LunaPalooza! Union County PAC and city of Rahway will present a Festival of the Moon in October

by JAY LUSTIG
MOON RAhway

RYAN JOHNSTON

A band performs under the Museum of the Moon installation at The Burns & Beyond Festival in Edinburgh in 2019.

Luke Jerram’s 23-foot Museum of the Moon installation will hover inside the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway from Oct. 4 to Oct. 20 as the centerpiece of Rahway’s Festival of the Moon.

According to a press release, Museum of the Moon “features detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface. Every inch measured on the spherical sculpture represents an actual distance of almost 8 miles of the moon’s surface. The installation is a fusion of lunar imagery, moonlight and surround sound composition created by award winning composer Dan Jones.” (see video below)

Museum of the Moon has been exhibited in many cities all over the world since 2016. This will be its first time in New Jersey.

Here are the events that will be presented as part of The Festival of the Moon. All are at The Union County Performing Arts Center’s main stage, unless otherwise noted.

GREGORY D. McDANIEL

Oct. 4, 7 p.m.: New Jersey Symphony’s “Moonrise: A Celestial Celebration” with Gregory D. McDaniel, conductor. Program will include Claude Debussy’s Claire de Lune; Jessie Montgomery’s Starburst; Glenn Miller’s Moonlight Serenade; music from “Moonstruck” and “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.”

Oct. 4, 6-9 p.m.: Moonlit Market in Downtown Rahway with arts and crafts vendors, DJ music and more.

Oct. 5, 3 p.m.: Screening of “Sing,” the 2016 animated film whose main character is named Buster Moon. Karoake will be offered in the UCPAC cafe.

Oct. 7-8, 10 a.m.-noon. Free guided tours for seniors (55 and older) of Museum of the Moon.

Oct. 7-8, 4-7:30 p.m.: Opportunity to see Museum of the Moon for free, with timed entry.

Oct. 10, 7 p.m.: “Dance · Moon.” Classical and ethnic dances, presented by the Chinese Culture and Arts Association.

Oct. 11, 8 p.m.: Heroes for Ghosts, Pink Floyd tribute. I assume the show will include at least some of Pink Floyd’s classic The Dark Side of the Moon album.

Oct. 12, 2 p.m.: “Ada Twist, Scientist & Friends,” presented by TheaterWorksUSA. A musical based on the Andrea Beaty’s books “Rosie Revere, Engineer,” “Iggy Peck, Architect” and “Ada Twist, Scientist.” With a free Earth Science craft activity at 1 p.m. and a free Moon Festival coloring book available to children.

Oct. 17, 7 p.m.: American Repertory Ballet. Program includes the second act of “Swan Lake” and Lar Lubovitch’s “Something About Night.”

KIMBERLY M. WANG

HELEN CHA-PYO

Oct. 18, 7 p.m.: Wharton Arts’ New Jersey Youth Symphony. Helen Cha-Pyo, conductor. “Lunar Rising: A Symphony in Light and Sound,” featuring works by Debussy, Dvořák, Nishimura, Uematsu and Holst.

Oct. 19, 2 p.m.: Dvořák’s “Rusalka,” presented by New Jersey Opera Theater, directed by Joseph Mayon. Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” and featuring the aria “Song to the Moon.”

Oct. 20, 10 a.m. and noon: “Goodnight, Moon: Tales for Tiny Astronauts.” Children’s books, read by local actors, elected officials and other community leaders.

A pre-festival event, “Flight Night: Fly Me to the Moon,” will also be presented on Oct. 3, with details to be announced. And an event will be presented by UCPAC’s seniors organization Legacy Arts Club, Oct. 8 at noon at UCPAC’s Hamilton Stage, with details to be announced.

According to the press release, “Rahway businesses will also take part in the celebration of the moon through business specials, menus, and unique events.”

For information and updates, visit rahwaymoonfest.com.


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