The Herb + Milly Iris Gallery presents Abstraction of the Human Mind Opening Reception

THU, DEC 12, 2024 at 6PM

Abstraction of the Human Mind offers a thought-provoking exploration of human emotion through the distinctive styles of artists Yigsy Magaly and Angel Duran. Magaly’s work invites viewers to connect with figures using body language and subtle gestures. In contrast, Duran’s pieces highlight the emotional distance between individuals in vast, impersonal spaces. Together, their works encourage observers to consider the quiet moments of reflection often overlooked, and how the complexities of modern life exist in a constant, beautiful abstraction.

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Valerie Simpson & Friends Sing Ashford & Simpson

SAT, DEC 14, 2024 at 8PM

Valerie Simpson is back at SOPAC! One half of the iconic song-writing duo Ashford & Simpson, she and her late husband Nick Ashford spent their lives together writing chart-topping anthems for Motown and beyond. The duo penned timeless hits such as, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “Reach Out and Touch Somebody’s Hand,” and “I’m Every Woman” for Chaka Khan, Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, and other icons before embarking on a performing career of their own.

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Nefesh Mountain The Love & Light Tour

SUN, DEC 15, 2024 at 7:30PM

Hailed as a formative, boundary-pushing roots music ensemble, New York-based outfit Nefesh Mountain thrills audiences across the country with lively finger-picking, bright melodies, and soulful storytelling. The band's creators, dynamic husband and wife team Eric Lindberg and Doni Zasloff, have created and refined a sound all their own, bonding Americana, Bluegrass, Folk, Jazz, and Blues — and revealing a shared mastery as songwriters, instrumentalists, and consummate performers. The Love & Light Tour features seasonal originals, plus music from the band’s forthcoming double LP release Beacons.

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Cabaret in the Loft Donna Vivino

This event is eligible for the new
SOPAC Loft Multibuy Package.

SAT, JAN 18, 2025 at 7:30PM

Entering its third year, Cabaret in the Loft is quickly becoming a SOPAC audience favorite! Drawing on the wealth of talent from the greater SOMA area, “where Broadway comes home to sleep” (The New York Times), Curator Matthew Luminello assembles a series of intimate storytelling and unforgettable performances perfect for any Broadway lover. Get your family and friends together for this 54-Below experience west of the Hudson River, right here in South Orange! This Cabaret in the Loft performance features Donna Vivino, currently on Broadway in Alicia Keys’ Hell’s Kitchen and appearing in the feature film Ezra, starring Robert De Niro.

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Lee Rocker of The Stray Cats

SUN, JAN 19, 2025 at 7:30PM

Grammy-nominated artist, Stray Cats founder, and Bass Player Hall of Famer Lee Rocker brings his brilliant artistry to SOPAC! Rocker has spent his career preserving and evolving the legacy of Rockabilly music – singing, playing, spinning, and jamming on his giant upright bass. Expect the unexpected when this legendary artist performs live at SOPAC!

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SOMI

SAT, FEB 1, 2025 at 7:30PM

SOPAC welcomes the Mainstage debut of Grammy-nominated, multi-lingual vocalist, composer, actor, and playwright SOMI. Her virtuosity, crystalline lyricism, and abiding song interpretation prompt frequent collaborations with internationally acclaimed artists, but her expanding presence as a leader continues to receive peer recognition and critical praise. Experience SOMI’s depth and the layers of her artistry live at SOPAC!

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School Performance Series NJ Poetry Out Loud

TUE, FEB 4, 2025 at 10AM

National Poetry Out Loud is a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, The Poetry Foundation, and the state arts agencies of the United States. It is a national poetry recitation program for students in grades 9-12 or the age/grade equivalent. Traditionally designed for public, charter, parochial, and homeschool teachers, it encourages students to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life.

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Laughs in the Loft Love Sick

This event is eligible for the new
SOPAC Loft Multibuy Package.

WED, FEB 5, 2025 at 7:30PM

It’s “a comedy cure for the midweek blues!” (Baristanet)  Hosted by comedian Joe Larson, Laughs in the Loft features stand-up comics from SOPAC’s own South Orange-Maplewood community, Brooklyn & beyond. Each Laughs in the Loft event features a variety of comics in a New York City-style showcase. SOPAC announces talent approximately two weeks prior to each show. You never know who might drop in! Intended for mature audiences. Recommended for ages 18 and up. No drink minimum.  

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Celebrate Ma Rainey, Mother of the Blues A South Orange International Blues Fest Event

Sponsored by NJ Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission

FRI, FEB 7, 2025 at 5:30PM

North Jersey Blues Society and Blues Alive have collaborated to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy with this unique musical portrait: Celebrate Ma Rainey, Mother of the Blues. Gertrude Pritchett — a.k.a. Ma Rainey — still reigns as the Mother of the Blues, and a trailblazing American composer band leader. This intimate event celebrates and contextualizes Ma Rainey as a powerful blues musician, mentor, and collaborator to a cadre of musicians who, in turn, became innovators themselves. This performance features a Q&A and encourages audience engagement and participation in conversations that frame American music up to the present as a living tradition of the Blues. Funding for this program is provided by the NJ Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission.

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Mike Griot Presents South Orange International Blues Fest Winter Edition: “Women of the Blues” Featuring Sue Foley, Alexis P. Suter & Rae Simone

FRI, FEB 7, 2025 at 7:30PM

Once again, celebrated SOPAC curator and local Blues legend Mike Griot brings his storied programming to the Mainstage to present the Winter Edition of SOPAC’s 2nd Annual South Orange International Blues Festival: “Women of the Blues” featuring three masters of incomparable depth and range: 2025 Grammy-nominated artist Sue Foley, Alexis P. Suter, and Rae Simone. A member of SOPAC’s Creative Brain Trust, Griot curates this annual event with longtime Blues fans, casual listeners, and curious newcomers in mind. Whether you’re seeking new music from contemporary artists to elevate your record collection or playlist; a range of live performances that share personal stories and deep-pocket shuffles; or a down-home warm-up away from the winter chill, this festival is the event for you.

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Ms. Lisa Fischer & Grand Baton

SAT, FEB 15, 2025 at 8PM

SOPAC welcomes the return of an icon: two-time Grammy Award-winning singer and master song interpreter Lisa Fischer brings her critically acclaimed trio Grand Baton back to the Mainstage! Praised by The New York Times as “a singer of truly prodigious range and delicacy,” and featured in the Academy Award-winning documentary 20 Feet from Stardom, Fischer transcends genre and captivates listeners of every generation with her range of repertoire, from Prog Rock and Psychedelic Soul to African, Middle Eastern & Caribbean rhythms to European Classical influences.

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Jazz in the Loft Ted Chubb Band featuring Bruce Williams

This event is eligible for the new
SOPAC Loft Multibuy Package.

SUN, FEB 23, 2025 at 7PM

Curated by Grammy Award-winning producer John Lee, Jazz in the Loft features award-winning artists from the greater SOMA area and beyond who are master improvisers and consummate band leaders. Blues, Bebop, Bossa — as long as it’s swinging, you’ll hear it at SOPAC! This performance presents the Ted Chubb Band featuring Bruce Williams.

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Cherish the Ladies

FRI, MAR 7, 2025 at 7:30PM

SOPAC welcomes the return of Cherish the Ladies, one of the most influential Celtic ensembles on the modern music scene. Led by Joanie Madden, comprising interdisciplinary artists Mirella Murray, Nollaig Casey, and Kathleen Boyle, and featuring Mary Coogan and Kate Purcell, the Grammy-nominated outfit shares a storied Irish tradition through lyrical virtuosity, step dance, and creative storytelling. Don’t miss this lively event on the SOPAC MainStage!

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Cabaret in the Loft Dominic Scaglione, Jr.

This event is eligible for the new
SOPAC Loft Multibuy Package.

SUN, MAR 9, 2025 at 7:30PM

Entering its third year, Cabaret in the Loft is quickly becoming a SOPAC audience favorite! Drawing on the wealth of talent from the greater SOMA area, “where Broadway comes home to sleep” (The New York Times), Curator Matthew Luminello assembles a series of intimate storytelling and unforgettable performances perfect for any Broadway lover. Get your family and friends together for this 54-Below experience west of the Hudson River, right here in South Orange! This Cabaret in the Loft performance features Belleville native Dominic Scaglione Jr., renowned for headlining the Broadway production of Tony Award-winning musical Jersey Boys. His SOPAC set features classics from The Four Seasons, Frank Sinatra, and more!

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Andy McKee Co-presented with NJPAC Productions

FRI, MAR 14, 2025 at 7:30PM

SOPAC welcomes the Mainstage debut of internationally acclaimed guitarist and composer Andy McKee. A master of melody and phrasing, McKee transforms the steel string guitar into a full orchestra, using altered tunings, tapping, partial capos, percussive hits, and his signature two-handed technique. Don’t miss an intimate solo performance from this acoustic hero live at SOPAC, co-presented with NJPAC Productions.

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Ladies of Laughter

THU, MAR 27, 2025 at 7:30PM

Now known as “The Careerbuilder for Women in Comedy,” Ladies of Laughter boasts a roster of former competition participants that includes Amy Schumer, Tammy Pescatelli, and Big Bang Theory star Melissa Rauch, among many others. This performance features acclaimed comics Liz Glazer, GL Douglas, Nancy O’Connor & Becky Veduccio!

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Laughs in the Loft April Fools

This event is eligible for the new
SOPAC Loft Multibuy Package.

WED, APR 2, 2025 at 7:30PM

It’s “a comedy cure for the midweek blues!” (Baristanet)  Hosted by comedian Joe Larson, Laughs in the Loft features stand-up comics from SOPAC’s own South Orange-Maplewood community, Brooklyn & beyond. Each Laughs in the Loft event features a variety of comics in a New York City-style showcase. SOPAC announces talent approximately two weeks prior to each show. You never know who might drop in! Intended for mature audiences. Recommended for ages 18 and up. No drink minimum.  

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Kurt Elling Celebrates Weather Report

THU, APR 3, 2025 at 7PM

Kurt Elling brings his vocal mastery and sublime song interpretation to SOPAC in tribute to Weather Report’s musical impact and cultural legacy. From Wayne Shorter’s imaginative harmony to the enduring hookup between Jaco Pastorius and Joe Zawinul, Elling celebrates the sounds, concepts & breakthroughs that render Weather Report among the most influential outfits of the 20th century. Don’t miss the Grammy Award-winning singer and band leader interpret hits like “Mysterious Traveller,” “Teen Town” & “Birdland,” plus lesser known gems.

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SHU Theatre at SOPAC Peter and the Starcatcher

Presented by the Seton Hall University Arts Council

THU, MAY 1, 2025 at 8PM

Embrace your inner child! Join the students of SHU as they present Rick Elice’s Tony Award-winning play Peter and the Starcatcher. Based on Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson’s best-selling novel of a similar title, this uplifting production follows the upended story of a young orphan who would become The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up. Don’t miss the lively delivery of this celestial tale!

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Laughs in the Loft Mommy Issues

This event is eligible for the new
SOPAC Loft Multibuy Package.

WED, MAY 14, 2025 at 7:30PM

It’s “a comedy cure for the midweek blues!” (Baristanet)  Hosted by comedian Joe Larson, Laughs in the Loft features stand-up comics from SOPAC’s own South Orange-Maplewood community, Brooklyn & beyond. Each Laughs in the Loft event features a variety of comics in a New York City-style showcase. SOPAC announces talent approximately two weeks prior to each show. You never know who might drop in! Intended for mature audiences. Recommended for ages 18 and up. No drink minimum.  

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The Glenn Miller Orchestra

THU, MAY 15, 2025 at 7:30PM

Don’t miss the Glenn Miller Orchestra swinging at SOPAC! Experience the live energy of the big band era upheld by an 18-piece ensemble of today’s leading soloists and arrangers. Performing hits like “Chattanooga Choo-Choo” and “Moonlight Serenade,” hidden gems like “The White Cliffs of Dover,” “Rainbow Rhapsody,” “Everybody Loves My Baby,” and “That’s Sabotage,” and many more Miller-style tunes, this high-octane outfit shares lush, engaging renditions of timeless music. Experience a hard-swinging performance that will keep you snapping and tapping through the evening. 

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Laughs in the Loft Stand Up for Pride!

This event is eligible for the new
SOPAC Loft Multibuy Package.

WED, JUN 4, 2025 at 7:30PM

It’s “a comedy cure for the midweek blues!” (Baristanet)  Hosted by comedian Joe Larson, Laughs in the Loft features stand-up comics from SOPAC’s own South Orange-Maplewood community, Brooklyn & beyond. Each Laughs in the Loft event features a variety of comics in a New York City-style showcase. SOPAC announces talent approximately two weeks prior to each show. You never know who might drop in! Intended for mature audiences. Recommended for ages 18 and up. No drink minimum.

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Joe DeRosa

SAT, JUN 7, 2025 at 7:30 PM

SOPAC welcomes the Mainstage debut of award-winning comic Joe DeRosa! Many know Joe from his recurring appearance as Dr. Caldera on Better Call Saul, and his six top-ten charting stand-up albums, as well as his regular performances on TV, film & radio. But to experience his live comedy is to experience the artist at his rawest, realest, and most acerbic. Don’t miss this brilliant comic live at SOPAC!

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Skerryvore

SAT, JUN 21, 2025 at 8PM

SOPAC welcomes the Mainstage debut of Skerryvore! Bonding traditional Scottish sounds, contemporary influences, and global appeal, Skerryvore delivers thrilling live performances throughout the world. Three-time winners of Scotland’s Live Act of the Year award, this explosive ensemble has reinvented the traditional Scottish scene for a modern, multicultural audience. Vocals, bagpipes, fiddles, accordions, and whistles, create dazzling melody lines and harmonic pads alongside a driving rhythm section. Seven albums into a thriving and prolific career, Skerryvore shares music informed by wide ranging influences, creating a live experience at once thoroughly traditional and entirely contemporary. 

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