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!
If your arts organization sends out press releases, make sure you have [email protected] on your media list for coverage.
theatre
The Curtain presents a new adaptation of Shakespeare's "Richard III" 
(JERSEY CITY, NJ)-- The Curtain, Jersey City's premier classical theatre, will present an all-new adaptation of William Shakespeare's Richard III this March at Nimbus Arts Center weekends from March 5-29, 2026. Directed and adapted by Sean Hagerty, this morbidly comic, blood-soaked classic charts the ruthless rise of Shakespeare's most notorious king.
Brundage Park Playhouse presents "Brighton Beach Memoirs" by Neil Simon 
(RANDOLPH, NJ) -- Brundage Park Playhouse presents Brighton Beach Memoirs by Neil Simon across two weekends from February 12-22, 2026. A perfect coming-of-age comedy, this play follows Eugene Jerome as he navigates the problems that come with being a teenager during the Great Depression.
North Star Theater Company to hold auditions for "The 39 Steps" 
(OGDENSBURG, NJ) -- North Star Theater Company will hold auditions for its upcoming production of The 39 Steps on Friday, February 6 from 6:30pm–9:30pm and Saturday, February 7, 2026 from 1:00pm–5:00pm at the NSTC Studio (21 Kennedy Avenue) in Ogdensburg, New Jersey.
American Theater Group's Producing Artistic Director Jim Vagias to Retire at the End of the 2025-26 Season 
(UNION, NJ) -- Jim Vagias, Producing Artistic Director and Co-Founder of American Theater Group, has announced that he will be stepping down at the end of this season.
music
Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites... 01/15/2026 
"I'm doing fantabulous today. I'm from Berlin, Maryland, it's a very small town, one street light, lots of cops and everyone knows each other," chuckled young singer-songwriter Callum who will be making the trip up from the Terrapin state for two February shows, the first of which is at Flounder Brewing in Hillsborough, NJ and the second on February 22 at John & Peter's in New Hope, PA as part of Mike Montrey's Songwriter Showcase.
State Theatre New Jersey presents Freestyle Flashback Concert 2026 on January 31st 
(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- State Theatre New Jersey and Fever Records present Freestyle Flashback Concert 2026 on Saturday, January 31, 2026 at 7:00pm. Freestyle and dance-pop artists of the 80s and 90s gather for one night at STNJ! Tickets start at $46.
The Adelphi Orchestra presents "Grace & Elegance" 
(RIVER EDGE, NJ) -- The Adelphi Orchestra, now in its 72nd season of Music for All, presents Grace & Elegance, a concert celebrating the elegance and lyricism of Classical and Romantic masterworks, from February 27-28, 2026 with performances in New Jersey and New York City.
comedy
Bananas Comedy Club presents Cristina Mariani 
(RUTHERFORD, NJ) -- Bananas Comedy Club presents Cristina Mariani from January 30 to February 1, 2026. Cristina is a rising stand-up comedian, with a quirky, dark sense of humor.
film
New Release Review - "No Other Choice" 
Though it's adapted from a novel from the '90s (Donald Westlake's 'The Ax', previously filmed as The Axe by Costa-Gavras in 2006), Park Chan-Wook's No Other Choice speaks to very modern fears around job stability in the age of AI. Like Bong Joon-ho's Parasite, it's centred on desperate measures taken by a protagonist to acquire a job, but there is no class satire here. AI doesn't care about our socio-economic backgrounds. It's coming for us all.
New Jersey Film Festival Filmmaker Video Interview with Anda Filmmakers and Cast 
Here is the New Jersey Film Festival Spring 2026 Filmmaker Q+A with ANDA Director JAYENDRA GANTA, Co-Screenwriter CALEB BELL-JONES, Actors PEYTON MICHELLE-EDWARDS, CAROLINE DUNCAN, AMY WARNER and Festival Director AL NIGRIN. ANDA will be screening on Sunday, January 25, 2026 – Online for 24 Hours!
dance
PEAK Performances at Montclair State University presents Camille A. Brown & Dancers' "I AM" 
(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- PEAK Performances at Montclair State University presents Camille A. Brown & Dancers' I AM on Thursday, February 12, 2026 at the Alexander Kasser Theater in Montclair. The show, by five-time Tony-nominated director and choreographer Camille A. Brown (Broadway’s Gypsy and Hell's Kitchen), advances Brown's acclaimed explorations of Black joy, cultural memory and liberation. Showtime is 7:30pm.
art
Hunterdon Art Museum Winter Exhibitions Explore Music, New Jersey's 250th Anniversary, and Augmented Reality 
(CLINTON, NJ) -- The Hunterdon Art Museum announces its latest exhibitions. "Paul Deery – Bach in Color: The Goldberg Variations," "Contemporary Artists Respond," a group exhibition and "Christine Romanell – Cosmic Crossing" an Augmented Reality experience. All three run from January 25 through April 26, 2026.
community
PickleRage Union County Opens Its Doors for Sneak Peek Open Houses Ahead of Grand Opening 
(PLAINFIELD, NJ) -- /PRNewswire/ -- PickleRage Union County (NJ) is opening its doors with a series of open houses, giving the community its first chance to step onto the courts inside the brand-new facility. Non-members can experience the energy, explore the space, meet the team, and—for a limited time—lock in exclusive Founder Membership rates and can play that same day at the open house.
