Middlesex County's softball tournament raises $1,000 for pancreatic cancer research, total reaches over $22,500

(EDISON, NJ) -- Middlesex County’s yearly Pancreatic Cancer Co-Ed Softball Tournament raised another $1,000 for pancreatic cancer research on Saturday, September 18 at Thomas Edison Park. The event was hosted by the Middlesex County Office of Parks and Recreation, along with the Board of County Commissioners, to increase community awareness about the disease and raise funds to aid cancer research at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey.

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Artists Around The World Join Together For Special Version Of "Peace Train"

Legendary Singer-Songwriter, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and celebrated humanitarian Yusuf / Cat Stevens has teamed up with Playing For Change, the multimedia company responsible for the popular “Songs Around The World” video series, to produce “Peace Train'' around the world with more than 25 musicians from 12 countries. Featured musicians include five time Grammy Award winning blues/americana artist Keb’ Mo’, Grammy nominated Senegalese artist Baaba Maal, and Silkroad’s Rhiannon Giddens, also a Grammy Award winner. The video was released on September 21st in honor of the International Day of Peace.

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Westrick Music Academy Now Enrolling for Fall Choirs & Classes

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Westrick Music Academy (WMA), home of Princeton Girlchoir (PGC) and Princeton Boychoir (PBC), is currently enrolling youth in grades 1 and 2 for their Poco Voce Choir, which will explore new and engaging ways to build and strengthen young musicianship skills. This non-auditioned music class explores the young singer’s voice. During each session, children will focus on tone development and fundamental musical skills through fun and engaging games and activities. The Poco Voce Choir is the perfect opportunity for young musicians to develop their singing voice and musicianship skills. Poco Voce Choir will be every Wednesday from September 29 - December 1. 

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Chris Isaak To Play Count Basie Center for the Arts On November 30th

(RED BANK, NJ) -- The Count Basie Center for the Arts presents Chris Isaak on Tuesday, November 30 at 8:00pm. In the course of Isaak’s career, he has released nine extraordinary albums, twelve singles, been nominated for two Grammy awards, acted in several motion pictures and starred in his own critically acclaimed TV series. Tickets range from $29 to $79.

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New Feathers Productions Presents "Together (Again)" Night of One Acts on October 14th

(NEW HOPE, PA) -- New Feathers Productions (NFP) has selected, award-winning & emerging Playwrights from the NY, NJ, and PA region for Together (Again) on Thursday, October 14th at 7:30pm.  This is a professionally performed, staged reading theatrical experience featuring the new works that will immerse audiences in a quirky and relatable journey that highlights togetherness about friendships, love, or the lack thereof.  

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Brian Fallon To Release "Night Divine"

Brian Fallon has announced a very special new album comprised of his recordings of classic hymns. Night Divine, produced and recorded by Fallon himself, arrives on November 5 via Lesser Known Records/Thirty Tigers. The album is available for pre-order now. To herald its arrival, Fallon shares the first single and album opener, “The Virgin Mary Had One Son.” Soulful and spirited vocals glide over lithely picked acoustic guitar and add another dimension to the original composition.

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New Jersey Stage: Daily Edition 09-22-21

Here are the articles published at New Jersey Stage for 09-22-21

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An Interview With Thomas Verrette, Director of "Zero Gravity"

Zero Gravity is a feature documentary by Thomas Verrette that follows a diverse group of middle-school students from San Jose, CA, who compete in a nationwide tournament to code satellites aboard the International Space Station. 

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Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners announce successful 2021 summer tourism season

(KEYPORT, NJ) -- The Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners and tourism partners concluded the 2021 summer tourism season with a press conference on Tuesday, September 21 at the Mini Park located at 55 West Front Street.

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SOPAC To Remain Closed Until December Due To Hurricane Ida Damage

(SOUTH ORANGE, NJ) -- Just days before the South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) was poised to roll out its robust 2021-2022 season, Hurricane Ida ravaged the nonprofit theatre, as well as the surrounding downtown area. In the days immediately following the storm, SOPAC announced that all September shows would be rescheduled. Now, following a more thorough assessment of the building, it has been determined that SOPAC will need to close its lobby and the Jennifer & Tony Leitner Performance Hall to the public through at least December 7.

An Interview With Thomas Verrette, Director of "Zero Gravity"

Zero Gravity is a feature documentary by Thomas Verrette that follows a diverse group of middle-school students from San Jose, CA, who compete in a nationwide tournament to code satellites aboard the International Space Station. 

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Ela: Breaking Boundaries screens at the Fall 2021 New Jersey Film Festival on Sunday, September 26

An in-depth look into New Jersey-based artist Ela Shah’s life and work, Ela: Breaking Boundaries screens at the Fall 2021 New Jersey Film Festival on Sunday, September 26. Directed by Swapna Kurup, this touching documentary explores the intersections between an artist’s personal life story and her work through interviews with Ela herself as well as several friends, family members, and colleagues. Hearing from various figures at institutions such as the Montclair Art Museum, the Aljira Center for Contemporary Art, and Rutgers’ own Zimmerli Art Museum, it is clear that Ela is an important fixture in the New Jersey art community whose body of work is deeply impactful.

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“Jamming with The Coda Band Featuring The Chiclettes!” Vinnie Medugno LIVE! at the PNC Bank Arts Center

It’s a gorgeous Thursday, Sept. 8, 2021 afternoon at Holmdel, NJ’s PNC Bank Arts Center. As we make our way up to the spacious amphitheater, music lovers are already lining up for an afternoon concert by Vinnie Medugno featuring The Chiclettes and The Coda Band.

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Vivid Stage Presents World Premiere of "Portrait of the Widow Kinski " by Sara Jean Accuardi

(SUMMIT, NJ) -- Vivid Stage, formerly Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre, will present the world premiere production of Portrait of the Widow Kinski by Sara Jean Accuardi from September 30 through October 10. All audience members will be asked to show proof of vaccination at the box office.

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Thomas Verrette’s Zero Gravity to screen at the Fall 2021 New Jersey Film Festival on September 24!

In Martin Scorsese's masterful biographical drama film, “The Aviator,” visionary film director and aviation tycoon Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio) compulsively repeats to audiences his personal mantra and reasoning that drove him to embrace aerospace innovation, declaring: “You see, it’s the way of the future. The way of the future. The way of the future…”

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New Jersey Film Festival Fall 2021 Animation Filmmakers Video Q+A

Here is the New Jersey Film Festival Fall 2021 Animation Filmmakers Q+A with Jethro Tull: Aqualung Director Sam Chegini, Invention in C Major Director Richard D. Lopez and Festival Director Al Nigrin.

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PODCAST: Growing Stage Young Playwrights Competition 2021

On Saturday, September 18, four young playwrights will present four new plays at The Growing Stage, The Children’s Theatre of New Jersey, in Netcong. They are the finalists in The Growing Stage’s first Playwriting Festival for Young Writers: Violet Baker, Maya Abraham, Maxine Ting, and Alethea Shirilan-Howlett.

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New Jersey Film Festival Fall 2021 Into Schrodinger's Box Video Q+A

Filmed during the initial hysteria and the unprecedented early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Into Schrodinger’s Box is a daring Indie psychological thriller unlike anything before it. Here below is my video Q+A with Into Schrodinger's Box Directors Nasim Naghavi and Amir Ganjavie.

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The New Jersey State Museum -- Guarding our Treasures

When the New Jersey State Museum reopened its doors in mid-July 2021 after closing in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the public welcomed the good news. Finally having the opportunity to once again explore the museum’s vast collection in person was a reprieve to those looking to get back to normal and do something that didn’t involve binge watching television.

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Curtis Grayson III Comments on Covid-19 and Social Justice In New Exhibit At Herb + Milly Iris Gallery

(SOUTH ORANGE, NJ) -- Ushering in a new and exciting season of exhibitions at The Herb + Milly Iris Gallery in the South Orange Performing Arts Center is artist Curtis Grayson, III. His solo exhibit, Transitional Energy: Form, Shape, Color, will be on view from September 23-November 21. When creating the more than two-dozen vibrant, mixed-media works featured in this exhibition, Grayson was inspired by the effects of Covid-19 and the national social justice movement. Ninety percent of the pieces were created during the pandemic, from 2019-2021.

Top 10 Most Read Stories at New Jersey Stage For Week of September 12-18

Here's a look at the top 10 most read articles published at New Jersey Stage during the week of September 12-18, 2021.  Each week, we publish about 70 articles, including several original columns and features, along with news releases for events happening throughout the state and nearby areas like Philadelphia and New York City. This week's Top 10 was dominated by Essex County with four articles, but also includes articles involving 3 additional counties in New Jersey (Cape May, Hudson, Passaic) plus New York City.  

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Radio Jersey Shows For Week Ending 09-18-21

Here are the radio programs aired by Radio Jersey and Beyond the Palace this week. Radio Jersey shows air Monday through Friday from 6:00pm to 8:00pm on ThePenguinRocks.com and Beyond the Palace airs throughout the week. Both shows are hosted by Lee Mrowicki and are also available on demand.

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Makin Waves Song of the Week: “Modern Girl” by The Clydes

“Modern Girl” is The Clydes’ second single from an album the New Brunswick-based band will release next year on Jersey indie Mint 400 Records.  As the Makin Waves Song of the Week, the song also can be heard between 6 and 8 p.m. on Sept. 17 on “Radio Jersey” at ThePenguinRocks.com. 

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Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites...9/16/21

 "We were slammed and that's the weird thing; we all kind of joked that we couldn't wait to get back to work so we could stop working so much,” laughed Styx keyboardist Lawrence Gowan as he talked about the band’s workload during the COVID pandemic, their new album “Crash Of The Crown” and the ever changing fan base to which they’ve grown accustomed. “It  was really fun actually, because we kept ourselves extremely busy working on this record and I'm really glad that we did because it has already connected so well with people. We did a bunch of streaming things too so we could stay connected with the faithful out there throughout; let's call it, "The Break."

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Top 10 Most Read Stories at New Jersey Stage For Week of September 5-11

Here's a look at the top 10 most read articles published at New Jersey Stage during the week of September 5-11, 2021.  Each week, we publish about 70 articles, including several original columns and features, along with news releases for events happening throughout the state and nearby areas like Philadelphia and New York City. This week's Top 10 includes articles involving 6 different counties in New Jersey (Bergen, Essex, Gloucester, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean). There was no doubt about the most read story this week...