New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu



MPAC’s 30th Annual Opening Night – Norm Lewis

Friday, September 20, 2024 @ 8:00pm



Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960

THIS EVENT HAS PASSED

Norm Lewis made history as The Phantom of the Opera’s first African-American Phantom on Broadway. Lewis received Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle award nominations for his performance as Porgy in the Broadway production of The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess. Other Broadway credits include Sondheim on Sondheim, The Little Mermaid, Les Misérables and Chicago. Celebrate the opening of MPAC’s 30th anniversary season with this versatile artist who performs standards, Broadway favorites and pop standards.  

Emmy, Grammy, Tony, and SAG Award nominee NORM LEWIS was recently seen onstage starring in the national tour of the Tony Award-winning production of A Soldier’s Play and in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s West End Concert of “Love Never Dies.”  He starred in Spike Lee’s critically acclaimed, “Da 5 Bloods,” and in the groundbreaking FX series, Pose.  Additionally, Mr. Lewis can be seen starring opposite Hilary Swank in the feature “The Good Mother,” Amazon Prime’s newest series, Swarm, and Hulu’s, Up Here.  He was also seen as ‘Caiaphas’ in the award-winning NBC television special, “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert!,” alongside John Legend, Sara Bareilles, and Alice Cooper.

Mr. Lewis returned to Broadway in the Fall of 2021, starring in Chicken and Biscuits at the Circle In The Square Theatre.  He previously appeared in the Broadway revival of Once on This Island and as Sweeney Todd in the Off-Broadway production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at the Barrow Street Theatre, receiving the AUDELCO Award for his performance.  In May of 2014, he made history as The Phantom of the Opera’s first African-American Phantom on Broadway.

He has been seen on PBS in the Live From Lincoln Center productions of Showboat with Vanessa Williams, Norm Lewis: Who Am I?, New Year’s Eve: A Gershwin Celebration with Diane Reeves, as well as American Voices with Renée Fleming and the PBS Specials First You Dream – The Music of Kander & Ebb and Ella Wishes You A Swingin’ Christmas.  He can be seen recurring in the VH1 series, Daytime Divas, also alongside Vanessa Williams.  His additional television credits include Women of The Movement, Law & Order, Dr. Death, Mrs. America, Better Things, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Bull, Chicago Med, Gotham, The Blacklist, and Blue Bloods, as well as in his recurring role as Senator Edison Davis on the hit drama Scandal.

Mr. Lewis is a proud, founding member of Black Theatre United, an organization which stands together to help protect Black people, Black talent and Black lives of all shapes and orientations in theatre and communities across the country. He received Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle award nominations for his performance as Porgy in the Broadway production of The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess. Other Broadway credits include Sondheim on Sondheim, The Little Mermaid, Les Misérables, Chicago, Amour, The Wild Party, Side Show, Miss Saigon, and The Who’s Tommy. In London’s West End he has appeared as Javert in Les Misérables and Les Misérables: The 25th Anniversary Concert, which aired on PBS.

Off-Broadway Mr. Lewis has performed in Dessa Rose (Drama Desk nomination, AUDELCO Award), Shakespeare in the Park’s The Tempest, The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Drama League nomination), Captains Courageous, and A New Brain. His regional credits include Porgy in The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess (A.R.T.), Ragtime, Dreamgirls (with Jennifer Holliday), First You Dream, Sweeney Todd, and The Fantasticks.

His additional film credits include Christmas In Tune (starring opposite Reba McEntire), Magnum Opus, Winter’s Tale, Sex and the City 2, Confidences, and Preaching to the Choir.

Norm’s albums “The Norm Lewis Christmas Album” & “This is The Life” can be found on Amazon.com as well as cdbaby.com.




For information on how your event can be listed, click here



 

Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month,
click here for info

UPCOMING EVENTS




 

Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month,
click here for info


 

EVENT PREVIEWS

(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.



Five

Five For Fighting String Quartet Tour to Play Shows in NY/NJ/PA

(NEWTON, NJ) -- Grammy® nominated, platinum-selling artist, Five For Fighting (aka John Ondrasik) will bring his ever popular Five For Fighting String Quartet Tour back out on the road this September and October. There are several shows coming to the local area including two in New Jersey: Sunday, September 20 at The Newton Theatre and Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at The Vogel in Red Bank.



American

American Theater Group to present East Coast Premiere of "Destroying David" as 2026-27 Season Opener

(UNION, NJ) -- American Theater Group (ATG) presents the East Coast premiere of Destroying David at the DMK Theater at Union Arts Center from October 9-18 and at the Sieminski Theater from October 23-25, 2026. Destroying David is a thrilling, witty and heartfelt solo show about the power of art to help us through our darkest hours. The play is written and performed by Emmy Award-nominee Jason Odell Williams. ATG's new Producing Artistic Director Charlotte Cohn will direct.



Golden

Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue comes to The Levoy Theatre in October

(MILLVILLE, NJ) -- Following sold out performances and rave reviews across the country, The Golden Girls are back and better than ever with a stage show that's more exciting than a trip to the Rusty Anchor. Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue is returning with a US Fall Tour in 2026 that comes to The Levoy Theatre on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. Doors are at 6:00pm, showtime is 7:00pm.



The

The 2026 Dodge Poetry Festival to Take Place October 15-17

(NEWARK, NJ) -- The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation (Dodge Foundation) and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) announced that Dodge Poetry, North America's largest poetry festival, will return to Newark October 15-17, 2026.












LATEST COLUMNS


BlowUpRadio.com's New & Notable NJ Music 8/10/26

Lazlo, founder of BlowUpRadio.com (an online radio station based around New Jersey artists), shines a light on some of the many new releases from NJ based musicians with this column. This week Lazlo takes a look at new releases by Des & the Swagmatics, Bamberdost, Owen Lake and the Tragic Loves, Jonny Couch, Sean Henry Tonight!, and Ava LaMonte. Plus a look back at "Duluth" by Particle Zoo.




Makin Waves Song of the Week: "Soaked" by Kiaura Rose

The Makin Waves Song of the Week is "Soaked" from Kiaura Rose's debut seven-song debut album, "Vagrant."




Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites... 08/06/2026

"I am great! I was in California last weekend and just got back, I have the day off and I'm getting to chat with you so everything is great," says Monster Jam monster truck driver Angelina Nock as she let us in on the profession, her background and what we can expect when she gets behind the wheel of Megalodon at Newark's Prudential Center August 14 through 16.




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