Here's a look at the top 15 most read articles published at New Jersey Stage from May 21-27, 2023. 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's top 15 includes articles from 9 counties in New Jersey (Bergen, Burlington, Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, and Morris).
1) 2023 Highland Park Porchfest to Take Place on Sunday - (HIGHLAND PARK, NJ) -- The 2023 Highland Park Porchfest takes place Sunday, May 21st from noon to 6:00pm. This is the 3rd year of the event, which features over 50 local musicians and bands performing at 15 porches throughout the town.
2) "Electrifying!" Bobby Wilson LIVE! at the PNC Bank Arts Center - A crowd of over 5,000 music lovers files into the PNC Bank Arts Center this Tuesday, May 9, 2023 afternoon for a free Garden State Arts Foundation concert featuring Bobby Wilson and his tribute to Motown and his father, Jackie Wilson. Also on today’s bill is Tommy C with his tribute to Bobby Rydell along with The Chiclettes’ tribute to female artists of the ’60s, all accompanied by The Coda Band.
3) Princeton Festival Weeknights I: June 13-15 - (PRINCETON, NJ) -- There is plenty of music, improvisational hilarity, and romance filling the first round of weeknight performances at this year’s 2023 Princeton Festival, which takes place June 9-25. Two concerts, one featuring The Claremont Trio, the other, the guitar and cello duo Boyd Meets Girl, bookend Broadway’s Next Hit Musical, a musical comedy improv show.
4) NJ Jazz Society Announces 2023 Scholarship Winners - The winners of the New Jersey Jazz Society's 2023 Juried Scholarship Competition are: Trombonist Richard LaRouech, Buffalo, NY, William Paterson University Jazz Studies Program ($1,000 prize for Performance); Trumpeter Banks Sapnar, Haddonfield, NJ, Temple University Boyer College of Music and Dance, Jazz Studies. ($1,000 prize for Composition); Saxophonist Joseph Foglia of Raleigh, NC, William Paterson University Jazz Studies Program ($500 prize for Performance); and Trumpeter Grace Fox of Marlton, NJ, Manhattan School of Music ($500 prize for Composition).
5) bergenPAC High School Musical Awards Show Premieres on Monday - (ENGLEWOOD, NJ) -- The inaugural bergenPAC High School Musical Awards will take place on Monday, May 22. The evening will bring together schools across the region to celebrate the year’s best productions and student performances. The ceremony will be held at bergenPAC, starting at 7:00pm with live performances from select nominees.
6) The Lakehouse Block Party to Take Place May 21st in Asbury Park - (ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- The Lakehouse Block Party will take place on Sunday, May 21, 2023 from noon to 7:00pm. (*note: the event was initially scheduled for Saturday, but moved due to inclement weather forecasted for that day). The event features an incredible lineup of both emerging and longtime performers in the local music scene and some amazing local vendors and food trucks, including an exclusive Asbury Park Brewery Beer Garden. Proceeds from this event will support the nonprofit Asbury Park Music Foundation.
7) Edgar Herrera Named Managing Director of George Street Playhouse - (NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- The Board of Trustees of George Street Playhouse have announced the appointment of Edgar Herrera as Managing Director, effective June 1, 2023. Mr. Herrera had previously been serving as Executive Director & Chief Development Officer of the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra.
8) NJ's Largest Color Walk & Festival of Colors with Dance & Music Attracts Thousands to Jersey City & Hoboken - (JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- Surati's HOLI HAI, the largest and longest-running Color Walk and Festival of Dance, Music and Colors celebrated its 15th year in Jersey City and Hoboken on Sunday, May 21st, the official culmination of the spring season. Hundreds of participants began their colorful journey at Pier A Park in Hoboken, where they participated in dance workshops and enjoyed performance workshops of Indian dance and African drums.
9) The Broadway Theatre of Pitman presents Drew Angus - (PITMAN, NJ) -- The Broadway Theatre of Pitman presents Drew Angus and his band with local opener, AFTYN on Friday, June 9, 2023 at 8:00pm. Drew's music is a unique blend of Americana, Rock 'n Roll, Funk and Retro Soul, influenced by classic rock artists like The Beatles, Tom Petty, and The Rolling Stones, as well as modern-day artists like John Mayer, Ben Rector, and The Lone Bellow.
10) ACCESS JC Fridays on June 2nd features Open Studios, Live Music, Outdoor Events, and More - (JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- Art House Productions has announced the lineup for their upcoming ACCESS JC Fridays on Friday, June 2, 2023. Jersey City’s premiere quarterly arts festival will showcase a variety of happenings free to the public including visual art exhibitions, music performances, studio tours, and more hosted at local businesses, galleries, and arts organizations. Visitors are encouraged to travel place to place to discover art and to support the local arts scene.
11) MPAC Launches "Creative Aging Arts Program" with Cornerstone Social Adult Day Center - (MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) has launched a Creative Aging Arts program at Cornerstone Adult Day Center in Morristown that will run through the end of June. This brand-new arts engagement program has been made possible by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
12) Eric B. to Make Special Appearance during 10th Anniversary Block Party - (ASBURY PARK, NJ) – Mother Nature didn’t cooperate with Lakehouse Music Academy’s (LhMA) 10th Anniversary Block Party to benefit Asbury Park Music Foundation (APMF) today, but the change to Sunday, May 21st brings new opportunities for special guests, including hip‐hop legend Eric B. (of Eric B. and Rakim). Eric has been supportive of APMF’s educational programs, which are presented in partnership with Lakehouse Music Academy. Eric will make a special appearance in the afternoon. He and Rakim are also playing the North to Shore festival on June 13 at The Stone Pony in celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip‐hop.
13) Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites....5/25/23 - "I played at the summer concert series that they had there in 2021. They were doing that outdoor thing, I mean it was pretty cool. I thought it was cool for the people that were camping or staying at the site because they just got to see a bunch of shows."
14) "Pure Perfection!" The Lettermen LIVE! at PNC Bank Arts Center - It’s a gorgeous Wednesday, May 17, 2023 afternoon at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ where an audience of over 6000 New Jerseyans ready themselves for a free Garden State Arts Foundation performance starring The Lettermen and comedian John Pizzi.
15) (TIE) Bordentown Regional High School senior Ryan Kaufman Wins 2023 Casey Feldman Foundation Scholarship - (BORDENTOWN, NJ) -- Bordentown Regional High School senior Ryan Kaufman has been awarded the 2023 Casey Feldman Foundation Scholarship. The award was presented at the Greater Philadelphia Cappie Award Gala, which was held at Cardinal O’Hara High School in Pennsylvania on Sunday, May 21. Members of the cast, crew and orchestra of Bordentown Regional High School’s recent production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat attended the Gala, which honored high school theatre productions from the 2022-2023 season.
15) (TIE) Music Mountain Theatre presents "Something Rotten" - (LAMBERTVILLE, NJ) -- Welcome to the Renaissance and the outrageous, crowd-pleasing musical farce, Something Rotten, opening at Music Mountain Theatre on May 26 with performances running weekends through June 18, 2023. Set in the 1590s, brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of the biggest star of the era, everyone's favorite bard: William Shakespeare. Something Rotten features large song and dance numbers and a wacky cast of over-the-top characters!
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 targeted advertising which includes events listed in our online calendar. Or you can have your events listed in the calendar for $10 per event.
