Here's a look at the top 15 most read articles published at New Jersey Stage from September 14-20, 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 8 counties in New Jersey (Atlantic, Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, and Union).

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) New Release Review - "Highest 2 Lowest" - Highest 2 Lowest is an apt title for Spike Lee's latest, as it's a film of peaks and troughs. The highs come courtesy of a pair of hammy but undeniably watchable performances from Denzel Washington and Jeffrey Wright. The lows come from, well, everything else, from a script that never settles on one idea long enough for it have impact to a wildly inappropriate score that sounds like a bad Riverdance knockoff.

2) The 18th OSPAC Annual West Orange Jazz Festival to Take Place September 20th - (WEST ORANGE, NJ) -- The OSPAC Annual West Orange Jazz Festival produced by Pleasant Valley Productions will celebrate their 18th season on Saturday, September 20, 2025. The festival runs from 1:00pm to 8:00pm and will be hosted by Monifa Brown, radio host of WBGO's "Saturday Evening Jazz" and "Hard Bop Café" programs.

3) Events This Week in New Jersey from September 16-22, 2025 - Here is a look at upcoming events taking place from September 16-22, 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) The Wag presents Annual Halloween Spectacular Shows - Are you looking for something fun to do this Halloween? Bring your family and friends to The Wag's Halloween Spectacular! The band has two shows set for New Jersey and one for Pennsylvania. Come dressed in costume; enter the costume contest, and you just may win a prize!

5) Developer Paul Silverman to be Honored for His Support of Public Art at NJ Creative Communities Conference - (JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF) and Hudson County Community College (HCCC) announced that developer Paul Silverman will be recognized for his company's dedication to the arts and public art and the inclusion of artists’ work in his projects at the inaugural New Jersey Creative Communities Conference 2025: The Art of Community Well-Being (NJCCC 2025).

6) Mighty Max Weinberg Brings The Party To The Pony - "It’s a party, not a concert.”

This is how Max Weinberg, drummer for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, describes his Jukebox shows, the most recent of which rocked the Stone Pony in Asbury Park on Saturday evening, September 6, 2025.

7) The Final Performance: Johnny Mathis LIVE! at bergenPAC - Spotlight Central and Love Imagery have photos and a recap of Johnny Mathis at bergenPAC on May 18, 2025 - the last live performance of his legendary career.

8) Vaclav Havel Center to Honor Joan Baez with Lifetime Achievement Award at 2025 Gala - (NEW YORK, NY) --  The Vaclav Havel Center (VHC) in New York will present its most prestigious honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award, to legendary singer, activist, and human rights advocate Joan Baez at its annual Gala on Thursday, September 25, 2025, at Bohemian National Hall.

9) Dover Little Theatre presents A Night of One Acts - (DOVER, NJ) -- Dover Little Theatre presents A Night of One Acts featuring 8 short plays. Performances take place on Friday, September 26, 2025 at 8:00pm and Saturday, September 27, 2025 at 8:00pm.

10) Swingadelic's "Three Louies" take the stage at Grunin Center on Sunday - (TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- Opera  fans might remember "The Three Tenors," but in the jazz world, there are "The Three Louies"— Armstrong, Jordan, and Prima! On September 21, 2025, longtime Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon favorites Swingadelic will return to pay tribute to these three legendary artists with a program guaranteed to put attendees in a good mood. The afternoon will also feature the sensational vocals of Vanessa Perea, who will inhabit the role of Louis Prima's wives, Keely Smith and Gia Maione. The show takes place on the Grunin Center's Main Stage (Building 11A) at 3:00pm.

11) Tito Puente Jr. to Headline Outdoor Hispanic Heritage Concert at Westfield Garden State Plaza - (PARAMUS, NJ) -- Westfield Garden State Plaza (GSP) will honor Hispanic Heritage Month on September 19, 2025 with the return of Salsa Night, featuring world-renowned Latin performer Tito Puente, Jr., son of legendary mambo musician Tito Puente. Following the success of the mall's inaugural Salsa Night in 2024, this year's event has been expanded to deliver an even more vibrant and immersive cultural experience. Admission is free.

12) Inaugural "Everything Fab Four" Fest to feature Max Weinberg, The Weeklings, Jake Clemons & many more - (ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- The seminal 1965 album Rubber Soul, often considered the first major turning point in The Beatles' recorded career, will take center stage November 6-8, 2025, at the inaugural Everything Fab Four Fest at the historic Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel.

13) This Week in Music: Previews for Concerts from September 16-22, 2025 - Here is a look at shows taking place from September 16-22, 2025 along with our featured listings and a look at some upcoming shows. New Jersey Stage offers previews of concerts throughout the Garden State as well as select shows in New York City and Philadelphia areas.

14) Moonlit Market: Local Art and Artisan Goods Shine at Upcoming Night Market Stroll and shop beneath the stars on October 4th - (RAHWAY, NJ) -- Moonlit Market, an open-air night market featuring art, small batch and artisan made goods, will welcome shoppers on Saturday, October 4, 2025 from 6:00pm-9:00pm. The market will be located at 1591 Irving Street in Rahway, next door to the Union County Performing Arts Center. Entry to the market is free.

15) (TIE) Fall Noyes Arts Garage Exhibits Highlight Surf - (ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) -- Two exhibitions – one centering on the dynamic surf and skate scene in Atlantic City, the other featuring prints made on fabric – are currently on display in the Noyes Art Garage until Sunday, November 30, 2025. "Surf Skate AC" highlights dynamic movements and the pushing of artistic boundaries, features contemporary artists and designers whose work "captures the essence of life on the edge."  

15) (TIE) Herman's Hermits and The Association LIVE! at PNC Bank Arts Center - There’s a kind of hush inside the PNC Bank Arts Center amphitheater in Holmdel, NJ this stunning September 9, 2025 afternoon as music lovers ready themselves to cherish a performance of classic ’60s and ’70s music. Presented by the Garden State Arts Foundation, today’s free show features Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone along with The Association.

​​​​​​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!​​​​