Top 10 NJ Arts Events of Week: Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Darlene Love, Duran Duran, more

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra performs at the Prudential Center in Newark on December 27th.

Here’s a roundup of arts events taking place across the state through December 30th.

MUSIC

• That Trans-Siberian Orchestra– the long-time group that specializes in explosive progressive metal music, often with Christmas themes and lavish stage shows – will present a concert titled “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve: The Best of TSO and More” on December 27th at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Prudential Center in Newark. The show will feature the group’s 1999 rock opera The Ghosts of Christmas Eve in the first half and hits and other songs in the second half.

• In a similar way, The Wizards of Winterfeaturing former members of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, will perform their own Christmas rock opera, The Christmas Dream, on December 23 at 8pm at Millville’s Levoy Theater.

DARLENE LOVE

• powerhouse singer darlene love was one of the featured artists on one of the greatest Christmas albums of all time, 1963 A Christmas present for you from Phil Spectorand the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers will sing “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” and other classic material — plus maybe their new collaboration with Chris Ruggiero, “Grown-Up Christmas List” (Watch video below) – at a show titled “Love for the Holidays” on December 22 at 7:30 p.m. at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank.

• duran duraninducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year after serving 15 years, performs at 8 p.m. on December 30 in the Ovation Hall at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City. The band still consists of four of the musicians who were part of its lineup during the heyday of ’80s pop idols: vocalist Simon Le Bon, keyboardist Nick Rhodes, bassist John Taylor and drummer Roger Taylor, who are joined by guitarist Dominic Brown (who will also have a DJ set at the Nola Bar & Lounge after the concert, 11pm).

• The Queen’s Caricaturistsa group that performs the music of classic and contemporary animated films while showing clips from the films themselves will present a Christmas show entitled “Holiday Hooray” on December 23 at 8 p.m. at the State Theater in New Brunswick.

• The Wonder Bar in Asbury Park presents two concerts to celebrate 2022 entitled “What a wonderful year” (and advertised as “Asbury Park’s annual after-party”). Cast members include Jarod Clemons & the Late Nights, The Extensions, Candy Cavity, Olivia Bec, Levy Okun, Renee Maskin, Drewsie, Nikki Nailbomb and Izzy Miz, December 29 at 7pm; and Alexander Simone & WHODAT? Live Crew, The Foes of Fern, Pamela Flores, Blaise, Karma Gambit, King Ramses, 8Dayzstr8, Dan Apy, Lexx Banko and Scxtty December 30th at 7pm

The New Jersey Ballet presents The Nutcracker at the Mayo Performing Arts Center December 22-24 and 26-27.

TO DANCE

• The New Jersey Ballet’s annual joint production of “The Nutcracker,” presented in partnership with the New Jersey Symphony, will be performed with performances December 22-23 at 7:30 p.m., December 26 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m., and December 24 and 27 at 1 p.m. at the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown continued. The December 22nd performance will also be streamed live.

FAMILY

• Field Station: Dinosaurs in Leonia has put together a stage show, “Dinosaur Dynamite!”, which it will present at the Hackensack Performing Arts Center on December 27-29 at 2 p.m. and December 28-29 at 11 a.m. , puppets and more.

THEATRE

• Middlesex County’s Plays-in-the-Park program – which presents shows at Edison’s Stephen J. Capestro Theater each summer – also produces the Bible-inspired Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical annually “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat” at the State Theater in New Brunswick. This year’s shows will take place from December 28th to 30th at 7pm and on December 30th at 2pm

In connection with the shows, Plays-in-the-Park sponsors a cloakroom promotion; Donation cloaks can be dropped off in the lobby at all shows and are being distributed to the homeless by the Coming Home Middlesex organization.

MARK RICCADONNA

MUSIC/COMEDY

• Veteran Broadway actress Danielle Ferland, comedians Mark Riccadonna and Walter Deptuch, Ben Shanblatt’s jazz trio and percussionist Billy Martin of adventurous jam band Medeski, Martin & Wood will perform at the “Evening of Music, Comedy and More” Benefit to the Black Box Performing Center in Englewood, held at the theater on December 22nd at 7:30pm.

REVIEWS

“American Stories: Gifts from the Jersey City Museum Collection” at the Zimmerli Art Museum, New Brunswick. (Until December 23)

“Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol” at the Mile Square Theatre, Hoboken. (Until December 24th)

“The Sound of Music” in the Paper Mill Playhouse, Millburn. (Until January 1st)

“Twelfth Night” at the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey at Drew University, Madison. (Until January 1st)

“Thread Hijacking” at the Hunterdon Art Museum, Clinton. (Until January 8th)

“RetroBlakesberg: Captured on Film, 1978-2008”, Works by rock photographer Jay Blakesberg at the Morris Museum, Morris Township. (Until February 5th)

“New Jersey Arts Annual: Resurgence” at the State Museum, Trenton. (Until April 30th)

“Ladies and gentlemen… the Beatles!” at the Grammy Museum Experience Prudential Center, Newark. (Until June 25th)

“George Inness: Visionary Landscapes” at the Montclair Art Museum. (Until June 30, 2024)