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Centenary Stage Company Announces Lineup for SUMMERFEST 2026

Published by New Jersey Stage

originally published: 03/19/2026

(HACKETTSTOWN, NJ) -- Centenary Stage Company's SUMMERFEST 2026 is set to take center stage in the Lackland Performing Arts Center with four productions running through the summer months.  SUMMERFEST will feature, A Taste of Ireland presented by Pace Live, The Wedding Singer, Four Sticks: The Music of Led Zeppelin, and Maltby & Shire's Closer Than Ever.

All performances will be held in the Sitnik Theatre of the Lackland Performing Arts Center on the campus of Centenary University at 715 Grand Avenue, Hackettstown, NJ. Ticket prices vary by show.  For more information or to purchase tickets visit centenarystageco.org or call the Centenary Stage Company Box Office at 908-979-0900. 

SUMMERFEST 2026 kicks off with A Taste of Ireland on Thursday, June 25 at 7:30pm in the Sitnik Theatre.  Straight from Off-Broadway and London's West End. A Taste of Ireland presented by Pace Live, transports audiences through the story of Ireland's tumultuous history delivered with a pint of Irish wit. World - class performers blend melodic folk mashups, live jaw-dropping acapella tap battles and heartwarming story telling. Merging cultural traditions, modern flair, and craic galore, A Taste of Ireland delivers a performance that has been leaving audiences across the globe jigging on their feet for the last decade. Tickets for A Taste of Ireland range from $43.05 to $74.55.

SUMMERFEST 2026 continues July 9-19 in the Sitnik Theatre with The Wedding Singer; The Musical Comedy.  Based on the New Line Cinema film written by Tim Herlihy and starring Adam Sandler, The Wedding Singer features music by Matthew Sklar, a book by Chad Beguelin and Tim Herlihy, and lyrics by Chad Beguelin.  The Wedding Singer transports audiences to a time when hair was big, greed was good, collars were up and a wedding singer might just be the coolest guy in the room.

It's 1985, and rock star wannabe, Robbie Hart, is New Jersey's favorite wedding singer until his own fiancée leaves him at the altar.  Shot through the heart, Robbie makes every wedding as disastrous as his own until he meets Julia, a winsome waitress who wins his affection.  As luck would have it, Julia is about to be married to a Wall Street shark, and, unless Robbie can pull off the performance of a decade, the girl of his dreams will be gone forever.  Tickets for The Wedding Singer range from $30.00 to $35.00 for adults with additional discounts available.  Thursday evenings are a Buy One/Get One rush ticket special, when purchased in person at the CSC box office beginning at 5:00pm on the day.




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The music of Led Zeppelin continues SUMMERFEST 2026 with Four Sticks on Saturday, July 25th at 8:00pm in the Sitnik Theatre.  Hailed as the most accurate tribute to the iconic Led Zeppelin, Four Sticks brings the energy and spirit of Led Zeppelin in their prime.  Featuring all the hits that a casual fan would want to hear, as well as delivering some of the best gems for the enthusiast, Four Sticks delivers a performance the way Led Zeppelin did - with only four members playing multiple instruments.  Tickets for Four Sticks are $30.00 in advance for all seats and increase $5.00 on the day of the performance.

Finally, SUMMERFEST 2026 comes to a close with Maltby & Shire's: Closer Than Ever running from July 30 through August 9 in the Sitnik Theatre. A look into the private song vault of Richard Maltby Jr., and David Shire, Closer Than Ever is filled to the brim with the brilliance for which these musical theatre giants are known. A non-stop exploration of everyday struggles in the "modern world".

Topics ranging from unrequited adoration, to aging, to Muzak are tackled with resounding sincerity and precisely placed hilarity. Each song is a unique story told by a new character, taking audiences not only into the songbook of Mr. Maltby and Mr. Shire, but into the minds of the individual facing these completely relatable challenges.  Tickets for Maltby & Shire's Closer Than Ever range from $30.00 to $35.00 for adults with additional discounts available.  Thursday evenings are a Buy One/Get One rush ticket special, when purchased in person at the CSC box office beginning at 5:00pm on the day.

The box office is located in the Lackland Performing Arts Center on the campus of Centenary University at 715 Grand Ave. Hackettstown, NJ.

SUMMERFEST 2026 is sponsored by Explore Warren a project of the Warren County Tourism Partnership.

The 2025-26 Season of Performing Arts events at the Centenary Stage Company is made possible through the generous support of the NJ State Council on the Arts, the Shubert Foundation, the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, the Sandra Kupperman Foundation, the John and Margaret Post Foundation, The New Jersey Theatre Alliance, the CSC corporate sponsors, including Heath Village, Visions Federal Credit Union, Explore Warren, and Centenary Stage Company members and supporters.




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EVENT PREVIEWS

(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- Monmouth Arts presents BRING ON THE FUNK: Where the Arts Get Down, an unforgettable celebration of music, creativity, culture, and community taking place on Thursday, October 29, 2026, at the iconic The Asbury Hotel and Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park. The evening will honor an extraordinary lineup of trailblazers and cultural leaders whose work has made a lasting impact across music, literature, community service, and the arts.
Disney On Ice presents Spotlight Magic! in Atlantic City this November

Disney On Ice presents Spotlight Magic! in Atlantic City this November

(ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) -- A dazzling new Disney On Ice production is skating into Atlantic City, and it's unlike anything audiences have seen before. Disney On Ice presents Spotlight Magic! invites fans to step into the spotlight and join a glamorous red-carpet celebration packed with never-before-seen performances, chart-topping music, and more than 30 beloved Disney characters – coming to Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall from November 6-8, 2026.
 

FEATURED EVENTS



Wheel of Fortune LIVE! – America’s Game

Tuesday, October 13, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ


George Street Playhouse presents The Unexpected 3rd

Tuesday, October 13, 2026 @ 7:30pm
New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC)
11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ


A Beat of Our Own

Wednesday, October 14, 2026 @ 7:30pm
McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theatre)
91 University Place, Princeton, NJ


George Street Playhouse presents The Unexpected 3rd

Wednesday, October 14, 2026 @ 7:30pm
New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC)
11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ


Kean Department of Theatre presents "References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot"

Wednesday, October 14, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Kean Stage - Bauer Boucher Theatre Center
1000 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ