Israeli superstar David Broza together with Cuban dynamo Trio Havana will finally return to the South Orange Performing Art Center on Sept. 17. David Broza has been enlivening audiences with his flamenco-infused stylings of a diverse body of work — from rock to jazz to Spanish classical and more — for nearly 45 years. For promoting tolerance with his music, Broza was named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and awarded a Spanish royal medal of honor. Trio Havana is comprised of bassist and musical dir...
Aug 18, 2022•30 min
Earlier this week, composer, performer, educator, activist, and New Jersey Symphony Resident Artistic Catalyst Daniel Bernard Roumain brought jazz and jazz-inspired classical music to the Newark Museum of Art’s Summer Series along with a co-host, Grammy Award-winning clarinetist and saxophonist Paquito D’Rivera, and the New Jersey Symphony Chamber Players. Roumain has worked with Lady Gaga, Philip Glass, Savion Glover, Bill T. Jones, and many more. He won an Emmy for composing music for ESPN, an...
Aug 05, 2022•20 min
Next Friday, June 24, the team behind the hit podcast series Welcome to Night Vale brings its live show, “The Haunting of Night Vale,” to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, New Jersey. ***EDITOR’S NOTE: The performance at NJPAC has been rescheduled to Fri, 04/21/23 at 7:00 p.m. *** According to The New York Times , “the news out of Night Vale sounds like what might occur if Stephen King or David Lynch was a guest producer at your local Public Radio Station.” The arts and culture ma...
Jun 17, 2022•18 min
This Saturday, May 21, theatergoers are invited to join ArtYard in Frenchtown for a reading of Whittier , a new docudrama by TyLie Shider. Whittier is a neighborhood in Minneapolis close to where the murder of George Floyd took place. Shider’s new play follows residents of Whittier grappling with that tragedy, as well as the stresses of life during the lockdown of 2020. A playwright, poet, and journalist, TyLie Shider is also the inaugural playwright in ArtYard’s artist residency program, curate...
May 16, 2022•15 min
You could say that Sarah Rasmussen, McCarter Theatre's new Artistic Director has been training for this role since the 7th grade. From auditioning kids in the backyard of her South Dakota home to presenting her artistry on major stages across the country, Sarah has maintained her sense of playfulness with the art form. Now her McCarter directorial debut, "Ride the Cyclone", combines that whimsy with music, stunning design, and a perfect story for this moment in time. The show begins preview perf...
Apr 29, 2022•21 min
This Saturday at the Hunterdon Art Museum, visitors are invited to a unique experience that brings together the visual and performing arts. Roxey Ballet Company has teamed up with artist Malcolm Mobutu Smith – whose exhibition Evermore Nevermore closes this weekend – and have created an exclusive 45-minute showcase that will be presented outdoors on the Toshiko Takaezu Terrace, overlooking the museum’s iconic view of the Raritan River. (This event is free, but please register to attend.) We rece...
Apr 21, 2022•14 min
On Wednesday, April 13, Vox Sambou and his band will take the stage at the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts . He writes and performs in Haitian, French, English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and his music focuses on the traditional rhythms of Haiti mixed with elements of Afrobeat, Jazz, Reggae, and Hip hop. Vox Sambou is currently - and it seems usually - touring the world. We spoke with him shortly after he arrived in the US after a visit with family in Haiti. LINKS Jay and Linda Grunin Cen...
Apr 08, 2022•16 min
On Thursday, February 10, powerhouse vocalist Ms. Lisa Fischer will perform An Evening of Love Songs at South Orange Performing Arts Center. The legendary singer has performed with the Rolling Stones, Luther Vandross, Tina Turner, YoYo Ma, Bruce Springsteen, and many others, and is a Grammy-winning solo artist. We recently spoke with Fischer about her special Valentine’s Day concert, what it’s like to be one the most in-demand singers in the world, and how she creates “music that heals, but stil...
Feb 10, 2022•17 min
The musical RENT changed theatre — taking home four Tony Awards and creating generations of super-fans. Believe it or not, it’s been 25 years since the show hit Broadway, and New Jersey's own Javon King plays Angel in RENT ’s 25th Anniversary Farewell Tour. A Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Award-winner and Rider University alum, King is happy to be back in the Garden State performing at Mayo Performing Arts Center January 21-23. LINKS: RENT at Mayo Performing Arts C enter Stay connected to you...
Jan 21, 2022•26 min
This past September, Roxey Ballet Company’s studios, offices, and theatre in the river town of Lambertville were totally destroyed by Hurricane Ida. This coming Sunday, December 19, they’re throwing a big fundraiser - Rise Up and Rebuild the Ballet - at their temporary home, the New Hope Eagle Fire Hall, right across the river from their New Jersey facilities. There will be food, drink, and a lot of dancing. We recently got the opportunity to sit down with company founder Mark Roxey to talk abou...
Dec 16, 2021•22 min
This Saturday, October 30, 2021, the hit public radio and podcast series Selected Shorts returns to Enlow Recital Hall at Kean University for an evening of beguiling tales for the Halloween season. One of the three readers is actor, writer, and creator of the new PBS Kids show “Alma’s Way,” Sonia Manzano, who is famous for her iconic, long-time role as Maria on “Sesame Street.” We recently got the chance to speak with Sonia Manzano about her time with “Sesame Street,” creating her own children’s...
Oct 27, 2021•13 min
Maggie Gyllenal, Dionne Warwick, and Stephen Colbert are among the many artists and filmmakers participating in this year's Montclair Film Festival, which opened October 21 and runs through October 30. Festival founder and Board Chair Bob Feinberg, Board of Trustees President Evie McGee Colbert, and New Jersey-based filmmaker Scott Morris share what they are most looking forward to as the festival kicks off its 10th anniversary season. Feinberg, Colbert, and Morris chat with host Maddie Orton ab...
Oct 22, 2021•23 min
On Saturday, September 18, four young playwrights will present their new plays at The Growing Stage — The Children’s Theatre of New Jersey. Ranging in age from 12 to 18, they are the finalists in The Growing Stage’s inaugural Playwriting Festival for Young Writers. Listen in as we speak to the blossoming writers and the creative team behind the festival. Thanks for listening! Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player. The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature St...
Sep 16, 2021•16 min
Adam Pascal was a rock ‘n’ roll musician who had no theatrical credits when he landed the role of Roger in RENT —a show that would garner him a Tony nomination and forever change the sound of Broadway. Now, Pascal shares his journey through the shows he’s performed along the way— Aida , Cabaret , Memphis , Chicago , and more. His solo acoustic concert, “So Far,” is coming to the Arthur Pryor Bandshell in Asbury Park on July 28th and BellWorks in Holmdel on July 29th as part of Axelrod Performing...
Jul 22, 2021•31 min
The 2021 NJ Governor's Awards in Arts Education kicks off on Saturday, May 22. In this episode, we speak to two past winners, two of this year's awardees, and more about the impact of these annual awards. 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...
May 21, 2021•23 min
LINKS: "The Playbill Gallery (a love story)" at Mile Square Theatre New Jersey Theatre Alliance's Stages 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...
May 13, 2021•21 min
The 2021 GRAMMY Awards are this weekend, and, for the first time, a Westminster grad participated in each of the five recordings nominated in the Best Choral Performance category. We recently spoke with five of the artists in that category about the nominated recordings. 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...
Mar 12, 2021•33 min
We recently spoke with the family behind George Street Playhouse’s latest offering – "Bad Dates" – a one-woman show starring Broadway’s Andréa Burns, directed by her husband Peter Flynn, with cinematography by their son Hudson Flynn. The comedy, written by Theresa Rebeck, follows a single mom on the hunt for cute shoes, the perfect dress, and a romantic table for two at a great restaurant. Thanks for listening! Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player. The Jersey Arts...
Feb 23, 2021•23 min
The Buskaid Soweto String Ensemble was planning an in-person visit to the Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) when the pandemic hit. Their visit is temporarily on hold, but Buskaid - A Musical Miracle: Brilliant Baroque to Cool Kwela! is a series of five on-demand concerts providing a wonderful introduction to this inspiring musical group. Jersey Arts producer Susan Wallner talks to Marc Uys, the executive director of the PSO (and a South African native), and to Julian Grant, a composer and Princ...
Jan 28, 2021•18 min
The Buskaid Soweto String Ensemble was planning an in-person visit to the Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) when the pandemic hit. Their visit is temporarily on hold, but Buskaid - A Musical Miracle: Brilliant Baroque to Cool Kwela! is a series of five on-demand concerts providing a wonderful introduction to this inspiring musical group. Jersey Arts producer Susan Wallner talks to Marc Uys, the executive director of the PSO (and a South African native), and to Julian Grant, a composer and Princ...
Jan 27, 2021•18 min
Since 1958, "Christmas in Carol and Song" has been an annual tradition at Rutgers University’s historic Kirkpatrick Chapel in New Brunswick. Patrick Gardner, distinguished professor of music and director of choral activities at the Mason Gross School of the Arts, has led the Rutgers Kirkpatrick Choir and the Rutgers University Glee Club for more than 25 years. With the help of both choirs recording from home throughout the country, visual artists Camilla Tassi and Stephanie Tubiolo, and a Mason ...
Dec 10, 2020•18 min
Ada Trillo is a bilingual documentary photographer who grew up–literally–crossing the border. Born in El Paso, her family moved to Juárez when she was young, but she attended school in Texas, which meant an hours-long commute over the border every day. Trillo went on to become a painter, but Donald Trump’s hateful comments about Mexicans caused her to make a radical shift. The Noyes Museum’s Kramer Gallery in Hammonton, NJ, is now showing a selection of Trillo’s portraits in the exhibition “If W...
Nov 10, 2020•18 min
We recently spoke with Fort Lee, New Jersey native David Meyers, who left the world of Washington, DC politics behind to pursue a career as an actor, playwright, and screenwriter. In between projects for the stage and screen, he co-created the comedic web series Bloomywood, in which he stars as Hollywood hopeful Michael Bloomstein. 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 Jerse...
Oct 21, 2020•14 min
Given Circumstance: New Plays in the Virtual World is an ambitious project from Mile Square Theatre: seven new plays written specifically for the Zoom format. The first, “Sitting and Talking” by Lia Romeo, stars Wendie Malick (“Just Shoot Me!”) and Dan Lauria (“The Wonder Years”). 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 ...
Sep 16, 2020•16 min
The Hudson Theatre Works Virtual Festival kicked off earlier this month, and, so far, there’s no end in sight. The Festival is currently presenting readings of new short plays by contemporary playwrights, giving them and the actors involved an opportunity to share their work during the COVID-19 pandemic. 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) , wh...
Aug 20, 2020•5 min
“The show must go on!” is part of Bonnie Monte’s DNA. As the artistic director of the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey for 30 years this season, shutting down was hard for her to do. But Monte found a way out, working with a group of eight actors originally employed as part of the theatre’s “Shakespeare Live!” company. The actors formed a new troupe (the Shrewd Mechanicals, in a nod to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”), and will present two evenings of classic comedies: “Verily, Madly Thine,” and a ...
Aug 03, 2020•16 min
Last month, the New Jersey Governor’s Awards in Arts Education celebrated its 40th year. Established in 1980, the program was created to promote awareness and appreciation for the arts by honoring individual students, and to honor education leaders who have demonstrated excellence in, and dedication to, arts education. Usually held in May at the historic Patriots Theater at the War Memorial in Trenton, this year’s awards ceremony, like so many other arts events, moved online – and took place in ...
Jul 09, 2020•20 min
Art House Productions was founded after 9/11 to bring Jersey City’s community together through the arts. They’ve thrived over the years, with live theatre, dance, and comedy events, and more. The coronavirus has made them return to their roots of providing connection for the community, this time through live virtual events. Executive director Meredith Burns talks to producer Susan Wallner about Virtual Drag Bingo, Virtual Story Slam, Saturday Night Online Comedy, and more. Thanks for listening! ...
May 21, 2020•17 min
While we’re all staying at home to do our part to stop the coronavirus, everyone’s developing different media diets, and that includes the art we’re choosing to enrich our days in isolation. For this podcast, we’re focusing on some of the new music that’s being made available online. We got on the phone with the folks behind the online content programming for four New Jersey arts organizations – New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s Dave Rodriguez, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra’s Patrick Chamberla...
Apr 29, 2020•16 min
Songwriters by the Sea started in Asbury Park at a coffee shop in 2008, with a tip jar passed around. Since then it’s grown to a ticketed event, but with an informal vibe. Top name performers play alongside local favorites. It was founded by singer/songwriters Joe D’Urso and Joe Rapolla. Rapolla is also a former music industry executive, and the chair of Monmouth University’s Music & Theatre Arts Department. Producer Susan Wallner spoke to Joe Rapolla about the history of this ongoing series...
Mar 25, 2020•12 min
