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About Us

In October 2003, Gary Wien launched Upstage Magazine, a monthly print publication that covered the arts throughout Central New Jersey. The publication ultimately grew to 25,000 copies per month with distribution throughout much of the state. Upstage was well received critically and ultimately earned an Asbury Music Award for Top Music Publication in 2007, becoming the first publication other than The Aquarian to ever win the award. In addition both the website and Wien picked up multiple Asbury Music Awards (for Top Website and Top Music Journalist) as well. Wien left the publication shortly afterwards, and Upstage ceased publishing a few months later.




 

In the months that followed, arts groups continued to submit press releases and materials. In 2008, Wien launched NewJerseyStage.com as a hobby to be an online news resource to continue coverage of the arts. Six years later, he decided to return to covering the arts full-time and redesigned the website to become a digital version of the old Upstage Magazine. On May 1, 2014, New Jersey Stage became a full-time resource covering the arts. On July 15, the first issue of New Jersey Stage digital magazine was released.

One year after New Jersey Stage Magazine was launched, Gary Wien was diagnosed with secondary progressive Multiple Sclerosis. He uses the website and magazine as a way of fighting the disease each day. Over 25,000 articles have been posted since New Jersey Stage became official and 75 issues of the magazine were published until the pandemic of 2020 forced it to go on hiatus. Over 550,000 unique visitors come to the website each year.

The website is primary run by Wien, but it benefits from the work of writers like Danny Coleman, Bob Makin, Charles Paolino, Eric Hillis, Bruce Chadwick, Karen Nowosad, Al Nigrin, and Spotlight Central. All of the writers on the site are volunteers - a group who love the arts. New Jersey Stage aims to bring artists, organizations, and art councils together. In addition to regularly publishing original feature articles, interviews, and columns, we encourage organizations to send us press releases. New Jersey Stage considers itself the Garden State's Arts Newswire and home of original arts journalism.

You can follow New Jersey Stage on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads, and via our RSS feed

Mailing Address:
NewJerseyStage.com
P.O. Box 811
Belmar, NJ 07719

Email: info@newjerseystage.com





FEATURED EVENTS

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

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.

Garden

Garden State Art Weekend

Saturday, April 26, 2025 @ 11:00am
Middletown Arts Center
36 Church Street, Middletown, NJ 07748




 

Rod

Rod Picott/Anya Hinkle

Saturday, April 26, 2025 @ 8:00pm
Jersey Shore Arts Center
66 South Main Street, Ocean Grove, NJ 07756



Beatles

Beatles vs. Stones - A Musical Showdown

Saturday, April 26, 2025 @ 4:00pm
New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC)
11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901



Chamber

Chamber Music Ensemble Spring Concert

Saturday, April 26, 2025 @ 2:30pm
Kean Stage - Enlow Recital Hall
215 North Avenue, Hillside, NJ 07205



Crossing

Crossing Over with Psychic Medium John Edward

Saturday, April 26, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Carteret Performing Arts Center
46 Washington Ave, Carteret, NJ 07008







EVENT PREVIEWS

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

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.

Showing all results: From 1 to 10


NJPAC presents Latin Star Natalia Lafourcade

(NEWARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) presents the world-renowned singer, songwriter, and music producer Natalia Lafourcade on Thursday, June 19, 2025 at 8:00pm. She is one of this century's most influential voices in Latin popular culture.


Two River Theater presents "¡VOS!"

(RED BANK, NJ) -- Two River Theater's season continues with ¡VOS!, a World Premiere debut by the powerful new voice, Christina Pumariega (Joan Dark), directed by Nicole A. Watson (Jocelyn Bioh's School Girls, Artistic Director of Playwrights Center in Minneapolis) is an exhilarating quest for justice, family and home. Performances will run in the Marion Huber Theater April 5-27, 2025.



RVCC Planetarium to Feature Two New Star Shows in April

(BRANCHBURG, NJ) -- The Raritan Valley Community College Planetarium in Branchburg will present two new star shows in April: Max Goes to the Moon, designed for youngsters ages 6-12, and Phantom of the Universe: The Hunt for Dark Matter, for audiences ages 10-adult.



'Take the Lead' is Informative and Entertaining

by Karen Nowosad
published 2025-04-16

The importance of having arts appreciation studies in schools is an issue that continually draws debate. Questions about what value students get from these studies is at the heart of the discussion. Some answers to those questions are in a new show now playing at Paper Mill Playhouse. The world premier of Take the Lead introduces a new musical based on the 2006 movie of the same name. It tells the true story of Pierre Dulaine who was a champion ballroom dancer. Dulaine is a co-founder of Dancing Classrooms, an arts education program designed to enhance essential life skills through social dance. Dancing Classrooms was brought into the New York City schools where, over the last 30 years, hundreds of thousands of student have participated.



NJ Rep presents "Comfort" by Neil LaBute

(LONG BRANCH, NJ) -- New Jersey Repertory Company (NJ Rep) continues its 28th season with Neil LaBute's Comfort, directed by Evan Bergman. The production runs from April 17 to May 11, 2025, with opening on April 19, 2025, at NJ Rep's intimate theater in Long Branch. The new play follows the complicated, love-hate relationship between a mother and son as they barrel towards the unknown, battling over ownership of a treasured manuscript.