Casino Connection Atlantic City

State of the Arts

Capturing the creative spirit in South Jersey through the fine arts

by Felicia Lowenstein Niven

If you visited a museum, saw a play or enjoyed a concert this year in South Jersey, you’re not alone. More and more people are discovering they don’t have to travel to Philadelphia or New York to enjoy the arts.

South Jersey’s arts community is flourishing, according to Joyce Hagen, manager of marketing and tourism for the South Jersey Cultural Alliance. “We’ve seen some dramatic growth in the South Jersey arts since the SJCA was started back in 1991,” she says. “But we still don’t have the same corporate funding that you might find in North Jersey, for example. There is still a great need for support.”

“When you read about employers and companies moving into an area, one of the things on their list is the availability of cultural events,” adds Michael Cool, executive director of Stockton Performing Arts Center. “It’s not the deciding factor, but it’s in the mix. And when you look at the coastal area from Cape May up through Long Beach Island, there are arts organizations that are very active, adding to the quality of life. The South Jersey Cultural Alliance has really helped focus attention on the need for a vibrant arts community.”

The SJCA was begun to help strengthen the arts in South Jersey by helping organizations come together to market themselves. The organization publishes a free guide to the arts that includes a calendar of events throughout an eight-county region (www.sjca.net or 888-704-7522).

“The arts are so important, and one of the most heady experiences anyone can have,” says Hagen of the SJCA. “The more we get people involved, and especially if we can get kids into the arts early, the more fully they’ll be able to appreciate the arts.”

If you’re looking to experience the arts in South Jersey, Casino Connection has taken the first look. Here are highlights of some of the best that the area has to offer.

THEATER

The “arts come alive” at the Stockton Performing Arts Center in Pomona. Located on the campus of Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, this performing arts venue first opened its doors in the fall of 1976 as part of the Division of Arts and Humanities.

“The first year, the center presented about six guest artists,” says Michael Cool, executive director. “Today, we average about 66. “We’re really fortunate to be just a couple of hours from New York and an hour from Philadelphia. That allows us to bring in performances that are en route to one of those major cities. Stockton brings touring guest artists from all over the world in all of the performing arts—theater, dance, concerts and more.”

Theater remains a significant draw, with shows from musicals to comedies and drama, and shows geared toward students and preschoolers. Children’s shows are often priced at a lower cost, and for certain adult performances, children can attend for $10.

“Children are the audience of the future,” says Cool. “We want to expose them to the arts. We are a cultural resource to the community and to the college, too. We want to give people an opportunity to see what they wouldn’t normally have a chance to experience.”

For ticket information and a current schedule at Stockton Performing Arts Center, visit www.stockton.edu/pac. Residents can also become Friends of the PAC, contribute dues to support programming and volunteer their time ushering at performances.

Dante Hall Theater of the Arts is located just a block and a half from Atlantic City’s Boardwalk. Built in 1926 as an addition to St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church, Dante Hall resembles a cathedral. It was renovated and rededicated as a theater in 2003. And while both exterior and interior feature Italian Renaissance-style details, the venue is a thoroughly modern facility with state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems.

Since its opening, Dante Hall has been host to a wide array of performances by emerging artists, professional entertainers and regional production companies. Plays, musicals, comedies and dramas are among the fare offered in this unique theater.

Ample free parking is available in the St. Michael’s Church parking lot or in the nearby Ducktown Shops lot. For more information on Dante Hall, visit www.dantehall.org.

Just a couple of miles down the road, the Margate Performing Arts Center is home to the Margate Players, a community theater group known for producing high-quality shows that rival many area professional productions. Their mission is to offer high-quality theater at an affordable cost. The group puts on a variety of musical shows and plays throughout the year, including one show made up of all young actors. For more information, visit www.margateplayers.org or call the box office at 609-487-7783.

The South Jersey Youth Theatre produces two shows annually, made up exclusively of actors age 16 and under. Look for their regional productions, or contact them at southjerseyarts@yahoo.com or 609-334-9502.

DANCE

“Every great city has a ballet company,” says Phyllis Papa, founding artistic director of the Atlantic City Ballet. That was the impetus for the change in name from the Atlantic Contemporary Ballet Theatre, started in 1982, to the Atlantic City Ballet.

“Everyone knows Atlantic City,” says Papa. “Now when we tour, we are ambassadors for the arts in Atlantic City.”

The troupe started with a dozen dancers including Papa. “We danced in and out of the casinos,” she remembers, “at Harrah’s Superstar Theatre, the Playboy, the Golden Nugget. The casinos, and an arts grant, supported us.”

The ballet spent time in residencies at Atlantic Cape Community College, and at Stockton. This fall, the troupe made the move to an Atlantic City landmark, Boardwalk Hall.

“It’s an incredible opportunity to be in Boardwalk Hall,” says Papa. “This is a center for the arts. It could be just like in Europe. This week is the ballet; next week is the opera. My dream is to have all the arts in one location.”

“We’ll be rehearsing there during the week and performing on specific dates at Boardwalk Hall and at Kennedy Plaza,” she adds. “On Mondays and Tuesdays, our rehearsals are open to the public. We’d love to have you come down and see the dancers.”

The company features 14 dancers and 10 apprentices. Dancers hail from all over the world, including China, Romania, Latvia, Japan and Korea. Papa’s own daughters are also in the troupe now. Their next area performance will be Dracula on October 12,13 and 20 at the Margate PAC. The ballet will also perform The Nutcracker at the Stockton Performing Arts Center. For information visit www.acbt.org.

CONCERTS

For generations, the Ocean City Pops has been creating excitement about classical music. From their kids’ “lollipop concerts” to more mature offerings, the Pops has played to enthusiastic audiences—frequently at the Ocean City Music Pier, a picturesque venue on the boardwalk overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

“We’re the only municipality on the East Coast and maybe in the U.S. with a resident orchestra,” says Michele Gillian, communications manager for the city of Ocean City. “It’s a tradition that Ocean City has upheld for 78 years. But that’s not all. We are deep in the history of the arts, from our Arts Center to our historic museum to our concerts. We feel it’s an important part of the Ocean City experience. We’re always promoting the arts. We also work with Stockton to present concerts at the Music Pier.”

Ocean City’s signature New Year’s Eve event, First Night, features a host of concerts. “We try to make it accessible,” says Gillian. “We charge $15 a button so that young children can see a symphony or hear a band that they’ve never seen or heard before.”

For information on the Ocean City Pops, visit www.oceancitypops.org. To learn about Ocean City’s arts events, and more, visit www.njoceancity.com.

Whether it’s Mozart or Tchaikovsky, you can be sure that the Bay Atlantic Symphony Orchestra will perform it to perfection. Founded 24 years ago as the Bridgeton Symphony, the orchestra was renamed in 1998 to reflect its artistic growth.

Today, it is the “Resident Symphony” at the Guaracini Fine and Performing Arts Center located on the campus of Cumberland County College in Vineland. It is also the “Orchestra in Residence” at the prestigious Cape May Music Festival. The symphony also plays regularly at the Stockton Performing Arts Center. For more information and a complete schedule, visit www.bayatlanticsymphony.org.

MUSEUMS

For visual arts, look no further than the Noyes Museum of Art, located just minutes from Atlantic City in nearby Oceanville. Adjacent to the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, the Noyes provides a picture-perfect view outside as well as in.

Exhibits change often and feature local artists as well as those of national and international acclaim. The museum also has an impressive collection of working decoys, started by founder Fred Noyes. Lectures, workshops and events round out the offerings. The Creative Sparks series is geared specifically to kids who want to explore their creative side.

There is ample free parking on-site and a nominal admission charge. For more information, visit www.noyesmuseum.org.

The Atlantic City Art Center is right in town and convenient to anyone walking the boards or visiting the casinos. Located at Garden Pier near the Showboat, the Art Center presents three galleries with rotating exhibits that change monthly or bi-monthly. There are also accompanying events such as gallery talks, artist demonstrations and literary readings.

Best of all, the Atlantic City Art Center is open seven days a week, except for national holidays. Admission and parking are free. For more information, visit www.acartcenter.org.

Across the way from the Art Center, you’ll find the Atlantic City Historical Museum, which showcases the unique history of this seaside resort. From Mr. Peanut to the rolling chair and the diving horse, you’ll find it all here. The walls are lined with celebrity photos. An informative video tells the story of Atlantic City. Historic memorabilia line the shelves. Don’t forget to pick up your free pickle pin, a memento of the Heinz pickles that were once given away. Admission and parking are free. For more information, visit www.acmuseum.org.

One of the area’s best-kept secrets is the Sam Azeez Museum of Woodbine Heritage, located off of Exit 17 of the Garden State Parkway in Woodbine. It showcases the story of the American immigrant, and is a model for how we can all peacefully co-exist today.

“This museum presents a powerful tool for teaching tolerance,” says Jane Stark, executive director. “Here we tell the story of 60 Russian Jewish immigrants who were relocated to Cape May County by a wealthy German philanthropist, Baron de Hirsch, in the 1890s. Woodbine was the experimental agricultural-industrial colony. Baron de Hirsch had this grand idea that he could help poor, landless Russian Jews become ‘of the land.’ That was his dream. And while they essentially failed as farmers, they prospered as manufacturers.”

Stark uses the immigrant experience as an example for young people when she visits classrooms or when they tour the museum. There also is a Holocaust survivor who comes in to talk about prejudice. The museum is an official teaching site for the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education.

The museum, just four years old, is housed in a synagogue built by those early immigrants. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For more information, visit www.thesam.org/Main.htm.

GETTING INVOLVED

The other way to enjoy the arts is to participate in them. The South Jersey region offers ample opportunity.

Community theater, like the Margate Players, welcomes not only actors but musicians, choreographers, set designers, lighting designers, costumers, stage crew and more.

There are plenty of places to get involved in dance, music, art and theater (see the chart on page 37.) “I think the value of the arts comes through an individual’s connection with them,” says Joyce Hagen of the SJCA. “And it can be life-changing.”