Events This Week in New Jersey from December 30 to January 5, 2025

originally published: 12/30/2025

Here is a look at upcoming events taking place from December 30-January 5, 2025 along with our featured listings. New Jersey Stage offers previews of events throughout the Garden State as well as select shows in New York City and Philadelphia areas. Click on the title to go to the full preview. Jump to Featured Events, Music, Theatre, Comedy, Art, Event Listings.

The majority of these previews were created by New Jersey Stage, but you can send press releases to [email protected] to have your events considered for previews. There is no cost for preview articles. Featured listings are found in the NJ Stage calendar, reserved for advertisers, and provided with individual event pages for every performance. Event pages are also available for $10 per event (multiple performances count as a single event). Event pages are also included with every banner ad purchase. Banner ads are available from $50-$100 per event and can be purchased up to 3 months in advance.

FEATURED EVENTS

Wednesday, December 31 – State Theatre New Jersey presents Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert. (NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) — Close out 2025 in style with State Theatre New Jersey’s annual Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert on Wednesday, December 31, 2025 at 5:00pm. Celebrating 30 years in North America and 20 years at STNJ, the fan favorite returns to New Brunswick for a dazzling anniversary season.

Wednesday, December 31 – Close Out The Year with First Night Morris County 2026. (MORRISTOWN, NJ) — First Night Morris County 2026 is the biggest and brightest New Year’s Eve celebration in New Jersey, providing a magnificent, family-friendly, substance- and alcohol-free celebration in the heart of Morristown. It offers a high-quality, curated cultural experience that unites the community and supports local partners. Your admission button grants you unlimited access to over 7 hours of spectacular entertainment—an excellent value for the whole family.

Reach New Jersey’s largest arts & entertainment audience, click here for info on how to advertise at NJ Stage

MUSIC

Friday, January 2 – Start the New Year with Rikki Lee Wilson’s Taylor Swift Tribute at The Broadway Theatre of Pitman. (PITMAN, NJ) — The Broadway Theatre of Pitman presents Love Story – A Tribute to Taylor Swift from January 2-4, 2026. The show starring Rikki Lee Wilson brings the ultimate Taylor Swift concert experience and has wowed audiences nationwide.

Sunday, January 4 – Saxophonist/Educator Julius Tolentino to perform with Former Students at January Jersey Jazz LIVE!. (MADISON, NJ) — Alto saxophonist/educator Julius Tolentino received a Lifetime Achievement Award for Jazz Education from DownBeat Magazine in 2024, the same year his Newark Academy jazz band, Chameleon, won first place in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington competition. Tolentino is in his 19th year as NA’s Jazz Director, and this year he has the added responsibility of Arts Department Chair, overseeing an Arts program that also encompasses theater, dance, and visual art.

THEATRE

Quintessence Theatre presents “The Pirates of Penzance”. (PHILADELPHIA, PA) — Quintessence Theatre continues its 16th season with The Pirates of Penzance, the beloved comic opera by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, from November 19, 2025 to January 4, 2026. Directed by Quintessence Artistic Director Alex Burns, the resplendent and hilarious story follows a band of pirates who go to battle with the British bobbies over the hearts of a bevy of beautiful Cornish maidens, with only a Major- General and Queen Victoria to stand in their way.

Paper Mill Playhouse presents Disney’s “Frozen”. (MILLBURN, NJ) — Paper Mill Playhouse presents Disney’s Frozen from November 26 through Sunday, January 11, 2026. This musical transforms the magic of the beloved animated film to the stage in an enchanting adventure. When sisters Elsa and Anna are torn apart by a mysterious secret power, they each set out on their own journey of courage, self-acceptance, and discovery of love in all its forms.

Arden Children’s Theatre presents “A Wrinkle In Time”. (PHILADELPHIA, PA) — This winter, Arden Children’s Theatre invites families to journey across time and space with an exciting adaptation of Madeline L’Engle’s beloved book, A Wrinkle in Time. Adapted by John Glore, winner of the Newbery Medal, A Wrinkle in Time has inspired generations of readers, and even a major motion picture, since its publication. Now, the Arden brings this timeless classic to its stage for the first time. The production runs from December 3 through January 25, 2026.

Manhattan Theatre Club presents “Bug” by Tracy Letts. (NEW YORK, NY) — Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC) presents the Broadway premiere of Bug, written by Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy Letts (August: Osage County, The Minutes) and directed by Tony Award winner David Cromer (Prayer for the French Republic at MTC, The Band’s Visit). The production begins performances on Wednesday, December 17, 2025 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street). Opening night is Thursday, January 8, 2026.

Night Stories: 4 Tales of Reanimation by the Greatest Poet of the Holocaust – Avrom Sutzkever – Comes to Life Off- Broadway. (NEW YORK, NY) — Night Stories, comprising four tales of reanimation by Yiddish poet and resistance fighter Avrom Sutzkever, will be presented Off-Broadway direct from a South American tour through São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. Night Stories makes its official Off-Broadway bow at Wild Project, 195 E. 3rd Street (between Aves. A & B), with performances from December 17, 2025 through January 11, 2026.

The Ma’ayanot H.S. Drama Society & Black Box Studios presents “Fiddler On The Roof”. (TEANECK, NJ) — The Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School Drama Society, in ongoing partnership with Black Box Studios, presents three performances of Fiddler On The Roof from December 27-30, 2025 at Ma’ayanot Performing Arts Center. Winner of nine Tony Awards when it debuted in 1964, this musical is the brainchild of Broadway legends, Jerome Robbins and Harold Prince; songwriters, Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick; and bookwriter, Joseph Stein. Touching audiences worldwide with its humor, warmth and honesty, this universal show is a staple of the musical theatre canon.

Kelsey Theatre to Kick Off The New Year With the Charming Musical “She Loves Me”. (WEST WINDSOR, NJ) — Kick off the new year with a charming musical version of the play that inspired multiple iconic films when Mercer County Community College’s Kelsey Theatre and Off-Centre Stages present She Loves Me, from January 2-11, 2026 on MCCC’s West Windsor campus.

The Players Guild of Leonia to Hold Auditions for “The Psychic” by Sam Bobrick. (LEONIA, NJ) — The Players Guild of Leonia will hold auditions for The Psychic by Sam Bobrick on three days from January 4-11, 2026. This play is a laugh-out-loud mystery full of twists, turns, and unexpected revelations. The production will be directed by Terri Caust.

Gateway Playhouse To Hold Auditions For First Two Musicals Of 2026 MainStage Season. (SOMERS POINT, NJ) — Gateway Playhouse in Somers Point will hold auditions for the first two shows of its all-musical 2026 MainStage Season: “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner and Andrew Lippa, and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s renowned rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar.” Auditions will take place on Sunday, January 4, 2026 at 1:00pm and Monday, January 5 at 6:00pm, at the Gateway. All backgrounds and theater experiences, whether a veteran performer or a first-timer, are welcome. No appointments are necessary. All roles are open. Both shows will be directed by Chip Garrison, who recently directed the Gateway’s holiday show “Scrooge, the Musical.”

COMEDY

Wednesday, December 31 – Bananas Comedy Club presents Josh Firestine on New Year’s Eve. (RUTHERFORD, NJ) — End the year with some laughter at Bananas Comedy Club and Josh Firestine. The stand-up comedian, writer, and on-air talent for Louder with Crowder will perform at 7:00pm and 9:30pm on Wednesday, December 31, 2025.

Wednesday, December 31 – The Basie presents Comedian Chris Distefano on New Year’s Eve. (RED BANK, NJ) — Looking for something to do on New Year’s Eve? Count Basie Center for the Arts presents Comedian Chris Distefano on Wednesday, December 31, 2025 with sets at 7:00pm & 9:30pm.

Wednesday, December 31 – Atlantic City Comedy Club hosts New Year’s Eve show. (ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) — Still deciding on New Years Eve plans? The Atlantic City Comedy Club has a show featuring Rus Gutin, Gibran Saleem, Shivani Dave, and David James. Close out the year with some laughs on Wednesday, December 31, 2025 at 8:00pm.

Reach New Jersey’s largest arts & entertainment audience, click here for info on how to advertise at NJ Stage

ART

The Oyster Point Hotel Gallery presents Donna Payton Exhibition. (RED BANK, NJ) — Donna Payton is a 2026 Artist in Residence at The Oyster Point Hotel Gallery. Her paintings will be on display in a solo exhibition before being installed in the Hotel’s guest rooms. The exhibition runs from December 30th to February 2, 2026.

Ocean County Library Waretown Branch presents “Subject to the Viewer’s Imagination” by Mary Fogarty. (WARETOWN, NJ) — The Ocean County Library Waretown Branch is pleased to present the works of Jersey Shore-based artist Mary Fogarty, Subject to the Viewer’s Imagination, throughout the months of January and February.

EVENT LISTINGS

Click on the title to go to the event page for complete information on the show.

Wednesday, December 31 @ 4:30pm – First Night Morris 2026 at Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC), 100 South Street, Morristown

Wednesday, December 31 @ 5:00pm – Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert at State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick

Wednesday, December 31 @ 6:00pm – FJ – Tribute To Foreigner and Journey at Algonquin Arts Theatre, 60 Abe Voorhees, Manasquan

Wednesday, December 31 @ 9:00pm – FJ – Tribute To Foreigner and Journey at Algonquin Arts Theatre, 60 Abe Voorhees, Manasquan

Saturday, January 3 @ 3:00pm – Magic Rocks starring Illusionist Leon Etienne at Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC), 100 South Street, Morristown

Saturday, January 3 @ 7:30pm – Magic Rocks starring Illusionist Leon Etienne at Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC), 100 South Street, Morristown

Saturday, January 3 @ 8:00pm – The Flip Side – Improv at Vivid Stage at Madison Community Center, 10 Kings Road, Madison

Sunday, January 4 @ 3:00pm – Father Alphonse’s New Year 2026 at Algonquin Arts Theatre, 60 Abe Voorhees, Manasquan

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.

Close Out The Year with First Night Morris County 2026
December 31, 2025

Centenary Stage Company presents Redefining Wonder featuring Illusionist Chris Funk
January 8, 2026

T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center and Two River Theater present In The Words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King – Where Do We Go From Here?
January 10, 2026