Experience the incredible at SOPAC! World-class magician Ran’D Shine and Paris the Hip Hop Juggler entrance their audiences with psychological illusions, hilarity, and pure magic to create an immersive event that pushes everyone to the edge of their seats!
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.
South Orange Middle School presents 3rd Annual My Black is Beautiful! A Celebration of Black History through the Arts. This vibrant and multifaceted event pays homage to the rich and diverse heritage of Black culture, achievements, and contributions. Serving as a powerful platform to showcase students’ various artistic expressions, this celebration engages music, dance, visual arts, literature, and more. Guest appearances by The Tia Holt Experience, The Violin Diva, and Dr. Scott O. Cumberbatch.
A new reading from rising star playwright Alicia Whavers hits the stage in the SOPAC Loft! Through a series of vignettes, Hey! I Heard You’re Black presents black couples, strangers, neighbors, and co-workers discussing the intricate realities of their everyday lives while Nella, the “Holla Hotline” specialist, is just trying to do her job. What began as a monologue titled “Busted Tailight,” accepted to the Columbus Black Theatre Festival in Ohio, has expanded into a full-length play featuring an anthology of interconnected monologues and scenes that explore the day-to-day aspect of being black in America.
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!
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!
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!
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.
SOPAC welcomes Three American Troubadours, a production that celebrates iconic artists James Taylor, Carly Simon, and Carole King, featuring performances of their greatest hits and reflections on their lives alongside video projection and a 9-piece band. Delighting audiences across the country with hits like “How Sweet It Is,” “Country Road,” “Shower The People,” “Anticipation,” “You’re So Vain,” “Mockingbird,” “I Feel the Earth Move,” “It’s Too Late,” “You’ve Got A Friend,” and more beloved tunes, Three American Troubadours immortalizes the legacy of these singers and songwriters whose personal lives and careers have intertwined throughout the years, and whose memorable songs provide enduring inspiration.
Calling all SOMA Swifties: Your friendly neighborhood stars are bringing Taylor Swift’s iconic repertoire to SOPAC! Join your local Broadway performers and sing along to TayTay’s greatest hits! What song will kick off the set? “Cruel Summer” ... “Bejeweled” ... “Karma” ...? It’s anybody’s guess! Shake off the winter and welcome the spring with this anticipated event for Swifties of all ages! Following last season’s densely packed SOMA Sings Disney event, SOMA Sings Taylor Swift is brought to you in partnership with our friends at SOMA Stage. This performances features local Broadway stars Dara Naomi Gallagher (Cruel Intentions), Nick Gaswirth (How to Dance in Ohio), Becky Gulsvig (A Beautiful Noise), Laurel Harris (Wicked), Autumn Jones (Revival), Ross Lekites (Parade), Ayla Schwartz (Frozen) & Jared Zirilli (Summer).
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 features Winard Harper & Jeli Posse.
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!
SOPAC welcomes one of the greatest there ever was, George Porter, Jr., to the Mainstage! A master architect of Funk and syncopation, Porter is a founding member of legendary New Orleans outfit The Meters. With the deepest pocket and bass lines to bite into and chew on, the instrumentalist, songwriter, and acclaimed vocalist brings down the house wherever he performs. Don’t miss this decorated Lifetime Achievement Award winner and true hero of the bass alongside his incredible band live at SOPAC!
Take off your shoes, get comfortable in your body, and go on a journey of connection to self through this beautifully calming Reiki Energy Crystal Sound Bath with sound bowl modality healer Sasha Green.
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.
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.
Welcome, SOPAC patrons, welcome to The Machine. Acclaimed Pink Floyd tribute band The Machine returns to the Mainstage for an evening of searing guitars, chambered compositions & penetrating lyrics. Performing era-defining songs from Animals & Wish You Were Here — the latter celebrating its 50th anniversary this year — plus music from seminal albums like The Wall & Dark Side of the Moon and deep cuts from gems like Meddle & Ummagumma, these dedicated artists illuminate the evening with expanded theatrical elements and elaborate stage displays. The moments are ticking away...get your tickets now!
Spring is sprung at SOPAC when Jane Monheit takes the stage! Her crystalline voice and lyrical mastery rivaled only by her charm and charisma, the Grammy-nominated singer and master storyteller shares music from her 2024 release Jane Monheit. Don’t miss your chance to hear Monheit with her acclaimed ensemble interpreting what have become famed arrangements of standard tunes, including those from Stephen Sondheim, Ivan Lins & more. Get your tickets today!
One of the most popular adventure tales of all time, PANTO’s Treasure Island delivers audiences of families with children of all ages a thrilling adventure of a perilous sea journey, a mutiny led by the infamous Long John Silver, a scramble for buried treasure, and the message that good triumphs over evil every time.
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 features Dave Stryker.
Just in time for Jazz Appreciation Month, Grammy Award-winning bassist & composer Endea Owens debuts on the SOPAC Mainstage with her deep-pocket project The Cookout. As nimble as it is foundational, her sound serves up rhythmic dimension, buoyant melodies, Funk, Soul and plenty of Hard Bop influences. Special guest vocalist Shenel Johns joins the celebration, sharing her swinging lyricism and intimate storytelling alongside a full band of master improvisers. This Cookout feeds your mind, body & spirit — don’t miss these incredible artists performing live at SOPAC!
The acclaimed artists and committed educators of the Seton Hall Faculty Ensemble return to SOPAC for an evening of thrilling repertoire and tight arrangements. When these hard-swinging musicians take center stage — and plenty of high-octane solos — they engage audiences of all ages with their virtuosity and spirit.
Embrace your inner child! Join the students of SHU as they present Rick Elice’s Tony Award-winning play Peter and the Starcatcher. Directed by Ken Magos, Peter and the Starcatcher upends the century-old story of how a miserable orphan comes to be The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up (a.k.a. Peter Pan). From marauding pirates and jungle tyrants to unwilling comrades and unlikely heroes, Peter and the Starcatcher playfully explores the depths of greed and despair...and the bonds of friendship, duty & love.
Join world-class artists & local legends for the Blues in the Loft concert series live at the SOPAC Loft. Whether you're seeking some slow burners, classic funk grooves, tear-your-heart-out ballads, or down-home shuffles, Blues is the Loft is the event for you! This event features Blues People, Dave Keyes & Chuck Lambert.
The Seton Hall University Chorus, Concert Band & Chamber Choir present their Annual Spring Concert, “A Celebration of Spring,” welcoming rebirth and awakening. Experience Seton Hall’s talented student musicians, under the direction of Dr. Jason Tramm, perform works of Gabriel Faure, William Byrd, Stacey Gibbs & many more. Piano soloist Dr. Dena Levine joins the University Chorus and Orchestra for a special performance of Beethoven’s “Choral Fantasy,” Op. 80. Don’t miss this spirited event that features the university’s brightest stars sharing sounds of the season and spreading joy & hope!
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.
Join us for the opening reception of this year's INSPIRED MINDS: Young Artist Exhibition, the latest exhibition in The Herb + Milly Iris Gallery. This is a juried exhibit of art by Essex County high school students. Each year, thousands of submissions are juried by a panel of distinguished artists, photographers, museum curators, and arts advocates. The result is an exciting and eclectic body of work from the perspective of young emerging artists. Free and open to public.
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.
The sound, style & synchrony of the Grateful Dead lives on at SOPAC! The deadicated artists of Dead on Live return to the Mainstage to recreate, note for note, instrumental nuances, lush harmonies & signature phrasing of America’s lyrical vagabonds, leaving plenty of room for jamming. This event presents music from beloved live era releases of 1971-1972, featuring favorites from Skull and Roses, Jerry’s first solo release Garcia, classic album Europe 72, and more. The artists perform “Wharf Rat,” “The Wheel,” “China Cat Sunflower/I Know You Rider” (in its entirety!), “Mexicali Blues,” and “One More Saturday Night” as they were recorded. Ain’t no time to hate — barely time to wait — get your tickets today!
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.
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!
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.