(BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ) -- The Wharton Performing Arts School (PAS) invites the community to its annual Holiday Cabaret, which, for the first time, will be held as a benefit to support PAS' programs. The festive evening of performances takes place on Friday, December 12, 2025 at 7:00pm at the Wharton Black Box Theater, 60 Locust Avenue, Berkeley Heights, with a pre-concert reception beginning at 6:00pm.

This year's benefit celebrates 40 years of creativity, connection, and impact, featuring dazzling performances by Wharton Arts students and faculty. Guests will enjoy light fare, beer, wine, and soft drinks included with their tickets.

The evening will also include a silent auction and 50/50 raffle, with all proceeds supporting PAS programs. Kids of all ages can enjoy the festive lobby and photo booth, making this a fun and memorable night for the whole family. A silent auction will soon debut, offering a curated collection of local dining, bakery delights, premium wines, and rejuvenating spa packages.

Said Performing Arts School Director Debra Joyal, "We are thrilled to invite you to our annual Holiday Cabaret, a dazzling evening of song and festive cheer. Come celebrate the season, our history, and the bright future of PAS as we toast to our 40th anniversary."

Tickets are $65 per person, with a Family Four-Pack available for $234. Sponsorships are also available, including premium seating. Proceeds will directly support Wharton Arts' programs, scholarships, and mission-driven initiatives that provide transformative arts education to students of all ages. For tickets and sponsorship opportunities, visit holidaycabaret.givesmart.com.

"We are excited to mark this milestone year by turning the beloved Holiday Cabaret into a benefit," said Nancy Tagle, Wharton Arts Director of Development. "We invite the community to join us as we raise our voices, and the curtain, for 40 more years of inspiration, artistic excellence, and growth."

The Wharton Performing Arts School is proud to be part of Wharton Arts, New Jersey's largest independent non-profit community performing arts education center, serving nearly 2,000 students each year through a wide range of programs. PAS has been nurturing artistic excellence and creativity in the community for 40 years. Offering programs in music and performing arts, the school empowers students to develop their talents, confidence, and lifelong appreciation for the arts.

Wharton Arts' mission is to offer accessible, high quality performing arts education that sparks personal growth and builds inclusive communities. Wharton Arts' vision is for a transformative performing arts education in an inclusive community to be accessible for everyone.

Wharton Arts is New Jersey's largest independent non-profit community performing arts education center serving nearly 2,000 students through a range of classes and ensembles. The 5 ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Chorus, an auditioned choral ensemble program for students in grades 3–12, encourage a love and appreciation of choral music while nurturing personal growth and creative development. The 15 ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Symphony, which serve over 500 students in grades 3–12 by audition, inspire young people to achieve musical excellence through high-level ensemble training and performance opportunities. Based in Paterson, the Paterson Music Project is an El Sistema-inspired program of Wharton Arts that uses music education as a vehicle for social action by empowering and inspiring young people to achieve their full potential through the community experience of ensemble learning and playing.

From Pathways classes for young children to Lifelong Learning programs for adults, the Wharton Performing Arts School has a robust musical theater and drama program and offers both private and group classes for instruments and voice for all ages and all abilities. With the belief in the positive and unifying influence of music and that performing arts education should be accessible to all people regardless of their ability to pay, Wharton Arts offers need-based scholarships.

Wharton Arts is located in Berkeley Heights, New Providence, and Paterson, NJ and reaches students from 12 counties. All of Wharton Arts' extraordinary teaching artists, faculty members, and conductors hold degrees in their teaching specialty and have been vetted and trained to enable our students to achieve their personal best.