Entertainment

Curtain Up, Monmouth County: A Thriving Theatre Scene Right in Our Backyard

If you think you need to head into Manhattan to experience great live theatre, Monmouth County has a friendly reminder for you: some of the most vibrant, accessible, and exciting stage work in New Jersey is happening right here at home.

Published

3 months ago

February 18, 2026

Jersey Javelin

From professional productions in Red Bank and Long Branch to community-driven performances in Middletown and Manasquan, the Monmouth County theatre scene is alive, evolving, and packed with opportunities to be entertained, inspired, and surprised over the coming weeks and months.

Whether you’re a lifelong theatre lover or someone just looking for a memorable night out that isn’t another dinner reservation, now is a perfect time to take a seat and let the lights go down.

🌟 Two River Theater: National-Caliber Work in Red Bank

At the heart of Monmouth County’s professional theatre world is Two River Theater in Red Bank, a venue that has quietly built a national reputation for excellence. Known for blending classic plays with bold new voices, Two River consistently attracts top-tier talent while staying deeply connected to the local community.

This season, audiences can expect productions that feel timely, emotionally rich, and thoughtfully staged—exactly the kind of theatre that sparks conversation on the car ride home. Two River’s work often mirrors the human experience in a way that feels personal and relevant, making it a favorite for both seasoned theatre-goers and first-timers alike.

Beyond the mainstage productions, Two River also hosts readings, talkbacks, and special events that invite audiences deeper into the creative process—turning a night at the theatre into a full cultural experience.

🎬 New Jersey Repertory Company: Bold Stories in Long Branch

Just a short drive away, New Jersey Repertory Company (NJ Rep) in Long Branch continues to be one of the most exciting engines for new and contemporary plays in the region.

NJ Rep is known for championing original work—stories that feel modern, daring, and often emotionally raw. These productions frequently go on to have lives beyond Monmouth County, but local audiences get the thrill of seeing them first.

If you enjoy theatre that challenges expectations and explores complex relationships, NJ Rep’s upcoming slate is a must. Their intimate performance space makes every show feel close and immersive, reminding audiences why live theatre remains such a powerful art form.

🎶 Algonquin Arts Theatre: Historic Charm Meets Broadway Energy

In Manasquan, the Algonquin Arts Theatre brings a different but equally exciting flavor to the county’s theatre mix. With its beautifully restored historic interior, Algonquin is a beloved destination for Broadway-style productions, touring shows, and special theatrical events.

Algonquin’s programming often leans toward crowd-pleasing favorites—perfect for date nights, family outings, or introducing younger audiences to the magic of live performance. The venue itself adds to the experience, offering a classic theatre atmosphere that feels like stepping into another era.

🎭 Community Theatre: The Heartbeat of Local Creativity

One of Monmouth County’s greatest strengths is its community theatre scene, where passion and creativity take center stage.

Groups like MAC Players at the Middletown Arts Center prove that you don’t need a Broadway zip code to produce compelling theatre. These productions bring together local actors, directors, designers, and volunteers—many balancing day jobs and family life—who come together purely for the love of storytelling.

Community theatre performances often surprise audiences with their quality, warmth, and authenticity. They’re also a wonderful way to support local artists, meet neighbors, and feel connected to the creative spirit of the county.

🎟 Why Theatre Matters—Especially Here

Live theatre offers something increasingly rare: shared experience. In a world of streaming and scrolling, sitting in a room with fellow audience members; laughing, holding your breath, or tearing up together, creates a sense of connection that lingers long after the final curtain.

Monmouth County’s theatre scene also plays a vital role in supporting local businesses. A night at the theatre often turns into dinner in Red Bank, coffee in Long Branch, or dessert in Manasquan, helping keep downtowns lively and thriving.

And unlike big-city theatre, Monmouth County venues remain approachable: easier parking, friendlier prices, and a sense that the performers on stage are part of the same community as the audience.

🎬 Take Your Seat

With professional productions, innovative new plays, historic venues, and passionate community performers, Monmouth County’s theatre scene is stronger than ever.

So if you’re looking for something different to do this season; something inspiring, entertaining, and uniquely local, consider trading the couch for a theatre seat. The lights are dimming, the stage is set, and some of the best stories in New Jersey are unfolding just minutes from home.

All you have to do is show up.

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Jersey Javelin

Features Editor The Jersey Javelin oversees long-form features and signature storytelling at The Jersey Review, focusing on depth, context, and cultural relevance. With a disciplined editorial eye, the Javelin selects stories that cut through noise - profiling people, places, and moments that shape New Jersey’s identity. Each feature is approached with precision and restraint, favoring clarity over sensationalism and substance over trend. The Javelin’s work is defined by thoughtful reporting, narrative balance, and a commitment to stories that endure beyond the news cycle.

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Celebrity

Southside Johnny: The Grandfather of the New Jersey Sound

Few artists capture the soul of the Garden State the way Southside Johnny does. Born John Lyon on December 4, 1948, in Neptune, New Jersey, and raised in nearby Ocean Grove, Southside Johnny’s rise from local club stages to becoming a living legend of the Jersey music scene is as authentic and storied as the very boardwalks he once played beside.

Published

1 month ago

April 6, 2026

Editor-in-Chief

Why the Jersey Shore legend earns his place on the NJ Celebrity Fame Wall

Few artists capture the soul of the Garden State the way Southside Johnny does. Born John Lyon on December 4, 1948, in Neptune, New Jersey, and raised in nearby Ocean Grove, Southside Johnny’s rise from local club stages to becoming a living legend of the Jersey music scene is as authentic and storied as the very boardwalks he once played beside.

A Jersey Born and Raised Sound

Southside Johnny didn’t just make music, he helped define what people now celebrate as the Jersey Shore sound. Emerging from the vibrant Asbury Park music scene in the 1970s, he co-founded Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes, a band that blended stones-tinged rock ’n’ roll with soul, R&B, and horn-driven rhythm, a style that came to characterize the local musical identity.

The band was a staple at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, a venue that itself has become synonymous with Jersey music lore, and their early albums; like I Don’t Want to Go Home and Hearts of Stone , helped elevate the Jersey Shore sound into a wider national spotlight.

A Legacy of Influence

Southside Johnny’s influence rippled far beyond bar gigs and regional tours. He was a mentor and touchstone for future stars; Jon Bon Jovi has credited him as his “reason for singing,” and his collaborations with Bruce Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt tied the Asbury Park scene’s major talents together in a shared musical heritage.

After decades of touring, recording, and performing globally, the impact of Southside Johnny’s music reverberated not just through the Northeast but across generations of fans and artists. In recognition of his cultural contributions, he was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame with the Class of 2018, an honor reflecting his deep roots in the state’s artistic legacy.

A True Jersey Icon

What makes Southside Johnny especially worthy of a place on thejerseyreview.com’s NJ Celebrity Fame Wall isn’t just his longevity or his catalog, it’s how intrinsically his story is tied to New Jersey’s identity. His music evokes the grit, soul, and rugged charm of the Shore; his journey mirrors the ups and downs of the local music scene; and his influence stretches from Asbury Park’s dive bars to arenas and concert halls around the world.

From Neptune to international stages, Southside Johnny’s sound truly is New Jersey, and that’s exactly why he belongs on the Fame Wall.

Editorial

He Told Me Not to Look It Up: A Jersey Javelin Assignment I Didn’t See Coming

Published

1 month ago

April 5, 2026

Jersey Javelin

There are assignments you expect. Cover a local event. Review a new restaurant. Sit through a film you’ve already half-researched before the opening credits even roll.

And then there are assignments like this one.

“Go see this movie,” Evan Blaze said, casually, like he was asking me to grab a coffee.

“What movie?”

He paused just long enough to make it feel intentional.

“Nefarious.”

I stared at him.

Now, for context, Evan knows me. He knows I don’t do horror. Not casually, not “just for fun,” not even with a blanket and the lights on. I’ve always felt like there’s a difference between being entertained and inviting something into your head that doesn’t belong there.

So I said what any reasonable person would say.

“No.”

He smiled. Not a normal smile. The kind of smile that means he already knew that would be my answer.

“I don’t want you to look it up,” he added.

That’s when I knew something was off.

“No trailers. No reviews. Don’t ask anyone about it. Just go watch it.”

I actually laughed at first. I thought he was joking. But Evan doesn’t joke like that, especially not when it comes to assignments.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because I want your real reaction,” he said. “Not something shaped by what everyone else is saying.”

That part made sense. It’s actually something we talk about a lot. Too many people consume opinions before they ever experience something for themselves. It’s like we’ve forgotten how to encounter anything fresh.

Still… this felt different.

“Why this movie?” I pushed.

Another pause.

“It’s Easter season,” he said. “Just trust me.”

That didn’t exactly calm me down.

If anything, it made it worse.

Now I had two problems. One, I was being asked to watch a movie I would normally avoid at all costs. Two, I wasn’t allowed to prepare myself for it in any way.

No context. No warning. No idea what I was walking into.

And somehow, that was the point.

Over the next day or so, I caught myself thinking about it more than I expected. Not the movie itself; I still knew nothing about it. but the assignment. The intention behind it.

Why would Evan, of all people, push this?

We’re both Christians. We’ve had enough conversations about discernment, about what we allow into our minds, about being careful with what we consume. He knows where I stand on that.

So this wasn’t random.

Which means… it’s deliberate.

I finally gave in and decided to at least figure out where I could even watch it. That felt safe enough. Logistics, not content.

Turns out, it’s not exactly sitting on every mainstream platform front and center. Which somehow adds to the mystery. It’s there; but you have to go looking for it. The kind of film that doesn’t just fall into your lap while scrolling.

That made me pause again.

Because now it felt even more intentional. Like this wasn’t just “watch a movie.” It was “go find it.”

And I haven’t yet. At least not fully.

Part of me is still hesitating. Not because I’m scared of being startled or sitting through something intense, but because I don’t know what I’m about to walk into, and I don’t like that feeling.

But another part of me knows exactly why I’m being pushed here. And I have a feeling it’s not about the movie itself. It’s about what it’s going to make me think about.

So here’s where I’m at.

I haven’t watched Nefarious yet. I haven’t read a single review. I haven’t asked anyone who’s seen it. I’ve followed the rules.

But I will.

And when I do, I’m going in completely blind.

No expectations. No filter. Just whatever happens when the lights go down and the screen comes on.

If this is a setup; and I’m starting to think it is, then Part Two is going to be interesting. We’ll see if Evan knows something I don’t.

Or if he just sent me into something I’m going to regret.

Celebrity

Rising Stars of New Jersey: Maleah Joi Moon

Published

1 month ago

April 4, 2026

Kristina Rossi

Every once in a while, someone comes along and it just clicks right away. That’s exactly what happened with Maleah Joi Moon. Born and raised in Franklin Township, New Jersey; she didn’t take the long, slow road to recognition – she stepped onto the stage and made people pay attention almost instantly.

Like a lot of Jersey artists, her story starts close to home. School plays, local performances, figuring it out as she went – nothing flashy, just putting in the work and getting better. There’s something very real about that path, and you can feel it in the way she performs. It’s not forced. It’s earned.

Then came her breakout moment as Ali in Alicia Keys’ Broadway musical Hell’s Kitchen. And it wasn’t just a “nice debut” kind of situation, she absolutely delivered. The performance had emotion, control, and confidence well beyond her years. Audiences connected with it, critics noticed, and before long she found herself holding a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Not long after that, she added a Grammy Award to her name for the show’s cast recording.

That kind of start doesn’t happen often.

What stands out most, though, isn’t just the awards, it’s how natural it all feels. She doesn’t come across like someone chasing attention. She feels like someone who belongs exactly where she is. That’s a rare quality, especially that early in a career.

And through it all, she’s still very much a Jersey story. There’s a grounded, hardworking edge there, the kind of quiet confidence you see in people who didn’t skip steps to get where they are. Franklin Township to Broadway isn’t just a headline

– it’s a reminder of how far raw talent and consistency can take you.

Maleah Joi Moon is still at the beginning of her journey, but she’s already done something most performers spend a lifetime chasing. And if this is the starting point, it’s going to be very interesting to see where she goes next.

For New Jersey, she’s not just a rising star, she’s one of those names you’re going to keep hearing more and more.