Here is the morning update from New Jersey's arts newswire. We regularly publish between 8-15 new articles and news reports each day. Nobody covers the Arts throughout the Garden State like New Jersey Stage!
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theatre
New Jersey Repertory Company announces 2026 Mainstage Season 
(LONG BRANCH, NJ) -- New Jersey Repertory Company (NJ Rep), an award-winning incubator for new plays and daring theatrical voices, has announced its 2026 Mainstage Season — a year of intimate, muscular storytelling that dives into reinvention, reckoning, genius, and the tangled threads of family history. The season includes three World Premieres and one Northeast Premiere.
music
A Swingin' Sleigh Ride: Squirrel Nut Zippers to Hit the Road for the Holidays 
(NEWTON, NJ) -- Beloved genre-bending jazz ensemble Squirrel Nut Zippers are bringing their legendary Christmas Caravan Tour back for the 2025 holiday season! With a festive blend of holiday classics, original seasonal fare, and the band's signature fusion of early American jazz, swing, and vaudeville, this annual fan-favorite tour promises to, once again, spread yuletide joy across the country. The tour comes to The Newton Theatre on Saturday, December 6, 2025.
Light Of Day Winterfest 2026 to Take Place in Asbury Park, Red Bank, Montclair, NYC, Piermont NY, and New Hope PA 
(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- The Light of Day Foundation has announced the initial lineups for WinterFest 2026, the annual music festival taking place throughout January in Asbury Park, Red Bank, Montclair, New York City, Piermont, NY and New Hope, PA. The main event - "Bob's Birthday Bash" will take place on Saturday, January 17 at the Count Basie Center for the Arts.
Bobby Mahoney releases "Smoke and Drive" 
(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- Bobby Mahoney returns with a new single, "Smoke and Drive," paired with a cover of Social Distortion's "Machine Gun Blues." The release finds the Asbury Park songwriter and his band channeling nostalgia, grit, and heart through a rock-and-roll lens that's both timeless and unmistakably Jersey.
Makin Waves Song of the Week: "Hope" by REDBIRD Flying Solo 
The Makin Waves Song of the Week is "Hope," an anthemic single that fights hate released by REDBIRD Flying Solo, aka Jersey Shore singer-songwriter Danielle Marrone
comedy
Drop In For An Improv Jam at Vivid Stage on December 10th 
(SUMMIT, NJ) -- Vivid Stage is holding an open Improv Jam on Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at the Oakes Center in Summit. The event runs from 7:30pm-9:30pm. The cost for all participants is $10.
film
New Release Review - "Keeper" 
After the relatively mainstream horror hat trick of Gretel & Hansel, Longlegs and The Monkey, director Osgood Perkins has returned to the more challenging fare of his earlier work with Keeper. Shot in Canada while production on The Monkey was held up by the 2023 Hollywood strikes, Keeper was quickly devised as a way to keep Perkins busy. And, boy, does it show. It has the stank of all of those half-baked horror movies that were shot in filmmakers' homes during the pandemic lockdown. There's barely enough plot here to fill a 20 minute segment of a horror anthology, never mind a feature. It's a cobbled together collection of horror clichés that only holds our attention due to a committed performance by Tatiana Maslany.
community
Downtown Newark Transforms Into A Winter Wonderland 
(NEWARK, NJ) -- From November 29 and running through December into January 2026, Downtown Newark will transform into a winter wonderland with twinkling lights, ice skating, go-karts, cozy igloos, live music, seasonal treats, and a Holiday Marketplace full of local artisans and festive treasures.
FEATURED EVENTS
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EVENT PREVIEWS
Gerald Charles Dickens to Perform his One-Man "A Christmas Carol" to Benefit Allaire Village
December 9, 2025
State Theatre presents Engelbert Humperdinck - "A Winter World of Love"
December 9, 2025
Trevor Noah and Kristin Lemkau to be Honored at "Comic Relief Live" Benefit
December 10, 2025
Drop In For An Improv Jam at Vivid Stage on December 10th
December 10, 2025
The Barrymore Film Center presents National Theatre Live's presentation of "Fleabag"
December 10, 2025
State Theatre New Jersey presents Kenny G - The Miracles Holiday and Hits Tour 2025
December 11, 2025
Outpost in the Burbs presents The Milk Carton Kids Holiday Tour 2025 with Opener Humbird
December 12, 2025
Irish Trio Socks in the Frying Pan Plays Holiday Concert at Roy’s Hall on December 12
December 12, 2025
Wharton Performing Arts School presents Holiday Cabaret Benefit on December 12th
December 12, 2025
The Princeton Folk Music Society presents Michael Gabriele and Spook Handy on December 12th
December 12, 2025
