Top 15 Most Read Stories At New Jersey Stage From January 21-27, 2024



Here’s a look at the top 15 most read articles published at New Jersey Stage from January 21-27, 2024. 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 7 counties in New Jersey (Bergen, Camden, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, and Morris).

1) WFMU to Host Station’s First Live On-Air Wedding – (JERSEY CITY, NJ) — The first ever live on-air wedding in the 66 year history of WFMU will take place on Friday March 15, 2024 when Miss Yvonne Szymczak becomes the bride of Mr. Charles E. Reutter IV in a ceremony that will be attended by close friends and family at WFMU’s Monty Hall in Jersey City, NJ; and listened to live on the air by many thousands more. The wedding will be broadcast via terrestrial FM signal as well as an online stream, where a live video component will also be available to those wishing to tune in to the nuptials.

2) Here Comes Cher – Yet Again – The singer/actress Cher is – has always been – one of the most beloved entertainers in the world. She has been a show business star for six decades, with a hit record in every one of the decades, the subject of a play, star of several television shows (Sonny and Cher), beloved wife of Sonny Bono and one of the most outrageously dressed women in the world (those headdresses!). Does all of that make her so beloved?

3) Rock On! This Week’s Sound Bites…1/25/24 – “We finished the summer out with Blues Traveler for about a month and a half out on the West Coast and we are now gearing up to release a new album towards the end of May and as you mentioned, we have some singles kind of trickling their way out; we just released the second one, which is called, “Her Way Out.”  

4) The Gallery at Green Door Studio presents To Palestine with Love – (MILLBURN, NJ) — The Gallery at Green Door Studio is pleased to announce, To Palestine with Love, featuring renowned artists, Samia Halaby, Rami Kashoú, Rajie Cook as well as various other notable artists. The show opens Saturday, February 3, 2024 and will run through Wednesday, February 28th. The exhibition can also be viewed during regular gallery hours: 11:00am-2:00pm Wednesdays through Saturdays.

5) Woodstock Legend Melanie Safka, Dead at 76 – Melanie Safka, the “Uncrowned Queen of Woodstock” and one of the most significant and successful singer-songwriters of the 1970s, passed away on January 23, 2024.  The artist attended high schools in New Jersey and still has relatives in the area. She was 76.

6) Teaneck High School drama teacher puts George Bernard Shaw to shame – In his 1905 play Man and Superman, George Bernard Shaw famously included the line “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.” This derogatory phrase is often used to denigrate theatre educators who have made the sacrifice to dedicate their careers to students, particularly at a time when arts-focused education is often the first to be cut in budget crises.

7) Algonquin Arts Theatre Announces 2024-25 Broadway Series – (MANASQUAN, NJ) — Algonquin Arts Theatre has announced its Broadway Series for the 2024-2025 season, featuring an extraordinary lineup of Broadway hits that promise to transport audiences into the heart of compelling stories, stirring music, and unforgettable performances. The season includes 8 productions.

8) Events This Week in New Jersey: January 23-30, 2024 – Here is a look at upcoming events taking place from January 23-30, 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.

9) REVIEW – “Ibsen’s Ghost” at George Street Playhouse – (NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) — George Street Playhouse is presenting the World Premiere of Ibsen’s Ghost, a promising new comedy by Charles Busch. The play deals with the days following the state funeral of Henrik Ibsen when two women are seeking to have memoirs involving the legendary playwright published. The literary legacy of who inspired Ibsen’s legendary characters lies in the balance.

10) Triumphant tale Jailhouse to Milhouse screens at the Spring 2024 New Jersey Film Festival – Jailhouse to Milhouse follows the heartbreaking and triumphant tale of Pamela Hayden as she recounts her journey from being trapped in a juvenile detention center as a child to her eventually escaping that abusive life and finding success in voicing the character Milhouse in The Simpsons. The documentary strikes the perfect balance of being fun and silly but also mature and somber when it needs to be, which it achieves without having tonal whiplash because the transitions between these moments are so smooth. In a way, its use of mixing comedy and seriousness is reflective of how The Simpsons handles its messaging. Hayden herself is a very skilled public speaker and she knows how to utilize an audience’s engagement to convey a gripping tale.

11) MPAC to Hold Auditions for “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” – (MORRISTOWN, NJ) — Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) will present Disney’s Beauty and the Beast as its 2024 spring production. Trend Motors returns as the lead sponsor for the third consecutive year. Four performances will be held May 31-June 2. The show will be directed by Cathy Roy, MPAC Education Director, with music direction by Charles Santoro.

12) The Doobie Brothers Tour to Come to Camden, Holmdel, and NYC; Steve Winwood is Supporting Act – (CAMDEN, NJ) — Four-time GRAMMY Award winners and Rock & Roll Hall of Famers, The Doobie Brothers, have announced The 2024 Tour which will touch down in 38 U.S. cities, many of which the band has not played in several years, beginning with Seattle at the White River Amphitheatre on June 15, 2024. Locally, the tour comes to the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden on Saturday, August 3; the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel on Tuesday, August 6; and Madison Square Garden in NYC on Wednesday, August 7, 2024.  Steve Winwood will be on the bill for all three local dates.

13) New Jersey Symphony presents Respect: A tribute to the Queen of Soul – The New Jersey Symphony presents Respect: A tribute to the Queen of Soul from February 15-18, 2024. This program features symphony favorite Capathia Jenkins and three-time Grammy® Award-nominee Ryan Shaw performing such iconic hits as “Respect,” “Think,” “A Natural Woman,” “Chain of Fools,” “Amazing Grace,” and many others.

14) Two River Theater to Hold 30th Anniversary Gala – (RED BANK, NJ) — Prepare to launch into the future with Two River Theater’s 30th Anniversary Gala on May 4, 2024. Attendees can expect an unforgettable night filled with epic entertainment and dazzling delights.

15) Moving Documentary about American Farmers screens at the Spring 2024 New Jersey Film Festival on Saturday, January 27! – Muckville examines the ongoing mental health and suicide epidemic on American farms through the eyes of a 4th-generation onion farmer in New York’s Black Dirt region. Director Jeff Mertz responded to my questions about his important film Muckville via email. Here is my interview with him:

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.