David Newman, left, and Sebastian Knauer.
Here is a roundup of major arts events taking place around New Jersey, through Jan. 10. (NOTE: I am assuming that virtually everyone reading this already has plans for New Year’s Eve, or has no intention of going out. For anyone looking for a roundup of New Year’s Eve events, though, click HERE.)
MUSIC
• Pianist Sebastian Knauer will perform with the New Jersey Symphony, conducted by David Newman, at the 8 p.m. Jan. 3 “Hollywood in Jersey” concert at Prudential Hall at NJPAC in Newark. Music from films such as “How the West Was Won,” “The Greatest Story Ever Told,” “A Beautiful Mind,” “Spartacus” and “The Robe” will be performed.
David Newman has written music for dozens of films, and has been nominated for an Oscar, for his work on 1997’s “Anastasia.” More recent projects include conducting the orchestra for the music heard in “The Wizard of Oz” shows at The Sphere in Las Vegas; doing arrangements and adaptations for Steven Spielberg’s 2021 remake of “West Side Story”; and writing music for movies such as “Girls Trip,” “Monster-in-Law” and “The Spy Next Door.”
• The Light of Day WinterFest will take place in various locations from Jan. 4 to Jan. 24. Most of the shows will be in New Jersey, but the first one, Jan. 4 at 4 p.m., will be at The Turning Point in Piermont, New York, with Joe D’Urso hosting a “Young Songwriters Showcase” show featuring Evan Rotella, Jake Thistle, Allie Kenny and Lula Pilar.
• The Pattenburg House in Asbury (Warren County) will host a tribute to singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt, New Year’s Day at 3 p.m. Performers will include Dixie Lee & the Tokin Two, Mance Robinson, Famous Ray and co-hosts Joe Cassady and Brian Molnar.
Van Zandt, whose songs included “Pancho and Lefty,” “If I Needed You,” “Waitin’ Round to Die”, and “To Live’s to Fly,” died on New Year’s Day, 1997, at the age of 52.
RANDALL GOOSBY
• Violinist Randall Goosby will perform Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto with New Jersey Symphony, conducted by Xian Zhang, at The State Theatre in New Brunswick, Jan. 8 at 7 p.m.; Richardson Auditorium at Princeton University, Jan. 9 at 7:30 p.m.; Prudential Hall at NJPAC in Newark, Jan. 10 at 7:30 p.m.; and The Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown, Jan. 11 at 2 p.m. The program also will include Jean Sibelius’ Finlandia; and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.2, “Ukrainian.”
• The Wonder Bar in Asbury Park will present a “Rock for Hunger” benefit for Fulfill (formerly known as The FoodBank of Monmouth & Ocean Counties), Jan. 10 at 7 p.m., with The Billy Walton Band, Sharon Lasher & the Flashers (with JT Bowen), Anthony Krizan, Eric Mason Band, Johnny Kasun, and Mother Hubbard. Canned and non-perishable food can be dropped off at the show, for donation.
Note: This show was postponed from Dec. 26 because of inclement weather; tickets for that date will be honored.
FAMILY
• Chris Funk will present “Redefining Wonder” — a comedy and magic show, with live music — at The Sitnik Theatre at The Lackland Performing Arts Center in Hackettstown, Jan. 8 at 7 p.m., to kick off the Centenary Stage Company‘s 2026 Winter Thaw Music Festival.
Check out a video of him in action, below.
Melanka Coppola’s “Take These Seeds, Put Them In Your Pocket.”
VISUAL ARTS
• Works by Nathalie Halbout, Elena Samarsky and Melanka Coppola will be featured in “The Nightingale Sings: Ukrainian Artists in New Jersey,” an exhibition that will open at The Art Alliance of Monmouth County in Red Bank on Jan. 10 and run through Feb. 3. An artists’ reception and panel discussion will take place Jan. 10 at 6 p.m.
“Each January, the Art Alliance mounts an invitational exhibition designed to amplify the voice of an under-recognized artistic group,” said curator Eileen Kennedy, in a press release. “As the war in Ukraine continues, we wanted to shine a light on artists here in New Jersey who may be impacted.”
THEATER
• Bergen County Players will present the late Edward Albee’s absurdist comedy “Seascape” — two of whose characters are human-sized, talking lizards — at The Little Firehouse Theatre in Oradell, Jan. 10 and 16-17 at 8 p.m., and Jan. 11 and 18 at 2 p.m. The play was first performed in 1975, and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
The Jan. 16 performance will be followed by a talk with cast members and Jakob Holder, who was Albee’s personal assistant and is now executive director of the Edward F. Albee Foundation.
FILM
• As part of the monthly Film Noir series at The Barrymore Film Center in Fort Lee, the 1950 Humphrey Bogart movie “In a Lonely Place” can be seen, Jan. 4 at 4:30 p.m., with an introduction by Foster Hirsch, whose books include “Film Noir: The Dark Side of the Screen.”
KEVIN SMITH
OTHERS
• At SMAuction — a benefit for his SModcastle Cinemas in Atlantic Highlands — director, screenwriter and actor Kevin Smith will auction off memorabilia related to his films (including “Clerks,” “Jersey Girl,” “Mallrats,” “Dogma” and “Chasing Amy”) at the theater itself, Jan. 3 at 2 p.m., with Smith serving as the head caller. There will be online bidding as well, beginning at 11 a.m. that day, and a live preview in Atlantic Highlands at 1 p.m.
REVIEWS
“Tom Nussbaum: But Wait, There’s More!” at Montclair Art Museum. (Through Jan. 4)
“Disney’s Frozen” at Paper Mill Playhouse, Millburn. (Through Jan. 11)
“Jake Troyli: Fine Line” at Project for Empty Space, Newark. (Through Jan. 18)
“Morven Revealed: Untold Stories From New Jersey’s Most Historic Home” at Morven Museum & Garden, Princeton. (Through March 1)
“Salvador Jiménez-Flores: Raíces & Resistencias” at Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton. (Through Aug. 1, 2027)
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