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Randy Rainbow for President

Saturday, April 13, 2024 @ 7:30pm



State Theatre New Jersey
15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

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Randy Rainbow is a four-time Emmy® and Grammy®-nominated American comedian, producer, actor, singer, writer, satirist, host, and New York Times best-selling author known for his popular web series, The Randy Rainbow Show. His debut memoir, Playing with Myself, received rave reviews by such venerable outlets as The LA TIMES, which noted that Rainbow "vividly recollects the alienation so many LGBTQ+ youth experience." Musical theater was an escape for Rainbow that ultimately helped catapult his career. His musical parodies and political spoofs have garnered him worldwide acclaim and four consecutive Emmy® nominations for Outstanding Short-Form Variety Series. 

Rainbow (yes, that's his real name) enjoys a star-studded fan base which regularly shares his work. Some notable admirers include Ryan Reynolds, Carol Burnett, John Legend, Mark Hamill, Hillary Clinton, Stephen Sondheim, Jane Lynch, Ana Navarro, Barry Manilow, Ben Stiller, Sarah Silverman, Rosie O'Donnell, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Steve Martin, and Martin Short. As an actor, he has appeared onscreen as a featured guest star in the FX comedy/drama series Better Things, and on the New York stage as a lead in the Encores! series revival of Call Me Madam at New York City Center.

In 2019, Tony®, Grammy®, and Emmy®-winning composer and lyricist Marc Shaiman collaborated with Rainbow on his holiday EP, Hey Gurl, It's Christmas!, which debuted at #1 on Billboard's Comedy chart and #1 on the iTunes Holiday chart. His first full-length studio album, A Little Brains, A Little Talent, also debuted at #1 and earned Rainbow his first Grammy® nomination for Best Comedy Album in 2023. The album, released through Broadway Records, features duets with Patti LuPone, Tituss Burgess, Bernadette Peters, Josh Gad, and his first writing collaboration with EGOT recipient Alan Menken.

Touring the U.S. with his sold-out solo musical comedy concerts, the influencer and internet sensation's viral comedy videos have received hundreds of millions of views across all social media and digital platforms. His fresh take on politics and current events has led to interviews and profiles by The Washington Post (magazine cover story), CBS Sunday Morning, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Hollywood Reporter, CNN, NPR, ABC News, OUTPeople, and Entertainment Weekly

Rainbow currently hosts The Randy Rainbow Podcast, through Sean Hayes and Hazy Mills Productions, and continues to take on the hottest topics as only he can. As the Washington Post noted, Randy Rainbow has found his spotlight through the Internet, emerging as a viral sensation who dispenses musical comedy salve for a divided nation. 




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EVENT PREVIEWS

(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


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.




Makin Waves Song of the Week: "A Light To Come Home To" by Lisa Bouchelle

The Makin Waves Song of the Week is "A Light To Come Home To" by Jersey roots rocker Lisa Bouchelle featuring Americana legends Amanda Shires and Larry Campbell.




This Week in Music

Here is a look at shows taking place this week along with our featured listings and a look at some upcoming shows. New Jersey Stage offers previews of concerts throughout the Garden State as well as select shows in New York City and Philadelphia areas