New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu



 

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.

 Subscribe to JerseyArts TV and follow us for more Jersey Arts content: FacebookInstagramTwitter.

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.




New Jersey Stage provides affordable advertising for the arts, click here for info




EVENT PREVIEWS

(BOUND BROOK, NJ) -- The Brook Writers Group, a newly formed theater collective dedicated to developing original theatrical works in Central New Jersey, will present its inaugural Staged Reading Showcase on Sunday, August 2, 2026 at the historic Brook Arts Center (10 Hamilton Street) in Bound Brook. The event begins at 5:00pm.

Gas Lamp Teens present "Fame: The Musical"

(GLEN RIDGE, NJ) -- Gas Lamp Teens present Fame: The Musical on August 7-8, 2026 at the Ridgewood Avenue School. Fame has inspired generations to fight for fame and light up the sky like a flame! 

Two River Theater presents ¡Festejo! Celebrating Latine Stories Onstage

(RED BANK, NJ) -- Two River Theater presents the 15th anniversary of ¡Festejo! Celebrating Latine Stories Onstage, from August 6–9, 2026. Curated by José Zayas, the annual festival, formerly known as Crossing Borders (Cruzando Fronteras), will feature five new play readings by acclaimed and emerging Latine playwrights.
Gateway Playhouse to Hold Open Auditions for "9 to 5: The Musical"

Gateway Playhouse to Hold Open Auditions for "9 to 5: The Musical"

(SOMERS POINT, NJ) -- Gateway Playhouse of Somers Point is holding open auditions for their third MainStage production of the year, the incredibly fun 9 to 5: The Musical. Auditions will take place from 6:00pm-8:00pm Monday and Tuesday, August 10 and 11, 2026. All roles are open and any performance experience is welcomed (must be 16 or older).

Middlesex County Plays-in-the-Park to Host Auditions for "Curious George: The Golden Meatball" on August 12th

(EDISON, NJ) -- Middlesex County's Plays-in-the-Park is holding auditions for its fall 2026 children's production of Curious George: The Golden Meatball on Wednesday, August 12, at 6:00pm at the Stephen J. Capestro Theatre located inside Roosevelt Park in Edison. Everyone's favorite mischievous monkey and his friend in the yellow hat sing and dance up a storm in this adventure-filled musical.
Chimera Productions presents "Job" at Paul Robeson Center for the Arts

Chimera Productions presents "Job" at Paul Robeson Center for the Arts

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- New Jersey-based theater company Chimera Productions will present its 17th production, Job by Max Wolf Friedlich, from August 13-15, 2026 at 8:00pm each night. The play, presented in the intimate 60-seat theater inside Princeton's Paul Robeson Center for the Arts, is a psychological thriller that offers a sharp, darkly funny, and unsettling examination of our addiction to work, the internet, the cost of modern life, and what we're willing to sacrifice to belong.

Villagers Theatre's TeensVill program presents "The Wedding Singer"

(SOMERSET, NJ) -- Villagers Theatre's TeensVill program presents The Wedding Singer across two weekends from August 7-16, 2026. Based on the popular movie, the play takes place in New Jersey in 1985.  A wannabe rock star (aka a professional wedding singer) is left at the altar and finally changes his tune.
The Levoy Theatre presents "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical"

The Levoy Theatre presents "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical"

(MILLVILLE, NJ) -- The Levoy Theatre presents Beautiful: The Carole King Musical across two weekends from August 7-16, 2026. This is the inspiring true story of Carole King's journey from teenage songwriter to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

The Theater Project presents "Alabama Story" by Kenneth Jones

(UNION, NJ) -- The Theater Project will wrap up its 2026 summer season with the first New Jersey production of Kenneth Jones's Alabama Story, about the clash between censorship and civil rights in the Jim Crow South, August 6-16 at the DMK Black Box Theatre. Alabama Story blends fact and fiction.
The Premier Theatre Company presents "Jesus Christ Superstar"

The Premier Theatre Company presents "Jesus Christ Superstar"

(RUMSON, NJ) -- The Premier Theatre Company presents Jesus Christ Superstar in the Rumson School District Auditorium across two weekends from August 7-16, 2026. This is a timeless work set against the backdrop of an extraordinary and universally-known series of events, but seen through the eyes of Judas Iscariot.

 

FEATURED EVENTS


Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore

Saturday, August 01, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Grunin Center - Main Stage
Toms River, NJ


Mala Aria

Saturday, August 01, 2026 @ 3:00pm
Premiere Stages - Bauer Boucher Theatre Center
Union, NJ


Mala Aria

Saturday, August 01, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Premiere Stages - Bauer Boucher Theatre Center
Union, NJ


Legally Blonde, The Musical

Saturday, August 01, 2026 @ 2:00pm
Middletown Arts Center
Middletown, NJ


Legally Blonde, The Musical

Saturday, August 01, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Middletown Arts Center
Middletown, NJ



 

Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info