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Kean Department of Theatre presents "References to Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot"

(UNION, NJ) -- The Kean Department of Theatre presents References to Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot from October 9-17, 2026 in the Bauer Boucher Theatre Center. This is an Obie Award-winning surrealist play by José Rivera that follows Gabriela, a lonely housewife in Barstow, California, awaiting her soldier-husband Benito’s return from the Gulf War in 1991.



 

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Waretown Library presents Works by Carol Neugebauer

(WARETOWN, NJ) -- The works of local artist Carol Neugebauer are currently on display until November 29, 2026 in Carol's Shore Paintings, an exhibit in the meeting room of the Waretown Branch of the Ocean County Library. Neugebauer's main subjects are landscapes, seascapes, shore birds, and flowers. Her main medium is watercolor.



The National Tour of Meredith Willson's "The Music Man" comes to MPAC

(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Con man Harold Hill brings "Trouble" to River City when Big League Productions' National Tour of Meredith Willson's The Music Man comes to Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) for three performances from October 16-17, 2026. The show is helmed by veteran director Matt Lenz. Emmy Award winning and TONY Award® nominated choreographer Joshua Bergasse brings the story's celebrated production numbers spectacularly to life on stage.



Ray Andersen Talks About "Sound Mind" - a new musical

Ray Andersen has had quite a musical career. Long-time Jersey Shore rock fans may remember his time as a member of Cats On a Smooth Surface - the Stone Pony house band that Bruce Springsteen often jammed with. Indie rock fans may remember him from his band, Blue Van Gogh, in the mid-1990s. Classic rock fans may have seen him as a member of Meat Loaf where he appeared on many national television shows around the world or with his current David Bowie tribute show. Children and young adults may know him as Mr. Ray performing melodic rock tunes for kids.



Daily Edition 10-05-26

Here is the morning update from New Jersey's arts newswire. We regularly publish between 8-15 new articles and news reports each day. Nobody covers the Arts throughout the Garden State like New Jersey Stage!










FEATURED EVENTS

Compagnie HERVE KOUBI

Tuesday, October 06, 2026 @ 7:30pm
State Theatre New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ

Absolutely unique and utterly original, this fearless, powerful company reigns from France, Algeria, and beyond. Combining contemporary and urban dance movements, capoeira, and martial arts with powerful imagery and inspired choreography, the dancers defy gravity. Inspired by Algerian author Yasmina Khadra’s novel, What The Day Owes To The Night traces Koubi’s own personal lineage as a French-Algerian choreographer. After learning about his family’s Algerian roots, Koubi returned to the country of his ancestors to collaborate with streetdance performers from across the Mediterranean basin. What emerged is “a creation of poetic beauty” (The New York Times), a meditative yet strikingly athletic work about the ties that bind us.

 

A Beat of Our Own

Wednesday, October 07, 2026 @ 7:30pm
McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theatre)
Princeton, NJ

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. 



 

Tom Papa: Grateful Bread Tour

Thursday, October 08, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
Morristown, NJ

With more than 20 years as a stand-up comedian, Tom Papa is one of the top comedic voices in the country, finding success in film, TV, radio and podcasts as well as on the live stage. He is a regular guest on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast and late-night TV shows.



 

A Beat of Our Own

Thursday, October 08, 2026 @ 7:30pm
McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theatre)
Princeton, NJ

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. 



 

The Moth Mainstage

Thursday, October 08, 2026 @ 7:30pm
State Theatre New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ

It’s a completely singular experience to be in the room and watch real people take the mic and share unforgettable stories from their own lives.



 

An Evening of Drink Flights and Tasty Bites to Benefit Union County Performing Arts Center

Thursday, October 08, 2026 @ 6:00pm
Hamilton Stage at Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC)
Rahway, NJ

Join us for our third annual Flight Night: An Evening of Drink Flights and Tasty Bites to Benefit Union County Performing Arts Center!

 

Vivid Stage presents B.I.N.G.O. (or Brittney Isle’s Nice Geriatric Orgy)

Thursday, October 08, 2026 @ 8:00pm
Oakes Center
Summit, NJ

Barb desperately needs friends. That’s why she moved to this 55+ community in the first place. So what better way to meet new people than to join a good old fashioned Bingo Night? When Bingo Night turns into a full-blown orgy, Barb must decide: does she stay in her safe, predictable world? Or does she play a new game of chance and truly live before it’s too late?

 

Halloween Handbags & Bingo

Thursday, October 08, 2026 @ 6:00pm
Middletown Arts Center
Middletown, NJ

Join us for a hauntingly fun night of Handbags & Bingo featuring Cash Prizes and Designer Handbag Raffles!

 

ReelAbilities: ReelShorts: Beyond Expectations

Thursday, October 08, 2026 @ 10:00am
Kean Stage - NAAB Auditorium
Union, NJ

ReelAbilities authentically showcases disability experiences and talent both on screen and behind the camera through award-winning short and feature-length films. Each screening at Kean University includes disability-led discussions that foster community dialogue, challenge stereotypes and promote access — fulfilling ReelAbilities’s mission of reframing disability through powerful storytelling.

 

ReelAbilities: Disposable Humanity

Thursday, October 08, 2026 @ 2:00pm
Kean Stage - NAAB Auditorium
Union, NJ

ReelAbilities authentically showcases disability experiences and talent both on screen and behind the camera through award-winning short and feature-length films. Each screening at Kean University includes disability-led discussions that foster community dialogue, challenge stereotypes and promote access — fulfilling ReelAbilities’s mission of reframing disability through powerful storytelling.

 





EVENT PREVIEWS

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Mile Square Theatre presents a New Play Reading Series in October

(HOBOKEN, NJ) -- Mile Square Theatre presents a New Play Reading Series from October 5-14, 2026. Plays include Neither Snow Nor Rain by Erin Mallon; The Halal Brothers by Alaudin Ullah; and Sunshine Madness by Lori Fischer. Admission is free, but tickets are required.


Get a Fresh Take on Italian Classics with Food Network Star Joe Sasto on October 6th

(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- It's time to ditch the same boring recipes and bring big, playful creativity back into your kitchen! Join Top Chef finalist, Food Network star, and author Joe Sasto to explore his bestselling cookbook Breaking the Rules: A Fresh Take on Italian Classics in a virtual discussion on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, presented by the Ocean County Library. The event begins at 2:00pm.


Tony Award Winner Ali Stroker to Lead Basie Center Community Conversation on Mental Health and Well-Being

(RED BANK, NJ) -- The Count Basie Center for the Arts welcomes Tony Award-winning actor, author and advocate Ali Stroker for a Community Conversation exploring mental health, well-being and the power of the arts on Tuesday, October 6, 2026 at The Vogel. The event begins at 7:00pm.


Bisa Butler and Grammy-winner Durand Bernarr to Headline 2026 Newark Arts Festival

(NEWARK, NJ) -- World-renowned artist Bisa Butler and Grammy Award-winning artist Durand Bernarr will headline the 2026 Newark Arts Festival, returning October 7–11 for five days of exhibitions, music, performance, artist conversations, family programming, open studios and late-night arts experiences across Newark.


Surflight Theatre presents "Deceived"

(BEACH HAVEN, NJ) -- Surflight Theatre presents Deceived from October 7-11, 2026. Based on the original play, Gaslight, by Patrick Hamilton, Deceived is a psychological thriller that will leave audiences on the edge of their seat.







LATEST FEATURES

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

(HOLMDEL, NJ) -- Executive Director Andrew DePrisco brings Smooth Jazz to the Bell Theater in Holmdel with the ever-popular WBGO "all that jazz" Concert series. Procured by Smooth Jazz New Jersey, the first two offerings will be Spyro Gyra on October 24th and Rick Braun on November 21, 2026.


It's in the third act of a three-act story structure when everything comes to a head. The plot builds to its peak, the characters demonstrate development, and the audience/reader/listener experiences the story's climax—and maybe even a moral.



In 2020, trumpeter Ted Chubb and his wife, Rachel Ryl, purchased The Statuary, a former sculpture factory in Jersey City, and converted it into a jazz club. Five years later, Chubb's quintet recorded an album, Live at the Statuary, which was released in May of this year by Circle 9 Records



(NEW HOPE, PA) -- This Halloween season, Roxey Ballet Company presents Dracula's Lair: Immortal, an unforgettable immersive experience that blends haunted attraction, live theatrical storytelling, and breathtaking professional dance into one haunting journey. Tours take place October 23, 24, 30 & 31 at 6:30pm, 7:30pm, and 8:30pm from the Mill Ballet School.



(MEDFORD, NJ) -- South Jersey Pops presents Stage Fright - The Soundtrack of the Mysterious on Sunday, October 25, 2026 in the Lenape High School Auditorium. This is a family-friendly celebration of the Spooky & Strange. Showtime is 3:00pm.







LATEST COLUMNS

Makin Waves Song of the Week: "The Only Man to Make It Through the Dance" by Jake Thistle

The Makin Waves Song of the Week is "The Only Man to Make It Through the Dance" from "A Stranger By Design," the latest album by Jake Thistle.


Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites... 10/01/2026

What do you call a rocker by night who pays tribute to multiple classic rock bands and someone who has done children's music during the day? You call him Paulie Z that's what.


Makin Waves Song of the Week: "In Another Life" by Deardarkhead

The Makin Waves Song of the Week is "In Another Life" from "The Pendulum Swings," the first album in 26 years from the Atlantic City rockers Deardarkhead.

* Events This Week in New Jersey

* This Week in Music

* This Week in Theatre

* Top 15 Most Read Stories from the Past Week

Daily Edition 10-05-26

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



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