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Top 15 Most Read Stories
At New Jersey Stage
from August 23-29, 2026

Published by New Jersey Stage

originally published: 08/30/2026

Here's a look at the top 15 most read articles published on New Jersey Stage from August 23-29, 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 10 counties in New Jersey (Bergen, Camden, Cape May, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Middlesex, Morris, Ocean, and Passaic).

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 get brought back into focus on the website the week the event takes place. Our articles and event web pages are picked up by search engines and resources like Google News and NewsBreak and help feed information to A.I. We offer event boosters for just $10 and banner ads starting at $50, but will put your shows in front of the people you want to learn about them. In short, we get your shows noticed! For information on advertising at NewJerseyStage.com, click here.

1) Todd Rundgren LIVE! at Ocean City Music Pier - Spotlight Central and Love Imagery have photos and a recap of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Todd Rundgren performing at Ocean City Music Pier on August 11, 2026.

2) 2 Free Filmmaking Workshops at the Fall 2026 New Jersey Film Festival! - The New Jersey Film Festival will be offering two filmmaking workshops this Fall. These workshops are FREE and open to the public, but they have limited seating and require advance registration.  To register email the Festival at [email protected]. Registration is first come first served. LOCATION: Voorhees Hall #105/Rutgers University, 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901

3) Haddon Township presents the Summer of Love Music Festival on August 29th - (HADDON TOWNSHIP, NJ) -- Haddon Township invites residents and visitors to celebrate the sounds of three unforgettable decades at the Summer of Love 60's-70's-80's Music Festival on Saturday, August 29, 2026 from 2:00pm to 10:00pm. The festival will take place along Haddon Avenue between Strawbridge Avenue and Cooper Street.





 

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4) Amazing animation Spheres screens at the New Jersey Film Festival on September 6th! - Connecting the past with the future, Spheres forces you to exist in the now. Director Martin Gerigk is considered to be one of Germany’s greatest symphonists, with many of his compositions being performed and critically acclaimed all over the globe. Over the past decade, he has been exploring and creating through an audio-visual medium. Starting in 2016 with the film adaptation of Gerigk’s Structures of Nature ensemble piece, Gergik has released several more films including Haiku (2022) and Night Ride from LA (2023). 

5) Newark Symphony Hall Announces Africa on Stage, a Month-Long Celebration of African Arts and Culture - (NEWARK, NJ) -- Newark Symphony Hall presents Africa on Stage, a month-long celebration of African and diaspora arts, culture, and education throughout October 2026 as a centerpiece of the venue's Centennial programming. Spanning four weeks, the festival transforms the Hall's campus into a gathering place for film, fashion, beauty, live music, and community learning, culminating in FELA! The Concert, a one-night-only performance in the historic Sarah Vaughan Concert Hall on Thursday, October 22, 2026 at 7:00pm.

6) Passaic County Board of County Commissioners Awards Nearly $100,000 in America 250 Mini-Grants to Support Community Celebrations - (PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ) -- The Passaic County Board of County Commissioners has awarded $97,400 in 250th Mini-Grants to 10 organizations across the county. Funding a slate of festivals, exhibitions, research and public educational programs that will mark the 250th anniversary of the United States.

7) Jersey City Theater Company Announces 2026-27 Season at White Eagle Hall - (JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- Jersey City Theater Center (JCTC) has announced the fall lineup of its 2026–27 Season at historic White Eagle Hall, bringing cutting-edge theatre, dance and music from Jersey City and around the world together on one stage.

8) Indie Mystery-Thriller Your Lips Never Left Mine opens the New Jersey Film Festival! - There is an unsettling feeling throughout Your Lips Never Left Mine that makes almost everything happening onscreen feel questionable. Written and directed by Matthew Kozlark, the indie mystery-thriller follows Lara, played by Cassandra Due, a young woman who takes a job tutoring Connor, played by Theodore Dalton, the son of a wealthy finance couple at their secluded summer lake house. What begins as a seemingly normal summer job quickly becomes more complicated as Lara realizes there is much more to this family than they are willing to reveal. The film slowly uncovers pieces of their past, creating a mystery filled with unexpected twists that keep the audience questioning who can actually be trusted.

9) NJPAC presents comedian Justin Silva on November 7th - (NEWARK, NJ) -- Get ready for a night of big laughs when rising comedy star Justin Silva brings his high-energy storytelling and viral comedy to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) on Saturday, November 7, 2026 at 7:00pm. The performance will take place in the Victoria Theater on the Lizzie & Jonathan Tisch Stage.

10) Events This Week in New Jersey from August 25-31, 2026 - Here is a look at upcoming events taking place from August 25-31, 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.




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11) Olympic Champion Laurie Hernandez Kicks Off 2026-27 Blauvelt Speaker Series at OCC's Grunin Center for the Arts - (TOMS RIVER, NJ) — The Ocean County College Foundation's Blauvelt Speaker Series kicks off its 2026-27 season with "A Conversation with Laurie Hernandez" on Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts on the Ocean County College campus in Toms River. The event begins at 6:00pm.

12) Rowan University Museum of Contemporary Art presents Diane Burko: Extraction, A Dialogue of Extremes - (GLASSBORO, NJ) -- The Rowan University Museum of Contemporary Art (RUMOCA) presents Diane Burko: Extraction, A Dialogue of Extremes, a multimedia exhibition on view from August 24 through October 17, 2026 at RUMOCA's 301 High Street W. Gallery.

13) Italian experimental short Under The Skin screens at the New Jersey Film Festival on September 6! - Trauma always has a tendency to stick, or for some, stay under their skin. The past can be brought up in ways we may not expect it to. For some, love (good or bad) is one of those traumas that linger. Sotto la Pelle(Under The Skin) is a short film that shows how easily, and how simply, trauma can be brought back into someone’s life.

14) ArtHouse Film Festival Returns in September - (CHATHAM, NJ) -- Featuring some of the best soon-to-be-released movies from around the world, Arthouse Film Festival will unspool for ten weeks beginning September 14, 2026 at Chatham Hickory Cinema. The selected films comprise award winners from Sundance, Cannes, Toronto, Telluride, Venice and SXSW film festivals, along with prestige studio films, screened in Chatham before their New York theatrical release dates.

15) Celebrate 27 Years of Oktoberfest in Leonia on September 26th - (LEONIA, NJ) -- The Rotary Club of the Palisades invites the community to celebrate the 27th Annual Leonia Oktoberfest on Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 3:00pm to 10:00pm at Wood Park in Leonia. Enjoy a fun-filled day of live music, beer, dancing, entertainment, crafts, face painting, Dolly the Clown, and a Beer Stemming Competition. NEW this year: a variety of Food Trucks and Vendor Craft Tables featuring fun crafts, unique items, and more!




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Oliver!

Oliver!

There are multiple performances including:

Saturday, October 17, 2026
@ 2:00pm

Algonquin Arts Theatre
Manasquan, NJ

A beloved musical based on Charles Dickens' timeless novel, Oliver! tells the story of a young boy searching for home and belonging. Featuring unforgettable songs like "Food, Glorious Food," "Consider Yourself," and "As Long As He Needs Me," this classic remains a moving and uplifting theatrical experience.

CLICK HERE to view all remaining performances.


Denise

Denise Miller & Son And Friends

Saturday, October 17, 2026
@ 7:30pm

Lizzie Rose Music Room
Tuckerton, NJ

Denise Miller is a singer-songwriter in the Country-Folk genre. Her influences are John Denver and Joni Mitchell.

 

Tusk

Tusk

Saturday, October 17, 2026
@ 8:00pm

Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center
Carteret, NJ

Tusk has been criss-crossing the country for over 15 years as The Ultimate Fleetwood Mac Tribute. But of all the Fleetwood Mac tributes playing around the United States today, what exactly sets Tusk apart? 

 

Brian

Brian McKnight In Concert

Saturday, October 17, 2026
@ 8:00pm

Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) - Main Stage
Rahway, NJ

Brian McKnight has earned himself a spot in contemporary music history and is one of the most consistent and enduring R&B artists today.

 

A

A Beat of Our Own

There are multiple performances including:

Saturday, October 17, 2026
@ 2:00pm

McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theatre)
Princeton, NJ

From the Tony Award-winning producers of Hadestown comes A Beat of Our Own — a brand-new musical comedy that pulls you straight into the pulsating rhythms, kaleidoscopic colors and raw energy of competitive bhangra dance. 

CLICK HERE to view all remaining performances.

ADVANCED EVENTS

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EVENT PREVIEWS

(NEWARK, NJ) -- The Roseville Outreach Community Corporation presents the 6th Annual ROCC FEST - From Praise to Presence jazz gospel concert on Saturday, October 17, 2026 at the Roseville Church in Newark. The event begins at 6:00pm and is headlined by Anthony Nelson.



Speranza Theatre Company presents a reading of "Sylvia

Speranza Theatre Company presents a reading of "Sylvia's Moxie" by Margo Hammond on October 17th

(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- Speranza Theatre Company presents Sylvia's Moxie by Margo Hammond at the Museum of Jersey City History on October 17, 2026 at 6:30pm. This is a developmental reading and talk-back with the playwright.



River Union Stage presents the premiere of their first film project "NJ Stories of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" on October 17th

River Union Stage presents the premiere of their first film project "NJ Stories of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" on October 17th

(FLEMINGTON, NJ) -- River Union Stage presents the premiere of their first film project, NJ Stories of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, on Saturday, October 17, 2026 at the Historic Hunterdon County Courthouse in Flemington. The event begins at 7:00pm.



The Summit Playhouse presents "By The Water"

The Summit Playhouse presents "By The Water"

(SUMMIT, NJ) -- The Summit Playhouse presents By The Water weekends from October 17 to November 1, 2026. This play by Sharyn Rothstein takes place in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, in which the Murphy family struggles to rebuild their Staten Island home and their lives.



Brad Upton to Kick Off New Comedy Series at StocktonPAC on October 17th

Brad Upton to Kick Off New Comedy Series at StocktonPAC on October 17th

(GALLOWAY, NJ) -- Stand-up comedian Brad Upton will headline a new comedy series at Stockton University’s Performing Arts Center on Saturday, October 17, 2026. Showtime is 7:30pm.



Zombies, Comedy, and Costume Contest Come to Hackensack on October 17th

Zombies, Comedy, and Costume Contest Come to Hackensack on October 17th

(HACKENSACK, NJ) -- North Jersey's award-winning improv comedy troupe, Howdy Stranger, brings its annual Halloween show to the Hackensack Performing Arts Center (HACPAC) on Saturday, October 17, 2026 at 8:00pm. Audience members are encouraged to dress in costumes for fun or to enter the evening's costume contest for a chance to win a prize.



The Theater Project to present a reading of "Domestic Blitz" on October 17th

The Theater Project to present a reading of "Domestic Blitz" on October 17th

(CRANFORD, NJ) -- Domestic Blitz, Stephanie Griffin's farce about exhausting family dynamics, is up next in The Theater Project's 2026 New Play Readings series and scheduled on Saturday, October 17, 2026 at Cranford Community Center's 110-seat theater. Admission is free, with no registration required. The event begins at 2:00pm.



A Book In Hand Reading of "Twelve Incompetent Jurors" to take place October 17-18

A Book In Hand Reading of "Twelve Incompetent Jurors" to take place October 17-18

(OLD BRIDGE, NJ) -- The Middlesex Bar Foundation in collaboration with Main Street Theatre Company presents a book in hand reading of Twelve Incompetent Jurors with two performances from October 17-18, 2026. The play by Ian McWethy is about a man accused of abducting half a dozen cats. He admits it. It's an open-and-shut case, even for a jury filled with oddballs – with the exception of one sane juror.



Stevie Van Zandt and Teachrock to be Honored by Count Basie Center for the Arts on Saturday

Stevie Van Zandt and Teachrock to be Honored by Count Basie Center for the Arts on Saturday

(RED BANK, NJ) -- For Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Stevie Van Zandt, Saturday, October 17, 2026 will bring together two defining parts of a career that has long extended beyond the stage, celebrating both his impact on music and culture and his commitment to the educators shaping the next generation.



CarteretPAC presents Tusk - The Classic Fleetwood Mac Tribute on Saturday

CarteretPAC presents Tusk - The Classic Fleetwood Mac Tribute on Saturday

(CARTERET, NJ) -- Tusk, the classic Fleetwood Mac Tribute, will perform at the Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center on Saturday, October 17, 2026 at 8:00pm. Tusk has been criss-crossing the country for over 15 years as The Ultimate Fleetwood Mac Tribute. But of all the Fleetwood Mac tributes playing around the United States today, what exactly sets Tusk apart?