(HOPEWELL, NJ) -- The landmark Hopewell Theater has re-opened after undergoing an extensive eight-month fit-out renovation, which includes a new lobby, box office, concession stand, as well as a state-of-the-art cinema system with surround sound, prep kitchen, and expanded theater seating area and balcony. Now fully refitted as a deluxe showcase for music, cinema and the performing arts, the Hopewell Theater will serve as an intimate arts venue and gathering place for the greater Hopewell Valley area.
The theater lobby now features a full concession stand where patrons can purchase gourmet small plates and deserts along with traditional theater snacks such as popcorn and candy. The Theater has hand-picked its menu from a variety of local, favorite restaurants that will present special dishes at the concession stand, including Brick Farm Market, The Bent Spoon and The Peasant Grill. Patrons can enjoy a meal or snack during the show in comfortable cabaret-style banquette seats, leather chairs with tables, or traditional plush fixed theater seats. The theater’s sophisticated interior design is a mix of urban-style meets classic country with a sense of casual elegance.
The theater’s expanded vision includes a carefully-curated programming schedule that will showcase independent films, some followed by Director Q&A or paired with a reading or concert, and live music on a weekly basis performed by local and regional singer-songwriters. There will also be TED-style talks and a variety of discussions from books to visual arts to self-improvement and wellness. Audiences will have access to talent through the intimate productions offered. Artists will have access to the theater which will be rented out during the day to encourage adult artists, musicians, filmmakers and artist networks who need a home to either practice, show work, or come together to create.
The theater’s fall program schedule features a unique blend of musical genres, movies and multimedia experiences including the 2017 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour, the Alloy Orchestra playing musical accompaniment to the classic film “The Lost World”, performances by literary songsmith Dan Bern, Cajun/Creole musicians The Bunkhouse Boys, and more.
Coming to the Hopewell Theater:
Music
Sept. 14 - Christine Tobin
Sept. 21 - Kaki King
Sept. 28 – Antje Duvekot
Oct. 5 – The Bailsmen
Oct. 12 – Driftwood
Oct. 20 – Bennett Wales and The Relief
Oct. 26 - Amythyst Kiah
Nov. 2 – Isle of Klezbos
Nov. 10 – Bunkhouse Boys
Nov. 16 – Dan Bern
Film
Sept. 8-13 - Whose Streets
Sept. 12 - May it Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers
Sept. 15 - NY Film Critics Series: Year by the Sea
Sept. 15 +16 - The Lure
Sept. 16 + 17 - Napping Princess
Sept. 24 - Arthouse Theater Day: Revolting Rhymes
Sept. 24 - Arthouse Theater Day: Martha & Niki
Sept. 24 - Arthouse Theater Day: The Road Movie
Oct. 7 - Sex & Broadcasting: a film about WFMU + discussion
Nov. 4 - Discovery and Adoption: the Hanji Box
Live Multimedia
Sept 22 - Alloy Orchestra Plays The Lost World
Oct. 21 - Experience Pine Barrens: Film + Discussion
Hopewell’s historic theater is being re-launched by the production team of Sara Scully, and business partner Mitchel Skolnick. Scully oversaw the fit-out renovation and will serve as Executive Director. “Our aim is that this theater will serve a wide range of artists and community members and be a resource and intimate, inviting sanctuary to enjoy the arts,” says Scully.
About the Hopewell Theater
The Hopewell Theater offers a range of unique cultural experiences, from independent film and live music to guest speakers, artists and performances. Patrons can dine-in on small plates from local restaurants or just come for the show. A landing spot, a launch pad, and an incubator, the Hopewell Theater is also a place where artists can play, practice, perform or show their passion project on the big screen. The theater is available to rent, at both hourly and day-rates.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.HopewellTheater.com or at the box office at 5 S Greenwood Ave, Hopewell, NJ. Box office can be reached by phone at 609-466-1964.
PHOTO: A sellout crowd of dignitaries and community members attended the Hopewell Theater’s grand re-opening and were treated to the sounds of Bovine Social Club. Pictured are (left to right): Mitchel Skolnick, Partner of the Hopewell Theater, Sara Scully, Executive Director of the Hopewell Theater, and Hopewell Borough Mayor Paul Anzano. Photo credit: Daniel T. Gramkee Photography
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].
