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2017 NJ Stage Award Winners!

originally published: 11/22/2017


The NJ Stage Awards were create to promote places to experience the arts throughout the state. Initial voting takes place October 1-14 when the public gets the chance to vote on the full list of nominees. From there we tally the votes and create 10 finalists per category, based on a mix of the public vote and NJ Stage staff picks.  The public then votes on the finalists for the final 2 weeks of October. 

Here are the 2017 winners:

Best Town For An Arts Night Out 

GOLD Morristown 

SILVER Asbury Park 

BRONZE Princeton



Best Place For Live Comedy 

GOLD Mayo Performing Arts Center 

SILVER Stress Factory Comedy Club 

BRONZE Catch A Rising Star



Best Place To View Art 

GOLD The Art School at Old Church 

SILVER Grounds For Sculpture

BRONZE Montclair Art Museum 






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Best Place To See Live Dance Performances 

GOLD Jersey Tap Fest 

SILVER Mayo Performing Arts Center 

BRONZE The Princeton Festival 



Best Film Festival 

GOLD Monmouth Film Festival 

SILVER Rahway International Film Festival 

BRONZE Teaneck International Film Festival



 

THEATRE

Best Place To See A World / NJ Premiere 


GOLD Crossroads Theatre 

SILVER Paper Mill Playhouse 

BRONZE (tie) George Street Playhouse / McCarter Theatre



Best Place To See A Touring Production 

GOLD State Theatre 

SILVER Mayo Performing Arts Center 

BRONZE Count Basie Theatre 



Best Place To See Non-Equity Theatre 

GOLD The Player’s Guild of Leonia 

SILVER Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center 

BRONZE Chester Theatre Group



Best Place To See Children’s Theatre 

GOLD The Growing Stage 

SILVER State Theatre 

BRONZE Hoboken Children’s Theatre






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MUSIC

Best Place To See A National Act 


GOLD Mayo Performing Arts Center 

SILVER PNC Bank Arts Center 

BRONZE Scottish Rite Auditorium



Best Place To See Emerging Artists 

GOLD The Stone Pony 

SILVER Maxwell’s Tavern 

BRONZE Crossroads



Best Coffeehouse or Non-Traditional Venue: 

GOLD D’s Soul Full Cafe 

SILVER Outpost In The Burbs 

BRONZE Old Franklin Schoolhouse



Best Place For Classical Music 

GOLD  NJPAC 

SILVER Mayo Performing Arts Center 

BRONZE Princeton Festival 



Best Annual Festival 

GOLD Elephant Talk Indie Music Festival 

SILVER Hoboken Arts and Music Festival 

BRONZE Groove In The Grove

"The beauty of these awards is that they are simply based on getting the word out via social media, email lists, or phone calls," explained Gary Wien, publisher of New Jersey Stage.  "Even the smallest organization can win.  So set your calendar for September and make sure your organization is on our radar and be sure to get out the vote in October!"

Thank you to everyone who voted.  Please check out these winners and explore new places to experience art in the Garden State.  The winners for 2016 and 2015 are online at New Jersey Stage's website.





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FEATURED EVENTS

ART | COMEDY | DANCE | FILM | MUSIC | THEATRE | COMMUNITY

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.


ASMC

ASMC Art Workshop: Zentangle on Gold Foil

Friday, September 19, 2025 @ 3:00pm
Middletown Arts Center
36 Church Street, Middletown, NJ 07748
category: art


 

Maureen

Maureen Dowd

Tuesday, September 16, 2025 @ 6:00pm
Grunin Center - Main Stage
1 College Drive, Toms River, NJ 08754




 

Shakespeare

Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey presents "Romeo and Juliet"

Tuesday, September 16, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Shakespeare Theatre Of NJ - F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre
36 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ 07940



RiverJAM

RiverJAM Music Presents...The Listening Room: Songs & Stories

Wednesday, September 17, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Triumph Brewery (Red Bank)
1 Bridge Avenue, Red Bank, NJ 07701



Shakespeare

Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey presents "Romeo and Juliet"

Wednesday, September 17, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Shakespeare Theatre Of NJ - F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre
36 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ 07940



Shakespeare

Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey presents "Romeo and Juliet"

Wednesday, September 17, 2025 @ 2:00pm
Shakespeare Theatre Of NJ - F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre
36 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ 07940




 

EVENT PREVIEWS

Fall

Fall Noyes Arts Garage Exhibits Highlight Surf and Skate Scene, Printmaking in Atlantic City

(ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) -- Two exhibitions – one centering on the dynamic surf and skate scene in Atlantic City, the other featuring prints made on fabric – are currently on display in the Noyes Art Garage until Sunday, November 30, 2025. "Surf Skate AC" highlights dynamic movements and the pushing of artistic boundaries, features contemporary artists and designers whose work "captures the essence of life on the edge."



Tap

Tap into Your Creative Side with "Art for the Non-Artist" at the Jackson Branch of the Ocean County Library

(JACKSON, NJ) -- Have you always wanted to draw but never knew where to start? Learn foundational drawing skills and techniques with Jenny Santa Maria on Thursday, October 9, 2025 at the Jackson Branch of the Ocean County Library. The event runs from 2:30pm to 4:30pm.



Monmouth

Monmouth University presents "Georgia O’Keeffe: the Brightness of Light" and Q&A with the Filmmakers

(WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ) -- Monmouth University's Center for the Arts presents a screening of Georgia O'Keeffe: the Brightness of Light on Tuesday, October 14, 2025 at 7:00pm in the Pollak Theatre. This is a 2-hour documentary exploring the life and art of the most important woman artist of the 20th century – the "Mother of Modernism." Following the screening, Producer Ellen Casey Wagner and Director Paul Wagner will host a discussion to share insights into the making of the documentary and answer audience questions.



Where

Where Art and Community Meet: SOPAC Partners with SOMA Artists for Unveiled 25 and SOMA Studio Tour

(SOUTH ORANGE, NJ) -- As the 20th Anniversary season kicks off, SOPAC (South Orange Performing Arts Center) is proud to present Unveiled 25, a sweeping exhibition that marks the arts center's fourth collaboration with the SOMA Studio Tour. On view at the Herb + Milly Iris Gallery at SOPAC from September 11 through November 2, 2025, the show highlights the brilliance and diversity of nearly 70 local artists from South Orange and Maplewood.



Rutherfurd

Rutherfurd Hall to Present Exhibition of Elizabeth Shoumatoff Portraits, Featuring Rare 1943 Painting of President Franklin D. Roosevelt

(ALLAMUCHY TOWNSHIP, NJ) -- From September 18-20, 2025, Rutherfurd Hall will open a remarkable art exhibition celebrating the work of Elizabeth Shoumatoff, the acclaimed portrait artist whose sitters included royalty, world leaders, and American society's most influential figures. At the heart of the exhibition will be the recently acquired 1943 portrait of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, painted at the White House during his third term.