Published by New Jersey Stage
originally published: 01/10/2025
Giordano Dance Chicago
(GALLOWAY, NJ) -- Like the new year, Stockton University's Performing Arts Center (PAC) is emerging from the winter and warming up with shows sure to please everyone.
Anjanette Christy, the director of the PAC, anticipates this spring will encompass the very essence of performing arts, from music to dance to theater. “As we step into spring, we’re excited to create memorable experiences for our community," Christy said. "From the gospel roots of the Blind Boys of Alabama to the timeless tradition of ‘Madama Butterfly,' each performance offers something very special. 'Moon Mouse: A Space Odyssey' brings a delightful, family-friendly adventure, while Giordano Dance Chicago celebrates 62 years of jazz dance artistry, set to some of Gershwin’s timeless classics. Together, these performances help us connect through music, storytelling and movement.”
Here’s a closer look at some of the spring’s highlights, set to conclude the 2024-25 season in May:
‘Madama Butterfly’ by the NJ Association of Verismo Opera – Saturday, February 7, 2025. Travel to 1904 Nagasaki, Japan, and learn of the tragic fate of a naïve geisha and her unfaithful lover at the Stockton University Performing Arts Center on Saturday, February 7 at 7:30pm.
Cio-Cio-san, nicknamed “Butterfly,” renounced her family and community to marry Pinkerton, an American naval officer and man with ulterior motives. The NJ Association of Verismo Opera, the same troupe that brought Rossini’s “Il Barbiere Di Siviglia” (“The Barber of Seville”) to life in 2024, will perform their story of love and betrayal.
Celtic Angels Ireland – Saturday, March 8, 2025 - Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with the Trinity Ensemble, the Heavenly Celtic Angels and the Dynamic Celtic Knights Dancers on Saturday, March 8 at 7:30pm. An homage to the Emerald Isle will be front and center on the main stage of Stockton University’s Performing Arts Center. With over 30 Irish traditional and contemporary songs performed by the Trinity Ensemble, the Heavenly Celtic Angels and the Dynamic Celtic Knights Dancers, the theatrical feast will prove to be an evening of craic (fun), ceol (music) and traidisiún (tradition).
‘Forever Young: A Tribute to Your Life and Music’ – Friday, March 21, 2025. This show follows a group of friends as they discover the power of friendship and iconic music in a suburban basement. It will be performed on the Stockton University Performing Arts Center mainstage on Friday, March 21 at 7:30pm. “Forever Young,” a heartfelt true story, features songs by The Beatles, Billy Joel, The Rolling Stones, Styx, Queen, Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Bon Jovi and many more.
Giordano Dance Chicago – Saturday, March 28, 2025 - America’s original jazz dance company is set to light the Stockton University Performing Arts Center mainstage on fire with their performance on Saturday, March 28 at 7:30pm. Giordano Dance Chicago will showcase new works by Emmy-winning choreographer Al Blackstone. For 62 years, GDC has toured over 27 countries and 1,500 cities across the U.S.
The Drifters: Rock & Roll Hall of Famers – Saturday, April 12, 2025 - The Drifters, who have sold over 200 million records across the world, will bring their tour to the Stockton PAC mainstage on Saturday, April 12 at 7:30pm. The Drifters, considered one of rock ‘n’ roll’s founding vocal groups, have hits that include “Up on the Roof,” “Under the Boardwalk,” “This Magic Moment,” “There Goes My Baby,” “Dance with Me,” “Spanish Harlem” and “Stand by Me.”
Here’s a full list of the PAC Mainstage shows:
Blind Boys of Alabama (February 1); “Madama Butterfly” by the NJ Association of Verismo Opera (February 7); Celtic Angels Ireland (March 8); Forever Young (March 21); “Moon Mouse: A Space Odyssey” by Lightwire Theater (March 23); Giordano Dance Chicago (March 28); “Carmina Burana” by the Atlantic City Ballet, Greater South Jersey Chorus and the Ocean City Pops (March 29); Tito Puente Jr. & His Jazz Ensemble (April 5); and The Drifters: Rock & Roll Hall of Famers (April 12).
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit stockton.edu/pac. Tickets are also available at the Stockton Performing Arts Center box office from 10:00am to 3:00pm Monday through Thursday and 90 minutes before showtime. Call 609-652-9000.
Stockton University is ranked among the top public universities in the nation. Their more than 9,000 students can choose to live and learn on the 1,600-acre wooded main campus in the Pinelands National Reserve in South Jersey and at their coastal residential campus just steps from the beach and Boardwalk in Atlantic City. The university offers more than 160 undergraduate and graduate programs.
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