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BlowUpRadio.com's New & Notable NJ Music 4/6/26

by Lazlo

Lazlo, founder of BlowUpRadio.com (an online radio station based around New Jersey artists), shines a light on some of the many new releases from NJ based musicians each week with this column. This week Lazlo takes a look at new releases by Ali Zanders, Sam Tunkel, Brian Westervelt, Jay Ingstrup, A Halo Called Fred, Damfino, Regency Club, and Night Windows. Plus a look back at "This American Life" by Diego Allessandro.



 

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MPAC presents The String Queens on April 24th

(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Praised for its authentic, soulful, and orchestral sound, The String Queens (TSQ) is a dynamic trio that creates stimulating musical experiences that inspire diverse audiences to love, hope, feel, and imagine! The String Queens come to Mayo Performing Arts Center, Friday, April 24, 2026 at 8:00pm.



Be Amazed by the Golden Age of Radio at the Toms River Branch of the Ocean County Library

(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- Return to the era when families gathered around the wireless set for "theater of the imagination." The Toms River Branch of the Ocean County Library will host a live presentation by WREP: When Radio Entertained People on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 from 7:00pm to 8:30pm. A trivia game will take place before the show at 6:30pm. The performance will begin at 7:00pm. Join them for an evening "broadcast" of skits from the Golden Age of radio, performed live by WREP's veteran actors.



Prudential Center presents Sergio George: Festival "Ataca Sergo"

(NEWARK, NJ) -- Following the resounding success and unforgettable energy experienced at the Kaseya Center, renowned producer, musician, and visionary Sergio George raises the bar once again, taking his Festival ¡Ataca Sergio! to the next level. This time, the concept returns as a birthday celebration set for Saturday, May 30, 2026 at the iconic Prudential Center in Newark. Showtime is 8:00pm.



Sold-Out Cabaret Returns: The Light Between – A Modern Cabaret Comes to Lincroft on April 25th

(LINCROFT, NJ) -- After selling out 200 seats in just days, The Light Between – A Modern Cabaret returns for a special encore performance Saturday, April 25, 2026 at The Earth Room at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Monmouth County. Created and performed by PJ Casbar and Tom McCormack, the show blends original music, musical-theater favorites, and modern pop into a character-driven cabaret evening that moves between humor, storytelling, and moments of theatrical surprise. Showtime is 7:30pm.



Theatre Horizon presents "Ain't Misbehavin'" - The Fats Waller Musical Show

(NORRISTOWN, PA) -- Theatre Horizon the award-winning professional theater nestled in Norristown's Arts Hill District, presents Ain't Misbehavin', The Fats Waller Musical Show, the Tony Award-winning production. The production is directed by Amina Robinson, a three-time Barrymore Award winner who returns to Theatre Horizon for the first time since winning for Outstanding Direction of a Musical for The Color Purple in 2018. Ain't Misbehavin' runs from April 29 through May 17, 2026.



Ballet Arts and Adelphi Orchestra Present Coppélia for Ballet Arts' 50th Anniversary Season

(RIVER EDGE, NJ) -- Ballet Arts marks its 50th anniversary season this spring with a joyful new production of Coppélia, presented in collaboration with the Adelphi Orchestra. Performances will take place May 2 and 3, 2026, at River Dell High School in Oradell, featuring live orchestral accompaniment, guest artists, and a multigenerational cast of local dancers and students.



Noyes Arts Garage Exhibits Highlight College Students' Work and Contributions of Immigrants and Migrant Laborers

(ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) -- The Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University presents "Monuments to Migration and Labor" and "Emerging Visions: Southern New Jersey University and College Visual Arts Student Showcase". The first honors the contributions of immigrant and migrant laborers and the second features artwork by college students. Both will be on display until June 27, 2026.



Loew's Jersey Theatre Unveils Vision for Revitalized Cultural Landmark, Including Official Renderings and New Venue Logo

(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- The historic Loew's Jersey Theatre unveiled a first look at its future as a reimagined, multi-purpose cultural destination, releasing new architectural renderings and designs that highlight the venue's transformation into a year-round hub for entertainment.



NJ Rep presents "Sins of the Mother" by Israel Horovitz

(LONG BRANCH, NJ) -- New Jersey Repertory Company (NJ Rep) will present Sins of the Mother by acclaimed playwright Israel Horovitz, directed by Evan Bergman, weekends from April 10 through May 3, 2026. Set in the tight-knit fishing town of Gloucester, Massachusetts, this play follows Douggie, a young man returning home to prove his roots among a group of rugged, fiercely loyal locals who live by their hands—and sometimes by violence.



New Jersey's Premier Film Expo Returns to East Rutherford April 30th

(EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ) -- On Thursday, April 30, 2026, the Screen Alliance of New Jersey (SANJ) will host its second NJ Film Expo at Meadowlands Arena in Rutherford. Building on the strong success of its inaugural year, the expo returns on an even larger scale with several panels, hundreds of vendors, live music and food trucks to showcase New Jersey's expanding role in film and television.










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Chain Theatre presents the World Premiere of "The Pushover" by John Patrick Shanley

(NEW YORK, NY) -- Chain Theatre presents the world premiere production of ​John Patrick Shanley's The Pushover, directed by Kirk Gostkowski, from April 6-26, 2026. The Pushover is a play about three bad-ass women who collide and collude at a spa in New Mexico, and a bare-bones Asian restaurant in Queens.


Emerging Artists Theatre's Spark Theatre Festival NYC Celebrates 20th Anniversary

(NEW YORK, NY) -- Award-winning Emerging Artists Theatre (EAT) returns with their bi-annual Spark Theatre Festival NYC, on Monday, April 6 and runs until April 26, 2026 at The 28th Street Theatre (TADA). The three-week festival will showcase over 60 new works in progress, including musicals, plays, solo performances, storytelling, and dance. Theatre luminaries such as TV comedy icon Joyce Bulifant, Tony Award nominee Christopher Sieber, and Emmy Award winner Dorothy Lyman will take part in the Spring Spark Theatre Festival NYC.


NJPAC presents a Spring Season of Jazz

(NEWARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) presents a Spring Season of Jazz with free monthly jazz jams at Clement's Place and two special concert events inside the Victoria Theater. This series, running from September through June, is co-presented by NJPAC's Jazz Advisory Committee and Rutgers University–Newark's Institute of Jazz Studies (IJS). Immerse yourself in the relaxing sounds of jazz music that stimulate the players’ and listeners' minds.


Morven Museum & Garden's Grand Homes & Gardens returns with a new series for America's 250th

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Morven Museum & Garden's popular speaker series Grand Homes & Gardens returns for 2026. Coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Freedom at Home: Telling the Full Story of America's Founding Homes and Gardens examines four estates belonging to five signers of the Declaration: William Paca, Richard Henry Lee, Francis Lightfoot Lee, Thomas Jefferson, and Arthur Middleton.


Faith and Frosting Collide in "The Cake" at Bergen County Players

(ORADELL, NJ) -- Enjoy a touching and topical dramedy as love clashes with conscience in Bergen County Players' (BCP) production of The Cake. The play, written by Bekah Brunstetter, producer/writer for the hit TV series This Is Us, is directed by Carol Fisher of Teaneck. It opens March 14 and runs through April 11, 2026 at the Little Firehouse Theatre in Oradell.


Morven Museum & Garden's Annual Plant Sale is Open Through April 7

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Each year, plant lovers look forward to Morven Museum & Garden's annual plant sale, which features a diverse selection of in-demand, unique, and hard-to-find items, including seedlings from the historic garden! Now through April 7, Morven hosts their annual online plant sale, an affordable selection of flowers, vegetables, herbs, trees, shrubs, and more.


October Ensemble presents the World Premiere of "Oh Sh*t, Sherlock!"

(OCEAN GROVE, NJ) -- October Ensemble presents the World Premiere of Oh Sh*t, Sherlock! weekends from March 20 to April 12, 2026 at The Jersey Shore Arts Center. The actor playing Sherlock has never seen the script. Hilarity ensues as the rest of the cast tries to keep the mystery on track!







LATEST FEATURES

ART | COMEDY | DANCE | FILM | MUSIC | THEATRE | COMMUNITY | KIDS

New Release Review - "The Mortuary Assistant"
After decades of failures, video game adaptations are suddenly a hit at the box office, with screen translations of such heavy hitters as Super Mario Bros, Sonic the Hedgehog and Minecraft among the biggest earners of recent years. Just as there are cult movies, there are cult video games. Take The Mortuary Assistant, in which the player takes on the icky job of the title and attempts to finish their night shift at a morgue while evading demons. With another cult horror game, Five Nights at Freddy's, spawning two hit movies, it's no surprise that The Mortuary Assistant has now received a cinematic adaptation.



Titus Andronicus – Revenge is Served

It is said that Titus Andronicus is Shakespeare's bloodiest and goriest play. There are schools of thought that this was his first tragedy and one that is not based on historic precedents or sources. Instead, it is an original play with a double revenge narrative. One can picture an audience in the late 1500's coming to the theater to see this play and how they might be entertained by all of this. Remarkably, elements of what make up the story are still very much in our world today. It is just that we might represent it differently than Shakespeare did in his writing.




Rick Wakeman LIVE! at bergenPAC

Spotlight Central and Love Imagery have photos and a recap of Wakeman and Son at bergenPAC on March 25, 2026.




Bassist Martin Wind Adds Piano to His Gravity Trio for Area Performances

German-born bassist and composer Martin Wind has built an extensive résumé with more than 20 albums as a leader or co-leader and performance credits with legends such as clarinetist Buddy DeFranco, guitarist Pat Metheny, alto saxophonist Phil Woods, harmonicist Toots Thielemans, and many others. He has regularly performed at some of the top jazz venues in the world. Upcoming performances include release performances for his newest record September (2026, Laika Records) with his Gravity Trio and special guest Glenn Zaleski on piano -- April 9 at Smalls Jazz Club in New York; April 10 at the Puffin Cultural Forum in Teaneck, NJ; and at the Deer Head Inn in Delaware Water Gap, PA, April 11.




PHOTOS from "1776" at Paper Mill Playhouse

(MILLBURN, NJ) -- Paper Mill Playhouse celebrates our nation's 250th anniversary, and history comes to life in 1776, the Tony Award-winning musical that brings the story behind the creation of the Declaration of Independence to the stage with witty satire, compelling drama, and a thrilling score. The production runs now through May 2, 2026. Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade was on hand to take photos.




New Release Review - "Pretty Lethal"

Pitting teenage ballerinas against heavily armed Hungarian mobsters, Pretty Lethal gives new meaning to the term "balletic violence." It's a throwback to all those '70s/'80s exploitation thrillers in which stranded cheerleaders were menaced by mouth-breathing rednecks. Surprisingly for a movie debuting on a mainstream streaming service in 2026, it carries over the extreme violence of those movies, along with the threat of sexualised violence, but its tongue is firmly in its cheek.




Jersey Arts Podcast: The Gateway Playhouse Offers a Full Slate of Musicals and More

It is a big year for the Gateway Playhouse in Somers Point as they near their 10th Anniversary Season, but as they brace for that landmark next summer, they are offering a plethora of opportunities to their community and hopefully to you in the meanwhile.




Five-time GRAMMY Winner Angélique Kidjo Comes to McCarter Theatre Center on April 11th

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Five-time GRAMMY Award winner Angélique Kidjo comes to McCarter Theatre Center on Saturday, April 11, 2026 at 7:30pm for an electrifying evening of music spanning her extraordinary career. The performance is part of a limited six-city U.S. tour before Kidjo continues to Europe for a series of international festival appearances.










UPCOMING EVENTS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 




LATEST COLUMNS
The Makin Waves Song of the Week is "Promises" from Jersey Shore-based roots rocker Dave Vargo's latest album, "Ghost Towns."



Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites... 04/02/2026

"Yeah, we are looking forward to it," said guitarist Johnny A of The Johnny A Trio just prior to their recent New York City Iridium appearance.



Winifred McNeill: "Between Air and Earth"

Any good cook will tell you that reducing something doesn't always mean diminishing it. Sometimes it's the best way to intensify its personality. Size, we've learned in the era of streaming entertainment on tiny phone screens, does not determine how clearly a thing communicates. If it fills our senses, it can slip right into our bloodstream.


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DAILY EDITION

Here is a look at the articles published over the weekend. The Daily Edition comes out Monday through Friday.


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