(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- State Theatre New Jersey will host A Night in Lights: State Theatre New Jersey Benefit Gala on Saturday, June 7, 2025. Proceeds from the gala directly support its mission to provide transformative arts education programs, affordable ticketing initiatives, and community outreach efforts that bring the joy of live entertainment to everyone, regardless of their circumstances. Held at the historic State Theatre, the evening includes dinner, dancing, a silent auction, and an intimate performance by Tony® Award-winning Broadway star Kelli O'Hara.
Kelli O'Hara has established herself as one of Broadway's greatest leading ladies. The Tony® Award-winner, Emmy®, SAG, and Grammy®-nominated actress has appeared in 12 Broadway shows for which she has garnered eight Tony® Award nominations.
She won the 2015 Tony® Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, along with Grammy®, Drama League, and Outer Critics nominations for her portrayal of Anna Leonowens in The King and I. O’Hara’s other Broadway credits include Kiss Me Kate, The Bridges of Madison County, Nice Work if You Can Get It, South Pacific, The Pajama Game, The Light in the Piazza, Sweet Smell of Success, Follies, Dracula, and Jekyll & Hyde.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, State Theatre New Jersey’s Annual Benefit Gala provides essential support to our work providing affordable access to the arts for all communities, donating thousands of tickets annually through initiatives including free tickets for veterans, subsidized admission for public-school students, free tickets for NJ charities, and $10 tickets for families enrolled in NJ’s Families First Program and Medicaid cardholders.
The 2025’s A Night In Lights Gala begins at 5:00pm with a reception with cocktail hour, silent auction featuring one-of-a-kind experiences, and signed memorabilia from some of STNJ’s top performances; and live entertainment, followed by a gourmet dinner, awards ceremony, and mission drive. After O’Hara’s breathtaking performance, the night will conclude with a vibrant after-party with music, dancing, and late-night indulgences. For tickets, sponsorships, or more information, visit STNJ.org/Gala, email [email protected], or call 732-247-7200, ext. 512.
O’Hara received an Emmy® Award nomination for her portrayal of Katie Bonner in Topic's hit web series, The Accidental Wolf, and can currently be seen on HBO’s The Gilded Age, which was nominated for a SAG award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series for Season 2. Additional film and television credits include Showtime's Master of Sex, 13 Reasons Why, Blue Bloods, All My Children, All the Bright Places, Peter Pan Live!, Sex & The City 2, Martin Scorsese's The Key to Reserva, The Good Fight, N3mbers, and Car Talk.
O’Hara recently completed a critically acclaimed limited Broadway engagement of the new musical Days of Wine and Roses, which also garnered rave reviews during its Off-Broadway run at The Atlantic Theatre Company last summer. She won the Outer Critics Circle Award and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical in addition to receiving Tony and Drama League Nominations for her role. Upcoming projects include Season 3 of The Gilded Age.
After major renovations, State Theatre New Jersey celebrated its 100th Anniversary in December 2021 in a fully renovated theater. Originally built as a silent film and vaudeville palace, State Theatre’s historic significance was honored by PBS by featuring it in its documentary series, Treasures of New Jersey, in the fall of 2018. “Treasures of New Jersey: State Theatre New Jersey” can be streamed at STNJ.org/explore/treasures-of-new-jersey-documentary.
Today, State Theatre is the largest performing arts center in Central New Jersey and has welcomed more than six million people through its doors since reopening as a nonprofit performing arts center in 1988. State Theatre New Jersey is a cornerstone of the cultural vitality of Middlesex County and averages a total economic impact on New Brunswick and the surrounding area of more than $18 million a year. The mainstage programs have featured high-caliber artists such as Diana Ross, Tom Jones, Kevin Hart, Ringo Starr, Melissa Etheridge, John Leguizamo, Harry Connick, Jr., Diana Krall, and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Program offerings include Broadway, orchestra, family, dance, comedy, rock/pop, jazz, Performances for Schools, and Sensory-Friendly Performances.
State Theatre New Jersey’s programs are made possible by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Grant funding has been provided by the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund. For information on events, go to MiddlesexCountyCulture.com.
