Jesters were usually the wisest members of royal courts, due to the extra brains stored in their three-pronged hats. Let a modern jokester share some of his brains with you with today’s GrouponLive deal to see One Man Lord of the Rings at the State Theatre in New Brunswick. For $9, you get one ticket for seating in the mid-orchestra section (up to an $18 value, including ticketing fees). Choose between the following performances:
- Saturday, February 4, at 3 p.m.
- Saturday, February 4, at 8 p.m.<p>
In just one hour, the chameleonic Charles Ross recreates the thrilling battles, daring rescues, and legendary characters of Tolkien’s page-to-screen trilogy in a performance the Washington Post called “a tickling solo act.” With ferocious energy, spellbinding mimicry, and an elven autotuner, Ross flies his parrot-like voice over the breadth of Middle Earth to regale ears with dialogue and sound effects from the films. The multifaceted performer swoops into The Shire to execute playful exchanges between the Hobbits just as easily as he hisses through Gollum’s split personality and belts out Gandalf’s booming edict, “You shall not pass!” to the fiery Balrog. Ross takes only brief pauses for respite between the three titles to sip water and take a nap in a hammock in the wings.
Charles Ross rose to acclaim in 2002 when his One Man Star Wars stole the hearts and swayed the force of space-opera fans worldwide, prompting the New York Times to urge Jedi disciples to “get out your light sabers!”
State Theatre New Jersey
The State Theatre New Jersey was saved, as its website states, from "the ravages of time." Built in 1921 as a vaudeville and silent-film palace, the venue fell on hard times in the 1970s. In 2003, however, a $3 million renovation restored the State Theatre New Jersey to much of its original glory, as crews painstakingly rehabbed the ornamental plaster, terracotta exterior, and actor holding cells. Inside the theater, a stunning chandelier sparkles more brightly than ever below the venue's signature dome.