The South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) today announced the addition of singer/songwriter/actress Ms. Lauryn Hill to its Small Town, Big Talent benefit scheduled for the evening of June 19, 2010.  Ms. Hill is a founding member of The Fugees and is an accomplished solo artist whose album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998) received five Grammy Awards, three American Music Awards, a Billboard Award, a Soul Train Award and an MTV Music Award.  For more benefit details, performance line-up, etc…

SOPAC 2010 Spring Gala
Evening Gala Performance & Arts Celebration

Tickets On Sale Now!

Small Town, Big Talent is a day-long festival of the arts at SOPAC with local actors, singers and musicians. This exciting day consists of a children’s performance in the morning, film workshops and local celebrity interviews in the afternoon, followed by the evening celebration! Come support the arts in our community!

This year, SOPAC’s Spring Gala is inspired by the vision of Jonathan Felsman, a South Orange resident who lost his battle with cancer last year. Jonathan was proud of South Orange, its demographic diversity, and its commitment to the arts. Jonathan’s vision was to make South Orange/Maplewood a cultural destination, and SOPAC was at the center of this dream.

Evening Gala Performance & Arts Celebration to include...

Christine Ebersole
Kelly Bishop
Max Weinberg
Nat Adderley Jr.
Lydia Johnson Dance
Suzanna Douglas
Sarah Partridge
Jessica Kirson
Bill Charlap & Renee Rosnes
James LaVerdiere
Charlie Pollock
Sandy Rustin
Joanna Young
Christiane Noll

Hosted by Budd Mishkin of NY1 and joined by Zach Braff and AJ Calloway

Small Town, Big Talent Evening Schedule
6pm | VIP Reception with Artists in SOPAC Loft & Silent Auction
8pm | Gala Performance and Arts Celebration in SOPAC Theater
10pm |  Post-Performance Dessert Reception in SOPAC Loft

SOPAC 2010 Spring Gala Honorees

2010 Spring Gala Honoree
Nina Mitchell Wells

Community Arts Leadership Award
Barbara Stoller

Jonathan Felsman Spirit Award
Butch Larkin

Tickets

$300 | VIP Seating
All Access Ticket to Morning & Afternoon Programs. One VIP Ticket to Evening Performance. Access to VIP Reception with Artists & Post Performance Dessert Reception. Valet Parking Pass.
To Purchase VIP Tickets, Please Call the SOPAC Development Office at 973.382.1033

$250 | Orchestra Seating
Includes One Ticket to Evening Performance. Access to VIP Reception with Artists & Post Performance Dessert Reception. Valet Parking Pass.

$150 | General Seating
Includes One Ticket to Evening Performance and SOPAC Membership (Individual).

$75 | South Orange/Maplewood Resident Seating
Special Performance Only Price for South Orange and Maplewood Residents, Limited Tickets Available. First-come, First-Served. Only Available at SOPAC Box Office starting Tuesday, June 1st at 12noon. Limit two tickets per resident/household.

COMMUNITY SING-ALONG: SONGS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

11:00AM

Tickets: $20 Adults/$10 Children Age 10 and Under

 A celebration of family and friends!  Join your neighbors in this one-of-a-kind community sing-along featuring songs from around the world.  Open to all ages.  Guest artists include:  Marafanyi Drum, Dance & Song – three NJ-based female drummers who fuse West African rhythms and dance; today’s hottest adult-friendly kiddie pop musician Rebecca Frezza; and South Orange’s own singer/songwriter Peri Smilow. 

FILM WORKSHOP & SCREENING

12:00 Noon – 4:00PM

Tickets:  Workshop & Screening $25/$18 Students & Seniors

               Workshop Only $18/$12 Students & Seniors

                Screening Only $12/$10 Students & Seniors

“Rachel Getting Married” Screening & Discussion

12:00 Noon

Augmenting the afternoon’s Editing Workshop with Tim Squyres, SOPAC presents a special screening of Squyres’ recent project, Rachel Getting Married.  A 2008 drama film directed by Jonathan Demme, Rachel Getting Married received numerous critics awards including both a Golden Globe and OSCAR Nomination.   Rachel Getting Married stars Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Bill Irwin and Debra Winger.  Screening will be followed by a Q & A with the film’s editor, Tim Squyres.

Film Editing Workshop with Award-Winning Editor Tim Squyres

3:00PM

Ever wonder how film dailies transform into an OSCAR Nominated film?!  Come join award-winning editor and NJ-native Tim Squyres for an intimate workshop about film editing.  The editor of renowned blockbuster movies including Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Syriana, The Ice Storm, Sense & Sensibility, and Gosford Park, Squyres will present an editing workshop appropriate for both laymen and budding film editors alike. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to go behind the scenes!

CLASS OF ’93: ARTIST TALK w/ ZACH BRAFF & AJ CALLOWAY

1:00PM

Tickets: $25/$10 Children Ages 15 and Under

It was a very good year… Columbia High School’s Class of 1993 was an auspicious group of budding artists.  Two alumni return to South Orange for this special afternoon talk at SOPAC.  NY1’s Budd Mishkin conducts exclusive interviews with: television (Scrubs) and film actor/director/producer (Garden State) Zach Braff; and veteran broadcaster/journalist and EXTRA correspondent AJ Calloway. 

ARTIST TALK w/ DRUMMER MAX WEINBERG

3:00PM

Tickets: $25/$10 Children Ages 15 and Under

“The attainment of everything a twelve year old drummer from the suburbs of Jersey ever dared to dream,” cites Max Weinberg of his work of 36 years with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.   In addition to touring with and serving as the rhythmic backbone of the E Street Band, Weinberg keeps himself busy performing with the likes of Paul McCartney, Sting, Tom Jones, Ringo Starr (on Ringo’s drums!), Bob Dylan, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Bono of U2, and Levon Helm and the Band.  Weinberg currently leads the 15-member Max Weinberg Big Band, known for its tenure on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien.  Host Budd Mishkin of NY 1 sits down with Weinberg for an intimate one-on-one.