UCPAC offers sensory friendly ‘Pinocchio’

UNION COUNTY — How will Pinocchio survive the giant whale? How will he save his father? And how will this irrepressible wooden puppet ever achieve his dream of becoming a real boy? The classic adventure of Pinocchio gets a thrilling new twist from The New Jersey Ballet Company, which will perform the children’s ballet “Pinocchio” […]

Tony Bennett captivates sold-out NJPAC audience

NEWARK — “Ladies and gentlemen … welcome to the Tony Bennett Show!” declared the announcer. To hear those words spoken live and aloud in 2013 is nothing short of a minor miracle and a major blessing. Sinatra. Martin. Presley. Como. Williams. Crosby. All of these men were singular talents possessing incomparable voices who have long since […]

Youth orchestra dedicates show to longtime supporter

The two principal orchestras of New Jersey Youth Symphony, Youth Symphony and Youth Orchestra, will perform on Sunday, Jan. 20 at 3 p.m. at Union County Performing Arts Center located at 1601 Irving St. in Rahway. Tickets to the concert are $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors and can be purchased in […]

Holiday Recipe Contest winners and recipes

Holiday Recipe Contest winners We are so excited to tell you that the winners have been selected for our Holiday Recipe Contest! So many delicious  submissions were received, but we have narrowed it down to first-, second- and third-place winners in the contest categories of Entrees, Appetizers and Desserts. All nine winners and the titles […]

A conversation with William Shatner

Entertainment icon brings his ‘World’ tour to NJPAC on Sunday

It was with a bizarre mixture of sheer delight and utter terror that I made the phone call to William Shatner on Monday night. And the thought of conducting a one-on-one interview with my childhood hero was starting to get the better of me. Kathleen, his amiable assistant, promised me that the Hollywood institution would […]

Shatner rocks his own ‘World’ at NJPAC show

Versatile actor stands triumphant in his one-man performance

Look up the word “restraint” in any dictionary and there is little chance you will find a picture of William Shatner.  And that is a very good thing. The same drive and exuberance that has propelled the actor, singer and entrepreneur through one of the longest and quirkiest careers in Hollywood was on full display at Sunday […]

‘Swan Lake’ at Cranford theater is ‘absolutely stunning’

When London’s Royal Opera House, in all its glory, flashed on the screen Sunday afternoon at the Cranford Theater in connection with the astounding production of the Ballet in Cinema’s “Swan Lake,” a ballet afficionado did not envy the hundreds of well-dressed people seated in five tiers of balconies and in the theater proper. And […]

Italian ballet at digiplex expresses much beauty

One of the most extraordinary aspects of  “L’Altra Meta del Cielo,” from the La Scala Ballet, which was screened live from Milan’s magnificent Teatro Alla Scala, was the expressive faces of the performers. Offered as a gift from Italy Sunday afternoon for the Ballet in Cinema series at the Cranford Theater, the revealing contemporary ballet, […]

‘The Neighborhood’ delights audiences in Summit

Years ago, there was Molly Goldberg’s neighborhood, a radio show about a New York apartment house where everyone visited by leaning outside the windows to converse; then there was “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood,” which still may be visited on reruns; and there still is — the neighborhood of “Sesame Street.” Now, we have “The Neighborhood,” an […]