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2026 New Jersey International Film Festival Overview

The New Jersey International Film Festival returns online and to Rutgers University on the weekends between May 29 - June 7, 2026. Professor Al Nigrin, Executive Director and Curator, provides a video overview of the films being showcase at the 31st annual Festival.



 

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Roger McGuinn LIVE! at the Pollak Theatre

Spotlight Central and Love Imagery have photos and a recap of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn at Monmouth University on May 1, 2026.



Middletown Arts Center presents The MAC One-Acts Play-Reading Festival on Thursday

(MIDDLETOWN, NJ) -- Middletown Arts Center presents the seventh edition of The MAC One-Acts Play-Reading Festival on Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 7:00pm. The festival features original, one-act works by New Jersey playwrights read theatrically by local actors. Admission is free and open to the public, but donations are appreciated.



Magnolia Productions presents "The Vagina Monologues"

(ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ) -- Magnolia Productions presents "The Vagina Monologues" across two weekends from June 12-20, 2026 at the Navesink Library. A whirlwind tour of a forbidden zone, Eve Ensler's Obie Award-winning play features personal monologues from women of various ages, races and sexualities.



Center Drama to Hold Auditions for "Grease" this week

(DEAL, NJ) -- Center Drama will hold in-person auditions for Grease on May 14 and May 17, 2026 at JCC Performing Arts Theater (100 Grant Avenue) in Deal, NJ. Virtual auditions are accepted until May 15th. With a hip-shaking rock 'n' roll score featuring hits like "Summer Nights," "Greased Lightnin" and "We Go Together," Grease celebrates Rydell High's class of 1959 in all their duck-tailed, bobby-soxed, gum-snapping glory.



New Jersey Repertory Company presents a staged reading of "Portrait of a Woman in Repose" by Nicky Glossman

(LONG BRANCH, NJ) -- New Jersey Repertory Company presents a staged reading of "Portrait of a Woman in Repose" by Nicky Glossman on Monday, May 18, 2026 at the West End Arts Center. The production is directed by James Glossman and features an outstanding cast: Richard Kind, David Strathairn, and Michelle Wilson.



Playhouse 22 presents "Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill: The Musical"

Playhouse 22 presents Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill: The Musical weekends from June 12-28, 2026. This exhilarating musical was inspired by the themes and raw emotions laid bare in Alanis Morissette's seminal album of the same name.



Main Street Theatre Company presents "Annie KIDS"

(OLD BRIDGE, NJ) -- Main Street Theatre Company presents Annie KIDS on May 23-24, 2026. The irrepressible comic strip heroine takes center stage in one of the world's best-loved, Award-winning musicals.



The Mainstage Center for the Arts presents "High School Musical 2 JR."

(BLACKWOOD, NJ) -- The Mainstage Center for the Arts presents High School Musical 2 JR. on June 4-5, 2026 in the Dennis Flyer Memorial Theater. The Wildcats are back for an unforgettable summer at Lava Springs Country Club!



Liberty Arts Theatre presents "I Know What I Give My Life For" (The Short Life Of Walter Klingenbeck) on May 19th

(LEONIA, NJ) -- Liberty Arts Theatre presents "I Know What I Give My Life For" (The Short Life Of Walter Klingenbeck) on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at American Legion Post #1 in Leonia. Admission is free, showtime is 7:30pm. The production is presented by Roland Weimer.



Albert Music Hall presents Rock Around the Pines: A Celebration of Early Rock 'n' Roll on Saturday

(WARETOWN, NJ) -- Albert Music Hall presents "Rock Around the Pines" on Saturday, May 16, 2026, an evening dedicated to the sounds of 1950s and early 1960s rock 'n' roll. The themed program brings classic jukebox favorites, rockabilly rhythms, and vintage dance hall energy to the Pinelands stage, with five local acts performing throughout the evening.



Vivid Stage Offers Summer Studio Classes for Adults in July

(SUMMIT, NJ) -- Vivid Stage, in residence at Oakes Center at 120 Morris Avenue in Summit, is offering its first slate of creative summer workshops for adults, the Summer Studio, in addition to its popular Improv Classes. Workshops include Public Speaking, Script Reading, Creativity and Storytelling. They begin on July 6 and end on July 23, 2026. Enrollment is now open.



RECAP: Lily Vakili's "Live Wire" EP Release at Francis Kite Club

(NEW YORK, NY) -- On May 6, 2026 - a rainy Wednesday night in New York City - fans and friends packed into Francis Kite Club on the Lower East Side to celebrate the release of Live Wire, the new EP from Lily Vakili. The intimate venue created the perfect setting for a performance that felt deeply personal, emotional, and completely alive.



Jazz Royalty Comes to the Hamilton Stage on June 6th

(RAHWAY, NJ) -- Saturday, June 6, 2026 marks the date when Jazz Royalty comes to Hamilton Stage with Dizzy Gillespie alumni and Grammy winning bassist John Lee in collaboration with 16-time Grammy winner Paquito D' Rivera.



Daily Edition 05-12-26

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!










EVENT PREVIEWS

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Hunterdon Hills Playhouse presents "Some Enchanted Evening"

(HAMPTON, NJ) -- Hunterdon Hills Playhouse presents Some Enchanted Evening from April 7 through May 16, 2026. This is a celebration of songs that have become a part of our lives. We sing them in the shower and we sing them to entertain and amuse.


Arden Children's Theatre presents "The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales"

(PHILADELPHIA, PA) -- This spring, Arden Children's Theatre invites families into a hilariously twisted world where classic fairy tales don't go quite as expected in its next production of the 2025/26 season, The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales (The Stinky Cheese Man). Based on the beloved book by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith, adapted by John Glore, the production brings the book's fractured fairy tales to life for kids and adults alike. Directed by Steve Pacek, the production runs on the Arden’s Arcadia stage with previews starting April 8, opening night on April 18, with performances running through May 31.


Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band's Land Of Hope And Dreams American Tour Announced For Spring 2026

(NEWARK, NJ) -- Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band will launch their Land Of Hope And Dreams American Tour across the country this spring, kicking off at Minneapolis' Target Center on March 31. The 20-date run will feature 19 arena shows, including several local shows in New Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia.


The Broadway Theatre of Pitman presents "A Bronx Tale, The Musical"

(PITMAN, NJ) -- The Broadway Theatre of Pitman presents A Bronx Tale, The Musical, across three weekends from April 24 to May 17, 2026. Step into the vibrant streets of the 1960s Bronx in this gripping musical about a young man torn between the steady guidance of his hardworking father and the alluring power of a local mob boss.


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)







LATEST FEATURES

ART | COMEDY | DANCE | FILM | MUSIC | THEATRE | COMMUNITY | KIDS

RECAP: Lily Vakili's "Live Wire" EP Release at Francis Kite Club
(NEW YORK, NY) -- On May 6, 2026 - a rainy Wednesday night in New York City - fans and friends packed into Francis Kite Club on the Lower East Side to celebrate the release of Live Wire, the new EP from Lily Vakili. The intimate venue created the perfect setting for a performance that felt deeply personal, emotional, and completely alive.



Jazz Royalty Comes to the Hamilton Stage on June 6th

(RAHWAY, NJ) -- Saturday, June 6, 2026 marks the date when Jazz Royalty comes to Hamilton Stage with Dizzy Gillespie alumni and Grammy winning bassist John Lee in collaboration with 16-time Grammy winner Paquito D' Rivera.




Dance Reflections presents "Dancescapes 2026" at Hamilton Stage

(RAHWAY, NJ) -- Dance Reflections presents "Dancescapes 2026" - an afternoon of original dance works at Union County Performing Arts Center's Hamilton Stage on Saturday, May 16, 2026. Showtime is 1:00pm.




Middlesex County and Thinkery & Verse present "Liberty Madness" at State Theatre

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- Middlesex County and Thinkery & Verse present an original live production of Liberty Madness at State Theatre New Jersey on Wednesday, May 27, 2026 at 7:30pm. This is a dynamic, magical stage play that tells the story of America’s haunted past.




Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Vernon Reid and Corey Glover on Sunday

(TUCKERTON, NJ) -- The Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Vernon Reid and Corey Glover on Sunday, May 17, 2026. Doors are at 7:00pm, showtime is 7:30pm. Prepare for an extraordinary evening as two of the most influential figures in modern rock history take the stage at Lizzie Rose.




Premiere Stages at Kean University Announces Semi-Finalists for 2026 Play Festival

(UNION, NJ) -- Premiere Stages, the professional theatre company in residence at Kean University, has announced the 2026 Premiere Play Festival Semi-Finalists. The Play Festival panel and literary staff reviewed 894 submissions, an increase of 89 submissions from the previous year, before choosing the 65 Semi-Finalists. An eclectic mix of plays, the Semi-Finalists explore a wide range of topics in a variety of genres.




PHOTOS from "Nate The Great" at Growing Stage

(NETCONG, NJ) -- The Growing Stage: The Children's Theatre of New Jersey is presenting Nate The Great weekends through May 17, 2026. In this musical, the world's greatest boy detective awakes, hoping that this day will bring a new case. He gets a call from his good friend Annie alerting him that her new painting of her dog Fang is missing! Photographer John Posada was on hand to take photos.




RECAP: James Maddock at Belmar Arts Center 5/8/26

(BELMAR, NJ) --- On Friday, May 8, 2026, we celebrated James Maddock's latest album release show for "Forever June" with a sold out crowd at Belmar Arts Center. And what an unforgettable celebration it was - in a beautiful listening room with the crowd alternating between complete silence and thunderous applause as Maddock lifted us all through a setlist that was equal parts crowd favorites and cuts from his stellar new album "Forever June".










UPCOMING EVENTS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 




LATEST COLUMNS
After a long hiatus, the Central Jersey band Exit Eleven are back with a new single that they will celebrate the release of on May 8 at Asbury Park's fabled Stone Pony.



Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites... 05/07/2026

Terry Barber is an "Internationally acclaimed" vocalist who has graced stages such as The Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, The kennedy Center and more and his recent project called "Mercury" will now grace the stage of The Brook Arts Center, otherwise known as "The Brook,"  in Bound Brook, NJ on May 15 at 8 p.m. for a one night only engagement. 



BlowUpRadio.com's New & Notable NJ Music 5/4/26

Lazlo, founder of BlowUpRadio.com (an online radio station based around New Jersey artists), shines a light on some of the many new releases from NJ based musicians each week with this column. This week Lazlo takes a look at new releases by Teen Idle, Rich Lancia, Somebody Club, Suede Aces, and Exit Eleven. Plus a look back at "Songs for the Moon" by The Porchistas.


* Events This Week in New Jersey

* This Week in Music

* This Week in Theatre

* Top 15 Most Read Stories
from the Past Week



DAILY EDITION

Here is a look at the articles published yesterday. The Daily Edition comes out Monday through Friday with a recap of articles published Friday through Sunday on Mondays.


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