July - September / 04

		Peace Piano The Peace Piano, a one-of-a-kind Steinway grand, will star in a concert in Burlington Township to raise money for UNICEF. At the keyboard will be the Stanley Cowell jazz quartet, and also a select group of young musicians from the area. October 2nd at Burlington Township Performing Arts Center. Visit www.thepianochoir.org
		Dodge Poetry Festival The 10th biennial Dodge Poetry Festival takes place this year in a new and rarified location–Duke Farms, former home of the tobacco billionairess Doris Duke. It will be the first time the 2700 acre estate has been open to such a large public. September 30th - Ocboer 3rd at Duke Farms in Hillsborough. Visit www.grdodge.org/poetry
		TIMELESS/TIMELINESS At the Aljira Center for Contemporary Art in Newark, an exhibition that is both timely – the very latest work by eighteen emerging artists – and timeless, because “an artist in touch with his time is always in style”. TIMELESS/TIMELINESS is on view through September 29th. Visit www.aljira.org
		Of Thee I Sing George and Ira Gershwin’s 1931 “Of Thee I Sing” was the first musical to win the Pulitzer Prize. A still timely parody of American politics, it spoofs the campaign of Presidential candidate Wintergreen, who sweeps to victory with his one-word platform - "love." But can this new platform of love rescue this new president from impeachment? Featuring such favorites as "Love is Sweeping the Country, "Who Cares?" and the title song "Of Thee I Sing." Visit www.papermill.org
		Richie Havens Woodstock legend Richie Havens is still going strong 35 years after he made history as the first performer at that generation-defining concert. He performs at the Ringwood Public Library on September 19th. Visit www.palsplus.org/rpl
		Mexican Folk Arts from Oaxaca Much of South Jersey's Mexican community has its roots in Oaxaca – a native culture with a vibrant artistic life. Some of the best of that art is now on view at Wheaton Village in Millville, in a major exhibition of Oaxacan arts and crafts that includes woodcarving, pottery, weaving, embroidery, tinwork, and jewelry. “Native to Neo: Mexican Folk Arts from Oaxaca” is on view through November 12. Visit www.wheatonvillage.org
		The Fantasticks The longest-running musical ever, “The Fantasticks” has held its appeal through more than four decades of cultural turbulence. The secret to its longevity lies in its simple staging, its tuneful score, and the universal appeal of its story. “The Fantasticks” plays at the Algonquin Arts Center in Manasquan August 20th - 29th. Visit www.algonquinarts.com
		Bye Bye Birdie The musical “Bye Bye Birdie” is a loving satire of rock and roll music, and the comparative innocence of the early 60s, when a pop star joining the army could cause an epidemic of teenage hysteria. At the Surflight Theater in Beach Haven August 10th through 22nd. Visit www.surflight.org
		Swoop The Jersey City Museum is presenting a series of solo shows of single artworks–the “1 by 1" project. One of those works, “Swoop”, by Jersey City artist David Poppie, gives an unlikely and beautiful second life to discarded plastic 6-pack rings. Visit www.jerseycitymuseum.org
		Susan Werner Singer/songwriter Susan Werner has such admiration for the great American songwriters of the past – Gershwin, Porter, Rodgers – that she wants to extend the tradition, not just preserve it. Her latest CD “I Can’t Be New” is a collection of her own new songs, all in style that harkens back to the Golden Age of Popular Song. She performs in the After Sundown Music Series in Haddon Heights on August 11th. Visit www.susanwerner.com
		Newark Black Film Festival The Newark Black Film Festival was created 30 years ago as a venue for first-run movies in a city that had no movie theaters. That’s all changed, as Newark built multiplexes and the NBFF became a magnet for up-and-coming indie filmmakers, and an oasis for audiences in search of the new and different. This year the NBFF is also screening films in Trenton, through August 5th. Visit www.newarkmuseum.org
		New Jersey Sculptors Association The annual exhibition of the New Jersey Sculptors Association is a free-wheeling display of unexpected forms and materials, including neon, handmade paper, plastic, even interactive miniature golf. At the Monmouth Museum through July 18th. Visit www.monmouthmuseum.org
		Coriolanus Shakespeare’s political tragedy Coriolanus offers audiences a lot to think about during an election year. It’s one of four classic plays being presented this summer by the Hudson Shakespeare Festival; the productions are free, and take place in a variety of outdoor venues throughout Hudson County. Visit www.hudsonshakespeare.org