Top 15 Most Read Stories At New Jersey Stage From December 3-9, 2023



Here’s a look at the top 15 most read articles published at New Jersey Stage from December 3-9, 2023. Each week we publish about 70 articles, including several original columns and features, along with news releases for events happening throughout the state and nearby areas like Philadelphia and New York City. This week’s top 15 includes articles from 9 counties in New Jersey (Atlantic, Bergen, Gloucester, Hudson, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, and Sussex).

1) Hoboken High School to Be First in U.S. to Present “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” School Edition – (NEW YORK, NY) /PRNewswire/ — Broadway Licensing Global announced its selection of two schools to make history as the first to produce pilot productions of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child School Edition. In the United Kingdom, Barking-based Riverside School will have the opportunity to host the first-ever production of the School Edition. Following Riverside, Hoboken High School in Hoboken, New Jersey, will be first to produce the North American pilot production of the School Edition.

2) REVIEW: “Having Our Say” at George Street Playhouse – The sisters in Irving Berlin’s song by that name, “Sisters,” explained their relationship as follows: “Two different faces, but in tight places / we think and we act as one.” The subjects of Emily Mann’s play Having Our Say at the George Street Playhouse through December 17, fit that description—to a point.

3) Comedian Elon Gold to Perform at Debonair Music Hall – (TEANECK, NJ) — Comedian Elon Gold will headline on Tuesday, December 5, 2023 at Debonair Music Hall with sets at 7:00pm & 9:15pm. Elon is a comedian and actor who has starred in FOX’s Stacked and NBC’s In-Laws. His one hour stand up special on Netflix, Elon Gold: Chosen & Taken received wide acclaim from audiences and peers alike. It is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.  He has made ten appearances on The Tonight Show and had a recurring role on the FOX hit show, Bones

4) Makin Waves with Richie “LaBamba” Rosenberg: Hip Hip Holiday Hurrah! – Hosted by longtime band mates Richie “LaBamba” Rosenberg, left, and Mark “The Love Man” Pender, right, the 40th anniversary edition of LaBamba’s Holiday Hurrah will rock Dec. 9 at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park in benefit of Toys for Tots.

5) Old Library Theatre presents “Marvin’s Room” – (FAIR LAWN, NJ) — Old Library Theatre (OLT), Fair Lawn Recreation Department’s resident theatre company, will present Marvin’s Room – winner of the 1991-1992 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play – from December 8-10, 2023. Written by Scott McPherson, Marvin’s Room takes its title from the space in which family patriarch Marvin Wakefield spends all the hours of his days now that he’s reached the end stages of his life’s journey. He and his sister, Ruth, are tended to by his eldest daughter, Bessie. They’re the unchosen family who chose to remain together.

6) Light of Day Winterfest 2024 Schedule and Lineups – (ASBURY PARK, NJ) — Light of Day WinterFest 2024, the annual music festival taking place throughout January in Asbury Park, Deal, Red Bank, Montclair and New York, has announced a schedule and lineups. All performances and events will raise money and awareness for its continuing battle to defeat Parkinson’s disease and its related illnesses ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) and PSP (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy) within our lifetime

7) 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.

8) PHOTOS from “Ella Enchanted” at The Growing Stage – (NETCONG, NJ) — The Growing Stage: The Children’s Theatre of New Jersey is presenting a holiday production of Ella Enchanted weekends until December 17, 2023 on Saturdays and Sundays.  Written by Karen Zacarias with music by Deborah Wicks La Puma, Ella Enchanted is adapted from the book by Gail Carson Levine and introduces us to Ella of Frell, who is given the “gift” of obedience by Lucinda, her misguided Fairy Godmother. Photographer John Posada was on hand to take photos.

9) Asbury Park Theater Company presents “Always… Patsy Cline” starring Sally Struthers and Carter Calvert – (OCEAN GROVE, NJ) — Asbury Park Theater Company (APTCo) presents Ted Swindley’s Always… Patsy Cline starring Emmy Award-winning actress Sally Struthers and Broadway’s Carter Calvert for nine performances from December 1-10, 2023 at The Palaia Theater inside Jersey Shore Arts Center in the neighboring town of Ocean Grove.

10) George Street Playhouse presents “Having Our Say” – (NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) — George Street Playhouse presents Having Our Say, the Tony Award-nominated play by Emily Mann (A Streetcar Named Desire, Anna and the Tropics). Having Our Say is adapted from the book by Sarah (Sadie) L. Delany & A. Elizabeth (Bessie) Delany with Amy Hill Hearth and is directed by Laiona Michelle (Her Portmanteau). The production begins previews Tuesday, November 28, 2023, with opening night set for Friday, December 1 for a limited run through Sunday, December 17, 2023.

11) Holiday Fairy Tale “Magic Flowers” Makes Its Annual Somers Point Return – (SOMERS POINT, NJ) — “Magic Flowers,” an award-winning play that has been produced nationwide and, more recently, become a local annual holiday classic, returns to Studio;Space in Somers Point for performances on Saturdays and Sundays December 9-10 and December 16-17. Short and sweet, “Magic Flowers” is a 30-minute one-act by award-winning playwright Bill Sterritt. This fairy tale quickly became an annual tradition for audiences in both Atlantic and Cape May counties.

12) Vineyard Theatre partners with The League of Live Stream Theater for Worldwide Live Stream of “Scene Partners” – (NEW YORK, NY) — Sarah Stern, Artistic Director and Suzanne Appel, Managing Director of Vineyard Theatre, are excited to announce that, in partnership with The League Of Live Stream Theater (LOLST), the final four performances of Scene Partners will be streamed worldwide on December 15 at 7:00pm, December 16 at 2:00pm & 7:30pm, and December 17 at 2:00pm. This is the first time that Vineyard Theatre has live streamed a current production on stage in their effort to continue to make theatre more accessible physically, geographically and financially to audiences.

13) This Week in Music: Previews for Concerts Taking Place December 5-11, 2023 – Here is a look at upcoming shows taking place from December 5-11, 2023 along with our featured listings. New Jersey Stage offers previews of concerts throughout the Garden State as well as select shows in New York City and Philadelphia areas.

14) Kelsey Theatre Presents “Twas the Night Before Christmas” – (WEST WINDSOR, NJ) — Santa will be arriving a little early this year when the holiday classic Twas the Night Before Christmas comes to life on the stage of Mercer County Community College’s (MCCC) Kelsey Theatre, December 8-10, 2023. The excitement and wonder of the long-awaited midnight visit by Santa Claus, made famous in Clement Moore’s beloved poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” is brought to life in a fun and enchanting musical perfect for even the entire family.

15) Broadway Theatre of Pitman presents “A Christmas Carol, the Musical” – (PITMAN, NJ) — The Broadway Theatre of Pitman presents A Christmas Carol, the Musical weekends from December 8-December 17, 2023. In this holiday classic, Ebenezer Scrooge is a prosperous curmudgeon who believes that personal wealth is far more valuable than the happiness and comfort of others.

Make sure your events are part of our weekly columns by sending press releases to us at info@newjerseystage.com. Event previews are always one of the most popular areas of the website. Event previews get noticed when we first publish them and then get noticed again when they are brought back to the main area of the site the week the event takes place – sometimes even several months later.  We also run weekly columns promoting events, music, and theatre shows taking place for the week. These columns include our featured event previews and event listings along with all of our event previews of the week. Many times, they are among the most read stories of the week. There is no cost for us to run your press releases!

For even more promotion, check out our ad rates which run $50-$100 for an entire month of targeted advertising and includes events listed in our online calendar. Or you can have your events listed in the calendar for $10 per event. Either way your events will be featured in the weekly columns. NJ Stage keeps our rates low so they are affordable to arts organizations of all sizes.