Here's a look at the top 15 most read articles published on New Jersey Stage from Febuary 8-15, 2026. Each week we publish at least 70 articles, including original columns and features, promoting events and covering arts news taking place throughout the state and nearby areas like Philadelphia and New York City. This week's top 15 includes articles from 8 counties (Atlantic, Bergen, Cumberland, Hudson, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean).
1) Playhouse 22 presents "Althea & Angela" - (EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- Althea & Angela, a play inspired by the real lives of tennis players Althea Gibson and Angela Buxton is making its New Jersey premiere at Playhouse 22 with performances across two weekends from February 13-22, 2026.
2) Events This Week in New Jersey from February 10-16, 2026 - Here is a look at upcoming events taking place from February 10-16, 2026 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.
3) Van Halen to Release Expanded Edition of "5150" - Van Halen began a new chapter 40 years ago with the release of 5150, the first album featuring the lineup of Sammy Hagar, Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, and Michael Anthony. 5150 marked the band's first #1 album with hits like "Why Can't This Be Love," "Dreams," and "Best Of Both Worlds" and continued their streak of multi-Platinum releases.
4) Ovation Hall at Ocean Casino Resort presents Theresa Caputo - (ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) -- For more than a decade, Theresa Caputo — known worldwide as the Long Island Medium — has touched the lives of millions of fans, comforting supporters when they need it most. Now New Jersey fans will get their chance at healing when the acclaimed medium and beloved personality appears live at Ovation Hall at Ocean Casino Resort on Saturday, February 21, 2026 at 8:00pm.
5) Jersey-Born Playwright Tom Cavanaugh Named 2026 TASTE AWARD Finalist Following Victory in Asbury Park - (ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- New Jersey native and award-winning playwright Tom Cavanaugh is making waves in the 2026 awards season, securing a prestigious nomination as a Finalist for the 2026 TASTE AWARDS. Often called the "Oscars of Food, Fashion, and Lifestyle Media," the Beverly Hills-based awards recognize the year's best achievements in sensory-driven storytelling.
6) Makin Waves with Alex Dawson: Helluva Hoedown - Rutgers University creative writing professor Alex Dawson has co-created “The Devil & Daisy Dirt,” a cryptic bluegrass musical that will do a five-show stand Feb. 20 to 22 at New Brunswick Performing Arts Center. The production is co-presented by Highlands-raised “Clerks” director Kevin Smith, the Smodcastle Cinemas he co-owns in adjacent Atlantic Highlands, and Weird NJ, a Garden State-themed travel guide of the macabre, odd and spooky.
7) This Week in Theatre: Previews for Plays: February 10-16, 2026 - Here are previews of plays taking place from February 10-16, 2026 including a look at productions currently being presented and those coming soon. New Jersey Stage covers Equity, community, college, and high school theatre. Check back every week for the weekly theatre preview.
8) New Jersey State Council on the Arts Grants $2 Million to New Jersey Artists through Individual Artist Fellowship Program - (TRENTON, NJ) -- The New Jersey State Council on the Arts held its first public meeting of 2026 on February 10th, where $2 million was awarded to 198 New Jersey artists through the Council's Individual Artist Fellowship program. In 2022, the Council voted to authorize an unprecedented investment of $2 million in the Fellowship program, and this continued commitment to funding makes these significant awards to New Jersey artists possible once a year.
9) Monmouth County Officials Announce Third Round of Student Contests for America's Upcoming 250th Birthday - (FREEHOLD, NJ) -- The MonmouthNJ 250 Committee is accepting entries for two contests for Monmouth County students as part of the county's commemoration of America's upcoming 250th birthday on July 4, 2026. A Semiquincentennial Poetry Contest for grades three through five invites students to write a poem in response to the prompt "What is America to me?" The Semiquincentennial Essay Contest for grades six through eight invites students to write an essay answering the prompt "What does patriotism mean to me?" This is the third round of student contests – the first round was held in spring of 2025; the second round in fall of 2025.
10) Trenton City Museum to present Trenton Makes Jazz concert featuring Omeed Nyman Quartet - (TRENTON, NJ) -- Trenton City Museum will present an all-star jazz concert Friday, March 6, 2026 in Ellarslie Mansion in Cadwalader Park. Presented in partnership with E.C. Bradley Candlelight Jazz Events with the Omeed Nyman Quartet, the concert will have as its backdrop 80 jazz-inspired works accepted in the juried TRENTON MAKES JAZZ exhibition. The works, by artists largely from the greater Trenton area, were selected by jurors Janis Purcell and Michael Richardson and will be on view from February 13 through March 22, 2026.
11) Bruce Wheeler named General Manager of Loew's Jersey Theatre - (JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) announced the appointment of Bruce Wheeler as General Manager of the historic Loew's Jersey Theatre located in Jersey City. In this role, Wheeler will oversee all day-to-day operations, event management, and venue readiness as the theatre completes its ongoing restoration and prepares to reopen in Fall 2026.
12) Learn about Miles Davis and the Birth of Cool Jazz at the Brick Branch of the Ocean County Library - (BRICK, NJ) -- Jazz musician Miles Davis is remembered as an iconic figure, as complex as he is influential. Learn about his life and career during “Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool,” a program honoring Black History Month, at the Brick Branch of the Ocean County Library on Saturday, February 28, 2026. The event begins at 2:30pm.
13) The Company Theatre Group presents "Over The River and Through the Woods" at HACPAC - (HACKENSACK, NJ) -- The Company Theatre Group presents Over The River and Through the Woods across two weekends from March 7-15, 2026 at the Hackensack Performing Arts Center (HACPAC). With their return to the HACPAC for the first time since 2019, The Company brings Oradell native Joe DiPietro's touching, laugh-a-minute play to their audiences.
14) This Week in Music: February 10-16, 2026 - Here is a look at shows taking place from February 10-16, 2026 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.
15) Celebrate the James Brown experience on Friday in Vineland - (VINELAND, NJ) -- The Landis Theater presents Tony Wilson as Young James Brown on Friday, February 13, 2026 at 8:00pm. It's time to celebrate the music, the legacy, and the unstoppable soul of the one and only James Brown.
Following decades of experience in public relations and writing for the arts, New Jersey Stage was created to serve as the state’s arts newswire and provide affordable advertising for the arts (from $50-$100 per month). The site has been redesigned around its Event Calendar and event preview articles. The vast majority of these articles come from a monthly schedule that lets us cover every arts genre and region of the state on a regular basis with original coverage. These event preview articles get noticed when we first publish them and then get noticed again the week the event takes place. Our articles and event calendar pages are picked up by search engines and resources like Google News. We also accept press releases sent to [email protected]
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