rising sophomore in Freehold High School’s Medical Science Magnet Program, has worked professionally as a Voice Actor and is featured in audiobooks, ads and video games. Appearing in the ensemble are SCP alumni Allie Cohen, Cynthia Dannen, Leslie Patient, and Brian Smith with newcomers Caitlin Mahon, Silvia Fragale, Bethany Miranda, Chris Stypa, and Amanda Winter.
Show synopsis (from MTI): Considered by many to be the most charming musical ever written, She Loves Me is a warm romantic comedy with an endearing innocence and a touch of old-world elegance. Set in a 1930s European perfumery, we meet shop clerks, Amalia and Georg, who, more often than not, don't see eye to eye. After both respond to a "lonely hearts advertisement" in the newspaper, they now live for the love letters that they exchange, but the identity of their admirers remains unknown. Join Amalia and Georg to discover the identity of their true loves... and all the twists and turns along the way!
Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes including a fifteen minute intermission. Performances take place inside the All Saints’ Memorial Church located at 202 Navesink Ave, Atlantic Highlands, NJ. Parking is available for all patrons in the main parking lot. Additional parking is available on Oakdale Run and you may enter the main parking lot via the path by the mailbox. There will be a limited number of spots available in the upper parking area next to the church for those needing accommodation. If you would like to reserve one of these spots please email us.at stonechurchplayersnj@gmail.com and we can reserve a parking spot for you. Restrooms are available in the Parish House and refreshments will be available for purchase on the church terrace. Seating is first come, first serve. We offer three ticket prices - $25 for adults, $20 for students, and $15 for children 12 and under. Tickets can be purchased in advance online at scp.booktix.com (includes a small service fee) or reserved by emailing us. Limited tickets will be available for purchase at the door (cash preferred). Please note, tickets purchased online are non-refundable. For more information visit our website, stonechurchplayers.org.