(SOUTH ORANGE, NJ) -- South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) greets the New Year with a red hot lineup. January includes performances by Donna Vivino, Lee Rocker of The Stray Cats, Nat Adderley, Jr. Quartet, and The Erick Känd Comedy Hypnosis Show.

“We’re delighted to celebrate the New Year with so many talented performers from different genres and disciplines,” says SOPAC Executive Director Lana Rogachevskaya. “I hope these shows offer our all community members a little warmth and fellowship away from the winter cold!” 

Explore SOPAC’s January 2025 Programming

Cabaret in the Loft - Donna Vivino on Saturday, January 18 at 7:30pm. Entering its third year, Cabaret in the Loft is quickly becoming a SOPAC audience favorite! Drawing on the wealth of talent from the greater SOMA area,“where Broadway comes home to sleep” (The New York Times), Curator Matthew Luminello assembles a series of intimate storytelling and unforgettable performances perfect for any Broadway lover. Get your family and friends together for this 54-Below experience west of the Hudson River, right here in South Orange! This Cabaret in the Loft performance features Donna Vivino, currently on Broadway in Alicia Keys’ Hell’s Kitchen and appearing in the feature film Ezra, starring Robert De Niro.

Lee Rocker of The Stray Cats on Sunday, January 19 at 7:30pm. Grammy-nominated artist, Stray Cats founder, and Bass Player Hall of Famer Lee Rocker brings his brilliant artistry to SOPAC! Rocker has spent his career preserving and evolving the legacy of Rockabilly music – singing, playing, spinning, and jamming on his giant upright bass. Expect the unexpected when this legendary artist performs live at SOPAC!

Jazz in the Loft - Nat Adderley, Jr. Quartet, Curated by John Lee, on Sunday, January 26 at 7:00pm. Curated by Grammy Award-winning producer John Lee, Jazz in the Loft features award-winning artists from the greater SOMA area and beyond who are master improvisers and consummate band leaders. Blues, Bebop, Bossa — as long as it’s swinging, you’ll hear it at SOPAC! This performance features the Nat Adderley, Jr. Quartet.

Get Hypnotized! The Erick Känd Comedy Hypnosis Show on Friday, January 31 at 7:30pm. Laugh, participate, and experience an altered state of reality when you Get Hypnotized at SOPAC! During this performance, acclaimed hypnotist Erick Känd invites audience volunteers to be hypnotized, undergoing a complete transformation and becoming the stars of the show. The ensuing pandemonium will delight attendees and spark endless laughter!

South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) offers audiences exhilarating and diverse arts entertainment in its intimate venue, serving as the cultural heartbeat of the greater South Orange/Maplewood region and contributing to the economic and social vibrancy of its highly diverse community.

SOPAC is an accessible cultural destination that presents world-class artists in an intimate and welcoming environment. The Jennifer & Tony Leitner Performance Hall is a 439-seat mainstage theatre with superb acoustics, sight lines and seating. Audiences remark that performances in this space are like having their favorite artists right in their own living room. Artists acknowledge that the atmosphere encourages conversations with audiences. The Loft at SOPAC is a 2,185 square-foot multi-purpose space used for performances, rehearsals, classes, and special events.

The unique architecture of SOPAC’s building, which includes a stunning 3-story glass-enclosed atrium, is also home to the Herb + Milly Iris Gallery. Beyond the building, SOPAC co-produces local events such as South Orange Summer Nights and serves students and schools through its arts education residencies.

SOPAC is invested in arts education. SOPAC serves students and schools in our region through a School Performance Series, performing Arts Residencies and annual juried art exhibits entitled INSPIRED MINDS: Young Artist Exhibitionand INSPIRING MINDS. SOPAC also collaborates with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts each year to host the Region 5 Poetry Out Loud competitions. The Seton Hall University Arts Council presents a diverse range of events at SOPAC with seasoned professionals, students, and faculty.

Nearly ten years in the making, SOPAC first opened its doors in 2006. South Orange Village Trustees, in partnership with Seton Hall University, envisioned SOPAC as the center of an ambitious redevelopment plan. Through visionary leadership and an unwavering commitment, SOPAC has become a cultural centerpiece for the region, an economic driver for the community, and a catalyst for artistic opportunity.