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Tuesday, November 26, 2019

FREE Admission to ICON2019 Finals! December 1 in Rahway

WHEN: Sunday, December 1, 7 PM
WHERE:
UCPAC Main Stage, 1 Irving St., Rahway
ADMISSION: FREE!
RESERVE YOUR TICKET NOW!

Back for a sixth season, ICON2019 is a singing competition much like "American Idol" meshed with "The Voice," but in the genre of musical theater. We started with 90 contestants, whittled that number down to 16 for the Semi-Finals, and now there are only FIVE contestants left!

Come cheer on your favorite! The winner of ICON2019 receives a grand prize that includes $10,000 and the lead role in their dream show!

Reservations Recommended Rigorously (the three 'R's) for “It’s a Wonderful LIfe” in Union

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

WHEN: NOV 30 / DEC 1, 2 PM
WHEN
: Unity Bank Annex, 952 Stuyvesant Ave., Union NJ
TICKETS / GUIDE TO UNION CENTER RESTAURANTS 
on the website: TheTheaterProject.org

Reservations  recommended; seating is limited and tickets are going fast, because, after all ...

“Chris Westfall - Celebrate the Wonder of It All” in Succasunna this Saturday

CHRIS WESTFALL – CELEBRATE THE WONDER OF IT ALL

WHEN: November 30th, 2019 at 7:30 PM
WHERE:
Investors Bank Theater at the Horseshoe Lake Complex, 72 Eyland Ave, Succasunna
MORE INFO

Join this passionate troubadour as he takes you on a unique journey. With a voice of energy and conviction, Chris Westfall takes us out of our lives and we fly like a soaring eagle – full of spirit and emotion.

Experience his ability to connect through song, transforming a simple tune into a celebration. Join us, this holiday season, as we welcome back Chris to our stage.

Come, put down that turkey leg and get your Jingle on!

Stars of New York City Ballet join ARB onstage Friday, November 29rd

Join us at McCarter Theatre Center on Friday, November 29, as we welcome Special Guest Artists: UNITY PHELAN, New York City Ballet Soloist and Princeton Ballet School alum & Adrian Danchig-Waring , New York City Ballet Principal Dancer, Dancing the roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier at the 2 PM & 7:30 PM performances!

WHEN: Friday, November 29 | 2:00 & 7:30 PM; Saturday, November 30 | 2:00 PM; Sunday, December | 1:00 PM
WHERE:
McCarter Theatre Center, 91 University Pl.,  Princeton

For tickets, visit HERE or call 609.258.2787

Full Nutcracker 2019 performance schedule

Be sure to stop by the Nutcracker Boutique for all your holiday shopping needs!

DECEMBER IS UPON US. SAVE $20 ON NUTCRACKER ROCKS & MATILDA Black Friday Special…Good Through Cyber Monday!

WHERE: Axelrod Performing Arts Center, 100 Grant Ave., Deal Park

It’s that time of year… and you and your family can celebrate the holidays with The Nutcracker ROCKS, a fun new production of The Nutcracker featuring the dancers of the Axelrod Contemporary Ballet Theater, under the direction of Gabriel Chajnik with rock-and-roll arrangements and new songs by Alex Rosamilia and Alex Levine of Gaslight Anthem.

You’ll get to hear the entire Nutcracker score, but with a Jersey rock twist, as Clara’s eccentric Uncle Dross, played by Matteo Debenedetti, disrupts the family’s fancy Christmas party by bringing a nutcracker holding an electric guitar. Clara gets whisked away on a wild magical adventure…to the Jersey Shore…and discovers rock music..and the boardwalk…and saltwater taffy…and MORE!

Buy Tickets!

The magic continues in March with Roald Dahl’s MATILDA The Musical, a coming of age story of a five-year-old girl with special powers who overcomes adversity, cruelty and ignorance. Based on Dahl’s book, Matilda the Musical is an adult story—think Annie meets Harry Potter—with a professional company directed by Broadway’s Luis Salgado, returning to the Axelrod for his fourth consecutive year. In the past Luis directed the Axelrod’s outstanding productions of In The Heights, Ragtime the Musical and Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida, all three nominated for Broadway World honors for Best Musical.  Buy Tickets!

The Nutcracker ROCKS plays the weekend of December 20-22; Matilda plays March 6-22, 2020.

Go online and use the code BF2019 to save $20 on Premium or Regular Adult tickets for The Nutcracker ROCKS and Roald Dahl’s MATILDA The Musical.

A fairy tale for the current generation—beyond the happily-ever-after worlds of Cinderella and Beauty and The Beast is the irascible and comical Shrek, based on the DreamWorks animated feature film. With a delightful score by Tony winner Jeanine Tesori, Shrek takes the audience on a journey of love and acceptance that will get the holiday season off to the right start. This new Rising Stars Youth Production may be the most spectacular youth show every staged at the Axelrod, starring Mark Regan as the ogre, and directed by Lisa Goldfarb with choreography by Wendy Roman and conducted by musical director Randal Hurst.

WHEN: Saturday, November 30, with performances at 2 PM and 7 PM and on Sunday, December 1, at 3 PM, and then plays next weekend, Saturday, December 7, at 2 PM and 7 PM and Sunday, December 8, at 3 PM.

Bring the whole family for a great evening or afternoon of feel-good musical theater!  BUY TICKETS!


From Our Friends at Two River Theater

A New Revolution from the Composer and Lyricist of Be More Chill!

A turbulent rock romance by Joe Iconis, composer and lyricist of the worldwide sensation Be More Chill! Set in a 1960s Juvie Hall, Love in Hate Nation uses classic “bad girl” movies as the inspiration for the story of young people caught between eras of a changing America. Sixteen-year old Susannah Son is carted off to the National Reformatory for Girls to get her head put on straight. There she meets the aggressively incorrigible Sheila Nail, and a relationship forms which leads to an all-out “revolution in the institution” as they attempt to break out of the boxes society has created around them. Girl Group Wall of Sound harmonies are filtered through a punk rock spirit in this rebellious and romantic new musical.  LEARN MORE

REVIEW: UPDATED “CINDERELLA” MAY LACK SOME MAGIC BUT PLEASES AS HOLIDAY FARE

by Ruth Ross

Will the real Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella please stand up?

Is it the original 1957 70-minute television version with a book by Oscar Hammerstein III and starring Julie Andrews, reborn again in 1965 as a film starring Lesley Ann Warren? Is it the teleplay of multi-ethnic 1997 Disney adaptation written by Robert L. Freedman? Or is it Tom Briggs’ interpretation of the venerable tale produced by the Paper Mill Playhouse in 2005?

The answer: None of the above.

For its 2019 holiday offering, the Playhouse has chosen a more contemporary script penned by Douglas Carter Beane for the 2013 Broadway production. This iteration has turned Cinderella into an advocate for the poor; added a ranting social rebel named Jean Michel; given one of her ugly stepsisters a social conscience; and inserted modern slang expressions into the dialogue (e.g., when asked during the wedding how she’s feeling, Cinderella answers, “I’m good”). While such updates may please younger, more hip audiences, they bloat the plot (Cinderella has to go to the palace twice—once for a ball, again for a banquet—before she can lose that iconic glass slipper and the Prince can search for the foot to fit it). By the time the wedding rolled around, the little girl in front of me had fallen asleep and my eyes were closing too.

In its simplest form, the ancient plot concerns Cinderella (left, Ashley Blanchet), who, forced into a life of servitude by her cruel stepmother, dreams of a better life. With the help of her Fairy Godmother, the young woman is magically transformed into an elegant young lady and is able to attend the ball to meet her Prince. Rushing out at the stroke of midnight, when the spell will be broken, Cinderella drops her glass slipper. The Prince finds it and scours the kingdom to find the one girl whose foot it will fit. The two wed and “live happily ever after.”

Three women—Cinderella, Madame and Crazy Marie—stand at the center of this beautiful production. Ashley Blanchet’s Cinderella is kind to all, even as she sits dreaming alone in her “own little corner of the world.” Her lovely voice expresses the lushness of Rodgers’ melodies and the clever lyrics by Hammerstein. She’s especially winning in a duet sung with Prince Topher (Billy Harrigan Tighe) ten minutes after they’ve met and the glorious ballad “Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful.” Hoty (center, above) is an appropriate imperious, self-absorbed, social-climbing stepmother, ordering Cinderella around and seeking every social advantage for her annoying daughters (Angel Lin (right)  is especially obnoxious, on purpose, as Charlotte, while Rose Hemingway (left) is a more retiring, sweeter Gabrielle). And as Crazy Marie (aka the Fairy Godmother) English (left, with Blanchet in the magic coach) is an appropriate cheerleader for her charge, showing that the impossible can be come possible and that “There’s Music in You.”

Tighe is an insecure princeling, unsure of who he is or if he’s ready to assume the throne. Christopher Sieber (right, with Tighe and Blanchet) is oily as the manipulative, villainous prime minister Sebastian, the Regent who is loath to give up the powers he’s exercised until Topher comes of age and who has duped his charge into approving oppressive legislation. And Andrew Boyd (below) is the very loud and annoying new character, the rebel Jean Michel, whose loud, screechy rants against the government don’t win him much sympathy from the audience.

The large ensemble nimbly performs JoAnn M. Hunter’s choreography, even with its odd-looking Egyptian hand positions. Anna Louizos’s beautiful scenic design takes us from the forest to the palace smoothly, and William Ivey Long’s costumes are eye-popping, with neon tights on the women of the court and a riot of color worn by women and men alike. Transforming Marie into a Fairy Godmother and Cinderella into a Princess occurs in the wink of an eye much to the audience’s surprise. And while some of the other special effects (the pumpkin becoming a coach, the mice turning into the horses) are magical, they don’t match the breathtaking effects of the 2005 production.

PMP Artistic Director Mark S. Hoebee has directed with a steady hand, but the bloated plot means that the performance, originally 70 minutes in 1957, now clocks in at over two hours. Despite its flaws, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella is the perfect confection for the holiday season. You’ll do well to take your own little princesses to the Paper Mill Playhouse for a dose of magic. (Right: Cinderella and here stepmother and stepsisters contemplate the Prince’s ball.)

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella will be performed at the Paper Mill Playhouse, 22 Brookside Drive, Millburn, through December 29. For information and tickets, call the box office at 973.376.4343 or visit www.PaperMill.org.

BLACK FRIDAY SPECIALS @ ACL ART GALLERY IN LIVINGSTON

REVIEW: “MY LIFE ON A DIET” TREATS SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH HUMOR

by Ruth Ross

For the second production of their inaugural season at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, the George Street Playhouse has chosen a rather odd piece of theater: Renée Taylor’s autobiographical one-woman show, My Life on a Diet. Based on a memoir she wrote in 1986 with her late husband Joseph Bologna, the piece is more memoir than play. Although it does have a plot of sorts—tracing Taylor’s trajectory from her childhood as chubby Renée Wexler to an Emmy Award-winning performance as Fran Dresher’s overweight mother on The Nanny— her halting, breathy recitation delivered from a chair as slides are projected on a large screen at the back of the stage robbed the play of vitality.

Now in her late eighties, Renée Taylor has trouble walking and, I’d assume, difficulty remembering the large number of lines delivered in a one-woman show. To counter this problem, she reads from a large book, making no effort to disguise the fact that she’s actually reading text. Her attempt to adjust the pillows behind her (until, finally, one fell on the floor) and to maneuver a foot stool that had been placed too far forward were distracting. And because Taylor stays seated, reading, the production feels static, making the 90-minute show feel slow.

That said, there are some redeeming qualities to the show. The tale, centered around a weight problem (sometimes more perceived than actual) that she attempts to solve with a myriad of fad diets is funny, personal and, ultimately, poignant as it reveals the source of Taylor’s need for love, audience and industry appreciation, and success. Taylor rarely departs from reading the script, but when she does (as in a hilarious account of her honeymoon), we get a glimpse of her once-great comedic talent. She often makes unabashed fun of herself, letting us in on the joke.

As Taylor looks back on her long career in Hollywood and on Broadway, she regales us with juicy anecdotes illustrated with slides of her childhood, her parents, the actors she met and worked with, and her meeting and marriage to Joseph Bologna. She recounts weight-loss tips from such stars as Grace Kelly, Cary Grant, Marilyn Monroe and Joan Crawford. She thought if she could eat like a star, she’d be one.

Her childhood was fraught with ambition and insecurity. The child of two show biz wannabes, she was pushed to live vicariously for her parents. Her father moved the family around the country, one step ahead of the debt collector. Her mother Frieda’s obsession with weight (and celebrity) led Renee to become a self-described “diet tramp”—"someone who eats around.”

In her pursuit of fame, Taylor attends the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, lands a starring role in a play that closes after one performance and gets work in television (weekly appearances on Jack Paar’s Tonight Show and later on Perry Como’s Kraft Music Hall). At the Actors’ Studio in the fifties, she befriends Marilyn Monroe whose grape diet (some of the frozen) isn’t successful, but her love for Marilyn is poignant and revealing.

Many of these anecdotes are funny and delivered with good comedic timing. The feeling that she is unlovable, doomed to failure and always fat (no matter what the scale says) is, however, very sobering. That she meets and marries Bologna (their union lasted 53 years) saves her. And her real-life obsession with food was the impetus for her final role on The Nanny that garnered her an Emmy nomination!

Harry Feiner’s scenic design features lots of glitz and animal prints appropriate to Taylor’s show business career. And Michael Redman’s projections appear smoothly onscreen when needed. I wish Christopher Bond could “up” the sound a bit so we’d hear her better.

Underneath the comedy, My Life on A Diet is a ringing indictment of show business’s preoccupation with weight and appearance, similar to the situation addressed in the recent film about Judy Garland starring Renée Zellweger.

Renée Taylor had a career spanning over six decades. I recall seeing her on television when I was a kid, and I was familiar with many of the diets she tried. While it was kind of fun to revisit the highlights of her career, I felt more sad than entertained, from her story and her delivery. If you like nostalgia (and are old enough to have lived through the 50s, 60s and 70s when Renée Taylor was a star), you’ll be entertained. It’s not a play for the young: The four Rutgers University students seated in front of me played on their cell phones the entire time.

My Life on a Diet will be performed at the George Street Playhouse in the beautiful New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, 11 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, through December 15. For information and tickets, call the box office at 732.246.7717 or visit www.GeorgeStreetPlayhouse.org online.

Monday, November 25, 2019

“A Very Special Holiday Special” Dec. 7 in Summit

WHEN: Saturday, December 7, at 8:00 p.m
WHERE:
Oakes Center, 120 Morris Ave., Summit
TICKETS: $20 and $15 for students 25 and younger.
Get your tickets now

Kick off the holiday season with the Dreamcatcher Company with their annual irreverent spoof of the holiday specials of yesteryear. If you enjoyed the corny fun of old-fashioned holiday variety shows, you’ll love A Very Special (Holiday) Special. Dreamcatcher takes a break from their mainstage schedule to perform their affectionate send-up of traditional holiday entertainment.

The Dreamcatcher Resident Acting Company will entertain with holiday songs, comic sketches and improv, and lots of good old-fashioned fun. Each year’s show is original; past years’ performances included an ode to binge shopping, a spoof of Hallmark Channel movies and a holiday cooking show gone bad. This year’s show will include musical parodies, topical sketches, and unique silliness.

Performing in the show are Dreamcatcher Company members Laura Ekstrand (Livingston), Noreen Farley (Clinton), Dave Maulbeck (Madison), Scott McGowan (Maplewood) and special guests Jeff Ertz (Madison), Jo Malbec (NYC), Daria M. Sullivan (Montclair), and Emily Williams (Hackettstown).

DREAMCATCHER REP Podcast: LOCAL with guest Jeff Ertz: The Art of Throwing Pickles

November 2019 | Season 2; Episode 3:

Jeff Ertz: The Art of Throwing Pickles

Jeff Ertz is a NJ-based singer-songwriter, who has been featured on ABC’s ‘A Million Little Things,’ NPR’s ‘Reveal,’ as well as right here, because he composed the theme song for Local. In this episode of Local, Jeff tells the story of his music, and how he found his way into a creative and technology-driven career in post-production. He wears many hats and has gained experience and expertise in a variety of production and post-production roles, including editing documentaries, post-supervising feature films, sound design, sound mixing, and more.  Hear how storytelling is the thing that drives everything he does, and how making music keeps him sane.

Jeff Ertz will be part of A Very Special (Holiday) Special on Saturday, December 7.

Listen now


What is LOCAL?

Laura Ekstrand, Artistic Director of Dreamcatcher Rep in Summit, New Jersey, explores what it means to make art and culture in New Jersey. Join her for smart, thoughtful conversations with local actors, playwrights, directors, and arts professionals.

The many ways to enjoy LOCAL episodes:

You can SUBSCRIBE, DOWNLOAD, EMBED, or SHARE.

Look for the icons on the podcast player on our our website.

The perfect holiday gift: “A Christmas Carol” @ NBPAC

BUY TICKETS NOW!  11 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick
BUY TICKETS NOW!

Tickets are on sale now for the classic story of Ebenezer Scrooge! Watch him come to life on stage in spectacular fashion as this multi-cultural musical celebration is delivered in a unique fashion in a way that only Crossroads can.

Broadway veteran performer Count Stovall embodies the world's most famous curmudgeon, who values his wealth above the lives others. Three Spirits visit on Christmas Eve who force Scrooge to examine his life choices which will ultimately show him the error of his ways. Experience this holiday favorite with spectacular dancing and toe-tapping singing.

CENTENARY STAGE COMPANY’S ANNUAL HOLIDAY FAMILY SPECTACULAR, “DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST,” OPENS NOVEMBER 29

DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

WHEN: November 29 to December 15.  Fridays, November 29, December 6, 13 at 8:00 pm and Friday November 29 at 2:00 pm; Saturdays, November 30 and December 7 at 8:00 pm; Saturday December 14 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm, Sundays, December 1, 8 and 15 at 2:00 pm; Wednesday, December 4 at 2:00 pm and Thursday, December 5 and 12 at 7:30 pm.
WHERE
: Sitnik Theatre of the Lackland Performing Arts Center on the campus of Centenary University at 715 Grand Avenue in Hackettstown
TICKETS: $29.50 - $35.00 for adults with discounts available for seniors, students and children under 12. *
Tickets are available online at centenarystageco.org or by calling the box office at (908) 979 – 0900.

The grandiose ensemble of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is a culmination of Centenary Stage Company’s robust programing, featuring Professional Guest Artists, Centenary University Students, students of the critically acclaimed Young Performers Workshop, and local area talent. Professional Guest Artists returning for this year’s annual holiday production are Centenary Stage favorites Carolyn Popp (Ghost Train, The Cripple of Inishmaan) as the endearing Mrs. Potts and Osborn Focht (Annie, A Christmas Carol, Mary Poppins, Peter Pan) as Belle’s lovable father, Maurice. Centenary University students Emily Bennet (Jesus Christ Superstar, Polkadots, Merry Wives of Windsor) returns to the CSC stage as leading lady, Belle, Kevin Wehmann (Jesus Christ Superstar, Merry Wives of Windsor) as the ill-fated Beast and CJ Carter (Ghost Train) as the boisterous Gaston. The production is directed by Centenary Stage Company favorite, Michael Blevins, with Kevin Lynch leading the seven-piece live professional orchestra, and perhaps one will notice the voice CSC’s own award-winning Artistic Director, Carl Wallnau, as that of the narrator.

Step into the enchanted world of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, a Broadway modern classic and international sensation that has been produced in over 37 countries worldwide. Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature, the stage version includes all of the delightful songs written by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, along with new songs by Mr. Menken and Tim Rice. The original Broadway production ran for over thirteen years and was nominated for nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

*Ticket prices on Friday evening performances are $30.00 for adults, $27.50 for seniors and $20.00 for students and children under 12. Ticket prices for Saturday evening performances are $35.00 for adults, $30.00 for seniors and $20.00 for students and children under 12. Ticket prices for Sunday afternoon performances are $35.00 for adults, $30.00 for seniors and $20.00 for students and children under 12. Ticket prices for the Wednesday afternoon performance are $29.50 for adults/seniors and $20.00 for children under 12. Tickets for Thursday evening performances are $30.00 for all seats with a Buy One/Get One Rush Ticket special when purchased in person at the CSC box office beginning at 5:30pm on the night of the performance. Tickets for the Friday afternoon preview performance are $25.00 for all seats with a special $20.00 Preview Rush ticket available to Hackettstown residents when purchased in person at the box office with proof of residency. Centenary Stage Company also offers a special buffet matinee performance on the Wednesday December 4 performance for groups of 25 or more. Tickets for the buffet matinee are $47.00 per person and reservations must be made in advance. Centenary Stage Company also offers $5.00 student rush tickets to any student from any school for every Friday performance throughout the run.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit centenarystageco.org or call the Centenary Stage Company box office at (908) 979 – 0900. The box office is open Monday through Friday from 1 – 5 PM and two hours prior to all performances. The Centenary Stage Company box office is also located in the Lackland Performing Arts Center on the campus of Centenary University at 715 Grand Ave. Hackettstown, NJ. Centenary Stage Company can also be found across social media platforms; Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Like and follow us to receive the latest in CSC news and special offers.

Centenary Stage Company’s Family Holiday Spectacular production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is sponsored in part by The House of the Good Shepherd, Heath Village Retirement Community, Hackettstown Medical Center Atlantic Health System and Home Instead Senior Care.

The 2019-2020 season of performing arts events at the Centenary Stage Company is made possible through the generous support of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the NJ State Council on the Arts, the Shubert Foundation, the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, the Sandra Kupperman Foundation, Zonta Morristown Chapter and CSC corporate sponsors, including Season Sponsor The House of the Good Shepherd, Heath Village Retirement Community, Silver Sponsors Hackettstown Medical Center with Atlantic Health System, Home Instead Senior Care (Washington), and Fulton Bank, and Centenary Stage Company members and supporters.            

JAZZ THIS WEEK IN NEW BRUNSWICK

Thursday November 28

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Ember Ensemble Continues Joyous Tradition of Holiday Concert in Montclair

The Ember Ensemble will present its 8th annual holiday concert:

An Ember December

WHEN: Sunday, December 8, at 5 PM. There will be a reception immediately following the concert where all can share holiday goodies and interact with Ember and Phoenix artists.
WHERE:
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, 94 Pine Street, in Montclair
TICKETS: in advance online for $20, or the day of at the door for $25. Children 18 and under are free of charge. Seniors and students: $15.
BUY TICKETS HERE
For more information visit www.emberensemble.org or call 888-407-6002 Ext.5.

Joining the Ember Ensemble in concert will be several members of the Phoenix Singers, the high school branch of the Schola Choral Arts organization.

This popular and child-friendly event is designed to bring both joy and healing—as each heart requires. Under the artistic leadership of conductor Deborah Simpkin King, Ph.D., the concert will feature a variety of choral repertoire and traditional holiday favorites that capture the warmth and wonder of the holiday season. There will be bells, flute and heartwarming readings, and children in the audience will have the opportunity to gather in the front with Ember and the Phoenix Singers in singing a special arrangement of Silent Night.

“Ember’s annual holiday concert is a wonderful way for the whole family to enjoy a calm moment in the midst of the busyness of the season, and share a time of joy and togetherness through song,” says Dr. King. “In addition to familiar carols that we’ll all sing together, there will be a mixture of traditional choral favorites and several beautiful works that are new to Ember and probably to our audience.”

Among the concert’s beloved holiday songs and carols to sing are Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire and In Dulci Jubilo.

Other choral selections include: Cradle Hymn by David Von Kampen, Carol of the Stanger by Abbie Betinis, Pat-a-pan by David Conte and ‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime by Timothy Takich.

Ember is the performing ensemble of Schola Cantorum on Hudson, founded in 1995 by Deborah Simpkin King, Ph.D., as an independent nonprofit organization. Ember rehearses in Midtown NYC, and performs its entire concert season in Manhattan and in Northern New Jersey. Its unique programming features new music (largely by living composers) with a socially pertinent message.

The internationally recognized new music initiative, PROJECT : ENCORE™, was founded through Schola; and the Phoenix Singers (high school branch, rehearsing in the Powerhouse Arts District of Jersey City) is the public face of Schola’s multi-pronged education programs. Ember draws singers from eleven counties throughout New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Schola is supported by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the Marjorie Bunnell Foundation, and many other generous individuals, foundations and business partners.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

CELEBRATE THE SEASON WITH “THE THREE HOLIDAY TENORS” & “BROADWAY THROUGH THE AGES” WITH THE NJ FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA

Kick off the Holidays with a bang and plenty of bling as three award-winning tenors from NYC’s MET Opera and beyond join NJFO to present a dazzling selection of renowned tenor classics and wintertime favorites to welcome in the festive season. A family celebration of symphonic pops and wintertime favorites guaranteed to make the season merry.

LEARN MORE | ORDER TICKETS

New Exhibit, “Twisted by Nature” Opens @ La Vie Galerie LLC in Livingston

Twisted by Nature

WHEN: from November 24, 2019 through January 12. 2020 with an Opening Reception on Sunday, December 8, 2019 from 12 – 4 pm
WHERE:
106 Naylon Ave. in Livingston, New Jersey
ADMISSION: free and open to everyone

La Vie Galerie LLC presentS a new exhibit, Twisted by Nature featuring art and photography by 17 talented artists from New Jersey, New York, and Australia selected specifically for their diversity of style and interpretation of the twisting imagery of nature.

La Vie Galerie LLC is a multi-room gallery which continues to exhibit emerging, mid-career and established artists creating contemporary paintings, fine art photography, sculptures, and ceramics. The mission of La Vie Galerie LLC is two-fold: provide its artists greater exposure to a new market and to present special exhibits pertaining to social issues to educate the viewer through visual arts.

The artistic eye does not necessarily see the world as it actually exists. Color, form, dimension are often altered within the context of the presented visual. It is reality as the artist sees it. Twisted by Nature celebrates the world as interpreted by the artist.

TOP: Work depicted on the invitation was created by David Derr, Steve Cummings, Valarie Golden, and Laurie Harden.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County Presents T-Klez in Concert

Rooted firmly in traditional 19th and 20th century Klezmer, the music of the Jews of Eastern Europe, T-Klez plays a full gamut of klezmer repertoire. T-Klez returns to JHMOMC, this time playing a Chanukah holiday concert. Enjoy standard tunes to sing along with, as well as melodies rarely heard, such as a 17th century Italian setting of Maoz Tzur, and a Dutch liturgical melody played on Shabbat Chanukah.

Based in Teaneck, New Jersey, the members of T-Klez are veterans of stage and community   celebrations. David Licht, is the founding percussionist of the world-famous Klezmatics, anda member of the legendary groups Shockabilly and Bongwater. He is a sought after musician who has played all over the world.  Psachya Septimus, accordion, has appeared with stars such as Avrohom Fried, Eitan Katz,Soul Farm, and Yehuda Green.  Dobe (Dena) Ressler, clarinet, has taught a history of klezmer music at KlezKamp, and at Yiddish New York.  She occasionally reviews music in both English and Yiddish.

T-Klez’s performances are fun and educational and their dance sets can rock the house!

Funding has been made possible in part by a general operating support grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a Division of the Department of State, through grant funds administered by the Monmouth County Historical Commission.

For more information or to make a paid reservation (non-refundable), call the Museum at 732-252-6990, or visit www.jhmomc.org. Maximum capacity is 100, so paid reservations are recommended. The Jewish Heritage Museum is located in the Mounts Corner Shopping Center, at 310 Mounts Corner Drive, Freehold, NJ, at the corner of Route 537 and Wemrock Road (between the CentraState Medical Center and Freehold Raceway Mall).  It is on the second floor of the historic Levi Solomon Barn. The JHMOMC is a tax-exempt organization under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Museum is handicapped and assisted-listening accessible.

CROSSROADS THEATRE COMPANY CELEBRATES 41 YEARS!

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THE ACL GALLERY CALLS FOR ARTISTS AND ARTISANS

The Arts Council of Livingston Gallery invites established and emerging artists and artisans to submit works for its upcoming holiday show,

FOR THOSE WHO CELEBRATE ART 

WHAT: Up to 3 JPGs of submissions should be sent to Hugh Mahon, hughman2000@hotmail.com by December 2nd .

Please submit regularly priced works as well as your creative pieces priced under $100. All media will be considered including paintings, sculpture, photography, jewelry, pottery, glassware, and textiles including wearable art.

WHERE: Artwork will be received at the ACL Gallery, 2130 Carillon Circle, Livingston, on Monday, December 9th from 9:30am to 11:30am.

WHEN: FOR THOSE WHO CELEBRATE ART runs Thursdays through Saturdays from December 14th , 2019 to January 11th ,2020. Artists and the general public are invited to attend the reception on Sunday, December 15th from 4pm-6pm at the Gallery.

For further information please contact Hugh Mahon at 973-747-2257 or Vivian Olshen at 973-650-6347

NEW PROGRAM @ THE ZIMMERLI ART MUSEUM IN NEW BRUNSWICK

Storytime and Book Signing with Author-Illustrator Chris Raschka

WHEN: Saturday, November 23 / 2pm
WHERE:
Zimmerli Art Museum, 71 Hamilton St., New Brunswick
ADMISSION: FREE;
RSVP requested HERE
For details, visit the webpage

Join us for an all-ages event with celebrated children’s author and illustrator Chris Raschka, as he reads his newest book, Mother Goose of Pudding Lane, and shares insights into the creation of his many other beloved titles, like A Ball for Daisy and The Hello, Goodbye Window (both Caldecott Medal winners). Mother Goose of Pudding Lane is one of several collaborations with Raschka’s longtime friend, artist Vladimir Radunsky. Illustrations from the book are on view in our current exhibition A Celebration of the Books of Vladimir Radunsky.

A book signing follows, with books available for purchase.

Children’s theater – for all ages! Seeking a multi-generational, multi-ethnic band of performers for this celebration of African folklore, song and dance

AUDITION NOTICE:

WHEN: Sun, Dec 8, 2-4pm; Tue, Dec 10, 6:30-8pm. No appointment necessary. No experience necessary. adults, teens, and kids (8 and up)
WHERE:
Burgdorff Center for the Performing Arts, 10 Durand Rd, Maplewood

Auditioners should be prepared to tell a fable or folk story of their choice (in animated fashion) or cold read a scene from the show. They may also be asked to sing a simple song and learn a simple dance combo.

Performance dates: Jan 31 & Feb 7, @ 7pm; Feb 1 & 2 and 8 & 9, @ 1pm and 3pm (double matinees on Saturday & Sunday)

Rehearsals begin immediately, 2-3 times per week (as holiday conflicts allow), at the Burgdorff and other local venues.

About the show:

To honor Black History Month, The Strollers presents this enchanting ensemble show celebrating African roots and culture. Tales from the rich treasure of African folklore are depicted through dance, music, storytelling, and scenes.

Drummers:

The music in the show consists of African drums and other percussive instruments. If you would like to showcase your talents, contact us to join the band!

Dancers:

Dancers with a knowledge of African dance and movement are encouraged to join the fun. We hope to tap the wealth of local knowledge of African traditions to infuse the production with authenticity and integrity. Contact us to learn more!

Visit www.TheStrollers.org or contact us at TheMaplewoodStrollers@gmail.com to  learn more.