(WESTFIELD, NJ) -- A Westfield tradition returns Saturday, December 31, with the New Jersey Festival Orchestra’s New Year’s Eve performance “Hats Off to Broadway” in the Westfield High School auditorium.

The family-friendly, cabaret-style revue of American musical theater song and dance will feature the professional orchestra under the baton of David Wroe.  Joining them is a trio of renowned guest vocalists (Josh Young, Emily Padgett and Jessica Ann Best) from the Broadway stage along with dancers from Dance Theatre of Harlem.

“I am thrilled to partner with Broadway’s famed Josh Young, who many will know for his starring roles in the Jesus Christ Superstar revival and West Side Story,” said NJFO’s Maestro David Wroe.  “And Josh is coupled with none other than his lovely bride Emily Padget  - best known for Broadway's Side Show, Rock of Ages, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Just imagine the chemistry on stage!! To complete the team and back by popular demand, is Jessica Ann Best, whose haunting interpretations of 'Send in the Clowns' and 'Feelin' Good' brought the house down a couple of years ago.”

“This year’s intergenerational program reads like a Who's Who of the best of Broadway,” continued Wroe,  “It’s eclectic, dynamic and a grand retrospective of the some of the choice song and dance numbers from The Great White Way.”

“This celebration concert is an exploration of the art of the popular song and how Broadway has imprinted in our minds melodies that we might not immediately know where they come from, but instantly recognize and, irresistibly, want to hum. So favorites from Rodgers and Hammerstein, Gershwin and more are coupled with '50s classics like "Can't take my eyes off you" and more recent showstoppers from Les Mis, Phantom and the like.” 

The music will be punctuated with performances by dancers from Dance Theater of Harlem.

“The Dancers from Dance Theater of Harlem are classically trained ballet dancers,” said Wroe, “yet their choreographer, Derek Brockington, masterfully mirrors the style of the music he and the dancers are charged to dance to. So whether the music is from Chicago, where they dance to the Charleston, or they sway to the romantic sounds of Rodgers and Hammerstein, their style is a visual representation of the music the audience hears. It is spectacular!”

“People want safe, familiar and uplifting events to bring in the New Year, and the NJ Festival Orchestra has built a tradition of being the place to be on this special night,” commented NJFO Board President Keith S. Hertell.  “It also fits perfectly in people’s plans — the 1,000-plus audience members either come directly from a dinner, or leave the concert to head off to their final dinner or party. The event is a highlight of the year for our community.” 

The celebration concert has been made possible through the generous support of The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, The Westfield Foundation, and PNC Private Bank. The dancers from Dance Theatre of Harlem appear through the generous support of Jerome and Helene Dreskin.

The New Year’s Eve concert will take place in Westfield High School auditorium (550 Dorian Road) in Westfield, from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. The concert will be repeated on New Year’s Day at the Sieminski Theater (8000 Fellowship Road) in Basking Ridge at 2:30pm. Tickets range from $40- $80, with a special discount price of only $25 for kids under 18. Tickets are available for purchase at www.njfestivalorchestra.org or by calling 908-232-9400.