Here's a look at the top 15 most read articles published at New Jersey Stage from February 2-8, 2025. 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 7 counties in New Jersey (Atlantic, Bergen, Essex, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, and Ocean).
Make sure your events are part of our weekly columns by sending press releases to us at [email protected]. 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. We also run weekly columns promoting events, music, and theatre shows taking place for the week. These columns include our featured event previews and event listings along with all of our event previews of the week. Your events can stand out for as low as $10! Many times, they are among the most read stories of the week. There is no cost for us to run your press releases!
1) Makin Waves with Ocean Avenue Stompers: Bringing the Carnival Back to the Boardwalk - Both Asbury Park and New Orleans have a history of brass bands. NOLA's history is a bit better known than AP's, but at the turn of the 20th century, John Philip Sousa and his trombonist Arthur Pryor made brass bands the foundation of the storied Asbury Park music scene.
2) "Best Live Band on the Planet!" Blackberry Smoke LIVE! at MPAC - Southern rock fans inside Morristown, NJ’s MPAC auditorium this Thursday, January 30, 2025 evening feel a good one comin’ on as they ready themselves for a live “Rattle, Ramble, and Roll Tour” performance by Blackberry Smoke.
3) Axelrod Performing Arts Center Under New Leadership - Professional Theater Expands Team for its 20th Anniversary - (DEAL PARK, NJ) -- The Axelrod Performing Arts Center, the Jersey Shore's fastest-growing professional theater, has announced some changes in its key management structure. Upon the November retirement of founding CEO Jess Levy, Andrew DePrisco has been promoted to Executive Artistic Director, assuming both the executive and artistic leadership of the organization. DePrisco joined the Axelrod Performing Arts Center as Artistic Director in 2015.
4) Mac and Cheese Festival to Take Place Saturday in Morristown - (MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- NJ's biggest & best Mac & Cheese Fest returns! Mac and Cheese lovers rejoice! Are you ready to get really cheeeeesy? Your dreams have come true. Can you think of a better way to spend the day than trying different variations of mac and cheese - everyone's favorite comfort food! Experience gourmet, chef-inspired twists on your childhood favorite on Saturday, February 8, 2025, from 11:00am - 6:30pm at the Morristown Armory.
5) Events This Week in New Jersey from February 4-10, 2025 - Here is a look at upcoming events taking place from February 4-10, 2025 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
6) 1st Annual Bradley Beach Jazz Festival to Take Place This Weekend - (BRADLEY BEACH, NJ) -- The Bradley Beach Tourism Commission presents the 1st Annual Bradley Beach Jazz Festival February 7-8, 2025. The festival will take place at the Historic Bradley Beach Elementary School Theatre from 7:00pm to 10:00pm on Friday and 6:00pm to 10:00pm on Saturday evening.
7) PHOTOS from "Cardboard Trees and a Painted Moon" at Old Library Theatre - (FAIR LAWN, NJ) -- Old Library Theatre (OLT), Fair Lawn Recreation Department's resident theatre company, is presenting the unique musical, Cardboard Trees and a Painted Moon, from February 7-9, 2025. John Posada was on hand to take photos. It is a love letter to community theatre in all of its messiness and all of its infinite possibilities. John Posada was on hand to take photos.
8) Blues Traveler and Gin Blossoms to Play Tour with Spin Doctors - (ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) -- Multi-platinum rock legends Blues Traveler and Gin Blossoms have joined forces for an electrifying co-headlining summer tour. Currently headlining The 90s Cruise at sea, the bands behind iconic hits like "Run-Around" and "Hey Jealousy" have announced a 30-date tour set to kick off on Friday, July 4 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Locally, the tour comes to Ocean Casino Resort's Ovation Hall on Saturday, July 19, 2025.
9) Enlightening documentary The Storm & The Boats premieres at the New Jersey Film Festival on February 8! - When it comes to documentaries, I often prefer those with a distinctive narrative, something provocative or emotional. Yet, The Storm & The Boats won me over in the first five minutes in a much different manner. The filmmaker Jody Small did not come with tissues, prepared to tell a heartfelt tale, but rather a calm and collected story where she presents a more objective, comprehensive view of what has happened in the past. It feels like someone you come across at the train station who has no makeup, no jewelry, no extravagant clothes or attitude, she looks at you with a peaceful look in the eyes, speaking with an even tone: “Wanna hear some stories?” And then, she would share with you the most heart-touching experiences.
10) Mason Gross School of the Arts Receives $8.8 Million Gift - (NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- Mason Gross School of the Arts (MGSA) has received the largest gift in its 49-year history—an anonymous $8.8 million gift to support the school's ongoing Arts in Health initiatives. The gift will fund programming and endow a new faculty chair in Arts in Health, thus ensuring long-term stability for these initiatives.
11) Bergen Catholic High School presents "Grease: School Edition" at HACPAC - (HACKENSACK, NJ) -- Bergen Catholic High School presents Grease: School Edition at the Hackensack Performing Arts Center (HACPAC) February 7-9, 2025. Step back in time to Rydell High's senior class of 1959, featuring the iconic "Greasers" and their hip-shaking "Pink Ladies."
12) PHOTOS from "Mystic Pizza" at Paper Mill Playhouse - (MILLBURN, NJ) -- Paper Mill Playhouse is currently presenting Mystic Pizza - a new musical based on the 1988 movie which starred Julia Roberts - from January 29 through February 23, 2025. Mystic Pizza is about three working-class girls who navigate the complexities of life, love and family in a small-town pizza joint.
13) Middlesex County Awards Over $2.4 million in Arts, History, Historic Preservation, and Capital Grants for 2025 - (MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NJ) -- Middlesex County is pleased to announce the 2025 Arts and History Grant Awards in the amount of $2,455,007 to 105 municipal agencies and local nonprofit arts and history organizations. The Arts Institute of Middlesex County and the Board of County Commissioners offer these grants to municipal and not-for-profit organizations based in Middlesex County.
14) A Tribute to Southside Johnny - On December 20, 2024, Southside Johnny announced he was retiring from touring effective immediately. His annual show for New Year's Eve was cancelled and fans around the world starting paying tribute to him and wondering what the future would hold for him and the Asbury Jukes. New Jersey Stage wanted to pay tribute to him as well, so we reached out to fans in the "Jukebox: Southside Johnny fanzine" Facebook group, some musicians, and industry professionals for their thoughts.
15) Six Flags Great Adventure to Hire 4,000 Team Members for 2025 Season - (JACKSON, NJ) -- Six Flags Great Adventure announced plans to hire 4,000 seasonal associates for the 2025 season. As part of National Hiring Week, the park complex will host a week-long recruitment event from February 15-22, 2025 to fill a wide variety of roles across its theme, water and safari park operations.
Want your events to stand out? Check out our ad rates which start at just $50 for an entire month of targeted advertising and includes events listed in our online calendar. Or you can have your events listed in the calendar for $10 per event (shows with multiple performances get every show listed for just $10). Either way your events will be featured in the weekly columns. NJ Stage keeps our rates low so they are affordable to arts organizations of all sizes. We are proud to be an independent media company. Nobody covers the Arts throughout the Garden State like New Jersey Stage!
