The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is New Jersey's largest professional theatre company dedicated solely to Shakespeare's canon and other classic masterworks. Previously under the leadership of artistic director Bonnie J. Monte since 1990, the theater has since welcomed Brian Crowe as the new Artistic Director as of January of 2024.

Brian has been with the organization for 29 years, formerly serving as the Director of Education and a Resident Director. He holds BFAs in Directing and Acting from Wright State University and was a Fellow at the 2000 International Salzburg Shakespeare Seminar. Also having served on the Executive Committee of the Shakespeare Theatre Association. Crowe may have big shoes to fill but he’s ready for the task.

During his tenure with STNJ, he has directed 27 plays in Shakespeare’s canon in over 60 productions, as well as numerous other plays. The Star-Ledger has even called Mr. Crowe “one of the state’s most ingenious directors.”

Jersey Arts speaks with Brian about his vision for the theater as he takes on this new role and the exciting lineup they have scheduled for this season.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

You may know Peter Filichia from his 19 years as The Star Ledger’s theater critic or as a columnist for Masterworks Broadway, author of several books, Broadway Radio personality, or playwright. Filichia has worked in and around the theater for decades, he’s seen shows in 47 states and 20 foreign countries (he keeps a list), and after nearly 30 years of hosting the Theatre World Awards, he will be honored with their 2024 TWA Special Award.

Peter spoke with The Jersey Arts Podcast about theater criticism, how he fell in love with the art form, some of his favorite New Jersey theater experiences, and why he views himself as a "theatrical matchmaker" for audiences.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

If you’re a Stevie Wonder fan, you have to give jazz pianist and bandleader James Austin, Jr’s music a listen. His 2018 debut album, Songs in the Key of Wonder, reinterprets Stevie Wonder’s beloved catalog with a Jazz spin, creating beautiful new tracks.

Originally from Chicago and based in New Jersey, James began playing piano at age 3, went on to study under acclaimed jazz teacher Barry Harris, and was a semi-finalist in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano competition. In addition to performing and carrying on his mentor’s work in Jazz education, Austin is also the curator of NJPAC’s monthly Jazz Jam Sessions.

Austin will perform at the Grunin Center for the Arts on Sunday, May 19th, and he spoke with us about his love of Stevie Wonder, arts education, and his upcoming concert.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

First time playwright Erik Kahn has managed to showcase the beauty of overcoming one’s circumstances. Set on August 31st of 1939, his play “Canned Goods” details the little known false flag operation that preceded the start of the Second World War. Three men were code named “Canned Goods” by Himmler and were used by the SS to justify Hitler’s invasion of Poland.

Heartening in its own right, the play is a commentary on the resilience of man. Humor is often vital to survival. This play allows those moments to shine through. As in life, there is darkness; but there is humor, and there is strength. Despite its title, this play is about human beings and the duality and nuance that come with existence.

Director Charlotte Cohn and Erik Kahn join The Jersey Arts Podcast to discuss the complexities of this world premiere show, the process of bringing it to life, and the importance of theater as a mirror.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Involvement in New Jersey Youth Symphony, a program of Wharton Arts in Union County, is not just about honing musical technique, it’s also about developing life skills. On Sunday, May 5th, the organization will celebrate its success with students and alumni at the NJ Youth Symphony 45th Anniversary Concert. As a special treat, founding Music Director/Conductor (and current Founder/Artistic Director of the Discovery Orchestra) George Marriner Maull will be back for the first time to guest conduct part of the concert.

We spoke with Maull and Wharton Arts Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Helen Cha-Pyo about the New Jersey Youth Symphony’s history, arts education philosophy, and upcoming anniversary concert.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Musical theater nerds can rejoice, George Street Playhouse is bringing back “Tick Tick… BOOM!,” the posthumously produced musical by Jonathan Larson, best known for having written the widely known rock opera, “Rent.”

George Street Playhouse Artistic Director, David Saint, was a close friend of Jonathan Larson. And to honor his friend, almost 30 years since his passing, Saint is directing a new production of “Tick Tick… BOOM!”

If you loved the film but have never seen the show on stage, now's your chance! And if you've been a fan for years, you can celebrate another opportunity to enjoy the life and music of Jonathan Larson in person.

Jersey Arts speaks with Director David Saint and star of the show, Daniel Marconi (Jonathan) to learn about the history, joy, and tragedy that led to the “Tick Tick… Boom!” we know today.

Rutgers students are eligible for a special ticket discount which can be retrieved by calling the George Street Playhouse box office at 732-246-7717.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Composer David Newman is part of the most Oscar-nominated extended family of all time. He has scored more than 100 films including the 1997 animated classic "Anastasia," for which he received his Academy Award nomination (not to mention "The Brave Little Toaster," "The Sandlot," "Never Been Kissed," "Ice Age"...)

The 1996 film adaptation of Roald Dahl's "Matilda" is one of several collaborations between Newman and New Jersey's own Danny DeVito, and on March 22nd, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra will present "Matilda" live in concert conducted by Newman with live narration by DeVito.

David Newman talked with the Jersey Arts Podcast about scoring films like "Matilda," his legendary family, and preserving film music for future generations.

For more information on "Matilda" in concert, please visit STNJ.org.

This interview has been edited for time and clarity.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

“I know that the most joy in my life has come to me from my violin” - Albert Einstein

As their website reads, “The Harlem Chamber Players is an ethnically diverse collective of professional classical musicians dedicated to bringing high-caliber, affordable, accessible live music to people in the Harlem community and beyond. The Harlem Chamber Players help build diverse audiences for live classical music through community and educational outreach and collaborations with other arts organizations, schools and cultural institutions. The Harlem Chamber Players also promote community wide access to the arts and arts inclusion.”

And in honor of Women’s History Month, their program “100 Years of Women Composers” will grace the stage of "Music at Bunker Hill" in Sewell on March 17th.

In advance of this performance, Jersey Arts spoke with violinist Claire Chan, a member of their String Quartet.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Paul J. Stankard is an internationally acclaimed artist and pioneer in the studio glass movement. His lifelike, nature-based glassworks have changed the paperweight world over his forty-year artistic career. Having begun his career working in scientific glassblowing, it was through this industry that he found creativity and learned that he was indeed an artist.

He is now the subject of a new documentary by Director Dan Collins, “Paul J. Stankard: Flower & Flame” set to screen at the Perkins Center for the Arts in Collingswood on February 24, 2024.

Jersey Arts speaks to Paul J. Stankard and Dan Collins about their new film and the work it takes to create both glass and film.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Over a decade ago, a Korean musical genre known as KPop rose in popularity amongst US audiences. We can probably thank Psy and his song "Gangnam Style" for that. But there is so much more to Korean music than KPop! And U.S. audiences are in for a treat when they discover CelloGayageum.

The group, founded by Austrian cellist, Sol Daniel Kim, and gayageum player, Dayoung Yoon will be introducing U.S. audiences to their unique sound with their first North American tour. In celebration of the lunar new year, Cellogayageum will pursue their mission to create a harmony of East and West. For music enthusiasts, this is where classical music meets Korean tradition.

Thanks for listening!

• Subscribe to The Jersey Arts Podcast in your favorite podcast player.

The Jersey Arts Podcast is one medium of Feature Stories on Discover Jersey Arts (jerseyarts.com), where articles and videos also cover New Jersey’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Discover Jersey Arts is presented by ArtPride New Jersey. The program was co-founded by, and is currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Additional support for JerseyArts.com content is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Subscribe to the Discover Jersey Arts' weekly e-newsletter to have stories delivered to your inbox.
• Follow and contact us @jerseyarts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.