Lucky fans of Jonatha Brooke were treated to a terrific concert on Friday the 13th, 2015 at Outpost In The Burbs in Montclair, New Jersey. Jonatha Brooke is a multi-instrumentalist, singer and writer whose songs have been used in movies and TV shows. Jonatha has also enjoyed a successful solo career with her most recent (2014) one-woman show moving audience from laughter to tears during a critically-acclaimed run on the Great White Way. My Mother Has 4 Noses is a play and album written by Brooke recounting in music and words her relationship with her mother. Songs from My Mother Has 4 Noses along with other originals were presented at Jonatha's concert at the Universalist Congregation at Montclair where she was warmly received by an attentive audience.
"Hi kids, how's it going?" greeted Brooke. She mentioned that she had been invited to investigate the archives of Woody Guthrie, in a sense allowing her to collaborate with out any arguments with the departed legend. "All You Gotta Do Is Touch Me" was subtly and sexy especially with the assorted sometimes breathy singing that Jonatha used to enhance it. Still strumming an acoustic Brooke moved into her colorful "Back in the Circus" that was a tale of life in the context of a circus.
"Hearsay" incorporated interesting word play supported by sturdy strumming. Jonatha was charming often sharing insights into her music. Brooke said that she wrote "Angel in the House" around the time that her parents were going through a divorce. The song was mainly about her mother with also a nod to her grandmother. As with many of her tunes it was personal, poetic and sung with emotion as was the melodic "My Misery".
Sitting at her Casio keyboard, Jonatha stated that she had penned a song for a Peter Pan movie. The song was about Wendy's 12 year old daughter who went through a theatrical trial to save the day. "I'll Try" was a hopeful magical song as was "Potential", a tune from Hopper a new musical that she is working on. Moving back to the guitar she referred to My Mother Has 4 Noses as a lead into "Scars" a tune based on a poem of her mother's. It was moving leaving its musical mark. Brooke finished her first set with another Woody collaboration describing it as Guthrie's version of "Love The One Your With".
"'Always' was the third song I ever wrote," reminisced Jonatha, observing that she was listening to Suzanne Vega a lot at that time. It was a tuneful tale of kings and princesses. Jonatha's songs are filled with visual images and her varied vocalizations adds to the passion of her music. Brooke is an artist who plays from the heart. She was almost in tears as she picked a thumb piano singing a song about losing her mother.
Brooke is a strong story and truth teller. Jonatha has a lovely voice that moves smoothly into the high ranges but she can put some grit into it if a song calls for it. Her lyrics speaks to people on many levels. Brooke appealed to both the younger and older people who were lucky to be at her Friday the 13th concert. She stuck around after the show to meet fans jesting that "signed stuff is so valuable, you can not stream a signature".
Currently, Brooke is revising her successful Broadway play by bringing My Mother Has Four Noses to select communities as an extended stay residency. The first lucky town on the itinerary is Malvern, Pennsylvania with the show scheduled to settle into the Keystone State from June 16 through June 21, 2015.
Jonatha Brooke is one of many artists who have graced the Outpost's stage. Outpost In The Burbs is a nonprofit organization dedicated to building community through music, service and cultural programs. Outpost In The Burbs starting hosting concerts in the spring of 1987. Since then they have held over 350 shows, naming Judy Collins, Richie Haven, Dar Williams as some of the well-known headliners who have performed at this unique northern New Jersey venue.
Currently, Outpost In The Burbs has several locations run by dedicated volunteers in the town of Montclair, New Jersey. Their concert series run from fall into the spring along with monthly spiritual drumming meetings. They are affiliated with the Community Food Bank of NJ, Habitat for Humanity, Toys for Tots and more. Outpost In The Burbs continues to do good works in the community and in the music world, with more shows planed for 2015, including Susan Werner, David Bromberg with Larry Campbell and Roger McGuinn.
Join us for McCarter at the Museum - renowned performing artists in one-night only events at the Princeton University Art Museum.
Jason Robert Brown is a four-time Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist of The Last Five Years, Parade, Songs for a New World, 13, The Bridges of Madison County, Honeymoon In Vegas and The Connector, has performed as a soloist or with his band in venues around the world, including sold-out shows at the London Palladium and Carnegie Hall. His albums as a singer-songwriter include Wearing Someone Else’s Clothes and How We React and How We Recover on Ghostlight, and Coming From Inside the House and Live In Concert with Stephen Sondheim on Concord.
With Special Guest Tony nominee Betsy Wolfe. Tony Award-nominated actress Betsy Wolfe is currently starring as Audrey in the acclaimed Off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors, following her recent Broadway run as Madeline Ashton in the hit musical Death Becomes Her. She previously originated the title role in Joy, the new musical inspired by inventor Joy Mangano, and earned a 2023 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her celebrated performance as Anne Hathaway in & Juliet. Other Broadway credits include starring as Jenna in Waitress, Cordelia in the acclaimed revival of Falsettos, Bullets Over Broadway, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Everyday Rapture, and 110 in the Shade, as well as her critically acclaimed performance as Cathy in the Off-Broadway revival of The Last Five Years. Wolfe made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Die Fledermaus and has appeared as a guest artist with more than 65 symphony, pops, and philharmonic orchestras worldwide, including the New York Philharmonic and BBC Symphony Orchestra, with performances at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Her screen credits include First One In, Estella Scrooge, CBS’s Instinct, and the film adaptation of The Last Five Years. Wolfe is also the co-founder of BroadwayEvolved, the acclaimed musical theatre training program she launched in 2018 to train and mentor the next generation of theatre artists.
A limited number of early access tickets for McCarter Director’s Circle members and members of the Museum’s Partner Circle are available, on sale Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 12:00 PM. General public on sale begins Friday, September 18, 2026 at 12:00 PM.
Please be aware there is no public drop-off or parking at the Museum. For visitors with mobility needs, please contact the Museum at least three business days in advance of your visit to request special access to the Museum via Elm Drive. Call 609-258-3788 and select option 1 to speak to a visitor services staff member, or email Louise Barrett at [email protected].
