Here's a look at the top 10 most read articles published at New Jersey Stage during the week of March 27 to April 2, 2022.  Each week, we publish about 70 articles, including several original columns and features, along with news releases for events happening throughout the state and nearby areas like Philadelphia and New York City. This week Top Ten includes articles covering fivecounties in New Jersey (Camden, Essex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Warren) with Essex as this week's big winner (5 stories). 

1) WBGO and City of Newark Partner to Rename Street in Honor of Wayne Shorter - (NEWARK, NJ) -- On April 29 at 5:00pm, WBGO, Newark Public Radio, will celebrate the renaming of the street on which the station resides in honor of one of Newark's own, legendary jazz musician and composer Wayne Shorter. Founded in 1979, WBGO sits at the center of the ever growing arts district in Newark - the Central Ward. Earlier this year, the Newark City Council unanimously approved WBGO's proposal to rename Park Place after NEA Jazz Master, Kennedy Center Honoree, multiple Grammy Award Winner, and Newark native, Wayne Shorter. 

2) Newark Symphony Hall Presents "Festival of Praise" with Fred Hammond, Israel Houghton, and Bishop Hezekiah Walker - (NEWARK, NJ) -- Get ready for the “Festival of Praise,” a gospel extravaganza with GRAMMY® Award winners and gospel superstars Fred Hammond, Israel Houghton,and Bishop Hezekiah Walker. These gospel icons take to the stage in person on Friday, April 27, 2022 at Newark Symphony Hall in Newark, New Jersey. The show starts at 8:00pm.

3) Pop, Rock and Doo Wopp LIVE! at the Strand - The stage is set and music lovers are getting ready this Friday, March 18, 2022 evening for a nostalgic Pop, Rock and Doo Wopp show at the Strand Theater in Lakewood, NJ. On the bill for tonight’s event are The Mystics, The Fireflies, LaLa Brooks, Larry Chance and the Earls, Emil Stucchio and the Classics, and Jay and the Americans.

4) Diana Krall: Early Exposure to Great Piano Players Shaped Her Career - Diana Krall grew up listening to great piano players because her father, a stride pianist, “had an incredible record collection of 78 rpms. I was very lucky to have that foundation.” 

5) Paper Mill Playhouse presents "The Wanderer" - (MILLBURN, NJ) -- He’s coming back around after a postponement in the spring of 2020. Paper Mill Playhouse presents The Wanderer now through April 24, 2022. This is the riveting true story of the man Bruce Springsteen calls "the link between Frank Sinatra and rock and roll." Dion’s music helped define a generation, but the darker side of success threatened to bring it all crashing down. The Wanderer is a moving, no-holds-barred new musical about the glow of the spotlight, the shadow of addiction, and the triumph of the human spirit against all odds, set to the iconic sound of an incomparable era in American music.

6) Imagine Dragons, Macklemore and Kings Elliot to Perform in Camden and Holmdel - (CAMDEN, NJ) -- Multi platinum Grammy award winning rock band Imagine Dragons have announced 20 new shows on their massive Mercury World Tour, including a pair in New Jersey. Produced by Live Nation, the summer North American tour celebrates the release of their latest album, Mercury – Act 1 (KIDinaKORNER / Interscope). Imagine Dragons, along with special guests Macklemore and Kings Elliot will come to the Waterfront Music Pavilion in Camden on Tuesday, August 16th and the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel on Thursday, August 18th.

7) Chris Rock and Kevin Hart To Co-Headline Shows In July - Chris Rock and Kevin Hart have announced an iconic co-headlining five show run – ROCK HART: ONLY HEADLINERS ALLOWED – taking place this July. The tour includes shows at Prudential Center in Newark, Madison Square Garden in New York City, PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, and Barclays Center in Brooklyn - all shows take place between July 22-25.

8) Invest Newark Board of Directors Names Marcus Randolph the Next President and CEO - (NEWARK, NJ) -- Marcus Randolph will be the next President and CEO of Invest Newark and will begin in May 2022.  Mr. Randolph is currently an Executive Director within Community Development Real Estate for JPMorgan Chase Bank where he covers New Jersey and New York. A consensus builder with a record of success in working for change, Marcus Randolph has the proven leadership to expand the reach of Invest Newark and manage its important equitable economic growth initiatives.

9) New York City to Hold 37th Annual April Fools' Day Parade - (NEW YORK CITY, NY) -- This year, New York’s beloved annual April Fools’ Day Parade, which pokes fun at outrageous displays of dishonesty, greed, hypocrisy, deceit, and bigotry, is going global. For the past 36 years, the public has been invited to create outrageous floats and dress up as look-alikes in colorful costumes to reflect the folly of duplicitous politicians, crooked corporate leaders, superficial celebrities, and whoever else has proven to be a total fool in the past year. The parade, which has always been a protest against war, corruption, propaganda and deceit, has marched down 5th Avenue from 57th Street to Washington Square Park for the crowning of the King of Fools.

10) 11 Year Old Leilah St. Clair Marshall Stars in "Whippoorwill" at Centenary Stage Company - (HACKETTSTOWN, NJ) -- Students at Arthur Stanlick Elementary School in Lake Hopatcong will cheer when their fellow student, eleven- year-old Leilah St. Clair Marshall stars in the World Premiere production of Centenary Stage Company’s Whippoorwill by Pulitzer Prize nominated playwright, Ruth Kirschner, running March 31 – April 10 at the Lackland Center for the Performing Arts.  

Event previews are always one of the most popular areas of the website. Event previews get noticed when we first publish them and then get noticed again when they are brought back to the main area of the site the week the event takes place - sometimes even several months later.  Make sure your events get previewed by sending press releases to us at [email protected] - for even more promotion, check out our ad rates which run $50-$100 for an entire month of advertising. It's the best deal around!