Bringing the Gershwin Home

Kimberly Thomas is no stranger to the State Theatre but things will 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" tonight 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 becomes complicated when 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 said. "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 the songs "Summertime," "There's a Boat Dat's Leaving Soon for New York," "The Man I Love" and "Of Thee I Sing," (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 said.

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

Thomas, 23, 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 more music while studying vocal jazz at the University of Arts in Philadelphia.

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 said." 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 national tour ended in March. The show resumed in August and will end 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 said. "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. on Saturday, Oct. 30. Tickets cost $25 to $45. For more information, call 732-246-7469 or go to www.statetheatrenj.org.

Click here to purchase tickets.