Close Close

  • Lakota Sioux Dance Theatre

    Experience Native American culture through authentic dance, music and ceremony when the Lakota Sioux Dance Theatre performs Ċokata Upō! Ċokata Upō! – Come to the Center is the story of the birth, death and rebirth of a nation. The performance represents an experience the New York Times describes as a “…great sense of theatricality…a visual treat…more than a spectacle…A ritual celebration that made dancing a ceremonial act.” This three-part work celebrates the culture of the Lakota people. Set against a backdrop of spectacular video imagery and accompanied by live traditional, sacred, and courting songs, narratives and creation stories are woven into the fabric of the performance. Under the direction of choreographer Henry Smith, the company includes some of the most highly acclaimed championship performers of the Sioux Nation.

  • A Marvelous Night: The Music of Van Morrison

    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

  • Madeleine Peyroux

    “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

    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.

  • Ethel with Robert Mirabal

    Continuing a deeply successful six-year collaboration inspired by ceremonies dedicated to the Sun, ETHEL and Robert Mirabal, Native American musician, instrument builder and three time GRAMMY® Award winner present their next evolution of the cross-cultural concert experience. The inspiration this time is Water as the embodiment of Spirit, and its essential role in Life on Earth. The audience is immersed in a flow of music, narrative, and ritual, that evokes timeless Native American traditions through contemporary musical artistry. As delivered by these master performers, the effect is breathtaking, even ecstatic. To complement the music created by ETHEL and Mirabal exclusively for this program, ETHEL will also perform part of Gabriela Lena Frank’s epic Andean Walkabout and Phil Kline’s gorgeous The River. 

    “Indefatigable and eclectic” (The New York Times), “vital and brilliant” (The New Yorker), at the heart of ETHEL is a collaborative ethos—a quest for a common creative expression forged in the celebration of community. 

    A Native American “Renaissance man”—musician, composer, painter, master craftsman, poet, actor, screenwriter, horseman and farmer—Mirabal travels extensively throughout the world, offering “exquisitely nuanced flute playing” (The New York Times) and creating music that honors the spirits of the earth.

    More information at: http://www.ethelcentral.org/

  • Orchestra of St. Peter by the Sea – SOLD OUT

    *PLEASE NOTE THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT! Ticket holders can still purchase tickets to the Anniversary Reception.*

     There will be a 25th pre-show Anniversary Reception at 6:30 pm. Tickets to the reception are $25 and availability is limited.

    Celebrating his 25th year at Monmouth University, the ever lovable and expressive Reverend Alphonse Stevenson returns to conduct the Orchestra of St. Peter by the Sea in a well-established Christmas tradition at Monmouth University. There’s simply no better way to start the holiday season than to spend a special evening with Father Alphonse, his 42-piece orchestra and distinguished vocalists as he provides humorous and personal anecdotes amidst a program of holiday classics and carols. This Christmas tradition is sure to sell out so get your tickets early! 

  • William Close and the Earth Harp Collective

    PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FROM JAN. 23, 2016

     William Close and the Earth Harp Collective recently pushed the boundaries of the “performance experience” when they finished third on NBC’s hit show “America’s Got Talent.” The group received massive praise and admiration from fans and all three judges. William Close is an installation artist and musician who has developed over 100 new types of musical instruments. He is the inventor of the majestic stringed instrument, The Earth Harp, the world’s largest stringed instrument. Featuring the Earth Harp at the center of the group and many other signature instruments designed by Close, William and the Earth Harp Collective is the latest adventure in the innovator’s already outstanding career. 

    William’s work explores the connection between architecture and music.  Inspired by the Frank Lloyd Wright quote “architecture is frozen music,” Close creates musical installations that use the architecture as part of the instrument. Some of Close’s other instruments include, The Drum Orb, The Percussion Jacket, The Aquatar, the Wing Harp, and The Drumbrella to name a few. 

    More information at: http://williamandtheearthharp.com/  
      

  • Taylor 2

    Established in 1993, this six-member company brings Paul Taylor’s dances to venues of any size with all the artistry of the world renowned choreographer’s work – representing the wide range of athleticism, humor and emotion found in his work. In selecting repertoire for Taylor 2, Mr. Taylor chooses dances that span the broad spectrum of his career. Several of the dances performed by Taylor 2 have been re-worked from the Paul Taylor Dance Company’s version to enable the smaller ensemble of dancers to perform them. “A major interest is in seeing how ingeniously Taylor has edited his work for a six-person ensemble — half the size of the original… This version of Company B is not a patched hand-me-down, but a lighter and more intimate creation that delivers the same emotional knockout.” — Robert Johnson, The Star-Ledger

    “Taylor 2 is a kind of a miracle… All of the dancers are considerable talents [who] unite fearlessness with skill.” – Gia Kourlas, New York Times

    More information: www.ptamd.org/#whatisptamd

  • LA Theatreworks: Dracula

    Bram Stoker’s novel of 1897, Dracula, was published with little popular fanfare. Critics, however, praised the author and put Stoker in the category of Mary Shelley and Edgar Allan Poe. But audiences didn’t flock to the tale of this otherworldly being that feeds off others to preserve eternal life, until the early-mid 1900s when film versions generated enormous press for the title. Invasion stories, during the height of British colonialism, were made popular by Rudyard Kipling, Arthur Conan Doyle and others, but Stoker’s Dracula was like nothing the world had seen. This gothic horror is a classic for all time and has spawned hundreds of spin-offs in popular culture from Twilight to True Blood.

    In Charles Morey’s acclaimed adaptation, Count Dracula slips quietly into Victorian London with a cargo of his native Transylvanian soil, necessary for rest between his victims. The city seems helpless against his frightful power, and only one man, the smart and resourceful Dr. Van Helsing, can stop the carnage. But to do this, he must uncover the vampire’s lair and pierce Dracula’s heart with a wooden stake- setting up an epic confrontation of good vs evil. Over the years, the story of Dracula has been used as commentary in modern studies of psychology, women’s issues, and colonialism, while never losing its place as one of the greatest horror stories ever told.

    Under the leadership of Producing Director, Susan Albert Loewenberg, L.A. Theatre Works (LATW) has been the foremost radio theater company in the United States for more than two decades. L.A. Theatre Works is broadcast weekly in America on public radio stations, daily in China on the Radio Beijing Network, streamed online at www.latw.org and programs are aired internationally on the BBC, CBC, and many other English language networks. LATW has single-handedly brought the finest recorded dramatic literature into the homes of millions. On the road, LATW has delighted audiences with its unique live radio theater style performances in over 300 small towns and major cities, including New York, Boston, San Francisco, Washington and Chicago, Beijing and Shanghai. An L.A. Theatre Works performance is immediate, spontaneous, and features a first-rate cast, live sound effects, and a connection to the audience rarely felt in a traditional theater setting. This theater… is an event.

    The cast of Dracula includes the well-known TV and film actor Nicholas Hormann who’s been seen in dozens of television hits including The West Wing, Parks & Recreation, Modern Family, and Desperate Housewives. His numerous film credits include Kramer vs Kramer and the early Oliver Stone horror film The Hand. Mr. Hormann will play Dr. Van Helsing.

    Veteran horror film actor Skip Pipo will play the role of Renfield. Mr. Pipo’s long list of film and TV credits include B-movie favorites such as The Janitor, Sam Hell, and Poker Run as well as the television series The Black Dawn.

    The cast also includes Michael Kirby who just wrapped the horror film Hell’s Heart, Paul Culos, Graham Outerbridge, and Alexis Jacknow, all up and coming TV actors, Summer Spiro a star of the new web series Dabsity, and Patrick Wenk-Wolff who has been seen recently on television in The Last Ship, Rizzoli & Isles, and Life on Mars.

  • Doo Wop Explosion: A Night of Acappella Harmony

    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 instrumentals). We’ve assembled six of the top acappella doo wop vocal groups from NYC to Philadelphia, plus a couple special guests.  Choice hails from Jersey City and has been singing for 35 years.  Their video recently went viral attracting 6 million views.  The Tee-Tones formed on the streets of Brooklyn and fine tuned their harmonies in the tunnels of the NYC subway system. They’ve since appeared on Good Morning America and ABC World News Tonight.  The versatile group, Quiet Storm, has developed a huge following in the Philadelphia area.  Called “Storm Chasers,” their fans follow them from concert to concert. Frankie and the Fashions are a Philadelphia acappella group whose origins reach back to the 1960’s. They’ve recorded several CD’s and are well known for their popular signature song, “What Do I Have To Do”. The popular Piscataway NJ group, Re-MemberThen, has the distinction of twice winning the acappella showdowns at the Meadowlands. The Vic Donna Group is known for their tight intricate harmonies of obscure R&B and Doo Wop collectors sides and original material. Vic, himself, has been singing since 1956. Over the years, he’s been backed on record by such noted groups as the Fi-Tones, Parakeets, Cadillacs, Sharps, Compliments and Angels. The Vic Donna Group has recently added a couple new singers with a lot of previous experience. As a special guest, we welcome Larry Chance of the Earls.  Larry is an internationally known doo wop star who has agreed to sing acappella for us, backed by Re-MemberThen.  By way of a big screen video, we’ll have De’Sean Dooley, grandson of the Orioles Sonny Til, singing Orioles songs backed by Quiet Storm. Concert produced and emceed
    by Classic Urban Harmony’s Pam & Charlie Horner for Monmouth University’s
    Center for the Arts.     

    $45 Gold Circle seats include a meet and greet reception with some of the groups from 5:30 to 6:30 PM 

    *This line up is subject to change*