(NEWTON, NJ) -- As COVID-19 closures swept New Jersey, independent music venues and promoters were the first to shutdown, and expect to be the last to reopen. The Newton Theatre has joined the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) to fight for survival alongside more than 1,300 other independent venues and promoters across the country to ensure that vibrant local music scenes return after the pandemic has passed. NIVA is headed to Capitol Hill to request emergency relief, and is providing member venues with resources and education to help preserve the live music ecosystems in New Jersey and beyond which play a vital role in each member state’s economy.
With the entire industry at a standstill, independent venues and promoters and the multitude of people they employ are facing an existential crisis – revenues are frozen, while significant overhead and financial obligations remain. With no concrete date of return, leading industry magazine Pollstar estimated a $9 billion loss in ticket sales alone – not counting food and beverage revenue - if venues remain closed through the end of the year. Ninety percent of NIVA members predict they will not be able to reopen if there is no financial support and the shutdown extends to six months -- yet there have been forecasts that the shutdowns will go into 2021.
In addition to supporting employees and artists who are dependent upon live music for their livelihoods, the industry serves as a magnet and financial engine for local economies; for every dollar small venues generate in ticket sales, area restaurants, hotels, and retail establishments realize $12 in revenue. While independent venues and promoters are small businesses, the estimated direct annual impact they provide to their local communities nears $10 billion.
When the shutdown swept across the country the music did not just stop – it has put many beloved venues in peril of ever restarting again.
National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) is fighting for the survival of independent venues, their employees, artists, fans and their communities.
NIVA is seeking modifications to small business loans and the Payroll Protection Program, tax relief, mortgage and rent forbearance, continued unemployment insurance for employees and guidance on how to reopen safely when the time comes.
How You Can Help
Please join us and support our cause by calling and writing our Senators and Representatives today or visit, www.SaveOurStages.com to show your support with just a few clicks.
Yell it, scream it, clap your hands, and pound your feet like you’re calling the band back for an encore! Please help us ensure we survive by using your voice now (and tell a friend or 100 friends!). #SaveOurStages
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].
