Here is a look at upcoming events taking place from December 23-29, 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, Comedy, Event Listings.
The majority of events found here are articles created by New Jersey Stage, but you can send press releases to [email protected] to have your events considered for previews. 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 are available from $50-$100 per event and can be purchased up to 3 months in advance.
MPAC presents New Jersey Ballet's Nutcracker with the New Jersey Symphony. (MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- New Jersey Ballet's presentation of the holiday favorite The Nutcracker comes to Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) for 15 performances from December 12-26, 2025. New Jersey Symphony under the direction of Constantine Kitsopoulos will provide live orchestral accompaniment.
Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey presents "It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play". (MADISON, NJ) -- The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (STNJ) presents It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, running December 3-28, 2025 at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre on the campus of Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. This brings the beloved holiday classic to life in the format of a 1940s radio broadcast — complete with microphones, sound effects, and a talented ensemble of actors. Click here for an interview with the actors who portray George and Mary Bailey.
Cameron Knight Leads the Cast as Ebenezer Scrooge in McCarter Theatre's "A Christmas Carol". (PRINCETON, NJ) -- A holiday tradition for 45 years, McCarter Theatre Center's annual production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol returns December 9–28, 2025. Adapted and directed by Lauren Keating, this year’s production offers a fresh perspective on the classic story of redemption and generosity. Cameron Knight leads the cast as Ebenezer Scrooge, with music direction by Cris Frisco and choreographer Emily Maltby. Click here for a video feature on the production.
Middlesex County's Plays-in-the-Park presents "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" at State Theatre. (NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- Every December, Middlesex County's Plays-in-the-Park moves from its home at the Stephen J. Capestro Theatre in Edison and travels to State Theatre New Jersey, lock, stock, and camel, to do their annual production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. This year there are four performances from December 27-28, 2025.
Saturday, December 27 - Lizzie Rose Music Room presents the Kelli Baker Band on Saturday. (TUCKERTON, NJ) -- The Lizzie Rose Music Room presents the Kelli Baker Band on Saturday, December 27, 2025 at 7:30pm. Recently signed to Gulf Coast Records by blues legend Mike Zito, powerhouse vocalist and songwriter Kelli Baker continues her meteoric rise as one of the most electrifying voices in modern blues-rock.
Friday, December 26 - The Folk Project presents Stephen Kellogg's Old Friends Tour featuring the Kellogg Sisters on Friday. (MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- The Folk Project presents Stephen Kellogg's Old Friends Tour featuring the Kellogg Sisters on Friday, December 26, 2025 at the Morristown Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Sydney Leigh Carlson will open the night. Showtime is 7:30pm.
Saturday, December 27 - The 80's New Wave tour Totally Tubular Festival comes to Ocean Casino Resort. (ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) -- The 80's New Wave tour Totally Tubular Festival has four East Coast shows to close out 2025, including a stop at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City on Saturday, December 27th with a lineup that includes A Flock Of Seagulls, Men Without Hats, Thomas Dolby, The Romantics, Bow Wow Wow, and Tommy Tutone.
Quintessence Theatre presents "The Pirates of Penzance". (PHILADELPHIA, PA) -- Quintessence Theatre continues its 16th season with The Pirates of Penzance, the beloved comic opera by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, from November 19, 2025 to January 4, 2026. Directed by Quintessence Artistic Director Alex Burns, the resplendent and hilarious story follows a band of pirates who go to battle with the British bobbies over the hearts of a bevy of beautiful Cornish maidens, with only a Major- General and Queen Victoria to stand in their way.
Cape May Stage presents the World Premiere of "Let's Catch Santa". (CAPE MAY, NJ) -- Cape May Stage presents the World Premiere of Let's Catch Santa from November 19 through December 28, 2025. This is a new holiday play by Dan McCormick that combines magic, humor, hope and the Christmas spirit. The production is directed by Roy Steinberg.
Paper Mill Playhouse presents Disney's "Frozen". (MILLBURN, NJ) -- Paper Mill Playhouse presents Disney's Frozen from November 26 through Sunday, January 11, 2026. This musical transforms the magic of the beloved animated film to the stage in an enchanting adventure. When sisters Elsa and Anna are torn apart by a mysterious secret power, they each set out on their own journey of courage, self-acceptance, and discovery of love in all its forms.
Arden Children's Theatre presents "A Wrinkle In Time". (PHILADELPHIA, PA) -- This winter, Arden Children's Theatre invites families to journey across time and space with an exciting adaptation of Madeline L'Engle's beloved book, A Wrinkle in Time. Adapted by John Glore, winner of the Newbery Medal, A Wrinkle in Time has inspired generations of readers, and even a major motion picture, since its publication. Now, the Arden brings this timeless classic to its stage for the first time. The production runs from December 3 through January 25, 2026.
Cirque du Soleil presents "'Twas the Night Before..." at The Theater at MSG. (NEW YORK, NY) -- Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSG Entertainment) announced that, due to overwhelming success, the celebrated holiday theatrical 'Twas the Night Before... by Cirque du Soleil is returning to The Theater at Madison Square Garden for a limited engagement this holiday season from December 4-28, 2025.
Bristol Riverside Theatre presents the World Premiere of "The Nice List". (BRISTOL, PA) -- Bristol Riverside Theatre (BRT) welcomes the holiday season with the world premiere of The Nice List, a lively musical filled with songs, humor, and plenty of Christmas cheer. This merry new production invites audiences of all ages to embark on a cheerful adventure straight from Santa's North Pole. Emmy Award-winning director Alan Muraoka leads this joyful production with music direction by Gary Adler. The production runs December 9-28, 2025.
Lantern Theater Company presents Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. (PHILADELPHIA, PA) -- Lantern Theater Company continues its 2025/26 season with a remount of its original adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, commissioned and developed through the Lantern's New Play Program and co-created by Philadelphia theater artists Anthony Lawton, Christopher Colucci, and Thom Weaver. The production runs from December 13-28, 2025, at St. Stephen’s Theater in Center City Philadelphia.
Manhattan Theatre Club presents "Bug" by Tracy Letts. (NEW YORK, NY) -- Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC) presents the Broadway premiere of Bug, written by Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy Letts (August: Osage County, The Minutes) and directed by Tony Award winner David Cromer (Prayer for the French Republic at MTC, The Band's Visit). The production begins performances on Wednesday, December 17, 2025 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street). Opening night is Thursday, January 8, 2026.
Night Stories: 4 Tales of Reanimation by the Greatest Poet of the Holocaust - Avrom Sutzkever - Comes to Life Off- Broadway. (NEW YORK, NY) -- Night Stories, comprising four tales of reanimation by Yiddish poet and resistance fighter Avrom Sutzkever, will be presented Off-Broadway direct from a South American tour through São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. Night Stories makes its official Off-Broadway bow at Wild Project, 195 E. 3rd Street (between Aves. A & B), with performances from December 17, 2025 through January 11, 2026.
The Ma'ayanot H.S. Drama Society & Black Box Studios presents "Fiddler On The Roof". (TEANECK, NJ) -- The Ma'ayanot Yeshiva High School Drama Society, in ongoing partnership with Black Box Studios, presents three performances of Fiddler On The Roof from December 27-30, 2025 at Ma'ayanot Performing Arts Center. Winner of nine Tony Awards when it debuted in 1964, this musical is the brainchild of Broadway legends, Jerome Robbins and Harold Prince; songwriters, Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick; and bookwriter, Joseph Stein. Touching audiences worldwide with its humor, warmth and honesty, this universal show is a staple of the musical theatre canon.
Count Basie Center for the Arts presents Langston Hughes' "Black Nativity" on December 28th. (RED BANK, NJ) -- Count Basie Center for the Arts presents Langston Hughes' Black Nativity on Sunday, December 28, 2025 at 4:00pm. A joyous retelling of the traditional Nativity story in music, dance and verse, Black Nativity is a Gospel "song play" based on the Gospel of St. Luke, using the poetry of Langston Hughes and performed by an all-Black cast of singers, actors, dancers and musicians.
Friday, December 26 - Catch a Rising Star Comedy Club presents Buddy Fitzpatrick. (PRINCETON, NJ) -- Catch a Rising Star Comedy Club presents Philadelphia native Buddy Fitzpatrick on Friday, December 26 at 8:00pm and Saturday, December 27, 2025 at 8:00pm. His act combines the skill of a great monologist with a physical style that brings his observations to life.
Saturday, December 27 - The Scottish Rite Auditorium presents comedian Joe Matarese on Saturday. (COLLINGSWOOD, NJ) -- The Scottish Rite Auditorium presents comedian Joe Matarese on Saturday, December 27, 2025 at 8:00pm. John Montague will open the night.
Click on the title to go to the event page for complete information on the show.
Tuesday, December 23 @ 1:00pm - A Christmas Carol at McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theatre), 91 University Place, Princeton
Tuesday, December 23 @ 2:00pm - It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at Shakespeare Theatre Of NJ - F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue, Madison
Tuesday, December 23 @ 5:30pm - A Christmas Carol at McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theatre), 91 University Place, Princeton
Tuesday, December 23 @ 7:30pm - It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at Shakespeare Theatre Of NJ - F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue, Madison
Wednesday, December 24 @ 12:00pm - A Christmas Carol at McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theatre), 91 University Place, Princeton
Wednesday, December 24 @ 1:00pm - New Jersey Ballet’s The Nutcracker With New Jersey Symphony at Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC), 100 South Street, Morristown
Wednesday, December 24 @ 4:00pm - A Christmas Carol at McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theatre), 91 University Place, Princeton
Friday, December 26 @ 1:00pm - New Jersey Ballet’s The Nutcracker With New Jersey Symphony at Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC), 100 South Street, Morristown
Friday, December 26 @ 2:00pm - It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at Shakespeare Theatre Of NJ - F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue, Madison
Friday, December 26 @ 6:00pm - New Jersey Ballet’s The Nutcracker With New Jersey Symphony at Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC), 100 South Street, Morristown
Friday, December 26 @ 7:30pm - It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at Shakespeare Theatre Of NJ - F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue, Madison
Saturday, December 27 @ 1:00pm - A Christmas Carol at McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theatre), 91 University Place, Princeton
Saturday, December 27 @ 1:00pm - New Jersey Ballet’s The Nutcracker With New Jersey Symphony at Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC), 100 South Street, Morristown
Saturday, December 27 @ 2:00pm - It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at Shakespeare Theatre Of NJ - F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue, Madison
Saturday, December 27 @ 2:00pm - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick
Saturday, December 27 @ 5:30pm - A Christmas Carol at McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theatre), 91 University Place, Princeton
Saturday, December 27 @ 6:00pm - New Jersey Ballet’s The Nutcracker With New Jersey Symphony at Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC), 100 South Street, Morristown
Saturday, December 27 @ 7:00pm - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick
Saturday, December 27 @ 7:30pm - It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at Shakespeare Theatre Of NJ - F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue, Madison
Saturday, December 27 @ 7:30pm - Kelli Baker Band at Lizzie Rose Music Room, 217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton
Sunday, December 28 @ 1:00pm - A Christmas Carol at McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theatre), 91 University Place, Princeton
Sunday, December 28 @ 2:00pm - It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at Shakespeare Theatre Of NJ - F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue, Madison
Sunday, December 28 @ 2:00pm - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick
Sunday, December 28 @ 5:30pm - A Christmas Carol at McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theatre), 91 University Place, Princeton
Sunday, December 28 @ 7:00pm - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick
