Involvement in New Jersey Youth Symphony, a program of Wharton Arts in Union County, is not just about honing musical technique, it’s also about developing life skills. On Sunday, May 5th, the organization will celebrate its success with students and alumni at the NJ Youth Symphony 45th Anniversary Concert. As a special treat, founding Music Director/Conductor (and current Founder/Artistic Director of the Discovery Orchestra) George Marriner Maull will be back for the first time to guest conduct part of the concert.

We spoke with Maull and and Wharton Arts Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Helen Cha-Pyo about the New Jersey Youth Symphony’s history, arts education philosophy, and upcoming anniversary concert.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Musical theater nerds can rejoice, George Street Playhouse is bringing back “Tick Tick… BOOM!,” the posthumously produced musical by Jonathan Larson, best known for having written the widely known rock opera, “Rent.”

George Street Playhouse Artistic Director, David Saint, was a close friend of Jonathan Larson. And to honor his friend, almost 30 years since his passing, Saint is directing a new production of “Tick Tick… BOOM!”

If you loved the film but have never seen the show on stage, now's your chance! And if you've been a fan for years, you can celebrate another opportunity to enjoy the life and music of Jonathan Larson in person.

Jersey Arts speaks with Director David Saint and star of the show, Daniel Marconi (Jonathan) to learn about the history, joy, and tragedy that led to the “Tick Tick… Boom!” we know today.

Rutgers students are eligible for a special ticket discount which can be retrieved by calling the George Street Playhouse box office at 732-246-7717.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Composer David Newman is part of the most Oscar-nominated extended family of all time. He has scored more than 100 films including the 1997 animated classic "Anastasia," for which he received his Academy Award nomination (not to mention "The Brave Little Toaster," "The Sandlot," "Never Been Kissed," "Ice Age"...)

The 1996 film adaptation of Roald Dahl's "Matilda" is one of several collaborations between Newman and New Jersey's own Danny DeVito, and on March 22nd, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra will present "Matilda" live in concert conducted by Newman with live narration by DeVito.

David Newman talked with the Jersey Arts Podcast about scoring films like "Matilda," his legendary family, and preserving film music for future generations.

For more information on "Matilda" in concert, please visit STNJ.org.

This interview has been edited for time and clarity.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

“I know that the most joy in my life has come to me from my violin” - Albert Einstein

As their website reads, “The Harlem Chamber Players is an ethnically diverse collective of professional classical musicians dedicated to bringing high-caliber, affordable, accessible live music to people in the Harlem community and beyond. The Harlem Chamber Players help build diverse audiences for live classical music through community and educational outreach and collaborations with other arts organizations, schools and cultural institutions. The Harlem Chamber Players also promote community wide access to the arts and arts inclusion.”

And in honor of Women’s History Month, their program “100 Years of Women Composers” will grace the stage of "Music at Bunker Hill" in Sewell on March 17th.

In advance of this performance, Jersey Arts spoke with violinist Claire Chan, a member of their String Quartet.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Paul J. Stankard is an internationally acclaimed artist and pioneer in the studio glass movement. His lifelike, nature-based glassworks have changed the paperweight world over his forty-year artistic career. Having begun his career working in scientific glassblowing, it was through this industry that he found creativity and learned that he was indeed an artist.

He is now the subject of a new documentary by Director Dan Collins, “Paul J. Stankard: Flower & Flame” set to screen at the Perkins Center for the Arts in Collingswood on February 24, 2024.

Jersey Arts speaks to Paul J. Stankard and Dan Collins about their new film and the work it takes to create both glass and film.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Over a decade ago, a Korean musical genre known as KPop rose in popularity amongst US audiences. We can probably thank Psy and his song "Gangnam Style" for that. But there is so much more to Korean music than KPop! And U.S. audiences are in for a treat when they discover CelloGayageum.

The group, founded by Austrian cellist, Sol Daniel Kim, and gayageum player, Dayoung Yoon will be introducing U.S. audiences to their unique sound with their first North American tour. In celebration of the lunar new year, Cellogayageum will pursue their mission to create a harmony of East and West. For music enthusiasts, this is where classical music meets Korean tradition.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

A nonbinary hero himself, Jonathan van Ness rose to fame as the hairstylist to heroes, the name Netflix’s “Queer Eye” reboot gives to its episodic guests. But Jonathan’s been an artist long before “Queer Eye.” Beyond the artistry required in his work as a stylist, Jonathan has been on stage as a comedian for years. His web series “Gay of Thrones,” a weekly comedic recap of HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” where he starred as none other than an opinionated hairstylist, was a hit for Funny or Die. He is also the host of his very own podcast, “Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness.” And in addition to all of that, he is also a New York Times Best Selling author.

Jersey Arts and JVN talk hair, gender identity and more in advance of his upcoming standup comedy special, “Fun & Slutty” at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

As his bio reads, Brian Noonan “has starred on Broadway and National Touring Companies as The Phantom in Phantom of the Opera, Enjolras in Les Miserables, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in Jekyll & Hyde, Cable in South Pacific with the legendary Robert Goulet, Gus/Growltiger in

Cats, and Jesus Christ Superstar. As an international concert soloist, Mr. Noonan

has performed for a myriad of Presidents and world dignitaries.”

He is now the founder and managing director of the The Jersey Tenors, the newest Opera/Rock Mash-up sensation. The Tenors create an explosive blend of iconic Opera classics alongside Rock n’ Roll greats like Queen, Elton John, and Bon Jovi- to name a few. But they never forget their Jersey roots, highlighting Jersey legends like Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons of course, Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen and even Ms. Whitney Houston herself.

Jersey Arts speaks with Brian Noonan about what it takes to be a Jersey Tenor ahead of their Bubbly Bash at the Surflight Theater on New Year’s Eve.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Ana Gasteyer is headed to Kean Stage on December 17th with a concert tour in support of her 2019 holiday album, Sugar and Booze. The Saturday Night Live alum and classically-trained singer has numerous Broadway shows, films, and TV credits under her belt–most recently starring in NBC’s American Auto. Gasteyer chats about her upcoming concert, Broadway, SNL, her high school musical, and what’s still ahead on her "to-do" list.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Duke Ellington was a jazz composer and bandleader in the early 1900s. He is quite possibly one of the greatest jazz composers of all time. Written alongside collaborator, Billy Strayhorn, "The Nutcracker Suite" is a jazz reimagining of Tchaikovsky’s" Nutcracker Suite."

The Water Gap Jazz Orchestra will be performing Ellington’s rendition alongside the new "Grinch Suite," written by WGJO director, Dr. Matt Vashlishan.

Featuring Ellington’s own grandson, Mr. Edward Ellington II, as narrator and Mrs. Nancy Reed as vocalist, the performance stands to be an excellent way to ring in the holiday season.

Jersey Arts speaks to Nancy Reed about her experience working with the orchestra as well as her own history with jazz.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Eileen Ivers has been called “the Jimi Hendrix of the violin,” as reported by the New York Times. A master of the violin, which is also known to be a fiddle, dependent on the way in which it is played, Ivers is known to be the pre-eminent exponent of the Irish fiddle in the world today.

Grammy-awarded and Emmy-nominated, Ivers has guest starred with over 50 orchestras, toured with the likes of Sting, Hall and Oates, and The Chieftains, founded her own group called Cherish the Ladies, composed for movie soundtracks like “Gangs of New York,” and performed for Presidents and Royalty worldwide.

Today, Jersey Arts speaks with Eileen Ivers in advance of her upcoming Christmas show, "A Joyful Christmas" at the Raritan Valley Community College on December 15, 2023.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Charlie Brown, created by Charles M. Schulz first appeared in 1950 in the St Paul Pioneer Press. Over 70 years later, Charlie Brown and his friends are still entertaining audiences.

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" was the first television program based on Schulz’ comic strip and it aired in 1965. Since then, the beloved Christmas classic has been adapted for the stage with much acclaim. "A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live on Stage" has been delighting Peanuts fans since 2013.

The touring production will soon be stopping at the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown, NJ for a one day, two performance run. 

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Pioneer Productions Company is dedicated to sharing the collective human story through live theatrical performance by producing shows that are relevant to our time and inspiring audiences to attend live theatre.

And it serves their mission well that their upcoming show is Neil Simon’s “Lost in Yonkers.” Though set in 1942, the play echoes the troubles of our modern world and speaks to audiences through the eyes of a dysfunctional albeit entertaining New York family.

The play boasts the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for Drama along with four Drama Desk Awards and another four Tonys including Best Play. Focusing on two young boys, after the death of their mother, who are abruptly left with their forbidding grandmother and their young aunt with an intellectual disability, the play shows audiences a glimpse of one family’s difficult life in NY during the WWII era. Bringing both humor and heart to a troublesome time.

Jersey Arts speaks with Pioneer Productions Company Founder and “Lost in Yonkers” Director, Dan Vissers and his cast, Heidi Molnar and Noah Shidlovsky about their upcoming production.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

It’s officially Spooky Season and quite possibly, the best season for a night of debauchery with "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" 48th Anniversary Spectacular Tour. On October 25th at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, NJ, Rocky Horror fans will be treated to a screening of the original unedited film alongside a live shadowcast. Audience participation is encouraged and expected.

Patricia Quinn, the film’s very own Magenta, will be in attendance as well with special VIP Meet & Greets available. 

Jersey Arts speaks with Patricia about Rocky Horror and their journey from stage to screen as we celebrate 48 years of this cult classic film.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Gloria Gaynor is best known as the queen of disco with her mega-hit dance anthem, “I Will Survive,” but this Jersey girl has never stopped taking risks and building on her success.
 
JerseyArts chats with the music legend about growing up in New Jersey, how she got her big break, the legacy of disco, her new “Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive” documentary, and her Sept. 16 concert at bergenPAC.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

"Satellites" will make its world premiere this July at the aptly named Premiere Stages at Kean University. Having previously won the 2022 Premiere Play Festival, the show penned by Erin Breznitsky will celebrate its first full stage production under the direction of Premiere Stages' Artistic Director, John J. Wooten.

"Satellites" orbits around married couple Katherine & Mike who are each on a mission to save the world. She's a scientist studying climate change; he's an astronaut exploring the unknown. When Mike's shuttle vanishes in outer space, Katherine forges ahead alone, raising their children and continuing her life's work until Mike suddenly reappears without explanation. As the couple struggles to adjust to his strange return, they're forced to reexamine their entire relationship—while also facing an uncertain future. 

Jersey Arts speaks with playwright Erin Breznitsky and director John J. Wooten on their first day of rehearsal.

LINKS
Premiere Stages at Kean
Erin Breznitsky

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

On The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's Outdoor Stage arrives an epic play with an equally epic title: "Shipwrecked! An Entertainment—The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself)."

Louis de Rougemont was the pen name for real-life raconteur Henri Louis Grin, who sold serialized stories of his imagined adventures to the British World Wide Magazine in the late 1800s. After he was exposed as a fraud, The World Wide Magazine went on to publish the quote: “Truth is stranger than fiction, but De Rougemont is stranger than both."

In 2009, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Donald Marguiles took the tales and re-imagined the 19th Century language and cultural awareness for a modern audience. His version of Louis de Rougemont is therefore a fictionalization of a fictionalization – an excited adventurer who recounts his fantastical journeys of sword fights, flying wombats, and a giant octopus for audiences eager to go along for the ride.

Jersey Arts speaks with actor Bruce Cromer, who plays the title character, and Doug West, director/co-scenic designer.

LINKS
Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

You may know Billy Bob Thornton as an Oscar-winning writer, Oscar-nominated actor, and award-winning director, or maybe you simply know him as "Bad Santa,” but did you know he is also an accomplished singer and songwriter? 

Along with his friend J.D Andrew, Billy founded the rock and roll group, The Boxmasters. The Boxmasters have recorded an impressive and diverse catalog of music that touches on their love of a wide array of influences, but most importantly, the rock and roll of the 1960s. Their tour will soon bring them to New Jersey where audiences can enjoy the up-tempo tunes reminiscent of The Beatles, Byrds, and Beach Boys.

Having opened for the likes of ZZ Top, Steve Miller, George Thorogood and Kid Rock, The Boxmasters have proven to win over large audiences.

Jersey Arts is joined by Billy Bob Thornton and J.D. Andrew, who are currently on a cross-country tour of the US promoting their latest album, '69. 

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

As the birthplace of baseball, Hoboken is the perfect New Jersey city to celebrate our national pastime; and Mile Square Theatre, the perfect venue.

Annually, the Hoboken theater commissions seven playwrights to each write a 10-minute play involving the American game. This 19th year of “7th Inning Stretch” runs June 16th and 17th. The sentiment of the plays rounds the bases from heartwarming to hysterical; realistic to absurd. 

Jersey Arts speaks to Mile Square Theatre’s Artistic Director, Kevin R. Free, and two of this year’s “7th Inning Stretch” playwrights, Michelle Tyrene Johnson and Tim J. Lord.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The historic James Howe House was home to a formerly enslaved man, abolitionist and Montclair's first African American homeowner. Thanks to a large-scale collaboration between historians, preservationists, artists, and the teams at Luna Stage and Crossroads Theatre Company, the story of Howe House over the last nearly 200 years will be told through the upcoming play "The Ground on Which We Stand." 

Luna Stage artistic director Ari Laura Kreith and award-winning playwright and screenwriter Richard Wesley join JerseyArts to discuss this period of Black history in New Jersey as told through the lens of the historic Howe House.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Laura Ekstrand is the Producing Artistic Director of Vivid Stage in Summit, New Jersey, as well as its next leading lady. Starring in 101 Humiliating Stories by Lisa Kron, she will headline the first performance of Vivid Stage's Solo Series from April 13 to 16.

"In this one-woman show, the actor shares a series of humiliations past, present and future, including exquisitely detailed anecdotes like "Geeky Celebrity Encounters" and "How I Spent All the Petty Cash From My Office on Makeup." An invitation to perform at her high school reunion in Lansing, Michigan, triggers another series of anxiety-filled fantasies. How will she, a lesbian East Village performance artist, cope with her Midwestern classmates? 101 Humiliating Stories is evocative, moving and overall hilarious."

Jersey Arts speaks with Ekstrand about the relatable humor of 101 Humiliating Stories and learns more about what programming and opportunities Vivid Stage has to offer.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

During her tenure as President of The Washington Post, Katharine Graham published the Pentagon Papers, ran the Watergate story and served as the first female CEO of a Fortune 500 company, but her journey to career success was a traumatic one.

Robin Gerber’s play The Shot, coming to New Jersey Repertory Company April 6-23, reveals the harrowing events that led to Graham taking the helm, including a history of domestic abuse and her husband’s suicide.

Host Maddie Orton speaks with playwright Robin Gerber, director/dramaturg Michelle Joyner, and star Sharon Lawrence (Joe Pickett, On Becoming a God in Central Florida, NYPD Blue, Grey’s Anatomy) about creating The Shot.

Please note, this conversation includes a discussion of partner abuse and suicide, so listen with care.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

This year’s Garden State Film Festival kicks off Thursday, March 23, and will be serving up a four-day weekend of more independent films and one-of-a-kind events than even the most die-hard moviegoer could take in.

Since the first festival in 2003, GSFF has provided opportunities for aspiring filmmakers and actors to network with industry pros and have their work showcased in one of the country’s most iconic cities – New Jersey’s Asbury Park.

Five venues there, the Jersey Shore Arts Center in Ocean Grove and the Cranford Theater will host a weekend of films.

Jersey Arts recently spoke with Garden State Film Festival’s Executive Director Lauren Concar, festival founder Diane Raver, Associate Director of the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission David Schoner, Director of Communications for New Jersey Public Broadcasting Service Debra Falk, feature screenplay winner Kelly Byrne, and festival host Sophia Lucia about what to expect this year.

LINKS
Garden State Film Festival

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

“When teenager Percy Jackson discovers he’s a demigod, he and his friends embark on an epic journey to find Zeus’s missing lightning bolt and prevent a war among the gods.” 

That is the synopsis for “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical,” produced by The Growing Stage, The Children’s Theatre of New Jersey, in Netcong March 10-26, 2023. 

The Growing Stage’s mission is to nurture the development of the performing arts through education, and to create, produce and perform works that engage the entire family.

Based on the novel by Rick Riordan, with a book by Joe Tracz and music and lyrics by Rob Rokicki, this rock musical is theater for the whole family to enjoy. 

Jersey Arts speaks with “The Lightning Thief” vocal coach Melinda Bass O’Neill and actress Jeorgi Smith as they prepare to launch this production by The Growing Stage.

LINKS
The Growing Stage

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Bradley Gibson (“A Bronx Tale,” “The Lion King,” “The Partner Track”) has big sandals to fill as the titular role in “Disney’s Hercules,” but if anyone’s ready to play the lovable demigod, it’s him. As a child, Bradley was a huge fan of the 1997 animated Disney movie, and taking on the character has helped him find new meaning in, and love for, the story. Gibson leads a star-studded cast at Paper Mill Playhouse from Feb. 16 -March 19. He chats with Jersey Arts about his love for the 1997 film, developing a well-known animated character for the stage, and what it feels like to star in a Disney production.

LINKS
Paper Mill Playhouse

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.