Center for the Arts

Candlelight Concerts

Coldplay vs. Imagine Dragons

Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations like never seen before in Long Branch. Get your tickets now to discover the music of Coldplay vs. Imagine Dragons at Pollak Theatre under the gentle glow of candlelight. The String Quartet has a tentative program that includes songs such as The Scientist, Viva la Vida, Radioactive, Believer, and more!

Art on Screen

Exhibition on Screen – Caravaggio

Five years in the making, EXHIBITION ON SCREEN’s Caravaggio is the most extensive film ever made about the revolutionary and controversial artist. Winning the audience choice award for Best Documentary at Chichester International Film Festival on its first screening, this film is set to take the art world by storm. From Milan and Rome to Naples and Malta, and with first-hand testimony from the artist himself on the eve of his mysterious disappearance, this beautiful new film reveals Caravaggio as never before.

Tuesday Night Record Club

Tom Petty, Damn the Torpedoes

It’s just like book club but with albums! With new advances in technology, the way we consume music through our devices, apps and on demand streaming services like Pandora, Spotify and iTunes is making the idea of the “album” as an art form extinct. Get together with other music enthusiasts on Tuesday nights to discuss some of the greatest records of all-time! Listen to the album beforehand and then come prepared to discuss. This event will feature Tom Petty, Damn the Torpedoes.

Free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Tuesday Night Book Club

James Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Join us for Tuesday Night Book Club! Hosted by Monmouth University’s Ken Womack, each month we’ll explore a different novel. All you have to do is Zoom in and join the discussion! This week’s book is A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce. Like much of James Joyce’s work, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is a fictional re-creation of the Irish writer’s own life and early environment. The experiences of the novel’s young hero, Stephen Dedalus, unfold in astonishingly vivid scenes that seem freshly recalled from life and provide a powerful portrait of the coming of age of a young man of unusual intelligence, sensitivity, and character.

Adult Education Series

Classic for a Reason: Radiohead’s OK, Computer

Join music historians Ken Womack & Kit O’Toole as they revisit classic record albums. With Classic for a Reason, Ken & Kit will take listeners on a guided tour of our history’s most enduring popular musical accomplishments.

Adult Education Series

’60s Girl Groups, Part II

Class Schedule: April 23, 28, & 30, 2026 | 7:30 – 9:00 PM
The early 1960s began the girl group renaissance, with prominent Brill Building songwriters and emerging producers such as Phil Spector crafting hits. Motown would further set the template, with Martha and the Vandellas, the Velvettes, and the Marvelettes inspiring even British Invasion groups.  Perhaps no one defined the girl group aesthetic like the Supremes, one of the most successful (and influential) acts of the 1960s.

Zoom Link will be provided upon registration.

Performing Arts Series

Roger McGuinn Music Lecture

Experience the magic of rock history with Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and The Byrds co-founder, Roger McGuinn, as he shares rare video, unforgettable stories, and the songs that defined a generation. McGuinn had toured and performed as a guitarist and banjo player with the Limeliters, the Chad Mitchell Trio, and Bobby Darin. He also served as musical director for Judy Collins #3. After the Byrds disbanded in 1973, McGuinn embarked on a solo career, releasing five albums with Columbia Records and continuing to tour.

This workshop entry is free with the purchase of a concert ticket. Please call the Box Office at 732-263-6889 to get your complimentary ticket. 

Candlelight Concerts

Tribute to Queen and The Beatles

Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations like never seen before. Get your tickets now to discover the music of Queen and The Beatles at Pollak Theatre under the gentle glow of candlelight. The String Quartet has a tentative program that includes songs such as Here Comes the Sun, Yesterday, I Want to Break Free, Bohemian Rhapsody, and more!

Candlelight Concerts

Coldplay vs. Imagine Dragons

Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations like never seen before in Long Branch. Get your tickets now to discover the music of Coldplay vs. Imagine Dragons at Pollak Theatre under the gentle glow of candlelight. The String Quartet has a tentative program that includes songs such as The Scientist, Viva la Vida, Radioactive, Believer, and more!

Performing Arts Series

Roger McGuinn

The legendary cofounder of The Byrds gives a solo performance of a lifetime. As an indisputable industry icon, he delivers the gift of an evening that is as intimate as it is spellbinding. Roger McGuinn continues to captivate audiences with performances that are as enchanting and powerful as ever. His shows offer a rare opportunity to spend an evening with a true master, blending intimacy with a sense of wonder. Through storytelling and song, he guides listeners on a journey filled with familiar classics and fresh discoveries from the folk tradition he holds dear. A Grammy Award-winning artist, McGuinn tours globally, sharing the music and memories of his enduring and ever-evolving career.

The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD

Eugene Onegin

Following her acclaimed 2024 company debut in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, soprano Asmik Grigorian returns to the Met as Tatiana, the lovestruck young heroine in this ardent operatic adaptation of Pushkin. Baritone Igor Golovatenko also stars as the urbane Onegin, who realizes his affection for her all too late.

 Tchaikovsky’s universally beloved melodic gifts are at their most powerful and multilayered in this opera, featuring rich ensembles, buoyant dance numbers, and some of the most striking vocal solos in the repertory.

Tuesday Night Record Club

David Bowie, Hunky Dory

It’s just like book club but with albums! With new advances in technology, the way we consume music through our devices, apps and on demand streaming services like Pandora, Spotify and iTunes is making the idea of the “album” as an art form extinct. Get together with other music enthusiasts on Tuesday nights to discuss some of the greatest records of all-time! Listen to the album beforehand and then come prepared to discuss. This event will feature David Bowie, Hunky Dory.

Free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Visiting Writers

Garden State Author Talks: Jack Carr

Join #1 New York Times bestselling author Jack Carr for the worldwide launch event of his new thriller THE FOURTH OPTION — live at Pollak Theatre on May 8. This one-night-only event takes place before the book even reaches stores. Secure your seat now. Premium & Standard tickets include a SIGNED copy of the book.

Art on Screen

Exhibition on Screen – Tokyo Stories

A beautifully illustrated and richly detailed film, looking at a city which has undergone constant destruction and renewal over its 400-year history, resulting in one of the most vibrant and interesting cities on the planet…

Based on a major exhibition at the Ashmolean in Oxford, Tokyo Stories spans 400 years of incredibly dynamic art – ranging from the delicate woodblock prints of Hokusai and Hiroshige, to Pop Art posters, contemporary photography, Manga, film, and brand-new artworks that were created on the streets.

Tuesday Night Book Club

Matt Haig, The Midnight Library

Join us for Tuesday Night Book Club! Hosted by Monmouth University’s Ken Womack, each month we’ll explore a different novel. All you have to do is Zoom in and join the discussion! This month’s novel is Matt Haig, The Midnight Library.

When you register you will be provided the meeting link to join the conversation.

Candlelight Concerts

Featuring Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and More

Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations like never seen before in Long Branch. This concert series was created with the intention of democratizing access to classical music, and the space and performers are illuminated by thousands of candles to create a truly magical experience. The String Quartet has a tentative program that includes works such as The Four Seasons and Thaïs: Méditation.

Candlelight Concerts

Tribute to Adele

Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations like never before. Fever Up’s concert series was created with the intention of democratizing access to classical music, and the space and performers are illuminated by thousands of candles to create a truly magical experience. The String Quartet has a tentative program that includes songs such as Hello, Rumour Has It, Set Fire to the Rain, Rolling in the Deep, and many more!

The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD

El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego

On May 30, the Metropolitan Opera’s 2025–26 Live in HD season comes to a close with a live
transmission of American composer Gabriela Lena Frank’s first opera, a magical-realist portrait of Mexico’s painterly power couple Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, with libretto by Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Nilo Cruz. Fashioned as a reversal of the Orpheus and Euridice myth, the story depicts Frida, sung by leading mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, leaving the underworld on the Day of the Dead and reuniting with Diego, portrayed by baritone Carlos Álvarez.

Art on Screen

Exhibition on Screen – John Singer Sargent: Fashion & Swagger

Step into the glittering world of fashion, scandal and shameless self-promotion that made John Singer Sargent the painter who defined an era.

Filmed at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Tate Britain, London, the exhibition reveals Sargent’s power to express distinctive personalities, power dynamics and gender identities during this fascinating period of cultural reinvention. Alongside 50 paintings by Sargent sit stunning items of clothing and accessories worn by his subjects, drawing the audience into the artist’s studio.