Author: Web Site Administrator

Union County, NJ –  Union County’s free Shakespeare in the park tour of Romeo and Juliet continues on Thursday, July 23 at 7:00 p.m. at Echo Lake Park in Mountainside. Sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, admission is free.

Pack a blanket or lawn chairs and head out to Echo Lake Park this Thursday to enjoy the most famous love story ever written, featuring The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey’s Next Stage Ensemble performing Romeo and Juliet.

“Romeo and Juliet has been the iconic love story by which all others are measured. Shakespeare’s most popular romantic tragedy is as relevant today as it was 450 years ago,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “This summer’s tour of Romeo and Juliet in our parks provides an opportunity for residents of all ages to experience the most beloved playwright who ever lived.”

Additional tour performances in Union County parks include:

• Sunday, July 26 at 7 p.m. at Raymond Wood Bauer Promenade in Linden
• Thursday, July 30 at 7 p.m. at Oak Ridge Park in Clark   
  This performance is sponsored in part by Whole Foods Market Clark.          
• Monday, August 3 at 7 p.m. at Echo Lake Park, Mountainside
• Friday, August 7 at 7 p.m. at Oak Ridge Park, Clark

In the words of the Bard himself, “For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and Romeo.”

Written around 1594, Romeo and Juliet has been a favorite of audiences for over 400 years.

In the hot summer streets of Verona, two idealistic teens discover love in a society consumed by senseless brutality. Filled with witty wordplay, lyric poetry, and flashy swordfights, Romeo and Juliet remains one of the most gripping and moving tragedies by William Shakespeare.

The Next Stage Ensemble, the Shakespeare Theatre’s summer touring company of early career actors, is part of the Theatre’s Summer Professional Training Program which offers students working toward a career in the performing arts clear instruction, individual attention, and thoughtful and candid evaluation in a professional theatre environment. The Next Stage Ensemble works with The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey’s resident and guest directors on two fully developed productions of abridged classic plays. The troupe tours to various locations throughout the state – including libraries, retirement homes and community centers.

For more information or for a complete listing of summer events visit ucnj.org.

On Sunday, July 12, Union County Freeholder Linda Carter welcomed the audience to the first of six Shakespeare in the park performances of Romeo and Juliet at Cedar Brook Park in Plainfield. The tour continues this Thursday, July 23 at 7:00 p.m. at Echo Lake Park in Mountainside. Sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, admission to each of the Romeo and Juliet performances is free.

Union County – There is limited time to purchase tickets for the exclusive performance of “Mandela: Apartheid to Die For” Saturday, July 25, at 2 p.m., at the Union County Performing Arts Center’s Mainstage in Rahway.

The original work is presented by United Youth of New Jersey – a nonprofit youth organization based in Elizabeth, in partnership with the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, through the Union County Advancing Community Theater program. The performance is being produced in honor of Nelson Mandela’s birthday, July 18th.

Mandela is an original play, written and produced by Charlotte and Kenny Brown, founders of United Youth of New Jersey. The play tells the story of Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa who became known and respected all over the world as a symbol of the struggle against apartheid and all forms of racism.

Tickets are priced at $10 and can be purchased online at ucpac.org or through the UCPAC Box Office at 732-499-8226.

Following Mandela, the UCACT Series continues in August with the following performances:

• The Theatre Project presents “Legally Blonde Jr.” Friday and Saturday, Aug. 21 and 22 at 8 p.m.; Sunday, Aug. 23 at 2 p.m., at UCPAC’s Hamilton Stage.
• Vanguard Theatre Company presents “Hairspray” the musical Wednesday, Aug. 19 at 12 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, Aug. 21 and 22 at 8 p.m.; Sunday, Aug. 23 at 3 p.m., on the Mainstage at the UCPAC.

Union County Advancing Community Theater grants funding to cover the hard costs associated with putting up at production at the Union County Performing Arts Center. Through creative partnership and a holistic approach, the program creates a successful business model for Community Theater, allowing them to provide quality performances while also thriving financially.

For more information on Union County Advancing Community Theater, contact Victoria Durbin Drake, Chief of Staff, Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, at 908-558-2278 or visit ucnj.org/ucact.

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders offers a call for entries to all 2D visual artists living and working in Union County to participate in the County’s first Art Outside The Box public art project – a nontraditional exhibition opportunity that broadens and diversifies public exposure to art murals. The theme of this art project is diversity. The deadline for entry is August 1, 2015. There is no fee required to participate.

“The entries for this public art project will support Union County’s ongoing efforts to broaden cultural development through the promotion, coordination, and integration of publicly accessible art,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh.

Offered as part of Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh’s Building A Community of the Arts initiative, a total of nine original artworks will be selected to cover traffic control boxes in select towns in Union County.

Funded by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the Art Outside The Box project will provide a $200 honorarium for each artist whose work is selected. 

For further details about how to participate, and to learn more about the project, including entry form, traffic control box locations, reference samples, and artist agreement are available online at www.ucnj.org/artoutsidethebox or call the Union County Department of Cultural Heritage at (908) 558-2550.

Union County Mosquito Control will be spraying for adult mosquitoes tonight between 7:30pm and 11:30pm. The spraying will be predicated on the weather conditions; rain and high winds will cancel the operation. The areas to be sprayed are as follows:

• Berkeley Hts.- Shadow La.,  Eton Ct., Forest Ave., Columbus Ave., DPW yard area
• Clark–   Conger Way,  Parkway Dr. (near Walnut Ave.) Stonehedge Terr.
• Cranford– Park Dr., Cranford Ave., South Union Ave.
• Elizabeth– Clarkson Ave.,
• Hillside– Harvard Ave., Cornell Pl., Westminster area
• Kenilworth– Dorsett Dr., Water Co. Rd.
• Linden– Tremeley Pt., Bradford Ave., Marion Ave., Lexington Ave., Minor Terrace
• Mountainside-Fitness trail and swimming pool area off Mountain Ave.
• New Providence– Gales Dr.
• Plainfield– Reeves Terrace, Wiley Ave., Knollwood Ct.,  Terrill Rd., Cushing Rd.
• Rahway– Leesville Ave., Main St., Central Ave., Church St., New Church St., River Rd. (Walking Path), Whittier St., Elizabeth Ave., Donald Ave., West Scott Ave. and Park St. area
• Roselle–  Franklin Terrace., West Brook Woods Condos
• Scotch Plains– Tempe Ct., Frank St., Ravenswood La., Pheasant La., Algonquin Rd., Union County Vo-Tech and Police Academy
• Summit– Stockton St., Ascot Way, Water Co. property
• Union–  Rahway Ave, Brighton St., Gifford Ct. /Akzo-Nobel property, Hartley Terrace, William St. area
• Westfield– N. Euclid Ave, Windsor Ave., Cacciola Pl.,  Prospect St., Livingston St.
• Winfield– Union County Pkwy. Dr.
• Municipal Parks
  • Westfield: Tamaques Park, Mindowskin Park, Brightwood Park
  • Linden: Memorial Park, Lexington Pk.
• County Parks
  • Clark: Oak Ridge Park
  • Cranford: County Park Dr
  • Elizabeth: Mattano Pk., Warinanco Pk.
  • Hillside: Conant Park
  • Mountainside: Echo Lake Park
  • Plainfield: Cedar Brook Park
  • Rahway: Rahway Park

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is proud to bring a sensory-friendly rootsy rock ‘n’ roll family concert to the stage at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway.

Plan a day trip for a children’s summer camp or bring the entire family to rock out with two-time Grammy nominees Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could singing songs that celebrate children of all abilities. Performing live on stage at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway, the sensory–friendly children’s music concert is scheduled for two performances on Friday, July 31 at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

Tickets for this sensory-friendly concert are $8 per person and seating is general admission. Group discounts are available for groups of ten or more. All tickets can be purchased through the Union County Performing Arts Center at ucpac.org or by calling the Box Office at 732-499-8226.

“Presented as part of our sensory-friendly performance series, the concert environment at the UCPAC is designed and adjusted to offer a relaxed and safe place for children and adults with sensory sensitivity, developmental and learning differences to enjoy the performing arts,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “Inspired by children, Brady Rymer and his band deliver songs that engage audiences of all ages. The Freeholder board is proud to offer an opportunity for families to experience a music concert that celebrates, motivates, and empowers children of all abilities.”

Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could “might just be the best-sounding band in children’s music,” according to NPR’s All Things Considered. First class, all-American roots/rock with a feel-good R&B foundation is Rymer’s calling card – he creates a warm, optimistic, rollicking back-porch vibe that gets children and their families up and dancing, and smiling from ear to ear. Kids love the energy and Rymer’s magnetic, good-times-guy charm, and his musicianship is something even the most discerning music-loving parent can appreciate.

Autism Friendly Spaces (AFS)  implements the supportive atmosphere at each of the Sensory-friendly performances. AFS provides specialists to train staff and volunteers on working with children with autism and other special needs during Sensory Friendly Theatre performances, while providing comfort and help to families.

For each of the special performances in the Sensory Friendly Theatre series, the theatre environment at the Union County PAC will be adjusted to provide a sensory-friendly, comfortable and judgment-free space that is welcoming for all families. For more information on what to expect at a Sensory Friendly Theatre performance visit ucpac.org.

For more information or to purchase tickets call the Union County Performing Arts Center, 732-499-8226 or visit ucpac.org. The UCPAC Box Office, located at 1601 Irving Street, Rahway, NJ, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM and is also open late on Thursdays until 8:00 PM.

For information on additional Union County recreational programs for people with disabilities age five and up, call the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation at 908-527-4806 or visit ucnj.org.

ELIZABETH, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs are happy to announce that the First Place hanging art works from the 2015 Union County Senior Citizens Art Contest and Exhibit are on exhibit at the Freeholders Gallery located on the 6^th floor of the Union County Administration Building at Elizabethtown Plaza in Elizabeth. The winning pieces can be seen weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The exhibit will run until Wednesday, August 19.

The annual Union County Senior Citizen Art Show is open to artists who are 60 years of age or older and reside in Union County. The show is held from early June to mid-July in the atrium of the Elizabethtown Gas Company in Union.

The non-professional artists whose two-dimensional art works are included in the Freeholders Gallery exhibit are: Molly Brown of Rahway (Acrylic); Clarisse Kant of Cranford (Drawing & Prints); Marilyn Karr of Elizabeth (Mixed Media); Peggy Comegys of Roselle Park (Oil); Marjorie Picard of Scotch Plains (Pastel); William Gardner of Winfield Park (Photography); and Barbara Morano of Springfield (Watercolor).

The professional artists in the exhibit are: Genadiy Rozhkov of Springfield (Acrylic); Libby Reid of Rahway (Drawing & Prints); Frank Marshall of Roselle (Mixed Media); Avi Kiriakatis of Kenilworth (Oil); Anita Gladstone of Springfield (Pastel); Wolf Kretlow of Roselle (Photography); and Angelito David of Linden (Watercolor).

The first place winners for Sculpture and Craft are not on display at the Freeholders Gallery, but will also go on to compete at the New Jersey Senior Citizens Art Show. They are: Lynn Shereshewsky of Westfield (Non-Pro Craft); James Temple of Scotch Plains (Non-Pro Sculpture), Linda Rosen of Cranford (Pro Sculpture). 

The first place winners, non-professional and professional, in each of the categories will move on to compete at the New Jersey Senior Citizens Art Show. The State show will take place at Meadow Lakes in East Windsor, New Jersey, this fall.

For further information and to learn more about exhibiting at the Freeholders Gallery, please contact Nicole DeAugustine, Curator, at the Union County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, 633 Pearl Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07202; telephone, 908-558-2550; or email: culturalinfo@ucnj.org.

CLARK, NJ–The Union County Summer Arts Festival concert series continues Wednesday evening, July 22, with Jo Bonanno & the Godsons of Soul taking the stage at 7:30 p.m. The free concert series, presented by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholder, will take place at Oak Ridge Park in Clark during the month of July and move to Echo Lake Park in Mountainside during the month of August.

Jo Bonanno & the Godsons of Soul have been electrifying audiences in the tri-state area since 1992 with their infectious style of Jersey Shore get-up-and-dance rock and soul music. Considered one of the Top Ten bands in New Jersey, they have opened shows for James Brown, Jerry Lee Lewis, The B-52s, Joan Jett, Mitch Ryder, and Eddie Money.

Pack a picnic basket, bring lawn chairs or blankets and enjoy the music under the stars. Refreshments and snacks will also be available from vendors.

Once again, UC Get Fit Yoga in the Park, a Union County Freeholder initiative will be part of the Wednesday night pre-concert schedule, with Alluem Yoga of Cranford presenting a free community class from 6:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.  Bring a mat or beach towel and participate in healthy activities for the entire family before the music begins.

“We invite everyone to join us for our Wednesday night music programs at Oak Ridge Park,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “And don’t forget to arrive early to participate in UC Get Fit Yoga in the Park, a great way for families to stay healthy together.”

The Summer Arts Festival concerts continue throughout July and August. The other free concerts in the Union County Summer Arts Festival series include:

At Oak Ridge Park, Clark

• July 29 – Hey Bulldog (Beatles Tribute)—Sponsored by Union County Education Association

At Echo Lake Park, Mountainside (All sponsored by ConnectOne Bank)

• August 5 – Good Vibrations (tribute to The Beach Boys)
• August 12 – American Rapture
• August 19 – The Benjamins
• August 26 – The Sensational Soul Cruisers

For rain information you can call the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation at (908) 558-4079 after 3:30 p.m. on the day of the concert or you can visit the Union County web site: www.ucnj.org.