Centenary Stage Co. plans January Thaw festival

HACKETTSTOWN — Centenary Stage Company plans to heat things up this winter with their annual January Thaw Music Festival.
This year’s features three exciting performances during the month of January in the Sitnik Theater of the Lackland Performing Arts Center. The festival includes; The HooDoo Loungers on Saturday, Jan. 14 at 8 p.m.; Sweet Plantain Quartet on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 8 p.m. and 3hree for Louis: A Tribute to Louis Armstrong on Sunday, Jan. 22 at 2 p.m.
Launching the January Thaw Music Festival, The HooDoo Loungers will be bringing Mardi Gras early to the Lackland Center on Saturday, Jan. 14 at 8 p.m. The HooDoo Loungers, a high energy nine-piece band, performs electrifying music inspired by the rhythms, sounds, history and spirit of New Orleans. The band's sound encompasses traditional New Orleans Jazz, Brass Band, classic R&B and funk — a blend of original music and re-arranged New Orleans classics. Since its formation in 2008, the HooDoo's have performed at numerous East Coast music festivals and concerts as well as performing at top music venues such as the Paramount Theater, The Stephen Talkhouse and B.B. Kings Blues Club.
Centenary Stage Company’s January Thaw Music Festival continues on Sunday, January 22 at 2pm as one of New York’s most versatile musicians, Eddie Allen brings three trumpeters and an all–star ensemble to pay tribute to the great Louis Armstrong with 3hree for Louis: A Tribute to Louis Armstrong.
Trumpeter, composer, arranger, author Eddie Allen is one of the more versatile musicians on the New York scene. He’s called upon to play everything from jazz to R&B/Pop to Latin to symphonic to Broadway, and everything in between. Allen has worked with such jazz greats as; Art Blakey, Billy Harper, Randy Weston, Dizzy Gillespie, Henry Threadgill, Bobby Watson, Jon Faddis, Benny Carter, Panama Francis, Joe Henderson and Steve Turre. He has recorded and performed with, as well as composed for: Louis Hayes, Lester Bowie, Jack McDuff, Etta Jones & Houston Person, Mongo Santamaria, Chico Freeman, Charli Persip, Vanessa Rubin and Muhal Richard Abrams. Allen has performed in Broadway orchestras and authored an instructional method book while continuing to work as a freelance musician and clinician
Bridging the gap between generations and musical genres, Sweet Plantain Quartet closes out the Centenary Stage Company January Thaw Music Festival on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 8 p.m. Artfully fusing the western classical traditions in which they were trained with the hip-hop, jazz improv, and Latin rhythms on which they were raised, their unique repertoire and live shows educate and entertain. Through original compositions and arrangements, and with their use of extended percussive techniques, Sweet Plantain awakens audiences to new possibilities in chamber music. Separately hailing from The Bronx, New Jersey, and Venezuela, together these musicians give voice to a sound that is contemporary, multicultural, and very New York. Since 2007, Sweet Plantain has performed throughout the United States, Europe, Russia, and the Caribbean, ranging from concerts in Russia's historic Tchaikovsky Concert Hall to gigs at NYC's famed Birdland jazz club.
Tickets for The HooDoo Loungers on Saturday, Jan. 14 at 8 p.m. are $27.50 for adults and $17.50 for children under 12 in advance. As with all concerts, jazz and special events ticket prices increase $5.00 on the day of the performance.
Tickets for 3hree for Louis: A Tribute to Louis Armstrong on Sunday, Jan. 22 at 2 p.m. are $25 for adults and $17.50 for children under 12 in advance. As with all concerts, jazz and special events ticket prices increase $5 on the day of the performance.
Tickets for Sweet Plantain Quartet on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 8 p.m. are $22.50 for adults and $17.50 for children under 12 in advance. As with all concerts, jazz and special events ticket prices increase $5.00 on the day of the performance.
For more information or to purchase tickets visit centenarystageco.org or call the box office at (908) 979–0900. The CSC box office is located in the Lackland Performing Arts Center at 715 Grand Ave. Hackettstown, N.J. The box office is open Monday through Friday from 1–5 p.m. and two hours prior to each performance. Centenary Stage Company can also be found across social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.