From Pollock Properties Group:
Broadway magic is coming home for the holidays! On Saturday, December 5, the curtain comes up on Broadway for the Holidays at the Columbia High School auditorium for two spectacular performances at 4:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., bringing the excitement of Broadway to the heart of the South Orange and Maplewood community, all for an extraordinary cause. Tickets go on sale November 1, 2026: visit THIS PAGE for reservations.
Now celebrating a decade of bringing people together through music, Pollock Properties Group partners with Matt Keane of RATE to benefit Achieve’s Pollock Arts Initiative and SOMA Stage, featuring local Broadway performers for an uplifting concert filled with showstopping performances, holiday favorites, and a whole lot of heart.
This year, the Pollock Arts Initiative and SOMA Stage are joining forces with an ambitious goal: raise $40,000 to help more local students and educators engage with the transformative power of the arts.
BROADWAY TALENT TAKES CENTER STAGE
An extraordinary lineup of 15 Broadway performers, many of whom call South Orange and Maplewood home, will take the stage for this year’s celebration. Audiences can look forward to performances by (scheduled to appear) Kate Baldwin (Hello, Dolly!), Mark Evans (Waitress), Paige Faure (Cinderella), Becky Gulsvig (A Beautiful Noise), David Josefsberg (Back to the Future), Kevin Kern (Les Misérables), Ginna Claire Mason (Wicked), Megan McGinnis (Beetlejuice), Mary Kate Morrissey (Wicked), Justin Mortelliti (Escape to Margaritaville), Manu Narayan (Company), Zal Owen (Harmony), Charlie Pollock (The Great Gatsby), Graham Rowat (Sunset Boulevard), and Rebecca Covington Webber (Hamilton). Together, these Broadway stars will bring holiday & winter music and the joy of live performance to the Columbia High School stage for two unforgettable shows.
THE MAGIC GOES BEYOND THE SHOW
Proceeds from the concert will support two organizations working to make arts education and performance opportunities more accessible to local students and educators.
The Pollock Arts Initiative, operating through the Achieve Foundation, helps remove financial barriers to music and arts education within the South Orange and Maplewood School District. Its work includes providing musical instruments and supplies, funding teacher grants, and supporting arts enrichment opportunities for students who might otherwise go without.
In 2026 alone, the initiative helped provide instrument rentals for 113 students and supported a choir retreat for 27 South Orange Middle School students, while funding other teacher grants and private instruction for numerous students.
“There’s something incredibly special about bringing Broadway performers into our own high school auditorium and watching our community come together for something bigger than a concert,” says Vanessa Pollock, founder of the Pollock Arts Initiative and Pollock Properties Group. “We believe every child deserves the opportunity to access what music and the arts can mean in their life. For one night, we get to celebrate the incredible talent in our community while helping expand those opportunities.”
SOMA Stage harnesses the extraordinary talent of Broadway performers and professional theater artists living in South Orange and Maplewood to bring professional-quality theater and live performances directly to the community. Through free outdoor concerts, theatrical readings, and special performances, the organization makes Broadway-caliber entertainment more accessible while celebrating the incredible talent found right in our own community.
Together, the organizations are working toward ensuring every student’s opportunity to experience and participate in the arts is determined by their curiosity and passion, not their family’s financial resources. For SOMA Stage, Broadway for the Holidays represents the connection between professional artistry and the next generation of performers.
“There’s something really special about living in a community where so many incredibly talented Broadway performers are also our friends and neighbors,” says Dana Spialter, co-producer of Broadway for the Holidays and Founder and Producing Artistic Director of SOMA Stage. “At SOMA Stage, we love bringing that talent together to create extraordinary performances right here in our own backyard. Broadway for the Holidays is especially meaningful because it gives us the chance to share that talent with our community while giving back and helping ensure that the next generation has opportunities to discover their own love of the arts.”
COMMUNITY SPONSORS HELP MAKE THE MAGIC POSSIBLE
Broadway for the Holidays is proudly presented through the generous support of Pollock Properties Group of Keller Williams Premier Properties and Matt Keane of Rate, whose commitment to community giving helps make this extraordinary event possible. Additional sponsorship support comes from Acres Title Company, Class Act Performing Arts Studio, 5 Point Physical Therapy, Marigold Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, Little Apple Arts, Olivia’s, and InTune Maplewood’s Neighborhood Music School. These businesses share a belief that investing in the arts is an investment in the future.
A $40,000 GOAL WITH A LASTING IMPACT
This year’s fundraising goal is $40,000, with $20,000 designated for each nonprofit organization.
The funds will help support two essential parts of a student’s artistic journey: access to arts education and opportunities to experience, develop, and share their talents through performance.
That means more instruments in students’ hands. More opportunities to learn from inspiring educators. More chances to see theater and perhaps step onto a stage, work as part of an ensemble, and discover talents they never knew they had.
And perhaps most importantly, more children hearing the message that the arts belong to them, too.
Whether you’re a lifelong Broadway fan, looking for a new family holiday tradition, or simply love supporting the arts, this is one holiday event you won’t want to miss.
The curtain rises December 5. The impact will last far beyond the holidays.
EVENT DETAILS
WHAT: Broadway for the Holidays
WHEN: Saturday, December 5, 2026
PERFORMANCES: 4:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Columbia High School Auditorium, 17 Parker Ave, Maplewood, NJ
TICKETS ON SALE: November 1, 2026 – visit THIS PAGE for reservations
BENEFITING: Achieve’s Pollock Arts Initiative and SOMA Stage
FUNDRAISING GOAL: $40,000, with $20,000 designated for each nonprofit
Sponsorship opportunities are also available for local businesses and community members who want to help bring the magic of the arts to more children.
ABOUT SOMA STAGE
Founded in 2022, SOMA Stage is a nonprofit performing arts organization dedicated to bringing Broadway-caliber theater and live entertainment to South Orange, Maplewood, and the surrounding communities. By collaborating with the extraordinary community of Broadway performers and professional theater artists who call the area home, SOMA Stage makes high-quality professional theater more accessible to local audiences, right in their own backyard. Through signature programs including Broadway in the Park, the SOMA backStage Reading Series, and SOMA Sings, the organization celebrates local talent, fosters artistic collaboration, and brings the community together through the power of live performance.
ABOUT THE POLLOCK ARTS INITIATIVE
The Pollock Arts Initiative was founded by Vanessa and Charlie Pollock to expand access to music and arts education for students in the South Orange and Maplewood School District. Working through the Achieve Foundation, the initiative supports instrument rentals, arts supplies, teacher grants, and additional arts education opportunities, helping students access and develop their creative potential.
ABOUT BROADWAY FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Broadway for the Holidays is a community benefit concert celebrating the joy of live performance and the importance of arts education. Featuring local Broadway professionals, the concert brings world-class entertainment to South Orange and Maplewood while raising funds to support our community’s next generation.
