(SOUTH ORANGE, NJ) -- South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) presents SOPAC Celebrates: Share the Love, a fundraising event that features Rock & Roll Hall of Fame legend Darlene Love and celebrates the power of the arts as a medium to inspire, unite, and uplift local and global communities. On Thursday, June 12, 2025, SOPAC Celebrates: Share the Love honors SOPAC's role as the cultural anchor of South Orange, Maplewood, and beyond, and reaffirms its commitment to presenting world-class performances, providing transformative arts education programming, and facilitating meaningful community.
“This event is more important now than ever, as the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) announced cancellation of grants. Throughout SOPAC’s history, we’ve relied on the vital support of state and federal funding, including NEA, to help bring transformative performances and educational programs to our community. In this moment—when that support is in jeopardy—we’re turning to you. Now more than ever, we need our community to stand with us. Your support helps ensure SOPAC’s continued impact as a home for artistic excellence, belonging, and cultural connection. Share the love. Support local arts.”
Each season, SOPAC brings new acts and returning favorites to its proscenium Mainstage and iconic Loft. These live performances feature local & international artists: Grammy Award-winning musicians, Tony Award-winning actors, critically acclaimed comics, viral magicians, master educators, world-renowned dancers, and countless other acts that appeal to every member of the SOMA community and surrounding regions. SOPAC Celebrates: Share the Love is poised to provide critical support for SOPAC so its small but mighty team can continue programming world-class events throughout the year for every age, evert taste, every ability, and every income level.
“Share the Love is really a culminating event for us,” says Programming Director Dan Stankus. “We’re preparing for our 20th cultural season, and this event is part of the community push that will help us continue programming amazing acts for years to come.”
This ticketed event includes a VIP experience for attendees seeking to enhance their evening with more music, libations, and opportunities to connect with SOPAC leadership and program beneficiaries. The VIP package includes the pre-show reception, Mainstage performance, and after-party celebration.
“I am thrilled to be part of this evening, supporting the great impact of SOPAC in the community” says Darlene Love. “This is the time to celebrate the arts and come together. I am honored to be here with all of you on June 12th!”
The event will also see SOPAC present three awards for artistic support and dedication in our community:
* Community Hero Award will be presented to Pollock Properties Group in recognition of their dedication and support of our local artistic community
* Arts Impact Award will be presented to PSE&G in recognition of their dedication to arts education in our community
* Arts Legacy Award will be presented in honor of David Stone in memory of his outstanding dedication to SOPAC’s mission and the arts in our community
In addition, the 3rd annual Paul Bartick Emerging Artist Award will be awarded to Obenewaa Frimpomaa in honor of her exceptional commitment to, and talent in, the arts.
SOPAC encourages patrons to reserve tickets in advance. South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) is located at One Sopac Way in South Orange, New Jersey.
Rolling Stone Magazine proclaims Darlene Love to be “one of the greatest singers of all time.” Says Paul Shaffer, “Darlene Love is Rock N’ Roll!” — a declaration made official when Bette Midler inducted Love into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011. During the celebration, the two artists performed “He’s A Rebel,” and Love sang “He’s A Fine, Fine Boy” backed by Bruce Springsteen.
At the 2014 Academy Awards, Love sang her powerful acceptance speech on behalf of all of the performers in the winning film 20 Feet From Stardom — for whose soundtrack she later won a Grammy Award. As she raised the Oscar, the entire house stood cheering, an ovation led by Bill Murray — another special moment in a great career. Love’s Billboard hits include “He’s A Rebel,” “The Boy I’m Gonna Marry,” “Wait ‘Til My Bobby Gets Home,” “He’s Sure the Boy I Love,” and the number-one holiday classic “Christmas Baby (Please Come Home),” a song that she performed annually with Paul Shaffer and the CBS Symphony Orchestra on The Late Show With David Letterman for some 29 years until Letterman retired.
Love continues to captivate audiences worldwide with her warm, gracious stage presence and superb performances. In addition to her Grammy Award, Academy Award, and Rock & Roll Fall of Fame induction, her accolades include Rhythm & Blues Foundation Pioneer Award winner, nearly 300,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, and more than 5 million views on YouTube.
Pollock Properties Group - Vanessa and Charlie Pollock are partners in business, in service, and in life. Over the past two decades, Vanessa has led Pollock Properties Group with a values-driven approach that has helped over 1,270 families find a home and resulted in more than $808 million in real estate sales. But beyond success in real estate, the Pollocks have built a legacy of giving.
Through their team’s support of local charities, events and nonprofits, as well as their own nonprofit, the Pollock Arts Initiative (in partnership with the Achieve Foundation), they’ve raised and donated over $500,000 to local causes, supported arts education, and empowered countless students and teachers. Vanessa is also a national voice for her #CareServeGive business model, which champions community-centered entrepreneurship.
Charlie, a celebrated Broadway performer currently starring in The Great Gatsby on Broadway, brings his passion for service to both stage and sanctuary—as a worship leader at Renaissance Church and an arts advocate in South Orange/Maplewood. Together, the Pollocks use their platform to uplift others, showing that love, leadership, and generosity are at the heart of influence.
PSE&G - PSEG is committed to improving the lives of its customers, its employees and the diverse communities they serve throughout New Jersey and Long Island, New York. PSEG is proud to foster a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce. Throughout our region, they drive economic growth, contribute to successful and sustainable communities, and provide support for organizations that help make our world a better place to live and work.
David Stone (1957–2025) was the co-owner of Nancy and David Fine Jewels in Millburn, New Jersey, and a respected figure in the jewelry industry since founding the business with his wife in 1980. He served for several years on the Board of Governors at the South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC), supporting the local arts community.
David was also the longtime business manager for Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Richie Furay, producing multiple sold-out Furay concerts at SOPAC, managing the 2021 CD/DVD “Richie Furay – 50th Anniversary Return To The Troubadour,” and executive producing the upcoming documentary Through It All – The Life and Influence of Richie Furay in collaboration with Cameron Crowe.
David’s passion for both fine jewelry and music left a lasting mark on New Jersey’s cultural landscape.
Obenewaa Frimpomaa - Obenewaa is an exceptionally talented senior at Millburn High School and artist of Ghanaian descent whose work focuses on themes of identity, history, and the empowerment of underrepresented voices, particularly Black women. Her art practice is deeply rooted in portraiture, aiming to foster intimate conversations about history, culture, and community.
She incorporates various materials and techniques, including charcoal, ink, gouache, and digital tools, to create pieces that are both visually striking and socially meaningful. She was awarded two Scholastic National Gold Art Medals and has been recognized as one of the top young artists in the nation.
Beyond her artwork, Obenewaa is a poet and leader. As an active member of the Black Student Union, she is passionate about using her creativity to inspire and uplift others.
Sponsors: A big thank you to the generous sponsors who support SOPAC’s vital work and make this event possible.
* Gold Sponsor: American Express
* Silver Sponsor: New Jersey American Water, PSE&G
* Bronze Sponsor: Nisivoccia
* Promotional Sponsor: South Orange Village
If interested in sponsorship opportunities, please visit https://www.sopacnow.org/sponsorship/.
The South Orange Performing Arts Center offers audiences exhilarating and diverse arts entertainment in its intimate venue, serving as the cultural heartbeat of the greater South Orange/Maplewood region and contributing to the economic and social vibrancy of its highly diverse community.
SOPAC is an accessible cultural destination that presents world-class artists in an intimate and welcoming environment. The Jennifer & Tony Leitner Performance Hall is a 439-seat mainstage theatre with superb acoustics, sight lines and seating. Audiences remark that performances in this space are like having their favorite artists right in their own living room. Artists acknowledge that the atmosphere encourages conversations with audiences. The Loft at SOPAC is a 2,185 square-foot multi-purpose space used for performances, rehearsals, classes, and special events.
The unique architecture of SOPAC’s building, which includes a stunning 3-story glass-enclosed atrium, is also home to the Herb + Milly Iris Gallery. Beyond the building, SOPAC co-produces local events such as South Orange Summer Nights and serves students and schools through its arts education residencies.
SOPAC is invested in arts education. SOPAC serves students and schools in our region through a School Performance Series, performing Arts Residencies and annual juried art exhibits entitled INSPIRED MINDS: Young Artist Exhibition and INSPIRING MINDS. SOPAC also collaborates with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts each year to host the Region 5 Poetry Out Loud competitions. The Seton Hall University Arts Council presents a diverse range of events at SOPAC with seasoned professionals, students, and faculty.
Nearly ten years in the making, SOPAC first opened its doors in 2006. South Orange Village Trustees, in partnership with Seton Hall University, envisioned SOPAC as the center of an ambitious redevelopment plan. Through visionary leadership and an unwavering commitment, SOPAC has become a cultural centerpiece for the region, an economic driver for the community, and a catalyst for artistic opportunity.
