UPDATE: Because of a wintry forecast, St. Peter’s has rescheduled this event to Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, from 7 pm to 10 pm.
From St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Morristown:
Get Ready to Swing the Night Away at our Sweet Swing Soiree
Join us for a lively and unforgettable evening at our first Sweet Swing Soiree on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, from 7pm to 10 pm at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Morristown.
Step back in time and enjoy the timeless sounds of the swing era, brought to life by the incredible 18-piece Bottle Hill Big Band. Set in the charming, historic St. Peter’s Parish Hall in Morristown, this promises to be a night of music, dancing, and pure joy.
Treat yourself to delicious drinks and tempting desserts, free dance lessons at 7 pm and the band kicking off at 7:30 pm!
This event is open to all, so bring your friends and family for a swinging night to remember! Tickets are $35
Evan Nuzzi credits the Morristown Starbucks for his shot at fame and fortune.
“I ran to the bathroom and sang it into my phone so I wouldn’t forget it,” Nuzzi, 21, said of a song he composed during his shift at the coffee shop.
Come March 4, 2025, Nuzzi will perform his composition at Morristown Onstage. He will join 15 other amateur acts who live, work or study in Greater Morristown competing for cash prizes at the Mayo Performing Arts Center, in the Morris Educational Foundation’s 18th annual fundraiser for the Morris School District.
Titled I Know it’s Wrong, Nuzzi’s song illustrates “the split second that you picture spending the rest of your life with someone,” he said. ”It’s about falling in love.”
Morristown Onstage 2025 finalist Evan Nuzzi enjoys a laugh on Media Day. Photo by David Okada
The same day he wrote I Know it’s Wrong, he came across a Morristown Onstage flier dropped off at Starbucks.
“Something just drew me in,” he said. “First the song came to me and then the pamphlet. That was two things in the same store.”
Starbucks musings aside, Nuzzi has been songwriting for the last six or seven years. He draws his inspiration from the likes of Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Billy Joel. He also has The Beatles on hand for his go-to playlist.
In addition to songwriting, the Somerville resident plays piano and guitar, which he learned from his father. He is teaching himself the drums.
No stranger to audiences, Nuzzi has performed all over New Jersey and — and once in Jamaica.
“I was on vacation and there was a talent show that was being hosted and I ran over, last second, to audition,” he said. “I got in and got to play in front of around 100 people. It was very cool.”
To date, he boasts 45 original songs that focus mostly on love and heartbreak.
He finds a therapeutic value in the process of songwriting. “It’s a way to get my emotions out,” he said. “Writing is always there and something you can come back to.”
When Nussi’s not singing into his phone, he is chilling with friends or slinging cappucinos as store manager at Starbucks.
Should he win the $1,000 top prize, he plans on buying a piano.
“I kind of played it into the ground,” he said of his old one.
Sixteen top amateur acts from Greater Morristown will compete at the Mayo Performing Arts Center on March 4, 2025 for cash prizes at the 18th annual Morristown Onstage. Presented by the Morris Educational Foundation, the show benefits programs in the Morris School District. Tickets are $43-$95, available online or at MPAC, 100 South St., 973-539-8008.
The Madison Community Arts Center has canceled this event because of internal personnel changes. Check on the status of future center events here.
From the Madison Community Arts Center:
Carolyn Dorfman Dance returns to the Madison Community Arts Center (at 10 Kings Road) with a Family Backstage Pass performance, a welcoming interactive afternoon of dance and audience participation, on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, at 4 pm.
It will be an unforgettable afternoon, offering a captivating glimpse into the remarkable works and process of artistic director Carolyn Dorfman. Some of the popular works will include excerpts of the crowd-pleasing WAVES, the playful duet Keystone and the comical Divide and Conquer, a work which has not been on stage for almost 15 years.
The program ends with Dorfman’s signature “building a dance” including audience members on the stage and in their seats with Carolyn and Company.
Carolyn Dorfman Dance’s stunning and athletic ensemble includes, Kayleigh Bowen, Tyler Choquette, Dominique Dobransky, Hannah Gross, Maiko Harada, Brandon Jones, Jacob Kurihara, Aanyse Pettiford-Chandler, Charles Scheland, Jared Stern; Katlyn Baskin is the rehearsal director.
The administrative staff includes Executive Director Anita Thomas, associate Artistic Director Jacqueline Dumas Albert, Company/Office Manager Zakk Ottmers, Marketing Communications Manager Armisey Smith, and Financial Administrator Flora Attardi.
Bring friends and family to Backstage Pass as the company explores the themes of family, community, and more — all brought to life by the exceptional artists of Carolyn Dorfman Dance. Secure your seats now and be part of this immersive experience. Tickets are $20 in advance ($25 the day of show.) Tickets for seniors and students 18 and under are $15. For tickets to the Madison Community Arts Center performance go here.
Romantic possibilities abound this weekend in Greater Morristown!
(Just call ahead for weather cancelations!!!)
Scroll down for details. Check our handy calendar for even more activities–and add your own events, too.
THURSDAY, FEB. 13, 2025:
Free yoga continues at 10 am to the Morristown & Township Library. At One Miller Road, Morristown.
The Mayo Performing Arts Center presents the Vitamin String Quartet: The Music of Taylor Swift, Bridgerton, and Beyond at 7:30 pm. Tickets: $35-$79. At 100 South St., Morristown, 973-539-8008.
The Glenbrook Brewery in Morristown hosts Comedy for a Cause, a benefit for the nonprofit Visions and Pathways, at 7:30 pm. Tickets: $35, includes one drink. Must be 21 or older. Doors open at 7 pm. At 95 Morris St.
FRIDAY, FEB. 14, VALENTINE’S DAY:
The Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Morristown is hosting a free Valentine’s Day group dance class, from 5:30 pm to 6:10 pm. RSVP here, or call 973-993-9222.
The Morristown Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Morris Township presents Very Gerry Valentine’s Bingo: An Epic Drag Experience, at 7 pm. Tickets $15-$40. Ages 18 and older. At 21 Normandy Heights Road.
The Folk Project hosts its monthly Open Stage at 7:30 pm. To sign up to perform two songs, please email here. Admission: $7. At the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship, 21 Normandy Heights Road, Morris Township.
The Madison Community Arts Center presents David Hoffman’s Café Theatre | Nuts ‘n Honey | Short Plays with Coffee ‘n Cakeat 7:30 pm. Tickets: $22-$27.50. Also on Saturday and Sunday. At 10 Kings Road.
The Mayo Performing Arts Center presents comedian Jay Leno at 8 pm. Tickets: $110-$160. At 100 South St., Morristown, 973-539-8008.
SATURDAY, FEB. 15:
The Morristown & Township Library hosts Indoor Qigong at 9:30 am. Free. No experience or registration required. Upstairs in the F.M. Kirby Gallery, at One Miller Road, Morristown.
POSTPONED UNTIL MARCH 8, 2025 BECAUSE OF WEATHER:The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey hosts its Cupid’s Hangover Trivia Nightfundraiser at 7 pm, at the Thomas H. Kean Theatre Factory in Florham Park. Tickets: $30-$45.
The Madison Community Arts Center presents David Hoffman’s Café Theatre | Nuts ‘n Honey | Short Plays with Coffee ‘n Cakeat 7:30 pm. See Friday entry for more.
The Mayo Performing Arts Center presents Sons of Cream at 8 pm. Tickets: $35-$79. At 100 South St., Morristown, 973-539-8008.
Drew University in Madison presents We May Be Right, a Billy Joel Tribute, at 8 pm. Tickets: $35-$45. At 36 Madison Ave.
SUNDAY, FEB. 16:
The Morris Winter Market at Convent Station commences at 9:30 am, and will return virtually every Sunday through April 27, 2025, from 9:30 am until 1 pm. Presented by Grow It Green Morristown.
The Morris Museum’s Bickford Theater in Morris Township hosts the world premiere of PBS American Masters: Danielle Scott: Ancestral Call, at 1 pm, 2 pm and 2:45 pm. Free with Museum admission. The film is nominated in the Outstanding Short Documentary category in this year’s NAACP Image Awards. The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with Sonia Kennebeck and Danielle Scott. At 6 Normandy Heights Road, (973) 971-3700.
Danielle Scott. Image: Morris Museum
The Macculloch Hall Historical Museum in Morristown presents a 2 pm tour of its new exhibit, The 22nd and 24th President: Thomas Nast Illustrates Grover Cleveland, about the first president to serve non-consecutive terms. Admission: $10. Museum curator Ryan Hyman guides the tour. At 45 Macculloch Ave.
‘The Compliments Of The Season,’ by Thomas Nast, from the collection of the Thomas Nast Historical Museum
The Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey presents its rescheduled Warming Winter concert at 2 pm, at Grace Episcopal Church in Madison. Tickets: $5-$40. At 4 Madison Ave.
The Mayo Performing Arts Center presents Break! The Urban Funk Spectacular! at 3 pm. Tickets: $35-$67. At 100 South St., Morristown, 973-539-8008.
Drew University in Madison presents The Dupreesat 3 pm. Tickets: $40-$55. At 36 Madison Ave.
The Madison Community Arts Center presents David Hoffman’s Café Theatre | Nuts ‘n Honey | Short Plays with Coffee ‘n Cakeat 3 pm. See Friday entry for more.
MONDAY, FEB. 17, PRESIDENTS DAY
The Washington Association of New Jersey hosts its 151st annual meeting at 10:30 am, at the Madison Hotel in Morris Township. Tickets: $75, includes brunch buffet and a talk by Chuck Schwam, an expert on the Marquis de Lafayette and his visits to Morristown. At One Convent Road.
The Women’s Association for Morristown Medical Center has found another diamond in the rough.
Wildfair, a 250-year-old estate on 33 acres in Chester, has been chosen for this year’s Mansion in May. After 50 years and 20 mansions, the association’s springtime show houses are an eagerly anticipated tradition– and the signature fundraiser for the nonprofit, which has raised more than $14 million for the hospital over the years.
Pam Epifano, owner of Wildfair, Jan. 16, 2025. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Wildfair is a rambling stone structure with many reincarnations, starting as a working farm with a gristmill and sawmill and, most recently, becoming home to the Epifano family.
“We’ve been working on it for a little over a year,” Pam Epifano said during a media preview tour, on a grey, chilly morning last month. “It’s very much a family adventure.”
Although they have not yet moved into the house, her three sons, ages 24-29, have taken the lead in returning the property to its roots. They’ve started by changing its name from Fox Chase Farm back to the original Wildfair. They have a more ambitious plan to restore its agricultural productivity as well.
Wildfair BEFORE its May 2025 transformation. Slideshow photos by Kevin Coughlin. Click/hover for captions:
“We have bees and chickens and we’re already farming the land,” Epifano explained. She described how the boys are planting chanterelle and other specialty mushrooms in the woodlands, and making use of maple and hickory trees for edible products and firewood.
Epifano is at Wildfair almost every day. Hands-on and very enthusiastic, she regularly confers with the 38 design firms that are transforming every room in the house for Mansion in May.
Wildfair, site of Mansion in May 2025. Jan. 16, 2025. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
The Kitchen, or Shokukai (translated as “food gathering”), is her bailiwick. On the preview day, the Shokukai (room 12 in the program) was strewn with faceless cabinet boxes and a mood board. Very few clues were offered for what will follow in the spring.
Looking straight out from out from the kitchen island and separated by a two shallow steps is the Great Room, room 11, by Rachel Kapner of CWI Designs. The largest room in the mansion, the vast space has a stone wall at the far end, large windows on both sides, and a barrel-vaulted ceiling covered in natural wood. When completed, the kitchen and great room will likely be the heart of the home.
On the left side of the kitchen, visitors will find Breakfast Room, number 13, by Hanna Goldberg of Hanna Charlotte Interiors. Small and cheery, it was in the process of being tiled. Just a few steps away, the mood changed abruptly.
Arlene Riley of Bernards Decorators has her work cut out for her in the Mud Room (number 15), a windowless and, arguably the most derelict, room in the mansion. It adjoins the even more depressing Laundry Room (no. 16), undertaken by Stephanie Barbara of Lily and the Rose Design. Good luck ladies!
Samples of paper, paint and fabric, along with drawings and photographs, aided designers as they described their projects. Kristin Badolato of Kristin Ashley Interiors offered a bit more, with a large sample of exquisite Gracie chinoiserie wallpaper, destined to line the walls of the Dining Room. It was easy to imagine the large, sunlit space will be a knockout.
Several rooms have existing cherry cabinetry that Epifano chose to preserve intact. Among them is the dramatic Upper & Lower Library (room 7), by Karla Trincanello of Interior Decisions.
The ground floor and basement are connected by a sharply curved staircase. It’s an unusual and intimate configuration that takes advantage of warm toned cherry paneling to set the mood. The lower level will be transformed into a seating area around an existing fireplace, surrounded by fabric and carpeting with an animal theme, and book-filled shelves.
THE TRANSFORMATION BEGINS. Wildfair, Jan. 16, 2025. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Another example of cherry millwork can be found at the other end of the house, in The Office (room 4), by M. McDevitt and J. Turner of Elements Interior Design Studio. The designers named it I Take my Whiskey Neat, and plan to fill the shelves with a variety of adult beverages and compatible accessories.McDevitt and Turner said visitors should not expect samples. But you never know.
Despite major renovations and expansions, most recently in 1934 and again in the 1990s, Epifano said much work remained. “The property needed a lot of love.
“The house was empty for several years when we bought it. A couple of chimneys had to be taken down and rebuilt, new windows installed, and seven new heating systems had to be installed,” she said, dressed in working clothes for the tasks ahead.
The aptly named Great Room will have ample space for dancing. Wildfair, Jan. 16, 2025. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
One might expect Epifano to feel overwhelmed by the restoration. Not at all. She has more than a few such projects under her belt.
The Epifano family owns Epic Management and Construction, with a portfolio that includes residential projects and major commercial properties such as Rutgers Stadium (now known as SHI Stadium) in Piscataway, the Mansion at Natirar in Peapack, and Temple B’nai Jeshurun in Short Hills.
Proceeds from Wildfair Mansion in May are earmarked for a MEVION S250-FIT Proton Therapy System™ to be unveiled at Morristown Medical Center’s Carol G. Simon Cancer Center in 2025.
According to the hospital, proton therapy is an advanced cancer treatment that targets tumors with sub-millimeter precision, leaving healthy cells intact. It is performed on an outpatient basis and takes a few minutes per session. Non-invasive and painless, it allows patients to live normally during their treatment, a giant step forward in radiation therapy.
Wildfair will open to the public from May 1 to May 31, 2025. Tickets are $50 before May 1, and $55 after. Individual private tour tickets go on sale on March 1, 2025. Select designer items also may be purchased by the public.
Greater Morristown offers an eclectic array of events this weekend.
Scroll down for details. Check our handy calendar for even more activities–and add your own events, too.
THURSDAY: FEB. 20, 2025:
Free yoga continues at 10 am to the Morristown & Township Library. At One Miller Road, Morristown.
Morris Arts hosts a closing reception for its Artistic Facets exhibition, from 5 pm to 8 pm at The Atrium Gallery, in The Morris County Administration and Records Building in Morristown. Free. Remarks at 7:15 pm on the 5th floor. The exhibit features more than 160 artworks by 11 artists. At 10 Court St.
The Morristown & Township Library celebrates Jane Austen’s 250th birthday with a free screening of Love & Friendship (2016) at 6:45 pm. At One Miller Road, Morristown.
At 7 pm, the Macculloch Hall Historical Museum in Morristown presents a free Zoom talk, A Taste of History at Home: Apple Pudding with Orange and Rose. The museum’s Cynthia Winslow will show how a 19th century family prepared this dessert. The recipe, including an ingredient list, will be emailed to participants prior to the program. Register here.
Ever fancied taking a cruise? Learn more at a free talk, Viking Night Sip & Sail, at 7 pm at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey in Madison. Registration required. At 36 Madison Ave.
FRIDAY: FEB. 21:
The Morris Plains Rotary Club meets at 7:45 am at Uncle Giuseppe’s Market. Fee: $15, includes all-you-can-eat buffet. All are welcome. Betty Dangler of the Dangler Funeral Home will talk about grief, bereavement, and how to work through it. At 1171 Route 10 (eastbound), in the upstairs room.
At 7:30 pm, the Folk Project’s Troubadour series presents Gathering Time with Bett Padgett. Admission: $15-$20; children 12 and under, free. Livestream: $10. At 21 Normandy Heights Road, Morris Township.
Gathering Time
The Madison Community Arts Center in Madison hosts a 7:30 pm Summit Film Society screening of Sing Sing. At 10 Kings Road.
SATURDAY: FEB. 22:
A busload will depart at 8 am from the Ukrainian American Cultural Center in Whippany for a 2 pm pro-Ukraine rally in Washington. Call 973-294-6225 for more.
The Morristown & Township Library hosts Indoor Qigong at 9:30 am. Free. No experience or registration required. Upstairs in the F.M. Kirby Gallery, at One Miller Road, Morristown.
The Mayo Performing Arts Center presents The Gazillion Bubble Show, at 11 am, 2 pm and 5 pm. Tickets: $31-$58. At 100 South St., Morristown, 973-539-8008.
United Voices Morris presents Pride in Progress: A Community Conversation,from noon to 4 pm at the Morristown United Methodist Church. Register here.
The Rev. Sasha Ostrom.
The Morristown Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (MUUF) in Morris Township invites the public to its 4 pm installation of the Rev. Sasha Ostrom as its fifth settled minister. The ceremony will be followed by a celebratory reception in Chu Hall. At 21 Normandy Heights Road. RSVP here.
At 7 pm, the Madison Community Arts Center hosts its monthly Come Original Showcase, featuring local musicians. Admission: $10-$15. At 10 Kings Road.
Drew University in Madison presents The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center performing a program of Mozart and Mendelssohn, at 7:30 pm. Tickets: $60. At 36 Madison Ave., (212) 875-5788.
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
SUNDAY: FEB. 23:
The Morris Winter Market at Convent Station commences at 9:30 am, and will return virtually every Sunday through April 27, 2025, from 9:30 am until 1 pm. Presented by Grow It Green Morristown.
Morristown photographer Frank Briden will host a 2 pm reception for his exhibition at the Morristown & Township Library. Free. At One Miller Road, Morristown.
Melissa Valeroso believes in using both sides of her brain.
Her left brain led her to a Bachelor’s degree in accounting at Seton Hall and a career as a senior tax consultant at Deloitte in Morristown.
Her right brain led her to audition for Morristown Onstage. On March 4, 2025, when she takes the stage to belt out Christina Aguilera’s Bound to You, she’ll be all right brain.
Valeroso is one of 16 finalists this year in the Morris Educational Foundation’s annual fundraiser at the Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC). Every year performers with connections to Morristown, Morris Township, or Morris Plains vie for cash prizes bestowed by the judges and the audience at Morristown Onstage.
This year’s judges are Ladonna Burns, a New York-based singer, actress and vocal performance coach; Gabriela Jileva, owner and director of of Fred Astaire Dance Studios in Morristown and Summit; Tom Sellwood, owner and director of the Sellwood Studio of Performing Arts conservatory; and Allison Larena, president and CEO of MPAC.
Morristown Onstage finalist Melissa Valeroso. Photo by Beth Carroll
Should Valeroso win any prize money, she intends to donate half to the American Red Cross LA Region to help people impacted by the wildfires.
“The remainder I would use to get myself into a real studio and try recording some music,” she said.
Valeroso grew up in Old Bridge and still lives there with her parents, Liza and Ricky, while commuting to Morristown for work. Her parents immigrated to the USA from the Philippines, and while she and her brother were born in the USA, she is proud of her heritage and of her status as a first-generation American.
Although she’s always enjoyed singing — she participated in her high school’s musicals — Valeroso’s career in music was sidelined when, like Chloe in the movie Pitch Perfect, she ended up with vocal nodules that required surgery.
“I never really had voice training,” she said, “Unless you count the vocal physical therapy I had to do after my surgery to strengthen my vocal cords.”
That therapy worked! By the time she was 17, she was singing with her dad’s band, The Echoes, at gigs around New Jersey. “It was kind of a doowop band,” she said.
Valeroso performed such songs as At Last by Etta James, Sway by the Pussycats, These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ by Nancy Sinatra, and Mercy by Duffy.
In high school, she suffered from depression and while traditional therapy was helpful, she feels that music was a different kind of therapy that was also an effective tool in her mental health treatment.
“I think it’s important to talk about it,” she said. “Mental illness is real and it’s harmful to treat it as something shameful.”
While she feels strongly about using her voice to promote awareness of the importance of mental health, in a few weeks she’ll be using that same voice to wow the audience at the MPAC.
There’s that left brain – right brain duality again. If anyone can pull it off, Valeroso can. She’s had a lot of practice.
Sixteen top amateur acts from Greater Morristown will compete at the Mayo Performing Arts Center on March 4, 2025 for cash prizes at the 18th annual Morristown Onstage. Presented by the Morris Educational Foundation, the show benefits programs in the Morris School District. Tickets are $43-$95, available online or at MPAC, 100 South St., 973-539-8008.
Soprano Franchesca Henry, 27, works hard to develop her voice. She teaches privately and online, lands parts in local productions, and has studied and performed in Italy. She also has a steady church gig with Calvary Episcopal Church in Summit, and a part-time job at Agricola in Morristown to help keep the lights on.
The extraordinary result of all her efforts will be in the spotlight when she sings Giacomo Puccini‘s Ch’il Bel Sogno from La Rondine(The Swallow), as a contestant at Morristown Onstage on March 4, 2025.
“It was (Puccini’s) first opera, and is not well known,” she explained. “But this aria is in the first act and you’re given a kind of treat almost as soon as you sit down. The song is like a competition piece,” a favorite among opera contestants because it is so challenging to perform, she said.
Morristown Onstage 2025 finalist Franchesca Henry. Photo by Marion Filler
Henry is among 16 finalists who will compete at the Mayo Performing Arts Center for cash prizes, in the Morris Educational Foundation’s 18th annual fundraiser for the Morris School District. The competition is open to people who live, work or study in Morristown, Morris Township, or Morris Plains.
Ch’il Bel Sogno (Beautiful Dream) is a “very moving piece, we call it a rubato,” Henry said. “It’s almost like speaking. And then it becomes very still. There are a lot of times when it moves forward, almost like it’s imitating speech, but then you have these still moments when I’m singing high A’s, B’s and C’s.”
“Changing from this moving – singing- speaking to this legato, this stretched-out singing, and finding the vowel sounds to make them the most beautiful and also understood,” is hard she admitted. “But the song is fabulous.”
The aria is about love; it’s by Puccini, after all. A courtesan fantasizes about the possibility of a chaste romance, a new relationship. Henry is the Swallow or the Rondine of the title, who flies towards the sun and happiness, yet may never find it.
A Bolivian American, Henry was born in Maryland and started singing when she was just 2 years old.
“My mom paid a lot of attention to me. She sang in a Bolivian cover band at the time, and I would just come out on the stage and join her.”
Henry took lessons as a child and studied voice for many years, and has performed with the Bronx Opera in New York and the New Jersey Light Opera in Chatham. She also participates in Dreamality, Inc., a nonprofit in Parsippany that offers music education to children in disenfranchised communities, and to the developmentally disabled.
However, the road to becoming a professional opera singer verges on the impossible.
“A lot of people think opera is so ancient that no one likes it. No. There are so many young people like myself who love opera and sing opera,” Henry countered.
To prove her point, she recently entered the Laffont Competition, sponsored by the Metropolitan Opera, as one of several thousand aspiring singers from the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico.
The requirements are grueling, and when all is said and done, 10 finalists are selected and their careers are virtually guaranteed. In the New York District, sopranos abounded. How tough is it to make the cut?
“Last year they compared it to getting Taylor Swift tickets,” Henry quipped.
Sixteen top amateur acts from Greater Morristown will compete at the Mayo Performing Arts Center on March 4, 2025 for cash prizes at the 18th annual Morristown Onstage. Presented by the Morris Educational Foundation, the show benefits programs in the Morris School District. Tickets are $43-$95, available online or at MPAC, 100 South St., 973-539-8008.
