David Sedaris

David Sedaris likes to talk…whether it’s in front of 1000 people, or just one-on-one. The noted humorist and satirist performed Thursday, October 13 to a nearly sold out audience for almost two hours, and then to a group of avid fans who patiently awaited him to sign the books for over another 2 hours.

David’s stories – such as that of the doomed love between a chipmunk and a squirrel, or his speech declining a run for the presidency in 2012, had the audience in stitches. And working with mostly new material, it gave him the chance to test drive his newest works, many of which will most likely find their way into magazines, or on National Public Radio, or in one of his best selling short story collections. He provides

But David just seems generally interested in people. Walking backstage after ending his pre-show signing, he was fascinated about the Mayo Center’s volunteers, and how nice they were. “The one gentleman was 82 years old!” he exclaimed. In the post performance book signing, in which the line of people extended from the upper lobby (where he was signing), almost all the way to front of the Theatre, he took his time, chatted up his fans and individualized every book he signed. I’m sure that many of the patrons were more excited by their one-on-one encounters with him and just how nice a person he is. He even gave his Caesar salad to one of our volunteers.

Afterward, he told me – noting the two times he had been here before – that he liked our audiences because they were so knowledgeable. And then it was onto his next stop, 41 cities in 42 days.

Summer Performing Arts School recap and more...

It’s hard to believe that school is back in session and that our fall classes are in full swing! This summer really flew by! What is it they say? ”Time flies when you’re having fun?” And boy did we have fun! (While working very hard of course!) We ran 8 weeks of full day sold-out workshops overlapping during a six week period - so thank goodness for a fantastic staff and a really great bunch of students!


Our regular Broadway Kids Camps for ages 7-10 and Professional Musical Theatre Workshops for ages 11-15 were better than ever and with the addition of our Acting Camp and Advanced Teen 3- week Musical Theatre Conservatory for ages 13-18, the summer was a huge success! All of our performers did an outstanding job in their main stage performances and worked like professionals in their technique classes. Some highlights of the program included a visit by Broadway performers Paolo Montalban (who played the Prince in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella opposite Brandy) and Olivia Oguma (from “Mamma Mia”) as well as a master class with Broadway Vocal Coach Robert Marks.


After the busy summer season was over, our PAS students were invited to participate in the Mayo Performing Arts Center community-wide 9/11 10 year anniversary Remembrance event. This event was our way of bringing the community together to honor those lost in the attacks and honor the men and women who serve our country everyday to protect our inalienable rights. The students closed the program with a very special song called “America Rising,” which was written right after 9/11/http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif01 by my very good friends Sharilyn Pitifer-Minetti and Rino Minetti. And to make the moment even more meaningful for me, some of my students from 10 years ago who originally recorded and performed the song for many of the first year 9/11 memorials and are now successful young adults came and performed alongside them. Included in that group was Gaius Charles who played Brian “Smash” Williams on NBC’s “Friday Night Lights.” They all did a fantastic job and made us really proud! To see photos please click here.

Auditions were held on September 13th for our 2011-2012 Performing Arts Company. This group of talented young performers represent the theatre by performing all over Morris County for non-profit organizations, community events and fundraisers and really set the tone for our whole program by spreading the message that what comes with talent is the responsibility to use it wisely and to help others. We picked a wonderful group of 23 very talented performers and we’re happy to have many returning members amongst that group. We’re now working hard to prepare our performance for the MPAC Starlight Ball on October 15th with John Pizzarelli and many upcoming community events!

We’re looking forward to a really great season at MPAC and love seeing all the smiling faces coming into our Education studios every week! This semester we’ve added “Singing Technique for Adults” on Monday evenings with Opera singer Alison Bolshoi who will be working on using specific techniques to free the natural voice. She is incredible and dynamic and I feel very lucky to have her at MPAC. We also have a brand new acting class for teens called “The Play’s the Thing,” which will take teens through the whole process involved in rehearsing and performing a play. The majority of our classes have once again filled up completely but we are still taking registrations for some of the teen and adult classes. Just give Roxie a call at 973-539-0345 ext. 6582 or pas@mayoarts.org and she’ll get you all set up!

Stay tuned for future posts on our many other School and Community programs. It looks like the Education department is going to have our busiest and most meaningful season ever!

Neighborhood House Day - August 6, 2011

Staff members Katie Sword and Mark Mattera from the Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC), along with volunteers Will Fullman and Carolina Hidalgo, attended the 9th Annual Neighborhood House Day at Caudwell Playground in Morristown. The day is organized to provide fun events, food and entertainment from local businesses in town. It also exposes families to all that Morristown has to offer.

The Neighborhood House, located on Flager Street and founded in 1898, provides services for infants and preschoolers, children and youth from elementary school through high school and adults of all ages. Originally it was founded to help Italian immigrants acclimate to a new culture. Today its mission is to help all new immigrants, help families who are confronting economic challenges and foster cross-cultural acceptance.

MPAC provides After School Enrichment programs to Neighborhood House locations in Morristown and Randolph. Children get an introduction to the basic skills of musical theater through singing, dancing and acting. Professional theater teaching artists work closely with students on a weekly basis to give them a comprehensive musical theater experience. The students apply their newfound skills to rehearsing a short performance piece that is presented for families and friends. Not only do students learn performing arts skills, but they also learn about working with a group, cooperation and collaboration. MPAC’s longest running outreach program, the enrichment program has been held at Neighborhood House since 2006.



MPAC has also received a $5,000 grant from the TD Charitable Foundation supporting our Neighborhood House program. “Support from corporations such as TD Bank and the TD Bank Charitable Foundation will allow children from families living in underserved communities the opportunity to partake in a high-caliber arts program that addresses the essential arts requirement for early childhood education,” said Allison Larena, President and CEO, Mayo Performing Arts Center. We thank TD Bank for its support of our mission.”

"TD Bank and the TD Charitable Foundation are pleased to support this important education initiative. We believe that organizations such as Mayo Performing Arts Center and Neighborhood House play a significant role in sustaining vibrant and thriving communities," said Joseph Nalbach, regional vice president.

Volunteer picnic - July 16, 2011

Summer is a time wind down, spend time outdoors, and for us a time to throw a darn good picnic for our dedicated volunteers. This past Saturday on July 16th over 70 volunteers and staff gathered at Lewis Morris Park for our annual picnic where we celebrated our volunteers for their hard work, customer service, and beautiful smiles.

In case you missed it, here's a rundown of the events. First, let's start with the food. The typical fare was provided- burgers, hot dogs, wings, and sausage. But we're not going to talk about the typical fare. We are going to talk about the wonderful dishes brought by our volunteers, who despite the fact the picnic was being done for them, still went above and beyond to bring stuff of their own just to make the day a little more special...and boy we are sure glad they did! Pasta salads made from family recipes were shared as well as various Mexican dips. A fan favorite was Sandy Bolan's blueberry pie. Staff member and operations manager Tim McMurray got in on the action providing a cous cous salad with feta cheese. There is even talk of putting together a volunteer recipe book to share the many tasty dishes that were enjoyed that day!

Games are also a highlight of all picnics which everyone made the most of by taking advantage of the sunny day to play. Volunteer Milt Goldband & Bob Terlizzi proved their atlethicism playing frisbee while others joined staff and family members for a wiffle ball game.

But what completed the day was the celebration of our volunteers. Capturing Rookie of the Year was Christina Capsouras. Volunteer of the Year with over 122 performances volunteered this season was Mina Rizzo. Three volunteers, Carol Moss, Jack Zybura and Donna Parris got their names on seat plaques for volunteering at 100 plus performances.

Thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers. You truly are an integral part of enjoying performances at the Mayo Performing Arts Center and we couldn't get through the season without you.

2011 - 2012 Season Staff picks

So much goes into planning a season. From searching to booking, it's just as exciting behind the scenes as it is to attend our lineup of concerts and performances. And with all the great shows this season we decided to share with you some our staff picks - because after all it's rewarding for us to know all the water cooler talk about what's in the works has come to fruition.

Anne Van Druff - Marketing Manager
Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Friday, September 9, 2011 at 8 pm
I am so psyched for Kenny Wayne Shepherd! "Blue on Black" is one of my favorite songs and it
brings me back to my college days when it was always on the radio.

Ed Kirchdoerffer - General Manager
I’m drawn to comedy, so here are a couple that I am looking forward to seeing…

David Sedaris - Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 8 pm
I have seen David perform three times, and even drove him once from the hotel to the Theatre. He is a very funny guy with an absurd sense of humor. He’s also a very gracious and nice person, who takes his time signing books and personalizing it.

Jim Gaffigan - Saturday, October 1, 2011 at 7 pm and 9:30 pm
A few years ago, Jim was supposed to be a surprise artist at a Manhattan Comedy Night but cancelled. Finally, we are getting him. I can only hope he does his Hot Pockets bit. If you haven’t seen it, You Tube it.

Celebrity Autobiography - Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 8 pm
Celebrity Autobiography intrigues me, and we can’t wait to find out who is in the cast. The Intergalactic Nemesis (Jan 29) is another one that I am very curious about – it’s a comic book live on stage, with sound effects, images and everything. Could be really cool. I’m also circling Tracy Morgan, Mike Birbiglia and Lisa Lampanelli.

Irene Pazzani - Programming Development Manager

Joan Baez – Wednesday, November 16, 2011 at 8 pm
A legend in her own time. One of the most influential singer/songwriters of our time. What more do you need to say.

Bobby Collins – Friday, January 13, 2012 at 8 pm
Bobby tells stories that everyone can relate to, and find the humor every situation from family, friends, work and even pets. He’s very animated and doesn’t find the need to be “risqué” and dirty. You pretty much start laughing from the moment he hits the stage.

Super Diamond – Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 8 pm
Hands down, the BEST tribute band of anyone. You actually think you’re seeing Neil Diamond - and you actually just might, as Neil has occasion, hopped up onstage with Super Diamond to sing a few of his own songs! You have no idea how many Neil Diamond songs you actually have floating around in your head until you start hearing them and wind up singing along.


Cory Ness – Programming Assistant

The Miles Davis Experience - Saturday, November 5, 2011 at 8 pm
I’m very excited for The Miles Davis Experience show, particularly with the cool multimedia clips projected behind the performers- many of which are rare images from the Miles Davis estate!

Yo La Tengo — Saturday, September 24, 2011 at 8 pm
All modern indie rock acts owe a nod of respect to Yo La Tengo, who have been reinventing pop music for almost 20 years.

Mike Birbiglia - Saturday, March 10, 2012 at 8 pm
This may be the not-to-be-missed comedy show of the season. Catch him before he explodes on the scene!


Anthony Scareon - Assistant to the President & CEO

In the Heights - Saturday, October 22, 2011 at 8 pm
In my opinion, the greatest musical ever written! Saw it 3 times on Broadway and there’s a reason why it won the 2009 Tonys for Best Musical, Best Score, Best Choreography and Best Orchestration.

The musical exemplifies what I’m all about- incorporating hip hop culture with musical theatre, Spanglish playwright, salsa and break dancing, rhythmic artistic poetry via dialogue- as well as strong vocals filled with passion and romance. It embodies the dream that everyone that grows up in inner city America has- how to rise above the poverty and struggle; focus on your ambitions, goals, love and the pursuit of eternal bliss.

It’s a musical, a witty comedy and a great love story. Enjoyed by various generations and ethnic backgrounds- it appeals to all.


Boyz II Men - Friday, June 1, 2012 at 8 pm
One of the greatest acapella and R&B groups of all time that gained their exposure due to the success of their mentors and predecessors, New Edition, at the height of the New Jack Swing Era of Pop/R&B music. Boyz II Men performed songs that every generation, both men and women- as well as every ethnic background could relate to and enjoy. The sound was innovative and cross-pollinated R&B, Doo Wop and pop ballads, as well as combining decades of soul music together. One of my personal favorites, due to the fact that they were the soundtrack to my generation’s “slow jams” at our high school dances and fond memories of that time period of my life.

Diana Ross, Jay Leno Headline The Mayo Performing Arts Center 2011-2012 Season

The Mayo Performing Arts Center will present over 100 events during its 2011-2012 season.

The official kickoff of the 2011-2012 season will be Sunday, October 2, with a performance by the legendary Diana Ross. Also scheduled to appear this season are k.d. lang, comedians Jim Gaffigan and Lisa Lampanelli, Broadway star Bebe Neuwirth, folk legend Joan Baez, pop favorites Wilson Phillips, Boys II Men and Howard Jones, and many more.

Jay Leno, host of NBC’s The Tonight Show, will make a rare live appearance on August 26.

This season marks the debut of a new “Spoken Word” lecture series genre, featuring talk show host Larry King, cooking guru Lidia Bastianich and humorist David Sedaris.

The Theatre also returns its popular Kids Club children series, and New Jersey Ballet’s Nutcracker, for 11 performances between December 16-26. The full lineup of classical, jazz, comedy, contemporary, children’s, world music and dance events can be seen at www.mayoarts.org.

Subscription orders (4 or more performances) are currently being taken. Tickets for individual events go on sale July 11. Additional events will be added throughout the season. Schedule subject to change.

2011-2012 Season (Shows subject to change)

AUGUST 2011
8/26 Jay Leno
8/27 Jim Breuer
8/29 Lyle Lovett

SEPTEMBER 2011
9/9 Kenny Wayne Shephard
9/22 k.d Lang and The Siss Boom Bang
9/24 Yo La Tengo
9/29 Lindsey Buckingham

OCTOBER 2011
10/1 Jim Gaffigan (7 pm & 9:30 pm)
10/2 Diana Ross (opening night)
10/8 Dead On Live
10/9 Kings of Salsa
10/13 David Sedaris
10/14 A Tribute to Johnny Cash: The Man in Black
10/16 Bobby Vinton
10/20 George Benson: The Unplugged Version
10/22 In the Heights
10/23 Angelina Ballerina: The Musical (1:30 pm and 4 pm)
10/29 Tracy Morgan

NOVEMBER 2011
11/3 Rita Rudner
11/4 Get the Led Out
11/5 The Miles Davis Experience: 1949-1959
11/11 Larry King
11/16 Joan Baez
11/17 Parsons Dance
11/18 In the Mood: A 1940’s Musical
11/26 Celtic Tenors with John McDermott
11/27 Mooseltoe (1:30 pm and 4 pm)

DECEMBER 2011
12/1 Jingle Bell Rock w/Eddie Money, Lou Gramm and Mickey Thomas
12/2 Manhattan Comedy Night
12/4 The Sound of Christmas with Elisabeth Von Trapp and Empire Brass
12/8 Crystal Gayle: A Crystal Christmas
12/9 Kenny G: The Holiday Show
12/10 Wilson Phillips: Christmas in Harmony
12/16-12/26 NJ Ballet’s The Nutcracker

JANUARY 2012
1/6 The Best of Broadway: The Songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber
1/13 Bobby Collins
1/14 Frankie Gavin and De Dannan
1/15 Clifford the Big Red Dog – Live! (1:30 pm & 4 pm)
1/20 Burton Cummings
1/27 Manhattan Comedy Night
1/28 Blast
1/29 Intergalactic Nemesis

FEBRUARY 2012
2/1 David Garrett
2/3 Paquito D’Rivera
2/4 Super Diamond
2/5 Romeo and Juliet
2/10 Am Evening of Romance featuring Michael Amante
2/11 Lisa Lampanelli
2/12 Ragamala Dance: Sacred Earth
2/16 Celebrity Autobiography
2/17 “Tschaikowski” St. Petersburg State Orchestra
2/18 Soul Rebels Brass Band and Brother Joscephus
2/19 Burn the Floor
2/23 The Robert Cray Band and Shemekia Copeland
2/24 The Spencers: Theatre of Illusion
2/26 New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players: “I’ve Got a Little Twist”

MARCH 2012
3/2 Ballet Folklorico De Antioquia, Colombia
3/4 Pinkalicious: The Musical (1:30 pm and 4 pm)
3/9 The Machine
3/10 Mike Birbiglia’s My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend
3/11 Garden State Folk & Roots Festival
3/13 Paper Bag Players – Laugh, Laugh, Laugh!
3/17 Women of Ireland (3 pm & 8 pm)
3/19 The Magic School Bus – Live!
3/23 The John Pizzarelli Quartet: Dear Mr. Sinatra
3/26 Seussical
3/29 The Del McCoury Band
3/31 Moscow Festival Ballet: Cinderella

APRIL 2012
4/1 Max & Ruby: Bunny Party (1:30 pm and 4:30 pm)
4/12 Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
4/13 Mercy Me
4/14 The Passing Zone: Gravity Attacks (3 pm & 7:30 pm)
4/20 Dance Theatre of Harlem
4/22 Catskills on Broadway
4/24 Butterfly: Story of a Life Cycle
4/26 Ricky Nelson Remembered
4/27 Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman

MAY 2012
5/3 The House on Pooh Corner
5/4 Manhattan Comedy Night
5/5 Il Circo: Viaggio (3pm and 7:30 pm)
5/6 New Jersey Jazz Society
5/11 Nai Ni Chen Dance Company and The Ahn Trio
5/12 An Evening with Steve Tyrell and Debby Boone
5/17 An Evening with Lidia Bastianich
5/18 Bowfire
5/19 New Jersey Ballet presents Giselle
5/20 New Jersey Ballet : Pinocchio (1:30 pm and 4 pm)

JUNE 2012
6/1 Boyz II Men
6/2 An Evening with Bebe Neuwirth
6/23 Howard Jones - Live

Music Student of the Month Annual Recital

For the past 9 years, the Mayo Performing Arts Center has honored hundreds of Morris County middle and high school music students through our Music Student of the Month program. These talented young musicians are nominated by their music teachers for not only their success as musicians but also for their leadership in their school community. Each month of the school year has a category and the students who are honored for that month are invited to a performance that corresponds with the category. The students are called up onstage to receive their certificate and be recognized by the audience and then get to watch the performance with their family!

One of the highlights of this program is our Music Student of the Month Annual Recital which takes place every June. Each student who was honored during the year is invited to play a piece of their choice for their fellow music students, teachers, family, friends, and the general public on the MPAC stage. This year’s recital took place on Sunday, June 5th and featured twelve students ranging in age from 7th to 12th grade. They represented schools in Morristown, Mendham, Randolph, Butler, Kinnelon, Budd Lake, Florham Park, and East Hanover. The piano was the most popular instrument of the afternoon and we were also treated to several vocalists, saxophonists, and a percussion ensemble that was made up of a mixture of drums, car parts, and a bird cage! The afternoon concluded with a reception in our Starlight Room where the young musicians had a chance to mingle with their guests, fellow performers and Morris area music teachers.

The 2011-2012 Music Student of the Month program will begin in September! For more information about the Music Student of the Month program, please call Roxie in the Education Office at 973.539.0345 x6582.