Centenary Stage Company 2017 Summer Jamfest is jam packed with an array of exciting musical guests.  Set to rock the Lackland Performing Arts Center all summer long, Centenary Stage Company’s 2017 Summer Jamfest will feature; Drive:  A Tribute to the Cars on Saturday, July 15 at 8pm; The Doo Wah Riders on Saturday, July 22 at 8pm; The British Invasion Years on Saturday, July 29 at 8pm; the Peacherine Ragtime Society Orchestra on Saturday, August 5 at 8pm and Dr. K’s Motown Revue on Saturday, August 12 at 8pm.  All performances will be held in the Sitnik Theater of the Lackland Performing Arts Center.

                Centenary Stage Company launches the 2017 Summer Jamfest with the timeless sounds of the 80’s with Drive:  A Tribute to the Cars on Saturday, July 15 at 8pm in the Sitnik Theater of the Lackland Performing Arts Center.  Dedicated to producing accurate recreations of classic songs from the 80’s decade and highlighting a special tribute to “The Cars”, lead singer, Mary Beth Cronin, thrills audiences with her transformation to the persona of Ric Ocasek, while Darren Gallagher on Guitar & Vocals, Richard Honoski on Guitar & Vocals, Cosmo Lo Cricchio on Keyboards & Vocals, Billy Reutlinger on Bass Guitar & Vocals and Jay Sharkey on Drums & Vocals produce an Authentic Recreation of The Music of “The Cars“.

                The 2017 Summer Jamfest continues on Saturday, July 22 at 8pm with the “one-of-a-kind” The Doo Wah Riders in the Sitnik Theater of the Lackland Performing Arts Center.  For over 40 years The Doo Wah Riders have been riding their own patch of the musical range throughout the west. Possessing a rare combination of many years of experience with youthful energy, The Doo-Wahs are country, with a unique, original sound.  They define their sound as “high energy country with a cajun twist”. Their tight musicianship and powerful arrangements of classic and original songs have made them favorites everywhere they go.

                The 2017 Summer Jamfest braces itself for an invasion from “across the pond” on Saturday, July 29 at 8pm as The British Invasions Years brings three shows in one to the Sitnik Theater of the Lackland Performing Arts Center.  More than just The Beatles, audiences will experience an amazing nostalgic journey through the sixties and celebrate a groovy generation.  The program begins with the classic songs by iconic sixties British groups, the bad boy soul of The Rolling Stones, the defiant anthems of The Who, the raw and powerful guitar sounds of The Kinks, the flower power grooves of The Zombies, and the uplifting pop of Herman’s Hermits.  Then the program shifts to the celebrated American artists influenced by the British sound; The Beach Boys, The Monkees, The Doors and Steppenwolf.  Finally, the program wraps up with a showstopping climax with music from the four lads who started it all:  The Beatles.

                The thrilling era of silent films comes alive again with the Peacherine Ragtime Society Orchestra on Saturday, August 5 at 8pm in the Sitnik Theater of the Lackland Performing Arts Center as part of Centenary Stage Company’s 2017 Summer Jamfest.  The premier American ragtime ensemble, as acclaimed by the Washington Post, the Peacherine Ragtime Society Orchestra takes you back to the early 1900s as they screen three of the greatest silent comedies ever made, Charlie Chaplin’s One A.M. (1916) Buster Keaton’s Cops (1922) and Laurel & Hardy’s Big Business (1929) with their historic orchestral scores. Between the films, the orchestra plays the rollicking rhythms of the early 20th century, featuring favorites by Scott Joplin, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, and more.

                Finally, Centenary Stage Company’s 2017 Summer Jamfest closes with the sound and soul of Motown with Dr. K’s Motown Revue on Saturday, August 12 at 8pm in the Sitnik Theater of the Lackland Performing Arts Center.   Without a doubt, The Motown Sound has left an indelible stamp on the heart, soul and mind of several generations of fans worldwide.  It’s not just the songs but the memories associated with them that have forever imprinted the Motown Sound in the hearts and souls of music fans.  Featuring an amazing array of seasoned musicians and singers, Dr. K’s Motown Revue, takes its audiences on a journey of the Motown sound, and makes you want to sing along on every familiar song they play.  Keeping the heart, soul and sound of Motown true to its roots each, coupled with the perfect blend of Motown era costumes, every performance transports its audiences back to another era. The result is a powerhouse performance.

Tickets for Drive:  A Tribute to the Cars on Saturday, July 15 at 8pm are $27.50 for adults in advance.  Tickets for The Doo Wah Riders on Saturday, July 22 at 8pm are $30.00 for adults in advance.  Tickets for The British Invasion Years on Saturday, July 29 at 8pm are $27.50 for adults in advance.    Tickets for the Peacherine Ragtime Society Orchestra on Saturday, August 5 at 8pm are $27.50 for adults in advance.  Tickets for Dr. K’s Motown Revue on Saturday, August 12 at 8pm are $27.50 for adults in advance.  As with all concerts, jazz and special programming ticket prices increase $5.00 on the day of the performance.  Centenary Stage Company is also offering a Summer Jamfest Flexpass.  The Summer Jamfest Flexpass is $115.00 and grants entry to all five 2017 Summer Jamfest events.

For more information or to purchase tickets visit centenarystageco.org or call the box office at (908) 979 – 0900.  The box office is located in the Lackland Performing Arts Center on the campus of Centenary University at 715 Grand Ave. Hackettstown, NJ.  The box office is open Monday through Friday from 1 – 5pm and two hours prior to every performance.  Centenary Stage Company can also be found across social media platforms; Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  Like and follow to receive the latest in Centenary Stage Company news and special offers.

The 2016-17 season of performing arts events at the Centenary Stage Company is made possible through the generous support of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the NJ State Council on the Arts, the Shubert Foundation, the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, the Sandra S. Kupperman Foundation, and CSC corporate sponsors, including Premier Season Sponsor Heath Village Retirement Community, Silver Sponsors Hackettstown Medical Center, Home Instead Senior Care (Washington), The Holiday Inn in Budd Lake, and Fulton Bank of New Jersey, and Centenary Stage Company members and supporters.