The historic Ritz Theatre building has been a host of the local arts since its beginning in 1927, where it opened as a vaudeville movie house. In 1986, Bruce A. Curless founded Ritz Theatre Company as a multifaceted performing arts collective that caters to all ages of performers and audiences, and all genres of plays and musicals. That first season marked the debut of the children’s series, The Adventures of Ritzy The Wolf, which was conceptualized within the company and won two Emmy awards.
“We were a group of actors who loved working together. We were looking for a place to perform, and we found this theater, which is absolutely magical. It now is on the historic registry—both the state and national registry—and it's a space that is very inspiring to me. I think to most people who walk in here, it's not a common black box theater…it's like a music box of a theater, and it just seems to spark creativity in so many of us,” says Curless, who also serves as the producing artistic director.
Ritz Theatre Company has valued equal-opportunity casting and diversity since the beginning, and that guiding principle has never faltered. Through their work with the ADA, the theater provides accessibility to its actors and audiences. Beginning in 1990 with an ASL-interpreted performance of Children of a Lesser God, The Ritz’s commitment to this initiative continues today with newly acquired open captioning machines and assisted listening devices.
The upcoming mainstage season runs the full gamut of exhibiting the inherent nature of theater to touch the hearts and minds of audiences, causing them to leave with a new perspective on life. It begins with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar in September, followed by the gothic play Dracula, perfectly timed for Halloween. Also harmonious with the season, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella premieres right before Christmas.
2025 will start with Tony Kushner’s multiple award-winning play Angels in America, which provides social introspection upon national events in the ‘80s that parallel the modern climate. As it is traditionally separated into two parts, Part 1: Millennium Approaches will open in January and Part 2: Perestroika will pick up in June. In between, the company will perform the modern musical Kinky Boots in February, William Shakespeare’s timeless play Julius Caesar in March, and the musical comedy Sister Act in May. The finale of this riveting season will be The Wizard of Oz in July.
When South Jersey Magazine spoke with Curless and Director of Communications and Education Robert Repici, Ritz Theatre Company was preparing for the opening night of West Side Story to conclude its 2023-2024 season. In culmination with numerous productions, they strive to be a part of the South Jersey community through local events and performing at schools.
The Ritz also supports the community by helping youth discover the performing arts. By participating in theater onstage, backstage, or from an audience perspective, children can find solidarity in the stories told before them and gain vital knowledge and literacy skills. Through finding a community of diverse young artists with a shared passion for the arts, youth actors gain confidence and socialization that they may not find elsewhere.
“The arts are a very valuable part and should be a valuable part of everyone's background. The backbone of our programming is encouragement and empowerment. It's building confidence and life skills that can carry over into any profession,” affirms Curless.
Ritz Theatre Company’s impact upon children began with Ritzy the Wolf in its first year, and now its children’s theater has a wide range of productions of its own and educational opportunities like classes and camps.
“Ritz Kidz is a company of adult actors who perform fairy tales and fables for children aged preschool through third grade, and they are designed to be a child's first foray into the wonderful world of theater. They get up on stage and play supporting roles. Even if they're not on stage, they participate from the audience,” says Repici, who started his career at the theater as a Ritz Kidz troupe member and helped launch the Stage Starz program.
Ritz Stage Starz is part of a Youth Theater Initiative with productions “by kids and for kids.” The productions are selected to excite young performers and embody material for which they can relate. Next month, Ritz Stage Starz is set to premiere Bye Bye Birdie: Youth Edition and Mean Girls: High School Version.
The Ritz Theatre Company has many exciting opportunities right around the corner. As a pillar of the community, their work has a reputation of celebrating diversity and providing inspiration. That legacy will persist well into the future, as anyone who witnesses their work can attest.
The Ritz Theatre Company
Haddon Township
(856) 288-3500
RitzTheatreCo.org
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Published and copyrighted in South Jersey Magazine, Volume 21, Issue 4 (July 2024)
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