London described it as “the best birthday party ever.” Maddie just loved having our own private balcony for ten, looking out over the crowd. Rex said, “Weird… but wonderful.” One of the other moms kept looking for Eloise from the Plaza Hotel… she didn’t find that naughty little six-year-old, but enjoyed many other surprises. I loved the trampolines, trapeze and contortionist but worried that London’s sister Maddie would be twisting herself into a pretzel during the after-party at home.

For those of you who are out of the loop, we’re talking about my daughter London’s 8th birthday party last weekend. Rex, Maddie, London and I were joined by three of London’s BFFs (best friends forever) and their moms for the Saturday matinee performance of Nebbia by Cirque Eloize at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) .

I quickly realized that I would have trouble describing the performance, so I was thrilled to find a short video (including the contortionist!) and I’ve posted it over on Roxiticus Desperate Housewives.

Happy New Year!  Did you make any New Year’s Resolutions for 2009?

Our family just got the last of our New Year cards into the mail to friends, family and clients, which means it’s time to turn our attention to the next big event on our calendar… London’s eighth birthday. As Roxy’s loyal readers know, we have been planning a very special party for London at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark, New Jersey. Three of London’s BFFs (that’s “best friends forever,” for those not up on the latest girl talk) and their moms will join London, Maddie, Rex and me for the 2pm matinee performance of Nebbia by Cirque Eloize at NJPAC on Saturday, January 31st.

I designed some cool accordion-fold photo invitations at Kodak Gallery online, with photos from the Cirque Eloize web site interspersed with photos of London.  The invitations look something like this:

Bring Out the Cirque… London Is Turning Eight!

Please Bring Your Mom and Join Us for

Cirque Eloize at NJPAC

2pm on Saturday, January 31st

Meet at London’s House at Noon for lunch. We’ll take two cars to NJPAC, and come back to the house for birthday cake after the show.

London and Maddie are really looking forward to the big day… they’re playing out every moment, from who sits where in our GMC Acadia on the way to NJPAC and back, to how it will feel to have one of those little balconies overlooking the stage all to ourselves and what flavor(s) of ice cream cake we should get for the after-party.  Seating arrangements in the SUV are surprisingly crucial to London’s sister, Maddie, who is 13 months younger.  Turning eight is a big deal in New Jersey, as this milestone brings an end to the cumbersome car booster seats required by law.  So London will have her first trip without a booster, but Maddie must wait another year to graduate.  Now, back to our regularly scheduled program, London’s birthday party at NJPAC.

If you haven’t heard about Cirque Eloize, I’ll share a few quotes from the NJPAC, Cirque Eloize, and Nebbia web sites:

• Experience the sites and sounds of a European circus in a vibrant, fully-staged production that brings together a company of acrobats, clowns, jugglers, trapeze artists and musicians to create a rich, fast-paced tango of emotions. Last seen at NJPAC with their eye-popping spectacle Rain, this world-renowned company returns with Nebbia, a brand new acrobatic extravaganza. Cirque Eloize passionately pursues artistic perfection—and achieves absolute magic.
• Éloize: Pronounced [EL-WAZ] Éloize is a word that comes from the Magdalen Islands and means “flashes of heat lightning seen on the horizon.” An inspiration for the troupe’s seven founding members, this lightning symbolizes the heat and energy that feed the troupe’s spirit.
• At the heart of the circus arts revival, Cirque Éloize has been creating moving performances filled with magic since 1993. Continually striving for artistic perfection, it is one of the leading companies in contemporary circus arts. Based on the multidisciplinary talents of its artists, Cirque Éloize expresses its innovative nature through theatricality and humanity, and combines circus arts with music, dance and theatre in a break-through and original manner. With six original productions to its credit, Cirque Éloize has presented more than 3,000 performances in 330 cities and 30 countries located around the world. Cirque Éloize has taken part in numerous prestigious international festivals and has conquered Broadway with its show Rain.
• Nebbia, the third part of the Sky Trilogy directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca, was launched in December 2007. Nebbia is a creation of Cirque Éloize in co-production with Teatro Sunil. Meaning fog in Italian, Nebbia explores the world of dreams and the imaginary. In the fog, you get lost, you find each other, but above all, you are confronted with the unexpected… Nebbia will once again plunge you into a
  poetic and sensitive universe mixing acrobatics to theatre in a subtle way…
• From Author and Director Daniele Finzi Pasca:  “From my very early age, I’ve been fascinated by acrobatics. Fascinated by the movement that defies the laws of gravity, that combines strength and lightness, precision, synchronicity, confidence, surprise and risk. I like what goes unexpressed in theater, the veiled, the gesture that remains invisible.  When the sky is very low, we see things we don’t normally see. We travel in a world of memories, invented images, what we call dreams for the sake of convenience. To tell my tale of a childhood that is re-invented each time, I use geometries and the lucidity of acrobatic theatre danced on stage by an extraordinary group of performers.”

London, Maddie, Rex and I just can’t wait!!

Cirque Eloize brings Nebbia to NJPAC for three performances:  Saturday, January 31st at 2pm and 8pm, and Sunday, February 1st at 2pm.

VIP Events: The Salons at NJPAC

While planning London’s 8th birthday extravaganza, I considered a sleepover at our home after the show, as well as an elegant evening of dining at NJPAC’s Theater Square Grill, but we eventually opted for the simplicity of an afternoon matinee followed by ice cream cake at home.  If you’re planning a unique event for an older child or adults (an extended family Easter or Mother’s Day outing, for example), you may want to consider the ”NJPAC Salons” packages.

VIP Amenities include:

• Seats in a private box for the performance of your choice;
• Exclusive access to an intimate suite adjacent to your seats for entertaining;
• Pre-paid parking; and
• Pre-paid coat check.

Fine Dining includes:

• 3-course dinner at NJPAC’s 3 1/2 star Theater Square Grill;
• Specially selected wine pairings for every course; and
• Dessert buffet in your private salon during intermission (yum!)

All-inclusive pricing:

• 6-guest package $1,050 plus the cost of performance tickets
• 12-guest package $2,100 plus the cost of performance tickets

Your VIP evening at NJPAC is just one phone call away… call Rose at 1-888-466-5722 and be sure to let her know that Roxy sent you!

Some upcoming NJPAC performances that work well for a party or event include:

• Golden Dragon Acrobats (Sunday, February 22nd at 3pm):  From bending into improbable shapes to forming human pyramids on moving bicycles, this internationally acclaimed troupe celebrates Chinese culture with time-honored traditions that date back 25 centuries. Perfect for the kids, and parents won’t be bored;
• Fiddler on the Roof (Tuesday, March 10th through Sunday, March 15th): Chaim Topol returns to the role he immortalized in the Oscar-winning, big-screen version of Fiddler on the Roof. This revival of the Tony-winning musical, based on the stories of Sholom Aleichem, is driven by one of the most heartwarming scores in the history of musical theater, including favorites like “If I Were a Rich Man” and “Sunrise, Sunset.” What can I say…tradition! A great choice for the whole family;
• Steve Tyrell (Saturday, April 25th at 7pm and 9:30pm): A wonderful cabaret performer doing all Burt Bacharach. If you have never attended Cabaret at NJPAC, it is something to try — a real grown up night out. Performances are in the Chase Room. The stage is set so you and your guests look out at the lights of the city. Seating is at little tables and there is food and beverage available.
• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (Friday, May 08th through Sunday, May 10th) Rex, London, and Maddie treated me to Alvin Ailey on Mother’s Day last year, and we’re making it a Mother’s Day tradition again this year… maybe we’ll see you there?!
• John Pizzarelli doing Sinatra (Friday, May 15th at 8:00pm)…a great Jersey night out.
• Rain (Friday, June 12th through Sunday, June 14th): This Beatles Tribute was the hit of last season at NJPAC. It is back in June with 4 performances. Rain is a multi-media, multi-dimensional experience – a fusion of historical footage and hilarious television commercials from the 1960s lights up video screens, and live cameras zoom in for close-ups. Perfect for corporate entertaining or a grown up birthday with a 60s theme.

Your VIP evening at NJPAC is just one phone call away… call Rose at 1-888-466-5722 and be sure to let her know that Roxy sent you!

The Roxiticus Desperate Housewives are starting to think about summer camp 2009, and I’ll do my best to cover the camps my kids have tried, and the ones my friends recommend. Some of my favorites haven’t posted all the details on their 2009 camp programs, but I’ll provide a summary of last year’s program now and update the dates and details as soon as they become available.

Mendham Township Elementary School Pathways to Learning Summer Camp:
For starters, I can highly recommend the Mendham Township Elementary School Pathways to Learning Summer Camp that former Superintendent Christine Johnson launched in the summer of 2007. In their first experience with Pathways in 2007, my girls attended the camp’s first two weeks in July and begged me to go back for the final week in August. The MTES Cub Camp was the perfect way for Maddie, at the time a rising kindergartner, to get to know some of the other kids she’d be in class with in September, and to get to know her way around the elementary school ahead of time. Camp is open to all children (from rising kindergartners through eighth grade) in Mendham Township and the surrounding communities.

Last summer, the Pathways to Learning Camp returned to MTES, running June 24 through August 1st, 2008, with expanded hours (8:30am - 2:00pm). We took advantage of the camp bus service that picked the girls up in the morning, but our nanny or Rex or I picked the girls up at the end of the camp day. While I had assumed that, without Christine Johnson at the helm, the camp would be less enriching than the prior summer, London and Maddie insisted they had even more fun during their two week Summer 2008 stint, possibly because Mr. Gallo (the MTES Technology teacher) was their camp counselor.

I expect that the Pathways to Learning Summer Camp at Mendham Township Elementary School will be back and better than ever under the guidance of our new Superintendent, Kristopher Harrison. If camp is organized as it has been in the past, campers will be grouped by grade levels in order to provide appropriate activities and meaningful experiences.

• Cub Camp - For students entering Kindergarten in September 2009
• Junior Tiger Camp - For students entering 1st and 2nd grades in September 2009
• Tiger Camp - For students entering 3rd and 4th grades in September 2009
• Bulldog Camp - For students entering 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grades in September 2009

If I had to venture a guess, I’d say that this year’s Pathways to Learning Summer Camp will run six weeks starting June 22nd or 23rd, ending on July 31st, though it would be terrific if Pathways extended the program for eight weeks through August 14th. Campers will spend an action packed week or weeks (you can sign up for 1 week or all 6 weeks or any number in between) engaged in activities such as creative fitness & sports games, visual and performing arts, challenges & contests to build teamwork & personal leadership skills, technology, theme days, literacy and math enrichment & skills reinforcement, and hands-on science projects. Certified teachers, district administrators, and junior camp counselors will staff the camp. In addition, a certified nurse will be on-site at all times. The MTES camp sounds “educational” but my girls never felt like they were in school, they were having too much fun!

Transportation and food services are also available at an extra cost. My kids won’t eat anything but mom’s home-made peanut butter and honey sandwiches, but there’s a round-trip (or one way) bus option that worked well for us last year.

Last year’s camp tuition was $269 per 5-day week, $218 for 4-day (holiday) weeks, or you could pay $1,490 to register for all six weeks. The MTES Pathways to Learning Summer Camp is a great value if you don’t need full-day day care. At some of the “country club” camps mentioned below, you could pay $1,000 for one week of camp.

Annie’s Playhouse Summer Stars:
My girls have also attended the Annie’s Playhouse Summer Stars Musical Theatre Camp for two summers, and we’ll be back again this year. The camp runs 8 weeks, with a big show towards the end of camp where you’ll see your kids (and other talented summer stars) strut their stuff on stage at the Bernardsville Presbyterian Church. Annie hasn’t announced precise dates yet, but my best guess based on last year’s dates would be June 15th through August 7th, although London and Maddie will still be in school if the first week starts June 15th, so depending on the last day of school in other districts it may be June 22nd to August 14th.

Annie’s Playhouse Summer Stars. Phone: (908) 658- 3002. Please be sure to let Annie know that Roxy sent you.

Pavan’s Tennis Academy at Fox Chase Tennis Club in Chester, NJ

London had a make-up lesson this morning over at Pavan’s Tennis Academy at Fox Chase Tennis Club, and Pavan assured me that he’ll be running his awesome tennis camp for kids of all ages (kindergarten through high school) again this summer. London and Maddie spent three hours a day with Pavan for one week in August last summer and both girls dramatically improved their strokes and presence on the tennis court.

Based on last year’s dates, I’m going to guess that Pavan’s Summer Tennis Camp will run 9 weeks from June 22nd through August 21st. Last year’s pricing for the one hour Munchkins (age 4-7) and Advanced Munchkins (age 7-8) program was $140 per week. The three hour Beginner and Low Intermediate (age 9 and up) program was $345 per week. The four hour USTA Players’ Development, Intermediate and Advanced Intermediate (USTA and high school age) program was $500 per week.

Phone 908-879-5231. Please be sure to let Pavan know that Roxy sent you.

Randolph Gymnastics

Randolph Gymnastics in Randolph, NJ, where London and Maddie are training for the Olympics, will offer a 10-week Summer Day Camp program from June 29th through August 28th. Both a full and half day camp schedule is available. The full day runs from 9:00am through 4:00pm and half day runs 9:00am through -1:00pm. Before and after care is available if needed. The minimum age for Randolph Gymnastics Summer Day Camp is five years old. Some of the camp’s activities will include: recreational gymnastics & open work-out, arts & crafts, games and races, swimming, non-contact team sports, and a climbing wall. The schedule is flexible, and you’ll find rates on the Randolph Gymnastics web site for one to five days per week and one to ten weeks of camp. Phone (973) 584-4111. Please be sure to let Shannon know that Roxy sent you.

Garden State Ballet:

Garden State Ballet, where London and Maddie attend weekly ballet classes, will offer a summer program at each of its three locations in Randolph, Rutherford, and Newark, NJ.

The West Morris YMCA Backyard Pool Program:

No, it’s not a day camp, but it’s what my girls like to do on summer afternoons. For the first three summers after we moved out from New York City to the Roxiticus Valley, my kids had private swimming lessons in our backyard pool. The West Morris YMCA sent out a high school or college kid who’s passed their lifeguarding tests and the kids learn at their own level on their own turf (or surf, as it were). Unfortunately, due to the crazy price of gasoline last year, the West Morris YMCA canceled their Backyard Pool Program for the Summer of 2008. This summer, the price of gasoline shouldn’t be an issue — today I watched our local Exxon station post the price at $1.49 per gallon vs. last summer’s four bucks. As soon as I learn more (they usually mail out applications in April), I’ll let you know if the West Morris YMCA Backyard Pool Program will resume in 2009.

Word of Mouth Summer Camps, Untested by this Roxiticus Desperate Housewife:

We have friends who swear by Harbor Hills Day Camp in Randolph, NJ. Since I have an nanny (remember, I’m an investment banker, not really a housewife), I’m not really interested in putting my kids on a bus at 8 in the morning and not seeing them again until 4 or 4:30pm. However, if you’re looking for a full day camp with round-trip bus service and all the “country club” extras your kids can imagine (swimming, bungee jumping, go carts, etc.), Harbor Hills may be the place for you.

Hi-Hills Day Camp at Gill St. Bernards is right down the street from us in Gladstone, NJ. Cheaper than Harbor Hills but not quite as luxurious, Hi-Hills does offer horseback riding.

Meadowbrook Country Day Camp in Long Valley, NJ is another option if you’re looking for full day care, want to spend a bit less than you would at Harbor Hills, and want your kids to have a more outdoorsy camp experience (e.g., fishing instead of bungee jumping). My good friend and fellow Roxiticus Desperate Housewife, Lynette, has twins who have enjoyed the camp for the past two summers, and one of my loyal readers left the following comment: “My 2 children have attended Meadowbrook for the past 2 summers (and attended Valley Brook, the adjoining preschool and kindergarten school). They have had a wonderful time, had tremendous supervision (pools have always scared me at camps!) and have made long time friends. Wonderful summers at Meadowbrook.”

Roxy’s Mailbag received a rave for Soulshine Farm Summer Camp in Randolph, NJ: Yoga, farm activities, organic food!

If you have a favorite summer camp that you’d like to share with Roxy’s Best Of… readers, please leave a comment on this post or contact Roxy.  With your input, I’d love to be able to expand Roxy’s Best Of… summer camp recommendations beyond Morris County NJ and Somerset County NJ.

If you’re like me, with less than a week until Christmas, you may have made a list and checked it twice, you may even have it divided into suitable gifts for naughty and nice, but you haven’t purchased and wrapped your gifts for everyone on the list….particularly if you’re still lacking the inspiration to surprise the most special people in your life. We got our tree at Alstede Farms in Chester, NJ last weekend, and as you can see from the photo on the right, it’s a beauty. I really started to get into the holiday spirit as we hung each ornament on the tree with care, and reminisced about which little shop in New York City’s West Village or Lambertville, NJ, each one came from, who picked it out (London and Maddie get to choose one special ornament each year) and when it came to be a part of our family’s holiday ornament collection. We’ve been listening to Christmas songs on our iPod, pulling surprises out of the Advent Calendar every night, and London and Maddie have been wrapping up homemade gifts for everyone left and right. Their mom, on the other hand, is a bit behind on the shopping and wrapping and I’m counting on the United Parcel man to deliver a bunch of goodies just in time. The other members of Rex’s family — Grammy (Rex’s mom) plus London and Maddie’s three brothers, one sister, niece and two nephews — aren’t coming to celebrate with us until Saturday, December 27th, so Secret Santa has a little extra time to pull the extended family gifts together.

If, unlike me, you celebrate Hanukkah rather than Christmas, you’re just kicking back in your easy chair and waiting for the post-Christmas sales to get serious about your holiday shopping. This year, Hanukkah starts at sunset on Sunday, December 21st and runs eight nights through Sunday night, December 28th.

For procrastinators of all faiths, I’ve got some terrific news: NJPAC has extended the deadline to use the TREAT promotional code to buy your tickets to Giselle, Cirque Eloize, and Golden Dragon Acrobats. Through Tuesday, December 30th, use coupon code TREAT to purchase tickets online, by phone (1-888 GO-NJPAC) or at the NJPAC box office and you’ll get one free child’s ticket for each adult ticket purchased for Giselle, Cirque Eloize or Golden Dragon Acrobats. Discount is valid for Sections A, B, C, and D (no G or P) and expires December 30, 2008. Subject to availability and not valid on prior purchase. This holiday promotion offers grandparents, aunts and uncles, godparents or parents an amazing local opportunity to treat the young person in your life to the magic of live performance with a sweet holiday discount from the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC).. a unique holiday gift that promises a child-friendly cultural experience at a great value.

While I don’t mind explaining to London and Maddie that even Santa needs to cut back on the excessive amount of Barbies and plastic toys this holiday season, I have been searching for one or two meaningful, magical gifts that would keep Christmas special for my girls. As my most loyal readers know, Rex and I believe in encouraging our daughters’ passions (music, dance, gymnastics and tennis) and exposing them to a wide range of child-friendly art and culture. Just in case we have the next Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana or Jonas Brothers musical talent hiding in our basement, London and Maddie have asked Santa for a drum set for their girl band, the Butter Bites. At first, I thought they were looking for the modern electronic kind, but I’ve become convinced they are seeking the old fashioned make-a-lotta-noise-till-mom-says-turn-it-down that I dreamed of as a third grader when I had a crush on the drummer in the Branchburg Central Middle School Band. I will sleep soundly on Christmas Eve believing that Santa will deliver. Add that to the keyboard Santa left under the tree last Christmas, a second-hand guitar that needs to be re-strung, two microphones and a karaoke machine, and the Butter Bites will be all set to explore their musical passions over the long cold winter.

I have also committed to celebrating London’s 8^th birthday with three of her closest girlfriends and their moms at the Cirque Eloize performance at NJPAC in January. We just received our tickets in the mail, and the girls are over the moon with excitement about it. Over the past year, London and Maddie have enjoyed three different performances at NJPAC: Rex and the girls took me out to see Alvin Ailey on Mother’s Day and we were all so impressed that we’re headed back for this season’s Mother’s Day performance; we introduced the girls to a bit of Mom and Dad’s history through Twyla Tharp’s interpretation of the music of Billy Joel in “Movin’ Out”; and most recently experienced the magic of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical, Cats. So we’ll be looking down from our own little box in the Grand Tier at the Saturday matinee performance of Cirque Eloize in Nebbia, and London and Maddie invite you to join us at a discount.

Cirque Eloize at NJPAC:

Experience the sights and sounds of a European circus in a vibrant, fully-staged production that brings together a company of acrobats, clowns, jugglers, trapeze artists and musicians to create a rich, fast-paced tango of emotions. Last seen at NJPAC with their eye-popping spectacle Rain, this world-renowned company returns with Nebbia, a brand new acrobatic extravaganza. Cirque Eloize passionately pursues artistic perfection – and achieves absolute magic. Our gang will be celebrating London’s birthday at the Saturday matinee, but there are three magical Cirque Eloize performances of Nebbia scheduled: Saturday, January 31^st at 2:00pm and 8:00pm and Sunday, February 1^st at 2:00pm. Use NJPAC discount code TREAT to purchase tickets online, by phone (1-888 GO-NJPAC) or at the NJPAC box office by December 24^th through December 30^th and get one free child’s ticket for each adult ticket purchased for Cirque Eloize in Nebbia.

Giselle at NJPAC:

Using the choreography created by Marius Petipa in his definitive revivals, the State Ballet Theatre of Russia performs Adolphe Adam’s beloved ballet – the timeless tale of a lovely yet fragile maiden, whose death from a broken heart dooms her to eternally roam the earth as a restless spirit. This sumptuous, traditional staging will be performed with full corps de ballet. The State Ballet Theatre of Russia brings Giselle to the stage at NJPAC on Sunday, January 18^th at 4:00pm. Purchase tickets online, by phone (1-888 GO-NJPAC) or at the NJPAC box office by December 30^th using NJPAC coupon code TREAT and get one free child’s ticket for each adult ticket purchased for Giselle.

Golden Dragon Acrobats at NJPAC:

From bending into improbable shapes to forming human pyramids on moving bicycles, this internationally acclaimed troupe celebrates Chinese culture with time-honored traditions that date back 25 centuries. The Golden Dragon Acrobats come to NJPAC on Sunday, February 22^nd at 3:00pm. Use NJPAC promotional code TREAT to Purchase tickets onlne by phone (1-888 GO-NJPAC) or at the NJPAC box office through December 30^th and get one free child’s ticket for each adult ticket purchased for the Golden Dragon Acrobats at NJPAC.

Here in the Roxiticus Valley (Mendham, NJ), we’re operating on a winter storm warning tonight — visions of a snow day school closing filled with sledding and snowball fights and snowmen with carrot noses dance in our heads. London, Maddie, Rex and I extend our warm wishes to all of you as you head out for another weekend of holiday shopping. Stay warm and safe and don’t forget to Shop Local NJ!

To everyone who made a contribution to the Community FoodBank of NJ and/or helped to raise awareness of hunger here at home in New Jersey, thank you so much for participating. According to our fearless leader, Deb of JerseyBites, yesterday’s event was a great success. We got some nice online coverage… the FoodChannel has us on their home page, which was a nice surprise, and we also got coverage on NJ.com. The Ocean Star (down by our beach house in Bay Head, NJ) is running an article this Friday.

I really enjoyed reading the thoughtful posts by so many talented New Jersey bloggers. The great news is, our “Blogging Out Hunger” campaign raised almost $6,000 in online donations (more may come in through the mail). With 122 blogs participating, Njfoodbank.org enjoyed 920 unique site visits, which represents 20% of their total site traffic for December. The PR company says those are great results, especially for a first time strictly viral campaign right before the holidays.

Thanks to yesterday’s effort, hunger in New Jersey may take a brief holiday, but the heightened demand for support from the Food Bank is a problem that’s likely to be with us for the foreseeable future. I’m going to post the Blogging Out Hunger button in my sidebar to try to keep the donations coming in all year round, so please help out when you can.

Thanks to Deb from JerseyBites for coordinating the NJ Blogging Out Hunger effort, and thanks again to all of you….for reading and caring.

Roxy

No matter how you feel about the government bailout of the nation’s largest banks, I think you’ll agree that there’s one bank that we can’t allow to fail: the Community FoodBank of New Jersey.  Over 100 New Jersey bloggers have united to fight local NJ hunger in a coordinated “This Bank Can’t Fail” blogging campaign for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey on Monday, December 15th. Our goal is to spread the word about the increased demand being put on the food pantries in New Jersey and how everyone can help.  As you are probably well aware, the Food Bank is in desperate need of donations this holiday season. With bare shelves and demand for food among state residents far outpacing supply, the FoodBank is in danger of being unable to meet the needs of New Jersey’s hungry.

Oh, and our team of NJ bloggers will be in good company. Legendary music icon Bruce Springsteen will be lending his voice to the fight against hunger in New Jersey by headlining “We Can’t Let This Bank Fail” – a major advertising campaign and call to action for people to contribute in any way they can to help the Community FoodBank of New Jersey.   Although Bruce Springsteen has been a supporter of the FoodBank for 23 years, often donating proceeds from his concerts to the organization, this ad marks the first time Springsteen has publicly lent his image to the campaign, due to the urgency of the situation.

The Community FoodBank of New Jersey is facing a dire shortage of food.  Without the public’s support, it may, for the first time in its history, begin to ration food. This is a state-wide crisis, with the unstable economy resulting in a 30 percent increase in those needing food. In years past, the Community FoodBank of New Jersey has provided assistance to more than 500,000 New Jerseyans, but expects to see a major uptick in need this year, especially during the winter months when people often struggle between paying heating and food bills.

To really understand the serious need for donations, please click on the link below and take a minute to view the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXH_aBJKcE4

We’re hoping our efforts will compel everyone to do something, anything, to help. Visit the Community FoodBank of New Jersey at www.njfoodbank.org or call 908-355-FOOD (3663) to learn more.  What can you do?

1. Make a monetary contribution: Visit http://www.njfoodbank.org/.
2. Donate food: Drop off a bag of food at your local food pantry.
3. Organize a food drive: We can help explain the logistics of starting a food drive. Just call 908-355-FOOD.
4. Help “Check Out Hunger:” Look for the “Check Out Hunger” coupons at your local supermarket and donate. No donation is too small!

In addition to my post here at Roxy’s Best Of… New Jersey, I’m also running motivational Music Monday videos over at my Roxiticus Desperate Housewives site (Bob Geldof leads Band Aid to “Feed the World. Let Them Know It’s Christmas Time”) and Bay Head Blog (USA for Africa sings “We Are the World).  The list of over 100 participating New Jersey Bloggers for today’s “We Can’t Let This Bank Fail” campaign includes:

1) JerseyBites.com

2) RedBankGreen.com

3) Jersey Girl Cooks

4) Simply Sable

5) John and Lisa are eating in South Jersey

6) Padma’s Kitchen

7) Chefdruck

Life Lightly Salted

9) My Italian Grandmother

10) Cook Appeal

11) Crotchety Old Man Yells at Cars

12) Mommy Vents

13) This Full House

14) Paper Bridges

15) Motherhood Avenue

16) The Kamienski Chronicles

17) Down the Shore with Jen

18) Fits and Giggles

19) House Hubbies Home Cooking

20) Nourish Ourselves

21) Partybluprints.com

22) Tommyeats.com

23) Off the broiler

24) Mrs. Mo’s New Jersey Baby

25) IamNotaChef.com

26) SimplyBeer.com

27) HistoryGeek.com

28) Savy Source Newark

29) Momlogic New Jersey

30) SurvivingNJ.com/blog

31) SurvivingNJ.blogspot.com

32) JerseyGirlGuide.com

33) Roxy’s Best Of…

34) Citizen Mom.net

35) Lynetteradio.com

36) Jersey Beat

37) Pop Vulture Phil

38) JerseySmarts.com

39) LongBeachIslandSummers.com

40) WildwoodSummers.com

41) Mike Halfacres Blog

42) Somerset08873

43) Family, Friends and Food

44) KateSpot.com

45) NewJerseyMomsBlog.com

46) JCRegister.com

47) New Jersey Real Estate Report

48) Riverviewobserver.com

49) More Monmouth Musings

50) Man of Infirmity

51) Another Delco Guy in South Jersey

52) SweetNicks.com

53) Average Noone

54) Cleary’s Notebook

55) Welcome to my Planet

56) The Center of New Jersey Life

57) Sharon’s Food Blog

58) Morristown, Chatham, Summit, and Madison NJ Real Estate

59) Midtown Direct Real Estate News

60) New Jersey Real Estate

61) BlowUpRadio.com

62) LazlosDen.com

63) The Ridgewood Blog

64) Book a Week with Jen

65) Banannie

66) Cartoongoddess.com

67) Matawan Advocate

68) Take Back the Kitchen

69) The Joy of Toast

70) Route 55

71) Montclair Kids.com

72) SaveJersey

73) Stompbox

74) Joe the Blogger

75) Environmental Republican

76) Stacey Snacks

77) Subversive Garden

78) New Jersey Pathfinder

79) Cooking With Friends Blog

80) Triple Venti

81) Read All About It

82) Rich Lee on Media

83) Likelihood of Success

84) Cape Cuisine

85) The Business At Hand

86) NewJerseyTaxRevolution

87) Figmentations

88) MiddletownMike

89) Caviar and Codfish

90) A Day in the Life

91) Mack’s Journey Through Life

92) Alice’s Restaurant

93) Tiger Hawk

94)Politics Patrol, The Bob Ingle Blog

95) The Food Chain

96) Henson’s Hell

97) Cranbury Conservative

98) Baristanet

99) New Jersey: Politics Unusual

100) Jersey Shore Blog

101) Plainfield Today

102) Beacon Bulletin

103) Journal Square Jersey City 07306

My friend Deb over on Jersey Bites invited me to join an upcoming blogging campaign she is coordinating on behalf of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey — the largest food bank in the state.  As you are probably well aware, the Food Bank is in desperate need of donations this holiday season.  With bare shelves and demand for food among state residents far outpacing supply, the FoodBank is in danger of being unable to meet the needs of New Jersey’s hungry.

Members of our community of New Jersey bloggers united to fight hunger are scheduled to launch the “This Bank Can’t Fail” blogging campaign on Monday, December 15th. Our goal is to get 100 New Jersey bloggers on board to help spread the word about the increased demand being put on the food pantries in New Jersey and how everyone can help.  As of today (Friday, December 5th), we have 49 of the 100 bloggers on board and ready to post about the Community FoodBank of New Jersey on December 15th.

Oh, and our team of NJ bloggers will be in good company. Legendary music icon Bruce Springsteen will be lending his voice to the fight against hunger in New Jersey by headlining “We Can’t Let This Bank Fail” – a major advertising campaign and call to action for people to contribute in any way they can to help the Community FoodBank of New Jersey.   Although Bruce Springsteen has been a supporter of the FoodBank for 23 years, often donating proceeds from his concerts to the organization, this ad marks the first time Springsteen has publicly lent his image to the campaign, due to the urgency of the situation.

The Community FoodBank of New Jersey is facing a dire shortage of food.  Without the public’s support, it may, for the first time in its history, begin to ration food. This is a state-wide crisis, with the unstable economy resulting in a 30 percent increase in those needing food. In years past, the Community FoodBank of New Jersey has provided assistance to more than 500,000 New Jerseyans, but expects to see a major uptick in need this year, especially during the winter months when people often struggle between paying heating and food bills.

If you are a blogger in New Jersey, please join in our efforts. If you know of a blog in New Jersey that you think should be involved, please email them a link to this post.

To really understand the serious need for donations, just click on the link below and take a minute to view the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXH_aBJKcE4

If you’d like to get involved in our drive to fight hunger in New Jersey this holiday season, e-mail Deb:  Jerseybites at gmail dot com and look for 100 blog posts on December 15th. We’re hoping our efforts will compel everyone to do something, anything, to help. Visit the Community FoodBank of New Jersey at www.njfoodbank.org or call 908-355-FOOD (3663) to learn more.

Over on my Roxiticus Desperate Housewives site, I’ve been running a weekly feature called Roxy Saves, where I’ve gathered promotional codes from online retailers and made suggestions for unique and inexpensive holiday gifts. Here at Roxy’s Best Of… I’ve been more focused on the “bricks and mortar” holiday savings available from our wealth of local New Jersey retailers, highlighted throughout the Roxy’s Best Of… community of local sites with a “Shop Local NJ!” tag.

While I don’t mind explaining to London and Maddie that even Santa needs to cut back on the excessive amount of Barbies and plastic toys this holiday season, I have been searching for one or two meaningful, magical gifts that would keep Christmas special for my girls. As my most loyal readers know, Rex and I believe in encouraging our daughters’ passions (music, dance, gymnastics and tennis) and exposing them to a wide range of child-friendly art and culture. Just in case we have the next Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana or Jonas Brothers musical talent hiding in our basement, London and Maddie have asked Santa for an electronic drum set for their girl band, the Butter Bites. Add that to the keyboard Santa left under the tree last Christmas, a second-hand guitar that needs to be re-strung, two microphones and a karaoke machine, and the Butter Bites will be all set to explore their musical passions over the long cold winter.

I have also found an amazing local opportunity at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) for a special holiday gift that promises a child-friendly cultural experience at a great value. Over the past year, London and Maddie have enjoyed three different performances at NJPAC: Rex and the girls took me out to see Alvin Ailey on Mother’s Day and we were all so impressed that we’re headed back for this season’s Mother’s Day performance; we introduced the girls to a bit of Mom and Dad’s history through Twyla Tharp’s interpretation of the music of Billy Joel in “Movin’ Out”; and most recently experienced the magic of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical, Cats. I’ve just committed to celebrating London’s 8^th birthday with three of her closest girlfriends and their moms at the Cirque Eloize performance at NJPAC in January. The girls and I will be posting all about it as our plans come together.

In the meantime, I’d like to share with all of you the chance to treat the young person in your life to the magic of live performance with a sweet holiday discount from NJPAC. Use coupon code TREAT to purchase tickets online, by phone (1-888 GO-NJPAC) or at the NJPAC box office by December 24^th and you’ll get one free child’s ticket for each adult ticket purchased for Giselle, Cirque Eloize or Golden Dragon Acrobats. Discount is valid for Sections A, B, C, and D (no G or P) and expires December 24, 2008. Subject to availability and not valid on prior purchase.

Giselle at NJPAC:

Using the choreography created by Marius Petipa in his definitive revivals, the State Ballet Theatre of Russia performs Adolphe Adam’s beloved ballet – the timeless tale of a lovely yet fragile maiden, whose death from a broken heart dooms her to eternally roam the earth as a restless spirit. This sumptuous, traditional staging will be performed with full corps de ballet. The State Ballet Theatre of Russia brings Giselle to the stage at NJPAC on Sunday, January 18^th at 4:00pm. Purchase tickets online, by phone (1-888 GO-NJPAC) or at the NJPAC box office by December 24^th using NJPAC coupon code TREAT and get one free child’s ticket for each adult ticket purchased for Giselle.

Cirque Eloize at NJPAC:

Experience the sights and sounds of a European circus in a vibrant, fully-staged production that brings together a company of acrobats, clowns, jugglers, trapeze artists and musicians to create a rich, fast-paced tango of emotions. Last seen at NJPAC with their eye-popping spectacle Rain, this world-renowned company returns with Nebbia, a brand new acrobatic extravaganza. Cirque Eloize passionately pursues artistic perfection – and achieves absolute magic. Our gang will be celebrating London’s birthday at the Saturday matinee, but there are three magical Cirque Eloize performances of Nebbia scheduled: Saturday, January 31^st at 2:00pm and 8:00pm and Sunday, February 1^st at 2:00pm. Use NJPAC discount code TREAT to purchase tickets online, by phone (1-888 GO-NJPAC) or at the NJPAC box office by December 24^th through December 24^th and get one free child’s ticket for each adult ticket purchased for Cirque Eloize in Nebbia.

Golden Dragon Acrobats at NJPAC:

From bending into improbable shapes to forming human pyramids on moving bicycles, this internationally acclaimed troupe celebrates Chinese culture with time-honored traditions that date back 25 centuries. The Golden Dragon Acrobats come to NJPAC on Sunday, February 22^nd at 3:00pm. Use NJPAC promo code TREAT to Purchase tickets onlne by phone (1-888 GO-NJPAC) or at the NJPAC box office through December 24^th and get one free child’s ticket for each adult ticket purchased for the Golden Dragon Acrobats at NJPAC.

Warm wishes to all of you as you head out for another weekend of holiday shopping. Don’t forget to Shop Local NJ!

I was too sleepy to post London and Maddie’s review of High School Musical On Stage at Paper Mill Playhouse on the night after the performance, but the girls, Rex and I, along with the rest of London’s Brownie troop, really enjoyed ourselves. I’ve already seen an extremely negative review from Peter Filichia at the Star-Ledger, but he clearly hated Disney’s High School Musical concept from the git-go.

Now I know I’ll never be a critic, since I avoid events that I know I won’t like, so my disappointments are few and far between.  My mother also taught me that if I don’t have anything nice to say, I’m better off saying nothing at all, but the one thing I would never do is recommend something that I really didn’t like.  So if you’re thinking about taking your kids to see High School Musical On Stage at Paper Mill Playhouse, here’s what you should consider.  My daughters, London and Maddie, have seen all three of Disney’s High School Musical movies, they know all the words to the songs and perform them as part of their girl band routine.  If you haven’t seen any of the movies, the on stage performance probably isn’t right for you…but the concept, in a nutshell, is modern-day Grease with a G rating.

Directed by Mark S. Hoebee, starring Sydney Morton & Chase Peacock, and reuniting choreographer Denis Jones & Bailey Hanks, this production promises to be a great time for teens, tweens and anyone who remembers the triumphs and challenges of high school. While London and Maddie can’t wait to see one of their favorite Disney movies brought to life, I have to admit that I am always surprised at the wide age range of High School Musical and Disney Channel fans. Our teenage babysitters truly seem to look forward to joining our first and second graders to watch Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, and the Wildcats in the two DVDs, and fans of all ages have hit the theatres for Disney’s High School Musical 3. I’m always a fan of people-watching, and, other than a few cranky critics, the crowd at the Paper Mill Playhouse for High School Musical On Stage was made up of tween girls singing their hearts out along with Sharpay and Gabriella.

High School Musical On Stage! runs through Sunday, December 7th. Many of the weekend matinees are sold out, but you can still call the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office at (973) 376-4343 or order tickets online for the remaining performances. And here’s something cool for serious HSM fans…purchase a ticket to any Sunday evening performance of High School Musical and you will have the opportunity to meet with the cast of the show. Before the performance, from 6:30 - 7:00 pm at the F.M. Kirby Carriage House, members of the cast will be on hand to sign autographs and take photos.

Midnight, not a sound from the pavement
Has the moon lost her memory
She is smiling alone.
In the lamplight the withered
leaves collect at my feet
And the wind begins to moan.

After weeks of anticipation, listening to the Complete Original Broadway Cast Recording of Cats and learning the songs, the big day had finally arrived. On Saturday afternoon, Rex, London, Maddie and I headed out to see Cats at NJPAC.  London was already bouncing up and down in her seat as we drove into Newark in our Red Jewel…the new GMC Acadia we bought at the end of September. “Mommy, is NJPAC the place where we saw those dancers on Mother’s Day? If it is, I love that place. There’s that giant disco ball that hangs from the ceiling all the way up at the top of the theatre…and it feels like we’re so close to the dancers!” I told the girls that I had read in the Star-Ledger that the Cats actually come out into the audience during the show.    

As the lights went down in the theatre, the girls’ eyes widened as it turned out to be true and bright yellow glowing cats’ eyes appeared in the aisle next to our seats. When I saw Cats on Broadway over 20 years ago, I remember the sets, costumes and the special effects being impressive, even to a jaded college student. Today at NJPAC, I experienced it all over again, this time through my daughters’ eyes, filled with delight. The traveling set was even more amazing as I realized it had been put together for a four-day run at NJPAC, rather than “Now and Forever” on Broadway, and would be dismantled to move on to the next town after Sunday’s performance in Newark, New Jersey. Next week, Cats moves on to St. Louis, Missouri, followed by Costa Mesa, California, then San Antonio, Texas…and so on, giving families like ours around the United States the chance to get a taste of the Broadway classic without leaving their own hometown. I’ve certainly grown spoiled by the easy drive into Newark instead of the challenge of Times Square. 

Memory
All alone in the moonlight
I can smile like the old days
I was beautiful then, I remember
The time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again 

Maddie, as always, was a bit skeptical about a Broadway musical. “Will they talk? Like in Peter Pan?” Even though Maddie loves to dance at Garden State Ballet, she has serious hesitations about shows in which the performers express themselves entirely through body language and movement. Singing would be a step up from dance alone, but Maddie was still seeking dialogue. I told her that the show was based on poems from T.S. Eliot’s “Old Possums Book of Practical Cats” but warned that the poems had been set to music and she could expect the cats to break into song rather than conversation. 

Maddie ended up having a terrific time, although the show was a bit longer than her 6-year-old attention span. Like most of the parents (and grandparents) who had brought their younger children to NJPAC this afternoon, I was glad to expose Maddie to live theatre instead of limiting her concept of entertainment to “watching something” on the Disney Channel.

Daylight
I must wait for the sun rise
I must think for the new life
And I mustn’t give in
When the dawn comes
Tonight will be a memory too
And the new day will begin

Favorites? Roxy’s was the naughty Rum Tum Tugger, thrusting his pelvis like Elvis and bounding into the audience to pluck a young lady out of the crowd to dance in the aisle. Maddie was mesmerized by Grizabella the Glamour Cat and London favored Mr. Mistoffelees and his magic.

Burnt out ends of smoky days
The stale cold smell of morning
A street lamp dies
Another night is over
Another day is dawning

Touch me

It’s so easy to leave me

All alone with my memory

Of my days in the sun

If you touch me

You’ll understand what happiness is

Look, a new day has begun

 

– “Memory”: lyrics written by Trevor Nunn, based on poems by T.S. Eliot

In the end, for me, it is all about the memories….reminiscing about my first Broadway show (A Chorus Line), seeing Cats on Broadway, and creating new memories for London and Maddie. Since Cats left Broadway in September 2000, before London was born, NJPAC offered our family the unique opportunity to share a memory.

Looking ahead to December and the New Year 2009, there will be many more opportunities for my family (and yours) to create new memories at NJPAC…it looks like there’s something for everyone, whatever your age or musical tastes, or holiday of choice:

• Just up ahead after the Thanksgiving holidays, get into the holiday spirit with the Christmas Music of Mannheim Steamroller by Chip Davis on Friday, December 5th at 8:00pm;
• Soweto Gospel Choir on Saturday, December 6th at 8:00pm;
• Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra (Keith Lockhart, conductor) on Sunday, December 7th at 3:00pm;
• In one of my recent posts about non-traditional holiday and birthday party ideas, I recommended NJPAC as a terrific holiday party venue, and A Rockapella Holiday on Saturday, December 13th at your choice of 2:00pm or 7:00pm would really get the party started;
• On Thursday, December 18th at 7:00pm, Byron Cage shares a Joyous Gospel Holiday;
• Dianne Reeves & McCoy Tyner on Friday, December 19th at 8:00pm;
• Ko-Thi Dance Company celebrates the Spirit of Kwanzaa on Saturday, December 20th at 2:00pm and 5:00pm;
• Sweet Honey in the Rock comes to NJPAC on Saturday, December 20th at 8:00pm;
• Discover Handel’s Messiah on Sunday, December 21st at 3:00pm; and
• An unusual combination of Video Games Live with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, December 27th at 2:00pm and 8:00pm.

In the New Year 2009, NJPAC has two more Broadway musical spectaculars:

• Fiddler on the Roof runs from Tuesday, March 10th through Sunday, March 15th, with a choice of matinee or evening performances.  Chaim Topol returns to the role he immortalized in the Oscar-winning, big-screen version of Fiddler on the Roof.  This revival of the Tony-winning musical, based on the stories of Sholom Aleichem, is driven by one of the most heartwarming scores in the history of musical theater, including favorites like “If I Were a Rich Man” and “Sunrise, Sunset.”  Tickets are priced from $23 to $79.
• Jesus Christ Superstar runs from Thursday, April 9th through Easter Sunday, April 12th, with a choice of matinee or evening performances. Rex and I will likely take the girls to see their second Andrew Lloyd Webber musical as a Saturday matinee.  Jesus Christ Superstar, the first masterpiece from the legendary writing team of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, exploded onto the scene in 1971, changing the worl of musical theatre forever.  With a score of amazing songs — “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” “Hosanna,” “Everything’s Alright,” “What’s the Buzz,” “Superstar,” and “Heaven on Their Mind,” this original groundbreaking production starring Ted Neeley in the title role is as timeless as ever.  Tickets are priced from $25 to $79, so we don’t have to break the bank to expose London and Maddie to classic musical theatre.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) , One Center Street, Newark, NJ.  Phone:  (888) GO-NJPAC.