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The cast includes Tony award nominee Sean Allan Krill (Chess, Floyd Collins, Parade, Jagged Little Pill, Mamma Mia!), Mamie Parris (Wicked, School of Rock, Cats, The Drowsy Chaperone), Melvin Tunstall III (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Ain’t Misbehavin’), Anne Fraser Thomas (Queen of Versailles, Titaníque, Hercules), Will Reynolds (Fred Ebb Award winner, Daddy Long Legs, Passion, Mamma Mia!), Jen Malenke (The Sound of Music, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Into the Woods), Alex Kunz (Amazing Grace, Emojiland), Karl Scully (The Irish Tenors World Tour), Jesse Carrey-Chan (Dirty Dancing), Kelly Ellenwood (The Phantom of the Opera). Nicole Tori (The Sound of Music – first Asia tour). Also featuring Chris Ams, Gianna Cusato, Jonah Sebastian Espinosa, Shane Francis, Joule L’Adara, and Zoe Thomas.
Broadway in Beacon was created by Jen Malenke and Will Reynolds and is co-produced by Alex Kunz. They won a Hudsy Award in 2026, and their monthly musical theatre open mic nights have become one of the hottest tickets in the Hudson Valley, with local talent sharing the stage with Broadway stars.
The Bannerman Castle Trust has received numerous awards for its outstanding performances and programming, and a theater experience on the Bannerman Island Stage is like no other! Come and experience powerhouse vocals, beloved showstoppers, and Broadway magic in one of the most breathtaking outdoor venues in New York.
EPIC BROADWAY! on Bannerman Island is sponsored by THE FESTIVAL (broadwayfest.com) – a Three-Day Outdoor Music Festival celebrating Broadway’s biggest stars, August 14 – 16, in Kingston, NY.
Two tour boats depart from the Beacon, NY Dock at 2 Red Flynn Drive in Beacon, NY, directly across from the Beacon Metro-North Train Station at both 6:00 and 7:00pm for an 8:00pm performance on Bannerman Island. Attendees will also have an opportunity to take a short tour of the island’s historic gardens, trails and structures before the performance.
Proceeds help fund ongoing restoration projects on Historic Bannerman’s Island. Tickets are $80 for Premium Seating, $75 for General Seating. Tickets are limited and can be purchased at bannermancastle.org. For more information, please call (845) 831-1001. THANK YOU!
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]]>BCT Office, 150 Main Street, Beacon, NY 12508: 845-831-1001
Bannerman Castle Trust – July 2026 – Calendar of Events
Month of July – Bannerman Island Tours Book a tour in June to Bannerman Island & Castle in the Hudson River Highlands! The Estuary Steward tour boat accommodates 44 passengers and departs from the Beacon Waterfront Dock directly across from the Metro-North Train Station at 2 Red Flynn Drive, Beacon, NY (May-October). Enjoy a guided, or self-guided tour of Bannerman Island. Visit the historic Bannerman Castle ruins and gardens and explore the original Bannerman residence, now a museum! For a schedule of events including; walking tours, theater events, movie nights, concerts, dinner events and other special events (and to purchase tickets, visit https://bannermancastle.org/tours-events/bannerman-island-tour/
Friday, July 3rd – Bannerman Island Movie Night
Celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary by seeing “1776”, the classic 1972 Musical directed by Peter H. Hunt on historic Bannerman Island. The film stars William Daniels as John Adams, Howard DaSilva as Benjamin Franklin, Ken Howard as Thomas Jefferson and Blythe Danner as Martha Jefferson. A great way to begin the Independence Day weekend with the whole family! For tickets visit: https://bannermancastle.org/tours-events/bannerman-island-tour/
Friday, July 17th – Bannerman Island Movie Night
Experience “Strangers on a Train on Bannerman Island. This brilliant 1951 Alfred Hitchcock Film is considered one of Hitchcock’s finest! An “edge of your seat” psychological drama and thought-provoking murder mix-up starring Farley Granger and Robert Walker in very memorable performances. For tickets: https://bannermancastle.org/tours-events/bannerman-island-tour/
Sunday, July 19th – Bannerman Castle Trust’s Third Sunday Music Concert Series
The BCT proudly presents The Costello’s, playing Maverick Pop originals and other great songs you will know and love. The concert is FREE for visitors taking the 11:00am and 12:30pm tours! For tickets visit: https://bannermancastle.org/tours-events/bannerman-island-tour/
Friday & Saturday, July 24th & 25th
“EPIC BROADWAY ON BANNERMAN ISLAND” Broadway in Beacon presents an unforgettable Broadway revue set against the stunning backdrop of the historic Bannerman Residence. Featuring professional actors who have all performed on Broadway, this spectacular evening brings iconic songs from the Great White Way to life on the Hudson River. Experience powerhouse vocals, beloved showstoppers, and theatrical magic in one of the most breathtaking outdoor venues in New York. EPIC BROADWAY on Bannerman Island is sponsored by THE FESTIVAL, a 3-Day Outdoor Music Festival celebrating Broadway’s biggest stars. For tickets visit: https://bannermancastle.org/tours-events/bannerman-island-tour/
Month of July Exhibitions – Bannerman Island Gallery, 150 Main Street, Beacon, NY.
Main Gallery Exhibition – The Bannerman Castle Trust’s history exhibition continues. This show features changing artwork, photographs and artifacts from the Bannerman Family Collection, focusing on BCT’s development since 1994. Works by contemporary artists focusing on Bannerman Island and the Hudson River Valley are also featured.
West Wall Exhibition – Virginia Donovan (Paintings) and Mary Ann Glass (Photo-Mixed Media). Ongoing show featuring Hudson Valley Paintings & Photography. (All art sales support preservation projects on Bannerman Island). Gallery Hours: Sat. & Sun. 12:00 noon – 5:00pm, weekdays by chance & appointment. Group tours are available by calling 845-831-1001.
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]]>The post NUNSENSE, a Habit-Forming Musical comes to Bannerman Island, Wednesday – Sunday, July 19-23! appeared first on Pause the World for Peace.
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Wednesday – Sunday, July 19-23!
The Bannerman Castle Trust Inc. (BCT) with offices at 150 Main Street in Beacon, NY will present “NUNSENSE” the Off-Broadway Smash Hit Musical that ran for over 10 years in NYC! The show, which is an international phenomenon, will take place on historic Bannerman’s Island from Wednesday, July 19th through Sunday, July 23rd. Produced by Executive Director, Neil Caplan, the show has been updated with new jokes, additional lyrics, and two new arrangements and is better than ever!
A “Dark Comedy Musical” Nunsense begins when a convent of nuns discover that their cook, Sister Julia, has accidentally poisoned 52 of the sisters. In dire need of funds for the burials, the sisters decide to raise money by putting on a variety show. Theater goers meet Reverend Mother Regina (Nancy Auffarth), a former circus performer; Sister Mary Hubert, the Mistress of Novices; a streetwise nun from Brooklyn named Sister Robert Anne; Sister Mary Leo, a novice who is a wannabe ballerina; and the wacky Sister Mary Amnesia, a nun who lost her memory when a crucifix fell on her head. Featuring music, dancing, an audience quiz and comic surprises – attending this show is a delightful way to spend a summer evening!
Nunsense was conceived and written by Dan Goggin. Originating as a line of greeting cards, Goggin expanded the concept into a cabaret show that ran for 38 weeks, and eventually into a full-length musical. The original Off-Broadway production opened in 1985, running for 3,672 performances, becoming the second-longest running Off-Broadway show in history! The show has since been adapted for television, spawning six sequels and three spin-offs.
Nunsense is directed by Award Winning Director DONALD BRENNER, of Rochester, NY. Dan has directed over 120 productions. In New York, he directed the Off-Broadway revivals of Stephen Sondheim’s Company, A Little Night Music, Do Re Mi, Louisiana Purchase and The Matchmaker. He has also directed March Madness (AB*IE AWARD – Outstanding Director), December Fools, Mallorica and New York Musical Theatre Festival productions of The Mapmaker’s Opera, Sasquatched! The Musical and The Most Ridiculous Thing you ever Hoid (NYMF Award of Excellence). Other Off-Broadway credits include A Tale of Two Cities, the Lincoln Center production of Ali Baba, and the world premiere of Beyond Gravity. Dan’s numerous regional theater credits include world premieres of Wilde Goes West, The Gym, The Light in the Piazza, Philadelphia, Here I Come! Corpse! and On the Twentieth Century. His production of 1776 was named one of the “Top San Diego Productions of the Year” by PBS and earned him a “Best Direction of a Musical” Robby Award Nomination. As a writer/director he has adapted The Miracle on 34th Street, Kismet and Cinderella and directed the world premiere of On the Market at Rochester’s JCC Center Stage.
Musical Director TOM McCOY, of Fishkill, NY is an accomplished classical and jazz pianist, known within musical circles as a versatile soloist and accompanist, composer, arranger, and conductor. He has backed up James Taylor, Judy Collins, Ray Charles, Natalie Merchant, Garth Hudson, Regis Philbin, Lea Salonga, Robert Goulett, as well as legendary comedians Joan Rivers, Henny Youngman and Phyllis Diller. Tom’s performances and arrangements have been heard on national television and in far-flung locations around the world. Locally, McCoy scored and music-directed the original musical The Battle of the Orphans in collaboration with writer and actor Brian McConnachie, at the Depot Theater in Garrison, NY. He served as musical director for the original musical Adventures in the Great Beyond for the Harold Clurman 42nd Street Theater and many other regional productions. Tom played in the pit of the Official Broadway National Tour of Grease! and for an international tour of Phantom of the Opera. He has taught Voice for Theatre as adjunct professor at SUNY New Paltz and guest-lectured at the Juilliard School on the influence of early jazz on 20th century composers and has appeared in over 1,000 educational concerts with Associated Solo Artists, for whom he headed the recruitment and training of professional pianists to serve as teaching-artists. He currently serves as the band-leader, pianist and arranger for the renowned Jazz Vespers at First Presbyterian in Cold Spring, NY.
Actress Nancy Auffarth of LaGrangeveille, NY (Nunsense’s Mother Superior) appeared on Broadway and in National Tours of Back Country, On the Twentieth Century and Barnum. She has appeared at the prestigious Papermill Playhouse (Jane Eyre), St. Louis Muni Opera (Promises, Promises), Actor’s Theatre of Louisville (In Fashion), The Vineyard Theatre (Juno), Indianapolis Starlight (Baby), Kenley Players (Barnum) and Pennsylvania Stage Co (The Club) and other Off-Broadway venues, dinner theaters, national commercials and soaps. After the birth of her daughters, Nancy became a resident actor with the Queen City Stage Co, a former Equity company in Poughkeepsie, NY. Other credits include Taming of the Shrew, The Miracle Worker, My Fair Lady, She Loves Me, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, Steel Magnolias and 110 in the Shade. As an Artistic Director, she presented The Glass Menagerie and The Diary of Anne Frank and additionally appeared at Tri Arts and Half Moon. She has also served as Artistic Director of River Valley Rep, an Equity company at Marist College where she appeared in The Light in the Piazza, Putting it Together, God of Carnage, and Eleemosynary. Currently, Nancy maintains a private vocal and acting studio where she has trained actors for many years. Nunsense also features amazing performances by Equity Actress Lisa Sabin of Cold Spring, NY and up-and-coming actresses Gianni Tucci of Brooklyn, NY; Melissa Goldberg of New York, NY and Kirby Sclafani of Poughquag, NY.
Nunsense will be held on Bannerman’s Island for five consecutive nights from Wednesday, July 19th – Sunday, July 23rd. Each show includes a cruise to and from Bannerman Island on The Estuary Steward Tour Boat, departing from Beacon, NY at 6:00 and 7:00 pm for a performance that begins at 8:00 pm. Attendees also have the opportunity of taking a short tour of Bannerman’s Island before the performance. Tickets are available at www.bannermancastle.org. $80 Premium Seating, $75 General Seating. As with all performances, proceeds help with restoration projects on Beautiful and Historic Bannerman’s Island in the Hudson River!
For more information on “Nunsense” and other BCT programming, please contact BCT Executive Director Neil Caplan at 845-831-6346 or at neilcaplan@aol.com. THANK YOU!
Group Photo – Back Row left to right, Kirby Sclafani, Gianna Tucci, Neil Caplan, Melissa Goldberg (seated) Nancy Auffarth, Lisa Sabin, seated right, First row left, Director, Donald Brenner and Musical Director, Tom McCoy at right.
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