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]
Senior citizens (55+) are invited to join area teachers and their students for a free play reading of select scenes from “To Kill a Mockingbird”, Christopher Sergel’s adaption of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel.
Hablando Huevadas, the viral video podcast that became a Hispanic comedy phenomenon on YouTube, returns to the U.S. this fall. Ricardo Mendoza and Jorge Luna are hitting the road again following their historic 2024 tour where they became the first Spanish-speaking comedians to sell out Madison Square Garden.
The historic tradition of mariachi music has its roots of origin in cities such as Guadalajara and Mexico City. As the ever-evolving genre’s influence spread, it reached Chicago and birthed Mariachi Herencia de México. The 2x Latin GRAMMY®-nominated band has issued six chart-topping albums and has performed all across the North American continent paving the way for a new generation of mariachi musicians.
Embark on a breathtaking musical journey through the heart of the Romantic era at Enlow Recital Hall. Join Kean faculty artists Alexander Bui (piano) and Rachel Carlson (soprano), alongside distinguished guest artists Gregory Stout (piano), Dylan Hamme (violin), and Elisabeth Chang (cello), for a passionate evening of instrumental mastery. Experience virtuoso piano solos by Chopin and Liszt alongside enchanting art songs by Hahn. The evening also features the rare brilliance of two magnificent 9-foot Steinway & Sons and Fazioli concert grand pianos sharing the stage as dynamic piano duos deliver a thrilling suite of dances by Arensky, Rachmaninoff, Brahms, and Piazzolla, before culminating in Mendelssohn’s spectacular, dramatic piano trio.
The current cast members of the Emmy®-nominated TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway? are proud to present their new improv tour: WHOSE LIVE ANYWAY?
Written by and Starring Kathryn Grody
Directed by Timothy Near
A Radical, Rollicking Rumination on the Optimism of Staying Alive
Hablando Huevadas, the viral video podcast that became a Hispanic comedy phenomenon on YouTube, returns to the U.S. this fall. Ricardo Mendoza and Jorge Luna are hitting the road again following their historic 2024 tour where they became the first Spanish-speaking comedians to sell out Madison Square Garden.
Born in Mozambique and raised in Mouraria, one of Lisbon’s most historic neighborhoods, Mariza grew up surrounded by the voices, guitars, and traditions of fado. From an early age, she embraced that legacy and transformed it into a universal language, becoming the most acclaimed Portuguese artist in the world.
The music lives on.
Written by and Starring Kathryn Grody
Directed by Timothy Near
A Radical, Rollicking Rumination on the Optimism of Staying Alive
(NEW YORK, NY) -- The third annual Circle Theater Festival in a three-week limited engagement at AMT Theatre. Performances begin Monday, October 26 and continue through Sunday, November 15. The festival reaffirms its commitment to raw, immediate storytelling without commercial dilution.
(AVENEL, NJ) -- Singer-songwriter Reagan Richards of the Asbury Park country duo, Williams Honor, stars in her own solo show, "Good Morning, Heartache" : Torch Songs and Timeless Standards from the Great American Songbook on Wednesday, October 28, 2026 at Avenel Performing Arts Center. Showtime is 7:30pm.
(UNION, NJ) -- New York Times bestselling author Isabel Klee will discuss her journey as a writer and animal welfare advocate at Kean University on Thursday, October 29, 2026, as part of the President's Distinguished Lecture Series. The event, which is open to the public, will offer insights into the connections between compassion, community engagement and storytelling. The event begins at 4:30pm.
(ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) -- For the first time, Atlantic City Ballet's Dracula comes to Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on Thursday, October 29, 2026 at Sound Waves. The performance welcomes audiences ages five and older for a wickedly unforgettable start to Halloween weekend. Guests are invited to dress up and enter the costume contest, with prizes awarded at the show. Showtime is 7:00pm.
(PHILADELPHIA, PA) -- Philadelphia-based Arden Theatre Company continues its 2026/27 Mainstage Season with Suzan-Lori Parks' Pulitzer Prize- winning play Topdog/Underdog, a gripping two-person drama exploring brotherhood, rivalry, survival, and the ties that bind families together. Directed by three-time Barrymore Award-winning artist Amina Robinson and co-produced with People's Light, Topdog/Underdog starts its run on the Arden's Arcadia stage on October 29, with opening night on November 4, and performances running through December 13, 2026.
