Zuckerman, a grade school teacher in Monmouth County, had a steady calendar of performances scheduled during the summer highlighted by a run in Japan and Thailand with Up With People, the international group he toured with for a few years. Immediately upon returning to the states Josh zipped across the country playing a few shows before the new school year began.
"I love teaching and I love playing music," said Josh Zuckerman. "I really hope to be able to do both. I couldn't see giving either one up at this time."
That's a decision he may have to face sometime soon as his music career is definitely taking off. In addition to releasing a critically praised record and winning fans over all across the world with his extremely energetic live show, several of his songs were recently featured on Kathy Griffin's new reality show "Life On The D-List" which airs on BRAVO.
His recent success can largely be attributed to the release of "A Totally New Sensation" a few years ago. The record's success took Zuckerman by surprise.
"It's funny because the CD started out as me wanting to get back into the music business again. Just to get something out there for myself as well as my close friends. So I called up my friend who was the bass player of my previous band. He had a studio in his bedroom and the CD was basically done there. It took a year as I wanted to make sure it was something I was really happy with. I never expected it to come this far, but it's had great reviews and people all over the country as well as Europe have bought it."
Zuckerman has made a habit out of touring abroad. He says the audiences in Europe really enjoy the music and have a great time at the shows. For Josh, it's all about making a connection with the audience.
"I'm really focused on trying to touch people with my music in some way," said Zuckerman. "So if there's one person who comes up to me and says, =iwow, I really got what you were saying' - that's wonderful. I love that! And that's been happening. It's not the masses of people that I want to happen yet, but it's definitely happening."
Although Zuckerman plays steadily through the school year from coast to coast you can still see him quite often in towns like Asbury Park or Trenton. He's currently wrapping up the recording of a new CD that he hopes to release next year.
If you've never seen Zuckerman play, be sure to check out him with his band at the Capital Rainbowfest in Trenton on September 18th. He will also be playing locally at Cruisin' on Friday, September 16th in Asbury Park and on Friday, September 30th at Casa Comida in Long Branch from 6:00pm - 10:00pm.
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].
