The South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) offers a mid-season warm up to thwart the winter chill! Here’s what’s coming up at SOPAC in December:
Acclaimed comic and SOPAC curator Joe Larson continues to expand and evolve his comedy series Laughs in the Loft: Home for the Holidays on Wednesday, December 4 at 7:30PM. Stay tuned for this month’s featured comics.
’Tis the season at SOPAC — holiday concerts abound. Seton Hall University presents its Annual Winter Concert on Thursday, December 5 at 7:30PM; Hot Jazz is alive and swinging with The Hot Sardines performing their Holiday Stomp on Friday, December 6 at 8PM; and in partnership with SOMA Stage, SOPAC welcomes local star of stage and screen Mandy Gonzalez performing Home for the Holidays on Sunday, Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m.
“I’m so excited to be celebrating the holidays with my family and friends in my hometown at SOPAC,” says Gonzalez. “The holidays in SOMA are absolutely magical — the lights, decorations, and free parking meters really get you into the holiday spirit! I can’t wait to see you there!”
And no season would feel complete without a little Motown and Roots Americana on the calendar. Valerie Simpson returns to SOPAC for an evening of classic R&B when she and her friends Sing Ashford & Simpson on Saturday, December 14 at 8PM. Then on Sunday, December 15 at 7:30PM, acclaimed finger-picking songwriting outfit Nefesh Mountain reprises its Love & Light Tour on the Mainstage.
If you’d like to preview, review, or attend any December performances, please contact Lauren at lauren@sopacnow.org.
Explore SOPAC’s December 2024 Programming
Laughs in the Loft
Home for the Holidays
WED, DEC 4 at 7:30PM
Hosted by comedian Joe Larson, Laughs in the Loft features stand-up comics from the South Orange-Maplewood community, Brooklyn, and surrounding cities. Each Laughs in the Loft event features several comedians in a New York City-style showcase. SOPAC announces talent approximately two weeks prior to each show. Audiences never know who might drop in! Intended for mature audiences. Recommended 18+. Buy Tickets
Seton Hall University Annual Winter Concert
THU, DEC 5 at 7:30PM
The Seton Hall University Chorus, Concert Band & Chamber Choir present their Annual Winter Concert, a favorite of SOPAC’s holiday season. Don’t miss this spirited event, presented by the Seton Hall University Arts Council, that features the university’s brightest stars performing selections of the season, spotlighting artistic range and spreading boundless joy!
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Holiday Stomp
With The Hot Sardines
FRI, DEC 6 at 8PM
Fueled by the belief that classic Jazz feeds the heart and soul, the Hot Sardines are on a mission to make old sounds new again and prove that joyful music can bring people together in a disconnected world. Praised by The Times London as “simply phenomenal,” The Hot Sardines features brassy horn arrangements, rollicking piano melodies, and nostalgic vocals that transport audiences to the eras of Ragtime, Swing & Gypsy Jazz. Get your tickets today!
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Mandy Gonzalez
Home for the Holidays
Presented in partnership with SOMA Stage
SUN, DEC 8 at 7:30PM
South Orange resident and Broadway icon Mandy Gonzalez possesses one of today’s most powerful and versatile voices. On the SOPAC Mainstage, the current star of Broadway’s Sunset Boulevard presents an evening of seasonal cheer and delight, serenading audience members with beloved holiday standards and signature repertoire, including “Feliz Navidad,” “All I Want for Christmas is You,” and “Into the Unknown” from Disney’s Frozen II.
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Valerie Simpson & Friends
Sing Ashford & Simpson
SAT, DEC 14 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 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. The Love & Light Tour features seasonal originals, plus music from the band’s forthcoming double LP release Beacons.
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