Compiled by Katrina Langer and Kevin Coughlin
It’s showtime at Morristown High School! The Man Who Came to Dinner comes to the MHS stage this weekend.
But the fun doesn’t stop there in Greater Morristown.
You can bone up for some holiday cooking. Or re-live the British Invasion (the second one) with the second coming of the Hermits. Learn about the Pope, Honest Abe or the NYPD. Check out a heavenly choir. Savor a sublime folk concert.
And if all that’s not enough, cruise our handy calendar for even more weekend options.
THURSDAY, NOV. 20, 2014:
A new cookbook club kicks off at 7 pm in the Morristown & Township Library; Meeting One focuses on holiday party planning. Thanksgiving stuffing, simple-but-tasty desserts and cheery holiday cocktails are on the menu, courtesy of Morristown resident Claudia Ocello (whose family stuffing was featured on WNYC’s The Leonard Lopate Show); Morris Township baker Kelly Simms; and bartender Andres Arias, who will prepare Cocuito, a Caribbean style eggnog. Admission is free. At One Miller Road, Morristown. Call (973) 538-6161 for more.
The North Jersey Civil War Round Table convenes at 7:14 pm at the Haggerty Education Center at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum, where John C. Maloney and John J. Francis, both round table members and lawyers, discuss how Abraham Lincoln and his confidants supported the code of war. At 353 E. Hanover Ave. in Morris Township. Admission is $5; first-time guest and students are free.
How is Pope Francis changing the Catholic Church — and will these changes outlive him? Get an expert opinion from David Gibson, national reporter for the Religious News Service. The award-winning religion writer, who is often quoted on national television, will speak at 7:30 pm at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 100 Harter Road in Harding. The event is sponsored by Voice of the Faithful New Jersey, and admission is free. Call 862-377-9914 for more.
In 1964, Peter Noone scored his first hit with Herman’s Hermits, I’m Into Something Good. A half-century later, he still is. Noone and his re-formed Hermits bring such classics as Kind of a Hush, I’m Henry the VIII, I Am and Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat to Morristown’s Mayo Performing Arts Center at 8 pm. They will split the evening with The Buckinghams, the Chicago band best known for its ’60s hit, Kind of a Drag. Tickets are $39-$79. At 100 South St. Call 973-539-8008 for more. Listen to our podcast with Peter Noone for great stories about his teen exploits with the Beatles, Stones and Elvis.
Former New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly will speak at the Drew Forum, at Drew University’s Concert Hall in the Dorothy Young Center for the Arts at 8 pm. Kelly served with the New York Police for 43 years, and created the nation’s first municipal counter-terrorism bureau. He also has served with Interpol, and worked in corporate security. Tickets are $32. The university is at 36 Madison Ave., Madison. Call 973-408-3917 for more.
FRIDAY, NOV. 21:
The Simon Gallery hosts an opening reception for artist Matthew Craig from 6 pm to 8 pm, at 48 Bank St., Morristown. Craig’s abstract paintings will be exhibited through Dec. 20, 2014. Call 973-538-5456 for more.
Morristown High School presents The Man Who Came to Dinner, a comedy about a crotchety dinner guest who never leaves, at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $11 for adults and $6 for students, faculty and senior citizens. Also on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. At 50 Early St.
If you enjoy watching Dancing with the Stars from the comfort of your living room, try Dancing Pros: Live! at the Mayo Performing Arts Center. For the first time on one stage, professionals from popular TV dance competitions will compete against each other live — and the audience can vote for the top couple via electronic remotes attached to the seats. Tickets are $39-$79. The show starts at 8 pm at 100 South St., Morristown.
The Minstrel in Morris Township hosts a special twin bill at 8 pm: Jonathan Edwards (Sunshine) and Lucy Kaplansky (Guilty as Sin), two of the most beloved singer-songwriters on the folk circuit. At the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship, 21 Normandy Heights Road. Tickets for this show only are $30 in advance, $35 at the door.
SATURDAY, NOV. 22:
Everyone knows Greater Morristown’s key role in the American Revolution. But the region’s iron mines also were pivotal to the Industrial Revolution. Celebrate Morris County Iron with the Hanover Township Landmark Commission from 8:30 am to 1 pm, at the community center at 15 North Jefferson Road in Whippany. Historians and authors from nine towns are scheduled to speak. Admission is free and refreshments will be served, but you must pre-register online or by calling the Whippanong Library at 973-428-2460 .
Grab a camera or phone and bring the family to the Haggerty Education Center for this month’s nature Photo Scavenger Hunt. Take a photo of every item and get a prize.Themes and prizes change monthly. From 9 am to 3:30 pm, at 353 E. Hanover Ave, in Morris Township. Cost is $10 per family. Visit www.arboretumfriends.org, or call 973.326.7603 for more.
Got swag? You will after the Holiday Swag Workshop! Make your own outdoor swag from 10 am to noon, with help from Sue and Steve George, former owners of Old Brookside Greenhouses and Nurseries in Mendham Township. Cost: $40. All materials are provided, but bring your own pruners and a box to carry home your creation. At the Frelinghuysen Arboretum, 353 E. Hanover Ave., Morris Township. For more information, or to register, please visit www.arboretumfriends.org, or call 973.326.7603.
Morristown High School presents the comedy The Man Who Came to Dinner at 7:30 pm. See Friday entry for details.
Organist Kevin Graf leads music for organ, brass and choir at 7:30 pm at the Morristown United Methodist Church. He will perform works by Bach, Durufle, Bolcom and Regerbe, accompanied by the Voices of Praise Choir under the direction of Sheila Smith. Suggested donation: $20 for adults and $15 for senior citizens. Advance tickets are $17 adults/$12 seniors; call 973-538-2132. Students with ID are admitted free. The church is at 50 Park Place (on the Green). Facilities are handicapped accessible. A reception follows the concert, which is co-sponsored by StarMinistry.org.
SUNDAY, NOV. 23:
The Morristown Farmers Market concludes its 24th season, courtesy of the Morristown Partnership. Forage for local farm foods and baked goods one last time, from 8:30 am to 2 pm, in municipal parking lot 10, behind the post office. The Market returns for its silver anniversary in June 2015.
Family Photo Scavenger Hunt at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum, 9 am to 3:30 pm. Please see Saturday entry for details.
Morristown High School presents the comedy The Man Who Came to Dinner at 2 pm. See Friday entry for details.
