SOPAC CELEBRATES 20 YEARS WITH GALA

Immerse yourself in comedy, art and auction

By Ellen Donker

Max Weinberg's Jukebox is the featured performer. The band will play audience requests from a video menu of more than 200 songs.

Twenty years may seem like a short or long time, depending on your perspective. For residents who remember the groundbreaking for the South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC), and its growth as a destination to experience live performance, arts education and community connection, it’s a blink of an eye. For others who moved here after 2006, it has been a mainstay anchoring their mental landscape of South Orange.

SOPAC is celebrating 20 years as a cultural anchor for shared experiences across music, art and education.

SOPAC is celebrating this milestone with “Gala 20” on June 12. At this interactive evening, emceed by comedian Liz Glazer, guests will move through cocktail hour, dinner, performance, silent auction and a dance party. “It’s going to take over the building,” says SOPAC development director Molly Marinik. “We’re going to have festivities taking place on all three floors. And we’re going to have art and performance infused throughout the evening in exciting ways.”

The big draw for the gala is Max Weinberg’s Jukebox, led by Bruce Springsteen’s longtime E Street Band drummer and South Orange native and his four-piece band. The audience gets to shape the setlist in real time, choosing from a video menu of more than 200 songs – everything from the Beatles to the Stones to Bruce and The E Street Band’s biggest hits.

The dinner will recognize three foundational partners who have played a vital role in SOPAC’s success:

• Anthony J. Leitner – Former chair of SOPAC’s Board of Governors, whose leadership helped secure long-term financial stability and strengthen key institutional partnerships.

• Seton Hall University, represented by Monsignor Reilly, an original contributor to SOPAC’s construction and a continued partner in arts and education.

• South Orange Village, represented by Mayor Sheena Collum, a longstanding municipal partner instrumental in SOPAC’s growth and sustainability.

With a fundraising goal of $200,000, Marinik says the support will be used for the organization’s year-round programming, including world-class performances, visual arts exhibitions and arts education initiatives that serve thousands of students and community members each year.

SOPAC has many programs beyond entertainment. “It’s not as obvious,” says Board Chair Aida Jones, “One of the things that we’re looking to do in this 20th year is to be more intentional about how we communicate who we are and what we do.” She points to the arts education and dance programs, the art gallery with rotating exhibits, as well as smaller, more intimate programs in the Loft, such as jazz, cabaret and comedy.

Reflecting on the legacy SOPAC has built since its opening, Jones says, “SOPAC is really a cultural anchor. It’s a place where the community comes together for shared experiences across music, art and education.” Looking to the next 20 years, she says they will “continue to deepen community engagement, expand access to more people and keep the experience fresh and relevant.”

In case you’re envisioning a stuffy affair, Jones would disagree. “It’s really not a typical gala. It’s immersive, social and connected to the performance in a way that feels, I think, different from a traditional event,” she says. The gala is participatory, because that is what SOPAC is. It’s about bringing local talent and having the community really feel a part of it in a meaningful way.

“We want to share our gratitude with the community for keeping us going for 20 years,” says Marinik. “We can’t do what we do without the support of our local community. It’s an honor to be able to bring the performing and visual arts to our neighbors.”

To attend, visit sopacnow.org and choose from a variety of ticket options, from Performance Tickets ($175) for the concert and afterparty to Full Event Tickets ($500+) including dinner and access to the complete evening experience and additional benefits.