Here's a look at the top 15 most read articles published on New Jersey Stage from April 19-25, 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 9 counties in New Jersey (Atlantic, Bergen, Camden, Cumberland, Essex, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean).
The vast majority of articles at New Jersey Stage are written in-house, but we also accept press releases sent to [email protected]. 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 web pages are picked up by search engines and resources like Google News. We also offer banner ad advertising prices for the arts. For information on advertising at NewJerseyStage.com, click here.
1) Trenton Filmmaker Phillip McConnell to Premiere New Short Film "Tell Me Where We Stand". (HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, NJ) -- Independent filmmaker Phillip McConnell will premiere his new short film, Tell Me Where We Stand, at Mill One on Sunday, May 31, 2026, bringing together local artists, performers, and members of the community for an evening celebrating independent film and storytelling.
2) Events This Week in New Jersey from April 21-27, 2026. Here is a look at upcoming events taking place from April 21-27, 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) Limited Time $17.76 Tickets Available for Sips, Stars & Stripes: A NJ Wine Revolution. (TRENTON, NJ) -- The Garden State Wine Growers Association (GSWGA) is celebrating America's 250th anniversary with a limited-time $17.76 ticket promotion for its upcoming event, Sips, Stars & Stripes: A NJ Wine Revolution, taking place Saturday, May 30, 2026 at the War Memorial in Trenton.
4) Radio Legend Big Joe Henry Nominated for Induction to the New Jersey Hall of Fame Class of 2026. (LONG BRANCH, NJ) -- The New Jersey Hall of Fame has announced that leading NJ radio personality Big Joe Henry has been nominated for induction into the Hall with the Class of 2026. Big Joe Henry's weekend radio shows have been number one in the ratings for over 25 consecutive years. Henry is equally well known for his philanthropy, donating his time and talent to more than 700 charitable appearances over his 29 years on the air for Jersey 101.5.
5) Haddon Township to Hold 4th Annual String Band Parade. (HADDON TOWNSHIP, NJ) -- The Camden County Board of Commissioners, along with Haddon Township, invites residents and visitors to the fourth annual String Band Parade down Haddon Ave, featuring the Philadelphia Mummers String Bands on Saturday, May 30, 2026 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. (note: it was rescheduled from April 25th due to the weather)
6) Tuckerton Porchfest returns May 2nd with Music, Poetry, Art & Community along Main Street. (TUCKERTON, NJ) -- Tuckerton Porchfest returns on Saturday, May 2, 2026 (rain date: May 3rd) from 11:00am to 4:00pm, transforming Main Street into a vibrant, walkable celebration of local creativity. Featuring live music, poetry, visual art, vendors, and community experiences, this grassroots festival invites attendees to explore multiple porch stages hosted by local businesses and residents.
7) Paper Mill Playhouse Announces 2026-2027 Season. (MILLBURN, NJ) -- Paper Mill Playhouse has announced its 88th season of world-class shows to be presented during the theater's 2026-2027 season in Millburn. The season includes productions of Mary Poppins, Ken Ludwig's Lend Me a Tenor, Million Dollar Quartet, and Dear Evan Hansen.
8) Cumberland Players presents "Reefer Madness, the Musical". (VINELAND, NJ) -- Cumberland Players presents Reefer Madness, the Musical across two weekends from June 19-28, 2026. When a clean-cut kid from a stand-up American family falls prey to marijuana, his descent into the pit is filled with jazz, sex and violence. This pointed polticial satire will go straight to your head!
9) Paper Mill Playhouse presents "West Side Story". (MILLBURN, NJ) -- Paper Mill Playhouse presents West Side Story, the final production of Paper Mill's 2025-2026 season, from May 28 through June 28, 2026. An enduring masterpiece based on a conception of Jerome Robbins, West Side Story reimagines Romeo and Juliet in 1950s New York, where young lovers Tony and Maria dare to dream of a future together as rival gangs the Jets and the Sharks clash for control of the streets.
10) Aspire Performing Arts Company presents "Matilda, the Musical". (FAIR LAWN, NJ) -- Aspire Performing Arts Company presents Matilda the Musical from May 1-3, 2026 at the Fair Lawn Community Center. Based on Roald Dahl's classic children's book, Matilda the Musical follows Matilda Wormwood, a little girl with astonishing wit, intelligence, and psychokinetic powers.
11) Rutgers Theater Department presents "Hamlet". (NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- The Rutgers Theater Department presents eight performances of Shakespeare's most popular play, Hamlet, at the Levin Theater (on the Douglass Campus) from April 24-May 2, 2026. The production is directed by Cameron Knight.
12) A Darker Americana: Don Ryan on Chaos, Craft, and His New Album. Don Ryan writes songs that feel like they've been left out in the rain—warped, weathered, and quietly glowing. Operating out of the NJ/NYC orbit, his latest album pushes further into that uneasy space between Americana, gypsy jazz, and a fractured strain of psychedelic folk, where jagged arrangements and ghost-haunted lyrics replace anything resembling polish.
13) Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites... 04/23/2026. April 26, 2009; 17 years to the day this Sunday that "Danny Coleman's Rock On Radio" took to the airwaves on WIFI 1460 AM radio. Can it be that long? The answer is yes it can be and yes it has.
14) Shinedown to Play Shows in Newark and Philly in July. (NEWARK, NJ) -- One of the biggest bands in the world, Shinedown, will be releasing their brand new studio album EI8HT on May 29, 2026 (via Atlantic Records) and released the new song "Outlaw." In addition, they announced their massive Dance Kid Dance Act II World Tour, taking the band to 11 countries across 54 dates, including local stops at Prudential Center in Newark on Tuesday, July 21st and Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on Thursday, July 23rd.
15) The South Jersey Jazz Society accepting applications for its 2026 Bob Simon Scholarship. The South Jersey Jazz Society is accepting applications for the 2026 Bob Simon Scholarship from June 1, 2026 through September 30, 2026. The award will be presented to the most qualified student demonstrating his/her work as a promising jazz instrumentalist or vocalist. This award is available to middle and high school students in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Ocean counties.
