NJPAC's Report to the Community 2016

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E COMR HERE Y E TH ETHE TOG

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WELCOME TO A NEW DAY IN NEWARK

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A MESSAGE FROM

JOHN SCHREIBER PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Dear Friend of the Arts Center: I am delighted to invite you to dig in to NJPAC’s 2016 Report to the Community, a magazine-ish (remember magazines?) look back at the myriad of unique events and experiences that characterize another important and, literally, groundbreaking year in our young history. The stories that follow are brightly told snapshots of remarkable accomplishments by the rich mix of dedicated and brilliant talents who compose the NJPAC community: the performers, teachers, students, staff, volunteers, donors and citizens who populate our stages, our classrooms, our meeting and convening spaces, plus our boundary-less campus. If one of your favorite NJPAC experiences from last year isn’t mentioned here, I’ll take that as a good sign: Clearly, more special things happened than could fit within these 100-plus pages. Next time we run into each other at the theater, I depend on you to tell me all about it.

As the lyric of the old Judy Garland favorite promises, I could go on singing till the cows come home (about NJPAC), but since I’ve only got a page to do it in, here are a couple of top stories for 2016: Diversity! As an arts and learning institution with diversity written into the first line of our mission statement, NJPAC has been multicultural in its programming, staffing and audiences since opening its doors almost 20 seasons ago. The year 2016 saw those numbers go through the roof, and we couldn’t be happier. Fully 44% of our audience members came from a gorgeous mosaic of nationalities and ethnicities, including African-American, Hispanic, Asian, Indian and over a dozen others. The majority of our staff is born of minority populations, with many hometown Newarkers among our full-time teaching artists and volunteers. What’s on our stages is a direct reflection of the audiences we serve; consequently, our presentations are the most varied of any presenter in the country.

A groundbreaking Groundbreaking! Last year saw a milestone almost 10 years in the making: the start of construction of the One Theater Square (1TS) residential tower directly across the street from our theaters. This project was devised by my predecessor Larry Goldman, developed by Dranoff Properties; supported by the State of New Jersey, the City of Newark, Prudential Financial and NJPAC’s Theater Square Development Company real-estate subsidiary, led by Bill Marino; and informed by the expertise of many, especially Executive Committee member Marc Berson. One Theater Square is the first ground-up, luxury residential high-rise built in Newark in 57 years. With 22 stories and 245 units, it will transform a neighborhood that is already home to a revitalized Hahne’s building, Military Park and such gems as the Newark Museum, “The Rock” and the Newark Public Library.

Welcome to our 2016 annual report.

You made it happen, and on behalf of all of us who keep the stages lit, the arts ed classrooms humming, and the community conversations flowing, we couldn’t be more grateful.

With all my best,

John Schreiber

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A MESSAGE FROM

JOHN R. STRANGFELD CHAIR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS

To NJPAC Friends and Supporters: How often we hear, “It’s time for a change.” At NJPAC, that time is now and always.

NJPAC is a marvel and testament to professionals—past and present—who are quick and willing to ask, “What’s next?” During 2016, these were just some of the ways that define how we make a difference: There was literal upheaval to the NJPAC landscape when groundbreaking commenced for One Theater Square. This high-rise dream of residences and retail, taken to the finish line by John Schreiber, Marc Berson and other frontrunners, past and present, will contribute in a transformative way to the rebirth of the Newark downtown.

Newark Celebration 350 succeeded in reminding those who live and work here that pride is the main ingredient of a melting-pot citizenry. The city commemorated the 350th anniversary of its founding with much jubilation and reflection. NJPAC pitched in by donating office space and production smarts, and John’s leadership as NC350 Programming Chair smoothed the way for top-name performers like Naughty By Nature to appear in free concerts in Military Park.

The Arts Center maximized its boundary-less campus by hosting many free discussions of importance to Newark and the nation. These included public dialogues about such issues as social justice and health care reform, as well as a series of talks about Newark then and now, held in partnership with the Newark History Society. NJPAC’s “borders” were stretched into nearby houses of worship and community centers, where lovers of literature attended readings at the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival or visitors at the Jewish Museum of New Jersey learned about Jazz Music and the Movement for Civil Rights. NJPAC’s outreach will extend into classrooms even further through a two-year grant that will enable 24,000 Newark schoolchildren each of those years to see a live performance and provide professional training for their arts teachers.

How do we keep the momentum going, within and outside four walls? As a nonprofit institution, NJPAC depends on funding from the State, foundations, the corporate community and philanthropic individuals. Ticket revenue covers and other earned income 65% of the $45.5 million operating budget, so to stay robust, the need for strategic fund-raising has risen in urgency.

At this point in time, NJPAC is on the cusp of a 20-year milestone. We’re grateful for the visionaries who set this wonderful home for culture in motion nearly two decades ago, and remain vigilant that complacency will never take root here.

“Without memory, there is no culture,” Elie Wiesel once commented. Since NJPAC was built on integrity from the start, I’m confident it will bond to the future, even as the winds of change are swirling.

Sincerely,

John R. Strangfeld

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DREAMS COME TRUE THE GROUNDBREAKING FOR ONE THEATER SQUARE BEGINS A NEW STAGE FOR NJPAC

“A feel-good moment decades in the making,” read a Real Estate NJ headline. “One Theater Square could be bigger than a high-rise,” exclaimed NJBIZ. “Designed to expand on the success of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center,” commented The Star-Ledger and NJ.com.

Years of tenacity and teamwork prevailed on November 14 when a line of Newark progressives dug gleaming shovels into the bedrock of what will become NJPAC’s One Theater Square.

Jubilation mixed with nostalgia as advocates for the $116 million luxury high-rise witnessed the long-awaited culmination of a plan vital to the revitalization of the city.

Despite often daunting bumps and delays during its time on the drawing boards, One Theater Square, the result of a successful public-private partnership, is scheduled to open for occupancy in 2018. The 22-story edifice, composed of 245 apartments, including 24 affordable units, will offer views of Manhattan, the hills of North Jersey and verdant Military Park.

The project represents Newark’s first ground-upward residential tower since 1960, according to the developer, Dranoff Properties, Inc. of Philadelphia.

To the festive tune of bells chiming from a nearby church, NJPAC President and CEO John Schreiber welcomed a dais packed with One Theater Square “indispensables,” thanking them for “a great day in Newark.”

“From the day that this transformational project was announced almost 10 years ago, to our financial closing six weeks ago, every single time it seemed as if the environment or the timing for One Theater Square wasn’t right, one of you, or some combination of you, made it possible for us to live to fight another day,” he said.

“Today is a remarkable story of resilience, faith, creativity and collaboration,” Schreiber continued.

“By making this deal happen, you make possible the next historic chapter in the forward motion of this city we love.”

The ceremony was held under sunny ice-blue skies, and a light breeze ruffled the unseasonably warm autumn morning. Builder Carl E. Dranoff and NJPAC Founding President and CEO Lawrence P. Goldman, who shared NJPAC’s Prudential Hall stage six years ago when the design was first unveiled, joined such dignitaries as former Gov. Thomas H. Kean; New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno; Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka; Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr. (D-10th Dist.); Essex County Executive Joseph DiVencenzo Jr.; Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin (D-Essex); and State Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex).

Representing the Newark City Council were Augusto Amador, Carlos M. Gonzalez, Joe McCallum and Luis A. Quintana.

Kean, who is a member of the “Mount Rushmore” of NJPAC founding fathers (the others being philanthropist Raymond G. Chambers, former Newark Mayor Sharpe James and Goldman), enthused, “What a wonderful day in every way. We were talking about this back in the ‘80s.” He was referring to stakeholders in attendance who first advanced the vision for One Theater Square— known in its infancy as Two Center Street.

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The ink was barely dry on a letter of intent signed with Dranoff Properties in 2008 when the real estate crash stymied plans for Two Center Street. Two years later at a press conference, One Theater Square blueprints were unwrapped, calling for 44 stories and 300 residential units. “We have great confidence that One Theater Square will become a model of the vibrancy of living downtown in a great American city,” Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker said at the time.

A modified plan began to materialize, however, and in 2013 a key phase was sealed with the State EDA’s approval of $33 million in Urban Transit Hub Tax Credits. Goldman, who was succeeded

by Schreiber as NJPAC’s chief executive in 2011, had been serving as President and CEO of Theater Square Development Company, LLC, NJPAC’s real estate subsidiary. When funding appeared certain, Goldman took on the duties of a senior advisor and Schreiber added the Arts Center’s development projects to his leadership portfolio.

Theater Square Development Company is responsible for advancing NJPAC’s real estate development mission and initiatives. The company controls two other adjacent sites and continues to focus on identifying appropriate uses, partners and funding for each.

Financial backers of One Theater Square include the City of Newark; the State of New Jersey; Prudential Financial; Fifth Third Bank; Joseph Neubauer and Spring Creek Investment Management; NJPAC, and the developer.

“One Theater Square was supported by eight governors, three mayors, five NJPAC Board Chairs and two NJPAC CEOs. This reflects an amazing continuity of values,” said Goldman, who is Distinguished Practitioner in Residence at Rutgers University’s School of Public Affairs and Administration.

“John’s excellent leadership in getting across the finish line shows an affirmation of mission and legacy, and confirms NJPAC’s destiny on the leading edge of urban transformation.”

The future live-work-play structure will be situated on a 1.2-acre parcel described by Dranoff as “a bullseye location” opposite NJPAC and will encompass street-level retail and a parking garage.

Other amenities will include a fitness center, meeting spaces and an outdoor deck equipped with fire pits and flat screens. The site is positioned minutes away from major transit circuits and Newark Liberty International Airport. 

HERE’S WHAT THEY SAID… “It’s one of the happiest days I can remember. Very few people live to see their dreams come true. This is mine.”

GOV. THOMAS H. KEAN

“I think that this project is going to turn this area completely around. It is the first step of many steps to make Newark the place that we finally want it to be.”

NEWARK MAYOR RAS J. BARAKA

“I hope you all enjoy this as we go forward because we know that the arts is the lifeblood of this city. For every nickel you put into this project, we well get a return on investment of a dollar.

It’s an objectively knowable number.

It’s a dollar that you can’t really, really

understand until you look at what will happen to the children who will be able to come here, the families who will be able to engage here, the people who will ultimately live in this building.

You can’t put a price tag on that.”

NEW JERSEY LT. GOV. KIM GUADAGNO

“We are delighted to complete this important step toward the development of One Theater Square.

These additional, high-quality housing options complement other residential and commercial development projects under way, which are boosting the vitality of the entire city.”

NJPAC BOARD CHAIR JOHN STRANGFELD

“Welcome to a great day in Newark.”

NJPAC PRESIDENT AND CEO JOHN SCHREIBER QUOTES COURTESY OF REAL ESTATE NJ/RE-NJ.COM

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ONE THEATER SQUARE

BY THE NUMBERS

from 1 block Whole Foods

12

minutes to Newark Liberty International Airport

22 stories hour concierge 24 - service

245

apartments (studios and 1- to 3-bedrooms)

285 residential parking spots rent for a 2,000 estimated 1-bedroom apartment

$

feet of 12,000 square retail space

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Joshua Bell in Prudential Hall: March 16, ‘16

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During 2016, NJPAC provided a state-of-the-art home for over 400 performances and events

FEB 12, ‘16

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, 11-time GRAMMY® winner Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds brought the love to a sold-out Prudential Hall audience

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JAZZ, WITH SOMETHING EXTRA ORIGINALITY AND OFF-SCRIPT SURPRISES AT THE 2016 TD JAMES MOODY JAZZ FESTIVAL

Presenting the most in-demand jazz artists in a snazzy setting has always been the standard at the TD James Moody Jazz Festival. But during the fifth annual edition, spontaneous moments and originality in programming left audiences with the feeling that they had just experienced a never-to-be-repeated lifetime event.

Surprises occurred, again and again. A tiny boy named Nathan stole hearts on November 16 during FELA! The Concert: Afrobeat Party when he danced down the aisle to the lip of the stage and was scooped up by the cast to join in the musical revelries. Hard-driving vocalist Sheila Jordan, one of the headliners of the Sarah Vaughan Celebration on November 19, was serenaded by everyone present in the Victoria Theater for her 88th birthday—and she spryly touched her toes to prove she’s got the goods. The next day, a young singer from the U.K. with the alliterative name of Deelee Dubé blew away a celebrity panel of jazz masters, who declared her the winner of the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition.

The most emotionally moving happenstance, however, was during the November 18 performance of Get On Up: A James Brown Celebration. Soul and funk diva Sharon Jones, whose battle with cancer prevented her from performing, passed away in a Cooperstown, N.Y. hospital during the first set. Following intermission, bandleader-bassist Christian McBride announced the news from the stage with a promise that the tribute would continue with a celebration of Jones’ life relayed through Brown’s music.

Nona Hendryx of Labelle, an eleventh-hour fill-in for Jones, contributed her powerhouse vocals to those of Bettye LaVette, Lee Fields and Ryan Shaw, all of whom shared brief, heartfelt anecdotes about their work with both Jones and the Godfather of Soul. LaVette figuratively stepped into Jones’ stilettos to pour out “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World,” accompanied by a big band featuring James Brown Band alumni musicians.

One-of-a-kind “casting” and conceptual programming also were employed for two tributes in Prudential Hall: Jazz in the Key of Ellison on November 1 and GRP Jazz Revisited: Honoring Larry Rosen on the 17th.

Originally conceived by Don Katz, founder and CEO of Newark-based Audible, Jazz in the Key of Ellison coupled live music to the rhythmic, jazz-flavored musings of novelist Ralph Ellison (Invisible Man). Katz, who was a protégé of Ellison’s at NYU, delivered opening remarks for the words-andmusic homage, headlined by trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and the Andy Farber orchestra.

OPPOSITE: (Clockwise) Ryan Shaw, backed by Christian McBride; Patti Austin; Lee Ritenour

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NOV 19, ‘16

Jazz legend Sheila Jordan (left) celebrated her 88th birthday on stage, with Christian McBride, Angelique Kidjo, and more jazz greats

The band ignited the mood with numbers like Duke Ellington’s “Hot Chocolate (Cotton Tail).”

Readings of Ellison’s works were paired with the musical stylings of Angélique Kidjo, Patti Austin and Catherine Russell, whose rendition of “(What Did I Do To Be So) Black and Blue” was among the highlights. Actor Joe Morton and rapper Talib Kweli were two of the celebrity guest readers.

A longtime friend and producer for NJPAC, Larry Rosen (1940-2015) was remembered at a reunion of jazz artists from the record label he co-founded with pianist Dave Grusin in 1978. GRP Jazz Revisited reminded the audience of GRP’s front-and-center position in the jazz music industry for introducing other genres, like pop and classical, into its singular sound and pioneering digital recording technology. Alumni such as Grusin, the Yellowjackets, David Sanborn, Lee Ritenour and Phil Perry were plainly delighted to be holding their homecoming session at NJPAC, in the state that was home to Rosen and his wife, Hazel, who attended the concert with family members.

“The label really paid homage to musicians as artists,” recalled Yellowjackets saxophonist Bob Mintzer, who added that GRP performers were always encouraged to play with other members of the dream team.

Rosen also was the shepherd of the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition (aka the “SASSY” Awards, co-presented with WBGO Jazz 88.3FM), which this year featured a far-flung array of five women finalists, from Los Angeles, Canada, Denmark, Detroit and London.

“Who knows?,” speculated longtime jazz aficionado Nick Miceli, Central Market President of TD Bank, the festival’s title sponsor. “Someday they may be back here to headline at the TD James Moody Jazz Festival.”

Wowing the crowd in the Victoria Theater with numbers like “Lush Life” and “Sweet Georgia Brown,” with a few original compositions in the mix, the finalists entered another elimination round until Dubé, capping her turn with Bruno Martino’s bossa nova “Estate,” was crowned victor. She received a $5,000 cash prize, a recording contract offer from Concord Records, and a chance to perform at next year’s Festival International de Jazz de Montréal.

Arianna Neikrug, the 2015 first-place winner, was on hand to sing “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was” with a jazz trio led by pianist Sergio Salvatore. Past “SASSY” recipients also include Cyrille Aimée, Ashleigh Smith and Jazzmeia Horn.

Elsewhere, the Chase Room became a hip venue for a Cole Porter salute with Broadway’s Judy Kaye and a gathering of the Brubeck Brothers Band with Hilary Kole and Michael Bourne.

Pianist Renee Rosnes and her quartet launched the new season of Dorthaan’s Place Sunday jazz brunches in NICO Kitchen + Bar. In the Center for Arts Education, the ever-popular, free Day of Swing introduced children and their grown-ups to the sounds of New Orleans.

Newarker Sarah Vaughan, the “Divine One,” provided heavenly inspiration. NJPAC President and CEO John Schreiber recollected standing in the wings while assisting her at a festival in Nice, France, and breaking into goosebumps at her opening notes. “‘Sweets’ Edison was standing next to me in the wings,” Schreiber said, referencing the Count Basie trumpet player, “and he said he had goosebumps, too.”

Linda Moody, whose late husband, the great Newark saxophonist James Moody, is the NJPAC festival’s namesake, shared a memory of her own. She met Vaughan the same night she was first introduced to Moody at a club in California, and upon entering the room spotted her sitting alone at a table in a dark back corner, “just listening, listening, listening ….”  18 NJPAC.ORG

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“Jazz is America’s classical music and it’s always a priority for us. This music deserves as important a place in our programming as classical, dance or any other great art form…”

– John Schreiber

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NOV 18, ‘16

Nona Hendryx, Christian McBride, Lee Fields, Ryan Shaw and Bettye LaVette shared the Prudential Hall stage for Get On Up: A James Brown Celebration NJPAC.ORG 21

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JAZZ IN THE KEY OF ELLISON AT THE TD JAMES MOODY JAZZ FESTIVAL, MUSICIANS CELEBRATE THE ICONIC WRITING OF RALPH ELLISON—AND HIS LOVE OF JAZZ

Ralph Ellison’s life (1914-1994) and work were filled with music. He famously wrote Invisible Man, which many regard as one of greatest books of the 20th century.

But his was a deep and personal passion for jazz as well as blues, spirituals and Western classical.

Before he became a writer, this American original studied music and trumpet as a child in Oklahoma City and then at the famed Tuskegee Institute before moving to New York City.

Ellison’s ardor for the marriage of words and music was the theme of Jazz in the Key of Ellison, presented on November 1 as part of the TD James Moody Jazz Festival. The concert featured trumpeter Wynton Marsalis with singers Catherine Russell, Angélique Kidjo, Patti Austin and music director Andy Farber and orchestra. Audible, Inc. founder and CEO Donald Katz, who studied under Ellison in college, introduced the occasion, along with guest readers Joe Morton, a noted actor who recorded the Invisible Man audiobook, and rapper/activist Talib Kweli. Columbia University Professor Robert O’Meally, editor of Ellison’s Living with Music, also recited selected excerpts of Ellison’s writings.

The event was originally conceived by Katz, who was looking for a way to pay tribute to his longtime friend on the centennial of his birth. NJPAC President and CEO John Schreiber saw a meaningful opportunity for his non-profit cultural institution to partner with a mission-driven megacorporation in the same Newark downtown—Audible built its reputation on practically turning language into music—so an evening dedicated to the aesthetic Ellison struck a chord.

“Audible.com is a testament to the sound of words, the syncopation of words and, indeed, the jazz inside words,” said Katz, whose early career as a writer was guided by Ellison. “There’s no question that the syncopation and the character of beat that define jazz as one of the most sophisticated art forms are completely related to beautifully composed words.”

O’Meally agrees. “Whether writing about self-discovery, the multidimensionality of the American experience, with strong black elements stirred into the mix, or about the meaning of life itself — ‘the real secret of the game is to make life swing,’ he wrote — Ellison’s words sing on the page.

Their time signature is jazz.”  NOV 1, ‘16

Wynton Marsalis returned to Newark to perform as part of NJPAC’s Jazz in the Key of Ellison NJPAC.ORG 23

JAZZ IN HIS BONES NICK MICELI OF TD BANK IS A KEY PLAYER AT THE TD JAMES MOODY JAZZ FESTIVAL

D. Nicholas (“Nick”) Miceli has become such a well-known presence at TD James Moody Jazz Festival performances each year that jazz fans might be convinced he’s one of the producers. That assumption has some merit: The festival swings robustly thanks to his knowledge and passion for the repertoire, combined with his community-centric work for TD Bank.

The Bergen County native is Central Market President of TD Bank—the festival’s founding sponsor—and a longtime champion of Newark. He serves as a Board Member of NJPAC, Vice Chairman of both WBGO Jazz 88.3FM and the Rutgers Business School Advisory Board, and a Trustee of the Newark Museum—among other worthy nonprofits.

When Miceli first met his future wife, Melissa, he turned her head with three little words: Newport Jazz Festival. Their weekend date there was a life-changer, and Miceli would have a fortuitous encounter years later at NJPAC with the Newport Festival’s former producer, John Schreiber.

“We hit it off in our common love of music,” recalls Miceli, who plays the piano—as do all three of his children. “He had a dream of creating a jazz festival in Newark and the timing was right.

“TD has a commitment to the arts and, in Canada, almost an ownership of the jazz festivals,” he adds, mentioning Montreal, Halifax and Toronto. “So the idea of finding a way to create a jazz festival in the state was very interesting.” When NJPAC’s Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition was created, Miceli connected the winners with the world’s largest jazz festival, the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, also funded by TD Bank.

With the growth and success of the Moody festival over a half-decade, a decision was made to

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expand the programming beyond its November dates. In April 2017, for instance, there will be a weekend-long, musical homage to Jersey saxophonist Wayne Shorter. Miceli admits that bringing TD on board to become the jazz sponsor for the entire year was “an easy yes.”

“The fact that the bank gives me the opportunity to be involved in the community and permits the time, talent and treasure—all three—really allows me to help make a difference,” he adds.

Making that difference trickles down to the very youngest of jazz practitioners. Miceli, who is also a Board Member of Jazz House Kids in Montclair, says he sees NJPAC’s learning programs and student jazz ensembles as fertile ground for developing life skills.

“When you collaborate in jazz, you have to respect each other’s opinions and let others shine and this means taking a back seat and keeping the rhythm going so they can play their solo. That’s how business works, if you’re successful in business—if I win and you lose, that’s not a long-term vision for success. We have to find ways that we can both get through the piece and come out feeling like we’ve won.”

As a product of a close-knit Italian family, Miceli and his family share making music together, sailing, preparing big dinners and a love of jazz. (Miceli even made it a point to incorporate jazz at their wedding reception. A family friend, guitarist John Pizzarelli, sang “The More I See You” for their first dance.)

Miceli also recounts a favorite story about his parents, who are music lovers as well, and how they scraped together $600 for their first savings account.

“My father came back from a local estate sale and told my mother he just bought a baby grand piano, and had spent $500 of their life savings. She could not believe he wasted money on this instrument. He knew one piece, Für Elise by Beethoven, and only the first 12 bars, but it was enough to convince my mother that he was a concert pianist. So that was the baby grand piano I learned to play. On my 30th birthday I came home from work and found that my parents had moved the piano into our home. And then it was the piano that my children learned to play on.

“If you can teach children to express themselves musically,” he concludes, “you give them a gift they can carry for their whole lives.” 

MORE JAZZ: JAM SESSIONS MOVE TO CLEMENT’S PLACE The Jazz Jam Sessions series, presented by NJPAC’s Department of Community Engagement, and informed by its Jazz Advisory Committee, has a new home in the Newark downtown. Last year, the five-part series moved to Clement’s Place, the hip club in the Rutgers University residence at 15 Washington St., known as “Fifteen Wash.”

The free Thursday night concerts are curated by pianist-bandleader James Austin, Jr. and feature top-notch jazz artists from throughout the metro area. Young artists from NJPAC’s Arts Education Department and elsewhere flock to the jams for the opportunity to share the spotlight with pros like bassist Ben Rubens, singer Jackie Jones and saxophonist Jarrard Harris.

The series’ third season, held in association with the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University-Newark and scheduled August through December, drew a robust showing of jazz fans to the cozy, 50-seat Clement’s Place. Kicking off two of those evenings was a hybrid house band composed of students from Jazz House Kids® and NJPAC’s Wells Fargo Jazz for Teens.

The venue is named in memory of the late Dr. Clement Alexander Price, who was the founder and director of the Rutgers Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, and the Modern Experience, Newark’s city historian, and a devoted fan of jazz. 

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NOV 19, ‘16

Stephen Colbert and John Oliver duked it out in Prudential Hall for Wow, That Was Weird: A PostElection Evening, a sold-out event hosted by the Montclair Film Festival

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DOUBLE THE LAUGHS Q: WHAT’S FUNNIER THAN A COMEDIAN AT NJPAC? A: TWO COMEDIANS AT NJPAC. IN THE SAME SHOW.

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It was like getting two performances rolled into one when iconic funnymen Steve Martin and Martin Short appeared together the night before Halloween, followed by comedic pundits Stephen Colbert and John Oliver less than two weeks after the presidential election.

Representing two-thirds of the ¡Three Amigos!, “the Martins” presented An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life—in character as frenemies, but obviously longtime pals. Lacking their third amigo (Chevy Chase)—although Saturday Night Live pianist Paul Shaffer made a surprise visit— the duo auditioned guys in the audience to re-enact the 1986 film’s “secret salute.”

Video clips showcased classic SNL moments like Short’s Ed Grimley and Martin’s wild-and-crazy Festrunk Brother. Martin’s skills on the banjo were at the fore in his live performance with musicians of the Steep Canyon Rangers. And Short slipped in and out of countless impersonations from a repertoire capped by cinema blowhard Jiminy Glick.

Colbert and Oliver began the hilarity at NJPAC by pounding each other with pillows embroidered with the flags of their respective countries, all for the benefit of the Montclair Film Festival and another sold-out audience. This literally soft opening grew more brazen and bitingly witty as the political commentary ballooned in Wow, That Was Weird: A Post-Election Evening with Stephen Colbert and John Oliver.

The sixth annual fund-raiser put Colbert in the host’s seat and Oliver—the British anchorman of HBO’s Last Week Tonight and Colbert’s former colleague on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart—as his interview subject. In past years, Colbert, now the chief of The Late Show on CBS, has trotted out friends such as Jimmy Fallon and Steve Carell.

Of course there’s no short supply of humor on NJPAC’s season schedule. Just a sample of the year’s laughmeisters includes Chicago’s Second City improvisation pros in Paved & Confused 2: Please Don’t Feed the Candidates, Louis C.K., Kevin James, John Cleese, Chris Tucker and Gabriel Iglesias. 

NJPAC continues to attract the most diverse audience of any performing arts center in the U.S., with 44% of ticket buyers identifying as African-American, Hispanic or Asian

OPPOSITE (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT): Steve Martin, Gabriel Iglesias, Martin Short, John Oliver, John Cleese, Louis C.K., Stephen Colbert, Kevin James, Chris Tucker

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ON THE ROAD NJPAC GOES ON TOUR WITH TWO ORIGINAL PRODUCTIONS

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NJPAC’s 2nd touring musical production, Carefree: Dancin’ with Fred and Ginger, traveled to 4 Northeast cities following its Newark debut

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Like a proud parent who tenderly raises children then sends them out on their own, NJPAC saw two of its productions make their way into the world.

Taking a twirl as partners for the first time, NJPAC and RKO Stage co-produced a world premiere musical, Carefree: Dancin’ with Fred & Ginger. After making a splashy debut at the Arts Center in November, the compact, 90-minute show departed on a Northeast tour to Princeton, New London, Conn., Wilkes-Barre, Pa. and Poughkeepsie, N.Y., with a nationwide itinerary in the works for 2017.

Carefree, directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Warren Carlyle, is a song-anddance cavalcade inspired by the nine films Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers made for RKO Pictures.

Carlyle combined more than two dozen numbers into a fizzy cocktail of live music, state-of-the-art digital projections and floor-splintering tapping by stars Jared Grimes and Hayley Podschun.

An accompanying onstage band swung into standards by Irving Berlin (“Let Yourself Go”), Jerome Kern (“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” sung by Broadway diva Donna McKechnie), the Gershwins (“Slap that Bass”), and other Golden Age songwriters. Each scene winked at an Astaire-Rogers classic, whether the ritzy Top Hat (1935), the hypnotic Carefree (1938) or The Gay Divorcee (1934), which claimed the first Oscar for best song, “The Continental.”

“Each song is like a three-act play,” explains NJPAC President and CEO John Schreiber, whose past work has included producing top-level concerts and Broadway shows. “It has a beginning, middle and end. By interpreting these songs in fresh ways, you engage the next generation and enable them to experience the glory of this repertoire.”

The Hip Hop Nutcracker, NJPAC’s holiday crowd-pleaser, embarked on a second national tour: 28 performances spread across 23 cities, from Hartford to L.A., with Denver and Detroit in between.

Along the way, this urban dance piece created by Jennifer Weber picked up accolades from The New York Times (“this is a show with plenty of heart”) and CBS (“The Hip Hop Nutcracker turns Tchaikovsky on his head, in the coolest possible way.”).

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Last year, NJPAC’s urban dance work The Hip Hop Nutcracker embarked on a 2nd national tour, giving 28 performances spread across 23 U.S. cities, from Hartford to Los Angeles

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TUNED IN NJPAC CONTINUES TO REACH NEW AUDIENCES THROUGH A STRONG PARTNERSHIP WITH PUBLIC TELEVISION

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With a glissando on the keyboard, Michael Feinstein sounded the opening notes of the fourth season of American Songbook at NJPAC, the award-winning public television series that tapes before an audience in the Victoria Theater.

Co-produced with NJTV, and broadcast on that network, as well as WNET THIRTEEN and WLIW21, the show has a new host and a new title: American Songbook at NJPAC Hosted by Michael Feinstein. The program exemplifies the Arts Center’s meaningful alliance with public television, also evidenced by One-on-One at NJPAC with Steve Adubato and PBS-sponsored tours, such as Celtic Woman and The Midtown Men. NJTV’s State of the Arts also dropped by NJPAC a few times during the year, taping segments about tapper Savion Glover and Jazz in the Key of Ellison.

A multiple GRAMMY® nominee, recognized internationally for his command and interpretation of the Songbook repertoire, Feinstein opened the six-part series on December 1 with “Bernstein, Bacharach and Broadway.” His guests on the couch were Kinky Boots Tony winner Billy Porter, violin virtuoso Joshua Bell and soprano Larisa Martinez, accompanied by the spirits of Rodgers & Hart, Oscar Hammerstein, Irving Berlin and Cole Porter. The format was a bit different from previous years: Feinstein sometimes performed solo or in tandem with his guests on vocals or piano, and interviewed them together about their loves and lives.

Broadway’s Andrea McArdle, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Rachel York were a few of the other performer-guests on the program, which made its primetime debut in January 2017. American Songbook was nominated for two Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards and received a New York State Broadcasters Association award for Outstanding Locally Produced Television Program.

NJPAC President and CEO John Schreiber, who is an executive producer of the show with David Rodriguez, said, “NJPAC couldn’t be prouder to be the home of original television that is both entertaining and historically important.”

Emmy-winning anchorman Steve Adubato returned to NJPAC with his knowledge of all things Jersey and must-see artist lineup for tapings of NJTV’s One-on-One at NJPAC. Some compelling conversation took place with interview subjects like Judy Kaye, Houston Person, Judy Gold, Michael Cumpsty and Catherine Russell. Adubato’s NJPAC series was seen by viewers in mid-December. 

American Songbook at NJPAC was nominated for 2 Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards and received a New York State Broadcasters Association Award

OPPOSITE: Broadway hoofer Jared Grimes; new American Songbook at NJPAC host Michael Feinstein; Joshua Bell performing with Larisa Martinez NJPAC.ORG 35

GIRL POWER PRUDENTIAL HALL HOSTS ANOTHER STAR-STUDDED EVENING OF BLACK GIRLS ROCK!

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In April 2016, over 3 million viewers tuned in to BET to watch the star-studded Black Girls Rock! Awards, back at NJPAC for the third consecutive year

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Over 3 million viewers tuned in to BET in April for the Black Girls Rock! Awards, back in Prudential Hall for a third year. The ceremonies were hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross, whose mom, American music icon Diana Ross, has crossed NJPAC’s stage more than a few times in performance.

As always, the crowd was treated to surprise appearances: Then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and New Jersey’s Lauryn Hill, for just two. Another famed Garden State singer, Dionne Warwick, handed Gladys Knight the Living Legend Award, while her aunt, Cissy Houston, beamed from her seat in the audience. Other celebrity awardees included Rihanna, Shonda Rhimes and Danai Gurira.

Founded by Beverly Bond, Black Girls Rock! is not only an event, but a movement created to celebrate women of achievement and foster positive self-image, particularly in girls ages 13 to 17. 

ABOVE: Black Girls Rock! award recipient Rihanna RIGHT: Brandy performing in Prudential Hall

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YOUNG WOMEN OF NOTE A FIRST-RATE FACULTY GUIDES NJPAC’S IMMERSION PROGRAM FOR FEMALE JAZZ MUSICIANS

When NJPAC began its All-Female Jazz Residency in the summer of 2014, young women—from teens to twentysomethings—studied and performed with a jazz faculty to envy. Led by pianist Geri Allen, the program’s Artistic Director, the very first instructors included such masterly musicians as Marcus Belgrave and Carmen Lundy, with all-star adjuncts like Terri Lyne Carrington.

A highly credited, virtuosic staff is an essential part of this unique intensive, whose third edition took place from July 10-16. And for 2016, the program (formerly housed at Montclair State University) moved to Rutgers University in Newark through a partnership with the internationally recognized Institute of Jazz Studies on campus.

“Fifteen Wash,” the newly restored, 1920s skyscraper at 15 Washington St.—in the heart of a city renowned for its jazz legacy—provided dorms, rehearsal studios and a club, Clement’s Place, all within its walls. The new location also puts the students in proximity to NJPAC, Jazz Radio WBGO (88.3FM) and a number of venues for live performance opportunities.

Two dozen student instrumentalists and vocalists signed on from New Jersey and places beyond, like Wisconsin, Idaho and Canada. They played elbow-to-elbow with Allen, bassist Linda Oh, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, vibraphonist Stefon Harris, singer Connaitre Miller and saxophonists Tia Fuller and Bruce Williams. A GRAMMY® Award nominee and Guggenheim fellow, Allen also is a composer and Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Pittsburgh and recipient of the Jazz Journalists Association’s JJA Jazz Hero Award for her devotion to jazz education.

Among all the faculty members and guest teachers, there are enough GRAMMY honors to fill a wall. And the residency’s league of players was buoyed this past summer by two new (but widely recognized) faculty recruits: pianist and composer Ellen Rowe and drummer Jeff (“Tain”) Watts.

Supported through the fund-raising efforts of the Women’s Association of NJPAC, the week-long All-Female Jazz Residency offers classes in improvisation, musicianship and jazz theory. Students are introduced to pacesetters as far back as Ma Rainey and as up-to-the-minute as Esperanza Spalding. 

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10 Wells Fargo Jazz for Teens seniors “graduated” from the program at NJPAC and all are pursuing college degrees; of that group, 2 earned full scholarships to pursue music

OPPOSITE, (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT): Whisper McRae, Lynette Boschulte, Angela Lawrence, Alexis Lombre, Ananda Welch, and Sophia Kelsall

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LIKE JAZZ: A VISUAL PERSPECTIVE AN AMERICAN ART FORM INSPIRES A WOMEN’S ART EXHIBIT AT NJPAC

Many female visual artists are like jazz performers, exemplified by their free-flowing creativity, improvisational style, and even indifference to when and if the next paycheck is coming.

Consider 92-year-old Newark artist Gladys B. Grauer, who not only takes a jazzy approach to her mixed media works, but happens to like that music—a lot. Selected as the curator of the Like Jazz women’s art exhibition—which was on view in NJPAC’s Victoria Theater lobby during March— she knows what it’s like for those of her gender to sacrifice in pursuit of muses.

“At this point in my life, I have a chance to just paint and do what I want to do,” says Grauer.

“I had four children, a husband, a house and three dogs, and all of these were taking up a lot of my time. I was printing T-shirts for the PTA and making a buck.”

Grauer somehow scraped together enough time to become a founding member of the Newark Arts Council and produce works that reside in such collections as the Newark Museum and the libraries of the National Museum of American Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

In 1971, she opened Newark’s first gallery dedicated to African-American artists, the Aard Studio Gallery, where a knot of women supported each other as they transitioned into full-time careers as established artists.

Some of them, like Bisa Washington and Eleta J. Caldwell, were among the dozen artists represented in Like Jazz. Grauer herself contributed Peaches, inspired by an embittered character in Nina Simone’s recording of “Four Women.”

Like Jazz, which was presented by Women in Media-Newark, also was the theme of that organization’s seventh annual Women’s History Month Film Festival at locations in and around Newark. Visitors to the gallery saw 21 pieces—including works by Cathy M. Bristol, Evelyn Graves, and Yvette Lucas—that ranged from literal renderings to metaphoric ones.

Perhaps Grauer’s strongest connection to art and jazz can be seen on a playground wall along Hawthorne Avenue in Newark. It was there, in 2013, that city officials unveiled her large-scale mural, A Tribute to Newark Jazz Clubs.

The opening reception for Like Jazz included music by Wells Fargo Jazz for Teens, followed by a panel discussion, Women Speak: Art and Jazz at Newark 350, which featured Grauer and other women artists, as well as art activists like her longtime friend, Dorthaan Kirk of WBGO. “As a longtime educator, mentor and community activist, Gladys has made significant contributions to the cultural landscape of Newark,” says Donna Walker-Kuhne, NJPAC’s Vice President of Community Engagement. “Her beautiful work, inside and outside the studio, continues to inspire us.”  OPPOSITE: Cathy M. Bristol’s Left-Handed Dance

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MAY 6-8, ‘16

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater arrived for its 20th engagement, which includes the company’s appearance as part of NJPAC’s Opening Night Celebration on October 18, 1997

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Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater brought Rennie Harris’ Exodus to Prudential Hall From Alvin Ailey’s Revelations

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ALL THE RIGHT MOVES DANCE PROGRAMS LIFT US HIGHER

It’s no secret to the Arts Center that people from all walks are engaged through dance.

Throughout 2016, companies like Dance Theatre of Harlem, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and State Ballet Theatre of Russia continued to light up NJPAC stages, while minds were enlightened by the special workshops and panels presented in tandem by the Community Engagement Department.

In March, Dancemakers on Diversity, a sequel to a popular panel held during the previous season, featured national dance luminaries: choreographers Nai-Ni Chen and Carolyn Dorfman; Virginia Johnson and Robert Garland, Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer, respectively, of Dance Theatre of Harlem; Nasha Thomas of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; and Karen Love, founder and Artistic Director of Umoja Dance Company. A new location for the talk at RutgersNewark generated significant interest among the arts and academic circles on campus.

The art of movement met Community Engagement’s Books on the Move initiative for young readers when Nimbus Dance Works partnered in a dance double-header in April. The company hosted an Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater workshop in its Jersey City studio, while Nimbus dancer Harumi Elders read a biography of choreographer Alvin Ailey to a group of children from the area—both on the same day.

During Mother’s Day weekend, aka “Ailey Weekend,” audiences were treated to Preludes before curtain, performed by Soul Steps and DanceWorks & Company of Montclair. As an added surprise, tap dancemaker Savion Glover was on hand to welcome Soul Steps as well as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater concert-goers congregating in the Prudential Hall lobby.

The Community Engagement team appealed to the inner dancer in folks of all ages and backgrounds by holding free workshops throughout the year, led by accomplished guest instructors. Children were encouraged to participate in joyous liturgical dance sessions and advanced students benefited from know-how shared at Alvin Ailey master classes.

The department’s Advisory Council of eight committees includes, of course, a Celebrate Dance Committee of dance professionals who inform NJPAC’s programming and outreach.

Donna Walker-Kuhne, Vice President of Community Engagement, also received the 2016 Dance Advocacy Award from Dance New Jersey for her efforts in making dance accessible to the State’s diverse communities. 

OPPOSITE: Lindsey Croop of Dance Theatre of Harlem in Change

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BEHIND THE SCENES WITH PINCHAS ZUKERMAN DONORS AND STUDENTS GET AN EXCLUSIVE LOOK AT THE MAESTRO IN ACTION AS HE REHEARSES THE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC

Considering that he’s led many of the world’s herculean orchestras—when he’s not standing before them as a soloist on the violin—Pinchas Zukerman is a virtuoso who’s amassed a lot of stories and advice … and he’s eager to share them.

A lucky group of about 50 NJPAC donors was privy to his interplay of musicianship and conversation on January 8, when the Israeli conductor set the pace for a rare open rehearsal with London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The afternoon run-through, which preceded that night’s Bank of America Classical Series concert in Prudential Hall, gave the music aficionados a firsthand glimpse into the fine-tuning of a major orchestra.

The silver-haired Zukerman, the RPO’s principal guest conductor, counseled the players through the nuances of Brahms’ First Symphony before turning his attention to British composer Edward Elgar’s graceful Serenade for Strings. The two-time Grammy winner’s flair as an instrumentalist was front and center as he performed, and occasionally bopped to, Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5.

“Our donors enjoyed a sneak peek of the stupendous performance they saw later that evening, while gaining insight into the creative process—a rare opportunity,” said NJPAC President and CEO John Schreiber. “Young musicians in the audience especially benefited from the guidance offered by this generous artist.”

The guests, who were invited to attend a reception before the rehearsal, also included professional musicians like violinist Jean Papsun of Glen Rock, a Vanguard Society member who attended with her husband, Kent. The couple joined students of the New Jersey Youth Symphony in a post-concert conversation initiated by the maestro and the American Friends of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Zukerman, grandfather to two girls, fielded questions (but not before demonstrating to a boy how he should practice his scales).

The teens took away these bits of advice from the conductor: Listen to your sound, not your feelings. Memorization first, physicality second. Always greet your collaborators warmly. (“I didn’t know a couple of the cellists and will make it a point to shake their hands tomorrow.”) Support compulsory music in schools (“if not, we have chaos”).

And “If you don’t do your homework, you’re cheating the orchestra.”

“You can fool a lot of the people here,” Zukerman said, sweeping his arm in the direction of the house, “but you can’t fool them,” he added, with a nod toward the stage. 

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Xian Zhang made her formal debut as the NJSO’s 14th Music Director when she conducted an all‑Tchaikovsky program of the Polonaise from Eugene Onegin, Piano Concerto No. 1, and Symphony No. 5 in Prudential Hall

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LEADING WITH THE HEART NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA’S NEW MUSIC DIRECTOR MAKES HER PODIUM DEBUT

Internationally renowned conductor Xian Zhang captivated press and audiences alike this year, making her debut as New Jersey Symphony Orchestra Music Director in the Fall. WQXR placed Zhang’s arrival in New Jersey in the top two of its classical stories to watch in 2016. The New York Times praised her “technical abilities, musicianship and maturity” and called her a “dynamic podium presence” and a “natural communicator, brimming with enthusiasm and humor.”

In the Spring, The Wall Street Journal examined the significance of Zhang’s “historic” appointment as the orchestra’s next leader: “‘In New Jersey, (Zhang) said, her priority is ‘to help shorten the distance’ between audiences and musicians … it’s all about finding that connection with people … on a human level.’”

In her debut concerts as Music Director, Zhang brought “not just skill but also heart,” The Star-Ledger wrote. The New York Times praised the conductor and her chemistry with the orchestra: “(Zhang) showed complete command of these scores and a deep feeling for them … (There was) a certain freedom and risk-taking on the part of the players that suggested an enthusiastic and confident response to her direction.”

NJArts.net hailed the conductor’s “impressive intensity” on the podium: “She has such a strong physical presence that her conducting almost seemed like an athletic feat.”

Even before she officially assumed the role of Music Director, Zhang demonstrated her commitment to the orchestra’s education and community engagement programs. She inspired student musicians in an impromptu visit to the NJSO Youth Orchestras in April. Student timpanist Maxine Musto grinned ear-to-ear as Zhang conducted at the rehearsal. “It was really exhilarating,” Musto said. “You could feel that she is really passionate about it and she just exudes it … That is my main goal in life—to keep doing the thing I love nonstop and yet still be that passionate about it. It’s so amazing.”

Zhang also surprised participants in the annual #OrchestraYou pro-am session at NJPAC in April—she watched Education and Community Engagement Conductor Jeffrey Grogan lead the rehearsal, then took to the podium in the Prudential Hall lobby and led the final performance, thrilling players and audience members alike. 

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LEFT TO RIGHT: Gabriel van Aalst, Linda Bowden, David Huber

NJSO WELCOMES PRESIDENT & CEO GABRIEL VAN AALST The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra welcomed Gabriel van Aalst as its new President & CEO in October. Van Aalst joined the NJSO from his position as Chief Executive of the renowned UK chamber orchestra the Academy of St Martin in the Fields (ASMF), where, among his chief responsibilities, he oversaw artistic planning and operations for the organization.

NJSO Board Co-Chair David Huber says: “Gabriel impressed us with his strong leadership of one of the world’s most beloved classical institutions, his passion for the art form and his genuine commitment to engaging with audiences and communities—a pillar of the NJSO mission. The institutional command and ideas that Gabriel brings to the President & CEO position pair well with the artistic vision and gifts Xian Zhang brings as our new Music Director.”

“Gabriel embraces the idea of collaborative spirit that has always been a hallmark of the NJSO and, with his appointment, the NJSO is well positioned to move forward with a strong leadership team,” adds Board Co-Chair Linda Bowden. “The orchestra continues to reach new artistic heights and deepen its roots in its communities; Dave and I are proud to continue the legacy of our outgoing Board Co-Chairs, Ruth Lipper and Stephen Sichak Jr., whose devotion to and stewardship of the NJSO have made it an institution attractive to talent as invigorating as Gabriel and Xian.”

In his time at ASMF, the world’s premier chamber orchestra, van Aalst worked closely with Music Director Joshua Bell and Principal Guest Conductor Murray Perahia. He grew the orchestra’s artistic activity in the UK and abroad, increasing its profitability, fundraising and marketing profile.

Van Aalst says: “I’m tremendously proud to join the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra at this incredible time, with Xian Zhang taking over as Music Director. The combination of Xian and the fantastic musicians of the orchestra is certain to ensure a future of artistic excellence.”

LINDA BOWDEN AND DAVID HUBER ASSUME LEADERSHIP OF NJSO BOARD OF TRUSTEES NJSO Trustees Linda Bowden and David Huber assumed leadership as Co-Chairs of the NJSO Board of Trustees on July 1, succeeding Ruth Lipper and Stephen Sichak Jr., who remain on the Board. Bowden—New Jersey Regional President of PNC Bank—and Huber—Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey—bring years of experience on the NJSO Board, as well as strong business acumen and statewide profiles, to their new roles. Lipper and Sichak’s eight-year tenure as Board Co-Chairs encompassed the hiring of two acclaimed music directors, the completion of a successful Comprehensive Campaign and the launch of a Centennial Legacy Challenge that will shepherd the orchestra through its 100th anniversary in the 2022-23 season.

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Jacques Lacombe

HIGHLIGHTS OF JACQUES LACOMBE’S FINAL SEASON AS MUSIC DIRECTOR From his magical NJSO debut leading Carmina Burana to his celebration of New Jersey’s rich cultural heritage, conductor Jacques Lacombe garnered praise from audiences and critics during a six-year tenure as NJSO Music Director that concluded this Spring.

In January, the “Sounds of Shakespeare” Winter Festival featured a pair of unique programs.

Lacombe stepped off the podium to provide piano accompaniment during a ballad in Berlioz’s Lélio. In a collaboration with celebrated artistic partner The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, actors performed an abridged version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, paired with Mendelssohn’s incidental music inspired by Shakespeare’s comedy.

His farewell program in June opened with a piece by Chris Rogerson, one of the composers of the inaugural NJSO Edward T. Cone Composition Institute. Lacombe said his final performances felt like “coming full circle and looking back on what we’ve done together on this journey, celebrating the quality of the orchestra and everything that’s happening in New Jersey.”

The Star-Ledger wrote: “The music breathed with life and felt vital. Bravo, Maestro Lacombe—this was a fitting conclusion to your tenure with the NJSO.” 

NJSO ACCENTS • NJPAC’s Prudential Hall lobby played host to several NJSO Accents—the orchestra’s series of pre- and post-concert events that enhance the concert experience—including Prelude Performances, audience sing-alongs, post-concert audience talkbacks and more.

• Patrons filled the lobby and its higher-level catwalks to watch as NJSO concertgoers dusted off their instruments to play alongside NJSO musicians at the third annual #OrchestraYou. The thrilling event featured a surprise appearance by incoming Music Director Xian Zhang.

• #ChoraleYou brought audience members and performers together for a joyful post-concert “sing-in,” led by Heather J. Buchanan, director of three of Montclair State University’s exceptional choirs and longtime artistic partner of the NJSO. • Twenty-two amateur cellists of all ages enjoyed #CelloYou, a daylong experience that included rehearsals, workshops, a master class and performance with NJSO cellists, concluding with a Prelude Performance in the Prudential Hall lobby.

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A musician-in-the-making at NJPAC during Newark Celebration 350

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Savion Glover worked for six weeks with 45 young artists, ages 6 to 18, to create an original, jazz-filled musical production, BRiNG TiME BaCK @NJPAC

THOSE WHO CAN, TEACH SAVION GLOVER, NJPAC’S NEW DANCE ADVISOR, PERFORMS AN ORIGINAL SOLO WORK—AND CREATES A MUSICAL WITH 45 KIDS

In January, Savion Glover took the Prudential Hall stage to introduce himself by way of a little bio—as if an audience in Newark wouldn’t recognize him at 50 paces—to welcome that evening’s artists, Dance Theatre of Harlem. It also was an opportunity to publicly announce his appointment as NJPAC’s Dance Advisor, implying that he was going to be seen a lot in his hometown’s cultural center.

By Mother’s Day weekend, he was back—squeezing in another appearance between performances of Broadway’s Shuffle Along, which he choreographed—this time to deliver pre-curtain remarks for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and his friend Judith Jamison, the company’s Artistic Director Emerita.

And by summertime, the Tony-winning tap genius of Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk was full-tilt into his plans at the Center for Arts Education.

Just departed from Shuffle Along with another Tony nomination, Glover entered NJPAC’s Horizon Foundation Black Box Theater for six weeks of rehearsal, facing a somewhat more challenging cast: Forty-five kids ranging in age from 6 to 18. They were the lucky winners of two days of auditions and OPPOSITE: Young dancer Elijah Carr in Savion Glover’s BRiNG TiME BaCK @NJPAC

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“ It’s important that we take on the responsibility of being mentors…”

–Savion Glover

a day of callbacks to perform in Savion Glover’s BRiNG TiME BaCK @NJPAC, a salute to jazz created

by Glover for NJPAC’s Arts Education Department. Nicknamed “The Club” by the company, this original song-and-dance piece was performed on September 18 in a packed Victoria Theater.

It was during auditions for about 75 youngsters, Glover recalled, that he began to think about changing the show from a straight revue into a nightlife fantasia built around the stories of the club’s patrons. “My first idea was trashed because as the kids came into the audition, they began to tell me what the story should be. I had this whole different idea,” he told State of the Arts.

Among the musicians in the onstage house band were students of NJPAC’s Wells Fargo Jazz for Teens program.

“I got myself into the idea of having old music steer the energy of the club,” said Glover, who chose compositions by the greats, like Duke Ellington and George Gershwin. “It’s an old-school club with a new-school environment. We’re using these young voices to remind one generation of how a jazz club once was, and at the same time inform a new generation of what that club could have been.”

Whether he’s introducing children and teens to live performance or looking back on his own apprenticeships and career, Glover believes in the life-changing potential of the arts. He makes no secret of the fact that many of the pioneers of tap pushed him forward by mentoring or inspiring him from the age of 7: names like Gregory Hines and Dianne Walker.

He paid tribute to their talents in an original presentation, Savion Glover’s Chronology of a HooFer, presented less than a month later on October 8, also in the Victoria. Acknowledging that he’s had some big shoes to fill on the way to becoming tap’s superstar, Glover crafted a multimedia thank-you to a pantheon of tappers who contributed to or influenced his ascendancy: Jimmy Slyde (“King of Slides”), Sammy Davis Jr., and Lon Chaney, James “Buster” Brown and Ralph Brown, all three with The Original Hoofers. A very young Glover once tagged along behind Chaney as he entered his dressing room, a precocious move that probably helped validate his eager-beaver nickname, “The Sponge.”

Now, as Dance Advisor, Glover advocates for dance education throughout Greater Newark. He thinks of mentoring as a gift he was lucky to receive, and he’s ready to return the favor.

“I think it’s important that we, in the positions that we’re in, take on the responsibility of being mentors,” he said. “And we should be able to recognize when someone needs that mentorship energy.”  58 NJPAC.ORG

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KIDS AS CREATORS AND PRODUCERS

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In 2015, the Arts Education Department began re-evaluating its program portfolio to more effectively incorporate maker theory in the performing arts. The Maker Movement is a burgeoning philosophy of education that turns students into innovators and creators through group projects and problem-solving.

As one of the country’s principal performing arts centers, NJPAC is in a unique position to lead a conversation about the movement’s potential in arts education and performance. So on January 27, 35 educators, artists, and maker practitioners gathered at NJPAC for a Maker Charrette, a day-long conference that examined the possibilities and benefits of applying maker thought to arts ed programs.

Under the leadership of Alison Scott-Williams, Vice President of Arts Education, seven through lines, or program areas, will be established at NJPAC. They are jazz performance and composition, musical theater, devised theater (including storytelling), hip-hop (including graffiti, MC’ing, dance and poetry), film and video, poetry, and modern and tap dance.

As an example of the jazz through line, leading from preschool to high school, imagine a toddler who is introduced to the Orff early childhood music learning program. This child then might learn the recorder through RAMP (Recorder Arts for Musical Pathways) and later an instrument through M.A.N.Y. (Music Advancement for Newark-Area Youth). After-school jazz sessions could segue into joining the gifted ensembles of the Brick City Jazz Orchestra, Wells Fargo Jazz for Teens or the All-Female Jazz Residency. High school students also could study jazz composition and arranging or sound engineering.

Programs will be crafted around the discovery and amplification of a student’s creativity and authentic voice, and nurture workforce skills like these five “C’s”: collaboration, curiosity, critical thinking, citizenship and communication.

To name two recent pilot programs: Downtown Community TV is partnering with NJPAC’s Arts Education with support from the Production Department in creating a filmmaking lab in the Center for Arts Education, and Savion Glover’s BRiNG TiME BaCK @NJPAC provided student storytellers with a forum in musical theater. (See story on page 57.) 

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BIG BOOST FOR ARTS EDUCATION On October 26, Newark arts teachers joined city school administrators and members of the press at a professional development day with a surprise announcement. Gathered in Prudential Hall lobby, attendees learned the news of a $450,000 grant to NJPAC and Newark Public Schools (NPS) in support of arts education and teacher training.

Awarded through the Community Foundation of New Jersey, the two-year grant is part of the commitment made to Newark schools by Mark Zuckerberg and Dr. Priscilla Chan in 2010. The grant will significantly increase the number of students at NJPAC SchoolTime performances and assemblies during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 academic years and provide high-quality professional development for arts teachers.

The number of NPS students attending SchoolTime performances at NJPAC and in-school assemblies combined will rise dramatically in each year, from about 15,000 to 24,000 participants.

The grant will also make it possible for 183 arts teachers from the 64 NPS schools to obtain eight days of professional development training.

“It’s been proven time and again that an immersion in the arts is essential to a child’s journey of self-discovery and is a strong factor in developing many other academic skills,” said NJPAC President and CEO John Schreiber. “This important and essential new grant will ensure that the arts take a more central place in the education of the students who need it most.” 

TO EVERYTHING KERN, KERN, KERN The NJPAC Student Cabaret chose a one-time Newarker, the timeless Jerome Kern, as the featured musical theater composer for its traveling showcase of songs.

The revue Jerome Kern: All the Things You Are, performed along with a student-written piece titled Love, Letters and Longing, made four “tour stops” on August 17 and 18. Under the direction of NJPAC Teaching Artists Daryl Stewart and Janeece Freeman Clark, seven of the Arts Center’s most gifted teen vocalists researched, wrote and performed the Kern portion, which featured tunes like “Look for the Silver Lining” and “The Way You Look Tonight.”

They then turned their efforts to composing personal letters about life’s challenges and complications, which were read aloud and coupled with a song based on the theme. Included among those more contemporary stage hits were “Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love” and “Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah.”

Accompanied by pianist Dave Stolarz, the students performed for audiences at the Rosen Performing Arts Center of the YMCA in Wayne, the Lillian Booth Actors Home of The Actors Fund in Englewood, the Metropolitan Room in New York City and the Montclair Inn senior residence in Montclair. The cast included Ellie Kallay, “CJ” Holmes, Najah Hetzberger, Indigo Jackson, Marisa Budnick, Samy Cordero and Tyler Matos.

The appearance at the Actors Home was especially poignant for the young singers, who knew they had to bring their A-game to an audience of former entertainers. One of the residents gave Samy the necklace she was wearing as a good-luck memento and wished her well in what she believed was a destined Broadway career. Indigo was moved to tears when another resident compared her to Lena Horne.

“It’s nice to come here and perform for people who lift you up,” remarked one of the teens.  OPPOSITE: NJ’s Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company appears annually as part of NJPAC’s SchoolTime performance series

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Thanks to a grant from Community Foundation of New Jersey, the number of Newark Public School students attending SchoolTime performances and in‑school assemblies will rise from 15,000 to 24,000

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RAPT OVER RAP KIDS BUST A RHYME WITH THEIR HIP-HOP HEROES

When artists of the Universal Hip Hop Museum rolled into NJPAC to perform at the Horizon Foundation Sounds of the City outdoor concert series, they checked in early to drop some knowledge on the next generation.

About 20 preteens from NJPAC’s Hip Hop Institute were invited to meet and greet the hip-hop greats during a pre-show workshop on July 21. Visibly awed by the cast seated before them, the students listened as Universal Hip Hop Museum President Rocky Bucano introduced such innovators as Roxanne Shante, Grand Wizard Theodore, Original B Fats, Chip Fu, Miranda Writes and Claude “Paradise” Gray.

Each offered their perspectives on the elements of hip-hop culture, from graffiti and beatboxing to DJing and MCing. The participants unfolded personal stories of how this creative culture kept them in the studios and off the streets. Grand Wizard Theodore recalled how he invented the technique of scratching in his Bronx home as a 12-year-old and went on to become a world traveler and film actor.

Chip Fu is a self-described shy guy, whose childhood respiratory ailments prevented him from playing sports. “Hip-hop gave me a voice,” added the lyricist, who teaches hip-hop music appreciation. Paradise, a kahuna of hip-hop culture and Bucano’s longtime “chief curator,” grew up under the mentorship of Disco King Mario and listened to superstars like James Brown, Kool & the Gang and Sly Stone.

“Those are the backs we built hip-hop on,” he said. “Hip-hop is something you live, something you do, not just something you listen to.”

Shante led the young audience in a freestyle rap, with one of the students providing the beat, then all the artists autographed mural-size graffiti canvases created by the class. The program was organized by the Department of Arts Education and the Hip-Hop Institute’s artistic director, Sheikia Norris (aka Purple Haze).

The mission of the Universal Hip Hop Museum, based in New York, is to educate a worldwide audience about the art of hip-hop through exhibits, live events and educational programs.

In April, Norris accompanied a half-dozen arts students to a master class with Floetry, the neo-soul duo of Marsha Ambrosius and Natalie Stewart. The seven-time GRAMMY® nominees, who were appearing at NJPAC with Mint Condition, fielded questions about touring, collaboration and their experience working with Michael Jackson. Ambrosius and Stewart also coached the young artists in wordplay and impromptu music-making. 

OPPOSITE: Students ages 12-16 convene at NJPAC’s Hip Hop Institute to learn about dance, spoken word and more

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ARTS EDUCATION LESSONS CHILDREN FOLLOW FOR LIFE

The hallways, classrooms and studios at NJPAC’s Center for Arts Education are always in a state of constant, happy commotion. It’s a place shared by preschoolers learning the wonders of rhythm and movement and high school seniors finessing their musicianship under the vigilant watch of nationally recognized instrumentalists. It’s also a haven for kids from daunting circumstances who may not grow up to be a Joshua Bell or Judith Jamison, but who take away life lessons in teamwork, confidence and expression.

Here is a recap of just a few of the programs offered throughout the academic year—summers, too!—by the Department of Arts Education and its accomplished faculty.

WHO SAYS GALLANTRY IS DEAD? It was a nail-biter to the finish, but when the music finally stopped, a home team claimed the gold medal at NJPAC’s fifth annual Dancing Classrooms™ Colors of the Rainbow Team Match on June 2.

A tie vote by judges in this ballroom dance-off for incredibly poised fifth-graders clenched the audience in suspense following the second round. But in the end, Newark’s The Gray Charter School was declared the victor among the six competing groups.

So many schools in the State made bids to compete this year that two semi-final rounds were held instead of the usual one, said Alison Scott-Williams, NJPAC’s Vice President of Arts Education, who added, “The stakes were really high.”

Everyone wins, though. Learning respect and teamwork—and how to move so elegantly that spectators hold their collective breath—is the payoff for the students’ weeks of rehearsal. Each couple has to master five time-honored dances, foxtrot to tango, and not miss a beat under the keen eyes of the judges.

The 2016 entrants also included All Saints Catholic Academy in Bayonne, Gordon Parks Academy in East Orange, Notre Dame Academy in Palisades Park, and Colin Powell and Veterans Memorial elementary schools, both in Union City. The Dancing Classrooms program, which serves more than 50,000 students nationwide each year, advocates building social awareness, confidence and self-esteem in children through social dance. 

WORD DOMINATION The acclaimed poet and spoken-word artist Patricia Smith, a New Jerseyan by way of Chicago, joined NJPAC as the Arts Education Department’s first Poet-in-Residence. The four-time National Poetry Slam champion is the guiding force behind all poetry-related arts education residencies and activities at the Arts Center, and integrated poetry in mainstage productions.

A multi-award winner for her book Shoulda Been Jimi Savannah, Smith conducted a pair of residencies for middle-schoolers, led professional development for NJPAC Teaching Artists and Newark public school teachers, and hosted a poetry slam. 

OPPOSITE: Young students participate in the Colors of the Rainbow Team Match

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72 fifth-graders from 6 New Jersey schools participated in NJPAC’s 2016 Colors of the Rainbow Team Match, an annual ballroom dance-off designed to build social awareness, confidence and self-esteem

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DISNEY OPENS “A WHOLE NEW WORLD” TO SCHOOLS

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How do you get to Prudential Hall? Practice—for exactly 17 weeks. That was the amount of time blocked out by nearly 250 students in five Greater Newark elementary schools to “graduate” from the Disney Musicals in Schools program. A rare opportunity, which brought the youngsters on stage to perform before an audience in NJPAC’s main concert hall, was put into motion in 2015 by a $100,000 grant awarded to the Arts Center by Disney Theatrical Group.

The February 8 event was titled a Student Share Celebration, but wishes fulfilled was an evident theme, beginning with a pièce d’occasion by famed Disney songwriter Alan Menken, “It Starts with a Dream.” Belting out that opening number, dressed in colorful costumes of their own creation, were the ensemble casts of Branch Brook School, Luis Muñoz Marin School for Social Justice and Mount Vernon School, all in Newark, John Marshall School No. 20 in Elizabeth and Rosa Parks Community School in Orange.

Each of the public schools presented a leap-to-your-feet number from a Disney KIDS Musical—on this day, Aladdin and The Lion King reigned—while grown-ups beamed from their orchestra seats. The Disney grant provided for teaching artists to assist classroom instructors in producing the 30-minute musicals for the school community, as well as such resources as performance rights, soundtracks and design guidelines, at no cost to schools. During the 17-week residency, students of various grade levels also collaborated behind the scenes on creative essentials like lobby displays and stage crew.

“For many urban schools with limited arts resources, this program provides the opportunity for the entire school community to support the musical, set design, costumes and the rehearsal process,” said Alison Scott-Williams, NJPAC’s Vice President of Arts Education. “Through the strength of the school team and the embrace of the school community, each school can build its own traditions for years to come.” 

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317 students from 5 elementary schools participated in Disney Musicals in Schools, where they learned stagecraft and performed highlights from Aladdin and The Lion King

A REAL “THRILLER” More than a hundred New Jersey middle school students, with little or no knowledge of musical theater, became collaborative composers, lyricists, dancers, singers and scriptwriters as part of a program that lets kids put on a show at NJPAC. For the fourth year, The Johnny Mercer Foundation/NJPAC Musical Theater Residency Program made it possible for students and teachers from five schools to learn the nuts-and-bolts of structuring a musical, from the opening number to curtain call. Beginning in February, NJPAC Teaching Artists were brought into the classrooms to lead page-to-stage sessions that included American musical theater history, script and lyric writing, rehearsal and performance.

Students in the participating schools—Union Hill Middle School in Union City, Heywood Avenue School in Orange, Terence C. Reilly School No. 7 in Elizabeth, and Harriet Tubman and Abington Avenue schools, both in Newark—chose the life and career of “King of Pop” Michael Jackson as the subject of their original musical, titled Life Beyond the Lights. The final performance, which was given on June 8 in the Victoria Theater, was programmed so each of the five casts presented a different segment of the show, guaranteeing everyone their moment in the spotlight.

The students took a what-price-glory approach to their tale of the pop prodigy from Gary, Ind. by writing scenes about his formative years with the Jackson 5, to the height of his success with The Wiz and Thriller, and later his physical deterioration and addictions. Girls and boys alike alternated in playing the roles of real-life personalities: Gladys Knight, Diana Ross, Elizabeth Taylor, a villainous Joe Jackson and Michael himself. The score interwove a handful of original musical numbers (one was titled “Fake It ‘Till You Make It”) with Jackson’s greatest hits.

The namesake of The Johnny Mercer Foundation—the Hollywood songwriting great who reminded people to “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive”—was a champion of the art of song and its value in educating the young through creativity and self-expression. In addition to sharpening the young actors’ memorization and storytelling skills, the process fostered confidence and self-discovery.

“I think without music and art, we would just be bland,” observed Jordan Wallace, a student of Abington Avenue School, in a TV interview with PIX11.

An important benefit is learning to listen to others, according to Jonathan Brielle, Executive Vice President of The Johnny Mercer Foundation, who spoke to the young troupers just prior to their performance. Coincidentally, two days earlier Brielle had opened his own musical, Himself and Nora, at New York’s Minetta Lane Theatre, which he wrote and composed.

“Listening is a skill you will carry for the rest of your life,” he told them. “I look forward to listening to what your hearts and minds have to say.”  NJPAC.ORG 69

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More than 1,500 young people picked up a recorder for the first time as part of RAMP (Recorder Arts for Musical Pathways), a powerful introduction to music for Newark students in grades 3 and 4

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THE GERALDINE R. DODGE POETRY FESTIVAL WHEN NJPAC BECOMES NORTH AMERICA’S GREATEST HANGOUT FOR THOSE WHO HANG ON EVERY WORD

For its 30th anniversary, the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival had a lot to ponder. The country handed up a presidential election and incidents of racial strife for her best poets to mine, while Bob Dylan—a songwriter!—had been pronounced the winner of the Nobel Prize for literature.

A town-crier’s list of readings, conversations and performances, even a pop-up bookstore, were unrolled for the 16th biennial gathering, held from October 20-23 at NJPAC and nearby venues. For the first time, the prestigious Academy of American Poets (poets.org) brought its annual Poets Forum to “The Dodge” and to Newark, a city whose mayor, Ras J. Baraka, is a testament to his late poet laureate-father, Amiri.

The presence of the Academy also meant the attendance of many of its prominent chancellors, such as MacArthur “genius grant” recipient Claudia Rankine, who expressed humbleness over being in Amiri Baraka’s hometown, a locus for the Black Arts Movement.

Rankine, acclaimed for her 2014 work Citizen: An American Lyric, was among the first to address issues of race and law enforcement with a stunning reading of her poem “Stop-and-Frisk” and its refrain, “And still you are not the guy and still you fit the description because there is only one guy who is always the guy fitting the description.” A Distinguished Writer at Rutgers University, Mark Doty offered “In Two Seconds (Tamir Rice, 2002-2014),” a consideration of the killing of a pre-teen

by Cleveland police.

“That poem should have two weeks of silence following it,” remarked poet and author Jane Hirshfield. “I am unmade right now.”

Poets lined up to support the intractable Dylan from the start of the festival, when former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins called Stockholm’s Nobel decision “a brilliant stroke.”

“Dylan getting the Nobel is so fine,” agreed Princeton poet Alicia Ostriker, who was first struck by the singer’s melding of “hot romanticism and cold cynicism” in the early Sixties. “Nobody had to tell me that was poetry. I understood what art could be.”

Some 5,000 high schoolers—the largest such gathering in the festival’s history—became better acquainted with that art during Friday’s “Student Day,” when nearly every available seat in the building was claimed by a teen or teacher. Current U.S. Poet Laureate and teacher Juan Felipe Herrera, the son of poor migrant farmers, was visibly moved by the anticipation of hearing their “beautiful voices,” a compliment once paid to him, a painfully introverted child, by his third-grade teacher.

Collins added a dose of humor with a reading that related to both students and educators: Tom Wayman’s poem “Did I Miss Anything?” (“Nothing. When we realized you weren’t here / we sat NJPAC.ORG 73

The 2016 event “brought home very powerfully to everyone there how the Festival has now impacted generations…”

– Festival Director Martin J. Farawell with our hands folded on our desks / in silence, for the full two hours.”) It was among the poems in Collins’ inventive Poetry 180: A Poem a Day for American High Schools project, which offers a poem for each day in the academic year, without the quizzing that makes students “look down at their shoes and out the window.”

Poetry’s theatricality swept across the student audience with poet-lawyer Martín Espada’s thunderous reading in Spanish and English of the first segment of Federico García Lorca’s “Lament for the Death of a Bullfighter” (Llanto por Ignacio Sánchez Mejías), which famously tolls, “At five in the afternoon. / It was exactly five in the afternoon. / A boy brought the white sheet / at five in the afternoon.” Espada gave an encore reading on Sunday at the festival’s tribute to the late Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Galway Kinnell, a translator of Lorca’s work.

In a full-circle moment near Sunday’s conclusion, Festival Director Martin J. Farawell recalled his post-graduate studies with Kinnell at New York University and their visit to the inaugural Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival in 1986. One of the readers, Kinnell’s granddaughter, Mirah Kozodoy, recited his study of mortality, “Little Sleep’s-Head Sprouting Hair in the Moonlight” from The Book of Nightmares, as some of her family members listened.

“Those of us who’ve been attending the Dodge Festival since 1986 knew Mirah was reciting a poem about her mother, Maude, who was the baby in Kinnell’s poem,” Farawell said. “We’ve been hearing about his child, Maude, in Kinnell’s poems for 30 years. That moment, of having the granddaughter of a Festival poet reading a poem written when her own mother was that poet’s infant, was very moving. It brought home very powerfully to everyone there how the Festival has now impacted generations.” 

OPPOSITE, TOP: Martin Espada in Prudential Hall BOTTOM: U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera;

students at the Dodge Poetry Festival; former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins

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NJPAC Stage Exchange: The 2016 Commissions helped nurture the work of 3 up-and-coming, New Jersey-based dramatists, including Newark’s own Chisa Hutchinson

EXCHANGE OF IDEAS UP-AND-COMING PLAYWRIGHTS SWAP POVS WITH AUDIENCES AT NJPAC STAGE EXCHANGE

The NJPAC Stage Exchange began during the 2014-15 season as a five-part, Jersey-themed series of play readings and discussions. The sophomore edition was subtitled The 2016 Commissions, but could be referred to as “Stage Exchange 2.0” for all its enhancements.

The New Jersey Theatre Alliance, the state’s professional theater consortium, joined the Stage Exchange as a partner-advisor, a role that grew in stature with the launch of The 2016 Commissions.

The alliance and NJPAC chose three theaters that would not only agree to sponsor a playwright and nurture the writing process of his or her new play, but award the author with a dramatic reading during 2016 and an often unattainable prize: a full production during the 2016-17 season.

In exchange, the three NJ-based dramatists were asked to become “citizen playwrights” by sharing their craft with students as teaching artists. David Lee White, who is writing Sanism under the wing of Passage Theatre Company in Trenton—a play about the marginalization of those with mental disorders—introduced the basics of playwriting to drama students at Trenton Central High School.

Docu-drama and monologues were pivotal to classes conducted at West Orange High School

by Obie award-winning playwright and actress Nikkole Salter (In the Continuum). Salter’s play-inprogress under Luna Stage in West Orange—titled Indian Head—is set in a New Jersey high school ripped by a controversy over its politically incorrect mascot.

The third dramatist, Queens-born, Newark-raised Chisa Hutchinson, led a workshop at a juvenile residential facility in Warren County when she wasn’t at the keyboard communing with Surely Goodness and Mercy. Guided by the Writers Theatre of New Jersey in Madison, her play was inspired by her tenure in Newark schools and tells of an unlikely alliance between a grade-school student and his gruff “lunch lady.”

“The goal was to create plays that were set in New Jersey, spoke to local issues and were written by residents,” wrote The New York Times in a feature story about the Stage Exchange.

For an emerging scribe, new-play development is a process riddled with stretched budgets, indifferent theater producers and writer’s block. NJPAC Stage Exchange—nicknamed “StageX”—is a platform for getting original works read, heard, seen and talked-about in an established time frame.

Even the audience participates by posing questions during the readings’ Q&A sessions or panel discussions. A nominal admission charge of $5 for each reading is donated to a non-profit organization chosen by the playwright.

While all this was unfolding throughout 2016, members of the third StageX team were in warm-ups. The upcoming playwrights and their partnering theaters include Joel Stone (New Jersey Repertory Company, Long Branch); Nicole Pandolfo (Premiere Stages of Kean University, Union); and Pia Wilson (Crossroads Theatre Company, New Brunswick).

Subjects are far-ranging, but locales are in the Garden State. Stone is basing his new work on the highly publicized case of a serial murderer. Pandolfo sets her play—about two unlikely classmates sharing community service—at Malcolm X Shabazz High School in Newark. And Wilson considers the plight of an African-American woman who finds out her ancestor was a Confederate soldier. 

OPPOSITE: Playwright Chisa Hutchinson; Ollie Corchado and Donavin Dain Scott in Nikkole Salter’s Indian Head

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NEWARK CELEBRATION 350 THIS IS HOW SESQUARCENTENNIAL IS DEFINED

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For the City of Newark, 2016 was something to celebrate. At a robust 350 years old, America’s third oldest major city unfurled a proud legacy of art and industry, relayed by its citizens at countless events.

New Jersey’s largest city started the good times rolling in late 2015, with a free Family Fun Festival in Military Park. Under the directorship of Newark Celebration 350 (NC350) Chair Junius Williams and Programming Chair John Schreiber, the slate of events grew to encompass more than 150 “marquee” attractions and hundreds of cozier gatherings, like conversations and gallery exhibits. The zenith was a free Founders Weekend Festival in May, three days of performances by some of the biggest names out of Newark, such as Faith Evans, Naughty by Nature, and Cissy Houston with the Jubilation Choir.

Dubbed a “festival of festivals,” NC350 blasted through the year with—where to begin?—a quilt-making project, classical music jams in several historic wards, murals up and down McCarter Highway, poetry, films, and restaurant week. The immigrant experience, civic pride and cultural influences were among the thematic threads running throughout the jubilee.

Accessibility for all was made possible by supporting partners and promotions that included free tickets to see the New Jersey Devils and “$3.50 for 350” tickets to select NJPAC performances for Newark residents. 

OPPOSITE (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT): Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka; children enjoying the 2016 Family Fun Festival; a happy Newark celebrant in Military Park

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Nearly $50,000 was raised to restore the founder’s monument, a sculpture designed by Gutzon Borglum (the man behind Mount Rushmore), inscribed with the names of the 64 men credited as Newark’s founders

MONUMENTAL TASK LOOK WHERE THIS PRICELESS PIECE OF NEWARK HISTORY TURNED UP

A long-abandoned monument by sculptor Gutzon Borglum, known as the “First Landing Party of the Founders of Newark,” landed in a new home on the grounds of NJPAC—and what a party it was.

The unveiling took place on December 19 following a packed reception in the Parsonnet Room, hosted by Newark Celebration 350 (NC350) and the Arts Center, and attended by donors, community leaders, city officials and fans of New Jersey’s largest city. A drumline from the Weequahic High School marching band led the procession outdoors to the grassy area formerly known as the Symphony Lawn and now rechristened the Landing Lawn.

It was a remarkable journey that brought the bas-relief sculpture back within view of the Passaic River, where the story began in 1666 with the arrival of city founder Robert Treat and his band of Puritans. The commemorative marker was the idea of Newark’s 250th anniversary organizers in 1916 and they commissioned Borglum, the country’s superstar sculptor, to do the job—before he began work on a project called Mount Rushmore.

NC350, the planners behind the city’s 2016 jubilee, took up the mantle of their predecessors by funding the repair and dedication of the monument as a Legacy Project to survive beyond the year-long celebration. When the proposed restoration project was championed by NC350 and its Chair, Junius Williams, supporters stepped up, such as Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, Jr., Newark City Council President Mildred Crump, Victoria Foundation Executive Officer Irene Cooper-Basch, and a host of major Newark corporations. About $50,000 was raised.

What remains somewhat of a mystery was how Borglum’s artwork disappeared from its original base near McCarter Highway sometime during the construction of the Newark Light Rail in the early aughts, only to resurface, scarred and cracked, in a parking lot off Central Avenue more than a decade later. Its protective tarp was in shreds, the wooden pallet where it rested was waterlogged and crippled by the statue’s 17,000 pounds of Tennessee pink marble.

A piece of public art outfitted with piping for a fountain, it was rediscovered after some sleuthing by historic landmark preservationists, notably Liz Del Tufo, and Star-Ledger columnist Barry Carter.

Monument makers Burns Bros. Inc. had it hauled to its Jersey City workshop, where artisan Andre Iwanczyk began reconstruction in August. In the meantime, a 15,000-pound base would be installed in front of NJPAC’s evergreen arbor near the light rail station.

“Robert Treat isn’t facing the Passaic River anymore,” said NJPAC President and CEO John Schreiber, adding that this is one of four statues created by Borglum for the city. “But he faces Military Park and a new, reinvigorated downtown. We were honored and proud to provide an attractive, peaceful setting for this important work.”

The façade depicts Treat and a fellow Puritan overlooking a stream. On the back are inscribed the names of the 64 men from the Connecticut towns of Milford and Branford known as Newark’s founders.

In addition to the dedication, members of NC350 recapped other Legacy Projects, which included the planting of 350 trees throughout the city and the establishment of an $85,000 Newark Student College Success Fund. NC350 funded more than 200 programs during the city’s sesquar.  NJPAC.ORG 81

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Members of NJPAC’s top-notch Guest Services staff

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SPOTLIGHT GALA 2016 ELEGANCE, PHILANTHROPY AND A WHOLE LOTTA SOUL

“This is the true jazz experience,” proclaimed five-time GRAMMY®-winning bassist Christian McBride, laughing deeply at one point during the performance he and his big band helmed at the Women’s Association of NJPAC’s 21st Annual Spotlight Gala. The ink wasn’t dry on an arrangement offered to the pianist by powerhouse singer Cynthia Erivo, who nonetheless brought down the house with a flawless rendition of Aretha Franklin’s heartbreaker, “Ain’t No Way.” That true jazz experience was evident throughout the October 1 fundraiser, titled “An Evening of Elegant Soul.” The spirit of jazz’s musical democracy and mentor-student bond was tangible from the top of show, when NJPAC Arts Education teen vocalist Alexis Morrast was the first to take the mic. Backing her was the evening’s band, composed of fellow students from Wells Fargo Jazz for Teens playing elbow-to-elbow with professional teaching artists, like saxophonist Mark Gross, and under McBride’s musical direction.

Each year, the Gala invites its donor audience to witness the results of their dollars at work by showcasing “such amazing potential,” remarked NJPAC President and CEO John Schreiber after Alexis’ performance. “And that’s what we see here all the time,” he added. The Women’s Association of NJPAC has raised more than $46 million for the Arts Center since its founding—the largest single stream of support for its operations and arts education programs. The 2,000-member WA dedicates between $100,000 and $200,000 annually for such arts ed initiatives as the All-Female Jazz Residency intensive.

“An Evening of Elegant Soul” grossed another nearly $2 million, contributed by 900 guests who thrilled to the artistry in Prudential Hall, dined sumptuously at intimate tables tucked into nearly all corners of the building and danced until midnight to hits spun by celebrity DJ M.O.S. “Modern soul man” Kenny Lattimore, who performed swoonworthy tunes like “For You” and the Sinatra classic “Fly Me to the Moon,” mingled with friends and guests until the evening’s conclusion.

Last season’s Broadway musical queen and king—The Color Purple’s Erivo and Leslie Odom, Jr. of Hamilton, both Tony winners for their lead roles—duetted on “Dear Theodosia” from Hamilton. In another heartfelt moment, McBride teamed his bass with piano, played by 15-year-old Matthew Whitaker of Hackensack, for Oscar Peterson’s “Hymn to Freedom.”

The toast of the Gala were three prominent advocates for the arts in New Jersey: Stephen P. Holmes, Chairman and CEO of Wyndham Worldwide (Chambers Award for Service to the Community and to the Arts); Victor L. Davson, artist and founding director of Aljira, a Center for Contemporary Art in Newark (Ryan Award for Commitment to NJPAC and Leadership in the City of Newark), and Robert H. Doherty and Bank of America (Vagelos Award for Corporate Commitment to the Arts).

Guests strolled on white carpet runways and dined on braised veal and roasted sea bass prepared

by Theater Square Events, also responsible for a Wonka-like fantasia of after-dinner treats. Fingers were aimed in every direction to point out the elaborate lighting schemes by Arc3design.

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The Women’s Association of NJPAC’s 21st Spotlight Gala raised nearly $2 million for NJPAC, including $18,730 in wish‑list funding

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MEET MARY BETH O’CONNOR THE WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT PUTS ARTS IN FOCUS The ability to create teams is essential for a stage and film producer. That’s probably why Mary Beth O’Connor is in her element in board rooms.

O’Connor is the President of the Women’s Association of NJPAC, succeeding Christine C. Gilfillan. She is also the founder of the entertainment production company Lucky VIII and Vice Chair of RKO Pictures. (RKO Stage, which holds the theatrical rights to the fabled RKO film archive, is NJPAC’s producing partner on the new musical Carefree: Dancin’ with Fred & Ginger.)

“Mary Beth is one of those finds in your life. She really doesn’t have any room in her life to be a business partner to me,” says RKO Chairman Ted Hartley, with a hint of disbelief. “And yet, she seems to be having a wonderful time!”

“I think there’s room for everything,” admits O’Connor, who’s mom to six children, including triplets.

Born Number VII in a family of VIII kids from Ridgewood, O’Connor was trained abroad as an actor and voiceover artist. Her theatrical career eventually gravitated to creative producing, and Lucky VIII was launched in 2006 to finance and develop projects for stage, film and TV. Nine years later, with partner Robert Cole, LUCKYGODOT was incorporated to shepherd Broadway-bound properties.

A partial list of credits includes revivals of That Championship Season in 2011, The Glass Menagerie starring Cherry Jones in 2013, and the twice-Tony-nominated Orphans, also in 2013.

“I love the intersection of real-life stories and how they elevate and catalyze important cultural and social conversations,” O’Connor says. “I’m really most impassioned by live theater, but I also recognize that to reach a broad range of like-minded or engaged communities, television and its newer formats, and social media, have become ubiquitous and extremely useful assets.”

Giving back is part of her DNA. Growing up, she and her siblings were expected by their parents to contribute to the greater good “without any pomp or circumstance.” She is devoted to the 88 NJPAC.ORG

Boys & Girls Club of Newark, where she and her husband, David Lohuis, are trustees, and advances more opportunities for children to experience “real art in real time.”

O’Connor joined the WA in 2012. Now, as president, she recognizes that NJPAC’s formidable fundraising group—more than 2,000 women strong—faces many of the challenges borne by other nonprofits. “How do we stay nimble and relevant in a 21st century landscape when there’s so much noise and competition? How do we sustain our philanthropic platform and our capacity to give in a world where available funding dollars are scarce? How do we create opportunities for an ever-changing demo and deliver on our mission to our constituency, who are increasingly diverse and whose needs and appetites vary?,” she asks. “Like any organization, you’re always required to be willing to reinvent.”

Frequenting the NJPAC campus put O’Connor in proximity to her team mates at Carefree, a song-and-dance whirlwind that has an attribute producers love: It travels compactly to other theaters.

“I wish (projects) were all like that,” she says. “This is a product we can scale like an accordion; we can make it big or small. It can translate. I think this ‘little production that could’ will be quite significant for us.” 

THE ULTIMATE POWER LUNCH A STYLISH WAY OF RAISING SMART MONEY The 20th annual Spring Luncheon & Auction of the Women’s Association of NJPAC ranks as the Arts Center’s “feel good” event of the season. Celebrating beauty inside and out was the affirmation spread by keynote speaker Ashley Graham—a celebrity model and self-described body activist—and was echoed by the luxuries up for grabs in a silent auction: splurges that ran the gamut from spa packages to LinkedIn profile makeovers.

The 515 guests who turned out on May 3 in support of the 22-year-old WA are all business when it involves advocacy of NJPAC and fundraising for arts education programs. As the single largest annual contributor to the Arts Center, the WA has pushed the NJPAC giving thermometer to more than $46 million since 1994.

“I think we can all agree this is a working lunch,” WA President Mary Beth O’Connor said to the point. The event generated $220,000, besting last year’s total. WA Founding Member Veronica “Ronnie” M. Goldberg was on hand to present her namesake award to Dena F. Lowenbach for all her efforts on behalf of the Arts Center, which began years before ground was broken.

“To see over 500 people in a place where I was told 25 years ago that ‘no one will come,’ and be surrounded by those of all races and creeds here on a regular basis, is beyond my expectations,” said Lowenbach, who is NJPAC’s founding volunteer. Mingling in the lobby prior to receiving the award, she recalled joining the Arts Center’s start-up staff of four—a group fueled largely by faith.

A model from the age of 12, Ashley Graham is a fashion entrepreneur and conversation leader in body image, whose generous size has not kept her from the covers of Maxim and Sports Illustrated’s most recent swimsuit issue. Earlier this year, she was named to Forbes magazine’s “30 Under 30” list.

A popular speaker with women’s and girls’ groups promoting empowerment, Graham shared her motto of “you’re bold, you’re brilliant, you’re beautiful” with the audience, and warned them not to equate worth with weight. She derided the term “plus size,” which in the fashion industry translates into the span of sizes 8 through 16, she noted, and encouraged attendees to “love the skin you’re in.”

This year’s Spring Luncheon & Auction was co-chaired by WA Board Trustees Terri MacLeod and Christine Pearson. Lead sponsors were Prudential, the MCJ Amelior Foundation and Hackensack University Health Network.  NJPAC.ORG 89

JUDY AND STEWART COLTON NJPAC BENEFACTORS GIVE BACK TO NEWARK

BY SUPPORTING THE ARTS If you want to get the good word on a performance at NJPAC, ask Judy and Stewart Colton.

Odds are they were in the audience.

“We go to almost every type of performance,” says Judy, offering a few recent examples. “We’ve been to lectures, concerts and recitals, including Renée Fleming, Stephen Colbert and John Oliver, Michael Feinstein, The Hip Hop Nutcracker, Carefree: Dancin’ with Fred & Ginger, and of course the James Brown tribute. We also attend the student dance and music performances from Arts Education.”

The Coltons enjoy attending live performances and concerts of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and take equal pleasure in seeing performances by youngsters—all in Newark, a city they both are connected to. Stewart, formerly an entrepreneur in the electronics industry, grew up in the Weequahic section and performed in the Griffith Music Foundation piano competition on Broad Street. His career started at J.H. Cohn on Broad Street, which is now the Hotel Indigo, and he served on the board of Beth Israel Hospital.

Judy recalls Saturday shopping excursions to the downtown department stores; years later she returned to Newark as a teacher at the First Avenue and Camden Street grade schools during the civil rights rebellion of 1967.

As donors to NJPAC, they believe in the Arts Center’s potential to reinvigorate the Broad Street downtown and to celebrate diversity through the arts. They have a special interest in supporting original, innovative programs at NJPAC, such as Carefree and The Hip Hop Nutcracker, both touring hits that have raised the Arts Center’s profile from Miami to Moscow.

“We have recently increased our participation at the PAC, becoming more involved after John 90 NJPAC.ORG

Schreiber joined as President and CEO,” Stewart says. “His vision of the PAC’s focus on education was the motivation for our interest.”

In addition to the arts, the Coltons’ philanthropy includes science, medicine and education.

In November, they were honored by NYU Langone Medical Center for funding the Judith and Stewart Colton Center for Autoimmunity, which develops diagnostics and treatments for autoimmune diseases, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, and over 80 other diseases categorized as autoimmune.

They have endowed a fund for doctoral students at Tel Aviv University, where Stewart is a Vice Chairperson of the Board of Governors. More than 70 students have benefited, including Israel Supreme Court Justice Daphne Barak-Erez and the university’s former Dean of the Humanities and current Vice Rector, Eyal Zisser. The Coltons’ contribution to the university’s BuchmannMehta School of Music benefits the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, where Stewart was a Board Member, by training musicians to join the orchestra and fill in when needed.

They have also funded a chair in law and created an Institute for Innovation at Ramot, the university’s Business Engagement Center and technology transfer company.

“We visit Israel annually, and maintain our friendships with the students, professors and supporting personnel,” says Judy.

The parents of two sons and four grandchildren, they involve the family in their efforts. Judy prioritizes her time at the Interfaith Food Pantry of the Oranges and provides companionship for clients of Jewish Family Services of MetroWest New Jersey.

“We try to be involved with relevant organizations and people we respect and enjoy working with,” she says. 

COMMUNITY-MINDED For the past two years, GlassRoots, a Newark-based organization that ignites creativity in young people through the art of glass, has benefited from the spirited volunteerism of Mary Jaffa, NJPAC’s Assistant Vice President of Finance. With Jaffa’s acceptance of the ninth annual NJPAC/M. John Richard Community Service Award around Thanksgiving, the teaching studio benefited even more.

The award comes with a donation of $2,000 contributed by John Richard—NJPAC’s former Executive Vice President and COO— his wife, Lynne, John Schreiber and NJPAC. It is granted to a staff member who demonstrates a strong commitment to serving others.

During the award ceremony, Richard remembered the genesis and success of GlassRoots, which was co-founded by Dena F. Lowenbach—NJPAC’s founding volunteer—and Pat Kettenring.

“I was so appreciative to receive this award, which provides much-needed support to GlassRoots’ individual giving campaign,” says Jaffa. “I’m also hoping that through this gift, others will be inspired to follow NJPAC’s example and contribute to this deserving organization.”

Jaffa, a resident of Randolph, is a board member of GlassRoots, but also goes by the titles of board treasurer, chairwoman of the Finance Committee, and member of the Expansion Committee. In her hometown, she previously volunteered as treasurer for the Boy Scouts of America and is currently Dignitary Liaison for Eagle Scout recognition events, a post she has held for more than a decade.  NJPAC.ORG 91

FIRST ROW: Brian Bedol, Gregg N. Gerken, Michelle Lee, Stephen M. Vajtay Jr., Judith Jamison SECOND ROW: Dr. Nancy Cantor, Ellen B. Marshall, D. Nicholas Miceli, Larisa F. Perry, the late Percy Chubb III

BOARD NEWS: COMINGS AND GOINGS Four members of the NJPAC Board of Directors stepped down in 2016 and four newcomers were welcomed. New to the board are Dr. Nancy Cantor, Chancellor of Rutgers University, Newark; Ellen B. Marshall, Northeast Regional Market Executive, Capital One Bank; D. Nicholas Miceli, Central Market President of TD Bank; and Larisa F. Perry, Lead Region President, Northeast Community Bank Wells Fargo. Departing board members included Brian T. Bedol, founder and CEO of Bedrock Media Ventures, LLC; Gregg N. Gerken, Executive Vice President TD Bank Group and Head of Commercial Real Estate, TD Bank, N.A.; Michelle Lee, Regional Bank Executive, Eastern Region, Northeast Community Bank Wells Fargo; and Stephen M. Vajtay, Jr., Esq., Managing Partner, McCarter & English, LLP. Board Member Judith Jamison, Artistic Director Emerita of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, was named to the Directors Emeriti.  Mary Beth O’Connor, founder of Lucky VIII media and Vice Chair of RKO Pictures, succeeded Christine C. Gilfillan as President of the Women’s Association of NJPAC. Read more about her on page 88. 

IN MEMORIUM: PERCY CHUBB III NJPAC felt deep loss at the passing of longtime Board Member Percy (“Pi”) Chubb III in March.

Sally, his wife and dance partner of 59 years, was by his side.

“Pi’s avuncular, effervescent, optimistic and enthusiastic presence made him a beloved and welcome visitor here whenever we were lucky enough to share time,” said NJPAC President and CEO John Schreiber. “His 30-year tenure as head of the Victoria Foundation improved outcomes for hundreds of thousands of Newark public school children through the decades.”

NJPAC Founding President and CEO Lawrence P. Goldman recalled, “Pi Chubb was present at the creation of NJPAC and his impact was unmistakable. He was a self-proclaimed fiscal conservative and our financial planning always had to pass the Pi-test. But underneath the preppy style and eagle budgetary eye beat the heart of a social progressive. Pi was a leader, an activist, who committed his intellect and the resources of the incomparable Victoria Foundation to the reinvigoration of Newark. He cared and he wasn’t afraid to act on that caring. The Victoria Theater, which has brought so much to so many of Newark’s children, is a permanent Pi Chubb legacy.”  92 NJPAC.ORG

ABOVE: Business Partners Roundtable participants Mike Fucci, Linda Bowden, Pamela Craig, Stephen P. Holmes, Janice Ellig, Margaret M. Foran, Linda Willett and John Schreiber

WIDE-RANGING TOPICS ARE SERVED AT BUSINESS PARTNERS ROUNDTABLES Gender balance in the boardroom, the announcement of a forward-thinking health care collaboration, high-frequency stock trading, and a taste of the food industry in New Jersey were among the subjects ripe for discussion at this year’s Business Partners Roundtables.

Attendees at the early-morning sessions typically number close to 150, and represent more than 100 multinational corporations and privately-held businesses that support NJPAC. The Roundtables, sponsored by PNC Bank, consist of panel conversations followed by an audience Q&A. Breakfast sponsors have included WeiserMazars and United Airlines.

In February, “Gender Diversity in the Board Room” revealed bleak statistics associated with the presence of female executives at the table and as heads of major corporations. Janice Ellig, co-CEO of the search firm Chadick Ellig, moderated the talk about advancing diversity agendas.

The following month, “How the Stock Market Really Works: What Every Investor Needs to Know” focused on best and worst practices in a hyper-speed stock market.

A July assessment of “The State’s FY17 Budget and Economic Policy Priorities” featured speaker Ford M. Scudder, acting New Jersey State Treasurer. At the October Roundtable, Rutgers University President Robert L. Barchi, a neuroscientist and clinical neurologist, and RWJBarnabas Health President and CEO Barry H. Ostrowsky, an NJPAC Trustee, spoke of the possibilities and future benefits of integrating the wellness services of both entities in “Public-Private Partnerships: Building a Healthier New Jersey.”

A panel of restaurant execs from some of the region’s top establishments wrapped up the Roundtables in December with a fascinating examination of “The Backbone of New Jersey’s Economy: Restaurants and Hospitality.” This industry, where every night is like opening night, accounts for $16 billion in annual sales statewide and 9.5% of New Jersey’s work force. The guest speakers discussed a wide range of challenges: liquor license reform, automation, online reviews and home delivery, among others.

The Business Partners program provides essential philanthropic support to NJPAC and offers its members attractive amenities and benefits, such as admission to the Roundtable series.

Information and memberships, starting at $5,000, are available by emailing Doris Thomas at dthomas@njpac.org.  NJPAC.ORG 93

Movin’ and Groovin’ with Eyesha Marable at the 2016 Volunteer Appreciation Dinner; Volunteer Mary Lou Lunin at Ping Pong in the Park

WHAT’S GOING ON? ASK A VOLUNTEER… “Movin’ & Groovin’” was the self-fulfilling theme of the annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner— after all, NJPAC volunteers excel at being on the move and in the groove. As part of the festivities, volunteers struck yoga poses, broke into salsa dance moves, and encouraged each other to keep active in body and spirit.

Forty-five new people raised their hands in support of the Arts Center in 2016, bringing the total volunteer corps to 270 members. NJPAC benefited mightily from their nearly 14,000 hours of unpaid but priceless time during the year.

It wasn’t hard to spot their royal purple T-shirts at the most visible events: Outdoors at Ping Pong in the Park and Newark Celebration 350’s Founders Day Weekend; indoors at the family-friendly Embodying the Dream during MLK weekend and Day of Swing during the TD James Moody Jazz Festival; and both at the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival.

You’ll find them accepting coats at performances, handing out promotional materials at festivals, welcoming guests—and always stepping in when help is needed. 

THE NEW COLLEGE TRY A recent initiative is turning NJPAC’s college interns into “volinterns.” Students are now required to dedicate 10 percent of the time they spend at the Arts Center to Volunteer Services.

Typically, the interns volunteer in one of many areas outside the department that supervises them. To deepen their knowledge of NJPAC’s overall operations, they are encouraged to take on responsibilities outside the scope of their interests. The students also receive training from Volunteer Services in such duties as social media, coat check, or serving as an ambassador for NJPAC at informational tables.

Throughout the summer and fall, about a dozen students arrived from universities that included Drew, Montclair State, Rutgers, and others. By serving as a volintern, students may complete their service requirements and gain hands-on experience in non-profit management.

“I aimed for an internship that was different than things I learned in school but still very much a part of my major (business),” wrote a student from Drew. “For example, I have not taken any classes dealing with non-profits, marketing or event planning. That is exactly what my time at NJPAC consisted of! I had an awesome time at this wonderful organization.” 

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Ginny Bowers Coleman, NJPAC’s Director of Volunteer Services, with Amy Mormak, the Women’s Association of NJPAC’s Events and Marketing Manager; Larousse Pierre

VOLUNTEER PROFILE: LAROUSSE PIERRE

NUMBERS

2016 BY THE

A contagious smile is Larousse Pierre’s stock-in-trade—something that’s always reflected back by the NJPAC patrons he invites to “say cheese!” in the lobby’s social media booth.

A volunteer for nearly two years, Pierre estimates that he spends about 10 hours a month serving visitors, and is happiest when taking photos of equally cheery audience members on an iPad. The 60-year-old South Orange resident apparently has become a familiar face to those he snaps.

“It was amazing for me, one time I went to Orlando, Disney World,” recalls Pierre, a native of Haiti who arrived here at the age of 19. “When I was walking there, one of the people said, ‘Was that you at NJPAC doing social media?’ I said, ‘Yeah!!’”

By day, Pierre works as a senior assembler and wire technician for aircraft test equipment at Tel-Instrument Electronics Corp. in East Rutherford, where he likes to hone his skills in troubleshooting. He pursued his studies and certifications at vo-tech schools in Newark, learned to speak English at night school, and raised four children—now he’s the doting grandpa of six.

Pierre, who also is an usher at the South Orange Performing Arts Center, remembers buying a ticket to see Diana Ross perform at NJPAC and remarking, “Wow, what a beautiful place!” Not long afterward, he volunteered for duties like distributing print materials, conducting tours, and answering questions at the Customer Information Center in the Rotunda—where he patiently fields the occasional strange query. “(Visitors) once asked me, ‘Where are the Rockettes?,’ and if we’re close to Radio City Music Hall here. I said, no, we’re in New Jersey and Radio City is in New York …”

A lover of the arts since he was old enough to hold a watercolor brush, Pierre always looks forward to jazz performances at NJPAC (guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli and bassist Christian McBride are favorites) and ranks French singer Charles Aznavour at the top of his wish list for a future concert in Newark. He’s a big fan of the Yankees and the Devils.

“When the Devils play against the Montréal Canadiens, I’m for Montréal,” admits Pierre, “but when they play any other team, I’m for the Devils.” 

45 new volunteers raised their hands in support of the Arts Center in 2016, bringing the total volunteer corps to 270 members.

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LIGHTING TURNS HIM ON To Al Crawford, a lighting designer for NJPAC, there’s vision…and then there’s vision.

His company, Arc3design of Long Island City, N.Y. and Miami, is built on the business of making sure a spectator can see. However, it’s just as important that a creator’s imagination illuminate an audience’s emotions, knowledge and ideas.

As a teen, the Raleigh, N.C. native was encouraged to take a course in lighting and realized it embraced all the facets he loved about theater. Later, as the CEO and principal designer of his own firm, he developed a personal brand that’s been described in adjectives like rich, vibrant, delicate and considered.

NJPAC patrons have seen the magic conjured by his team for performances big and small, the annual Spotlight Gala and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the last of which he has lit at the Arts Center since 1998. But the company also works in NJPAC’s cozier spaces for cabarets, receptions and the like.

In a Q&A with NJPAC, Crawford let us see why good thinking is depicted by a light bulb near someone’s head.

NJPAC: How do you describe your work?

A.C.: What we do is create light so that you can see. Ultimately, how you see, what you see, what you focus on, and what you feel is affected by the design of the light created. As lighting designers, we can manipulate, develop and create light that can help tell a story or inspire it. Our goal is to take anything and everything put ahead of us and help amplify its message.

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NJPAC: Why isn’t lighting design only confined to the stage here?

A.C.: In the early 2000s, (NJPAC) brought me on to consult on a variety of architectural initiatives.

We partnered on the development of the Rotunda Donor Recognition floor—the light-up floor you see when you come in—as well as a number of other projects: the hallway outside the Chase Room, relighting the exterior banners on the building and some spaces in the Center for Arts Education. The other side of our work are the music concerts and Gala projects.

Some of the most challenging spaces are often the rooms that were never intended to be theatrically lit: lobby spaces, outdoor areas, temporary structures like tents in parking lots.

Architecturally speaking, the stages—Prudential Hall, specifically—they’re already beautiful spaces. You walk in them and they already have an aesthetic before we layer on our light. Lighting objects that are already beautiful on their own is always enjoyable. The Ailey company is also a good example of this.

We love working in non-traditional spaces. Outside of NJPAC, we’re often brought in to light experiences in bizarre places like a high-end wedding in the bottom of a rock quarry or a state dinner in the backyard of the White House in a non-descript tent, lighting the side of a mountain or doing a large birthday party on a beach. An ocean is one of the hardest things to light because there’s nothing out there to reflect the light.

NJPAC: What changes have you seen here over the past two decades?

AC: NJPAC has always been about pushing for excellence in the use of its resources, whether through the facility or its staff.

Over the last number of years, NJPAC has invested in increasing technology to their in-house inventory through the addition of moving (automated) lights, LED strip lights, and advanced control systems. They have pushed into the future and are committed to having in-house capabilities that meet the standards of any high-end show. As a guest designer coming to work at NJPAC, I can often use the equipment inside the theater without having to spend additional monies to rent equipment, all because of the inventory they have and invested in.

NJPAC: Who was your most influential mentor?

A.C.: Howell Binkley, who’s a Broadway and dance lighting designer, has been an incredible angel for my career. He’s done more than 50 shows on Broadway and countless other projects. He recently did a little show called Hamilton you might have heard of. The beautiful thing about Howell is he doesn’t rest on his laurels. Even with his two Tony Awards and the huge hits he’s done over the last 30 years, he’s still working on the little show that could. He always gives young designers opportunities to learn. It’s been incredibly inspiring for me to see someone in our industry be so successful and maintain such graciousness and openness.

NJPAC: What was your proudest moment at the Arts Center?

A.C.: The 2009 Spotlight Gala, the year we decked over the entire orchestra of Prudential Hall and made it one room, was something I’m most proud of. Not only because of Arc3design’s work but because the whole (NJPAC) organization came together to create something special for the guests. We built an in-the-round stage with a huge structure above it with décor, light and video screens. You couldn’t tell where the old stage was. We then created a 360° environment in the middle of the space for the performance. Super fun! I’d say my proudest moments are ultimately when we see the excitement on the guests’ faces and, of course, when the staff gathers to celebrate a job well done—done together. 

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“ When I look at an audience as they’re leaving, if they’re happy and smiling, I know we did our job right…”

– Bill Worman

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FRONT-AND-CENTER CUSTOMER SERVICE ORIGINATES AT THE ‘BACK OF THE HOUSE’ “Backstage” can be interpreted a couple of different ways at NJPAC: It’s the area inhabited by performers when they’re not treading the boards, as well as the working spaces where staffers collaborate on creating the best experiences for patrons. Meet three people who are almost never seen by visitors to NJPAC, but whose talents are easily recognized.

BILL WORMAN, HEAD CARPENTER Growing up in Secaucus, Bill Worman knew by the age of 14 that stagework would be his lifelong career. However, he preferred to build a riser than stand on it, and to position a spotlight than bask in it.

He quit the Secaucus High School football team to join the theater program and, under the mentorship of history teacher Robert Hesterfer, proceeded to transform the cafeteria into a sometime auditorium. “They have a 1,000-seat theater there now,” he says, remembering a recent conversation with a friend who said, “You’re the only guy I know who’s still doing what they wanted to do at 14.”

Lights, sound, staging, load-ins, projections. Learning all those aspects of backstage alchemy and more led Worman to NJPAC, where he began as a journeyman stagehand in 1999 and became Head Carpenter in 2003.

Stage carpenter, by the way, encompasses a lot more in definition than someone who drives nails through boards.

“We don’t really build things per se, we assemble, because most stuff has already been built in a scene shop,” Worman explains, slightly amused. He’s a member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) labor union, as are all of NJPAC’s stage crew. “When people hear ‘carpenter,’ they think of building a house, but in the theater world it’s not the same as the construction world.”

He’s the craftsman audiences almost never glimpse, except during equipment changeovers on stage. His complicated work and that of his team is stunningly obvious when Prudential Hall metamorphoses into neon super-sets for America’s Got Talent or the Black Girls Rock! Awards. An orchestral performance involves a reconfiguration of the hall—activating a retractable symphonic ceiling and giant acoustical “towers,” for example—which helps produce NJPAC’s crystalline, enveloping sound for listeners.

NJPAC’s stage machinery has to purr like a sleek sports car, so maintenance takes place whenever the theaters are dark. It’s not unusual for the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra to play a matinee with the hall in symphonic mode, only for the stage to be reassembled immediately afterward with speakers, video screens and a set for a lecture that evening. Big jobs in tight turnarounds, as well as small set-ups in other spaces of the building, are a daily occurrence.

“One of the best things about working at NJPAC is it’s not a Broadway house; you have a different show every day,”Worman says. “It’s always ever-changing and that’s what makes it fun and challenging.

“When I look at an audience as they’re leaving, if they’re happy and smiling I know we did our job right,” says Worman. “Provided the artist is good as well,” he adds, joking. “It’s not all on us.”  NJPAC.ORG 99

ROBIN POLAKOFF, TICKETING SYSTEMS SPECIALIST When there’s a performance or ticketed event in any of NJPAC’s spaces, Robin Polakoff knows how the space itself is performing.

“My job, if you boil it down to its simplest terms, is a data entry job,” she says humbly with a laugh.

Not so simple. Polakoff keeps an eye on hundreds of events each season and makes it possible for customers to seamlessly access any of three different ticketing systems for purchases.

Communications received from all of NJPAC’s departments allow her to form a picture of what the space (Prudential Hall, Victoria Theater, Chase Room and NICO Kitchen + Bar for concerts only) will “look” like on a particular date.

If 2,800-seat Pru Hall could talk, for example, it would tell Polakoff its story for that night based on some of these questions: Who’s performing here and who are they? How much will it cost?

When do the tickets go on sale and is there a limit on how many you can buy? Can a large group be accommodated in the same section? Are there any discounts? Any dignitaries in the house?

“For Prudential Hall, there are so many variations of how you can situate the theater or how tickets sell,” she explains. Polakoff works closely with her supervisor, Stephanie Miller, Associate Director of Ticketing Systems, in offering patrons the best seating options. “If it’s a pop show, people are going to want to sit really close, so we designate it to sell a certain way. But if it’s a variety show, like a theater performance or the acrobats, maybe they’ll want to purchase further back, so we sell tickets for the back first, then sell up front.”

When Polakoff analyzes information from department chiefs, she knows whether any seats have to be blocked: Maybe a projection will obstruct audience sightlines, or a pair of tickets is being put aside for a promotional giveaway on the radio.

“I’m getting info from Arts Education, Community Engagement, Marketing, the Box Office and sometimes from House Management and Development,” she counts. “I’m basically a hub in the middle of those departments; everything gets funneled to me and then I make it happen.”

Raised and living in Teaneck, Polakoff was a musical theater gleek who spent eight years at the performing arts camp of French Woods Festival in upstate New York, where she hung with the future members of Maroon Five and actresses Zooey Deschanel and Natasha Lyonne.

In her spare time, she confesses to being a video game and pop culture “nerd” who burns through viewings of Bollywood films and Korean soaps. Gaming has other benefits, she notes. “I like to help raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network through Extra Life, which is a charity created by video gamers who have a marathon 24-hour session. They raise money for the individual hospitals in their area. Ours is the Children’s Specialized Hospital network of 13 hospitals. So far this year we’ve raised over $100,000.”  100 NJPAC.ORG

KATHLEEN DICKSON, SENIOR HEAD USHER “I’m a person of the arts,” declares NJPAC’s Senior Head Usher, Kathleen Dickson. “My husband said, ‘There’s an arts center being built.’ I said, ‘Really?’ So I drove by one day.”

That was how Dickson, 20 years ago, was introduced to NJPAC. She, in turn, has introduced countless first-time visitors to the Arts Center through her welcoming presence in the lobby. But most of her work unreels behind the scenes, each day spent training and scheduling the ushers who warmly greet arrivals. Their smiles are like her calling cards.

As a key member of the House Management, she wants to see a smooth, comfortable transition between the time a person enters the Rotunda and is seated. Dickson and her team of some 140 ushers also dispense some kind of magical antidote for crankiness.

“You can have a bad day, yet you come in and you encounter a person who’s smiling,” she says.

“Things change for you. … Walking up to a face that’s smiling back at you? It’s important.”

Dickson’s briefings, which are conducted well before curtain, test the ushers’ memorization skills.

They have to retain details on all the events taking place in the building: concerns like knowing that night’s policies on photo-taking or bringing refreshments into the theater; audience members with special needs; intermission time; different levels of passes for backstage access; and artists’ preferences on when latecomers may be seated.

Dickson, who spent 16 years working on the trading floor of the New York Commodity Exchange before joining NJPAC’s staff, is mom to scores of “kids” she’s supervised and watched grow up. She especially looks forward to days when children romp off the bus for SchoolTime shows, or any family performances, for that matter.

“Some of them have children now,” she says proudly of her former ushers, “and some have jobs as police officers, sheriff’s officers. They still come back and visit NJPAC to see performances. And what I always wanted for them was to make sure they got their children to see the performances.

That’s my goal: getting to the next person in the community.”

Dickson dedicates time to Roots & Wings, an assistance program for young adults who age out of foster care, and CASA of Union County, which advocates for children who have been removed from their homes. Her experience in event planning and catering is an asset to her work with non-profit organizations.

One of Dickson’s favorite jobs is giving tours of NJPAC, especially Prudential Hall—a striking contrast to her hard-hat tours of nearly two decades ago.

“I still tell visitors, ‘Wow, it’s a beautiful space,’” she says of Pru Hall, almost catching her breath.

“And in all these years, it still looks the same. We’ve kept it up so well.”  NJPAC.ORG 101

OCT 15, ‘16

With the first signs of normalized relations between the U.S. and Cuba in a half-century, NJPAC expanded the borders of programming with a concert by legendary vocalist Omara Portuondo of Buena Vista Social Club fame

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Ping Pong in the Park

NJPAC, IN BRIEF VIEW OF HAVANA With the death of Fidel Castro and the first signs of normalized relations between the U.S. and Cuba in a half-century comes a renewed interest in the arts of this Caribbean island nation.

Like other cultural institutions, NJPAC is curious about our neighbor off Key West, and intends to expand the borders of programming to acquaint audiences with Republica de Cuba. Straight out of the Buena Vista Social Club, Cuban singer Omara Portuondo brought her national tour to Prudential Hall in October, along with friends who included Cuban multi-instrumentalist Roberto Fonseca, violinist Regina Carter and clarinetist Anat Cohen.

In August, pianist James Austin Jr. and friends celebrated Cuban music at one of NJPAC’s free Jazz Jam Sessions at Clement’s Place in Newark. Cuba was chosen as the “Country of Honor” for NJPAC’s 18th annual Kwanzaa Children’s Festival. And look for the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba to perform under the baton of Enrique Pérez-Mesa at the Arts Center in March 2018. 

ENGAGING STUDENTS THROUGH “EDU-TAINMENT” A continuing partnership with Essex County College’s Africana Institute is just one way in which Community Engagement raises awareness of NJPAC among college students on their own turf, while complementing their curricula with special programs and performances.

A free discussion of Fela! The Music, the Movement: Creating a Generation of Political Consciousness Through Afrobeat was held on ECC’s Newark campus a week prior to the performance of FELA! The Concert, part of the TD James Moody Jazz Festival. The legacy of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the father of Afrobeat and an exalted Nigerian activist, was explored from the perspectives of politics, culture and spirituality. Panelists included Dr. Akil Kokayi Khalfani, Director of the Africana Institute; documentary filmmaker Edward Jaheed Ashley (Fela-NYC: Fresh from Africa); and African Orisa practitioner Babalawo Oluwole A. Ifakunle Adetutu Alagbede.

The conversation concluded with the undulating sounds of Afrobeat as students rendezvoused at a dance party in their cafeteria, nicknamed “The Shrine” that day in tribute to Kuti’s famed nightspot. 

PARKING AMENITIES ARE IN MOTION Honk if you love hassle-free parking.

NJPAC has earmarked $1 million, thanks to a grant from the Prudential Foundation and a loan from TD Bank, to upgrade parking services and infrastructure, primarily in the Military Park Garage.

The project is half-complete, with more improvements to come. Motorists are already familiar with the convenience of “scanning in” to NJPAC’s parking facilities via mobile phone. To further reduce wait times when exiting after a performance, additional options will be offered, such as more pre-pay stations and increased capacity in the garage through valet parking. Enhancements also are planned for security, lighting and signage.

Those are some of the advantages visitors will notice. There is even more happening behind the scenes. For example, NJPAC will be better able to accurately monitor when the garage or lots have available spaces. Another perk in the works includes a discount on the cost of parking itself for those who patronize nearby merchants and restaurateurs.  NJPAC.ORG 103

BIG IDEAS FROM THE BIG SCREEN Two acclaimed films, paired with thoughtful discussions, were screened for families in February and May as part of the PSEG Foundation’s True Diversity Film Series in the Victoria Theater.

The first, Ava DuVernay’s Oscar-winning Selma, was the focus of a panel hosted by playwright Richard Wesley about the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Akeelah and the Bee, a movie that concerns an introverted young girl in search of self-validation, was followed by a talkback led by Tai Beauchamp, CEO of Tai Life Media, LLC and a Trustee of the Women’s Association of NJPAC. The PSEG Foundation True Diversity Film Series includes screenings that examine various subjects, all intended to provoke broad thinking on issues of diversity. Audiences experience a deeper knowledge of respect and understanding for all people and their communities.

Admission to showings is always free. The 2016 selections had the added cachet of being part of Newark Celebration 350 events.

“This film series allows us to continue to have meaningful conversations on issues that affect us. It’s one way we can become a strong community, where people can truly bring about positive impact on matters that affect them,” says Ellen Lambert, President of the PSEG Foundation. “PSEG is proud to serve as a pillar to start these conversations and help build stronger ties with communities in which we live and work.” 

NJPAC IS MAKING (MORE) CONCESSIONS For those customers who think the curtain chimes are a Pavlovian stimulus to start guzzling their drinks—help has arrived. Short intermissions, long walks up the aisles, and lines at the concessions can all conspire to prevent us from reaching the Raisinets before the performance resumes. There’s an art to moving and serving a throng of people in the same space during a short interval, so NJPAC is taking measures to eliminate back-ups and turn-aways at the snack bars.

Joining the team is Eric McConnell, a new concessions manager employed by Culinaire, proprietors of NICO Kitchen + Bar. In response to patron feedback, goals and strategies were set in place to reduce wait times and better accommodate the tastes of each audience.

In some cases, intermissions will be lengthened. The number of “points of sale” has been increased and portable bar set-ups will truncate waiting times even more. As an example, portable bars are added to house right on the tiers to better serve patrons on both sides of the theater.

New menu items are customized for particular events, such as themed cocktails. At select performances—for instance, a salsa event with multiple artists and several short intermissions— concessions will be offered near the front orchestra section to save ticket holders the trouble of trekking to the lobby.

NJPAC Executive Vice President and COO Warren Tranquada emphasizes that decisions are made strategically for each event and are based on researching the preferences of those attending. “We’re not hawking while artists are performing, only during intermissions. It’s not a baseball game,” he says.

“We heard from our customers and we’re taking action to speed the flow and increase options, to make it easier for people to enjoy the experience that they come to expect.”

The most popular new menu item? Giant pretzels!  104 NJPAC.ORG

ENTERTAINMENT WITHOUT BORDERS When we say NJPAC is moving into a new arena, it’s often meant to be taken literally.

The Arts Center continues to seek partnerships with larger regional venues as alternative sources of revenue. Arenas and other theaters provide NJPAC with the abilities to program to crowd sizes that can’t be accommodated on campus and increase capacity on dates when its spaces are already booked.

During 2016, the 18,000-seat Barclays Center in Brooklyn was the site of a Mother’s Day celebration with Keyshia Cole, Monica and Tank, a Puerto Rican Day Parade Salsa Festival, and a concert with New Edition and Babyface—all were produced with NJPAC. The Prudential Center (aka “The Rock”) on nearby Mulberry Street has an occupancy of 18,700, the optimum space for “co-pros” like the KTU Big Hits Throwback Fest, Hot 97 Hot for the Holidays and Martin Lawrence’s most recent comedy tour.

NJPAC Productions gained a new partnering venue: Symphony Hall—Newark’s historic former Mosque Theater on Broad Street. A touring musical version of the hit film Love Jones, starring Marsha Ambrosius, made a stop there in October. 

WELL, WELL, WELL There’s a group that brings NJPAC to its feet, and it’s not a big-name band. The newly formed Wellness Committee nudges staffers into exercising, eating nutritiously, reducing anxiety and other good-health practices, while spreading one of the most beneficial takeaways: laughter.

To promote proper hydration, the eight interdepartmental committee members dressed like “Singin’ in the Rain,” and paraded to “It’s Raining Men,” during a 16-ounce chug-a-thon to launch the “Hydration Challenge.” The winner of the month-long consumption was awarded a scepter made of empty water bottles, a case of water and a toilet paper cake.

Yucks aside, a profile of NJPAC’s employee health emerged through the results of a biometric screening: assessments of BMI (body mass index), cholesterol and glucose, plus a questionnaire completed by employees. The data helped identify areas of health risk to be addressed by the committee—and that includes stress, so advice on meditation and financial “health” is on the schedule. The wellness program is being developed in consultation with Healthy Business Group.

To get things off to a robust start, a Wellness Fair took place in the Chase Room in May. “Wellness Wednesday” emails and a quarterly newsletter share recipes, tips on maintaining fitness—and, of course, humor.  NJPAC.ORG 105

106 NJPAC.ORG

NJPAC.ORG 107

THE BUDGET PICTURE 2016 OPERATING INCOME $38.9 MILLION 2016 OPERATING INCOME Endowment $38.9 MILLION Income and Transfers 9% Endowment Income and Transfers 9%

Contributed Revenue 31% Contributed Revenue 31% Other Earned Income 4% Other Earned Income 4%

Performance Related Revenue 55% Performance Related Revenue 55%

Arts Education Revenue 1% Arts Education Revenue 1%

2016 OPERATING EXPENSES $38.9 MILLION 2016 OPERATING EXPENSES Development $38.9 MILLION 6%

General and Administrative General 10% and Administrative Marketing and 10% Communications 5% Marketing and Communications 5% Theater Operations 18% Theater Operations 18%

108 NJPAC.ORG

Development 6%

Performance and Performance Related Performance and 52% Performance Related 52%

Arts Education 9% Arts Education 9%

NEW JERSEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER CORPORATION CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS JUNE 30, 2016 AND 2015

ASSETS

2016

Cash and cash equivalents

$

2015

2,129,165

875,806

Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts

1,925,437

1,440,444

Contributions and grants receivable, net

8,309,490

9,647,861

Prepaid expenses and other assets

1,047,919

982,064

69,861,266

72,143,051

116,354,987

119,785,440

$

199,628,264

204,874,666

$

2,444,083

3,266,845

Investments Property and equipment, net Total assets LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS Liabilities: Accounts payable and accrued expenses Advance ticket sales and other deferred revenue

3,862,805

3,124,732

Loans payable

10,221,315

8,691,931

Other liabilities

235,357

490,112

16,763,560

15,573,620

105,604,702

109,520,348

(700,190)

(773,967)

104,904,512

108,746,381

Temporarily restricted

14,808,875

17,255,405

Permanently restricted—endowment

63,151,317

63,299,260

Total net assets

182,864,704

189,301,046

199,628,264

204,874,666

Total liabilities COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Net assets: Unrestricted: Designated for special purposes, including net investment in property and equipment Designated for operations Total unrestricted

Total liabilities and net assets

$

NJPAC.ORG 109

NJPAC LEADERSHIP BOARD OF DIRECTORS As of June 30, 2016

Chair John R. Strangfeld

President and CEO John Schreiber

Treasurer Marc E. Berson

Founding Chair Raymond G. Chambers

Chair Emeritus Arthur F. Ryan

Lawrence E. Bathgate James L. Bildner II, Esq.

Daniel M. Bloomfield, Ann D. Borowiec MD

Linda Bowden

Jacob Buurma, Esq.

Dr. Nancy Cantor

J. Fletcher Creamer, Jr.

Pat A. Di Filippo

Robert H. Doherty

Brendan P. Dougher

Thasunda Brown Duckett

Patrick C. Dunican, Jr., Esq.

Anne Evans Estabrook

Leecia R. Eve, Esq.

Christine C. Gilfillan

Savion Glover

Veronica M. Goldberg Steven E. Gross, Esq.

William V. Hickey

Judith Jamison

The Honorable Thomas H. Kean

Ralph A. LaRossa

A. Michael Lipper, CFA

William J. Marino

Ellen B. Marshall

Marc H. Morial

110 NJPAC.ORG

Thomas J. Marino

Assistant Treasurer Steven M. Goldman, Esq.

Secretary Michael R. Griffinger, Esq.

Assistant Secretary Donald A. Robinson, Esq.

Harold L. Morrison, Jr. Thomas M. O’Flynn

Victor Parsonnet, M.D.

Larisa F. Perry

Philip R. Sellinger, Esq.

Jeffrey S. Sherman, Esq.

Susan N. Sobbott

The Honorable Clifford M. Sobel

David S. Stone, Esq.

Michael A. Tanenbaum, Esq.

Joseph M. Taylor

Stephen M. Vajtay, Jr, Esq

Robert C. Waggoner

Nina M. Wells, Esq.

Josh S. Weston

Linda A. Willett, Esq.

John S. Willian

The Honorable Ras J. Baraka

The Honorable Christopher J. Christie*

The Honorable The Honorable Mildred C. Crump Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr.

Mary Beth O’Connor

Ford M. Scudder

EX OFFICIO

The Honorable Kimberly M. Guadagno

Elizabeth A. Mattson

NJPAC.ORG 111

BOARD OF DIRECTORS As of June 30, 2016, continued Chair John R. Strangfeld Chairman & CEO, Prudential Financial

Pat A. DiFilippo Executive Vice President The Turner Construction Corporation

President and CEO John Schreiber New Jersey Performing Arts Center

Robert H. Doherty NJ State President-Bank of America

Treasurer Marc E. Berson Chairman, The Fidelco Group Assistant Treasurer Steven M. Goldman, Esq. Partner, Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel Secretary Michael R. Griffinger, Esq. Director, Business & Commercial Litigation, Gibbons P.C. Assistant Secretary Donald A. Robinson, Esq. Partner, Robinson, Wettre & Miller LLC Founding Chair Raymond G. Chambers U.N. Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Malaria Chair Emeritus Arthur F. Ryan Retired Chairman and CEO Prudential Financial Lawrence E. Bathgate II, Esq. Partner, Bathgate, Wegener & Wolf James L. Bildner New Horizons Partners Daniel M. Bloomfield, MD Senior Vice President, Global Clinical Research Merck Research Laboratories Ann Dully Borowiec Retired Managing Director, J.P. Morgan Private Bank Linda Bowden NJ Regional President, PNC Bank Jacob S. Buurma, Esq. Vice President The Sagner Companies Dr. Nancy Cantor Chancellor – Rutgers University Newark J. Fletcher Creamer, Jr. CEO, J. Fletcher Creamer & Sons, Inc.

112 NJPAC.ORG

Brendan P. Dougher Managing Partner, NY Metro Area PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Thasunda Brown Duckett CEO, Consumer Banking JPMorgan Chase & Co. Patrick C. Dunican, Jr., Esq. Chairman & Managing Director Gibbons P.C. Anne Evans Estabrook Owner, Elberon Development Co. Leecia R. Eve, Esq. Vice President State Gov’t Affairs Verizon NJ/NY/CT

Thomas J. Marino Retired Partner CohnReznick, LLP

Stephen M. Vajtay, Jr., Esq. Managing Partner, McCarter & English

William J. Marino Retired Chairman, President & CEO Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ

Robert C. Waggoner Chairman & CEO, BurrellesLuce

Ellen B. Marshall Northeast Regional Market Executive Capital One Marc H. Morial President and CEO The National Urban League Harold L. Morrison, Jr. Executive Vice President & Global Field & Administrative Officer The Chubb Corporation Thomas M. O’Flynn Chief Financial Officer AES Corporation

Nina Mitchell Wells, Esq. Former Secretary of State of New Jersey Josh S. Weston Honorary Chairman Automatic Data Processing Linda A. Willett, Esq. Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ John S. Willian Managing Director, Global Head Prime Services-Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Victor Parsonnet, M.D. Director of Surgical Research Newark Beth Israel Medical Center

The Hon. Ras J. Baraka Mayor, City of Newark

Savion Glover Actor, Tap Dancer, Choreographer

Larisa F. Perry Northeast Region President Northeast Community Banking Wells Fargo Bank

The Hon. Christopher J. Christie Governor, State of New Jersey (Represented by Regina Egea)

Veronica M. Goldberg Community Leader/ Philanthropist

Philip R. Sellinger, Esq. Managing Shareholder—NJ Greenberg Traurig, LLP

The Hon. Mildred C. Crump President, Municipal Council of Newark

Steven E. Gross, Esq. Chairman, Sills Cummis & Gross P.C.

Jeffrey S. Sherman, Esq. Senior Vice President, General Counsel Becton Dickinson & Co.

The Hon. Joseph DiVincenzo, Jr. Essex County Executive

Christine Gilfillan President, MCJ Amelior Foundation

William V. Hickey Operating Advisor, Private Equity Group-Ares Management LLC Judith Jamison Artistic Director Emerita Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, Inc. The Honorable Thomas H. Kean President, THK Consulting, LLC

Susan N. Sobbott President of Global Corporate Payments American Express Co. The Honorable Clifford M. Sobel Former United States Ambassador to Brazil

Ralph A. LaRossa President & COO, PSE&G

David S. Stone, Esq. Managing Partner, Smart Family Foundation Stone & Magnanini

A. Michael Lipper, CFA President, Lipper Consulting Services

Michael A. Tanenbaum, Esq. Chair Tanenbaum Keale LLP Joseph M. Taylor Vice Chairman Panasonic Corporation of North America

EX OFFICIO

The Hon. Kimberly A. Guadagno Lt. Governor/ Secretary of State, State of New Jersey Elizabeth A. Mattson Chairperson, NJ State Council on the Arts Mary Beth O’Connor President Women’s Association of New Jersey Performing Arts Center Ford M. Scudder Treasurer, State of New Jersey (Represented by Dr. James Wooster)

WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF NJPAC As of June 30, 2016

President Mary Beth O’Connor

Co-Executive Vice President Tenagne GirmaJeffries

Co-Executive Vice President Archie Gottesman

Vice President, Fund Development Suzanne M. Spero

Vice President, Promotion Terri MacLeod

Vice President, Advocacy Mary Kay Strangfeld

Treasurer Assistant Treasurer Robin Cruz McClearn Ferlanda Fox Nixon, Esq.

Secretary Beverly BakerJackson, Esq.

Audrey Bartner

Tai Beauchamp

M. Michele Blackwood, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Marcia Wilson Brown, Mary Ellen Burke Esq.

Jillian Castrucci, Esq.

Patricia A. Chambers* Sally Chubb* **

Erica Ferry

Immediate Past President Christine C. Gilfillan

Veronica M. Goldberg*

Heather B. Kapsimalis Sheila F. Klehm**

Ruth C. Lipper**

Dena F. Lowenbach

Pamela T. Miller, Esq.

Chanda Gibson

Ellen W. Lambert, Esq. Linda M. Layne

Barbara Bell Coleman**

Gabriella E. Morris, Esq.*

Continued on next page

NJPAC.ORG 113

WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF NJPAC As of June 30, 2016, continued

Trish Morris-Yamba

Christine Pearson

Patricia E. Ryan* **

Mikki Taylor

Diana T. Vagelos* **

Nina Mitchell Wells, Esq.

Karen C. Young

WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF NJPAC As of June 30, 2016 President Mary Beth O’Connor

Owner/Managing Partner Lucky VIII Films Founder/Managing Partner Ironbound Film and Television Studios Co-Executive Vice Presidents Tenagne Girma-Jeffries

Founder/CEO The Cultivation Group Archie Gottesman

Co-Founder STARCH Branding, LLC Vice President, Fund Development Suzanne M. Spero

Executive Director The MCJ Foundation

Vice President, Promotion Terri MacLeod

Senior Producer Access Hollywood

Vice President, Advocacy Mary Kay Strangfeld

Community Leader/Philanthropist Treasurer Robin Cruz McClearn

Principal East Avenue Advisors, LLC Assistant Treasurer Ferlanda Fox Nixon, Esq.

Leadership Consultant Ferlanda™

Secretary Beverly Baker-Jackson, Esq.

President Baker & Baker Management Services Audrey Bartner

Community Leader/Philanthropist Tai Beauchamp

Style and Lifestyle Expert Founder/Principal Tai Life Media, LLC M. Michele Blackwood, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Director of Breast Health and Disease Management Barnabas Health Ambulatory Care Center Marcia Wilson Brown, Esq.

Vice Chancellor for External & Governmental Relations School of Public Administration Rutgers University, Newark Mary Ellen Burke

National Director of Sales AMResorts

Barbara Bell Coleman**

President BBC Associates, L.L.C Erica Ferry

President Erica Ferry & Associates LLC Chanda Gibson

Executive Director Council of Urban Professionals Christine C. Gilfillan

Immediate Past President Women’s Association of New Jersey Performing Arts Center President The MCJ Foundation Veronica M. Goldberg*

Community Leader/Philanthropist Heather B. Kapsimalis

Community Leader/Philanthropist

Ruth C. Lipper**

Community Leader/Philanthropist Dena F. Lowenbach

Community Leader/Philanthropist Pamela T. Miller, Esq.

President and CEO Summit Global Strategies, Ltd. Gabriella E. Morris, Esq.*

Senior Vice President USF’s IKAC and The UNICEF Bridge Fund U.S. Fund for UNICEF Trish Morris-Yamba

Community Leader/Philanthropist Christine Pearson

Community Leader/Philanthropist Patricia E. Ryan* **

Community Leader/Philanthropist Mikki Taylor

Sheila F. Klehm**

Managing Director Wealth Management UBS Financial Services, Inc.

Author, Speaker, Founder Mikki Taylor Enterprises LLC Editor-at-Large, ESSENCE Magazine

Ellen W. Lambert, Esq.

Diana T. Vagelos* **

Community Leader/Philanthropist

Chief Diversity Officer PSEG

Community Leader/Philanthropist

Patricia A. Chambers*

Linda M. Layne

Former Secretary of State State of New Jersey

Jillian Castrucci, Esq.

Community Leader/Philanthropist Chair, Lambert Bridge Winery Sally Chubb* **

Community Leader/Philanthropist

Director, Human Resources Cartier North America Richemont North America, Inc.

Nina Mitchell Wells, Esq.

Karen C. Young

Partner PwC LLP

*Founding Member **Trustee Emerita

114 NJPAC.ORG

NJPAC SENIOR MANAGEMENT As of June 30, 2016 John Schreiber President and CEO Peter H. Hansen Senior Vice President, Development Lisa Hayward Vice President, Development Lennon Register Vice President and CFO

David Rodriguez Executive Vice President and Executive Producer

Gail P. Stone Managing Director, Women’s Association of NJPAC

Alison Scott-Williams Vice President, Arts Education

Katie Sword Vice President, Marketing

Chad Spies Vice President, Operations and Real Estate

Warren Tranquada Executive Vice President and COO Donna Walker-Kuhne Vice President, Community Engagement

NJPAC COUNCIL OF TRUSTEES As of June 30, 2016 Val Azzoli Michael F. Bartow Rona Brummer John M. Castrucci, CPA Elizabeth G. Christopherson Susan Cole, Ph.D. Robert S. Constable Irene Cooper-Basch Anthony R. Coscia, Esq. Andrea Cummis Samuel A. Delgado Steven J. Diner, Ph.D. Dawood Farahi, Ph.D. Curtland E. Fields Bruce I. Goldstein, Esq. Renee Golush

Paula Gottesman Sandra Greenberg Kent C. Hiteshew Patrick E. Hobbs John A. Hoffman, Esq. Lawrence S. Horn, Esq. Reverend M. William Howard, Jr. Reverend Reginald Jackson Howard Jacobs Byerte W. Johnson, Ph.D. Robert L. Johnson, M.D. Marilyn “Penny” Joseph Donald M. Karp, Esq. Douglas L. Kennedy Gene R. Korf, Esq. Rabbi Clifford M. Kulwin

Ellen W. Lambert, Esq. Paul Lichtman Kevin Luing Joseph Manfredi Antonio S. Matinho Bari J. Mattes John E. McCormac, CPA Catherine M. McFarland Joyce R. Michaelson Edwin S. Olsen Barry H. Ostrowsky, Esq. Richard S. Pechter Daria M. Placitella Jay R. Post, Jr., CFP Steven J. Pozycki Marian Rocker

David J. Satz, Esq. Barbara J. Scott Marla S. Smith Suzanne M. Spero Joseph P. Starkey Sylvia Steiner Arthur R. Stern Andrew Vagelos Richard J. Vezza Kim Wachtel Rita K. Waldor Constance K. Weaver Elnardo J. Webster, II E. Belvin Williams, Ph.D. Gary M. Wingens, Esq.

NJPAC.ORG 115

FAMILY OF DONORS NJPAC thanks each and every one of its supporters for making a commitment that helps to ensure the future well-being and success of your Arts Center

116 NJPAC.ORG

NJPAC SHINING STARS New Jersey Performing Arts Center reserves special accolades for its Shining Stars, the generous visionaries, luminaries and great dreamers whose cumulative giving to NJPAC totals $1 million and above.

As of June 30, 2016

DREAMERS $10,000,000 & above

The Chambers Family and The MCJ Amelior Foundation Essex County Betty Wold Johnson State of New Jersey

New Jersey State Council on the Arts City of Newark The Prudential Foundation Estate of Eric. F. Ross

Victoria Foundation Women’s Association of NJPAC

Toby and Leon Cooperman Katherine M. and Albert W. Merck Merck Foundation

NJ Advance Media/ The Star Ledger PSEG Foundation/PSE&G Judy and Josh Weston

Jaqua Foundation Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies JPMorgan Chase Kresge Foundation The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation Arlene Lieberman/The Leonard Leiberman Family Foundation A. Michael and Ruth C. Lipper/ Lipper Family Charitable Foundation McCrane Foundation, Inc., care of Margrit McCrane The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation New Jersey Cultural Trust Panasonic Corporation of North America Dr. and Mrs. Victor Parsonnet Pfizer Inc. Michael F. Price

PwC Robert Wood Johnson, Jr. Charitable Trust Pat and Art Ryan The Sagner Family Foundation The Walter V. and Judith L. Shipley Family Foundation The Smart Family Foundation/ David S. Stone, Esq., Stone and Magnanini Morris and Charlotte Tanenbaum TD Bank/TD Charitable Foundation Turner Construction Company Turrell Fund Diana and Roy Vagelos Verizon Mary Ellen and Robert C. Waggoner Wallace Foundation Wells Fargo

LUMINARIES $5,000,000 & above

Bank of America The Joan and Allen Bildner Family Fund CIT VISIONARIES $1,000,000 & above

ADP Alcatel-Lucent American Express Company AT&T Randi and Marc E. Berson Casino Reinvestment Development Authority Chubb Corporation Stewart and Judy Colton Joanne D. Corzine Foundation Jon S. Corzine Foundation Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Ford Foundation Gibbons P.C. Veronica M. Goldberg The Griffinger Family Harrah’s Foundation The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey Hess Foundation, Inc.

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THE MUSE SOCIETY We are deeply grateful to the following friends who have included the Arts Center in their estate plans and made known their future gift.

As of June 30, 2016 Audrey Bartner Judith Bernhaut Andrew T. Berry, Esq † Randi and Marc E. Berson The Joan and Allen Bildner Family Fund Candice R. Bolte Edmond H. † and Joan K. Borneman Raymond G. Chambers Toby and Leon Cooperman Fred Corrado Ann Cummis Mr. and Mrs. James Curtis Harold R. Denton Richard E. DiNardo

Charles H. Gillen † Phyllis and Steven E. Gross Jackie and Larry Horn Rose Jacobs † Gertrude Brooks Josephson † and William Josephson in Memory of Rebecca and Samuel Brooks Adrian and Erica Karp Joseph Laraja, Sr. † Leonard Lieberman † Ruth C. Lipper Amy C. Liss Dena F. and Ralph Lowenbach Opera Link/Jerome Hines † Joseph and Bernice O’Reilly † Mr. and Mrs. Paul B. Ostergaard

Maria Parise † Donald A. Robinson, Esq. Estate of Eric F. Ross Bernice Rotberg † Pat and Art Ryan Ethel Smith † Leonard R. Stern Paul Stillman Trust Morris and Charlotte Tanenbaum Carolyn M. VanDusen Artemis Vardakis † Judy and Josh Weston †

Deceased

PREMIER DONORS AND SPONSORS New Jersey Performing Arts Center is deeply grateful to the institutions and individuals whose aggregate contributions (gifts, grants, sponsorships and events) for the year total $50,000 or more.

As of June 30, 2016 $1M & above

New Jersey State Council on the Arts Prudential/The Prudential Foundation $500K – 999,999

Toby and Leon Cooperman $250K – 499,999

Bank of America/Bank of America Charitable Foundation The Chambers Family and The MCJ Amelior Foundation The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey/Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey Victoria Foundation $100K – 249,999

ADP American Express Stewart and Judy Colton Betty Wold Johnson

118 NJPAC.ORG

The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation Merck Foundation PSEG Foundation PwC The Smart Family Foundation/ David S. Stone, Esq., Stone and Magnanini John and Mary Kay Strangfeld TD Bank/TD Charitable Foundation Wells Fargo Judy and Josh Weston John and Suzanne Willian/ Goldman Sachs Gives $50K – 99,999

BD Randi and Marc E. Berson/ The Fidelco Group The Joan and Allen Bildner Family Fund Boraie Development, LLC Capital One, N.A. Community Foundation of New Jersey Disney Corporate Citizenship

Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation Edison Properties Newark Foundation Gibbons P.C. The Griffinger Family William and Joan Hickey JPMorgan Chase The Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundation The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation William J. and Paula Marino Mazda Motor of America McCrane Foundation, Inc., care of Margrit McCrane National Philanthropic Trust NJ Advance Media PNC Bank, N.A./The PNC Foundation Steve and Elaine Pozycki Pat and Art Ryan The Walter and Judith L. Shipley Family Foundation Surdna Foundation Michael and Jill Tanenbaum Turrell Fund United Airlines

YOU MAKE IT ALL POSSIBLE

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NJPAC CONTRIBUTORS New Jersey Performing Arts Center is deeply grateful to the following corporations, foundations and government agencies for their generous annual support of artistic and arts education programs, the endowment fund, and maintenance of the Arts Center. For more information, please contact Doris Thomas, Director, Corporate Relations and Sponsorships, at (973) 353-7569.

As of June 30, 2016

BUSINESS PARTNERS BENEFACTOR LEVEL $1,000,000 & above

New Jersey State Council on the Arts

Women’s Association of NJPAC

LEADERSHIP CIRCLE $200,000 & above

Bank of America The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey

Merck Foundation PSEG Foundation

The Prudential Foundation Victoria Foundation

Bank of America Charitable Foundation Mazda Motor of America

TD Bank Wells Fargo

The Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundation The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation NJ Advance Media PwC

Steinway and Sons Surdna Foundation TD Charitable Foundation Turrell Fund United Airlines

Greenberg Traurig, LLP Investors Foundation, Inc. Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies Lowenstein Sandler, LLP McCarter & English, LLP The Johnny Mercer Foundation NJM Insurance Group

Panasonic Corporation of North America PNC Bank, N.A./The PNC Foundation Sills Cummis & Gross P.C. Verizon

CO-CHAIR CIRCLE $100,000 & above

ADP American Express

DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE $50,000 & above

BD Boraie Development, LLC Capital One, N.A. Disney Corporate Citizenship Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation JPMorgan Chase

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE $25,000 & above

Atlantic, Tomorrow’s Office Bloomberg Celebrity Cruises Chubb Corporation The Coca-Cola Foundation Coca-Cola Refreshments CohnReznick, LLP Gibbons P.C.

120 NJPAC.ORG

COMPOSER’S CIRCLE $10,000 & above

Audible Inc. The Berger Organization Berkeley College C.R. Bard Foundation J. Fletcher Creamer & Son, Inc. Doherty Enterprises Dranoff Properties Elberon Development Co. F. M. Kirby Foundation Flemington Car & Truck Country

Investors Bank ISS Facility Services Jacobs Levy Equity Management Landmark Fire Protection M&T Bank The Nicholas Martini Foundation McKinsey & Company Mountain Development Corp.

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, LLP Profeta & Associates RWJ Barnabas Sandalwood Securities Sedgwick, LLP SP+ Turner Construction Company/ Pat A. Di Filippo Wyndham Worldwide

Goldman Sachs & Co. GRL Capital Advisors/ Glenn Langberg Inserra Shop-Rite Supermarkets JLL KPMG L+M Development Partners, Inc. Linden Cogeneration Plant Lite DePalma Greenberg, LLC Lotus Equity Mazars New Jersey Business & Industry Association NJCU The George A. Ohl, Jr. Charitable Trust Peapack-Gladstone Bank

Peerless Beverage Company PointProspect Consulting, LLC Prudential Center and New Jersey Devils Michael Rachlin & Company, LLC RBH Group Sherman Wells Sylvester & Stamelman, LLP ShopRite of Newark SILVERMAN Summit Medical Group Virtu Financial Willis Towers Watson Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf, LLP

ENCORE CIRCLE $5,000 & above

Accenture, LLP Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Brach Eichler, LLC Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC Connell Foley, LLP Deloitte, LLP DeWitt Stern Group E.J. Grassman Trust Elegant Eyes EisnerAmper, LLP EpsteinBeckerGreen Fidelity Investments Gateway Group One Gellert Global Group Genova Burns Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation

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THE VANGUARD SOCIETY New Jersey Performing Arts Center is deeply grateful to the following individuals and families for their generous annual support, which makes it possible for NJPAC to maintain its world-class venue, fill it with star-studded, diverse performances, and carry out its arts education programs that transform the lives of New Jersey’s children. For more information, please contact Lisa Hayward, Vice President of Development, at (973) 297-5822.

As of June 30, 2016 LEADERSHIP CIRCLE $200,000 & above

The Chambers Family and The MCJ Amelior Foundation

Stewart and Judy Colton

Toby and Leon Cooperman

The Smart Family Foundation/ David S. Stone, Esq., Stone and Magnanini

John and Mary Kay Strangfeld Judy and Josh Weston

William J. and Paula Marino McCrane Foundation, Inc., care of Margrit McCrane Steve and Elaine Pozycki Pat and Art Ryan

The Walter V. and Judith L. Shipley Family Foundation Michael and Jill Tanenbaum John and Suzanne Willian/ Goldman Sachs Gives

A. Michael and Ruth C. Lipper/ Lipper Family Charitable Foundation Amy C. Liss Harold and Donna Morrison Thomas O’Flynn and Cheryl Barr Marian and David Rocker The Sagner Family Foundation Jeffrey and Karen Sherman

David S. Steiner and Sylvia Steiner Charitable Trust Morris and Charlotte Tanenbaum Mary Ellen and Robert C. Waggoner Walsh Family Fund of the Community Foundation of New Jersey Nina and Ted Wells

The Honorable and Mrs. Thomas H. Kean Lee and Murray Kushner and Family Michelle Y. Lee Ann M. Limberg Amy and William Lipsey The Harold I. and Faye B. Liss Foundation Ellen Marshall and Jim Flanagan Duncan and Alison Niederauer Dr. and Mrs. Victor Parsonnet Richard S. and Kayla L. Pechter Mr. Arnold and Dr. Sandra Peinado James and Nancy Pierson

Mr. and Mrs. Leslie C. Quick, III Susan and Evan Ratner Donald A. Robinson, Esq. Karen and Gary D. Rose The Rubenstein Foundation Philip R. Sellinger Susan N. Sobbott Cliff and Barbara Sobel Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Alexine and Warren Tranquada Diana and Roy Vagelos Joyce and George Wein Foundation Linda A. Willett, Esq. Jan and Barry Zubrow

CO-CHAIR CIRCLE $100,000 & above

The Joan and Allen Bildner Family Fund Betty Wold Johnson DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE $50,000 & above

Jennifer A. Chalsty Edison Properties Newark Foundation The Griffinger Family William and Joan Hickey PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE $25,000 & above

Randi and Marc E. Berson Ann and Stan Borowiec Veronica M. Goldberg Steven M. Goldman, Esq. Steve and Bonnie Holmes Kaminsky Family Foundation Donald Katz and Leslie Larson Dana and Peter Langerman COMPOSER’S CIRCLE $10,000 & above

Audrey Bartner Lawrence E. Bathgate, II Judy and Brian Bedol Judith Bernhaut Daniel Bloomfield and Betsy True Carol and Roger Chartouni Mindy A. Cohen and David J. Bershad Jodi and Wayne Cooperman Richard and Thasunda Duckett Patrick C. Dunican, Jr., Esq. Lawrence P. Goldman and Laurie B. Chock Phyllis and Steven E. Gross Meg and Howard Jacobs

Continued on next page NJPAC.ORG 123

THE VANGUARD SOCIETY (CONTINUED) ENCORE CIRCLE $5,000 & above

Anonymous Jean and Bruce Acken Barbara and Val Azzoli Barbara and Ed Becker The Russell Berrie Foundation Stephen and Mary Birch Foundation Denise and Dennis Bone Linda M. Bowden James C. Brady Rose Cali Nancy Cantor and Steven R. Brechin Norman L. Cantor Sylvia J. Cohn Robert H. Doherty Brendan P. Dougher Susan and Thomas Dunn Dexter and Carol Earle Foundation Leecia Roberta Eve Drs. Brenda and Robert Fischbein

Gregg N. Gerken Lucia DiNapoli Gibbons Peter O. Hanson Hobby’s Restaurant/ The Brummer Family The Huisking Foundation Don and Margie Karp Rabbi and Mrs. Clifford M. Kulwin Ralph and MartyAnn La Rossa Judith M. Lieberman Carmen and Benito Lopez Dena F. and Ralph Lowenbach Barry and Leslie Mandelbaum Tom and Joanne Marino Judy and Heath McLendon Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Merson Joyce R. Michaelson Mary Beth O’Connor, Lucky VIII Films Edwin S. and Catherine Olsen Deanne Wilson and Laurence B. Orloff

Jean and Kent Papsun Christine S. Pearson Mr. and Mrs. Richard Pzena Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Radest Susan Satz John Schreiber Robert and Sharon Taylor Steve and Gabi Vajtay Richard and Arlene Vezza Thomas C. Wallace Barbara White and Lennon Register Helene and Gary Wingens Mr. and Mrs. Edward D. Zinbarg †

Deceased

ANNUAL SPRING LUNCHEON & AUCTION 2016 SPONSORSHIPS UNDERWRITERS ($10,000)

Hackensack University Medical Center *The MCJ Amelior Foundation *Prudential PLATINUM SPONSORS ($8,000)

*Mary Kay Strangfeld GOLD SPONSORS ($5,000)

*Jennifer Chalsty *Patricia A. Chambers *East Avenue Advisors, LLC *Veronica M. Goldberg

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Kathy Grier *Paula Marino *Mary Beth O’Connor and David Lohuis *PSEG *PwC *Nina Mitchell Wells, Esq.

*PNC Bank, N.A. *RWJBarnabas Health *United Airlines

SILVER SPONSORS ($3,000)

*These individuals and institutions also support NJPAC as annual donors to the Vanguard Society and Business Partners programs

Christian Dior Couture *Mindy Cohen *Lipper Family Charitable Foundation *Christine Pearson

*United Airlines Official Airline of Spring Luncheon 2016

SPOTLIGHT GALA 2016 SPONSORSHIPS NJPAC and The Women’s Association of NJPAC are deeply grateful to the following gala and event supporters:

*Toby and Leon G. Cooperman *Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey *PwC

*Prudential Center and the New Jersey Devils Rutgers University – Newark *RWJBarnabas Health RWJF Special Contributions Fund of the Princeton Area Community Foundation *Sills Cummis & Gross P.C. *Smart Family Foundation *SP+ *TD Bank *THK Consulting, LLC Ticketmaster *Turner Construction Company *Wells Fargo *Wyndham Worldwide

PLATINUM SPONSORS $35,000

PLATINUM TICKET(S) $ 5,000

*Bank of America *Gibbons P.C. *PSEG *Sedgwick LLP

*American Express Company *Merck & Co., Inc. *Nina and Ted Wells, Esqs.

*Lawrence E. Bathgate, II *Elberon Development Co. *Veronica M. Goldberg *Donald Katz and Leslie Larson Robin and Cameron McClearn The Pick Foundation Tata Consultancy Services Kate S. Tomlinson and Roger P. Labrie *Judy and Josh Weston

SILVER SPONSORS $15,000

GOLD TICKET(S) $ 2,500

Advance Realty Amerlux *Becton Dickinson & Company *David J. Bershad and Mindy A. Cohen *BNY Mellon *Chubb Corporation of Insurance Companies Cognizant *Dranoff Properties, Inc. *Edison Properties, LLC *The Fidelco Group, Randi and Marc E. Berson *Greenberg Traurig LLP *JPMorgan Chase *Lowensten Sandler LLP *William J. and Paula Marino *McCarter & English, LLP *NJM Insurance Group New York Life *Panasonic Corporation of North America *PNC Bank, N.A.

*Denise and Dennis Bone *Goldman Sachs *Meg and Howard Jacobs Planned Companies Diane and Richard Ross *Charlotte and Morris Tanenbaum

LEAD SPONSOR $450,000

*Prudential UNDERWRITER $150,000

*The MCJ Amelior Foundation VICE CHAIRS $50,000

GOLD SPONSORS $25,000

SILVER TICKETS $ 1,500

Beverly Baker-Jackson, Esq. and Thomas Jackson, Esq. *Audrey Bartner *Ann and Stanley Borowiec *Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC *Steven M. Goldman *William and Joan Hickey Justan Electrical Contracting Inc. Gabriella E. Morris and Dennis Brownlee *Christine Pearson *The Sagner Family Foundation *Sylvia and David Steiner

The Wellmont Theater Cheryl Y. Wilson *Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf, LLP FRIEND TICKET(S) $ 1,000

Sharon Banks-Williams Penny M. Barth and James M. Corbett Becker LLC BRAVO! Groups Services Bressler Amery & Ross, PC *Capital One, N.A. DiFrancesco, Bateman, Kunzman, Davis, Lehrer & Flaum, P.C. Erica Ferry & Associates LLC Mimi and Edwin Feliciano Nicole and Jeff Friday Friedman LLP *Genova Burns The Goldstein Group Sue Henderson Hintz Family Fund, LLC *KPMG *L+M Development Partners James Douglas Family Foundation Richard and Amy Lerner *Judith Lieberman Thomas L. Lussenhop Natalie and Obie McKenzie Nicole Nunag Mellody Pamela T. Miller, Esq. Neiman Marcus Short Hills Nestlé Health Science New Jersey Laborers’-Employees’ Cooperation and Education Trust Ferlanda and Milford Nixon *Mary Beth O’Connor and David Lohuis PS&S Peter Sorge *United Airlines

Official Airline of Spotlight Gala 2016

*Advance Media

Media Sponsor of Spotlight Gala 2016

*These individuals and institutions also support NJPAC as annual donors to the Vanguard Society and Business Partners programs NJPAC.ORG 125

MEMBERS New Jersey Performing Arts Center gives special thanks to the following Members who help meet the Arts Center’s annual financial needs with gifts of $650 to $4,999. For information on becoming a Member, please call (973) 297-5809.

As of June 30, 2016

CONNOISSEURS $3,000 & above

Patricia L. Capawana Austin G. Cleary Eleonore Kessler Cohen and Max Insel Cohen Edwin and Mimi Feliciano Herb and Sandy Glickman Alice Gerson Goldfarb Renee and David Golush

Louis V. Henston Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey W. Kronthal Mrs. Robert G. Kuchner Ellen and Donald Legow Usha Robillard Carlos Rodriguez Dennis and Family

Laurence and Elizabeth Schiffenhaus Stephen and Mary Jo Sichak Robin and Leigh Walters The Honorable Alvin Weiss Aleta and Paul Zoidis

Adrian and Erica Karp Koven Foundation Irvin and Marjorie Kricheff Elaine and Rob LeBuhn Kathleen Lewanski Dr. and Mrs. Donald Louria Liz and David Lowenstein Kevin and Trisha Luing Lum, Drasco & Positan LLC Massey Insurance Agency Cindy L. McCollum and Josh Mackoff Jack and Ellen Moskowitz Mr. Bruce Murphy and Ms. Mary Jane Lauzon H. Herbert Myers Memorial Foundation Mrs. Norma Sewall Nichols Jeffrey S. Norman Dr. Christy Oliver and Bessie T. Oliver Bobbi and Barry H. Ostrowsky Wayne Paglieri and Jessalyn Chang Dr. Kalmon D. Post and Linda Farber-Post Caroline and Harry Pozycki Cecile Prince Jonathan and Bethany Rabinowitz Lawrence A. Raia Dr. Marcia Robbins-Wilf Drs. Shirley and Morton Rosenberg Steven Rothman Brent N. Rudnick

Barbara Sager Mr. and Mrs. Newton B. Schott, Jr. Rita and Leonard Selesner Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Shapiro Joan and Allan Spinner Elaine J. Staley Mr. and Mrs. Joseph M. Taylor Ms. Kate S. Tomlinson and Mr. Roger Labrie Mr. and Mrs. R. Charles Tschampion George Ulanet Company Dr. Joy Weinstein and Dr. Bruce Forman Cheryl Y. Wilson Mr. and Mrs. Pat Wood Karen C. Young

PLATINUM $1,250 & above

Ronald K. Andrews Joseph and Jacqueline Basralian Jane and George Bean Charitable Fund Eileen R. Becker Peggy Berry Betsy† and Kurt Borowsky, Pick Foundation Liz and Blair Boyer Dyan Bryson Sally G. Carroll Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Chapin, III Nancy Clarke Mr. and Mrs. William F. Conger Carol and John Cornwell D’Maris and Joseph Dempsey Mr. Richard R. Eger and Ms. Anne Aronovitch Alice and Glenn Engel Herbert and Karin Fastert Laura Fino and Scott Sullivan Lauren and Steven Friedman Michelle Gaines Doralee and Lawrence Garfinkel Thomas P. Giblin Mr. and Mrs. Michael Gilfillan Karolee and Sanford Glassman Dr. and Mrs. Frank Gump Lonnie and Bette Hanauer Kitty and Dave Hartman Christine and Scott Hayward Jackie and Larry Horn Stephen N. Ifshin, II Jockey Hollow Foundation Mary Louise Johnston John Kappelhof

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COPPER $650 & above

Gail Miller Amsterdam Dr. Sherry Barron-Seabrook and David Seabrook Mary R. Bell Thomas S. Bellavia, M.D. and Theresa M. Bellavia Rolande M. Borno Kathleen and David Braslow Dr. and Mrs. Robert J. Braun James and Sharon Briggs Dr. Kimberly Brown (and Parkway Eye Care Center) Susan Brundige Robin and Neal Buchalter Roneea L. Bundick Joseph J. Carr, CPA Hammond Contracting Co., Inc. Jean and Michael Chodorcoff Judith Musicant and Hugh A. Clark Pamela J. Craig and Robert V. Delaney Martha Cybyk Mr. and Mrs. David R. Dacey Carolyn Davis Irwin and Janet Dorros James P. Edwards Mark A. Elfant Harlean and Jerry Enis Sheldon Epstein Sanford and Zella Felzenberg Tristan and Johanna Fine Deborah Fineman and John Bozik Dr. Robert Fuhrman and Dr. Susan Fuhrman Dr. Ronald Gandelman and Dr. Elizabeth Mitchell Barbara and Marc Gellman Rosemarie Gentile Kenneth and Claudia Gentner Dr. Louis Gianvito

Clifford and Karen Goldman Mr. and Mrs. Charles C. Goodfellow Thomas L. Green Stephen M. Greenberg Wayne and Catherine Greenfeder Linda and John Groh Dr. and Mrs. Jorge G. Guerra Mrs. Robert G. Gutenstein Peter H. Hansen William Harrison Lisa Hayward James E. E. Heims Lorraine and Bob Henry Mr. and Mrs. Dan Herbert Joan Hollander Salutes NJPAC Linda and Charles Jantzen Richard and Cindy Johnson James & Carolyn Kinder Joan Kram Mark and Sheryl Larner Lois Lautenberg John Mackay Marion and Allan Maitlin Henry and Carol Mauermeyer Ms. Nicole Nunag Mellody Robert L. and Rita Modell Drs. Douglas and Susan Morrison Joan Murdock Joseph and Sheila Nadler William and Patricia O’Connor Jill Joey Okamoto Paragon Restoration Corporation Jay R. Post, Jr., CFP Ms. Maria Puma Thomas and Carol C. Rakowski Theresa M. Reis Brian James Remite Dr. Diane M. Ridley William A. Robinson David Rodriguez

Ina and Mark Roffman Nancy Roman David Rosenblatt Dr. Howard S. Rudominer and Mrs. Joan Rudominer Robin Rolfe and Arnold Saltzman Valerie and Charles Sands Suzanne and Richard Scheller Sharon and James Schwarz Drs. Rosanne and Anthony Scriffignano Jeffrey and Lisa Silvershein Edie Simonelli Mr. and Mrs. William Skerratt Arlene F. Sloan and William C. Sloan, MD Marilyn and Leon Sokol Mr. and Mrs. Robert Spalteholz Rosemary and Robert Steinbaum Beverly and Ed Stern Marilyn Termyna Marva Tidwell Louise and David J. Travis Bruce A. Tucker Anupama and Sandeep Tyagi Mr. and Mrs. David S. Untracht Frank and Polly Vecchione Kathryn Vermilye Paul and Sharlene Vichness Susan Wasserman Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Whelan E. Belvin Williams, Ph.D. Audrey J. Wreszin Dr. and Mrs. A. Zachary Yamba Diane C. Young, M.D., P.A. Kathleen and Vincent Zarzycki Jodi and Michael Zwain John Zweig Claire and Gil Zweig

2017 PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD WINNER NJPAC was named New Jersey’s “Favorite Large Performing Arts Center” for the ninth consecutive year!

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NJPAC STAFF AND ADMINISTRATION As of June 30, 2016 OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT John Schreiber President & CEO Josephine (Jo) Edwards Executive Assistant to the President and CEO Casey Hastrich Senior Administrative Assistant David Rodriguez Executive Vice President & Executive Producer Kira M. Ruth** Administrative Assistant & Office Manager Warren Tranquada* Executive Vice President & COO Pamela C. Chisena*** Senior Administrative Manager ARTS EDUCATION Alison Scott-Williams Vice President, Arts Education Jennifer Tsukayama Senior Director, Arts Education Mark Gross Director, Jazz Instruction Caitlin Evans Jones** Director, Partnerships & Professional Development Jamie M. Mayer Director, In-School Programs Rosa Hyde Manager, Performances Eyesha Marable Manager, Sales & Partnerships Kristina Watters Manager, Operations & Systems Victoria Revesz Program Manager, In-School Programs Patricia Sweeting Coordinator, Performances & Recruitment Alexis Almeida Program Coordinator, Music Programs & New Initiatives Kyle Conner Program Coordinator, In-School Programs MeiLing Roberts Administrative Assistant to VP & AVP

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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Donna Walker–Kuhne Vice President, Community Engagement Jose R. Acevedo Manager, Group Sales April Jeffries Coordinator, Group Sales Carmen Samuel Sales Coordinator, Community Engagement DEVELOPMENT Peter Hansen* Senior Vice President, Development Lisa Hayward Vice President, Development Sue-Ellen M. Wright Assistant Vice President, Corporate, Foundation & Government Relations Doris Thomas Director, Corporate Relations and Sponsorship Randall Solina Senior Manager, Development Operations Kathleen Braslow Manager, Individual Giving Jessica Woodbridge* Manager, Prospect Management Hillary Cohen Membership Coordinator Joshua Levitin Development Writer Diane Myers Grant Writer Stacey Goods Associate, Development Database Aisha Irvis Associate, Corporate & Foundation Shara Morrow Senior Administrative Assistant FINANCE Lennon Register Vice President & CFO Mary Jaffa*** Assistant Vice President, Finance Rene Tovera**** Assistant Vice President & Controller Betty Robertson* Senior Accountant, General Accounting

Manuela Silva**** Senior Accountant, Payroll Geraldine Richardson ** Staff Accountant, Accounts Payable

Jordan James Marketing Assistant Jerome H. Enis**** Consultant, Herbert George Associates

HUMAN RESOURCES Marsha R. Bonner Assistant Vice President, Human Resources Natasha Eleazer HR Generalist Ginny Bowers Coleman** Director of Volunteer Services Rosetta Lee ** Receptionist & Purchasing/ HR Administrator

OPERATIONS Chad Spies** Vice President, Operations & Real Estate Jay Dority Director of Facilities & Projects Todd Vanderpool Site Operations Manager Elizabeth Mormak* Senior Administrative Assistant Todd Tantillo*** Chief Engineer J. Dante Esposito*** Lead Engineer Brian Cady* Michel Lionez Cuillerier*** Sherman Gamble** Mariusz Koniuszewski* Maintenance Engineers John Hook Chief of Security Thomas Dixon*** Safety and Security Manager Robin Jones* Senior Director of House Management Molly Roberson Jennifer Yelverton* House Managers Kathleen Dickson*** Senior Head Usher Lamont Akins*** Jerry Battle* Edward Fleming*** Cynthia Robinson** Head Ushers Lauren Vivenzio*** Manager, Operations Anthony Ball Operations Support and Services Coordinator Hernan Soto*** Senior Supervisor, Operations Support Staff Jose Almonte Keyron Blakley Corey Lester Vincent Ransom Aaron Ratzan Francisco Soto Operations Support Staff George Gardner*** House Painter

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES Ernie DiRocco* Chief Information Officer Carl Sims*** Director, Network Infrastructure Rodney Johnson** Support Analyst, IT and Telecom Brian Remite* Database Analyst, Customer Care Systems MARKETING Katie Sword Vice President, Marketing Daniel Bauer Senior Director of Public and Media Relations Linda Fowler Director, Content Marketing Debra L. Volz*** Director, Advertising & Graphic Production Tina Boyer Manager, Advertising & Graphic Production Nathan Leslie Marketing Manager Charlene A. Roberts Marketing Manager Mujahid Robinson Manager, Digital Media Doris Ann Pezzolla*** Senior Graphic Designer Yasmeen Fahmy Associate, Digital Media Latoya Dawson Advertising & Graphic Production Assistant

NJPAC NEEDS YOU! PRODUCTION Chris Moses* Senior Director, Production Christopher Staton Production Manager Christina Mangold Assistant Production Manager Adam Steinbauer Associate Production Manager William Worman*** Head Carpenter Crystal Cowling Production Office Coordinator Richard Edwards*** Mario Corrales*** Assistant Head Carpenters Jacob Allen** Head Electrician John Enea Gummersindo Fajarado*** Assistant Head Electricians Paul Allshouse* Head of Audio Al Betancourt *** Jon Hiltz*** Assistant Head of Audio Robert Binetti* Bryan Danieli** John Finney* George Honczarenko* Stage Crew Eunice Peterson*** Senior Artist Assistant Melvin Anderson* Lowell Craig** Caresse Elliott Daniel Ovalle Allison Wyss*** Artist Assistants PROGRAMMING Evan White** Senior Director, Programming Craig Pearce Program Manager, Arts Education Kitab Rollins** Manager, Performance & Broadcast Rentals Andrea Cummis William W. Lockwood, Jr.*** Programming Consultants

SPECIAL EVENTS Austin Cleary** Assistant Vice President, Theater Square Events Roslyn Brown** Event Associate TICKET SERVICES Erik Wiehardt** Director, Ticket Services Yesenia Jimenez *** Associate Director, Priority Customers Stephanie Miller*** Associate Director, Ticketing System Nicole Craig*** Senior Box Office Manager Robin Polakoff Ticketing Systems Specialist Veronica Dunn-Sloan* Box Office Manager Daryle Charles* Robert Paglia** Fallon Currie (Parrish) Priority Customer Representatives Jana Thompson Box Office Representative WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF NJPAC Gail P. Stone* Managing Director Amy Mormak* Manager, Events & Marketing Evelyn Wen-Ting Chiu Senior Events Coordinator

Contributions from generous individuals, corporations, foundations and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts support NJPAC’s artistic programming, Arts Education programs, community engagement and special initiatives… There are many ways to make a charitable donation to NJPAC including gifts of cash, appreciated securities.

Other options include charitable gift annuities, estate commitments, and matching gifts. NJPAC’s Development Department can assist you in structuring a plan that fits your circumstances.

If you would like information about particular types of gifts or how that gift can be made, please contact Lisa Mantone, Senior Vice President of Development, NJPAC, One Center Street, Newark, NJ 07102. Phone 973.642.8989. Email: lmantone@njpac.org.

NJPAC Arts Education programs are made possible through the generosity of our endowment donors: The Arts Education Endowment Fund in honor of Raymond C. Chambers, Randi and Marc E. Berson, Joan and Allen Bildner, Toby and Leon Cooperman and Albert and Katherine Merck.

Report to the Community 2016 was compiled by Linda Fowler, Director of Content Marketing.

Special thanks to Michael P. Scasserra, Creative Director; Bonnie Felt, Graphic Designer; and Debra Volz, Director, Advertising & Graphic Production.

Among the photographers whose works are included in the Report to the Community are: Michael Benabib, Jennifer Brown, Tom

Service Recognition (as of 8/30/15) * * * * 20+ years * * * 15+ years * * 10+ years * 5+ years

Caltabiano, Norman DeShong, T Charles Erickson, ESTO, Yasmeen Fahmy, Mike Fitelson, Steve Hockstein, Nicholas Hunt/BET, Dave Kotinsky, Chris Lee, Joan Marcus, Andrew McNaughtan, Nan Melville, Robert O’Mealley, Nick Romanenko, Josepf Sinnott, Fred Stucker and Brad Trent

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SEASON FUNDERS NJPAC is grateful to the following partners for their commitment and investment in our mission As of June 30, 2016

MAJOR SUPPORT ALSO PROVIDED BY: The Chambers Family and The MCJ Amelior Foundation Stewart and Judy Colton Toby & Leon Cooperman

Betty Wold Johnson Panasonic Corporation of North America John & Mary Kay Strangfeld

Victoria Foundation Judy & Josh Weston

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY: Audible, Inc. Joan and Allen Bildner Family Fund Edison Properties Newark Foundation Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation The Griffinger Family The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation William J. & Paula Marino

McCrane Foundation, Inc., care of Margrit McCrane PNC Bank, N.A. Steve & Elaine Pozycki Pat & Art Ryan The Walter V. and Judith L. Shipley Family Foundation The Smart Family Foundation/ David S. Stone, Esq., Stone and Magnanini

Steinway & Sons Surdna Foundation Michael & Jill Tanenbaum Turrell Fund John & Suzanne Willian/ Goldman Sachs Gives The New Jersey Cultural Trust

OFFICIAL SPONSORS:

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Official Car of NJPAC

Official Sponsor of NJPAC’s Spotlight Gala

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Official Soft Drink of NJPAC

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TOMORRO

Official Airline of NJPAC

tomorrowsoffice.com

Official Imaging Supplier of NJPAC

Official Cruise Line of NJPAC

NJPAC IS GRATEFUL FOR THE COMMITMENT OF:

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Media Sponsor

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HISTORY…PERFORMED NIGHTLY

NEW JERSEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

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