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VIDEO: Hamilton’s Phillipa Soo Helps NJ Arts Through Benefit Concert


By Maddie Orton, JerseyArts.com

originally published: 04/20/2021


"Hamilton” star Phillipa Soo recently lent her talents to a cause close to her heart: protecting the arts community. Her April 16 virtual concert through Rowan University benefited The New Jersey Arts and Culture Recovery Fund (NJACRF) Correspondent Maddie Orton talks with Soo about the pandemic’s impact on the theatre community, the exciting releases of "Hamilton" on Disney+ and "Over the Moon" on Netflix, the importance of cultural representation in her work, and her upcoming benefit concert.

NJACRF was created by a coalition of New Jersey funders, aligned to ensure a coordinated approach to sector support with a commitment to best practices in grantmaking. NJACRF will provide financial support to catalyze an equitable statewide recovery and build cultural sector resilience. The Fund is hosted by the Princeton Area Community Foundation.

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Discover Jersey Arts is a multifaceted program dedicated to increasing the awareness of and participation in the arts in New Jersey. For more information, visit www.JerseyArts.com.

Jersey Arts TV is presented by ArtPride New Jersey in partnership with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.




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About the author: Maddie Orton is an Emmy-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker. She has worked on several PBS shows including: "Take on Fake," "NJTV News," "MetroFocus," "WLIW Arts Beat," and "Treasures of New York." A life-long theater lover, Maddie created the documentary "I Can't... I Have Rehearsal," exploring New Jersey's arts education through high school musicals. She studied theater and American Studies at Rutgers University, and lives in the great Garden State with her husband and kiddo.

Content provided by Discover Jersey Arts, a project of the ArtPride New Jersey Foundation and New Jersey State Council on the Arts.




EVENT PREVIEWS

(LEONIA, NJ) -- Liberty Arts Theatre presents "I Know What I Give My Life For" (The Short Life Of Walter Klingenbeck) on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at American Legion Post #1 in Leonia. Admission is free, showtime is 7:30pm. The production is presented by Roland Weimer.
Villagers Theatre presents a reading of "The Best Most Super Fantastic Hiking Tour"

Villagers Theatre presents a reading of "The Best Most Super Fantastic Hiking Tour"

(SOMERSET, NJ) -- Villagers Theatre presents a reading of "The Best Most Super Fantastic Hiking Tour" by Fay Corinotis on Thursday, May 21, 2026 at 7:00pm. Admission is free ($10 cash donation suggested).
Main Street Theatre Company presents "Annie KIDS"

Main Street Theatre Company presents "Annie KIDS"

(OLD BRIDGE, NJ) -- Main Street Theatre Company presents Annie KIDS on May 23-24, 2026. The irrepressible comic strip heroine takes center stage in one of the world's best-loved, Award-winning musicals.
Middlesex County and Thinkery & Verse present "Liberty Madness" at State Theatre

Middlesex County and Thinkery & Verse present "Liberty Madness" at State Theatre

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- Middlesex County and Thinkery & Verse present an original live production of Liberty Madness at State Theatre New Jersey on Wednesday, May 27, 2026 at 7:30pm. This is a dynamic, magical stage play that tells the story of America’s haunted past.
Mainstage Center for the Arts presents "Game of Tiaras"

Mainstage Center for the Arts presents "Game of Tiaras"

(BLACKWOOD, NJ) -- Mainstage Center for the Arts presents Game of Tiaras on May 29-30, 2026 at Harmony Hall at Gloucester Township. Showtime is 7:00pm each night. Prepare for a hilarious royal showdown in Game of Tiaras!
Asbury Park Theater Company presents Thornton Wilder

Asbury Park Theater Company presents Thornton Wilder's "Our Town"

(OCEAN GROVE, NJ) -- The Asbury Park Theater Company presents Thornton Wilder's Our Town across two weekends from May 21-31, 2026 at the Jersey Shore Arts Center. Described by Edward Albee as "the greatest American play ever written"- it is one of the defining plays of American theater. The production is directed by Bailey Dumlao.
Middletown Arts Center and Dunbar Repertory Company presents "Seven Guitars" by August Wilson

Middletown Arts Center and Dunbar Repertory Company presents "Seven Guitars" by August Wilson

(MIDDLETOWN, NJ) -- The Middletown Arts Center, in conjunction with Dunbar Repertory Company, presents a special production of Seven Guitars, directed by Mark Antonio Henderson, across two weekends from May 23–31, 2026. The play by August Wilson follows a blues musician chasing redemption and a second chance as love, ambition, and fate collide in powerful portrait of dreams deferred.
Bear Tavern Project and the 2026 Tomato Patch Jr Students present "Cosmic Campfire Chronicles"

Bear Tavern Project and the 2026 Tomato Patch Jr Students present "Cosmic Campfire Chronicles"

(WEST WINDSOR, NJ) -- Bear Tavern Project and the 2026 Tomato Patch Jr Students present Cosmic Campfire Chronicles across two weekends from May 23-31, 2026 at the Kelsey Theatre. It takes place one quiet night deep in the forest, a group of children gathers around a flickering campfire, swapping ghost stories under a sky ablaze with stars. Suddenly, the stars begin to move.
MPAC presents Disney

MPAC presents Disney's Frozen, The Broadway Musical

(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Let it Go! Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)'s 2026 spring production of Disney's Frozen takes the stage for five performances May 29-31. The show will be directed by Cathy Roy. Music Direction by Charles Santoro. The cast includes 50 young performers from throughout the region, representing seven New Jersey counties.
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(RANDOLPH, NJ) -- Brundage Park Playhouse will hold auditions for the musical Anything Goes at the playhouse on Carrell Road in Randolph. In-Person Audition Dates are on Saturday, May 30, 2026 from 12:30pm-5:00pm and Monday, June 1, 2026 from 6:30pm-9:00pm. Virtual auditions are also accepted. Callbacks by invitation are on Saturday, June 6th from 12:00pm-5:00pm.

 

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