Report To The Community 2022

A quartet of Broadway stars
brought a breath of fresh air
to the Victoria Theater’s Lizzie
and Jonathan Tisch Stage in
April when they recorded four
new installments of American
Songbook at NJPAC, hosted by
Ted Chapin. These episodes —
which comprise the fifth season
of the Emmy-nominated
series, produced by NJPAC
in partnership with NJ PBS —
were among many projects
recorded at the Arts Center
during the 2021-22 season.
Over the course of two
evenings, Debbie Gravitte,
Melissa Errico, James Monroe
Iglehart and Jim Dale
enchanted audiences with a
magical array of performances
that ranged from sassy and
sexy, to witty, soulful and
downright scintillating.
Listening to Errico share
stories of her work with
Stephen Sondheim, speaking
in the staccato rhythm that’s
a hallmark of Sondheim’s
music, audiences felt what
it might have been like to be
on the
airwaves
A state-of-the-art home to
broadcast productions
from American Songbook at NJPAC to South Park
in a rehearsal room with the
musical theater master.
During his performance, Iglehart
shared with his audience how
deeply connected he felt to the
music and to the community
around him. At one point, he
stopped in the middle of “Here’s
to the Dreamers” (from Back
to the Future: The Musical)
to grab his iPad for an assist
with the lyrics. He explained
that he’d been inspired to sing
it by his close friend Roger
Bart (who played Doc in the
London production) so it was
important to Iglehart that he
get the words just right.
Maybe the most enchanting
American Songbook performance
came courtesy of Dale — as
lithe and graceful a performer
as ever, at age 86 — who wove
together song, dance and bawdy
music hall humor to tell the
story of his far-ranging career.
Whether it was Gravitte injecting
her trademark playfulness
into a traditionally sedate
number or the way she and
her fellow American Songbook
performers openly shared
stories from their careers,
NJPAC audiences enjoyed
one-of-a-kind performances.
Episodes from season five
of American Songbook are
available on NJ PBS.
Other broadcasts recorded
at NJPAC in 2022 include
the Netflix comedy special,
Whitney Cummings: Jokes.
The special starring the multitalented
funny person — a
writer, producer and podcast
host — was recorded in the
Victoria Theater over the
course of two evenings.
Whitney Cummings: Jokes is
currently available on Netflix —
just one of a dozen comedy
programs on the streaming
service that were filmed at the
Arts Center. (Others feature
the likes of Adam Sandler
and John Leguizamo.)
Tony-winning Broadway actor
James Monroe Iglehart during
a taping of the Emmy-nominated
American Songbook at NJPAC.
The use of NJPAC’s campus as
a filming location is a growing
role for the Arts Center. The
New Jersey film tax credit
program now incentivizes
production companies to film in
the Garden State, and NJPAC is
particularly appealing because
of its proximity to New York
City and its diverse amenities.
“You can achieve many kinds
of shots at NJPAC, not just a
theater with a stage,” says
Kitab Rollins, Senior Director
of Performance and Broadcast
Rentals. For instance, there
is the elegantly furnished
Parsonnet Room, the floor-toceiling
windows of the Chase
Room and the green outdoor
space of Chambers Plaza. One
recent example of NJPAC’s
versatility: The CBS series FBI:
Most Wanted filmed scenes
that transformed parts of the
Arts Center campus into a
residential apartment building.
“We make it easy for them,” says
Rollins, who credits convenient
on-site parking and ample
interior space (for both cast and
crew members) among NJPAC’s
amenities. Other projects filmed
at the Arts Center in 2022
include the Emmy-nominated
Hulu original Wu-Tang: An
American Saga and The Best
Man: The Final Chapters,
currently streaming on Peacock.
Perhaps the most creative use
of NJPAC came with a series
of promotional videos shot for
the 25th season of Comedy
Central’s wildly popular South
Park. Filmed in Prudential Hall,
the promos feature a formally
attired choir performing songs
(some a bit racy) from the show,
accompanied by an orchestra.
At the conclusion, the animated
stars of the series — Kenny,
Cartman, Kyle and Stan — can
be seen applauding from one of
the NJPAC’s very own boxes. •
a brand-new
celebration for
the garden state
What kind of party could bring Alanis Morissette,
Demi Lovato, Santana, Stephen Colbert, Bill Burr,
Natalie Merchant, Marisa Monte, Daymond John,
Jazmine Sullivan and Halsey all to New Jersey?
Only one: The North to Shore Festival, a month-long,
three-city festival of music, comedy, film and technology,
produced by NJPAC. The Garden State’s first multi-city
festival was announced by Governor Phil Murphy and
First Lady Tammy Murphy at a press conference on
the Prudential Hall stage in March 2023. The Festival
is set to kick off the weekend of June 7 in Atlantic City,
will move to Asbury Park June 14 and will close in
Newark June 21; ultimately, the lineup will include more
than 100 events at dozens of venues across the three cities.
“Never before have so many headliners converged
on the state within a short period of time,” says Evan
White, Vice President of Programming, part of the
team that spent much of 2022 booking festival events.
“NJPAC is honored to produce this unique festival and
to bring a diversity of talent to new audiences.”
North to Shore will also feature events and exhibits
highlighting New Jersey’s role as an innovator in technology
and sustainability. In addition to global headliners, local
artists reflecting the state’s diversity will also have a chance
to step into the spotlight. NJPAC and the State of New Jersey
offered grants to nonprofits, artists and small businesses
to host North to Shore events in each city, with awards
ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. A committee of local artists
and arts activists from each city selected the grantees to
ensure the programming reflects the spirit of each location.
NJPAC will produce what Governor Murphy called
“this superstar event” in collaboration with a cohort
of producing partners, and with strategic partners
including Montclair Film, Newark International Film
Festival, Tech United/Propelify and MediaSense. •
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