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Arts

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Valentine's Weekend: Music, Art and Chocolate

10 events not to be missed this weekend.

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.”  -Charles M. Schulz, master philosopher and cartoonist. While Valentine’s Day is not until Tuesday, many will celebrate it this weekend.  Of course, just as many will avoid all mention of love and couplehood.  Single or coupled, there are plenty of events to enjoy locally during the next few days.  The concerts playing in our area run the gamut from chamber music to big band to rock.  Take the Chocolate Walk through Maplewood Village, or experience heart-centered yoga.  Luna Stage is opening a new play, and the kids can create a Valentine painting at Express Yourself Studios.  Read on for the details of these events and others, and feel free to add your own …

Friday, February 3, 2012

Improv for Middle Schoolers Back at the Burgdorff

Local teaching professional Lulu French to lead kids' workshop

Returning to bring the rollicking art of improv to Maplewood this month is local improv performer and teaching artist LuLu French, who brings an impressive resume to Maplewood’s “Performance Classroom”, this year sponsored by the Theater Project. Lulu has developed a dedicated student following, and regularly performs with some of the best improv groups in New York. “Improv is important on so many levels — it really teaches you to listen and work together, which aren’t just theater skills, they’re life skills,” said French. This winter’s offering will be a 10 week program for those in grades 6-8, beginning Friday February 17th. French started teaching improv at Gotham City Improv in January of 2000, and has represented GCI on numerous …

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

So You Think You Can Dance Like Victor Cruz?

Local dance lessons may have you salsaing into the endzone

If you've caught Victor Cruz fever, and want to salsa like the Paterson native into your own endzone (or living room), here's a way to learn close to home. The South Orange - Maplewood Adult School offers Latin Dance, for both couples and singles, beginning February 28. The class meets on Tuesday nights from 8:20 to 9:20 p.m. and costs $68 per person. Taught by Mary Ellen McGlynn, the class, teaches students "to dance to the hot and spicy rhythms of Salsa, Merengue, Cha-cha and Rumba. This music will make you want to dance and this class will give you the basic moves to enjoy the music." Touchdown!

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

South Orange Public Library Announces Winter Film Series

This winter's theme will be movies based around food.

The South Orange Public Library has announced their winter film series, starting at 7 p.m. on January 31.  The 3-part Tuesday evening series will have a theme of “Food for Thought.”  Each film will use food and its various effects on people as a central theme.  Each screening will be followed by a discussion led by Philip Weisman, filmmaker and Associate Professor at the Borough of Manhattan Community College. The first film in the series will be Chocolat, shown on Tuesday, January 31.  The film, directed by Lasse Halstrom and starring Juliet Binoche and Johnny Depp, is a charming and whimsical tale of a woman who opens a chocolate shop in a small French town and offends the rigid morality of the villagers.  The second film, on February 28…

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Newark, King of Jewelry, Presented by Maplewood's Ulysses Dietz

The Newark History Society features a local resident

The next Newark History Society program, “Newark, King of Jewelry: The Rise and Fall of a Great Industry, 1850-1950” will take place on Monday, Feb. 6, 2012 at 6 p.m. at the New Jersey Historical Society, 52 Park Place in Newark. For several decades after the Civil War, Newark manufacturers dominated solid gold jewelry-making in the United States, gaining more than a 50% market share.  They created millions of pieces each year that were sold to jewelry stores in every corner of the nation, from Fifth Avenue to Fargo.  The speaker is Ulysses Grant Dietz, Curator of Decorative Arts at the Newark Museum since 1980 and one of the nation’s foremost experts on jewelry, pottery, and furniture.  A Maplewood resident, he is the co-author of The …

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Seton Hall Presents Saints and Sleuths, Free and Open to the Public

A series of dramatic readings celebrates Catholic life in literature

Seton Hall University is inviting the public to come see their presentation of Saints and Sleuths VI, a celebration of Catholic life in literature.  Saints and Sleuths VI is a celebration of Catholic life in literature, includes dramatic readings from G.K. Chesterton’s Magic and The Ballad of the White Horse; Ron Hansen’s Atticus; and Greg Tobin’s adaptation from the writings of St. Patrick, The Trials of St. Patrick.   Commentators will include Father Ian Boyd, Father Joseph Chapel, Father Douglas Milewski and Dr. Dermot Quinn. Saints and Sleuths, now in its sixth year, will again feature the dramatic talents of the Celtic Theatre Company.  The Celtic Theatre Company, which for 30 years has presented the best of Irish drama in Seton Hall’…

1978 Arts Center Celebrates Black History Month in Style

Celebrating Black History Month with the art of Tesfaye Tessema and the words of Dr. Rahidah Ismaili Abubaker.

1978 Arts Center on Springfield Avenue is celebrating Black History Month in style with the art of Tesfaye Tessema and the words of Dr. Rahidah Ismaili Abubaker. The art show runs from Jan. 15 to Feb. 26, with the gallery open on Saturdays and Sundays from 2 to 5 p.m. There will be an exhibit-related family activity basket in the gallery during viewing hours. CULTURAL CONNECTIONS, the art of Tesfaye Tessema A contemporary Ethiopian artist blending the sounds and visions of his African roots with his African American branches. Artist Reception, Sunday, January 29, 2- 6 p.m. Tesfaye Tessema has received accolades, achieved recognition, and earned respect for his work on a national and international level for decades. In addition to …

Studio Glass Lights Up Newark Museum

Special exhibit celebrates 50 years of the studio glass movement.

Glass making has been part of human history for a long time, perhaps as early as 3,500 B.C. But what is known as the studio glass movement—glass made in an artist’s studio as an autonomous work of art—happened much more recently, sometime around the middle of the last century. The Newark Museum has been collecting studio glass since the outset. It is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the movement with, “Studio Glass: 1962-2012,” an outstanding exhibit on display now in its Contemporary Craft Gallery. The spotlight is on selections from the museum’s permanent collection that are recent gifts or purchases; many have not been shown before. Ulysses Grant Dietz, senior curator and curator of decorative arts, talked about the exhibit, “This …

Carol Selman

5:32 pm on Sunday, January 29, 2012

Thx, Mary! Ulysses will be speaking about Newark's jewelry industry at the Newark Historical Society in early Feb.   more ›

Friday, January 27, 2012

Comedy, Music and Theater Make Great Date Night Picks

Hey, there's no football on this weekend, so go out and enjoy and night on the town.

The Borgata THIS WEEKEND Tonight Colin Quinn's "Short Story Long" provides a humorous look at history, 9 p.m., The Music Box  NEXT WEEK Jersey guy and comedian/actor Jay Mohr performs his stand-up act, 9 p.m., Friday, Feb. 3   BOOK IT NOW "The Deadmeat Tour," featuring Steve Aoki and Datsik, at the Event Center, 10 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 18; legendary Irish rockers The Saw Doctors help you celebrate St. Patrick's Day, 9 p.m., March 17, The Music Box Check out theborgata.com for details about these and other shows.   THIS WEEK No shows BOOK IT NOW George Winston, 3 p.m., Sunday, March 4; Ravi Coltrane, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 14; Kathy Mattea, 3 p.m., Sunday, May 6.  Check out keanstage.com for details about these and other shows. This …

South Orange Couple Honors Jazz Legend at SOPAC

The Sounds Of Sarah Vaughan will revisit the legendary singer's music in a very special performance by local pros at SOPAC.

A South Orange couple, comprised of a Broadway actress/singer and a Grammy-winning trombonist, are putting on a concert tribute to one of jazz’s greatest voices on Friday at the South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC). Jason Jackson and Rosena M. Hill have too many career highlights to mention, save to say they are a talented duo who have assembled their best seven-piece ensemble for the program that will celebrate the life and career of the legendary Sarah Vaughan, a Newark native and National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Award recipient.    “She had one of the greatest voices of our time,” Hill told Patch in an interview.  “She was a part of the beginning of the bebop era. She was fearless… They called her ‘The Divine One’; it …

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