SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — This summer, the South Orange Performing Arts Center named Dee Billia as its new executive director, effective immediately. In this role, Billia presides over the performance series held in SOPAC’s 439-seat main theater, several music and comedy shows that take place in the 2,100-square-foot loft space, the school performance series, various […]
WEST ORANGE, NJ — The Love and Unity Fest, held Sept. 24 at Edison Middle School, brought the West Orange community together to promote unity and love in facing the many challenges in today’s world. The event was organized by Carl Brister and supported by West Orange Township and the West Orange School District. As […]
MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The delay in school starting allowed Funky Fun Art to extend its summer offerings into September and offer additional weeks of camp. Funky Fun Art in Maplewood welcomed more than 400 campers to its magical “Enchanted Forest” this summer. Campers, who were transformed into fairies, gnomes, elves, pixies, trolls and goblins, entered […]
BELLEVILLE, NJ — Not all towns Belleville’s size have an official artist, but that’s because not all towns have a civic-minded local artist who is always willing to give back to the community. Belleville’s own Athena Zhe creates murals in town, paints town-specific images at local events, works with area youths to beautify the town […]
GLEN RIDGE, NJ — John Ruggiero has checked in on his IMDB profile periodically throughout the last few decades to make sure it was still viewable, and in 2019 it paid off. The Glen Ridge native was asked to audition for a role in “The Many Saints of Newark,” the prequel movie to the long-running […]
WEST ORANGE, NJ — The West Orange High School Marching Mountaineers took the top awards at the New Jersey Marching Band Directors Association competition on Sept. 25, held at Roxbury High School. The marching band did not compete last year due to the pandemic, and the Roxbury invitational marked its first return to competition in […]
NUTLEY, NJ — Many theaters shut down last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic — and some will never reopen their doors, unable to overcome the loss of ticket sales and production revenue. But the Nutley Little Theatre wasn’t one of them, and it is now launching its first season with live, in-person shows since the […]
FLORHAM PARK, NJ — The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is opening its Back Yard Stage in Florham Park again for the outdoor concert series “Autumn Night Music.” Three of STNJ’s most luminous alumni will bring music to the night air in three eclectic concerts. The festival seating is first-come, first-served and audience members are […]
ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Essex Photo Club is offering an opportunity to learn the ins and outs of zoo photography on Thursday, Oct. 7, at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom when John Scalera shares his tips and techniques of photographing animals at the zoo. A second meeting of the club to be held on Thursday, Oct. […]
WEST ORANGE, NJ — Luna Stage will launch its in-person 2021-2022 season with “The Frontera Project,” co-conceived by Ramon Verdugo and Jessica Bauman, performing Oct. 7 to 16 at multiple outdoor locations in Essex County, including Montclair’s Lackawanna Plaza, 294 Bloomfield Ave., from Oct. 7 to 10 and Luna Stage’s tented outdoor space at 555 […]