A hot end to May gives way to what is shaping up to be a beautiful, breezy and bustling weekend in our towns.  Highlights over the next few days include the 2011 edition of the extremely popular and expansive South Orange and Maplewood Artists Studio Tour, with related multi-artist shows at various galleries in the area, including 1978, The Pierro Gallery, and Gas Gallery and Studio.  In South Orange, SOPAC holds its annual gala benefit, celebrating the culmination of its fifth season this year, with headliners The Midtown Men, original cast stars of Broadway's musical hit Jersey Boys, this …

Sure signs that Spring has sprung are all around us this weekend, and we're not just talking about the overgrown grass out front that has to get mowed or all of that seasonal allergy medication that's strewn all over your bathroom vanity top these days.  In South Orange, Rated P, a brand new comic musical from a group of local Broadway veterans, lovingly planted and nurtured last fall and winter, is now ready to bloom fully onstage this weekend at SOPAC. In Millburn and Short Hills, Paper Mill Playhouse's production of Curtains continues its brand new run.  The Millburn Middle School and the …

This upcoming weekend may be the weekend we've all been waiting for!  A forecast of mostly sunny skies and breezy, pleasant conditions from Friday to Sunday, combined with a laundry list of varied activities all around us, should satisfy just about everyone's tastes, from the outdoor enthusiast to the cultural and arts maven to the volunteer activist and, even, the happy couch potato.  Highlights from town-to-town include a chance to watch the Royal Wedding Live early Friday morning at St. Andrew & Holy Communion Church in South Orange via their 122 inch TV screen.  At Seton Hall, Christopher…

This year, due to the timing of Emancipation Day, a local Washington D.C. holiday, Americans get a three-day reprieve on their income tax filings.  So why not take advantage of this (very) brief tax break and, rather than pour over tax forms and bang on a calculator all weekend, take your family out instead.  You can attend a local book discussion, maybe see some theater or enjoy a music concert or two, drive over to the zoo or take a field trip outdoors for some great bird watching.  Big highlights to keep in mind this weekend include a celebrity book signing on Friday as Gwyneth Paltrow …

The coming April Fool's Day weekend is so packed with stellar events and activities to partake of that, this time out, we decided to start our listing early, beginning with  Thursday instead.  No joke!  Highlights Thursday evening include a screening at Seton Hall University of the film Iron Jawed Angels, starring Hilary Swank and Angelica Huston.  Funny Ladies 2 happens at Highland Place Restaurant the same night, featuring some of the best comediennes from our local area doing their hilarious shtick live.  And, just around the corner, don't miss the book discussion and signing at Words with…

A huge list of great events and activities awaits us this promising weekend in our area.  Highlights for this last weekend of March include the end of one super Restaurant Week in Maplewood, quickly followed by yet another fantastic Restaurant Week kicking off in South Orange on Sunday.   Patch's own Marcia Worth leads a celebration and discussion of author Louisa May Alcott and her classic works, including Little Women, on Sunday at the South Orange Public Library.  Jil Aigrot, the singing voice of Edith Piaf in the acclaimed film, La Vie En Rose, takes command of the SOPAC stage on Friday, …

Spring offers a teaser this weekend of what's in store for all of us locally this very promising season to come, not just weather-wise but activity-wise as well.  Just this weekend alone, we have a Broadway classic at the Paper Mill, a tribute to Red Skelton at SOPAC, a new art show at GAS Gallery, more art plus live jazz at 1978, a visiting children's choir from Uganda, a new Theater Workshop starting at the Ethical Culture Society, Millburn High School's own original Spring drama, along with book readings, benefits, and a special speaking event in Short Hills.  And least we forget, …

There's a lot going on this weekend in our area but, hopefully, it won't include any snowflakes.  Highlights include plenty of rocking 'n' rolling with the likes of Willie Nile headlining the latest Rent Party jam, and Richard Marx teamed with Vertical Horizon's Matt Scannell at SOPAC.  If jazz is more your mood music of choice, then catch Sarah Partridge and Band as they bookend a reading and signing by James Kaplan at Words of his new book about the Chairman of the Board.  Or head to Churrasco BBQ & Steakhouse for live jazz this Thursday, celebrating Black History Month.  For classical …

We made it!  Snow, ice, sleet, rain and slush couldn't stop us from shoveling and trudging our way to a very well-deserved weekend full of fun events and activities in our beloved towns.  Highlights this weekend include men's and women's basketball with South Orange's own Seton Hall teams, Meatball Mania classes at Williams-Sonoma in Short Hills, gala benefit parties at Congregation B'nai Israel in Millburn, another for South Orange's own Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre group, plus a Chinese New Year's Dance Party in Maplewood.  And don’t forget Saturday Afternoon Song Swap! Here's the …