Close Close

  • Fred Astaire’s Dancing Lessons: Queer Mentors and Monsters: Multimedia Performance by Dustin B. Goltz

    What does it mean to be “part” of the queer community in 2019? Who tells you your story? Your history? Your future? This solo performance is a 70-minute multimedia, performative examination of shifting perceptions of queer male mentorship, LGBT aging anxieties, and the lingering cultural threat assigned to queer sexuality. The piece is an avalanche of pop culture, flamboyance and monstrosity—an intertextual interrogation of queer generational tensions- reclaiming a story of the monsters who refuse to die (for long), refuse to hide the histories their bodies carry, and who keep surviving through wit, camp, irreverence, and an ongoing commitment to the queer community.

    Dustin Bradley Goltz is an Associate Professor of Performance Studies and Communication at DePaul University in Chicago. He is a scholar and performing artist whose work examines gay aging, queer temporality, LGBTQ media representation, and personal narrative performance. His research has been published in over two dozen articles in journals, which include Text & Performance Quarterly, Critical Studies in Media Communication, and Journal of International and Intercultural Communication. His most recent book, Comic Performativities: Identity, Internet Outrage, and the Aesthetics of Communication was published by Routledge in 2017.

  • LAUGHING WITH ME! Improv workshop with Michael O’Keeffe (Ages 8-12)

    Laughing With Me! is a program designed specifically for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder that is filled with fast-paced, interactive fun!! Students think of communication issues like a game!! They will become flexible within these experiences. The outcome being that now they won’t break, but simply bend.

    They also learn that it’s OK to fail. It’s simply a part of life that’s ultimately not a big deal. Also, a common occurrence of the program is an understanding of a special kind of laughter that gives a boost to self-confidence and creates a feeling of camaraderie. This is called “earned laughter”, because the students realize that they have done something funny  on purpose, in a setting that promotes and encourages that behavior.

    Delve into the ASD workshop where we look at how we handle what comes our way – expected or not! Add in the great fun and team spirit built into our games. We’ll be playing with both our strengths and our quirks. Your child is set for laughter and learning!

    Mike O’Keeffe is a teaching artist with The Count Basie Theatre, and has been performing and teaching improv comedy professionally for over 25 years. He received his MA in Education from Monmouth University in 1996, and has been a public school teacher for 20 years. He has done regional improv touring shows with former troupe-mate Wayne Brady, and has traveled across the country performing corporate comedy and team-building.

    Recently, he presented a TED Talk on the concept of “Play” called “Using Improv to Become a Better Human”. He is an Adjunct Professor at Monmouth University, where he teaches Critical Discourse. This spring, he was a keynote speaker at the National Youth Leadership Council’s, “More Powerful Together” conference in Washington DC, which brought together educational leaders and future educators. He was a speaker at Princeton University this summer, where he demonstrated how to integrate performing arts into their Common Core curricula.

    This workshop is specifically designed for Ages 8-12.

  • LAUGHING WITH ME! Improv workshop with Michael O’Keeffe (Ages 13-17)

    Laughing With Me! is a program designed specifically for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder that is filled with fast-paced, interactive fun!! Students think of communication issues like a game!! They will become flexible within these experiences. The outcome being that now they won’t break, but simply bend.

    They also learn that it’s OK to fail. It’s simply a part of life that’s ultimately not a big deal. Also, a common occurrence of the program is an understanding of a special kind of laughter that gives a boost to self-confidence and creates a feeling of camaraderie. This is called “earned laughter”, because the students realize that they have done something funny  on purpose, in a setting that promotes and encourages that behavior.

    Delve into the ASD workshop where we look at how we handle what comes our way – expected or not! Add in the great fun and team spirit built into our games. We’ll be playing with both our strengths and our quirks. Your child is set for laughter and learning!

    Mike O’Keeffe is a teaching artist with The Count Basie Theatre, and has been performing and teaching improv comedy professionally for over 25 years. He received his MA in Education from Monmouth University in 1996, and has been a public school teacher for 20 years. He has done regional improv touring shows with former troupe-mate Wayne Brady, and has traveled across the country performing corporate comedy and team-building.

    Recently, he presented a TED Talk on the concept of “Play” called “Using Improv to Become a Better Human”. He is an Adjunct Professor at Monmouth University, where he teaches Critical Discourse. This spring, he was a keynote speaker at the National Youth Leadership Council’s, “More Powerful Together” conference in Washington DC, which brought together educational leaders and future educators. He was a speaker at Princeton University this summer, where he demonstrated how to integrate performing arts into their Common Core curricula.

    This workshop is specifically designed for Ages 13-17.

  • Nick Aristovulos 1945 – 2014

    Monmouth University celebrates the artwork of Nick Aristovulos. MU Adjunct Professor of Sculpture, 1999 – 2014.Nick was a very talented illustrator, sculptor who’s work appeared in many major publications. His works were also featured on several record albums. A beloved and inspiring teacher Nick enjoyed challenging students with his vast knowledge of sculptural techniques.

  • Winter Dance Showcase: Magic of The Season

    Winter brings us the joy and the wonder of the holiday season. Join us to celebrate the power of young artists’ imagination and their faculty’s interpretation of winter rhythms of the magical music of the season. Let the magic of dance be the part of your holidays! The concert is created by our talented faculty, staff and students.

  • Wilson Hall Holiday Concert

    Please note that advance tickets to this event are SOLD OUT! A limited amount of STANDING ROOM only tickets will be available the evening of the event by CASH ONLY. MU Students can also attend in the STANDING ROOM Section for free with their ID. A cavalcade of Holiday favorites featuring the Monmouth University Chamber Orchestra, The Jazz Hawks, The Concert Choir, the Chamber Choir, soloists, and a special appearance by the Colts Neck Reformed Church Exultation Ringers, all in the magisterial setting of Wilson Hall.

  • Songwriters by the Sea

    Distinguished NJ Songwriters Joe Rapolla and Joe D’Urso are back this year hosting the celebrated Songwriters by the Sea series at the Lauren K. Woods Theatre. What once started in a small coffee shop as an area for local songwriters has now grown into a series that features some of the top songwriters in the country. This year, the show features special guest artists Jeffrey Gaines and ERYN with an intro set by Mark Geary. The show will also feature Monmouth University student openers: Max Adolf and Kelli Misenheimer.

    Throughout his two-and-a-half-decade recording career, Jeffrey Gaines has maintained an impressive standard for soul-searching, introspective lyrics and catchy, uplifting melodies. Since bursting on the scene with his self-titled 1992 debut album, the charismatic singer-songwriter-guitarist has built a beloved body of recordings that’s won him a large and deeply devoted international fan base. Now, after an extended absence from the recording studio, Gaines returns with Alright, his first Omnivore Recordings release and his first set of new studio material since 2003’s Toward the Sun. Street date is January 26, 2018. The new album features ten irresistible examples of the Philadelphia-based artist’s personally charged songcraft, performed with the same effortless exuberance that’s long been a hallmark of Gaines’ artful recordings and his dazzling live performances.

    Eryn combines the old school sound that evokes the rhythms and recording techniques of the past with a modern pop mindset and powerhouse live performance. She is the youngest person to be inducted into the NJ/NY Blues Hall of Fame, a BELK southern musician showcase winner, and a multi Asbury Park Music award winner.

    Sponsored by the Leon Hess Business School
    All proceeds benefit the Music Industry Endowed Scholarship 

  • Classical Fun

    A joyous program of music by some of the greatest composers of all time—Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Wagner, and others.

    The MU Chamber Orchestra, comprising students, faculty, staff, and administrators, performs a variety of compositions from the classical repertory.  This spring concert also features music for chamber ensembles from within the orchestra-solos, duos, trios, quintets.

  • Spring Dance Concert: The Dance Has Many Faces

    Feel inspired and touched as artists produce a dance worth trending. Discover many forms of dance in collaboration with Student Scholarship Week. Artists from the spring dance classes and dance teams of our Monmouth University will present their understanding of the diverse world of dancing. Performances will feature the choreographic exploration of the students and the faculty

  • Spring Choral Concert

    Enjoy an evening of music performances, by Monmouth University Choirs and soloists, in the majestic space of Wilson Hall. Come join us for a celebration of the rich tapestry of choral music in all its magnificence.