In the broad, sparkling expanse of Prudential Hall at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, I watched Soweto Gospel Choir make music in a way that compelled me and those around me to spontaneously burst into applause, cheers, and, on occasion, tears ("Amazing Grace" gets me every time). The show was energetic, beautiful, and emotional.
But the venue itself blew me away, too.
When I interviewed NJPAC director Lawrence Goldman (for our January Power Issue) and he asked me if I had been to a show at the eleven-year-old Newark venue, I was embarrassed to tell him that—despite living six miles away for the last two years—I hadn’t made the trip. So I quickly secured tickets to see Soweto Gospel Choir on Saturday night, and now I wonder why I hadn’t made NJPAC a regular part of my life.
For one thing, it’s easy to get to, with its own Light Rail stop, as well as a parking garage that’s nicely tucked underneath a park, across the street from the center. We got there early and had an excellent meal at Theatre Square Bistro, adjacent to the entry hall, where Brazz Tree (a fantastic global music duo from Jersey City) performed before the show. And then we saw the main event (awesome!) and walked outside to a perfect light snowfall.
My husband kept saying he couldn’t believe we hadn’t been there before, and I had to agree. We’ve regularly attended events at smaller venues, particularly the two-year-old South Orange Performing Arts Center, which is within walking distance of our home. But somehow we never made it to the place just down the road that has been cited by the New Yorker music critic as one of the top three music venues (along with Carnegie Hall, where Goldman worked before joining NJPAC, and Boston’s Symphony Hall).
And the place is just going to get better. Goldman, whose education is based in urban revitalization, has big plans to develop the area around the center with housing, shops, and cafes. But even before all that’s in place, I recommend taking a trip to the beautiful arts center that bears our state’s name, where hassles are unlikely and you won’t be disappointed with the experience.
"When you leave a performance in New York, by the time you get to your car, pay for parking, and navigate the tunnel, the experience has dissipated," Goldman says. "But when you come here, you can be all the way home, back in your bedroom, and the music is still playing in your ears."
In the case of Saturday’s show, those melodies are particularly welcome to mine.