A Marvelous Night: The Music of Van Morrison
2015-10-24 20:00 - 23:00 (America/New_York) | Pollak Theatre
New Jersey’s favorite entertainers will take the stage to share the music of Van Morrison with their friends. Legendary front man Rob Paparozzi (Original Blues Brothers Band, Blood Sweat ‘n Tears) and Master Song Stylist Pat Guadagno (BobFest, The Candle Brothers) will lead an all-star band on a musical journey through the lifework of one of the most influential and unusual artists of our time. Last year’s capacity crowd was mesmerized by an eclectic selection of Morrison’s mystical compositions, performed by an ensemble of Jersey musical nobility that included Pam McCoy, Steven Delopoulos (Burlap to Cashmere) Irish Tenor Steve Reilly, Michael Ghegan (Michael Jackson Cirque de Soleil), John Korba, (Hall & Oates, Phoebe Snow, Roseanne Cash) Tom Labella, Joe Bellia & Jillian Reyes McCoy (John Bon Jovi’s Kings of Suburbia). The memorable evening was highlighted by a surprise visit from ‘the worlds most recorded drummer’ Bernard “Pretty” Purdie. The whole crew is back for a transcendental evening of genre defying music presented by Charles Moran and Christopher Neary to benefit Autism Speaks on what is sure to be A Marvelous Night ….. You will be healed!
A portion of the proceeds from A Marvelous Night will benefit Autism Speaks, the world’s leading autism science and advocacy organization. Learn more about Autism Speaks at www.autismspeaks.org

Bolshoi Ballet: Giselle
2015-10-25 15:00 - 18:00 | Pollak Theatre
Encore: Thurs. January 28, 2016

Music: Adolphe AdamChoreography: Yuri Grigorovich
The young peasant girl Giselle dies when she learns that the man she loves, Albrecht, has betrayed her. Against her own will, she joins the wilis, vengeful spirits who now turn against Albrecht and condemn him to dance until he dies of exhaustion. This treasure of romantic ballet is one of the oldest and greatest in classical repertoire, touching upon the great romantic themes: a doomed love affair ending in tragedy, a dive into fantasy and ultimate redemption through the power of love. The Bolshoi is renowned for its intimate and emotionally intense interpretation of this beloved drama.

Monmouth University Award for Communication Excellence (MACE) Award
2015-10-26 18:00 - 21:00
Presentation of this year’s Monmouth Award for Communication Excellence (MACE) will be to film producers/directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord. The event includes a discussion about their award-winning filmmaking techniques moderated by Monmouth University Professor Rob Scott.
A cocktail reception preceding the presentation will be held at 6 p.m. in the Gallery of Pollak Theatre.
The award presentation and program will be held in Pollak Theatre.
The program is free but registration will be required. For more information please contact Nicole Frame, Assistant Director of Conference Services and Special Events, at 732.571.3473 or nframe@monmouth.edu.
About the Honorees:
Phil Lord and Chris Miller are the prolific writing and directing duo behind some of today’s most successful films, including, The Lego Movie, 21 & 22 Jump Street and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. In 2014, the duo saw incredible success at the box office and were the only writers/directors with two films ranked among the top highest grossing features of the year. Up next for film, the duo will be directing the highly anticipated untitled Star Wars Anthology. Focusing on a young Han Solo, the feature is slated for a May 25, 2018 release date and will be written by Lawrence and Jon Kasdan.
For more information on this event, please visit the MACE Award web site.

Future of the Ocean Symposium & Champions of the Ocean Awards
2015-10-29 10:00 - 14:00 | The Great Hall -104
The Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute presents the 11th Annual Future of the Ocean Symposium and Champions of the Ocean Awards Luncheon on Thursday, October 29, 2015 at Wilson Hall. The theme of this year’s symposium is “A Revolution at Sea: Ocean Exploration, Technology & Discovery.”
The symposium will feature presentations by distinguished speakers: Dr. Sylvia Earle, National Geographic Society Explorer-in-Residence; and Terry Garcia, National Geographic Society Chief Science and Exploration Officer. Both will be honored as National Ocean Champions at the luncheon following the symposium.
The event will also recognize Regional Ocean Champions representing organizations that were instrumental in the preservation of 38,000 square miles of coral reefs from Long Island to Virginia.
The symposium is free and open to the public. Awards luncheon immediately following is $150 for members of the public.
For more information, please visit the Urban Coast Institute web site.

Trunk or Treat
2015-10-31 12:00 - 14:00 | Parking Lot #25
Hosted by the First Year Service Project, Trunk-or-Treat provides a safe and fun environment for community members and their children to trick-or-treat and enjoy some Halloween fun!
More than 25 of Monmouth’s student organizations have come together to host over 45 trunks for children to visit for trick-or-treating! The event will also include pumpkin painting, games, activities, and a contest for the Best Halloween Costume!
This event will take place in Parking Lot 25; guest parking is available in Lot 16.
For more information contact Katherine Browna at 732-571-3590 or kbrowna@monmouth.edu.

MET OPERA: Tannhäuser (Broadcast in HD)
2015-10-31 12:00 - 15:00 | Pollak Theatre
James Levine conducts Wagner’s early masterpiece in its first return to the Met stage in more than a decade. Today’s leading Wagnerian tenor Johan Botha takes on the daunting title role, opposite soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek as Elisabeth, adding another Wagner heroine to her Met repertoire after her acclaimed Sieglinde in the Ring a few seasons ago. On the heels of his recent triumph in Parsifal, baritone Peter Mattei sings Wolfram, and mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung is the love goddess, Venus.
Tickets on sale Friday, July 24.

Pine Hill Project with Lucy Kaplansky and Richard Shindell
2015-11-01 19:00 - 23:00 | Pollak Theatre
Lucy Kaplansky and Richard Shindell have been singing together for 25 years. And they’ve talked about making a record together for just as long. In summer 2014 an extraordinarily successful Kickstarter campaign raised the initial goal of $40,000 in 24 hours, going on to ultimately reach over $85,000, to bring that desire to fruition under the band name “The Pine Hill Project.” “Tomorrow You’re Going,” an Americana masterwork of great songs, gorgeous harmonies, and stunning production was released in 2015. The album is at turns meditative, joyful, rollicking, and deeply moving, and a one of a kind musical event. You don’t want to miss the opportunity to see and hear Richard and Lucy perform as “The Pine Hill Project” live in the perfect setting of Pollak Theatre.

Sylvia’s Children
2015-11-02 09:00 - 2015-12-12 19:00 | Pollak Gallery
Free and open to the Public
Opening Reception: November 5, 5:30-7:30 PM
Experience the village of Mbiriizi in Uganda, Africa. This exhibit tracks the progress of the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary School and its children over the last 12 years. It celebrates their lives through pictures, stories, crafts, batiks and artifacts. See the growth made possible through one woman’s determination to make a difference. The richness and beauty of the culture (as well as its poverty) is shared through audio clips from travelers who have visited and experienced the school. It is an exhibit of joy, of determination, of success, of life.

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe
2015-11-02 10:00 - 11:30 | Pollak Theatre
This enchanting musical is based on C.S. Lewis’ adventure story about four children of war-torn England, who accidentally enter the land of Narnia by climbing through a magic wardrobe. This strange and wondrous place is ruled by the cold-hearted White Witch, who makes the winter last year round. Although they seem unlikely saviors, the children fulfill an ancient prophecy by defeating the witch, thus restoring sunshine and peace to the spell-bound Narnia and returning the great Lion King Aslan to his throne.
(Approximately one hour in length, recommended for grades 1-7) Curriculum Connections: Literature-Based, Music, Visual Arts.

Anything Goes
2015-11-04 20:00 - 2015-11-15 18:00 | Lauren K. Woods Theatre
November 4, 5, 6, 7 (at 8 p.m.)
November 8 (at 3 p.m. – Sunday)
November 11, 12, 13, 14 (at 8 p.m.)
November 15 (at 3 p.m. – Sunday)
“In olden days, a glimpse of stocking was looked on as something shocking, now, heaven knows, ANYTHING GOES!” The classic American musical by Cole Porter will be the first musical presented in the fall semester at historic Woods Theatre by Monmouth University’s Department of Music and Theatre Arts. The show, which debuted in 1934, introduced such classic American standards as “You’re the Top”, “I Get A Kick Out of You”, and the title tune, “Anything Goes”. Proof of its popularity is the repeated revivals on Broadway, most recently in 2011 by the Roundabout Theatre Company in NYC.

On Screen In Person: Miriam Beerman: Expressing the Chaos
2015-11-05 19:00 - 22:00 | Pollak Theatre
In her more than 60 years as a groundbreaking artist, Miriam Beerman has overcome loss and tragedy to inspire friends, family, and fans about how to remain defiant, creative and strong. Miriam Beerman: Expressing the Chaos is the retrospective of a remarkable career and the profile of an artist whose personal demons and empathy for human suffering colored a lifetime of her work.
Jonathan Gruber is the executive producer of Black Eye Productions, where he has been producing and directing award winning documentaries, films, videos and interactive media since 1995. His work has aired on PBS, The History Channel, the National Geographic Channel, and Discovery Channels. He has worked extensively in historical subjects, including Alexander the Great, Leonardo da Vinci, and the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima. His first feature documentary, Pola’s March, aired on public television stations across the United States, and received a distinguished Crystal Heart Award from the Heartland Film Festival. His second feature documentary film, Life is a Banquet: The Rosalind Russell Story, premiered at film festivals around the U.S. and has aired on PBS stations and on ABC/Australia. He is currently screening two feature documentaries: Jewish Soldiers in Blue & Gray, a first-of-its-kind film on the Jewish experience during the Civil War, as well as the award-winning Follow Me: the Yoni Netanyahu Story. There will be a Q&A with director Jonathan Gruber following the screening.On Screen/In Person is made possible by Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Regional Touring Program.

Broadway’s Next H!t Musical
2015-11-06 20:00 - 23:00 | Pollak Theatre
Every song is fresh. Every scene is new. Every night is different. It’s all improvised and it’s all funny. The New York Times calls Broadway’s Next H!T Musical “Hilarious!” Time Out NY says “At last! A musical of, for, and by the people.”
The hilarious Broadway’s Next H!T Musical is the only unscripted theatrical awards show. Master improvisers gather made up, hit song suggestions from the audience and create a spontaneous evening of music, humor, and laughter. The audience votes for its favorite song and watches as the cast turns it into a full-blown improvised musical – complete with memorable characters, witty dialogue, and plot twists galore. BNHM has been seen recently at The Triad, Tribeca Film Festival, and at the New York Musical Theater Festival, among many others.
For more info:

http://www.broadwaysnexthitmusical.com/

Indian Ink’s The Elephant Wrestler
2015-11-07 20:00 - 23:00 | Pollak Theatre
“Generous spirited… I came out feeling rejuvenated as well as entertained” – Sydney Morning Herald
The contradictions of modern India with its iPhones and ancient gods come alive in this outrageously funny and heartbreakingly beautiful romantic thriller. A poor chaiwallah (tea seller) has his life changed forever when a young girl is abandoned at a busy railway station and brings the place to a standstill with the beauty of her singing. With a few well-chosen words, actor and playwright Jacob Rajan paints a rich visual tableaux full of arresting detail and displays a remarkable ability to dive into the emotional heart of an ever-changing parade of characters.
Indian
Ink Theatre Company has become one of New Zealand’s most successful touring theatre companies performing in every major New Zealand theatre and city since 1997. The company blends western theatrical traditions with eastern flavors and has been critically acclaimed for its use of live music, heightened theatricality, humor, pathos and great storytelling.
This engagement of Indian Ink Theatre Company is funded through the Mid Atlantic Tours program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information visit www.midatlanticarts.org

MET OPERA: Otello (Encore)
2015-11-08 13:00 - 16:00 | Pollak Theatre
Verdi’s masterful Otello matches Shakespeare’s play in tragic intensity. Director Bartlett Sher probes the Moor’s dramatic downfall with an outstanding cast: tenor Aleksandrs Antonenko plays the doomed Otello; new soprano star Sonya Yoncheva sings Desdemona, Otello’s innocent wife and victim; and baritone Željko Lučić plays the evil Iago, who masterminds Otello’s demise. Dynamic maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts.
Tickets on sale Friday, July 24

What Lies Beneath: Barnegat Bay
2015-11-10 09:30 | Magill Commons
The Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute will host a symposium exploring the results of a three-year comprehensive study of the health of Barnegat Bay on Tuesday, November 10, 2015. The event, titled “What Lies Beneath: Barnegat Bay,” will feature presentations by three groups of researchers who worked on the study.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) initiated the study to determine the sources and extent of environmental problems in the bay, and identify actions that could be taken to slow and ultimately reverse the bay’s decline. Ten independent research projects were launched to determine the bay’s needs, three of which will be presented at the symposium.
Members of the public are welcome to attend.
For more information, contact James Nickles at 732-263-5686 or jnickles@monmouth.edu.

The Wayne D. McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences Distinguished Speaker Series
2015-11-10 16:30 - 17:50 | The Great Hall Auditorium
In 2004, the first public exhumation of a mass grave in Andalucía, Spain took place in the province of Cádiz, bringing to light the buried history of repression under the Franco dictatorship. Professor Cate-Arries’ lecture focuses on the oral testimonies she has recorded with family members of the civilian victims who were “disappeared” by the regime in 1936. She examines how private mourning practices, personal objects of memory, and stories once told behind closed doors preserved a collective memory of the losers of a civil war who decades ago fought for the democratic ideals embraced by today’s Spain.

Dr. Rebecca Mercuri, “Digital Forensics at the Intersection of Public Policy and Civil Rights”
2015-11-10 19:00 - 21:00 | Bey Hall
Co-sponsored by Dept. of Computer Science & Software Engineering (CSSE) and the New Jersey Coast Section of IEEE
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
7 – 9 p.m.
Bey Hall 113 (Young Auditorium)
RSVP Information: Not required, though you may register at Technical Talk – Digital Forensics at the Intersection of Public Policy and Civil Rights.
This event will feature networking and refreshments, guest speaker, and Q & A.
Digital forensics is a rapidly expanding field where practitioners apply scientific techniques in order to investigate and draw conclusions about evidence, with the goal of presenting findings in courtroom settings. The manner in which the forensics expert is required to perform their work is greatly influenced by prior court rulings and government laws, both recent and older ones dating back to the Nation’s founding. Some public policy and civil rights issues related to computers and digital data will be explored using examples from the speaker’s casework, as well as newsworthy current events.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Dr. Rebecca Mercuri is the owner of Notable Software, Inc. where she provides digital forensics investigations and expert witness services for criminal and civil matters, along with computer security and certification compliance evaluations.
Education includes a B.S. in Computer Science from Penn State, M.S. in Computer Science from Drexel University, as well as an M.S. in Engineering and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. During 2003-2005 she was a fellow at Harvard University, performing research on computer security topics, and has testified to local, state and federal government agencies on the many inherent problems with electronic voting systems. Her sworn testimony in Bush v. Gore was cited in briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Dr. Mercuri’s publications include a book chapter on Digital Image Forensics, and numerous Security Watch and Inside Risks articles for the Communications of the ACM magazine, where she also served as a Contributing Editor. Rebecca has held leadership roles with the Association of Computing Machinery, the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and the Audio Engineering Society, and is a frequent presenter at conferences and events promoting STEM education. Current hobbies include guitar and vocal music, droning, 3D printing, and amateur/Ham radio.
For more information, please contact Rebecca Hanly, CSSE Secretary at x7501 or rhanly@monmouth.edu.

Colin Hay
2015-11-10 20:00 - 23:00 | Pollak Theatre
Colin Hay is familiar to millions as the frontman, songwriter, and vocalist of pop sensation Men at Work (Down Under, Overkill, Who Can it Be Now?). Hay is justifiably proud of his place in pop history, but since moving to Los Angeles in 1989, he’s made 11 critically-acclaimed solo albums, including the highly successful Man at Work, and has recently announced the release of his new album Next Year People. Next Year People is the work of an artist who is a true master of his craft. Over the past 15 years Hay has reinvented himself as a solo artist, regularly selling out theaters and listening rooms across the US and around the world and introducing himself to a new generation of fans in the process. The frequent use of Hay’s music in TV and film—including hit shows such as Scrubs, Army Wives and Modern Family and on soundtracks to the films Garden State and Words and Pictures—has proven the timeless appeal of his songs.
(presented by UMT Presents) **Please note discounts (Senior, Alumni, Student, Employee, etc.) DO NOT apply for this event **

World Cinema Series: El Norte
2015-11-11 19:30 - 23:59 | Pollak Theatre
Gregory Nava’s “El Norte” (1983) (R) Mayan Indian peasants escaping labor and a murderous Guatemalan government head to America in hopes for something better.

NJ MoCA Art Conversations: Secrets of the Contemporary Art World
2015-11-12 19:00 - 21:00 | The Great Hall Auditorium
The world of contemporary visual art is often intimidating, challenging, and seemingly unapproachable. To help break those perceptions and barriers, New Jersey Museum of Contemporary Art will present “Art Conversations,” a series of three scholar-led panel talks that will provide context and insight into what defines contemporary art, its transformational trends, and its relevance and impact on society. The highly credentialed and charismatic United Nations journalist Alexandra King will moderate conversations with art critics, collectors, curators, technology producers, and artists. The program will target new audiences comprised of the public, students, and informed art lovers wanting a richer understanding of these topics. The series will encourage public thought and discussion with an open Q&A at the end of each panel.
Secrets of the Contemporary Art World will focus on the insights into the nuances and impact of contemporary visual art on society and will feature the following panelists:
Stephen Westfall (b. 1953, Schenectady) is an artist and art critic who describes himself as a “Poppish, post-minimalist geometric painter.” He is a contributing editor to Art in America, and his writing has also appeared in Bomb Magazine and The Brooklyn Rail. Westfall is the recipient of the 2009 Rome Prize Fellowship and was a Guggenheim Fellow in 2007. He has received awards and grants from the National Academy of Arts & Letters, from the National Endowment for the Arts, from the New York State Council on the Arts, and from the Nancy Graves Foundation. He holds an MFA from the University of California Santa Barbara. He has held teaching positions at Bard College and at the School of Visual Arts, New York City. Westfall recently served as the Jules Guerin/John Armstrong Chaloner Rome Prize Fellow in Visual Arts at the American Academy. He has had shows at Lennon Weinberg Gallery, Galerie Zürcher, and at Galerie Paal. Westfall’s work is found in the collections of The Albertina Museum in Vienna, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Bon Marche, and the Library of Congress.
Isaac Lyles (b. 1982, Gadsden, AL) is the owner of Lyles & King located in New York’s Lower East Side. He has a B.A. in Art History from the University of Texas, Austin and a M.A. in Art History from the University of Illinois, Chicago. Prior of opening Lyles & King in May 2015, he was a gallery director at Derek Eller Gallery, Tilton Gallery, and Elizabeth Dee. Exhibitions Lyles curated have been reviewed by The New York Times, The New Yorker, Artforum, Modern Painters, The Wall Street Journal, and the Village Voice among others.
Art collector Steve Shane (New Jersey) visits thirty galleries in New York City, where he has an apartment, every Saturday. Sundays he goes to museums, or galleries outside of Manhattan. All of his vacations are scheduled around art events. He has barely missed a major international art fair in twenty years. He regularly sends out his art e-mails of his picks to over five hundred fellow enthusiasts. Shane prefers to term himself an “art lover” rather than as a collector, stating that his “collection is only a little side effect of my passion,” although he has amassed a collection of over five hundred works of contemporary art to date. Shane has never sold any of his collection, which will one day be bequeathed to different museums.
SERIES MODERATOR | ALEXANDRA KING
Alexandra King is a multimedia journalist living in New York City. Currently, Alex works as a Producer/Reporter at United Nations Television in New York. Alex began her career in journalism in her local BBC newsroom in her native England, aged 16. She studied English Literature at University College London, becoming News Editor of London Student (Europe’s largest student newspaper) where she was twice shortlisted for the prestigious Guardian student media awards. She also began interning and freelancing for local newspapers, as well as working for BBC London, Sky News and Five News. A Masters degree in Journalism at Columbia University in New York City followed. She has reported from four UN General Assembly Debates, interviewed numerous celebrities like Stevie Wonder, Pharrell Williams and Steve McQueen, and produced and reported from the field in Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda and Ethiopia. Her work has been featured on networks such as CNN International, MTV, NHK and Agence France Presse.

Madeleine Peyroux
2015-11-13 20:00 - 23:00 | Pollak Theatre
“The only thing that matters is the song,” says singer-songwriter Madeleine Peyroux. That conviction along with a ‘one of a kind’ voice, has carried the Jazz artist from busking on the streets of Paris, all the way to mainstream recognition. Through intensely distinctive renditions of old classics and modern tunes by the likes of Leonard Cohen and The Beatles, Peyroux has proved to be an uncannily insightful ‘interpreter’ with her consistently impeccable choice of material. Peyroux’s new album, The Blue Room, sees the genre-blending singer reworking some landmark musical gems, in a repeat collaboration with longtime Peyroux producer Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Walter Becker, Tracy Chapman, Herbie Hancock). The result is a sophisticated album that rather than just ‘crossing over’, seamlessly fuses musical styles together to create an entirely new sound.
The Blue Room started life as Klein’s re-examination of Ray Charles’s classic, Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music, but soon moved away from being strictly an homage to that album. “Madeleine and I decided to branch out to other songs we love,” explains Klein, so alongside tunes from the original ABC Paramount project such as “Bye Bye Love,” “Born To Lose,” “You Don’t Know Me” and the anthemic “I Can’t Stop Loving You” are Randy Newman’s “Guilty,” Warren Zevon’s “Desperadoes Under The Eaves” and John Hartford’s “Gentle On My Mind.” “Ray’s ‘cultural landmark’ album has always been a part of me,” says Larry Klein, “…the project naturally came to mind with Madeleine as a part of it.”
For The Blue Room Larry Klein has again called upon the talents of award-winning engineer/mixer Helik Hadar as well as stellar musicians Dean Parks, Larry Goldings, Jay Bellerose and David Piltch. To this ensemble however, the celebrated producer has added an inspired orchestral element in the shape of Vince Mendoza’s engaging string arrangements (Joni Mitchell, Robbie Williams, Björk and Elvis Costello). Mendoza’s masterful string orchestrations perfectly complement Madeleine’s quest for open musical exploration. The sometimes eerie, often sparse arrangements prove the perfect canvas for Peyroux’s musical palette and seem to effortlessly blend with her voice.
Peyroux has come a long way from the streets of Paris to the word’s grandest concert halls and collaborating with the some of the world’s finest musicians. Still, where other artists might rest on their laurels and bask in the glory of countless gushing reviews, Peyroux continues to fearlessly explore new territories. The charmingly humble artist who ‘didn’t have any expectation of becoming someone that could make a dent in the outside world.’ has done just that.
For more information visit: www.madeleinepeyroux.com
Video: https://vimeo.com/59662338

HUGH MASEKELA & LARRY WILLIS
2015-11-14 20:00 - 23:00 | Pollak Theatre
Hugh
Masekela, a world-renowned flugelhornist, trumpeter, bandleader, composer,
singer, and defiant political voice, combines his talents with powerhouse pianist
Larry Willis for a show of epic proportions. These two giants of the jazz world
put on a one-of-a-kind show together, after decades of cultivating careers
apart. Willis and Masekela met while they were both students at the Manhattan
School of Music some 50 years ago. After coming under the tutelage of Dizzy
Gillespie and Louis Armstrong, Masekela went on to carve out a five-decade-long
(and counting) career, releasing over 40 solo albums. His 1986 anti-apartheid
anthem “Bring Him Back Home (Nelson Mandela)” became a rallying call around the
world for Mandela’s release from prison. At the same time, Willis has performed
or recorded with almost every great jazz musician of the modern era, including
Dizzy Gillespie, Lee Morgan, Woody Shaw, Cannonball and Nat Adderley, and Stan
Getz. Don’t miss this rare chance to watch these two jazz legends (and dear
friends) perform together.

MET OPERA: Tannhäuser (Encore)
2015-11-15 13:00 - 16:00 | Pollak Theatre
James Levine conducts Wagner’s early masterpiece in its first return to the Met stage in more than a decade. Today’s leading Wagnerian tenor Johan Botha takes on the daunting title role, opposite soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek as Elisabeth, adding another Wagner heroine to her Met repertoire after her acclaimed Sieglinde in the Ring a few seasons ago. On the heels of his recent triumph in Parsifal, baritone Peter Mattei sings Wolfram, and mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung is the love goddess, Venus.

Tickets on sale Friday, July 24

Visiting Writer: Ed Hirsch
2015-11-17 16:30 - 18:00 | The Great Hall Auditorium
Edward Hirsch, a MacArthur Fellow, has published nine books of poems, including The Living Fire: New and Selected Poems (2010), which brings together thirty-five years of work, and Gabriel: A Poem (2014), a book-length elegy that The New Yorker called “a masterpiece of sorrow.” He has also written five prose books, among them A Poet’s Glossary (2014), a complete compendium of poetic terms, and How to Read a Poem and Fall in Love with Poetry (1999), a national bestseller. He has received numerous awards and fellowships, including the National Book Critics Circle Award, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award for Literature. He taught in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Houston for seventeen years. He now serves as president of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
More information: www.edwardhirsch.com

SOLD OUT - A Celebration of Bruce Springsteen's The River, The Ties That Bind Preview Screening
2015-11-17 19:30 - 23:00 | Pollak Theatre
Please note this event is SOLD OUT.
The Friends of the Bruce Springsteen Special Collection, along with Monmouth University Center for the Arts and Backstreets.com announce a special event to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the release of The River and the forthcoming release of The Ties That Bind: The River Collection box set.
The event will include a special guest appearance by Grammy- and Emmy-winning filmmaker Thom Zimny who will be introducing the film, as well as a big-screen preview presentation of Zimny’s new documentary The Ties That Bind, which focuses on the making of Bruce Springsteen’s fifth album, The River. The film contains rare photos and period concert footage, as well as commentary and solo acoustic guitar performances from Bruce. As an added bonus, Thom will also present a special one hour big-screen preview cut of the new Zimny-edited concert film Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: The River Tour, Tempe 1980. Both films will be included in the forthcoming box-set The Ties That Bind: The River Collection, which will be released worldwide on December 4, 2015.
A Celebration of Bruce Springsteen’s The River, The Ties That Bind Preview Screening will mark the New Jersey premiere of New Jersey native Thom Zimny’s The Ties That Bind documentary, as well as a unique extended preview of the Zimny-edited Tempe 1980 film. Bruce Springsteen: A Photographic Journey, a traveling photography exhibition curated by the GRAMMY Museum Los Angeles, features 45 iconic images of Bruce Springsteen. The exhibit serves to document a great American music legend, and will feature photos taken by noted Springsteen photographers Danny Clinch, Ed Gallucci, Eric Meola, Pamela Springsteen and Frank Stefanko will be on view in the Rechnitz Gallery before the film.
All proceeds from the film screening will benefit The Bruce Springsteen Special Collection at Monmouth University.

Festival of World Languages and Cultures
2015-11-18 11:30 | The Great Hall Auditorium
The Festival of World Languages and Cultures showcases the talents of students and faculty from the Department of World Languages and Cultures. Performances include poetry readings, singing, dancing, instrumental and acting productions all in the target language the students are studying. In addition, students create posters and cook authentic dishes from the target language country to serve to participants of the festival after the performances.
For more information, please contact Dr. Mirta Barrea-Marlys, Chair, Department of World Languages and Cultures, at 732-263-5390 or mbarrea@monmouth.edu.

ART NOW: Coco Fusco- Observations of Predation in Humans, A Lecture by Dr. Zira, Animal Psychologist
2015-11-18 16:30 - 19:00 | Pollak Theatre
The Chimp psychologist from Plant of the Apes is back! Zira travelled back in time to visit us 20 years ago and narrowly escaped death at the hands of the paranoid humans who could not tolerate the idea of other primates as equals. After living in seclusion for 20 years and conducting ethological studies of our species from her hideout, she has emerged in order to share her findings relating to aggressive behavior in members of the home genus. Her lecture is introduced by esteemed posthuman cultural theorist Donna Haraway and is followed by a question and answer session with human audience members. Dr. Zira draws on the cutting edge research in the fields of neuroscience, primatology and evolutionary biology to interpret the predatory activities of human beings in postindustrial societies around the world.
Coco Fusco is an interdisciplinary artist and writer and MIT’s MLK Visiting Scholar for 2014-2015. She is a recipient of a 2013 Guggenheim Fellowship, a 2013 Fulbright Fellowship, and a 2012 US Artists Fellowship among other prestigious awards, and her performances and videos have been presented in two Whitney Biennials, BAM’s Next Wave Festival, as well as numerous international Biennials and festivals. Her works have appeared at the Tate Liverpool, The Museum of Modern Art, The Walker Art Center and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona.   Fusco is the author of English is Broken Here: Notes on Cultural Fusion in the Americas (1995) and The Bodies that Were Not Ours and Other Writings (2001), and A Field Guide for Female Interrogators (2008). She is also the editor of Corpus Delecti: Performance Art of the Americas (1999) and Only Skin Deep: Changing Visions of the American Self (2003). She is currently working on a new book entitled Dangerous Moves: Performance and Politics in Cuba.   Fusco’s work combines electronic media and performance in a variety of formats, from staged multi-media performances incorporating large scale projections and closed circuit television to live performances streamed to the internet that invite audiences to chart the course of action through chat interaction.   Fusco received her B.A. in Semiotics from Brown University, her M.A. in Modern Thought and Literature from Stanford University, and her Ph.D. in Art and Visual Culture from Middlesex University.
More information on Coco Fusco here

December 2015 Senior Show
2015-11-20 09:00 - 2015-12-04 17:00 | Rotary Ice House Gallery
November 20 – December 4, 2015
Opening Reception: Friday, November 20 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Free and open to the public
Featuring the work of Monmouth University graduating seniors who will receive their degrees in Graphic Design, Animation or Fine Art.

One Last Waltz: A Celebration of the music and legacy of The Band.
2015-11-20 20:00 - 23:00 | Pollak Theatre
Glen Burtnik, Salvatore Boyd, Bob Burger & Arne Wendt, performing as The Band. Together they will be joined by local and national talent including Arlan Feiles, Kate Taylor, Bruce Gassman, Emily Grove, Remember Jones, Stringbean, Yuri Turchyn, Sonny Kenn, Ashley McKinley, Matt Wade, Puggy DeRosa, Fred Scribner and More! Recreating not only the music but the celebration, camaraderie and talent that took over the stage November 25 back in 1976.
The Band’s style of writing and music has influenced so many artists, bands and songwriters, from the Grateful Dead and The Beatles to Elvis Costello and Pink Floyd to our own local artists, throughout the years and continue to do so. This cast will bring you to your feet and take you back in time. A wise man once said it’s better to burn out than fade away, and on Thanksgiving Day of 1976, one of the best live acts of the rock era went out in a blaze of glory.
“The energy and spirit of the original show was absolutely present all night long”
Anthony D’Amato – soul vocalist and theatrical front-man
Produced by Sammy Boyd Productions
**PLEASE NOTE: Discounts (Senior, Alumni, Student, Employee, etc.) DO NOT apply for this event **

MET OPERA: Lulu (Broadcast in HD)
2015-11-21 12:30 - 16:30 | Pollak Theatre
Acclaimed artist and director William Kentridge (The Nose) applies his unique theatrical vision to Berg’s notorious femme fatale who shatters lives, including her own. Musically, the masterful score is in the sure hands of Met Music Director James Levine. Soprano Marlis Petersen has excited audiences around the world with her portrayal of the tour-de-force title role, a wild journey of love, obsession, and death. Susan Graham joins a winning cast, including Daniel Brenna and Johan Reuter.
Tickets on sale Friday, July 24.
