From The South Orange Performing Arts Center:
Fall means crisp weather, beautiful foliage and an eclectic lineup of entertainment at SOPAC. Spend October and November at the South Orange Performing Arts Center, where you’ll see an SNL veteran, the High Priestess of R&B, a master of acoustic Folk/Blues and more. Visit SOPACnow.org/Events for more information and to buy tickets
Kevin Nealon, Bettye LaVette and Chris Smither
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2 AT 7:30PM
Emmy and SAG-nominated comedian Kevin Nealon is one of the longest running cast members on NBC’s Saturday Night Live. He’s also a critically acclaimed actor known for his roles in the Showtime series Weeds and several films by Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7 AT 8PM
Soul singer-songwriter Bettye LaVette has been called the High Priestess of R&B. Her “pure Blues growl” and commanding presence have earned this Grammy-nominated performer comparisons to Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner. Blind since birth, Raul Midón lives in a world of sound. His tropical groove, lyrical sophistication, silky voice and electric guitar are his signature.
Chris Smither & Tim O’Brien with Jan Fabricius
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8 AT 8PM
A master of acoustic Folk/Blues, Chris Smither creates a singular guitar sound – a beat-driven finger-picking, layered over his ever-present rhythmic, tapping feet (always mic’d in performance). A lifelong devotee of Bluegrass, Tim O’Brien is skilled on guitar, mandolin, fiddle and banjo. He often performs with his wife, vocalist Jan Fabricius.
With Special Guest Vance Gilbert
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9 AT 7:30PM
Comedian, actor and television writer Paul Reiser is one of Hollywood’s most prolific creatives. Reiser can currently be seen in Stranger Thingsand The Kominsky Method, for which he received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. The multi-faceted actor also recently revived one of his most iconic roles in the highly-anticipated return of Mad About You, the long-running hit 90s comedy he co-created and starred in with Helen Hunt.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26 AT 7:30PM
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn, “the king and queen of the banjo” (Paste magazine), have a musical partnership like no other. Béla is a fifteen-time Grammy winner who has taken the instrument across multiple genres. Abigail is a singer-songwriter and clawhammer banjo player.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3 AT 7:30PM
Jim Messina’s legacy of making hit music spans five decades, three super groups (Buffalo Springfield, Poco, Loggins and Messina), a vibrant solo career and scores of producing and engineering credits.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9 AT 7:30PM
Darlingside has long been praised for their mesmerizing harmonies and wistful songwriting, described by NPR as “exquisitely-arranged, literary-minded, baroque Folk-Pop,” and compared to Crosby, Stills and Nash; Simon & Garfunkel; and The Byrds.
Paula Cole & Sophie B. Hawkins
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10 AT 7:30PM
Carried by her powerful, radiant voice, Grammy winner Paula Cole has a musical catalog defined by honest lyrics that covers Blues, Jazz, Folk, Pop, Gospel and Americana. Multi-instrumentalist Sophie B. Hawkins, described as a “somber Folk singer, saucy Pop gal, note-bending Jazz chanteuse,” (Rolling Stone), has been tugging at heartstrings for decades with her captivating storytelling. Both singer-songwriters are known for their indelible 90s hits—Cole’s “I Don’t Want to Wait” and Hawkins’ “As I Lay Me Down.”
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough!
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11 AT 8PM
Valerie Simpson has spent a lifetime writing chart-topping anthems for Motown and beyond with her late husband Nick Ashford as the entity known as Ashford & Simpson. The duo penned timeless hits such as, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “Reach Out and Touch Somebody’s Hand” and “I’m Every Woman” for Chaka Khan, Diana Ross, Whitney Houston and others before embarking on a performing career of their own.
featuring The THE BAND Band with TTBB Horns & Special Guests
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12 AT 8PM
Relive the Last Waltz, the famous 1976 Thanksgiving concert that has become embedded in the Rock and Roll lexicon. Hear Eric Clapton’s “Further On Up the Road,” Ronnie Hawkins’ “Who Do You Love,” Van Morrison’s “Caravan” and many more of the songs from that special night when The THE BAND Band performs.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17 AT 7:30PM
Josh Ritter, a Folk-Rock singer-songwriter and novelist with an expressive voice, a keen wit and an evocative way with words has been described as “harking back to Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and maybe a little Mark Knopfler” (The New York Times) and named one of the “100 Greatest Living Songwriters” by Paste magazine.
Comedy With A Drip! Featuring Casey Carle, Comic Bubble Artist
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20 AT 1PM
Comic bubble artist Casey Carle brings us his amazing one-man show combining spontaneous comedy, jazzy music and, of course, brilliant bubbling!
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About SOPAC:
Since 2006, SOPAC has been serving as a premier performing arts center in the region. SOPAC offers innovative artistic and cultural experiences for diverse audiences in an intimate, inviting environment. The arts center hosts a variety of live performances, community events and education programs for all ages. SOPAC is home for Seton Hall University Arts Council’s performances, including the Classical Concert Series, Jazz ‘N the Hall performances and Seton Hall University Theatre productions. SOPAC programs are made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. The South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. For more information, visit SOPACnow.org.
