Here's a look at the top 15 most read articles published at New Jersey Stage from July 6-12, 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 5 counties in New Jersey (Bergen, Camden, Essex, Hudson, Monmouth) plus stories about events taking place in New York and Philadelphia.
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) Monmouth County Fair Offers Family Fun - (FREEHOLD, NJ) -- The scent of cotton candy! The thrill of the rides! The cheers from the crowds! There's something magical about the Monmouth County Fair. Find out for yourself when this five-day event celebrates its 50th Anniversary, Wednesday-Sunday, July 23-27, 2025 at East Freehold Showgrounds (Kozloski Road) in Freehold.
2) Todd Rundgren LIVE! at The Basie - Spotlight Central and Love Imagery have photos and a recap of Todd Rundgren at Count Basie Center for the Arts on July 2, 2025.
3) Events This Week in New Jersey from July 8-14, 2025 - Here is a look at upcoming events taking place from July 8-14, 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.
4) Tickets for Bruce Springsteen Archives' Born to Run 50th Anniversary Celebration to Go On Sale July 16th - (WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ) -- The Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music announced that tickets for this September's multi-day celebration of the 50th anniversary of the release of Springsteen's landmark album, Born to Run, will go on sale beginning at noon on Wednesday, July 16, 2025.
5) PHOTOS from "Jesus Christ Superstar" at Pleasant Valley Productions - (WEST ORANGE, NJ) -- Pleasant Valley Productions (PVP) is presenting Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's iconic rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar at the Oscar Schindler Performing Arts Center (OSPAC). The production runs July 11-12 and July 17-19, 2025. This groundbreaking musical, which revolutionized the world of theatre, tells the story of the final week of Jesus' life through the eyes of Judas Iscariot. Photographer John Posada was on hand to take photos.
6) A New Musical, "Rocky Bumps," to Have Staged Reading in Haddonfield - (HADDONFIELD, NJ) -- An original musical, Rocky Bumps, will hold a staged reading on Sunday, July 13, 2025 at the Haddonfield Theater Arts Center Studio. The musical is a coming-of-age tale steeped in romance, risk, and retro charm. The reading begins at at 2:00pm.
7) Grammy Award Winner Raphael Saadiq to Bring "No Bandwidth" Tour to NJPAC - (NEWARK, NJ) -- Get ready to experience an exceptional performance by Raphael Saadiq at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) on Thursday, October 2, 2025 at 8:00pm. This highly regarded one-person show, entitled "No Bandwidth," will highlight Saadiq's extraordinary talents through a compelling blend of storytelling and musicianship. Attendees can anticipate an unforgettable evening filled with artistic excellence.
8) SoHo Playhouse presents Finalists for 2025 Lighthouse Series - (NEW YORK, NY) -- SoHo Playhouse is thrilled to announce the six finalists for the 2025 Lighthouse Series, running July 6–20, 2025. The Final Round includes Brody Went Missing by Matt Stephens; How to Build a Gate by Electra Artemis; Golem Owned a Tropical Smoothie by Ethan Crystal and Garrett Poladian; The Ghost of Bob Dylan Shows One of Us Greatness by Annie Stein; Hungry Women by Melissa Maney; and Hot Pussy Time Machine by Alexander J. Daniels.
9) PHOTOS from "Hairspray" at Middletown Arts Center - (MIDDLETOWN, NJ) -- The MAC Players at the Middletown Arts Center present the unstoppably joyous musical, Hairspray, over two weekends, July 11–20, 2025. Directed by Victoria Keiser, with musical direction by Lauryn Boyle and choreography by Samantha Amaral, the award-winning Broadway musical promises a fun-filled evening of laughter, energy and unforgettable dance numbers. Fawn Nocera Photography was on hand to take photos.
10) This Weekend – Vanguard Theater & Essex County Launch the First-Ever Montclair Theater Festival: Once Upon a Stage! - (MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- The inaugural Montclair Theater Festival: Once Upon a Stage makes its highly anticipated debut this Saturday, July 12, 2025, at Glenfield Park in the heart of Montclair's historic Fourth Ward. Brought to life by local creative powerhouse Vanguard Theater in partnership with the Essex County Board of Commissioners, this one-day celebration promises an unforgettable blend of live theater, interactive activities, family fun, and local flavor for people of all ages.
11) WXPN Takes Us Back to Live Aid this Sunday to Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of The Legendary Concert - (PHILADELPHIA, PA) -- This Sunday, July 13, 2025, listen live as Philadelphia-based AAA public radio station, WXPN commemorates the 40th anniversary of the transcontinental Live Aid concerts by playing performances from the day when the power of music unified the world from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. WXPN will play back highlights and sets of music in chronological order matching the event that changed pop forever.
12) Disney's "The Lion King, Jr" comes to Jersey Shore Arts Center - (ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- Asbury Park Theater Company is excited to showcase the students of their camp program with a full, family-friendly production of Disney's The Lion King, Jr. for three performances at Ocean Grove’s Jersey Shore Arts Center, July 18-20, 2025.
13) WHATCo presents Free performances of Shakespeare's "The Tempest" - (KEARNY, NJ) -- The West Hudson Arts & Theater Company (WHATCo) is bringing the Bard back to West Hudson this summer! William Shakespeare's The Tempest will be performed in Arlington Depot Park in Kearny on Saturday, July 12, 2025 at 7:00pm and in East Newark's new Riverfront Park on Sunday, July 20 at 6:00pm. Both performances are free of charge.
14) Bergen County Announces 2025 Summer Movies & Concerts Schedule - (HACKENSACK, NJ) -- Bergen County is thrilled to announce the return of its Movies and Music in the Park Summer Series, presented by County Executive James Tedesco III, the Board of County Commissioners, and the County Parks Department. Beginning on July 8, this beloved seasonal tradition will feature 25 exciting events across four locations, inviting residents to enjoy live music and outdoor movies in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Best of all, every event is free and open to the public!
15) [TIE] Jersey City Arts Council Appoints National Arts Leader Deonté Griffin-Quick as Executive Director - (JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- The Jersey City Arts Council (JCAC) proudly announces the appointment of Deonté Griffin-Quick (he/him) as its new Executive Director. A nationally recognized, award-winning arts administrator and consultant, Griffin-Quick brings a proven track record of leading cultural initiatives, advancing equity, and building meaningful partnerships across the local, regional, and national arts landscape.
15) [TIE] Behind the Curtain: Ten Years of Covering the Arts and Battling MS - Gary Wien, the publisher of New Jersey Stage, details his last decade - a period in which he was diagnosed with Secondary Progressive MS. He describes his symptoms, treatments, and why it is difficult for him to attend events. He also offers a few suggestions for how to improve accessibility for people with "invisible disease" and talks about the growth of New Jersey Stage during this period of time and the wine magazine that was forced to be put aside.
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!
