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Entertainment in Madison

When it comes to arts and culture, Madison may well be the biggest little town in New Jersey.

Madison is home to two of New Jersey’s five professional live theater companies designated by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts as “major arts institutions.” The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, located at Drew University, is one of the leading Shakespeare theaters in the nation. Playwrights Theatre has been devoted to the development and presentation of stimulating new American plays for 21 years.

A sparkling 431-seat, state-of-the-art concert hall opened in 2003 on the campus of Drew University, and presents music events that draw on the talents within the university community and brings renowned professional musicians from around the world to Madison. The Concert Hall at Drew University is the only facility in the state that was architecturally and acoustically designed as a single-use forum for the performance of live music.

For jazz, there’s no place better on either side of the Hudson River than Shanghai Jazz, named by Downbeat magazine as one of the top 100 jazz clubs in the world. With a regular array of world-class jazz artists, fans enjoy the music while dining on outstanding Asian cuisine. The New Jersey Jazz Society presents the three-day annual Jazzfest, featuring many top artists in the field, in June. The Harmonium Choral Society, a 75-voice auditioned community choir, performs a diverse repertoire of musical offerings throughout the year, and several of the town’s churches often play host to well-known artists (such as the American Boychoir and the Harlem Gospel Choir) in addition to presenting their own music programs.

The Museum of Early Trades & Crafts is a landmark in downtown Madison and is devoted to telling the story of how people in New Jersey lived and worked before the rise of large-scale industrialization in America. Take a trip back to the 18th and 19th centuries at a museum rich in history, architecture and folklore.

Madison is also a haven for visual art. The Korn Gallery in the Dorothy Young Center for the Arts on the campus of Drew University presents exhibitions on a regular basis, and Madison’s Chamber of Commerce hosts an outdoor art show annually in the downtown. You should also check out Creative Hands and Art in Progress, two studios primarily devoted to the education of young (and sometimes not so young) artists.

ATTRACTIONS AND EVENTS OF INTEREST IN MADISON:

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey: One of the leading Shakespeare theaters in the nation, and New Jersey’s only professional theater company dedicated to Shakespeare’s canon and other world classics. Mainstage: F.M. Kirby Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue, on the Drew University campus.
973-408-5600. www.ShakespeareNJ.org

Playwrights Theatre: Professional theater devoted to the development and production of new American plays, and provider of writing programs for ages four to adult.
33 Green Village Road.
973-514-1787. www.ptnj.org

Shanghai Jazz: Live jazz Wednesday thru Sunday evenings, with gourmet Asian cuisine. 24 Main Street.
973-822-2899. www.shanghaijazz.com

The Harmonium Choral Society: 75-voice community choir that performs a wide range of standard and uncommon works, and sponsors local outreach events and a N.J. High School Student Composition Contest. Dr. Anne Matlack, Artistic Director. 973-538-6969. www.harmonium.org

Jazzfest: Annual three-day jazz festival presented in Madison every June by the New Jersey Jazz Society.
800-303-NJJS. www.njjs.org

Grace Community Music: Concert series at Grace Church, including ensemble-in-residence The Baroque Orchestra of North Jersey, spring performances by Harmonium Choral Society, and featuring local and international artists from The American Boychoir to Patricia Ruggles. Also, a Lenten organ recital series. 4 Madison Avenue.
973-377-0106, ext. 17.
www.gracemadison.org

Museum of Early Trades & Crafts: Exhibits that explore and interpret the history of the people who lived and worked in the New Jersey area from early 18th to late 19th centuries. Open Tuesdays thru Saturdays 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.;
Sundays noon - 5 p.m.
973-377-2982. www.metc.org

Creative Hands Art Studio and Atelier Gallery: Art exhibits and professional instruction in drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics and pottery wheel for students from ages three to adult. 14 Kings Road.
973-377-2848.
www.creativehandsartstudio.com

Art in Progress: Children’s art
studio. 2 Green Village Road, Third Floor. 973-660-0179.

The Arts at Drew University: Gallery exhibitions, music and theatre performances. 973-408-3000.
Art: www.depts.drew.edu/art/
Music: www.depts.drew.edu/music/
Theatre Arts: www.depts.drew.edu/thea/

Madison Public Library: Concerts, art exhibits, lectures.
973-377-0722. www.RoseNet.org/library/

Visual & Performing Arts Department, Madison Public Schools: The Madison Public Schools offer a comprehensive curriculum from grades K-12 with offerings in music, theater and the visual arts. Exhibits and productions of student and faculty work are presented throughout the year. Visual & Performing Arts Chair. 973-593-0168.
www.madisonpublicschools.org.