Music lovers arrive this June 12, 2025 evening at the South Orange Performing Arts Center in South Orange, NJ for the SOPAC Celebrates: Share the Love gala starring Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Darlene Love. SOPAC’s Share the Love celebration is a 20th anniversary event to raise support for SOPAC so the venue can continue to offer world-class events to theatergoers of all ages.
VIP patrons begin their Share the Love experience by attending a pre-show reception in the SOPAC loft where they enjoy hors d’oeuvres and the music of a live string trio. Here, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Richie Furay of Buffalo Springfield and Poco talks about his personal connection to SOPAC, revealing, “I’ve performed at SOPAC in many different configurations and I’ve always loved playing here. It’s a very intimate venue where you can really connect with your audiences in a special way and I’m so glad I got to perform here so many times over the past few years.”
Present tonight for his late manager and friend, David Stone, who will be honored posthumously with a SOPAC Arts Legacy Award, Furay, 81, acknowledges, “I miss David so much I can’t even tell you. As far as performing is concerned, I’m winding down right now but I wouldn’t even still be here had it not been for David constantly telling me, ‘Come on and play!’ I always appreciated David bringing me in to perform at SOPAC as many times as he did and I’m so happy to be here as he’s honored by SOPAC tonight.”
Inside the SOPAC auditorium, the Share the Love celebration continues as a video is screened which details SOPAC’s Arts in Education initiative that reaches more than 9000 local students. SOPAC Executive Director Lana Rogachevsaya and Chair Aida Jones take the stage to welcome the audience to a pre-show award ceremony where Gary Williams accepts the Arts Impact Award on behalf of PSEG, the Paul Bartick Emerging Artist Award is given to Millburn High School senior Obenewaa Frimpomaa, and Vanessa and Charlie Pollock are serenaded by realtor Kevin Kern before accepting the Community Hero Award on behalf of their real estate firm, Pollock Properties Group.
Lastly, Richie Furay joins David Stone’s wife, Nancy, and David’s children, Jared and Adam, as Stone is recognized with the SOPAC Arts Legacy Award for his years of service to SOPAC.
As musicians take their places on stage, SOPAC Director of Programming Dan Stankus introduces the audience to Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Darlene Love who steps into the spotlight to avid cheers and applause.
Backed by Crispin Cioe on sax; John Martin on sax/trumpet; Mick Gaffney on guitar; Gene Torres on bass; Alex Phayme on drums; Rosie Slater on percussion; Kareem Matcham on keyboard; background singers Kelvin King, Keesha Gumbs and Sheimyrah Mighty; and musical director/keyboardist Sam Appiah, Love sings in her strong, full voice, “Don’t you know that it’s time to get on board/And let this train keep on riding, riding on through,” on an upbeat rendering of The O’Jay’s “Love Train.”
Following the Elvis Costello retro-rocker, “Forbidden Nights,” Love announces, “Thank you very much and good evening!” Here, she and her band ease into a medley of gospel tunes including “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” “Down by the Riverside,” “Swing Down Chariot,” and “Oh, Happy Day,” which has heads bopping in the audience and music lovers happily clapping along.
Calling out with emotion on a slow and funky rendition of Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me,” Love, 83, impresses the crowd by holding out an unusually long note before belting out her version of the popular Bruce Springsteen rocker, “Hungry Heart.”
Concertgoers hoot and holler as Love announces, “It’s time to do some of the songs that made me famous,” and breaks into a rip-roaring version of her 1962 #1 hit, “He’s a Rebel,” where the audience joyfully claps and sings along on the song’s famous “He’s a rebel and he’ll never ever be any good” refrain.
Love shines on “He’s Sure the Boy I Love,” a 1962 Top 20 hit credited to The Crystals but which featured her lead vocal on the recording, before moving on to another Crystals’ hit, “Today I Met the Boy I’m Gonna Marry,” with an arrangement which features her rockin’ rhythm section and a tenor sax solo.
After asking, “Do we have any Bobbys in the house?” Love’s mighty voice is featured on her 1963 hit, “Wait Til’ My Bobby Gets Home,” where the horn section and backup singers dance to the happy-go-lucky tune. Lastly, Love holds the mic out for the audience to sing The Crystals’ 1961 hit, “Da Doo Ron Ron,” before the crowd erupts in enthusiastic cheers and applause.
While Love takes a short break backstage, musical director Sam Appiah and backup singers Kelvin King, Keesha Gumbs, and Sheimyrah Mighty present a soulful version of Stevie Wonder’s “Love’s in Need of Love Today.”
When Love returns, she exclaims, “I’ll be 84 this year!” before providing a powerful take on the Steven Van Zandt rocker, “Among the Believers.” Moving on to “Painkiller,” Love shares the spotlight with King, Gumbs and Mighty, who each take turns belting out the lead vocal on this infectious rocker.
Concertgoers hoot and holler and Love and Co. follow up with a medley of Marvin Gaye hits including “You’re All I Need to Get By,” where Darlene’s rich lead vocal is expertly framed by the band, and an emotional rendering of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” where Love vocally ad-libs with style and power.
Music lovers cheer and Love responds, “I love these songs and I see you do, too. Thank you all so much!” as she, King, Gumbs, Mighty, and the band power into a highlight number of the evening — a stirring version of Walter Hawkins’ gospel creation, “Marvelous” — which has concertgoers leaping to their feet.
Love concludes tonight’s event with one of her favorite songs, “River Deep, Mountain High,” where she and her backup singers energize the stage with soul on this high-octane number.
Audience members clap along with Darlene before standing to show how much they love her, and Love responds by bowing and blowing kisses to concertgoers who stand and cheer while continuing to applaud.
As patrons exit the SOPAC auditorium, several comment on tonight’s Share the Love experience with Darlene Love. Exclaims Dana from Maplewood, “Darlene was astounding! The energy she has at her age is just mind-blowing, her band was exceptional, and together they just played one hit after another here at SOPAC — a venue we really love!”
Michael from West Orange asserts, “The show was phenomenal! There was a lot of energy up on that stage — the singers were great and the musicians were in perfect sync with one another,” before explaining, “I come to SOPAC a half dozen times a year and it’s a great theater. It’s very intimate so you’re always close to the performance — I’ve been to large concerts before, but when you come here you’re really part of the show.”
Declares Lee from Newark, “Darlene is a great entertainer and she put on a great show tonight! She’ll be 84 years old and I wish I had the energy she has! The band was great and they did a fantastic selection of songs I really enjoyed,” before acknowledging, “This was my first time at SOPAC, but I’m sure I’ll be coming back!”
Lastly, Lisa from Maplewood asserts, “Darlene Love was a force of nature tonight — I was so glad to be here to help celebrate her career! Not only was she incredible, but her band, her backup singers, and her conductor were great, too.”
Lisa added, “I loved being here at SOPAC! I’m very grateful to have this beautiful venue right here in our community. I’m a big supporter of the arts and I know how important it is for all of us to come together as a community and appreciate art together.”
For more information on Darlene Love, please go to darleneloveworld.com. To learn more about SOPAC’s 2025 Share the Love campaign and support its mission of enriching lives through inspiring arts experiences, please click on sopacnow.org.
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