WELCOME TO THE 2024-25 SEASON!
Discover a new season of events at the Center for the Arts, where there’s truly something for everyone! This year, we proudly present a diverse array of events from captivating broadcasts, dynamic performances, thrilling concerts and innovative original works. Join a vibrant community of arts enthusiasts and supporters celebrating unique voices & artistic expressions that inspire and engage!
Fri. October 11 ● 8 PM POLLAK THEATRE
Tickets starting at $48
Experience the return of The Boxmasters, led by the charismatic J.D. ANDREW and the legendary BILLY BOB THORNTON, as they promise to electrify the Pollak Theatre with an unforgettable performance. Known for their unique blend of 1960s rock influences and collaborations with legends like Ian Hunter and Gov’t Mule, this is a musical event you won’t want to miss. Get ready to rock the night away!
AN EVENING WITH RICKIE LEE JONES
Sat. October 12 ● 8 PM
POLLAK THEATRE
Tickets starting at $40
Dive into the musical magic of RICKIE LEE JONES live at Pollak Theatre. Experience an unforgettable night of jazz, rock, and soul from this two-time Grammy Award-winning artist, whose legendary career spans over four decades.
“There has always been something defiant about Rickie Lee Jones . . . a voice from a dream, elusive yet familiar, transcendent, a messenger from another place.”
- The Independent
PERFORMING ARTS SERIES
THE MIND AND MUSIC OF LEONARD BERNSTEIN
Sat. November 9 ● 8 PM
POLLAK THEATRE
Tickets starting at $35
What our audiences are saying:
“Performance & presentation of Dr. Kogan was memorable, and very impressive. We appreciated his virtuoso performance, his delivery, knowledge and ability to engage the audience.”
Sun. November 24 ● 7 PM
Immerse yourself in the world of Leonard Bernstein, legendary conductor & West Side Story composer. Join Juilliard and Harvard-trained DR. RICHARD KOGAN for a TED-like lecture and piano performance, exploring the intersection of Bernstein’s genius and the mind. Through stories and live renditions of West Side Story classics like Somewhere, Maria & America Kogan brings Bernstein’s journey and music alive.
POLLAK THEATRE | Tickets starting at $45
Get ready for an unforgettable night of music with THE WAILIN’ JENNYS, blending folk, alt-country, pop and rock into a unique sound. Founding members Moody, Mehta and Masse will captivate you with their acclaimed recordings and renowned live performances.
ORCHESTRA OF ST. PETER BY THE SEA
Fri. December 6 ● 7 PM* POLLAK THEATRE | Tickets starting at $55
Embrace the joy and warmth of the season at the annual holiday concert with FATHER ALPHONSE STEVENSON & the Orchestra of St. Peter by the Sea! This cherished tradition brings a 42-piece orchestra and exceptional soloists to Pollak Theatre, filling the air with beloved carols and festive melodies.
*please note the NEW start time
Sat. March 1 ● 8 PM
POLLAK THEATRE | Tickets starting at $50
Get into the groove with ROXEY BALLET’S 80’s dance extravaganza, featuring hits like Flashdance, Jenny Jenny, Tainted Love, Billy Jean & more! Experience phenomenal choreography and dancing that’ll transport you to the era of rock ‘n roll and shoulder pads, leaving you singing and dancing in the aisles!
Sat. March 8 ● 8 PM
POLLAK THEATRE
Tickets starting at $43
Join us in celebrating Cherish the Ladies’ 40th anniversary with a high-energy performance in honor of St. Patrick’s Day! Led by JOANIE MADDEN, this Grammy-nominated, all-female ensemble delivers traditional Irish music and spirited step dancing. This experience filled with heart, humor, and heaps of music will have everyone tapping their feet and clapping along!
JOIN OUR MEMBER PROGRAM!!
By becoming a Member of the Center for the Arts for just $150 per year, you’ll gain access to a range of exceptional benefits that will elevate your cultural experiences to new heights:
u Early access to seats before anyone else
u Members only lounges/special receptions
u Exclusive access to members only contests/offers
u Last-minute house seat upgrades and MORE!
SCAN HERE FOR MORE INFO!
Alumni, Employees and MU Parents get $50 off membership!
SUBSCRIBE TO THE ENTIRE MET
OFFENBACH’S LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN
Sat. October 5 ● 1 PM
Tickets: $23 | Run Time: 4:06
Offenbach’s fantastical opera stars tenor BENJAMIN BERNHEIM in the title role of the tormented poet. Joining Bernheim is soprano ERIN MORLEY as Olympia, soprano PRETTY YENDE as Antonia, and mezzo-soprano CLÉMENTINE MARGAINE as Giulietta to complete Hoffmann’s trio of lovers.
JEANINE TESORI’S GROUNDED
Sat. October 19 ● 1 PM
Tickets: $23 | Run Time: 2:44
Mezzo-soprano EMILY D’ANGELO stars as the hot-shot fighter pilot whose unplanned pregnancy takes her out of the cockpit and lands her in Las Vegas, operating a Reaper drone halfway around the world. Tenor BEN BLISS costars as the Wyoming rancher Eric in a production that wrestles with the ethical conflicts of modern military technology and the psychological and emotional toll remote technology takes on our servicepersons.
PUCCINI’S TOSCA
Sat. November 23 ● 1 PM
Tickets: $23 | Run Time: 3:28
Extraordinary soprano LISE DAVIDSEN stars as the passionate title diva in David McVicar’s thrilling production. Tenor FREDDIE DE TOMMASO makes his eagerly anticipated company debut as Tosca’s revolutionary lover, Cavaradossi, and powerhouse baritone QUINN KELSEY is the sadistic chief of police Scarpia.
VERDI’S AIDA
Sat. January 25 ● 12:30 PM
Tickets: $23 | Run Time: 3:38
Soprano ANGEL BLUE headlines as the Ethiopian princess torn between love and country in a new production that brings audiences inside the towering pyramids and gilded tombs of ancient Egypt with intricate projections and dazzling animations. Mezzo-soprano JUDIT KUTASI also stars as Aida’s rival, Amneris, alongside tenor PIOTR BECZAŁA as the soldier Radamès—completing opera’s greatest love triangle.
& SAVE! in surround sound with easy-to-read subtitles on our 30’ screen
SEASON
BEETHOVEN’S FIDELIO
Sat. March 15 ● 1 PM
Tickets: $23 | Run Time: 3:04
LISE DAVIDSEN stars as Leonore, the faithful wife who risks everything to save her husband from tyranny. Completing the cast is tenor DAVID BUTT PHILIP as the political prisoner Florestan, bass-baritone TOMASZ KONIECZNY as Don Pizarro, veteran bass RENÉ PAPE as the jailer Rocco, soprano YING FANG and tenor MAGNUS DIETRICH as Marzelline and Jaquino, and bass STEPHEN MILLING as Don Fernando.
MOZART’S LE NOZZE DI FIGARO
Sat. April 26 ● 1 PM
Tickets: $23 | Run Time: 3:55
Conductor Joana Mallwitz takes the podium to conduct a stellar ensemble cast including bass-baritone MICHAEL SUMUEL as the clever valet Figaro, soprano OLGA KULCHYNSKA as the maid Susanna, baritone JOSHUA HOPKINS as the skirt-chasing Count, soprano FEDERICA LOMBARDI as his anguished wife, and mezzo-soprano MARIANNE CREBASSA as the page Cherubino.
STRAUSS’S SALOME
Sat. May 17 ● 1 PM
Tickets: $23 | Run Time: 2:15
Soprano ELZA VAN DEN HEEVER leads a celebrated cast as the unhinged antiheroine, with baritone PETER MATTEI as the imprisoned prophet Jochanaan; tenor GERHARD SIEGEL as Salome’s lecherous stepfather, King Herod; mezzo-soprano MICHELLE DEYOUNG as his wife, Herodias; and tenor PIOTR BUSZEWSKI as Narraboth.
ROSSINI’S IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA
Sat. May 31 ● 1 PM
Tickets: $23 | Run Time: 3:33
Mezzo-soprano AIGUL AKHMETSHINA headlines as the heroine, Rosina, alongside tenor JACK SWANSON as her secret beloved, Count Almaviva. Baritone ANDREY ZHILIKHOVSKY stars as Figaro, the ingenious barber of Seville, with bass-baritone PETER KÁLMÁN as Dr. Bartolo and bass ALEXANDER VINOGRADOV as Don Basilio.
ALL BROADCASTS AT THE POLLAK THEATRE
Large print programs are available at each performance
Presentations of the Met: Live in HD series at Monmouth University are made possible by a generous gift from University Trustee Emeritus Robert Sculthorpe, as well as gifts from the Fairleigh S. Dickinson, Jr. Foundation Inc. and the Nicola Musso Charitable Foundation.
Great Art On Screen
Experience a global revolution of world class art, history and biography through the works of the greatest masters of our time.
PICASSO: REBEL IN PARIS
Mon. September 30 ● 7:30 PM | POLLAK THEATRE
Tickets: $23 | Run Time 90 minutes
Fifty years after his passing, we embark on a journey through Pablo Picasso’s Paris, amidst sunshine and shadow, convictions and contradictions, from a young, impoverished foreigner to one of the most important icons of the 20th-century.
MUNCH:
LOVE, GHOSTS AND LADY VAMPIRES
Mon. October 28 ● 7:30 PM | POLLAK THEATRE
Tickets: $23 | Run Time: 90 minutes
Munch: Love, Ghosts and Lady Vampires strives to shed new light on Edvard Munch, a profoundly mysterious, fascinating man, a trailblazer and a master for everyone who came after him.
PERUGINO: ETERNAL RENAISSANCE
Mon. December 2 ● 7:30 PM | POLLAK THEATRE
Tickets: $23 | Run Time: 80 minutes
Proudly supported by
Spectators will be led on a guided discovery of the artist’s harmonious work: a perfect balance between man and nature, realism and idealism, as seen in paintings such as The Delivery of the Keys in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, Lamentation over the Dead Christ in the Galleria Palatina, and the Pietà and Agony in the Garden in the Uffizi Gallery.
FLORENCE AND THE UFFIZI GALLERY
Mon. February 3 ● 7:30 PM | POLLAK THEATRE
Tickets: $23 | Run Time: 91 minutes
This film is a totally immersive journey into the Italian Renaissance that allows the audience to see, listen, feel and savor the most beautiful, representative works of art of the period.
The British theatre behind the Tony award-winning WAR HORSE & ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS brings thrilling HD broadcasts to Pollak Theatre.
PRIMA FACIE
Thurs. Sept. 19 ● 7:30 PM | POLLAK THEATRE
Tickets: $23 | Run Time: 125 minutes
JODIE COMER stars in Suzie Miller’s acclaimed one-woman play, returning to cinemas after a sold-out run at London’s Harold Pinter Theatre. Witness Tessa, a rising barrister confronting the complexities of law, power, and morality in Prima Facie.
ADULT EDUCATION SERIES
Join Monmouth University faculty and friends as they host virtual courses exploring topics that blend leisure and learning.
BRING IN DA FUNK, PART I
Class Schedule: Thursdays - Sept. 12 & 19 | 7:30 – 9 PM
This two-session virtual course, taught by KIT O’TOOLE will explore funk’s roots in blues, jazz, soul, New Orleans, and R&B. The class will highlight key figures like James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, and George Clinton, using multimedia presentations and discussions.
WRITING MEMOIR
Class Schedule: Thursdays - Sept. 26 & Oct. 3 | 7:30 - 9 PM
This two-session virtual course taught by MIKE FARRAGHER provides attendees with an introduction to basic modes for telling the stories of their lives. Working in a supportive workshop setting, students will enjoy engaging, wide-ranging discussion about the joys and challenges of bringing their memories to life.
PRODUCING THE BEATLES
Class Schedule: Thursdays - Oct. 10 & 17 | 7:30 - 9 PM
Based on his acclaimed podcast, this two-session virtual course taught by JASON KRUPPA explores the Beatles’ music through the eyes of their producer, George Martin. Using innovative techniques, participants will see how the Beatles evolved in the studio with Martin’s guidance. Re-recordings and recreations of Martin’s scores reveal how his arrangements shaped their music.
PODCASTING FOR BEGINNERS
Class Schedule: Thursdays - Nov. 7 & 14 | 7:30 - 9 PM
In this two-session virtual course taught by ROBERT RODRIGUEZ, students will learn how to produce a podcast from the planning stage to the final upload. The two sessions will focus on developing a concept, basic recording technology, post-production and launching onto Apple & Spotify. No previous podcasting experience is required.
BRING IN DA FUNK, PART II
Class Schedule: Thursdays - Dec. 5 & 12 | 7:30 PM – 9 PM
This two-session virtual course taught by KIT O’TOOLE explores the peak, decline, and lasting influence of funk. Artists covered include the Ohio Players, Stevie Wonder, Kool and the Gang, Earth, Wind & Fire and more. Subgenres like go-go, punk funk, funk rock, and Bay Area funk are also examined.
CHRISTMAS TIME IS HEAR AGAIN
Class Schedule: Thursday Dec. 19 | 7:30 PM – 9 PM
From 1963 to 1969, the Beatles sent Christmas messages on flexidiscs to their US and UK fan clubs. In 1970, a compilation of these messages was sent out, and they were re-released as a collector’s set in 2017. Join SCOTT FREIMAN AND KEN WOMACK for a one-session virtual course to explore this unique aspect of the Beatles’ history. *one virtual class for $20
