Here is a look at upcoming concerts taking place from May 9 to May 15, 2023 along with our featured listings. New Jersey Stage offers previews of events throughout the Garden State as well as select shows in New York City and Philadelphia areas. Click on the title to go to the full preview.
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FEATURED SHOWS
Wednesday, May 10, 2023 @ 7:30pm - Honey Wild at State Theatre Studio, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. Honey Wild sounds like freedom. This has been the band's guiding ethos since its founding in 2018 by Hana Denson (vocals, keys) and Cristian Fernandez (vocals, guitar). The constraints of genre have clearly never been part of the calculus when it comes to the band's signature sound and so a Honey Wild concert takes you on a sonic journey: jazz, blues, americana, punk, psychedelic rock, funk, and soul only begin to scratch the surface of the ever-changing flow that enraptures the audience with each new tune.
Thursday, May 11, 2023 @ 7:00pm - GPAA Spring Showcases: Freshman & Sophomore Vocal Showcase at Grunin Center, 1 College Drive, Toms River, NJ 08754
Thursday, May 11, 2023 @ 7:30pm - Shore to Rock Hunger: A Concert Benefiting Fulfill’s Rockstar Heroes at Count Basie Center for the Arts, 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank, NJ 07701. Tom Cunningham, Jeff Kazee & Brian Kirk
Friday, May 12, 2023 @ 8:00pm and Saturday, May 13, 2023 @ 8:00pm - Christopher Macchio in Concert at Avenel Performing Arts Center, 150 Avenel Street, Avenel, NJ 07001. Christopher Macchio is an international classical-crossover vocalist, known globally for his command performances from the White House balcony on LIVE International Television. He has 10 consecutive annual sold-out concerts as one of the three New York Tenors at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, solo guest appearances with legendary producer David Foster, and a PBS-TV concert special Bell’Aria: Live from Las Vegas. He regularly performs to sold-out crowds in New York, Atlantic City, Philadelphia, Miami and Los Angeles.
Friday, May 12, 2023 @ 8:00pm - Back to the Eighties Show with Jessie’s Girl at The Vogel, 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank, NJ 07701. Back to The Eighties Show with Jessie’s Girl is the World’s Greatest Tribute to the music of the 80s! JESSIE’S GIRL’s primary line-up includes a team of NYC’s top rock and pop vocalists: Jenna O’Gara, Chris Hall, Mark Rinzel. They are backed by one of the tightest bands in the city comprised of 20+ year veterans of the NYC music scene: Eric Presti on guitar, Drew Mortali on bass, and Michael Maenza on drums, each with dozens of credits performing with authentic 80’s icons who made the music famous to begin with!
Saturday, May 13, 2023 @ 12:00pm - The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD - Der Rosenkavalier at Monmouth University - Pollak Theatre, 400 Cedar Avenue, West Long Branch, NJ 07764. A stellar trio assembles to take on the lead roles of Strauss’s comedy, with soprano Lise Davidsen in her Met role debut as the Marschallin, opposite mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard in her Met role debut as Octavian, and soprano Erin Morley as Sophie. Bass Günther Groissböck returns as Baron Ochs, and Markus Brück is Sophie’s father, Faninal. Maestro Simone Young takes the podium to oversee Robert Carsen’s fin-de-siècle staging.
Saturday, May 13, 2023 @ 2:00pm - The Adelphi Orchestra presents Brahms & Dvorak at Broadway Presbyterian Church, 601 West 114th Street, New York, NY 10025. The Adelphi Orchestra continues its 69th Season of "Music for All" with Brahms & Dvorak. The concert is under the baton of maestro Scott Jackson Wiley and features violin virtuoso Sophia Werner (the first prize winner of the 2022 Adelphi Orchestra Competition) in Brahms Concerto for Violin in D major. Also on the program is Mendelssohn's: Hebrides Overture "Fingal's Cave" and Dvorak: Symphony no 7 in D minor.
Saturday, May 13, 2023 @ 8:00pm - LEA SALONGA at Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC), 100 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960. Award-winning actress and singer Lea Salonga is renowned for her powerful voice and perfect pitch. Best known for her Tony Award winning role in Miss Saigon, she was also the first Asian to play Eponine in Les Misérables on Broadway and returned as Fantine in the 2006 revival. Lea was the singing voice of Princess Jasmine from Aladdin, and Fa Mulan for Mulan and Mulan II, earning the honor of “Disney Legend.”
Saturday, May 13, 2023 @ 8:00pm - Almost Queen: An Exclusive, Rare Club Performance at The Vogel, 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank, NJ 07701. THE most authentic QUEEN live show since the days of QUEEN themselves. A deliberate four-piece band, Almost Queen delivers a live performance showcasing signature four part harmonies and intricate musical interludes. Donning genuine costumes, Almost Queen recaptures the live energy and precision that is the penultimate Queen experience.
EVENT PREVIEWS
Tuesday, May 9, 2023 - RVCC to Present Concert Featuring the Shelest Piano Duo. (BRANCHBURG, NJ) -- Raritan Valley Community College's Arts & Design department will present the Shelest Piano Duo, a concert featuring the Ukrainian American pianists Anna and Dmitri Shelest, Tuesday, May 9, at 7:30pm. The event, the final performance in the 2022-2023 season of the MOZAIKA Concert Series, will be held in the Welpe Theatre at the College’s Branchburg campus.
Wednesday, May 10, 2023 - Prudential Center presents Anita Baker. (NEWARK, NJ) -- Eight-time Grammy Award-winning superstar Anita Baker, The Songstress, has announced a special run of live dates for 2023. The Songstress’ tour, produced by Live Nation, will bring her to 15 cities kicking off on February 11th at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, FL making stops across the U.S. in Atlanta, Baltimore, Houston, and more. Locally, her tour comes to the Prudential Center in Newark on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.
Thursday, May 11, 2023 - Star-Studded Lineup Set for The "Shore To Rock Hunger" Benefit Concert at Count Basie Center for the Arts. (NEPTUNE, NJ) -- Fulfill (the Food Bank for Monmouth and Ocean Counties) has a star-studded lineup of performers scheduled for its inaugural benefit concert at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, NJ on Thursday, May 11. The lineup now includes G.E. Smith, Southside Johnny Lyon, Jesse Malin, Adam Weiner (Low Cut Connie), Jill Hennessy (singer/actress from Crossing Jordan and Law & Order), Early Elton Trio (featuring Jeff Kazee, Rich Pagano and John Conte), Brian Kirk (Brian Kirk & The Jirks), House band featuring Jeff Kazee, G.E. Smith, drummer Shawn Pelton, guitarist Billy Norris, and the Asbury Jukes horns.
Friday, May 12, 2023 - DJ Cassidy to Kick Off "Pass The Mic" tour at Prudential Center. (NEWARK, NJ) -- DJ Cassidy will take his highly lauded primetime television series "Pass The Mic" on tour in 2023 in partnership with Black Promoters Collective. "DJ Cassidy's Pass the Mic Live!" Tour kicks off on Friday, May 12th at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, with an epic lineup including Ashanti, Fabolous, Ja Rule, Lil Kim, Ma$e, Ne-Yo, Robin Thicke, 112, and a slew of exciting surprise guests. The debut show, brought to you by SJ Presents' "Mother's Day Good Music Festival," will be the first in a series of one-night-only events taking place throughout the year, each with its own unique roster of superstar performers.
Friday, May 12, 2023 - Bobby Bandiera to Lead All-Star Band Paying Tribute to Les Paul at Monmouth University. (WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ) -- Monmouth University Center for the Arts is pleased to present The Les Paul Experience, a musical tribute concert and photography exhibition celebrating the life & career of the legendary jazz musician, inventor and musical pioneer known as the "father of the electric guitar," Les Paul.
Saturday, May 13, 2023 - The Hooters to Play Two Shows at Ardmore Music Hall. (ARDMORE, PA) -- Philadelphia rock n’ roll institution The Hooters, best known for their 1980s hits “And We Danced” and “All You Zombies,” will return to Ardmore Music Hall to celebrate the venue’s 10 year anniversary on May 12th and 13th, 2023 for a 2-night run. The 600-capacity independent venue on Philly’s Main Line will offer fans an opportunity to see the band perform songs from their extensive catalog in a decidedly intimate space.
Saturday, May 13, 2023 - McDonald's Gospelfest returns to Prudential Center on May 13th. (NEWARK, NJ) -- The Annual McDonald's Gospelfest returns to Prudential Center on Mother's Day Weekend Saturday, May 13, 2023, for the biggest and best gospel event of the year. This year's event will celebrate the 40th Year Anniversary of McDonald's Gospelfest. Live performances to help celebrate the anniversary are Hezekiah Walker and Love Fellowship Choir, the Legendary Clark Sisters and so many more!
Saturday, May 13, 2023 - Newton Theatre presents Dead Set: Plays Dead Set. (NEWTON, NJ) -- DEAD SET Plays Dead Set featuring Vinnie Amico (moe.), Zach Nugent (Formerly JGB) & Sunshine "Garcia" Becker (Furthur) comes to The Newton Theatre on Saturday, May 13 at 8:00pm. Fans can expect two high energy sets of Grateful Dead music, recreated from Fall 1980 live shows. Some all-star guests were put together for this voyage, expect magic to happen on the stage!
Saturday, May 13, 2023 - Gershwin's "An American in Paris" and Berlioz's "Harold in Italy" – in Princeton!. (PRINCETON, NJ) -- At concerts on Saturday, May 13 at 8:00pm and Sunday, May 14 at 4:00pm, the Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) takes audience members to Paris and on a tour of Italy through George Gershwin's An American in Paris and Hector Berlioz's Harold in Italy, featuring internationally renowned violist Roberto Díaz as soloist. Edward T. Cone Music Director Rossen Milanov conducts the program which includes Westminster Choir College alumna Julia Perry's Study for Orchestra. The concert takes place at Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall, on the campus Princeton University.
Saturday, May 13, 2023 - New Jersey Symphony presents Hooray for Bollywood. (NEWARK, NJ) -- The New Jersey Symphony will present its next family concert, "Hooray for Bollywood!" at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday, May 13. The Symphony, led by conductor Vinay Parameswaran, will be joined by acclaimed South Asian musicians for this performance, including prominent sitar player Indrajit Roy-Chowdhury. The program will also feature new arrangements by award-winning pianist, composer and journalist Charu Suri. The show will also include dynamic dance routines and vocal accompaniments by Indian dance and music students from Kulture Kool showcasing the vibrant and intricate movements of Bollywood choreography.
Saturday, May 13, 2023 - Jersey City Singer Giselle to Produce Eccentric Multidisciplinary Performance "Giselle's Florence Foster Jenkins Schubertiade Review" on May 13th. (JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- From an outsider's standpoint, pop and opera are strictly separate entities. But Jersey City singer-songwriter Giselle, whose musical background exists deeply in both, will be blurring the lines between pop and opera; visual and experiential; fantasy and reality; and everything in between with a never-before-seen performance titled "Giselle's Florence Foster Jenkins Schubertiade Review" on Saturday, May 13th at 8:00pm at the Jersey City Theater Center (JCTC).
Saturday, May 13, 2023 - Westminster Conservatory recital to celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month on Saturday. (PRINCETON, NJ) -- Westminster Conservatory of Music will present "Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month" on Saturday, May 13 at 7:30pm. The concert will feature nine Conservatory faculty members of AAPI heritage, as they perform music that represents the nations of their backgrounds. The concert will take place in Bristol Chapel (101 Walnut Lane) in Princeton.
