Events This Week in New Jersey from May 20-26, 2025

Here is a look at upcoming events taking place from May 20-26, 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. Click on the title to go to the full preview. Jump to Featured Events, Music, Theatre, Books, Community, Event Listings.

Send press releases to [email protected] to have your events previewed at New Jersey Stage. There is no cost for preview articles. Featured listings are found in the NJ Stage calendar, reserved for advertisers, and provided with individual event pages for every performance. Event pages are also available for $10 per event (multiple performances count as a single event). Event pages are also included with every banner ad purchase. Banner ads run from $50-$100 for a full month of coverage.

Thursday, May 8 - McCarter Theatre presents "Primary Trust" - 2024 Pulitzer Prize-Winning Play. (PRINCETON, NJ) -- McCarter Theatre Center concludes its 2024–2025 season with Primary Trust, the tender and widely acclaimed play by Eboni Booth, winner of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Directed by Timothy Douglas, the production runs May 8–25, 2025. A co-production with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, this moving new work offers a heartfelt close to the season.

Middletown Arts Center and Dunbar Repertory Company presents "Green Honey Love". (MIDDLETOWN, NJ) -- The Middletown Arts Center, in conjunction with Dunbar Repertory Company, presents the Spring Comedy, Green Honey Love, across two weekends from May 16-25, 2025. The play, written by Gail Wynn Huland El and directed by Damien S. Berger, is a story about adultery, deceit, greed, and conspiracy of murder – your everyday comedy.

 

Thursday, May 22 - State Theatre New Jersey presents 360 ALLSTARS. (NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- State Theatre New Jersey presents 360 ALLSTARS on Thursday, May 22, 2025 at 7:30pm. Featuring BMX, basketball, breakdancing, acrobatics, drumming, and more, 360 ALLSTARS is an international smash hit.

Thursday, May 22 - Middletown Arts Center presents The MAC ONE-ACTS Play-Reading Festival on Thursday. (MIDDLETOWN, NJ) -- The Middletown Arts Center is excited to present the sixth edition of The MAC ONE-ACTS Play-Reading Festival, featuring original, one-act works by New Jersey playwrights read theatrically by local actors. The festival will be held on Thursday, May 22, 2025 and is free and open to the public. Donations are appreciated. Showtime is 7:00pm.

Friday, May 23 - Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Sean Chambers & The Savoy Brown Rhythm Section. (TUCKERTON, NJ) -- Rock n' blues guitar ace Sean Chambers is on tour with the fabled Savoy Brown Rhythm section, and will perform locally at Lizzie Rose Music Room on Friday, May 23, 2025. Doors: 7:00pm, showtime: 7:30pm.

Crossroads Theatre Company presents VANGUARDS. (NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- Crossroads Theatre Company presents VANGUARDS from May 23 - June 1, 2025. This is a celebration of some of the most treasured works from their archive with contemporary voices of today and new plays that reflect the promise of tomorrow. VANGUARDS features works by Ntozake Shange, Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis, James Anthony Tyler and Silma Sierra Berrada.

Thursday, May 22 - SOPAC presents Emeline Michel: Haiti's Queen of Creole Song. (SOUTH ORANGE, NJ) -- On Friday, May 22, 2025, South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) presents the premiere performance of a Haitian artist on the SOPAC stage. Emeline Michel is internationally acclaimed for fusing pop, jazz, blues, and traditional Haitian rhythms into deeply moving, joyful music delivered with a charismatic live show. Showtime is 7:30pm.

Friday, May 23 - Greenwood Gardens presents Music in the Garden Concert Series. (SHORT HILLS, NJ) -- Greenwood Gardens is thrilled to announce its upcoming Music in the Garden Concert Series. With performances in May, July, and September, the program is composed of outdoor concerts featuring jazz and classical music, as well as the Great American Songbook, set in an enchanted garden setting. Stone Mountain Properties of Short Hills is sponsoring the Series for the fourth year.

Saturday, May 24 - Roy's Hall presents Big Yellow Taxi - The Music & Genius of Joni Mitchell. (BLAIRSTOWN, NJ) -- Roy's Hall presents Big Yellow Taxi - The Music & Genius of Joni Mitchell on Saturday, May 24, 2025 at 8:00pm. There is no other ensemble playing the music of Joni Mitchell with the dedication and imagination that BYT brings to every show.

Saturday, May 24 - The Broadway Theatre of Pitman presents The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience starring Joby Rogers. (PITMAN, NJ) -- The Broadway Theatre of Pitman presents The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience starring Joby Rogers on Saturday, May 24, 2025 at 8:00pm. The show celebrates the music and dancing of the Legendary 'King of Pop', Michael Jackson. This multimedia theatrical experience takes audiences on a Visual and Musical Journey through the life of the greatest entertainer of all time.

Sunday, May 25 - 2025 Cape May Music Festival Preview. (CAPE MAY, NJ) -- Now celebrating its 36th year, the annual Cape May Music Festival presented by Cape May MAC (Museums+Arts+Culture), with major support from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, returns to this seaside resort with an engaging variety of musical concerts that launch on Memorial Day weekend. There are 14 classical, chamber, jazz, funk and brass band musical performances, some free to attend, from May 25-June 28, 2025.

Sunday, May 25 - Cape May MAC presents the Atlantic Brass Band in Free Outdoor Concert. (CAPE MAY, NJ) -- The award-winning Atlantic Brass Band launches the 36th annual Cape May Music Festival in a free outdoor concert Sunday, May 25, 2025 at Rotary Park. The award-winning, 35-piece band, under the baton of Salvatore Scarpa, brings an exciting new program of rousing band music to Cape May, the perfect high note for Memorial Day Weekend May 23-26. Showtime is at 7:00pm.

Luna Stage presents "the ripple, the wave that carried me home". (WEST ORANGE, NJ) -- Luna Stage presents "the ripple, the wave that carried me home" from May 1-25, 2025 on the MainStage. This is a story of racial justice, political legacy and family forgiveness by 2025 Steinberg Playwright Award winner and Tony nominee Christina Anderson.

Bergen County Players presents "A Little Night Music" by Stephen Sondheim. (ORADELL, NJ) -- Bergen County Players (BCP), one of America's longest-running little theater companies, will close its 92nd season with Stephen Sondheim’s Tony award-winning A Little Night Music at the Little Firehouse Theatre in Oradell from May 3 through June 1, 2025. With music and lyrics by Sondheim and a book by Hugh Wheeler, lovers reunite, passions reignite, and new romances blossom in 1900s Sweden.

Haddonfield Plays and Players presents "Godspell". (HADDONFIELD, NJ) -- Haddonfield Plays and Players presents Godspell from May 9-24, 2025. Godspell is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by John-Michael Tebelak. The show is structured as a series of parables, primarily based on the Gospel of Matthew, interspersed with music mostly set to lyrics from traditional hymns, with the passion of Christ appearing briefly near the end.

Music Mountain Theatre presents the iconic Broadway musical "Pippin". (LAMBERTVILLE, NJ) -- There's magic to do when a prince learns the true meaning of glory, love, and war in "Pippin," the iconic and unforgettable musical masterpiece by composer Stephen Schwartz, playwright Roger O. Hirson, and director-choreographer Bob Fosse. Music Mountain Theatre presents 12 performances of this classic musical from May 9-25, 2025.

Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey to present "The Importance of Being Earnest". (MADISON, NJ) -- After a two-decade-long absence from The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Artistic Director Brian B. Crowe brings Oscar Wilde and his delicious wit back to the Main Stage with one of the playwright's most beloved comedies – The Importance of Being Earnest. The production runs from May 14 – June 1, 2025.

Arden Theatre Company to Close Out 2024-25 Season with "RENT". (PHILADELPHIA, PA) -- Arden Theatre Company is thrilled to close out its 2024-25 season with the electrifying Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical RENT. Following its Broadway debut in 1996, where it earned four Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score, Best Book, and Best Featured Actor in a Musical, RENT redefined musical theatre by taking audiences on an unforgettable journey of love, loss, hope, and resilience.

Spotlight Players to Hold Auditions for "Freak Friday, the Musical". (MATAWAN, NJ) -- Calling all adults, teens, and an outgoing 9 to 11 year old boy who loves to act, sing and dance. Spotlight Players is thrilled to announce auditions for Freaky Friday: The Musical – the hilarious, heartfelt body-swap comedy from Disney with libretto by Bridget Carpenter, the co-executive producer and writer on the beloved TV hits, "Friday Night Lights" and "Parenthood", with music by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning team behind Next to Normal and If/Then.

Classic American Tales presents a lecture on American Theater: After the Civil War to 1930. (CAPE MAY, NJ) -- Classic American Tales' (CAT) artistic director, Gayle Stahlhuth, is presenting a free lecture as part of Cape May MAC's "Lunch and Learn" series on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 from noon to 1:00pm at the Cape May Lutheran Church (509 Pittsburg Avenue) in Cape May.

Classic Radio Road Show to presents A Pair Of Old Time Radio Detective Stories. (SHREWSBURY, NJ) -- Classic Radio Road Show will present "The Adventures of Philip Marlowe - The Medium Was Rare" and "The Adventures of the Thin Man - The Case of the Goofy Groom", a pair of old time radio detective stories. A live show will take place on May 22, 2025 at the Eastern Branch of Monmouth County Library (1001 Route 35) in Shrewsbury. Showtime is 7:00pm.

East Lynne Theater Company to Officially Take Over Cape May's Historic Allen AME Church. (CAPE MAY, NJ) -- After years of multi-million-dollar renovations, East Lynne Theater Company, Cape May’s award-winning Equity Professional Theater, will officially be handed over the keys to the former Allen African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) by the city of Cape May in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, May 22, 2025. The building will now publicly be called the Clemans Theater for the Arts at the Allen AME Church.

Classic American Tales presents "Scene Night". (NORTH CAPE MAY, NJ) -- Total strangers from various backgrounds and ages signed up for Classic American Tales' (CAT) Theater Workshop, and here they are performing, script-in-hand, under the direction of CAT's artistic director Gayle Stahlhuth, with less than 10 hours of rehearsal time, in Scene Night.

East Lynne Theater Company to Host its Annual "Spring Soiree" at New Venue. (CAPE MAY, NJ) -- Cape May's award-winning, Equity professional East Lynne Theater Company will host its annual "Spring Soiree" fundraiser on Sunday, May 25, 2025 as a kick off to the theater company's 45th Season, which they have themed "The Story Continues." The limited-ticket event will provide guests with an extra-special treat: the opportunity to be among the first to witness East Lynne's new home–the Clemans Theater for the Arts at the Allen AME Church.

Saturday, May 24 - Bradley Beach Gears Up for a Star-Spangled Memorial Day Weekend Celebration. (BRADLEY BEACH, NJ) -- Get ready for a weekend of community spirit, vibrant entertainment, and heartfelt remembrance as Bradley Beach proudly presents its annual Memorial Day Weekend Celebration, kicking off on Saturday, May 24th, 2025.

Wednesday, May 21 - How Judy Blume Rewrote Childhood for All of Us - An Online Conversation with Author Rachelle Bergstein. (TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- You are invited to an intimate online conversation with bestselling author Rachelle Bergstein as she chats about her newest book, the Genius of Judy, on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. The event begins at 2:00pm.

Click on the title to go to the event page for complete information on the show.

Wednesday, May 21 @ 7:00pm - Meet the Artist: New Play Reading - "Etiquette" by David Lee White at Summit Community Center, 100 Morris Avenue, Summit

Wednesday, May 21 @ 7:30pm - Primary Trust at McCarter Theatre Center (Berlind Theater), 91 University Place, Princeton

Thursday, May 22 @ 7:00pm - The MAC ONE-ACTS 2025 at Middletown Arts Center, 36 Church Street, Middletown

Thursday, May 22 @ 7:30pm - 360 Allstars at State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick

Thursday, May 22 @ 7:30pm - Primary Trust at McCarter Theatre Center (Berlind Theater), 91 University Place, Princeton

Friday, May 23 @ 7:00pm - Crossroads Theatre Company presents VANGUARDS: Collected Excerpts from Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow at New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC), 11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick

Friday, May 23 @ 7:00pm - Lyle, Lyle Crocodile – Popcorn & Pajamas Film Series At UCPAC’s Hamilton Stage at Hamilton Stage at Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC), 360 Hamilton Avenue, Rahway

Friday, May 23 @ 7:30pm - Sean Chambers & The Savoy Brown Rhythm Section at Lizzie Rose Music Room, 217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton

Friday, May 23 @ 7:30pm - Primary Trust at McCarter Theatre Center (Berlind Theater), 91 University Place, Princeton

Friday, May 23 @ 8:00pm - Green Honey Love at Middletown Arts Center, 36 Church Street, Middletown

Friday, May 23 @ 8:00pm - Triangle Show: Pageant Pending at McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theatre), 91 University Place, Princeton

Saturday, May 24 @ 2:00pm - Crossroads Theatre Company presents VANGUARDS: Collected Excerpts from Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow at New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC), 11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick

Saturday, May 24 @ 2:00pm - Primary Trust at McCarter Theatre Center (Berlind Theater), 91 University Place, Princeton

Saturday, May 24 @ 3:00pm - Green Honey Love at Middletown Arts Center, 36 Church Street, Middletown

Saturday, May 24 @ 4:00pm - Koatiki’s Production INC presents When Pain Talks Monologue at New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC), 11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick

Saturday, May 24 @ 7:00pm - Triangle Show: Pageant Pending at McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theatre), 91 University Place, Princeton

Saturday, May 24 @ 7:30pm - Billy Walton Band EVENING SHOW at Lizzie Rose Music Room, 217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton

Saturday, May 24 @ 7:30pm - Primary Trust at McCarter Theatre Center (Berlind Theater), 91 University Place, Princeton

Saturday, May 24 @ 8:00pm - Green Honey Love at Middletown Arts Center, 36 Church Street, Middletown

Sunday, May 25 @ 2:00pm - Primary Trust at McCarter Theatre Center (Berlind Theater), 91 University Place, Princeton

Sunday, May 25 @ 3:00pm - Crossroads Theatre Company presents VANGUARDS: Collected Excerpts from Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow at New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC), 11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick

Sunday, May 25 @ 4:00pm - Green Honey Love at Middletown Arts Center, 36 Church Street, Middletown

EVENT PREVIEWS

North Jersey Artists, Leaders and Businesses Invited to Shape Region's Cultural and Economic Future at Community Gathering on National Heritage Area Designation

(SOUTH ORANGE, NJ) -- The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF) invites artists, community leaders, business owners, cultural organizations, and residents to participate in Community Conversation: National Heritage Area in New Jersey on Wednesday, June 3, 2026 from 6:15pm to 7:45pm at the South Orange Performing Arts Center.

---

Visual Arts Center of New Jersey to Celebrate Spring Exhibitions with a Community Day on June 6th

(SUMMIT, NJ) -- On Saturday, June 6, 2026, the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey will celebrate its spring exhibitions with a Community Day event. The day, which will feature artist-led walks around Summit, a live podcast recording, and drop-in workshops, will run from 10:00am to 2:00pm.

---

"The Global Game: The Future of Soccer, Tech & Media Summit" returns on June 9th

(NEWARK, NJ) -- GK Digital Ventures, in partnership with Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), has announced the return of "The Global Game: The Future of Soccer, Tech & Media Summit," set to take place on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. Following its acclaimed inaugural edition, the second annual summit arrives at the most significant moment in U.S. soccer history: New Jersey is hosting eight matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup — including the Final — placing the Garden State at the center of a global spotlight.

---

Wine & BBQ Fest to Take Place in Sewell June 13-14

(SEWELL, NJ) -- FIRE UP YOUR SUMMER! After years of unforgettable summers at Washington Lake Park, the team behind the beloved Washington Lake Park Wine Festival returns to this stunning South Jersey destination—this time with a bold new twist. Get ready to kick off summer in smoky, savory style at the WINE & BBQ FEST, happening June 13-14, 2026 at Washington Lake Park in Sewell, New Jersey, from 12:00pm–5:00pm each day.

---

Red Mill Museum Village and Hunterdon Art Museum Partner for "The Peace Flag Project"

(CLINTON, NJ) -- The Red Mill Museum Village and the Hunterdon Art Museum, in collaboration with Handwork 2026, invite the public to celebrate the opening of "The Peace Flag Project," a fiber chain of hundreds of community-made flags displayed along the banks of the Raritan River and pedestrian bridge.

---

UBS Arena To Host International Soccer Watch Party on June 19th

(BELMONT PARK, NY) -- UBS Arena will host an International Soccer Watch Party, a public screening of two of the FIFA World Cup 26 (TM) matches on Friday, June 19 featuring USA v. Australia and Haiti v. Brazil. The fan-focused events will highlight all the excitement the tournament is bringing to the New York Metro area this summer and provide local residents with a unique way to experience these soccer matches together as a community.

---

2026 Princeton Festival to Take Place June 5-21 at Morven Museum & Garden

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- The Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is pleased to announce that world-renowned bel canto soprano Sondra Radvanovsky and The Bacon Brothers, Michael and Kevin, are scheduled to perform at the 2026 Princeton Festival. At the core of the Festival, there is live opera with Festival veteran and current Met Opera star Toni Marie Palmertree returning to sing the title role in Puccini's Madama Butterfly. These major stars typify the quality of musical offerings to be found at this year's Festival which runs from June 5-21 on the grounds of Morven Museum & Garden.

---

Jersey City Theater Center presents 2026 Voices International Theatre and Arts Festival

(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- Jersey City Theater Center (JCTC) presents its signature Voices International Theatre and Arts Festival from June 4-26, 2026 across multiple venues in Jersey City, and the Professional Voices Festival Conference on June 11 at White Eagle Hall.

---

Newark Restaurant Week Returns June 19-28 to Showcase the City's Global Flavors during FIFA World Cup 2026(TM)

(NEWARK, NJ) -- Taste the World: Newark Restaurant Week returns June 19-28, 2026, bringing together the city's celebrated restaurants, longtime local staples, and emerging destinations for 10 days of dining timed with the FIFA World Cup 2026â„¢ festivities across the region.

---

Bergen County presents 3rd Annual Star-Spangled Spectacular

(RIDGEFIELD PARK, NJ) -- County Executive Jim Tedesco, the County Board of Commissioners, and the Bergen 250 Initiative are excited to announce that Bergen County's 3rd Annual Star-Spangled Spectacular will return July 4, 2026 at Overpeck County Park. All are invited to attend this patriotic afternoon of family fun which will include live music, children's activities, over 20 food trucks, a beer and wine garden, carnival attractions, and stunning fireworks to conclude the evening over Overpeck Creek.