In October 2003, Gary Wien launched Upstage Magazine, a monthly print publication that covered the arts throughout Central New Jersey. The publication ultimately grew to 25,000 copies per month with distribution throughout much of the state. Upstage was well received critically and ultimately earned an Asbury Music Award for Top Music Publication in 2007, becoming the first publication other than The Aquarian to ever win the award. In addition, both the website and Wien picked up multiple Asbury Music Awards (for Top Website and Top Music Journalist) as well. Wien left the publication shortly afterwards, and Upstage ceased publishing a few months later.
In the months that followed, arts groups continued to submit press releases and materials. In 2008, Wien launched NewJerseyStage.com as a hobby to be an online news resource to continue coverage of the arts. Six years later, he decided to return to covering the arts full-time and redesigned the website to become a digital version of the old Upstage Magazine. On May 1, 2014, New Jersey Stage became a full-time resource covering the arts. On July 15, the first issue of New Jersey Stage digital magazine was released.
One year after New Jersey Stage Magazine was launched, Gary Wien was diagnosed with secondary progressive Multiple Sclerosis. He uses the website and magazine as a way of fighting the disease each day. Over 35,000 articles have been posted since New Jersey Stage became official and 75 issues of the magazine were published until the pandemic of 2020 forced it to go on hiatus. Over 550,000 unique visitors come to the website each year.
The website is primary run by Wien, but it benefits from the work of writers like Danny Coleman, Bob Makin, Eric Hillis, Karen Nowosad, Al Nigrin, and Spotlight Central. All of the writers on the site are volunteers - a group who love the arts. New Jersey Stage aims to bring artists, organizations, and art councils together. In addition to regularly publishing original feature articles, interviews, and columns, we encourage organizations to send us press releases. New Jersey Stage considers itself the Garden State's Arts Newswire and home of original arts journalism.
You can follow New Jersey Stage on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads, BlueSky and via our RSS feed
Mailing Address:
NewJerseyStage.com
P.O. Box 811
Belmar, NJ 07719
Email: [email protected]
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.
Xian Zhang conductor
George Li piano
New Jersey Symphony
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.
Effa Manley manages the Newark Eagles, a team she wants to take all the way to the Negro League World Series. Effa battles the press, coaching staff, segregation, and sometimes herself to win at the business of the game she loves most of all. She doesn’t worry about what it will cost her, even if it’s everything. Effa Loves Baseball is about the first woman inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Written by and Starring Kathryn Grody
Directed by Timothy Near
A Radical, Rollicking Rumination on the Optimism of Staying Alive
Xian Zhang conductor
George Li piano
New Jersey Symphony
Celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with an inspiring musical journey that honors the many cultures that have shaped our nation. Under the baton of Helen H. Cha-Pyo, the New Jersey Youth Symphony joins acclaimed guest artists, dancers, and musicians from diverse traditions to explore themes of heritage, identity, and unity through vibrant works by Leonard Bernstein, Raúl Abbad, John Barnes Chance, Edmar Castañeda, Reena Esmail, and Charles Ives.
Wharton Arts is pleased to present Plainfield Symphony Orchestra for a festive celebration of America250, featuring beloved American classics and works.
Experience the timeless beauty of Swan Lake, a classic story ballet with breathtaking choreography, unforgettable music, and incredible dancing that will transport you to an enchanted world. Set to Tchaikovsky's iconic score, Swan Lake tells the tale of Odette, a princess trapped by an evil curse to live her life as a swan. Drama unfolds when Prince Siegfried pursues Odette in an attempt to win her love and break the spell.
Inspired by the twisted genius of Roald Dahl, the Tony Award-winning Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical is the captivating masterpiece from the Royal Shakespeare anarchy of childhood, the power of imagination and the inspiring story of a girl who dreams of a better life.
(PARK RIDGE, NJ) -- Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco, III and the Board of Commissioners invite the public to the final Music at the Barn concert for the 2026 season on Sunday, October 25, from 1:00pm – 3:30pm at the Wortendyke Barn Museum, a County Historic Site, in Park Ridge.
(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- The Asbury Park Music Foundation presents Strike-A-Chord 2 on Sunday, October 25, 2026 at Asbury Lanes. The event, headlined by Marc Ribler & Friends, brings together established artists, local favorites, emerging musicians and student performers... all sharing one stage to support music education for underserved youth. Showtime is 12:00pm.
(NEWARK, NJ) -- After more than five decades of arena-shaking performances, era-defining hits, and one of the most enduring catalogs in rock history, Journey brings their massive Final Frontier Tour to the Prudential Center on Sunday, October 25, 2026 at 7:30pm.
(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- The Stone Pony presents An Evening with Melvin Seals & JGB on Sunday, October 25, 2026 at 7:00pm. Melvin Seals is a powerhouse Hammond B-3 organist, producer and arranger whose sound has become inseparable from the spirit of the jam band world
