Events

WOMEN IN THE WORLD… A VISUAL PERSPECTIVE
2017-02-01 09:00 - 2017-03-24 19:00 (America/New_York) | Pollak Gallery
The Women In the World…A Visual Perspective, art exhibit ties into the theme for Women In Media – Newark’s 8th annual Women’s History Month Film Festival, and takes a broad look at the struggles and triumphs experienced by women globally. This exhibition, exquisitely curated by the renowned Gladys B. Grauer, uses the work of a socially and culturally diverse group of New Jersey based women artists to explore this seemingly simple topic. The images in this exhibit are not necessarily intended to be a literal interpretation of the theme, rather they often offer a metaphorical relationship to the theme. This inspiring exhibit is not to be missed!
Exhibiting Artists include: Sybil Archibald, Anonda Bell, Cathleen McCoy Bristol, Eleta Caldwell, Caren King Choi, Dominique Duroseau, Anne Dushanko Dobek, Adebunmi Gbadebo, Evelyn Graves, Donna Conklin King, Yolande Skeete-Laessig, Grace Graupe Pillard, Patricia Arias-Reynolds, Melissa Saenz, Danielle Scott, Armisey Smith, Nette Thomas, Toni Thomas, Shoshanna Weinberger, and Adrienne Wheeler.

Opening Reception: Feb. 10, 6:30-8:30 PM

National Theatre of London: Amadeus (Live in HD)
2017-02-02 19:00 - 22:00 | Pollak Theatre
Please Note the time of this screening has changed to 7:00 PM.
Music. Power. Jealousy. Lucian Msamati (Luther, Game of
Thrones, NT Live: The Comedy of Errors) plays Salieri in Peter
Shaffer’s iconic play, broadcast live from the National Theatre, and with live orchestral
accompaniment by Southbank Sinfonia. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a rowdy young
prodigy, arrives in Vienna, the music capital of the world – and he’s
determined to make a splash. Awestruck by his genius, court composer Antonio
Salieri has the power to promote his talent or destroy his name. Seized by
obsessive jealousy he begins a war with Mozart, with music, and ultimately,
with God. After winning multiple Olivier and Tony
Awards when it had its premiere at the National Theatre in 1979, Amadeus
was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film.

CANCELLED: NEXT STOP HARLEM! WITH THE MIMI JONES SEXTET
2017-02-04 20:00 - 23:00 | Pollak Theatre
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED
Featuring the Mimi Jones Sextet, this mini musical theater piece blends arranged music based on the Harlem Renaissance and Jazz from the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s with poetry and dialogue. Bassist/vocalist/ producer/label owner and now filmmaker Mimi Jones has reigned supreme, as a side woman to an impressive coterie of musicians and as a leader with her own Hot Tone Music record label. Mimi has toured extensively throughout the world and is recognized as a U.S. Jazz Ambassador. She has played with Kenny Barron, Frank Ocean, Dianne Reeves, Tia Fuller, Ingrid Jensen, Marc Cary, Toshi Reagon, Rachel Z, Terri Lyne Carrington’s Grammy Award winning Mosaic Project and more.
This event will include:Mimi Jones on Bass/ Voice/ DirectorArcoIris Sandoval on pianoRussell Carter on bassTim Vaughn on tromboneGabriel Murphy on alto saxNadje Nordhuis on trumpetJoseph Wiggins Dancer/Choreographer

TUESDAY NIGHT RECORD CLUB: Blondie's Parallel Lines
2017-02-07 19:30 - 21:00 | Lauren K. Woods Theatre
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 in Woods Theatre to discuss some of the greatest records of all-time! Listen to the album beforehand and then come prepared to discuss…there will be special guest moderators and panelists at each event!
This discussion will feature Blondie’s Parallel Lines. This event is free but registration is required.

Best of the Eagles
2017-02-11 20:00 - 23:00 | Pollak Theatre
BEST OF
THE EAGLES (BOTE) to perform HOTEL CALIFORNIA in its entirety!
The BEST OF THE EAGLES (BOTE) “The Eagles Tribute Band” was established in 2012 with veteran New Jersey musicians. BOTE plays the music of The Eagles, who have sold over 150 million albums worldwide, drawn from their entire career which includes the Joe Walsh years. At the upcoming 2+ hour Pollak show, BOTE will perform the Eagles mega-hit album Hotel California in it’s entirety as well as many more Eagles hits, nuggets and fan faves. The Hotel California album sold over 32 million copies worldwide and contained such classic Eagles songs as “New Kid In Town”, “Life In The Fast Lane”, “Victim of Love”, “The Last Resort” and of course “Hotel California”.
Gold Circle seating includes an after show meet and greet with refreshments.
(Please note this is a rental event and gift certificates and ticket vouchers are not valid on this event)

Met Opera Encore: Roméo et Juliette (Broadcast Live in HD)
2017-02-12 13:00 - 15:00 | Pollak Theatre
The
electrifying team of Vittorio Grigolo and Diana Damrau reunites for a new
production of Gounod’s opera based on the Shakespeare play. Damrau makes her
role debut as Juliette in Bartlett Sher’s new production, conducted by
Gianandrea Noseda. Elliot Madore sings Mercutio and Mikhail Petrenko sings
Frère Laurent. Sher’s staging is a La Scala production, initially presented by
the Salzburg Festival, where it premiered in 2008.

Run time: 3:30

On Screen/in Person: Hilleman - A Perilous Quest to Save the World's Children
2017-02-13 19:30 - 21:00 | Pollak Theatre
The Twentieth-Century was a dangerous time to be young. Before vaccines, there were a multitude of diseases that too often kept children from reaching even their teenage years. From the throws of that environment, Dr. Maurice Hilleman would emerge to lead a revolution in vaccine innovation and save many millions of young lives each year. But after being forced to retire at the height of his productivity in 1985, Hilleman watched as one company after another began to abandon vaccine research. When parents began choosing not to vaccinate their children in the 1990s the cruel irony became clear; Hilleman’s unprecedented successes had allowed us to forget just how devastating childhood diseases could be.
There will be a post screening Q&A with the director Donald Rayne Mitchell.
Run Time: 64 minutes
On Screen/In Person is a program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation made possible through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information on the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation visit http://www.midatlanticarts.org.

Walnut Street Theatre’s Last of the Red Hot Lovers
2017-02-16 19:30 - 21:30 | Pollak Theatre
America in the 1960s, an era that encouraged LOVE, was populated by “Mad Men” and “Mod Women” trying to navigate the new normal. In this freshly conceived production of Neil Simon’s classic, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, true comedy ensues when a modern man in the hip sixties looks for something new and different, but ends up finding himself in the same situation, again and again…and again!
Barney Cashman is middle-aged, married, overworked and overweight. It’s finally his turn to join the sexual revolution… before it’s too late. With no experience in covert maneuvers, he arranges three attempted trysts. His targets; a bawdy bundle of fun who likes smooth whiskey and other women’s husbands, a young actress too kooky for words, and a neurotic housewife who happens to be married to his best friend. And through all the mishaps and laughter, Barney begins to rediscover his humanity and what he thought was missing all along.
Last of the Red Hot Lovers had a lengthy run on Broadway and was made into a hit film starring Alan Arkin and Sally Kellerman.
Walnut Street Theatre, America’s Oldest Theatre, celebrated 200 years of great entertainment in 2009. Most noteworthy American actors of the 19th century and many from the 20th century have appeared on stage at the Walnut. Some of the Walnut’s shining stars include: Edwin Forrest, Edwin Booth, the Drews, the Barrymores, George M. Cohan, Will Rogers, The Marx Brothers, Helen Hayes, Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn, Marlon Brando, Jessica Tandy, Ethel Waters, Audrey Hepburn, Sidney Poitier, Lauren Bacall, George C. Scott, Jane Fonda, Robert Redford, Julie Harris, Jack Lemon, and William Shatner.
The theatre has been home to many pre-Broadway try-outs of plays that would go on to become American classics, such as A Streetcar Named Desire starring Marlon Brando, A Raisin in the Sun featuring Sydney Poitier, The Diary of Anne Frank featuring Susan Strasberg, Mister Roberts, starring Henry Fonda, and Neil Simon’s first Broadway play, Come Blow Your Horn.
The Walnut began its most recent incarnation as a self-producing, non-profit regional theatre when Bernard Havard took the helm in 1982, founding the Walnut Street Theatre Company with a vision of once again creating theatre in a space that is so steeped in the American theatre’s traditions and history. Today, you can experience the realization of that dream when you attend a live performance. With over 56,000 subscribers annually, Walnut Street Theatre is the most subscribed theatre company in the world. For additional information about Walnut Street Theatre: Visit WalnutStreetTheatre.org.
“Delightfully hilarious and witty, as well as filled with wisdom about human nature…an uproariously funny author. But he is far more than that. He has a mellow and compassionate understanding of how weak and essentially well meaning mankind behaves…a genuinely brilliant play.”- New York Post

Koresh Dance Company
2017-02-18 20:00 - 23:00 | Pollak Theatre
In its 25th year, Koresh Dance Company presents Classic KORESH, a selection of favorites drawn from the company’s quarter century of innovative work. These repertoire classics include interpretations of Classical compositions by Bach, Beethoven, and Ravel, from the rolling strains of “Moonlight Sonata” to the trumpeting processions of “Bolero.” Moments of tenderness and grace alternate with humor and brash force on this tour of highlights drawn from over 60 existing works by Artistic Director Ronen Koresh. As a unique feature of our anniversary program, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 will feature in a newly commissioned work, “23: Deconstructing Mozart,” a collaborative initiative driven by Koresh and multi-media artist Paul Miller, a.k.a. DJ Spooky. There will be a post show Q&A with members of the company.

Bolshoi Ballet: The Sleeping Beauty - Live in HD
2017-02-19 15:00 - 17:00 | Pollak Theatre
On her 16th birthday, a curse by the evil Carabosse causes the beautiful Princess Aurora to fall into a deep slumber for 100 years. Only the kiss of a prince could awaken her…

In this resplendent and magical classic, the Bolshoi dancers take us on a dream-like journey through this classic fairytale complete with jewel fairies, a magical kingdom, a youthful princess and a handsome prince in this purest style of classical ballet. The Bolshoi’s sumptuous staging with its luxurious sets and costumes gives life to Perrault’s fairy tale unlike any other. A must-see!
Run time: 2:50
Music Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreography Yuri Grigorovich
Libretto Ivan Vsevolozhsky and Marius Petipa (after Charles Perrault)

Art Now: Hasan Elahi - Tracking Transience - an Artist Talk
2017-02-21 16:30 - 18:00 | The Great Hall Auditorium
Free and Open to the Public
Hasan Elahi is an interdisciplinary artist working with issues in surveillance, privacy, migration, citizenship, technology, and the challenges of borders. An erroneous tip called into law enforcement authorities in 2002 subjected Elahi to an intensive investigation by the FBI and after undergoing months of interrogations, he was finally cleared of suspicions. After this harrowing experience, Elahi conceived “Tracking Transience” and opened just about every aspect of his life to the public. Predating the NSA’s PRISM surveillance program by half a decade, the project questions the consequences of living under constant surveillance and continuously generates databases of imagery that tracks the artist and his points of transit in real-time. Although
initially created for his FBI agent, the public can also monitor the artist’s communication records, banking transactions, and transportation logs along with various intelligence and government agencies who have been confirmed visiting his website.
Elahi’s work has been presented in numerous exhibitions at venues such as SITE Santa Fe, Centre Georges Pompidou, Sundance Film Festival, and at the Venice Biennale. Elahi has spoken to audiences as diverse as the Tate Modern, American Association of Artificial Intelligence, International Association of Privacy Professionals, TED Global, and the World Economic Forum. His work is frequently in the media and has appeared on Al Jazeera, Fox News, and on The Colbert Report. In addition to receiving a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2016, his awards include grants from the Creative Capital Foundation in 2006 and Art Matters Foundation in 2011. In 2014, he was Artist-in-Residence at Shangri-La/Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art and in 2009, Resident Faculty at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. He is currently Associate Professor of Art at University of Maryland, roughly equidistant from the CIA, FBI, and NSA headquarters.
See attached photo. Image credit: E. Brady Robinson

World Cinema Series: Coming Home
2017-02-21 19:30 - 21:00 | Pollak Theatre
World Cinema Series 2016-2017
“Breaking the Silence, Confronting the Past”
A global look at five filmmakers who defy repressive regimes and their “official line” to promote human freedom, historical truth, and social justice
“Coming Home” (Director: Zhang Yimou, China 2014)
Lu and Feng are a devoted couple forced to separate when Lu is arrested
and sent to a labor camp as a political prisoner during the Cultural
Revolution. He finally returns home only to find that his beloved wife
no longer remembers him. (1 hr 49 min) ** Please note the film has changed from Zhang Yimou’s To Live
Organized by the Office for Global Education
All synopses are based on IMdB website

Pirate School: The SCIENCE of Pirates!
2017-02-23 10:00 - 11:00, 2017-02-23 12:15 - 14:00 | Pollak Theatre
PIRATE
SCHOOL! Welcome aboard, mateys! Pirate School! is
in session. This is a madcap, slap-dash pirate training academy that
allows both youngsters and adults to discover their ‘inner-swashbuckler.’
Pirate School! is
a one-man, sea-faring vaudeville show that spoofs the Golden Age of Sail and
satisfies children’s universal curiosity about the briny buccaneers of yore.
Unlike any Science Comedy show on the
high-seas today, “Pirate School: The SCIENCE of Pirates!”
excites and motivates students grades K-5 with piratical fun while introducing
simple concepts outlined in the Next Generation Science Standards.
Historically, seafarers have pushed
science and technology forward and who better to captivate and expand
children’s horizons than the swaggering staff of Pirate School!? Concepts
addressed will include atmospheric pressure, wind and currents, aerodynamics of
a sailboat (Science), simple machines (Engineering), navigation (Math), and of
course the flight of a cannonball (Technology).
Combining important educational subjects
with the universal dream of swashbuckling adventure, this program aims to stir
the spirit and galvanize attention with a mischievous blend of interactive
clown theater, eccentric props, adept magic, a rich musical score, cartoon-like
sound effects AND SCIENCE! Recommended for grades K-5.

Sweet Honey in the Rock
2017-02-24 20:00 - 23:00 | Pollak Theatre
With a new album #LoveInEvolution released early this year, Grammy Award-winning female African-American a cappella group founded by Bernice Johnson Reagon in 1973, endlessly continues to evolve and cultivate the rich textures of African American musical traditions. Currently consisting of members Carol Maillard, Louise Robinson, Nitanju Bolade Casel, Aisha Kahlil, ASL interpreter Shirley Childress, and featured musician Romeir Mendez on upright acoustic bass and electric bass, the group possesses a stunning vocal prowess that captures the complex sounds of blues, spirituals, traditional gospel hymns, rap, reggae, African chants, hip hop, ancient lullabies, and jazz improvisation. The group’s collective voice, often accompanied by hand percussion instruments and bass, produces a sound filled with soulful harmonies and intricate rhythms. Sign Language Interpretation is provided for this event

Met Opera: Rusalka (Broadcast Live in HD)
2017-02-25 13:00 - 15:00 | Pollak Theatre
Kristine
Opolais stars in a new production of the opera that first won her international
acclaim, Dvořák’s fairy-tale opera about the tragic water nymph Rusalka. Sir
Mark Elder conducts Mary Zimmerman’s new staging, which also stars Brandon
Jovanovich as the human prince who captures Rusalka’s heart; Katarina Dalayman
as Rusalka’s rival, the Foreign Princess; Eric Owens as the Water Sprite,
Rusalka’s father; and Jamie Barton as the duplicitous witch Ježibaba.

Run Time: 4:05

Encore: Sunday, March 5,
2017 at 1 pm

Shore Conference Basketball Finals
2017-02-25 14:00 - 21:00 | OceanFirst Bank Center
2:00pm: Box Office Opens
4:30pm: Doors Open
5:30pm: Girls Game – St. John Vianney High School vs. St. Rose High School
7:30pm: Boys Game – Marlboro High School vs. Mater Dei Prep

$6.00 General Admission – CASH ONLY
10 Ticket Limit Per Person

Dancing at Lughnasa
2017-03-01 - 2017-03-05 | Lauren K. Woods Theatre
March 1-5All shows 8 PM
except Sun. matinees at 3 PM
Dancing at
Lughnasa is by Brian Friel, one of Ireland’s finest playwrights. Set in the
summer of 1936, during the Celtic harvest festival Lughnasa, the play is told
through the memories of Michael, recalling those days of growing up in the
northwest county of Donegal with his mother, her three sisters, and an uncle
priest recently returned from his missionary days in Africa. The play won Best
Play awards from both the Olivier Award in Great Britain and the Tony Award in
the US.

Celebrate Social Work Month!
2017-03-01 - 2017-03-31

National Theatre of London: St. Joan (Live in HD)
2017-03-01 19:30 - 22:00 | Pollak Theatre
Gemma Arterton
is Joan of Arc, broadcast live from the Donmar Warehouse. Bernard Shaw’s
classic play follows the life and trial of a young country girl who declares a
bloody mission to drive the English from France. As one of the first
Protestants and nationalists, she threatens the very fabric of the feudal
society and the Catholic Church across Europe. Josie Rourke (Coriolanus, Les Liaisons Dangereuses) directs Gemma Arterton (Gemma Bovery,
Nell Gwynn, Made in Dagenham) as Joan of Arc in this electrifying
production.

Another Night of Acapella Harmony: Doo Wop Explosion II
2017-03-04 19:00 - 22:00 | Pollak Theatre
Our celebration of doo wop acappella harmony at the Pollak Theatre is back by popular demand. Born on the street corners of urban America, rhythm & blues and doo wop singing reached its peak in the 1950’s, but still has a strong following today. While doo wop singing began as an African American art form, by the late 1950’s it was enjoyed by singers of all races. Doo wop harmony in its purist form is acappella (without instruments or musical tracks).
We’ve again assembled some of the top acappella doo wop vocal groups from NYC to Washington DC. Headlining the concert will be R&B and Doo Wop favorites, Pookie Hudson’s Spaniels along with Vito & the Salutations. The Spaniels are known for the 1956 million seller, “Goodnight Sweetheart Goodnight,” a song that defined the whole doo wop era. The current group backed lead singer Pookie Hudson before his passing in 2006 and continues the Spaniels’ tradition of superb doo wop harmony. Originating on the streets of Brooklyn, Vito & the Salutations scored regional hits in the early 1960’s with their recordings of “Gloria,” “Unchained Melody” and “Your Way”. Rick Anthony has been handling most of the group’s leads for the past 15 years, as the original Vito is no longer with them. The group also contains long time member, Shelly Buchansky, who sang on “Unchained Melody” and many of their other hits. While both Pookie Hudson’s Spaniels and Vito & the Salutations almost always sing with bands, we’ve persuaded both to do this concert acappella, harking back to their early days singing on the street corners. Returning from our last acappella concert are two of the groups that excel every time they perform. The Philadelphia acappella group Quiet Storm remains one of the areas’ top vocal groups. Re-MemberThen did a fabulous job last time, on their own set and backing Larry Chance. New to the concert this year are A Perfect Blend and the Copians. A Perfect Blend is a great acappella group from Philadelphia who have been singing since 1990, and had previously won the talent contest on the nationally syndicated “Showtime At The Apollo” TV show. The Copians are made up of former members of other standout Philly acappella groups. Enjoy another night of Doo Wop Acappella Harmony.
[This line up is subject to change]
A “Meet & Greet” Reception will be held prior to the concert for those holding Golden Seat Tickets.

Met Opera Encore: Rusalka (Broadcast Live in HD)
2017-03-05 13:00 - 15:00 | Pollak Theatre
Kristine
Opolais stars in a new production of the opera that first won her international
acclaim, Dvořák’s fairy-tale opera about the tragic water nymph Rusalka. Sir
Mark Elder conducts Mary Zimmerman’s new staging, which also stars Brandon
Jovanovich as the human prince who captures Rusalka’s heart; Katarina Dalayman
as Rusalka’s rival, the Foreign Princess; Eric Owens as the Water Sprite,
Rusalka’s father; and Jamie Barton as the duplicitous witch Ježibaba.
Run Time: 4:05

On Screen/in Person: Real Boy
2017-03-06 19:30 - 21:00 | Pollak Theatre
REAL
BOY
is the coming-of-age story of Bennett Wallace, a transgender teenager on a
journey to find his voice as a musician, a friend, a son, and a man. Navigating
the ups and downs of young adulthood, he works to gain the support of his
mother, who has deep misgivings about her child’s transition. As tension mounts
at home, Bennett is taken in by his idol, Joe Stevens, the lead singer of the
alt-Americana band, Coyote Grace. Exploring how our search for personal
identity also involves those closest to us, REAL
BOY is a nuanced look at the new American family and the people we turn to
when our given families are unavailable.

There will be a post screening Q&A with the director Shaleece
Haas.
1 hour 12 minutes
On
Screen/In Person is a program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation made
possible through the generous support of the National Endowment for the
Arts. For more information on the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation visit http://www.midatlanticarts.org.

Visiting Writers: Liz Moore
2017-03-07 16:30 - 18:00 | The Great Hall Auditorium
Liz Moore is a writer of fiction and creative nonfiction. Her first novel, The Words of Every Song (Broadway Books, 2007), centers on a fictional record company in New York City just after the turn of the millennium. It draws partly on Liz’s own experiences as a musician. It was selected for Borders’ Original Voices program and was given a starred review by Kirkus.Roddy Doyle wrote of it, “This is a remarkable novel, elegant, wise, and beautifully constructed. I loved the book.”  After the publication of her debut novel, Liz obtained her MFA in Fiction from Hunter College. In 2009, she was awarded the University of Pennsylvania’s ArtsEdge residency and moved to Philadelphia, where she still lives. She is now an Assistant Professor of Writing at Holy Family University.  Her second novel, Heft, was published by W.W. Norton in January 2012 to popular and critical acclaim. Of Heft, The New Yorker wrote, “Moore’s characters are lovingly drawn…a truly original voice”; The San Francisco Chronicle wrote, “Few novelists of recent memory have put our bleak isolation into words as clearly as Liz Moore does in her new novel”; and editor Sara Nelson wrote in O, The Oprah Magazine, “Beautiful…Stunningly sad and heroically hopeful.” The novel was published in five countries, was long-listed for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, and was included on several “Best of 2012” lists, including those of NPR and the Apple iBookstore.  Moore’s short fiction and creative nonfiction have appeared in venues such as Tin House, The New York Times, and Narrative Magazine. She is the winner of the Medici Book Club Prize and Philadelphia’s Athenaeum Literary Award. After winning a 2014 Rome Prize in Literature, she spent 2014-15 at the American Academy in Rome, completing her third novel.
That novel, The Unseen World, is forthcoming from W.W. Norton. in July 2016.

The Mitzvah
2017-03-09 16:00 - 18:00 | The Great Hall Auditorium
The Mitzvah (“The Good Deed”) is a one-person play that dramatically explores one of the most shocking stories of the Second World War. More than a hundred thousand German men — classified as “mischlinge” (the derogatory term the Nazis used to describe those descended from one or two Jewish grandparents) — fought in the German armed forces. After the play there will be a post-performance lecture and audience discussion led by Grunwald.
The story of one such mischling is at the center of The Mitzvah and actor (and child of survivor) Roger Grunwald seamlessly transforms himself into an array of characters to tell that story. In addition to Christoph (the “mischling”), other characters include Schmuel, a Polish Jew from Bialystok and the play’s Chorus who offers edgy commentary that probes the boundary between the absurd and the horrific. The Mitzvah is a touching and tragic tale told in a powerful one-act solo performance created by Grunwald and Broadway veteran Annie McGreevey.
The Mitzvah adds to the historical narratives about The Holocaust at a time when few survivors remain to tell their stories to younger generations and was inspired by the lives of Grunwald’s mother and aunt, survivors of Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, respectively. It premiered at the Emerging Artists Theatre’s “Illuminating Artists: One Man Talking” festival in New York City and is currently being presented in theaters, universities and Jewish organizations around the country.
Through one soldier’s story, The Mitzvah reveals the startling history of tens of thousands of “partial Jews” who served in Hitler’s military, most of whom were discharged in 1940. Nearly all were sent to forced labor camps — or worse. However, a few thousand who had an “Aryan appearance” and who were deemed by the Reich to be “valuable to the war effort,” were exempted from the Nazi race laws. A “Declaration of German Blood” (a Deutschblütigkeitserklärung) — signed by Hitler himself — allowed these select few thousand mischlinge to fight for the Nazi cause. Most died in battle.
“… The Mitzvah is an important piece of cultural discourse as well as a marvelous piece of theater… by a gifted and versatile playwright and performer.”
– Rabbi Shalom M. Paltiel, Chabad of Port Washington

Caladh Nua
2017-03-09 19:30 - 21:30 | Pollak Theatre
Caladh Nua is a tightly-knit, vibrant and staggeringly talented band with its origins deeply rooted in the Southern counties of Ireland. Comprised of five versatile musicians and singers playing a wide selection of instruments – from banjo to fiddle, guitar to bodhran and tin whistle to button accordion – the band has captured the essential qualities of traditional Irish music and balanced them finely with an innovative contemporary flair.
Through a series of international tours and festivals across the globe, which saw the band take the stage in cities such as Paris, Vienna, Copenhagen, Berlin, Mumbai and Vancouver, Caladh Nua has cast a uniquely captivating net of Irish music and song over an ever widening worldwide audience.
A long list of TV and radio broadcasts of their performances and two acclaimed recordings includes American Public Radio, the BBC, and RTE. Performing a vast repertoire of haunting songs and evocative Irish tunes, Caladh Nua is a young ensemble on the rise.

Met Opera: La Traviata (Broadcast Live in HD)
2017-03-11 13:00 - 15:00 | Pollak Theatre
Sonya Yoncheva
brings her acclaimed interpretation of the doomed courtesan Violetta Valéry to
Live in HD audiences for the first time, opposite rising American tenor Michael
Fabiano as her lover, Alfredo. Thomas Hampson sings one of his most acclaimed
Met roles as Giorgio Germont, Alfredo’s disapproving father, in a revival of
Willy Decker’s staging conducted by San Francisco Opera Music Director Nicola
Luisotti.

Run Time: 2:55
Encore: Sunday, March 19,
2017 at 1 pm

SONGWRITERS BY THE SEA
2017-03-18 20:00 - 23:00 | Lauren K. Woods Theatre
Distinguished NJ Songwriters
Joe Rapolla and Joe D’Urso are back this year hosting the celebrated Songwriters by
the Sea series at the Lauren K. Woods Theatre. What once started in a small
coffee shop as an area for local songwriters has now grown into a series that
features some of the top songwriters in the country. This year, the show features

James Maddock, a fixture on the Folk and Americana scene and expatriate Irish writer and musician Larry Kirwan.
An April 2014 review in Relix Magazine puts it this way: “James Maddock possesses the kind of lived-in craggy voice that would sound authoritative if he were singing the sports pages. Fortunately, he doesn’t need to do that because his compositional skills are a match for his delivery.” After fronting the Columbia Records band Wood, whose debut Songs From Stamford Hill was featured prominently on TV shows such as “Dawson’s Creek,” Maddock moved from England to New York City in 2003. His 2009 album Sunrise On Avenue C won a New York Music Award for Best Americana Album, while follow-up Wake Up And Dream ranked among the top albums of 2011 in WFUV’s (NYC) Listener Poll. He has performed with Bruce Springsteen, Willie Nile, Aaron Comess (Spin Doctors) and David Immergluck (Counting Crows).
Larry Kirwan
(born in Wexford, Ireland) is an expatriate Irish writer and musician, most
noted as the lead singer for the New York-based Irish rock band, Black 47 Kirwan has also written
and produced eleven plays and musicals, some of which have been performed in
the United States and Europe. The plays deal mainly with Irish history and
politics.
Monmouth University Blue Hawk Records’ artists Julia Whary, Nicole Govel, and guest Isabella Rose, will open the show.Sponsored by the Leon Hess Business School and Business Council

Met Opera Encore: La Traviata (Broadcast Live in HD)
2017-03-19 13:00 - 15:00 | Pollak Theatre
Sonya Yoncheva brings her acclaimed interpretation of the doomed courtesan Violetta Valéry to Live in HD audiences for the first time, opposite rising American tenor Michael Fabiano as her lover, Alfredo. Thomas Hampson sings one of his most acclaimed Met roles as Giorgio Germont, Alfredo’s disapproving father, in a revival of Willy Decker’s staging conducted by San Francisco Opera Music Director Nicola Luisotti.
Run Time: 2:55

TUESDAY NIGHT RECORD CLUB: THE BEATLES' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
2017-03-21 19:30 - 21:00 | Lauren K. Woods Theatre
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 in Woods Theatre to discuss some of the greatest records of all-time! Listen to the album beforehand and then come prepared to discuss…there will be special guest moderators and panelists at each event!
This discussion will feature THE BEATLES’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. This event is free but registration is required.
