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  • Robert Bly: A Thousand Years of Joy

    Director/ Producer: Haydn Reiss 

    Beginning in 1994, Reiss has made a series of documentaries on writers and poets, including William Stafford & Robert Bly: A Literary Friendship and the award-winning Rumi: Poet of the Heart, which was narrated by Debra Winger. Both films aired on PBS.

    In 2005, Reiss produced, How Democrats and Progressives Can Win: Solutions from George Lakoff’ Professor Lakoff, a noted expert in linguistics and political language, is showcased in a tightly knit program that explains how modern politics is waged through ideas like “framing” the debate, the way a party’s “values” influence voters and much more. At that time only the political right had made use of these cognitive techniques to gain political power and the film was made in response to that imbalance.

    Reiss’ 2009 film, Every War Has Two Losers, a look at poet William Stafford’s years as a conscientious objector, was a 2011 winner at the Canadian International Film Festival and an official selection of the 2011 United National Film Festival. 

    2015 brought the completion of Robert Bly: A Thousand Years of Joy, the first feature documentary profile of the prolific and controversial poet and activist. Featuring Martin Sheen, Gary Snyder Mark Rylance, Jane Hirshfield, Philip Levine and many others from the world of art and literature. It is set for a PBS broadcast next year. 

    In a previous life Haydn worked as  assistant on the psychological thriller Jacob Ladder and as assistant to the producer Alex Ho on Oliver Stone’s JFK.

    Mr. Reiss has been awarded grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Minnesota Film & TV, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, the Lannan Foundation, the Witter Bynner Foundation for Poetry, the Westcliff Foundation and others.

    There will be a Q&A with the filmmaker, Haydn Reiss, following the screening. This event is sponsored by the Visiting Writers Series and Jewish Cultural Studies.

  • Acafest 2016

    Hosted by the Monmouth University Sea Sharps. Join us April 2, at 8 pm for the a cappella concert of the year. With the help of the brothers from AKPSI, a portion of proceeds will benefit Habit for Humanity. Featuring Stockapell, Trentones, Tonal Recall, and many more. For more information email museasharps@gmail.com  Tickets can be purchased at the door the day of the show. Cash only 

  • Order & Chaos: An Exhibit of Selected Works by Jacob Landau

    Reception: Monday, April 11 | 4:30- 6 PM | Library Seminar Room 102
    Gallery Hours: Tues. – Thurs.: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Sunday: 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

    Born in Philadelphia in 1917, Jacob Landau launched his career as an illustrator, winning national prizes at age 16 and a scholarship to the Philadelphia College of Art. He had over sixty one-person shows and was the recipient of many awards, including Tiffany, Guggenheim and National Arts Council grants. Many of his works are featured in permanent collections in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, among others. A master teacher, he retired as professor emeritus at New York’s Pratt Institute. In 1996, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts by Monmouth University.

    Jacob Landau viewed art as a defense against chaos. That all is subject to entropy haunted the artist his whole life. So art becomes a weapon to combat this descent into disorder. And it is a powerful weapon. For “each time we create something,” Landau has said, “we win a victory over decay.” Monmouth University’s exhibit “Order & Chaos” demonstrates this triumph. The exhibition features a selection of fifteen pieces. All works are from Monmouth University’s extensive collection of Jacob Landau’s work, comprising over 300 prints, drawings and paintings. The collection was gifted to Monmouth University in 2008 by the Jacob Landau Institute of Roosevelt, NJ. This exhibit is co-sponsored by the Jewish Culture Studies Program and the Honors School of Monmouth University.

    This event is free & open to the public. Docent tours are available (for times, contact Professor Noel Belinski 732-263-5425; email: nbelinsk@monmouth.edu). For additional information on the exhibition and other gallery events on the West Long Branch campus of Monmouth University, please call 732-263-5759 or visit www.monmouth.edu/arts.

  • J. Seward Johnson Sculptures

    Following an early career as a painter, Seward Johnson turned his talents to the medium of sculpture. Since then, more than 450 of Johnson’s life-size cast bronze figures have been featured in private collections and museums in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia, as well as prominent places in the public realm such as Rockefeller Center, Pacific Place, Hong Kong, Les Halles in Paris, and Via Condotti in Rome. Seward Johnson is most widely known for his sculptures depicting people engaged in every day activities. Johnson’s desire to highlight the mundane in his Celebrating the Familiar sculpture series has brought a unique voice to the world of art in public spaces.

    Johnson is often recognized for his most dramatic work — and also his largest — the 70’ aluminum giant entitled The Awakening. This sculpture was selected for the International Sculpture Conference & Exhibition and is currently sited along the Potomac River at National Harbor in Washington, DC. This work was profiled in LIFE magazine, Time Magazine and has become a “must see” destination in the nation’s capitol. In recent years, Seward Johnson’s monumental scale sculptures have captured the attention of the international media and a global audience. Among these are the 26 foot tall Forever Marilyn with her skirt blowing upwards defying the stainless steel and aluminum materials. Also, the iconic “kiss” sculpture depicting the moment in Times Square when the sailor and nurse embraced in celebration of the conclusion of World War II. 

    Pieces on Exhibit

    God Bless America (Located in front of Pollak Theatre)
    Strolling Professor (Located in front of Pollak Theatre)
    Between Classes (Located in front of Pozycki Hall) 

    Exhibited April 8 – August 31

  • Intro to Celtic Music Workshop with Switchback

    Attendees are presented with traditional pieces of Irish music, folklore and dance. Following the historic time-line of Irish emigration to the United States, participants are made aware of the evolution of Irish music, once immigrants reached America. They will  listen to the transformation of Irish music into today’s western, jazz and bluegrass. The resurgence of Irish music, dance and culture are also examined.

    Brian FitzGerald and Martin McCormack of Switchback have been playing their brand of eclectic Celtic and Americana music at sold-out concert halls, performing arts centers and festivals for over 20 years. Featuring a mix of Irish music and original songs, their concerts have been described as “breathtaking scenery for your ears.” With a mix of mandolin, guitar, and bass their harmonies have won comparisons to the Louvin Brothers, the Everly Brothers and Simon and Garfunkel.

    Held in conjunction with the concert featuring Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill with Switchback on April 22 at 8 PM in Pollak Theatre

  • Rockin’ Road to Dublin

    This show is rescheduled for: March 28, 2017 at 7:30 PM. If you had tickets for the Feb. 9 date and cannot make the new date please call the box office at 732.263.6889 between the hours of 9 AM – 5 PM Monday through Friday for a refund. If you are able to make the new date your current tickets will be valid.

    The new generation of Irish music & dance. Experience the difference.

    Inspired by epic spectacles like Riverdance, RRTD’s renowned team of tour professionals is reviving the classic art form to create a new Irish show with a contemporary feel and a broader appeal.

    Choreographer and lead male Scott Doherty (Riverdance & Lord of the Dance) has teamed up with veteran Celtic rocker Chris Smith to produce an exciting fusion of music, movement and culture that has never been done before. RRTD is a breathtaking display of classic Irish tunes accented by rock’n’ roll riffs, electrifying dancers and a dynamic light show. Enjoy the thrilling sights and sounds as daring performers execute rapid-fire leaps, twirls and footwork, and nimble fiddlers square off with driving electric guitar chords and pulse-pounding drum beats. Fans say, “Rockin’ Road to Dublin not only combines Riverdance and Lord of the Dance perfectly, but actually surpasses them!”

    There will be an open rehearsal and talk back at 4 p.m.

    There will also be a meet and greet with the cast at 7 p.m. for Gold Circle ticket holders.

  • Caladh Nua

    Caladh Nua is a tightly-knit, vibrant and staggeringly talented band with its origins deeply rooted in the Southern counties of Ireland. Comprised of five versatile musicians and singers playing a wide selection of instruments – from banjo to fiddle, guitar to bodhran and tin whistle to button accordion – the band has captured the essential qualities of traditional Irish music and balanced them finely with an innovative contemporary flair.

    Through a series of international tours and festivals across the globe, which saw the band take the stage in cities such as Paris, Vienna, Copenhagen, Berlin, Mumbai and Vancouver, Caladh Nua has cast a uniquely captivating net of Irish music and song over an ever widening worldwide audience.

    A long list of TV and radio broadcasts of their performances and two acclaimed recordings includes American Public Radio, the BBC, and RTE. Performing a vast repertoire of haunting songs and evocative Irish tunes, Caladh Nua is a young ensemble on the rise.

  • BENISE – Strings of Passion: 10 Year Anniversary World Tour!

    10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY WORLD TOUR!

    The Prince of Spanish Guitar, BENISE is ‘Bennissimo!’ in this special 10 year anniversary production called “Strings of Passion”.  Armed with his fiery Spanish Guitar, a stage full of musicians, and an international dance troupe, BENISE takes us on a musical journey through Salsa, Flamenco, Samba, Waltz and Tango, fused with classic rock anthems by Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Santana and The Eagles…to name a few.   The show captures world music at its best, with a show that appeals to the hearts and souls of people of all ages, cultures and musical backgrounds.

    “Strings of Passion” – an unprecedented and spectacular adventure through Spanish Flamenco, Cuban Salsa, and Brazilian Samba –  raises the standards of live performance to a fresh new level of originality with dancing that is equally mysterious, sensual and festive.  The dancers in ‘Strings of Passion’ – ‘The Gitanas’ — were carefully handpicked from a global pool of some of the most brilliantly diverse talent to be found. Breathtaking couture fashion and innovative staging and choreography give Spanish dance a fresh and luminous makeover.

    “This is a great show for the whole family; I really think we have something for everyone,” comments BENISE, for whom music has always been a journey…from his humble beginnings as a street performer, to performing around the world. “I wanted to push the boundaries of traditional Nuevo Flamenco/Spanish guitar while combining the elements of dance and theater. This show is a celebration of culture–the culmination of all the shows we’ve done over the last 10 years.”

    Go center stage with BENISE in this amazing production that takes your audiences to  Spain, China, Paris, Egypt, India, Cuba, Italy, Dubai, the Heartland of America…and more:  the Theatrical World Music and Dance Spectacle that has been called “The Latin Riverdance”.

    VIP FAN EXPERIENCE – INCLUDED WITH THE GOLD CIRCLE SEATS
    Go behind the scenes, meet Benise and cast, and get your own photo moment when you attend a working sound check!

    VIP PACKAGE INCLUDES:
    * Exclusive Meet & Greet with the Benise and Cast
    * Premier Seating (first 4 rows)
    * Private Sound Check Experience
    * Personal Photograph with Benise
    * Souvenir Official Meet and Greet Laminate
     

  • CSNsongs “Celebrating The Music Of Crosby Stills Nash & Young”

    “THE ONLY NATIONAL CSN&Y TRIBUTE SHOW OF ITS KIND”
     
    
CSNsongs is more than a tribute band. It is a group of seven New Jersey based musicians that create a full production show paying homage to the folk/rock group that changed music in the 1960s and ’70s.” All of “Crosby Stills Nash & Young’s” compositions are highly respected by “CSNsongs” and are reproduced perfectly as they were originally written, recorded and performed throughout Crosby Stills Nash & Young’s musical legacy. The iconic group’s music was born at the famous Woodstock Music Festival when Crosby, Stills and Nash hit the stage and changed the face of folk/rock music forever. Their music continued throughout the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s and is still popular and relevant today. CSN Songs helps audiences relive such special musical moments as Suite Judy Blue Eyes, Ohio, Love the One You’re With, Just a Song Before I Go, and Southern Man.

  • Met Opera Summer Encore: Tosca (Broadcast Live in HD)

    Puccini’s enduring favorite, starring an exceptional trio of singing actors in the leading roles, features acclaimed American soprano Patricia Racette as the ultimate diva, Floria Tosca, in Luc Bondy’s production. French tenor Roberto Alagna sings Tosca’s lover, the painter Cavaradossi, and Georgian baritone George Gagnidze is the corrupt, lustful Scarpia. Italian maestro Riccardo Frizza conducts Puccini’s sweeping, dramatic tale of murder, lust, and political intrigue.

    (originally transmitted live on November 9, 2013)