Tis the Season for fun at the Planetarium!

HOLIDAY SHOWS

WHERE: RVCC Planetarium, 118 Lamington Road, Branchburg
ADMISSION: $10 per person for one show; $16 per person for two shows on the same day
Use code STAR1 when you purchase your ticket for a $2 per person discount.
Reservations are recommended.
Call to make reservations: 908-231-8805

The Alien Who Stole Christmas
WHEN: Saturdays, December 15 and 22, 3:00 pm

Discover some of the stars visible in tonight's sky. Then follow Santa on a trip through the solar system when a friendly alien kidnaps him.  The kids on the other planets need presents too, you know! (recommended for ages 6-10).

Winter Wonder Lights laser concert
WHEN: Saturdays, December 15 and 22, 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm

Listen and sing along to holiday hits such as "Wizards in Winter," "Rockin' around the Christmas Tree," and "Dominic the Donkey."  (Recommended for ages 6-adult)

Mystery at the North Pole
WHEN: Saturdays, December 15 and 22, 7:00 pm

Santa is sick! He was poisoned by someone at the North Pole. Was it an elf? A reindeer?  The audience will need to look at the suspects and figure out who is guilty.  This show includes an introduction to the stars in the winter sky. (Recommended for ages 8-adult)

Check our website for the public show schedule for now through May 2019, and show descriptions.

Winter Solstice Saturday
WHEN: Saturday, December 22, 2-5 pm and 6-9 pm

Participate in hands-on activities for all ages celebrating winter, the solar system and the Moon. All activities are free, but regular admission charges are applicable for any shows that day.

Sensory-Friendly programs

The Sky Above 
WHEN: Saturday, January 5, 5 pm

Enjoy music, laser lights, stories, and information about the planets, Moon, and constellations.  Content is presented on a kindergarten level.

RVCC Planetarium offers special astronomy and music shows designed for families with children on the Autism spectrum or those with developmental disabilities.  These sensory-friendly shows, which are appropriate for audiences of all ages, will provide a comfortable and judgment-free space that is welcoming to all families. During the show, the doors will remain open so children may freely leave and return if they choose.  Lights will be left dim (instead of dark) and the audio will be lowered and kept at a consistent level.

Call to make a reservation: 908-231-8805

Observatory 

Weather permitting, the 3M Observatory will be open to the public on Saturdays from 7 pm to about 9:00 p.m.  

There is no fee to visit the Observatory.

Visit our website

Total Lunar Eclipse
WHEN: Sunday, January 20, 2019, 10 pm - midnight

The Full Moon is going to slide through Earth's shadow, causing the Moon to slowly "disappear" and then, when fully in the shadow, appear reddish. We will gather outside the 3M Observatory to watch this celestial event.  Inside the planetarium, we'll present short programs explaining what eclipses are.  The partial eclipse begins at 10:34 pm.  Total eclipse beings at 11:41 pm.

Free event!

RISING STAR AWARDS, New Jersey’s Statewide High School Musical Competition, Now Accepting Applications

PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE’S 24^th ANNUAL RISING STAR AWARDS

DEADLINE: Wednesday, January 9, 2019 by 5:00pm

As one of the nation’s leading theaters, Paper Mill Playhouse has a well-earned reputation for launching both performers and shows for the Great White Way. The theater was the recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award. Since their inception in 1996, the Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theatre presented by the Investors Foundation have ignited the careers of many notable performers, all of whom attended high school in New Jersey.  Among the early nominees and winners are Academy Award winner Anne Hathaway (Les Misérables), Tony Award winners Laura Benanti (Gypsy) and Nikki M. James (The Book of Mormon), Tony nominee Rob McClure (Chaplin), Shanice Williams, star of NBC’s The Wiz Live! and Olivier Award nominee Jared Gertner (The Book of Mormon).

Any New Jersey school that produces a legally-licensed musical between January 17 and April 14, 2019, is eligible to participate.

The application for schools to participate is now available online at http://www.papermill.org/education/rising-star-awards/award-application.html. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis and only the first 100 schools to apply will be able to participate in the program.

The Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards Presented by the Investors Foundation are modeled after the Tony Awards, and Paper Mill Playhouse's program serves the entire state of New Jersey, with 100 entered productions from public, private and parochial high schools. Paper Mill Playhouse conceived and created the awards in 1996 to give schools the opportunity to showcase their musical arts programs on a statewide level. The musicals are adjudicated by Paper Mill Playhouse throughout the spring by a group of 70 evaluators, with each school receiving four independent evaluations.  Schools nominated for Outstanding Overall Musical and Leading Actor/Actress nominees perform at the event, and award recipients are presented with an engraved crystal award from Tiffany & Co.

The 2019 Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards Presented by the Investors Foundation ceremony will take place at Paper Mill Playhouse on Tuesday, June 4, at 7:30pm, featuring presenters from Broadway and beyond. The awards ceremony is broadcast live on television and online through Paper Mill Playhouse’s video partners, Hometowne Television (HTTV).

Paper Mill Playhouse also awards $5,000 in scholarships at the Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards Presented by the Investors Foundation.  Five $1,000 cash scholarships are given to outstanding individual students who plan to continue studying theater performance or technical theater in college. Beginning in 2019, students seeking to become arts educators can apply for the Mickey McNany Arts Education Scholarship, named for the late founding director of the Paper Mill Playhouse Theatre School. Paper Mill Playhouse is pleased to award a prize of $500 to a school receiving the 2019 Educational Impact Award, which acknowledges a school that successfully connects the musical to the district's curriculum, using the production as a teaching tool for the greater student body and local community.  Through the Rising Star “Theater for Everyone” Inclusion and Access Award and a partnership with the New Jersey Theatre Alliance and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Paper Mill Playhouse will present a cash award of $1,000 to a school to recognize excellence in the promotion and practice of creative inclusion of students and adults with disabilities as performers, designers, musicians and production staff. Additionally, this award seeks to recognize and reward a school that takes steps to ensure their performances are accessible to audiences with disabilities.

Lastly, students receiving final nominations in the lead and supporting acting categories receive a scholarship to Paper Mill Playhouse's competitive Summer Musical Theatre Conservatory, a professional training program, which, along with advanced classes in singing, acting and dance, offers the nominees an opportunity to perform onstage at Paper Mill Playhouse in the season finale concert, "New Voices of 2019, Learn Your Lessons Well”.

Rising Star scholarships are made possible by Ruth Bedford in memory of Jane Burgio, Walt Santner in honor of Janet Sovey, and the Douglas Michael Krueger Scholarship Fund Trust. The Theater for Everyone Inclusion and Access Award is supported by the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.

This program is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

Paper Mill Playhouse Education & Outreach are proudly sponsored by The Goren Family and Harmony Helper.

PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE, a not-for-profit arts organization under the direction of Mark S. Hoebee (Producing Artistic Director) and recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award in 2016, is one of the country's leading regional theaters.  Paper Mill Playhouse programs are made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Paper Mill Playhouse is a member of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, the Council of Stock Theatres, and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.

For additional information, please visit www.papermill.org.

Studio Montclair Presents “Art-To-Go,” a Holiday Sale and Exhibit

Art-To-Go

WHEN: November 27 through December 21, 2018. Gallery Hours: Tuesday 10-2; Wednesday thru Friday 11-3; Saturday 12-3 
WHERE: Studio Montclair Gallery, 127 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair
smi@studiomontclair.org, 862-500- 1447

Sixty pieces by 35 Studio Montclair artists across the full range of visual media, from drawing and painting to mixed media and photography, will be available for purchase. States SMI Executive Director, Susanna Baker: “Art-to-Go provides the perfect opportunity for holiday shoppers to select an original, affordable work of art as a special gift for an art-loving friend or family member.”

All artwork will also be available for online purchase starting November 26. For a sneak preview of the work please visit studiomontclair.org.

About Studio Montclair:                                                                                  

Studio Montclair Inc. is a nonprofit organization of exhibiting professional artists and others interested in the visual arts. Its mission is to promote culture and education in the visual arts and encourage emerging artists. Founded in 1997, the organization has over 450 members including artists throughout the United States, as well as Europe and Asia. For more information, contact smi@studiomontclair.org, or call 862-500-1447.

The Star Next Door – Take 2, The Finals

The Roxbury Arts Alliance is celebrating its 10th season of the Investors Bank Theater! We want to celebrate by hosting our second vocal talent competition. We hope that you will join us by competing; voting online for your favorite semifinalist; and/or attending the Final Event at which the final 12 contestants will compete live on March 23 at the Investors Bank Theater.

WHEN: March 23rd, 2019, at 7:30pm

SEE CONTEST RULES & FILL OUT AN APPLICATION

TICKETS: RAA/SSG Member $10 online* in advance and $15 at the door; General Admission $15 online* in advance and $20 at the door *Online ticket sales close the day before the event. WHERE: Investors Bank Theater at the Horseshoe Lake Complex; 72 Eyland Ave, Succasunna

Celebrate the New Year with NJFO!

NJFO’s quintessential NYE celebration takes on a brand new dimension as our Broadway vocalists are joined by Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Da’von Doane and friends to recreate musical theater showstoppers from stage and screen.

Come revel in the musical genius of America's great composers, outstanding vocal performers and dancers, and a world-class professional orchestra led by Maestro David Wroe.

Last year's concert was a sell-out so don't delay!

LEARN MORE / BUY TICKETS

Try Something New This Winter!

OUTDOOR SKILLS: SHELTER BUILDING

December 15

Learn about primitive shelters, and build your own shelter in the woods. Ages 10 - 15.

Click here for more info.

MAPLE SUGARING DEMONSTRATIONS

Saturdays & Sundays in January & February

It’s maple sugaring season at the Great Swamp OEC! Experience the entire process from tree to pancake-topping treat, complete with a delicious syrup taste test. Check it out here.

WILD ABOUT WINTER MINI-CAMP

December 26 - 28

Discover the crazy things that wildlife does to survive the winter cold, and explore the quiet forest looking for animal signs. Enjoy fun games and activities, create themed-crafts, and more. Ages 5 - 8. To learn more, click here.

SNOWSHOE SUNDAYS AT PYRAMID MOUNTAIN NHA

Select Sundays in January, February & March

Get outside and active this winter, and experience the unique and exhilarating sport of snowshoeing! Enjoy a guided trek exploring the beautiful winter scenery and looking for signs of wildlife—all while getting a great workout. For more info, click here.

Guitar Duo Performs a “Christmas Pastoral, December 16

Newman & Oltman: Christmas Pastorale

WHEN: Sunday, December 16, at 3:00 pm
WHERE: St. Andrew’s Church, 50 York Street, Lambertville

Hailed as a “revelation to hear” by The Washington Post, the Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo’s phenomenal musicianship places them solidly at the top of their field. Their innovative programming, matchless technique and ensemble precision, combined with their commitment to expanding the repertoire for guitar duo, make them a chamber ensemble of world renown.

Newman and Oltman’s concert tours have taken them to world cultural capitals and premiere venues across five continents, the Caribbean, and South Pacific. In addition to their international engagements, they have performed at Carnegie Hall, aboard Queen Elizabeth II, Caramoor, and the Grand Canyon. The Duo has demonstrated extraordinary stylistic breadth in their collaborations with such diverse artists as composer/conductor Marvin Hamlisch and the Pittsburgh Symphony, mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, fiddler Eileen Ivers, pianist Clarice Assad, violinist Tim Fain, and the ETHEL, Calder and Turtle Island string quartets.

Newman & Oltman will celebrate the premiere of a new work written and dedicated to them by renowned Cuban composer Leo Brouwer in the spring of 2019.  The duo hosted Brouwer last spring during a rare US appearance at Mannes School of Music.  Highlights of recent and upcoming performances include the world premiere of Concierto Buenos Aires composed for the Duo by Nuevo Tango Master Daniel Binelli with l’Orchestre de l’Opéra de Reims in France.  Following on the success of the concerto’s French debut, the Duo “charmed the Ferguson audience with phenomenal musicianship” (Gazette-Journal) when they performed it with the Virginia Symphony. This summer Michael and Laura returned to teach and perform at the Lanciano International Guitar Seminar in Abruzzo, Italy where they are co-artistic directors.  They also performed as guest artists and master class presenters at the Camino Artes Guitar Workshop in Palencia, Spain and at the Festival de Violäo in Porto Alegre, Brazil.  

Through their groundbreaking new music-commissioning program, Newman & Oltman have built a unique repertoire of works for two guitars by composers such as Paul Moravec, Augusta Read Thomas, Lowell Liebermann, Dušan Bogdanovic, Arthur Kampela and Roberto Sierra. Fanfare Magazine hailed the Duo’s latest CD, Music from Raritan River as “top-notch” and “a winner all around.”  The recording features a collection of world premieres commissioned by the Duo over the past decade.  Their artistry has also been captured on nearly a dozen other acclaimed recordings and has been recognized by grants and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, Chamber Music America and ASCAP.

In addition to founding and serving as artistic directors of the New York Guitar Seminar at Mannes, Michael Newman and Laura Oltman have served as ensemble-in-residence at Mannes College of Music since 1987.  They are also founders and artistic directors of the Raritan River Music Festival which will mark its 29^th season this year.

This Weekend at the UCPAC!

LOUIE ANDERSON

WHEN: Sat, Dec 15, 8:00 PM
WHERE: UCPAC Mainstage, 1601 Irving St., Rahway, NJ
GET TICKETS

Iconic comedian Louie Anderson, three-time Emmy Award® winner, is one of the country’s most recognized and adored comics, named by Comedy Central as “One of 100 Greatest Stand-Up Comedians of All Time.” His career has spanned over 30 years.

Leno, Letterman, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, “Comic Relief,” Showtime, HBO and CMT specials followed his national television debut on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1984. Hosting the legendary game show Family Feud made Louie a household name and opened doors for him as an actor.

He has guest starred in sitcoms like Grace Under Fire and dramas like Touched by an Angel, and he has had memorable featured roles in film comedies like Coming to America and the classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. In 2016, Anderson was cast to co-star with Zach Galifianakis and Martha Kelly in the hit FX comedy series Baskets, and he won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

SHOPKINS LIVE

WHEN: Dec 16, 2018 11:00 AM
WHERE: UCPAC Mainstage, Rahway, NJ
GET TICKETS

The #1 kids toy in North America is live and on stage in Shopkins Live! Shop It Up! Your beloved Shoppies make their theatrical debut in an original new live show featuring musical performances by Jessicake, Bubbleisha, Peppa-Mint, Rainbow Kate, Cocolette, Polli Polish and more! The fun and fashionista Shoppies are joined by the Shopkins – the grocery store-themed mini collectable toys – Apple Blossom, Strawberry Kiss, Lippy Lips, Kooky Cookie, Poppy Corn, Slick Breadstick and Shady Diva. An ensemble cast of multi-talented performers brings the show to life on stage through urban style music, song and dance.

Purchasers of "VIP" seating ($68.00 price level in rows A-D in the Orchestra and row R in the Loge) will get a meet & greet with the Shopkins themselves!!

CAREGIVERS’ STORIES SOUGHT FOR THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE

Healing Voices OnStage: Caregivers Stories

DEADLINE: For program guidelines and to submit your piece by January 15, 2019, visit: bit.ly/HealingVoices2019 or call the Alliance at 973.731.6582 ext. 14.

The completed monologues will then be read by professional actors on March 26, 27 and April 12 at one of the theatres. (Top: Actors from Premiere Stages at Kean University and Writers Theatre of New Jersey perform a public staged reading as part of the Healing Voices OnStage: Caregivers Stories program)

For the fourth consecutive year, New Jersey Theatre Alliance (“the Alliance”) is inviting professional and family caregivers to submit their personal stories for a theatrical production as part of the Healing Voices OnStage: Caregivers Stories program.

“We have found that this program is a wonderful healing opportunity for individuals to freely express their feelings about their caregiving experience in an artistic manner,” said John McEwen, Executive Director of the Alliance.

Produced in partnership with Writers Theatre of New Jersey (Madison), Premiere Stages at Kean University (Union), The Growing Stage: The Children’s Theatre of New Jersey (Netcong), and George Street Playhouse (New Brunswick), Caregivers Stories will culminate with three professional presentations of selected works woven together as part of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance's Stages Festival, an annual event that offers dozens of free and low-cost theatre events in various venues across the state.

Creative prose, poetry, and theatrical monologues are welcome and should reflect the theme of caregiving or the personal healing experience. All four theatres will conduct workshops to assist those writers selected, in the development of their pieces.

The Healing Voices program is made possible through a grant from Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts. For information on Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, please visit www.midatlanticarts.org . Additional support has been provided by Atlantic Health System.

About New Jersey Theatre Alliance

Founded in 1981, New Jersey Theatre Alliance is the first statewide organization for professional, not-for-profit theatre companies in the United States, and is a leader in developing model programs that unite, promote, strengthen, and cultivate professional theatre in New Jersey for its 33 member theatres. The Stages Festival is made possible in part by funding from Bank of America; The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey; the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts; The F.M. Kirby Foundation; the George A. Ohl, Jr. Trust Foundation, and New Jersey Council for the Humanities. Additional support for New Jersey Theatre Alliance is provided by individuals, corporations, and foundations including The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and The Shubert Foundation.

About Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation

Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation was established in 1979 to promote and support multi-state arts programming in a region that includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, the US Virgin Islands, Virginia, and West Virginia. Over the last 35 years, the Foundation has expanded its reach to include national and international initiatives. The Foundation’s work is focused on performing arts touring, jazz, independent film, support for individual artists, and international cultural exchange.

FREE PROGRAM FOR KIDS @ THE JCC IN WEST ORANGE SATURDAY NIGHT!

FREE HOLIDAY CONCERT IN LIVINGSTON THIS SATURDAY NIGHT

Perfect for the whole family or even a date night, admission is free for this concert event. Children under 12 are welcome, but should be accompanied by an adult.

The concert will be held at Livingston High School, 30 Robert Harp Drive, Livingston at 7:30pm. The Orchestra is looking forward to sharing this magical time of year with the public.

Theater League of Clifton to Hold Auditions for “Golden Girls III”

Golden Girls III (The Curse of Jessica Fletcher)
by John R. Logue

WHEN: Tuesday, Dec. 18, and Wednesday, Dec. 19, 7 to 9 p.m.
WHERE: Mario’s Restaurant, 710 Van Houten Ave., Clifton

The Theater League of Clifton will hold auditions its annual dinner/theater production at on for the show “Golden Girls III.”

The show is seeking performers (six cast members) to play parody versions of characters from the hit TV sitcom “The Golden Girls:” Dorothy, Blanche, Sophia, and Rose; along with a parody character of Adrian Monk from the quirky TV detective show “Monk;” and a parody of Jessica from the classic TV mystery show “Murder She Wrote.” The casting call is open to all genders, ethnicities, abilities and ages.

Performances are slated for Feb. 22, 23, 24 and March 2, 3, 9 and 10 at Mario’s Restaurant, which is located at 710 Van Houten Ave., Clifton. Friday and Saturday shows begin at 8 p.m., with Sunday matinees starting at 4 p.m.

Erin Woodward is the director of the production while Mark Peterson serves as the producer. Woodward is a graduate of Montclair High School (MSU) and a former president of the MSU School of Visual and Performing Arts. She directs and performs in New York City and New Jersey as a singer, actor, and clown. Peterson

IMAGE: Producer Mark Peterson (left) and director Erin Woodward.