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!
If your arts organization sends out press releases, make sure you have [email protected] on your media list for coverage.
theatre
Interview with Hunter Foster, Director of "Parade" at American Theater Group (BASKING RIDGE, NJ) -- American Theater Group is thrilled to have Tony Award-nominated actor Hunter Foster directing their upcoming production of the critically-acclaimed musical Parade, written by Alfred Uhry (Driving Miss Daisy) with a score by Jason Robert Brown (The Bridges of Madison County). Parade runs March 2-5 at the Sieminski Theater in Basking Ridge and March 9-11 at the JCC MetroWest in West Orange.
Lewis Center for the Arts' Program in Theater presents "Disorder" (PRINCETON, NJ) -- The Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Theater at Princeton University will present Disorder, an immersive theatrical installation conceptualized, designed, and led by senior Reed Leventis, with sound design by senior Emily Murray. Highlighting stories and writing sourced from the Princeton University community, the installation illuminates and investigates the frays and strains of the American medical industry. The installation further utilizes audience participation and reflection as a mechanism to reimagine spaces of health care as communal sites of radical listening and vulnerability.
Carmen Matarazzo Talks "Sweeney Todd" and Crafting the Role of Tobias Carmen Matarazzo, a graduate of Pinelands High School in New Jersey, is an actor/drummer who has been seen in multiple productions at his high school and several theaters across the state including Mary Poppins (Robertson Ay), Clue: On Stage (Professor Plum), Spring Awakening (Ernst), The Addams Family (Lucas), The Sound of Music (Captain Von Trapp).
Bordentown Thespians present "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" (BORDENTOWN, NJ) -- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, will be presented on February 24th at 7:30pm and February 25th at 2:00pm & 7:30pm at the Bordentown Performing Arts Center. This production will be performed by the award-winning theatre students of Bordentown Regional High School. A trio of engaging Narrators tells the magical, musical story of Joseph, whose jealous brothers inadvertently set him on a journey from obscurity to fame and power.
Playhouse 22 presents "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" (EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- Playhouse 22, East Brunswick’s Community Theater, will present The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, a drama by Simon Stephens, based on the novel by Mark Haddon, starting February 10 and running through February 26. The play is about fifteen-year-old Christopher, who has an extraordinary brain; he is exceptionally intelligent but ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. When he falls under suspicion for killing his neighbor’s dog, he sets out to identify the true culprit, which leads to an earth-shattering discovery and a journey that will change his life forever.
MTM Players presents "Sordid Lives" at Kelsey Theatre (WEST WINDSOR, NJ) -- MTM Players presents the ridiculously funny comedy “Sordid Lives.” The play runs weekends February 17 - 26, 2023 at Mercer County Community College’s Kelsey Theatre located on the college’s West Windsor campus on 1200 Old Trenton Road. Penned by Del Shores, the play is set in the small town of Winters, Texas where a large family tries to come to grips with the death of their matriarch, Peggy.
music
Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites...2/9/23 “We change things up from night to night so that people get some different stuff but we're covering music from across the catalogue. We're doing stuff from earlier records all the way up to the later records and a cross section of both vocal and instrumental materials. So, if you're into the really insane, ridiculously complex instrumental compositions or if you're into the more straight ahead rocking vocal songs; you'll definitely get both. We just play hard; we really bring a lot to the songs; we're not kidding around.”
Low Cut Connie Pays Tribute To Philadelphia DJ Jerry Blavat with "Low Cut Strut" On February 9th, Low Cut Connie pays tribute to “The Geator With The Heator” Jerry Blavat, the legendary Phildalephia DJ who passed away last month, with the release of “Low Cut Strut (Strut That Ass Right Back to Class),” which features a guest appearance from Blavat himself. The song was originally released as the b-side of the “Shake It Little Tina” 7 inch vinyl in 2015, and is now available on streaming services for the first time.
Taylor Dane added to "Freestyle, Freestyle for All" at NJPAC (NEWARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) presents a spectacular night of Freestyle, Freestyle for All – just added to the all-star line- up is Taylor Dane, she will join Brenda K. Starr, Rob Base, George Lamond, Lisette Melendez, Noel, Freedom Williams, Seduction, Johnny O, Rockell, Joe Zangie, Lil Suzi all are taking to the stage to perform their hits on Saturday, April 8th at 8:00pm.
Can't Swim Releases New Single: "Nowhere, Ohio" New Jersey rock band, Can’t Swim, shared a new single, “Nowhere, Ohio,” out via Pure Noise Records. The track is off forthcoming fourth full length studio album, Thanks But No Thanks, arriving March 3rd. “Nowhere, Ohio” offers a playful tribute to the Alkaline Trio classic “Radio” in between stabs of downtuned guitars and lyrics that reflect on the loneliness of touring.
Xian Zhang conducts the New Jersey Symphony for Mahler's Symphony No. 3 (NEWARK, NJ) -- Music Director Xian Zhang leads the New Jersey Symphony in her favorite piece of music, Mahler’s Symphony No. 3, on March 3 and 5 with mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor, Montclair State University Prima Voce, and Starry Arts Group Children’s Chorus. Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) was an Austro-Bohemian composer and conductor of the late-Romantic era. His compositions often draw on his Jewish heritage, and he is known for symphonic works of great scale and power.
Duran Duran Announce 26-Date North American Arena Tour Duran Duran has announced a 26-date North American arena tour for 2023, with both Bastille and Nile Rodgers & CHIC joining them as special guests across the entire run. Produced by Live Nation, THE FUTURE PAST TOUR begins on May 28 in San Jose, CA and will make stops across Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake City, Austin, New Orleans, Dallas, Nashville, Atlanta, and Tampa before concluding the first leg in Florida on June 18. The tour will pick up again on August 24 in Sacramento, CA, with dates in Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C, Detroit, and Toronto amongst many more. Dates in NYC and LA will be announced soon.
film
Trenton Film Society: Your Portal to the Oscar-Nominated Short Films (TRENTON, NJ) -- The Trenton Film Society is offering movie buffs the chance to see the Oscar-nominated short films of 2022, in the categories of live-action, animated, and documentary. A perennial hit with audiences around the country and the world, don’t miss this year’s selection of shorts. Predict the winners (and have the edge in your Oscar pool)! Showings will be in person (masks encouraged but not required) at the Mill Hill Playhouse in Trenton on Friday, February 24 and Saturday, February 25. The Academy Awards take place Sunday, March 12.
Newly Released 4k Titanic Short Film Provides Most Detailed Exploration of the Wreck's Bow Section in 25 Years (NASSAU, BAHAMAS) -- OceanGate Expeditions announces the premiere of the short film, Titan – A Viewport to Titanic. The film was developed from hours of footage captured throughout more than a dozen dives completed during the 2021 and 2022 Titanic Expeditions conducted by OceanGate Expeditions. The remarkable video is narrated by Titanic dive veteran and explorer, Rory Golden, and premiered on the OceanGate Expeditions YouTube channel on February 8, 2023.
Man Fire Clay New Jersey Film Festival Filmmaker Interview Al Nigrin, Executive Director and Curator of the New Jersey Film Festival, sits down to talk with Michael Callas, Director of "Man Fire Clay," for a filmmaker interview.
dance
Library of Congress Acquires Archives of Garth Fagan Dance Company The Library of Congress has acquired the papers of choreographer Garth Fagan and Garth Fagan Dance, the company founded by Fagan in 1970. Garth Fagan Dance is distinguished by the artistic imagination and polyrhythmic movement of Jamaican-born Fagan, layered with the discipline and strength of ballet training. The company has performed in more than 660 cities in 24 countries on six continents.
Ocean County Library Barnegat Branch to Host Emerald Isle Academy of Irish Dance Recital (BARNEGAT, NJ) -- In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, the Ocean County Library Barnegat Branch is pleased to present a performance by the Emerald Isle Academy of Irish Dance on Saturday, March 4 at 2:00pm. The dancers are excited to showcase their Irish heritage through step dancing. They’ll perform reels, jigs, and traditional routines, modern show pieces, and soft-shoe and hard-shoe dances.
art
From Shoes to Splendor: ARTeriors Baltic Avenue Transforms Disused Space In Atlantic City, a community of artists has transformed a former Payless ShoeSource into a temporary art experience featuring large-scale, mixed-media installations. On view through Feb. 19, 2023, the Atlantic City Arts Foundation welcomes you to walk in and surround yourself with ARTeriors Baltic Avenue.
community
Over $2.3 million in Middlesex County Arts, History, and Historic Preservation & Capital Grants awarded for 2023 (MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NJ) -- Middlesex County has announced the 2023 Arts & History Grant Awards in the amount of $2,326,367 to 93 municipal agencies and local nonprofit arts and history organizations. Funding support includes: Core Partners, General Operating Support, Program Support, and Historic Preservation & Capital Grants. The grant cycle opens each summer with the announcement of the grant guidelines and a series of Grant Writing Workshops, which were held virtually last year.
Ramapo College of New Jersey Professor Elected by American Council of the Teaching of Foreign Language (ACTFL) to Leadership of New Special Interest Group (MAHWAH, NJ) -- Ramapo Professor Natalia Santamaría Laorden was recently elected to lead a pioneering national initiative that encourages the contextual teaching of language. Newly formed by the ACTFL, The Languages of Specific Purposes (LSP) Special Interest Group is the first of its kind to further the issue of language and profession through the ACTFL network of professionals and in classrooms across the country. Santamaría Laorden will serve as the LSP group’s chair throughout its first full year.
Mayor Baraka Announces Newark Exceeded Its Goal of Housing 539 Homeless Individuals With the Partnership of HUD, Stakeholders (NEWARK, NJ) -- On February 8th, Mayor Ras J. Baraka announced that Newark successfully housed 539 formerly homeless individuals in partnership with U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia L. Fudge, states, municipalities, and tribes through HUD's House America initiative.
