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Avenel Performing Arts Center presents comedian "Goumba Johnny" Sialiano on Saturday

(AVENEL, NJ) -- The Avenel Performing Arts Center presents comedian "Goumba Johnny" Sialiano on Saturday, September 14, 2024 at 8:00pm. Comedian Laura High will open the night.



Jane Getter Premonition and PAKT Concert Review

by Al Nigrin
published 2024-09-10

I had a great time last Saturday evening seeing a double bill of Jane Getter Premonition and PAKT perform their respective musical magic at the Williams Center in Rutherford, New Jersey.  I had seen PAKT a few times before but last night they were really on fire. It is no accident that I now call their sound "volcanic music." I will explain what I mean by this in a bit.



New Jersey Symphony announces 2025 Lunar New Year Composition Competition

(NEWARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Symphony has announced a Lunar New Year Composition Competition. They are calling on New Jersey-based composers of all backgrounds, ages and ability levels to submit their own solo piano arrangement of the Korean folk song "Arirang." The winner's arrangement will be performed at the Symphony's Lunar New Year Celebration on January 25, 2025, by pianist Min Kwon.



New Release Review - "AfrAId"

by Eric Hillis, TheMovieWaffler.com
published 2024-09-10

While the rest of us try to figure out if Artificial Intelligence will ultimately help us do our jobs or put us all out of work, Hollywood is determined to embrace AI. We've already seen movies like The Creator, Atlas and Alien: Romulus act as stealth AI propaganda by equating fear of AI to racism and xenophobia. One corner of Hollywood however seems determined to exploit our fears of AI, and that's the horror studio Blumhouse. The studio scored a hit with their 2022 AI thriller M3GAN, which likened AI to an uncontrollable tearaway child. With AfrAId, AI is posited as something of an irresponsible parent. That the movie attracted actors of the quality of John Cho, Katherine Waterston and Keith Carradine probably reflects the current disdain towards AI in Hollywood's acting stable.








Playhouse 22 presents "Grand Horizons" by Bess Wohl

(EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- Playhouse 22 presents Grand Horizons, a play by Bess Wohl, from September 13-29, 2024. It's a play about Bill and Nancy. They have spent fifty full years as husband and wife -- practically breathing in unison, and anticipating each other's every sigh, snore, and sneeze. But just as they settle comfortably into their new home in Grand Horizons, the unthinkable happens: Nancy suddenly wants out.



Vivid Stage presents "Gemstones" - a structured, longform improvisation series that mixes comedy and drama

(SUMMIT, NJ) -- Vivid Stage, in residence at Oakes Center at 120 Morris Avenue in Summit, is celebrating its 30th Anniversary season, marking decades of bringing contemporary theatre to audiences in the state of New Jersey. This season, the company will present thirty performances of different kinds, in locations all over the region. Next up is the first episode of an original series, Gemstones, by Phoebe Farber. Episode 1 runs Saturday, September 21 at 8:00pm and Sunday, September 22 at 2:00pm.



New Jersey Stage: Daily Edition 09-10-24

Here is the morning update from New Jersey's arts newswire. We regularly publish between 8-15 new articles and news reports each day. Nobody covers the Arts throughout the Garden State like New Jersey Stage!





Horror-Comedy All You Need is Blood screens at the Fall 2024 New Jersey Film Festival on September 14!

by Meaghan Mooney
published 2024-09-10

Cooper Robert's feature film All You Need is Blood is a bold entry into the horror-comedy genre and offers a fresh cinematic experience, blending dark humor with supernatural elements, anchored by the strong performances of the leading cast. The film follows amateur filmmaker Bucky, seeking the mentorship of a legendary filmmaker and ultimately producing a campy, zombie slasher. This delves into human behavior's complexities and intertwines personal struggles with an overarching sense of suspense. A playful and inventive visual style characterizes Cooper Roberts' direction. The vibrant color palette and dynamic cinematography enhance the film's humorous and horror elements, creating a visually engaging experience. The film maintains a comedic tone while making a believable zombie world through quick camera movements and practical effects. Roberts successfully balanced the horror aspect of this film and the comedic elements, with the humor complementing rather than overshadowing the zombie theme. In the words of Dick Boeing, "Is this a comedy?" The film is aware of its genre-bending and balance of the two. The script is filled with witty and clever dialogue, pulls the audience in, and entertains them with a playful score and situational comedy.



Paper Mill Playhouse presents "Jersey Boys"

(MILLBURN, NJ) -- Paper Mill Playhouse presents Jersey Boys, the first show of Paper Mill's 2024-2025 season. Directed by Michael Bello (We Are the Tigers, associate director of The Who's Tommy and Jersey Boys UK/US tours and off-Broadway), Jersey Boys begins performances on Wednesday, October 2 ahead of a Sunday, October 6 opening night. The run continues through Sunday, November 3, 2024 at Paper Mill Playhouse.







 

EVENT PREVIEWS

MPAC

MPAC Announces Free Summer Concert Lineup for 2026

(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Mayo Performing Arts Center's Arts in the Community free summer concert schedule for 2026 has been announced. MPAC will present six free concerts between June and August. The lineup includes the return of three of their most popular events – Bollywood Dance Party, Country Line Dancing and Salsa at Sunset, as well as singer-songwriters, and more.



Classic

Classic American Tales' presents Tales at the Dormer House every Thursday

(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- From June 4 through October 15, 2026 (except for July 2), Classic American Tales (CAT) once more presents Tales at the Dormer House in which guests are treated to lemonade and tasty treats while listening to stories written by noteworthy authors, read by a variety of performers. The schedule is 4:00pm every Thursday at the historic Dormer House Bed and Breakfast (800 Columbia Avenue) in Cape May, NJ. Performances are on the front porch, weather permitting.



Princeton

Princeton Summer Theater presents "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown"

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Princeton Summer Theater's 2026 Children's Show is You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, which runs weekends from June 20 to August 1, 2026. A beloved musical since its premiere in 1967, Clark Gesner brings Charles M. Schulz's "PEANUTS" characters to the stage. The musical ventures through the highs and lows of young life, from baseball and homework to young love and friendship. With an empathetic and whimsical eye, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown reminds us of the importance of connection and joy.



2026-27

2026-27 Season Preview: Split Level Concerts at Jersey Shore Arts Center

(OCEAN GROVE, NJ) -- Split Level Concerts at the Jersey Shore Arts Center (JSAC) in Ocean Grove has announced the full concert lineup for its third season. All shows will take place beginning at 8:00pm in JSAC's Palaia Theater. The season lineup includes Willie Nile, John Gorka, Dan Bern, Catie Curtis and Band, Stephen Kellogg, Abbie Gardner, Heather Maloney and Band, and Kim Richey. As they have done in prior years, artists from the Asbury Park music scene will open many of the shows.



MPAC's

MPAC's Summer 2026 Preview

(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- From the versatility of Tony winner Darren Criss, the comedy of Abbott Elementary's Janelle James and the nostalgic hits of the Grateful Dead, ABBA and more, Mayo Performing Arts Center's summer lineup features a diverse set of performances and events.












LATEST COLUMNS


Makin Waves Song of the Week: "Spiral Will" by Solace

The Makin Waves Song of the Week is "Spiral Will," a single and video from "Fading Failing Ruin," the latest album from doomy Jersey Shore dirt metal greats Solace.




Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites... 07/23/2026

"Correct! I actually performed on The Totally Tubular Festival two years ago. I was playing solo that night and they asked me to come back, so I thought I'd do something a bit different and so I decided to reform my backing band from 1988, The Lost Toy People. The last show we played together was with Depeche Mode and OMD at the Rose Bowl for the legendary 101 Concert and the other night in Phoenix was our first show in 38 years; how about that?"




Wesley Pierre: "Catharsis"

Even those who don't know very much about visual art are familiar with the Cubist approach to the human body. Pablo Picasso liked to present a person from many angles at once, and compress three-dimensional form into a two-dimensional frame. No matter what step she's on, that nude descending a staircase comes at us all at once. We know we're looking at an individual person, even if it's never clear which of those fields of color represent the present moment and which are afterimages, projections, and vapor trails. Representing human beings like this guarantees that there’ll be distortions: facial features in strange places, unexpected angles, duplicates and odd subtractions, clashes between heads, necks, and torsos, the shuffling of expressions, and the surprise and disquiet that comes when an obviously human figure doesn't look much like a human at all.








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