Here is a look at upcoming events taking place from February 20-27, 2024 along with our featured listings. New Jersey Stage offers previews of events throughout the Garden State as well as select shows in New York City and Philadelphia areas. Click on the title to go to the full preview. Jump to Music, Theatre, Comedy, Dance, Community, Event Listings.
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FEATURED SHOWS
Friday, February 23 - Outpost in the Burbs Presents "Growin' Up: An Evening of Two One-Act Musical Memoirs with Matt Butler and Mike Montali". (MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- Outpost in the Burbs presents "Growing Up: An Evening of Two One-Act Musical Memoirs with Matt Butler and Mike Montali," on Friday, February 23, 2024 at 8:00pm. This special event will take place at the First Congregational Church (40 South Fullerton Avenue) in Montclair.
Saturday, February 24 - Monmouth University presents An Evening with Glen Phillips & Shawn Mullins. (WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ) -- Monmouth University's Center for the Performing Arts presents An Evening with Glen Phillips & Shawn Mullins in the Pollak Theatre on Saturday, February 24, 2024 at 8:00pm. Prepare to be swept away by an extraordinary evening of acoustic brilliance featuring two musical legends. These artists, each with their unique journey and captivating melodies, are coming together to create a musical experience that will resonate deep within your soul.
Saturday, February 24 - State Theatre presents Itzhak Perlman in Recital. (NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- State Theatre New Jersey presents Itzhak Perlman in Recital on Saturday, February 24, 2024 at 8:00pm. This special performance is part of State Theatre’s annual Classical Season Celebration.
Saturday, February 24 - Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Jeffrey Gaines. (TUCKERTON, NJ) -- On Saturday, February 24, 2024, the Lizzie Rose Music Room presents singer-songwriter Jeffrey Gaines. Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the show. Showtime is 7:30pm.
Sunday, February 25 - Leonia Chamber Musicians presents Winter Serenade. (LEONIA, NJ) -- Leonia Chamber Musicians presents Winter Serenade on Sunday, February 25, 2024 at Presbyterian Church in Leonia. This concert will showcase beautifully sonorous music with Flute, Oboe, Clarinet and Piano. Showtime is 3:00pm. Admission is free with a suggested donation of $25.
Sunday, February 25 - Count Basie Center for the Arts presents Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. (RED BANK, NJ) -- Count Basie Center for the Arts presents trombonist, composer and bandleader, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue on Sunday, February 25, 2024 at 7:00pm. The night includes special guests, The Soul Rebels.
Friday, February 23 - SOPAC presents Willie Nile: A Career Retrospective. (SOUTH ORANGE, NJ) -- Willie Nile will present a career retrospective show at South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) on Friday, February 23, 2024 at 8:00pm. With 20 albums to his name, Nile has earned his place among the Rock & Roll greats such as Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed, Lucinda Willaims, and Little Steven, all of whom sing his praises
Sunday, February 25 - The Newton Theatre presents Let's Sing Taylor - A Live Band Experience. (NEWTON, NJ) -- Let’s Sing Taylor - A Live Band Experience - is the ultimate tribute to the music of Taylor Swift. See for yourself when it comes to The Newton Theatre on Sunday, February 25, 2024 at 3:00pm. Tickets range from $34-$59.
Sunday, February 25 - New Jersey Youth Symphony Presents Black History Month Celebration Concert. (RAHWAY, NJ) -- The New Jersey Youth Symphony (NJYS), a program of Wharton Arts, will present a Black History Month Celebration Concert on Sunday, February 25, 2024 at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway. Conductor Helen H. Cha-Pyo will lead the NJYS Youth Symphony in Duke Ellington's Three Black Kings featuring tenor saxophonist Lance Bryant, William Grant Still's Afro American Symphony, and the world premiere of Stefania De Kennesey's Microvids for Symphony Orchestra and Piano featuring pianist Donna Weng Friedmann and narrator Diana Solomon-Glover. Showtime is 3:00pm.
Tuesday, February 27 - Black Box Studios and Liberty Arts Theatre presents The Singer-Songwriter Showcase Vol. 1. (TEANECK, NJ) -- Black Box Studios and Liberty Arts Theatre presents the full line-up for The Singer-Songwriter Showcase Vol. 1, a new recurring event featuring area bands and artists which will premiere on Tuesday, February 27, 2024 at Debonair Music Hall. The night will feature performances by Rene Avila, Esti Mellul, The String Thirys and Leroy Klavis. Doors open at 7:00; showtime is 7:30pm.
FEATURED SHOWS
CDC Theatre presents "The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940". (CRANFORD, NJ) -- CDC Theatre presents The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 across three weekends from February 9-24, 2024. This is an ingenious and wildly comic romp by playwright John Bishop. Poking antic fun at the more ridiculous aspects of "show biz" and the corny thrillers of Hollywood's heyday, the play is a non-stop barrage of laughter as those assembled (or at least those who aren’t killed off) untangle the mystery of the "Stage Door Slasher."
Bridge Players Theatre Company Returns to Its Home Stage With "Be More Chill". (BURLINGTON CITY, NJ) -- Bridge Players Theatre Company is thrilled to announce its long-awaited return to its home stage at Broad Street United Methodist Church.The first presentation in its regular space since February 2020 will be the exciting pop musical Be More Chill, across three weekends from February 9-24, 2024.
Ocean County College Repertory Theatre Company presents "Rabbit Hole". (TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- The Ocean County College Repertory Theatre Company presents Rabbit Hole across two weekends (February 16-18, February 23-25). The play by David Lindsay-Abaire was the recipient of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize. Performances take place in the Grunin Center for the Arts' Black Box Theater.
Vivid Stage presents "Gone Missing". (SUMMIT, NJ) -- Vivid Stage presents Gone Missing from February 22 through March 3, 2024 at the Oakes Center in Summit. Featuring a Book by Steve Cosson and Music and Lyrics by Michael Friedman, this is a wry and whimsical documentary musical of loss devised from interviews with real-life New Yorkers by The Civilians, the acclaimed New York-based company.
Algonquin Arts Theatre presents "Misery". (MANASQUAN, NJ) -- Algonquin Arts Theatre presents Misery by William Goldman, based on the novel by Stephen King. The show runs from February 24 through March 3, 2024. Made popular by the Kathy Bates, James Caan film, Misery becomes stranger than fiction when an acclaimed romance novelist wakes up in the home of his "Number One Fan."
George Street Playhouse presents the World Premiere of "The Club". (NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- Everyone wants to belong to the club, but what will it cost you? That's the question in The Club by Chris Bohjalian, which is being presented by George Street Playhouse from February 27 to March 17, 2024. The Club is rich with biting wit and startling twists as it explores racism, marriage, and the lies we tell ourselves daily. And though the play is set in 1968, it's eerily timely.
Paper Mill Playhouse presents "After Midnight". (MILLBURN, NJ) -- Paper Mill Playhouse presents After Midnight from January 31-February 25, 2024. Conceived by Jack Viertel (former Artistic Director of City Center Encores!), this Jazz Age rhythm and dance extravaganza is an electrifying musical revue that transports you to the Cotton Club of the Harlem Renaissance, an unparalleled time in New York City when jazz and swing were king. The production is co-directed by Dominique Kelley and Paper Mill Playhouse’s Associate Artistic Director Jen Bender and choreographed by Kelley.
Two River Theater presents the World Premiere of "The Scarlet Letter" by Kate Hamill. (RED BANK, NJ) -- A new year, and a world premiere! Riding the wave of its 30th anniversary season, set in motion by audience sensation Hair this past fall, Two River Theater has announced the cast and creative team for its second production of the season: the world premiere of The Scarlet Letter by Kate Hamill (Pride and Prejudice, Little Women), one of the American theater’s most widely produced contemporary playwrights, and directed by Shelley Butler (Beautiful: The Carol King Musical, A Doll’s House Part 2).
Bergen County Players presents "Pride and Prejudice". (ORADELL, NJ) -- Heed the invite from some of the most memorable characters in fiction! Bergen County Players (BCP), one of America's longest-running little theater companies, will open its first mainstage production of the new year with a comedic retelling of Jane Austen's great romantic tale Pride and Prejudice. Performances run weekends from February 3-24, 2024 at the Little Firehouse Theatre in Oradell.
Passage Theatre Company presents World Premiere of "Ghetto Gods in Divineland". (TRENTON, NJ) -- In celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, Trenton's only professional theater company is paying homage to the Poor Righteous Teachers. Trenton's first superstar hip-hop group—the philosophers and messengers for good and for the 'hood—inspired Passage Theatre Company's upcoming show Ghetto Gods in Divineland, a brand-new play co-written by Richard Bradford and Anthony Martinez-Briggs and Directed by Ozzie Jones. The production runs from February 8-25, 2024.
Luna Stage presents the World Premiere of "RIFT or White Lies". (WEST ORANGE, NJ) -- Luna Stage presents the World Premiere of RIFT or White Lies by Gabriel Jason Dean, directed by Ari Laura Kreith, from February 8-March 3, 2024. Two brothers--one a progressive novelist, the other a convicted murderer and high-ranking member of a white supremacist prison gang–are united through their traumatic childhood. Now adults, these men navigate the edges of their brotherly bond. Are they truly so different? Is it possible to love someone whose beliefs you hate? RIFT is a story of estrangement, ideological divide, and the fight to change one another.
Theater League of Clifton presents "A Tribute to Carol Burnett". (CLIFTON, NJ) -- The Theater League of Clifton will present its dinner/theater production of "A Tribute to Carol Burnett" beginning on Saturday, February 10, 7:30pm, at Mario's Restaurant, 710 Van Houten Ave., Clifton. The show will recreate favorite comedy skits from the popular Carol Burnett Show, which aired for 11 seasons (1967-1978) on the CBS television network and won numerous Emmy awards.
WHATCo presents Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None". (HARRISON, NJ) -- West Hudson Arts & Theater Co (WHATCo) presents Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None with six performances across two weekends (February 16-18 and February 23-25) at The Theater at WHATCo (15 Frank E. Rodgers Blvd. South) in Harrison. This play tells the story of 10 strangers who are summoned to a remote island and accused of misdeeds. When the weather cuts them off from the mainland one by one, the guests are killed in accordance with a sinister nursery rhyme. They must find the killer if they hope to survive.
Lewis Center for the Arts' Program in Theater & Music Theater presents "Love Type Beat". (PRINCETON, NJ) -- The Lewis Center for the Arts' Program in Theater and Music Theater at Princeton University will present Love Type Beat, a partly immersive new play conceived and directed by Princeton seniors Nica Evans and Tanéyah Jolly. The work explores Black women and femmes' relationships with different types of love through a series of vignettes, some of which invite audience interaction and participation. Performances are on February 16, 17, 22, 23 and 24 at 8:00pm in the Wallace Theater at the Lewis Arts complex on the Princeton campus. The show is free and open to the public, however due to the immersive nature of the show attendance at each performance is limited to 30 and advance tickets are required through University Ticketing.
Ocean County Library Toms River Branch to Present Guild Theatreworks in "Belles". (TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- The Ocean County Library Toms River Branch is pleased to present the Guild Theatreworks production of Mark Dunn's bittersweet dramatic comedy Belles in Mancini Hall on Wednesday, February 21. Showtime is 6:30pm. Considered Dunn's most popular play, Belles features six sisters who try bridge the distance between them via telephone through the course of a weekend and in the process come to terms with their fragmented family history.
Pushcart Players to present "Lift Every Voice: A Letter to the Editor" at The Levoy Theatre. (MILLVILLE, NJ) -- Pushcart Players, New Jersey's Emmy-nominated and award-winning touring theatre for family audiences, will present "Lift Every Voice: A Letter to the Editor" on Thursday, February 22, 2024 at the The Levoy Theatre in Millville. Founded in 1974, Pushcart is celebrating 50 years of stirring up serious fun for young people nationwide.
The Summit Playhouse presents "Agnes of God". (SUMMIT, NJ) -- The Summit Playhouse presents Agnes of God by John Pielmeier. The production runs during the weekends from February 23- through March 9, 2024, at The Summit Playhouse. Summoned to a convent, Dr. Martha Livingstone, a court-appointed psychiatrist, must assess the sanity of a novice accused of murdering her newborn.
Bordentown Thespians presents the musical, "The Addams Family". (BORDENTOWN, NJ) -- The Addams Family, with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, will be presented on February 23rd at 7:30pm and February 24th at 2:00pm & 7:30pm at the Bordentown Performing Arts Center. This musical, featuring the iconic characters created by Charles Addams, will be performed by the award-winning theatre students of Bordentown Regional High School.
NJRep presents the World Premiere of "ESSPY". (LONG BRANCH, NJ) -- New Jersey Repertory Company (NJRep) will kick off its 27th season with the world premiere of Nandia Shenoy's ESSPY, directed by Peter J. Kuo, beginning February 22, with its opening night on February 24 and running through March 17, 2024. ESSPY is a comic-drama about a young medical student embarking on a journey he never expected.
RVCC Holocaust Institute presents a Staged Reading of Play Based on Experiences of Anne Frank, Martin Luther King, Jr.. (BRANCHBURG, NJ) -- The Institute of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Raritan Valley Community College will present a staged performance of Letters from Anne and Martin, Monday, February 26 at 10:00am. The event, which is free of charge and open to the public, will be held in the Nash Theatre at the College's Branchburg campus. The performance may be attended in-person or watched virtually.
American Theater Group continues free Monday Night Play Readings with new legal drama, "Sanctity". (RAHWAY, NJ) -- American Theater Group (ATG), a professional theater company in Central New Jersey, will present the legal drama Sanctity by Kerr Lockhart as part of its free Monday Night Play Reading Series on February 26, 2024 at Hamilton Stage in Rahway. The event begins at 7:00pm.
Holmdel Theatre Company presents a Staged Reading of "Call Me Isaiah". (HOLMDEL, NJ) -- On Monday, February 26, 2024, the Holmdel Theatre Company in partnership with the New Jersey Creative Arts Collaborative presents a staged reading of "Call Me Isaiah" by Jared Kelner. The reading is directed by Diane L. Parker. Admission is free with a $5 suggested donation. The reading begins at 7:00pm. After the reading, stay for a discussion with the playwright and cast members.
FEATURED SHOWS
Thursday, February 22 - The Basie presents Bianca Del Rio: Dead Inside Comedy Tour. (RED BANK, NJ) -- The Count Basie Center for the Arts presents Bianca Del Rio: Dead Inside Comedy Tour on Thursday, February 22, 2024 at 8:00pm. Bianca Del Rio, dubbed "The Joan Rivers of the Drag World" by the New York Times, is a dimple-cheeked, larger-than-life drag queen and outrageous comic who isn't afraid to shock and offend.
Friday, February 23 - The Vogel presents Gary Gulman's Misfit: Stand Up Comedy & Book Tour. (RED BANK, NJ) -- The Vogel presents Gary Gulman's Misfit: Stand Up Comedy & Book Tour on Friday, February 23, 2024 with performances at 7:00pm & 9:30pm. Through more than 25 years in comedy, Gulman has established himself as an eminent performer and peerless writer. A product of Boston, Gulman has been a scholarship college football player, an accountant, and a high school teacher. He has made countless television appearances as both a comedian and an actor.
Saturday, February 24 - The Newton Theatre presents Jim Norton. (NEWTON, NJ) -- The Newton Theatre presents Jim Norton on Saturday, February 24, 2024 at 8:00pm. Jim is a stand-up comedian, radio host, actor, and a twice NY Times bestselling author. Currently, he is the co-host of “The Jim Norton & Sam Roberts Show” on SiriusXM satellite radio.
Saturday, February 24 - Roxey Ballet Company presents "Carmen". (NEW HOPE, PA) -- Roxey Ballet Company will present Carmen to open their spring season for the first time since 2020. This one-act ballet is a contemporary masterpiece full of passion and betrayal that tells the sensual tale of the fabled temptress of Seville. Roxey Ballet will also host two events that offer the community the unique opportunity to witness the rehearsals as the company artists prepare for the opening. Performances run from February 24 to March 3rd.
Tuesday, February 20 - Discover Lakewood's Sports Glory and Railroad Heritage at the Ocean County Library Lakewood Branch. (LAKEWOOD, NJ) -- Learn about athletic prowess and a heralded passenger train, both ingrained in Lakewood's past. The Lakewood Historical Society will present "Sports-in-the-Pines: 100 Years of Athletic Competition in Lakewood" and "Take a Ride on the Blue Comet" at the Ocean County Library Lakewood Branch on Tuesday, February 20, 2024. The event begins at 7:00pm.
Sunday, February 25 - Penn Live Arts Presents Ukraine: The Edge of Freedom. (PHILADELPHIA, PA) -- Penn Live Arts (PLA) – the leading presenter of innovative and transformative performing arts experiences in Philadelphia – presents Ukraine: The Edge of Freedom, from Sunday, February 25, 2024 - Sunday, March 3, 2024. The project focuses on artists calling attention to the challenges Ukraine has been facing, kicking off with a performance by Balaklava Blues followed by performances by Ukrainian jazz pianist and film composer Fima Chupakhin, vocal artist and composer Mariana Sadovska, and finally, the avant-garde folk music group, DakhaBrakha. The festival also includes a Ukrainian Community Day celebrating local Ukrainian-American artists, and the opening of a new art exhibit by Kyiv-based artists Anna Khodkova and Kristina Yarosh, as the project highlights the artistry and soul of this European country rich with cultural history.
Tuesday, February 27 - Discover Tuskegee Airmen's History, Impact at Ocean County Library Manchester Branch. (MANCHESTER, NJ) -- The addition of African-American aviators during World War II not only strengthened U.S. military might, but also propelled our nation toward racial and social equality. Join historian Paul E. Zigo for "The Tuskegee Airmen: America's First Black Pilots" at the Ocean County Library Manchester Branch on Tuesday, February 27. The event begins at 2:00pm.
Tuesday, February 20 @ 7:30pm - TOTO at Count Basie Center for the Arts, 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank
Wednesday, February 21
6:00pm - Pussy Noir and Victoria Reis: A Conversation about Collaboration at Monmouth University - Intercultural Center (Magill Commons), 400 Cedar Avenue, West Long Branch
7:30pm - Richard Shindell at Lizzie Rose Music Room, 217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton
Thursday, February 22
7:30pm - Dena Blizzard's I Love You, Get Away From Me at Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC), 100 South Street, Morristown
8:00pm - Bianca Del Rio: Dead Inside Comedy Tour at Count Basie Center for the Arts, 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank
8:00pm - Lee Brice: Me & My Guitar at State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick
8:00pm - Vivid Stage presents "Gone Missing" at Oakes Center, 120 Morris Avenue, Summit
Friday, February 23
3:30pm - Ross Gay - TONI MORRISON DAY KEYNOTE SPEAKER at Monmouth University - Pozycki Hall Auditorium, 400 Cedar Avenue, West Long Branch
7:00pm - Gary Gulman: Stand Up Comedy & Book Tour at The Vogel, 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank
7:30pm - Janis Joplin Experience starring Lisa Polizzi at Lizzie Rose Music Room, 217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton
7:30pm - Rabbit Hole at Grunin Center, 1 College Drive, Toms River
8:00pm - Bridge Players Theatre Company presents "Be More Chill" at Broad Street United Methodist Church, 36 E Broad Street, Burlington
8:00pm - The Simon & Garfunkel Story at Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC), 100 South Street, Morristown
8:00pm - Hilarious Whodunit Coming to CDC Theatre in Cranford at CDC Theatre, 78 Winans Avenue, Cranford
8:00pm - Growin’ Up: An Evening of Two One-Act Musical Memoirs with Matt Butler and Mike Montali at Outpost In The Burbs, 40 S Fullerton Ave, Montclair
8:00pm - Joe Bonamassa at Count Basie Center for the Arts, 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank
8:00pm - Vivid Stage presents "Gone Missing" at Oakes Center, 120 Morris Avenue, Summit
9:30pm - Gary Gulman: Stand Up Comedy & Book Tour at The Vogel, 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank
Saturday, February 24
11:00am - Buckets N Boards at Grunin Center, 1 College Drive, Toms River
2:00pm - Buckets N Boards at Grunin Center, 1 College Drive, Toms River
2:00pm - Rabbit Hole at Grunin Center, 1 College Drive, Toms River
7:00pm - From Wind to Wonder at McCarter Theatre Center (Berlind Theater), 91 University Place, Princeton
7:30pm - Jeffrey Gaines at Lizzie Rose Music Room, 217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton
7:30pm - Rabbit Hole at Grunin Center, 1 College Drive, Toms River
8:00pm - Misery at Algonquin Arts Theatre, 60 Abe Voorhees, Manasquan
8:00pm - Bridge Players Theatre Company presents "Be More Chill" at Broad Street United Methodist Church, 36 E Broad Street, Burlington
8:00pm - Hilarious Whodunit Coming to CDC Theatre in Cranford at CDC Theatre, 78 Winans Avenue, Cranford
8:00pm - An Evening with Glen Phillips & Shawn Mullins at Monmouth University - Pollak Theatre, 400 Cedar Avenue, West Long Branch
8:00pm - Itzhak Perlman in Concert at State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick
8:00pm - Vivid Stage presents "Gone Missing" at Oakes Center, 120 Morris Avenue, Summit
8:00pm - New Jersey Symphony presents Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons at Count Basie Center for the Arts, 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank
Sunday, February 25
2:00pm - The Gazillion Bubble Show at Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC), 100 South Street, Morristown
2:00pm - Rabbit Hole at Grunin Center, 1 College Drive, Toms River
2:00pm - Vivid Stage presents "Gone Missing" at Oakes Center, 120 Morris Avenue, Summit
3:00pm - Misery at Algonquin Arts Theatre, 60 Abe Voorhees, Manasquan
3:00pm - New Jersey Symphony presents Vivaldi's The Four Seasons at State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick
3:00pm - Leonia Chamber Musicians Winter Serenade Concert at Presbyterian Church in Leonia, 181 Fort Lee Rd, Leonia
5:00pm - The Gazillion Bubble Show at Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC), 100 South Street, Morristown
7:00pm - Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue with special guests The Soul Rebels at Count Basie Center for the Arts, 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank
Monday, February 26 @ 12:30pm - Dr. Jeffrey Morton at Grunin Center, 1 College Drive, Toms River
Tuesday, February 27 @ 8:00pm - George Street Playhouse presents "The Club" at New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC), 11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick
