Greater Morristown weekend preview: Stuff to do with Mom

happy mother's day
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Compiled by Katrina Langer and Kevin Coughlin

Sunday is Mother’s Day.

But every day should be Mother’s Day, right?

And so we herewith offer four days of great activities for that special lady who conceived you.

Stumped for the perfect gift?  Do something sweet for Mom at Enjou Chocolat. Click Enjou’s ad here on MG. Just remember: The chocolate is for Mom!


THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014:

Surely, Mom admires the late Hollywood writer and director Preston SturgesThe Morristown & Morris Township Library hosts the first of four Thursday evening films celebrating Hollywood writer and director Preston Sturges. This week, a trio of con artists target the heir of a brewery for his money — and then one of them falls in love. The Lady Eve (1941), begins at 6:45 pm (doors at 6:15 pm). The series is free, and refreshments will be served.  This program is supported through funding from the Friends of the Morristown & Morris Township Library. At One Miller Road, Morristown.

Hey Mom– at 7:14 pm it’s the 55th meeting of the North Jersey Revolutionary Round Table, at the Washington’s Headquarters Museum Auditorium in Morristown. Featured speaker this week: Forrest “Woody” Burgener, NJARRT member and an expert on the capture of Major John Andre, a young British spy in 1780. The program is free and students are welcome.

Help Mom get an early start to her weekend with the Bard’s stormy farewell masterpiece, The Tempest, at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey.  Escort her to the Outdoor Stage: The Greek Theatre, at 2 Convent Road, campus of the College of St. Elizabeth, in Morris Township. Tickets are $15-$75. Call 973-408-5600 for more.


FRIDAY, MAY 9:

Take Mom to lunch, a musical lunch, at  The Presbyterian Church in Morristown  at noon for the last of the Fridays-on-the-Green season. Cellist Marnie Kaller and pianist Richard Kaller perform Stucke im Volkston by Schumann and Six Studies in English Folksong by Vaughan Williams. The performance is free, and a catered lunch will be available afterwards for $7. The Sanctuary of The Church on the Green is at 57 Park Place.

Note: An earlier version of this post incorrectly noted the time of United Pro Wrestling Association as tonight; see Saturday for the listing.

Time for Mom’s crack at stardom! At 8 pm, The Minstrel Open Stage  offersan opportunity for acoustic musicians to perform a 15-minute set, and for the audience to enjoy a diverse collection of acoustic musicians. Many Open Stage acts return as opening acts at The Minstrel. To secure a performance slot, call 973-335-9489, or visit www.FolkProject.org/Minstrel/OpenStage.  At 21 Normandy Heights Road, Morris Township.

Take Mom to The Tempest, at 8 pm at the Shakespeare Theatre. See Thursday entry for details.


SATURDAY, MAY 10:

Tito Puente Jr.
Tito Puente Jr.

What could be more fun than a Great Swamp Scavenger Hunt  with Mom?  You know the depths of her love; now test her powers of navigation and observation. It starts just after 10 am at the Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center at 32 Pleasant Plains Road in Harding Township: “We will provide you with a route to travel, questions to answer, and a list of treasures to find throughout the 55-square mile Great Swamp Watershed region. It’s your job to navigate you own way, seek answers, and return with all your scavenged booty at the end of the day!” At 3 pm, compete for prizes and enjoy a free barbecue. Bring a covered side dish if you like. Free; donations appreciated. Advanced registration strongly recommended at GreatSwamp.org or by calling (973) 538-3500 x22. A rain or shine event.

Time to teach Mom how to ride a bike!  Make sure she has a safe, working bicycle, a properly fitted helmet, and $20, and point her to the Visiting Nurse Association parking lot, at 175 South St. in Morristown, from 10 am to noon. The class is offered by Bike & Walk Morristown and Transoptions.

wrestling battle posterStill time for Mom to catch The Tempest, at 2 pm and 8 pm at the Shakespeare Theatre. See Thursday entry for details.

What Mom doesn’t like Tito Santana, pro wrestling Hall of Famer? He will join pals Crazy Ivan and Sal Sincere, among others, from the United Pro Wrestling Association in a fundraiser for the Morristown High and Mendham wrestling booster clubs. Doors open at 6:30 pm for The Battle of Morris County.  The bell rings at 7:30 pm. Admission is $10 for bleachers and students with an ID, $20 for floor seating. Morristown High is at 50 Early St.

Maybe Mom prefers something a little more… peaceful. How about Coro Lirico,  performing the classic American opera Susanna by Carlyle Floyd?  The concert starts at 7 pm at Morristown’s Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, 36 South St. General admission:$30, students, $25. Call 973-887-6336 for more.

It’s not too early to take Mom out for dinner and a show. If acoustic rock is her thing, she should love the Sycamore Slough String Band: “Band leader David Gans and his crew take Grateful Dead songs and strip them to their basics, delivering acoustic rock with tasteful harmonies.” The show begins at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $15 in advance (available at the Folk Project Website) and $20 at the door. Morristown Unitarian Fellowship is located at 21 Normandy Heights Road, Morris Township. Call (908) 229-1214 for more information.

Marshall Crenshaw plays at the Black Potatoe Festival in Clinton on July 13.
Marshall Crenshaw

If 70s pop and FM rock are more Mom’s style, maybe she’d prefer the Sanctuary Series’ annual Audience Appreciation Concert. This year’s show  features two vanguards of the jangly, melodic, retro-Pop movement. First, the quirky Marshall Crenshaw with Motown and FM Rock inspired music. Next on the playlist: Opener Jim Boggiaself-described as “Your One-Stop Shop for Yester-Pop!”  Because it’s the annual Audience Appreciation Concert, tickets are only $20 — and free for Pick Six Subscribers. Show starts at 8 pm at 240 Southern Boulevard, Chatham.

Mambo with Momma, and Tito Puente Jr., son of the legendary Latin bandleader, at 8 pm in the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown. Tickets: $19-$49. At 100 South St. Call 973-539-8008.


SUNDAY, MAY 11:

Rocking Horses came to Christmas on the Green in 1949. Photo courtesy of Morristown Partnership.
Put Mom back in the saddle again! Photo courtesy of Morristown Partnership.

Get Mom back in the saddle again, with free Mother’s Day rides at  Seaton Hackney Stables, 440 South St., Morris Township. Mothers ride free when accompanied by a paying son or daughter, pending space availability. Time slots from 9 am to 5 pm, must schedule in advance. Call 973-644-3355 for more.

Take Mom shopping at The Winter Farmers Market, and maybe she will cook for you. The market continues this spring at Fosterfields Living Historical Museum, 73 Kahdena Road, in Morris Township, from 10 am to 2 pm. The farm has partnered with the Foodshed Alliance Famers’ Access Network and local farmers to bring fresh, locally-produced goods, including meats, cheeses, artisan breads, prepared foods, honey, preserves, and winter produce.

Bishop Barbara Harris
Bishop Barbara Harris

Could you think of a better person to speak on Mother’s Day at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Morristown than Bishop Barbara Harris? As the first woman bishop in the Anglican Communion, she’ll have plenty to talk about for both the 9 am Adult Forum, and then the 10:30 am “Women’s Journeys” worship service. Church of the Redeemer is at 36 South St.

Mom should enjoy this Brilliant Cut Glass Lecture & Dessert Reception at Acorn Hall Historical Museum, in Morristown. The Morris County Historical Society presents Patricia Sanftner for a special lecture on American Brilliant Cut Glass at 1:30 pm, followed by a dessert reception in Acorn Hall’s dining room. Tours of Acorn Hall are also included in the event’s admission fee: $10 for Society members, $15 for non-MCHS members, children under age 12 are free. Ms. Sanftner is the guest curator for the new MCHS exhibit “Sharp Edges, Brilliant Cut Glass through the Centuries” running from May through June 8, 2014. Seating is limited; reservations are suggested. Please call 973-267-3465. The admission fee may be applied toward membership with the Society. The Oak Leaf Gallery will also be available for Mother’s Day shopping. At 68 Morris Ave.

Last chances for Mom to catch The Tempest, at 2 pm and 7:30 pm at the Shakespeare Theatre. See Thursday entry for details.

Mom ought to savor  Made in New Jersey: A Celebration of Decorative and Fine Arts,
at 4:30 pm in the Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, 45 Macculloch Ave., Morristown.  Discover  unsung heroes, villains, and forgotten tales in a book that reveals the  meaning of the Jersey Blues. Call 973-538-2404 for more.


MONDAY, MAY 12:

Celebrate the memories of Lauren and Emily Failla, and the causes the sisters cherished,  with Broadway at the BickfordStars from on- and off-Broadway shows will perform hits from Wicked  to  Rent at the Bickford Theatre in Morris Township, to benefit the Laura & Emily Failla Foundationwhich supports neo-natal medical care, arts programs and scholarships at the sisters’ alma mater, Morristown High School.  Singer Blaire Reinhard Perrin (Class of 1999) will host the evening and MTV’s Derek Vintschger (Class of 1999) will lend his production skills.  Tickets are $40; VIP admission is $80; $150 for couples. Includes a cocktail hour, dessert, coffee and a silent auction–with items ranging from an iPad Air to hot air balloon rides.  At 6 Normandy Heights.

failla foundation poster bickford

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