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Arts & Entertainment

Bringing the Gershwin Home

Edison's Kimberly Thomas is starring in the national tour of "'S Wonderful" coming to the State Theatre.

Kimberly Thomas is no stranger to the State Theatre but things are going to be different when she takes stage at the New Brunswick venue this weekend.

Thomas grew up in Edison and performed on the State's stage during her high school dance group's annual shows. But now she's performing as a professional, singing, dancing and acting in the musical "'S Wonderful" on Oct. 30.

"'S Wonderful" uses the music of George and Ira Gershwin to tell five different "mini musicals." Thomas appears in each section but is one of the main performers in a musical set in New Orleans in the 1950s.

She describes the New Orleans section as a "love through friendship story." It's about Nina who performs in an act with her best friend Jane. But their relationship gets complicated after Nina develops a crush on a man named Harold.

"Little does she know Harold and her best friend Jane are actually in a relationship, which is crushing to her," Thomas says. "It turns out Jane wants to run off with Harold to New York from New Orleans and she wants to continue the act there, and she wants Nina to come with her."

But Nina is too upset by Jane and Harold's relationship to go with them, so she stays in New Orleans and starts a solo act. The story is told by Nina during her act and features songs such as "Summertime," "There's a Boat Dat's Leaving Soon for New York," "The Man I Love" and "Of Thee I Sing," (which is also the title of the New Orleans section).

"There’s a lot of music through the whole thing, and I’m really fortunate to have some really good material to sing in that section," Thomas says.

Other stories are set in New York City in 1916, Paris in the 1930's, Hollywood in the 1940's and a present-day story set in an undisclosed location.

Thomas is 23 and graduated from Edison High School in 2005. She also studied dance at The American Repertory Ballet's Princeton Ballet School. Growing up, she knew some Gershwin music, such as "Rhapsody in Blue: and "Our Love Is Here To Stay." She delved into the music more when she studied vocal jazz at the University of Arts in Philadelphia.

And she discovered even more Gershwin tunes when she joined the national tour of "'S Wonderful" in September of 2010.

"There was still a number of songs I didn’t hear until I learned the show," she says." It’s been really exciting to add all the songs to my repertoire and just know a little bit more about the Gershwins, they were really prolific."

The first leg of the tour ended in March of 2011. The show resumed in August, and is heading toward its end on Nov. 13.

"It’s bittersweet, it’s been a big part of my life for the past year and I’ve made some really nice friends," Thomas says. "And the show is amazing, it will be sad to say goodbye to it."


"'S Wonderful will be performed at the State Theatre, 15 Livingston Ave. in New Brunswick at 3 p.m. Oct. 30. Tickets cost $25 to $45. For more information, call 732-246-7469 or go to www.statetheatrenj.org.

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