American Masterpieces

American Masterpieces 2009-10 Season

American Masterpieces is an initiative designed by the National Endowment for the Arts to introduce Americans to the best of our nation's cultural and artistic legacy. The following events have been designated by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts as American Masterpieces for the 2009-10 season because they represent the incredible talent embodied in American master artists. Click here for more information on the American Masterpieces Initiative.

Toshiko Takaezu: Sixteen Objects

The Newark Museum (Newark)
May 2009 - Apr 2010
(973) 596-6550

Born in Hawaii, and a New Jersey resident for half a century, Toshiku Takaezu is one of the most important figures in the world of studio ceramics, known for her distinctive minimalist, painterly work in stoneware and porcelain. The Newark Museum first purchased a stoneware vessel by Takaezu in 1965, establishing an enduring relationship with the artist. In 2007 Takaezu donated fifteen pieces of her work, spanning three decades of her career, from bowls and platters to her iconic closed forms. This display commemorates her generous gift to the Museum as part of its centennial celebration.

A Force for Change: African American Art and the Julius Rosenwald Fund

The Montclair Art Museum (Montclair)
Feb 7, 2010-Jul 25, 2010
(973) 746-5555

This exhibition is the first to explore the artistic legacy of the Julius Rosenwald Fund, created by the Chicago businessman and philanthropist to foster black leadership through the arts, literature, and scholarship. From 1928 to 1948, the fund awarded stipends to hundreds of prominent and emerging African American artists, writers, and scholars across such disciplines as history, sociology, literature, and the visual and performing arts. A Force for Change presents the artistic and scholarly products of Julius Rosenwald's support, and includes more than 60 paintings, sculptures, and works on paper by 22 Rosenwald fellows, as well as a selection of documentary and archival materials. Artists include Elizabeth Catlett, Aaron Douglas, Katherine Dunham, Jacob Lawrence, Gordon Parks, Rose Piper, Augusta Savage, Charles White, and Hale Woodruff. This exhibition was organized for the Spertus Museum, Chicago by guest curator Daniel Schulman, in collaboration with Spertus Museum Senior Curator Staci Boris.

Lost in Yonkers by Neil Simon
Winner of the Tony Award and Pulizter Prize

Paper Mill Playhouse (Millburn)
Feb 17-Mar 14, 2010
(973) 376-4343

Often considered Neil Simon's best work, this Drama Desk, Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner is a funny and touching portrayal of acceptance, survival and family dynamics that will take you from laughter to tears and back again.

Sisters in Soul
Featuring Marcia Ball, Bettye Lavette, and Maria Muldaur

The Community Theatre at Mayo Center for the Performing Arts (Morristown)
Mar 5, 2010
(973) 539-0345

Three incredible female performers on one stage. Singer/pianist Marcia Ball raises roofs with her infectious blend of southern boogie and roadhouse blues. Bettye Lavette, who sung at President Obama's inauguration, is rapidly making her mark as one of America's greatest soul singers. Vocalist Maria Muldaur ("Midnight at the Oasis") is an acclaimed interpreter of just about every stripe of American roots music, from blues to folk to R&B.

The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess

The State Theatre (New Brunswick)
Mar 25, 2010
(732) 246-7469

The State Theatre invites you to witness the poignant story of a crippled beggar, the headstrong woman he loves, and Catfish Row--the South Carolina community that sustains them both. Composer George Gershwin seamlessly melds classical music, popular song, jazz, blues, and spirituals to create the quintessential American opera. Iconic songs include "Summertime," "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'," and "It Ain't Necessarily So." Featuring a cast of 30 and live orchestra, this monumental production has won acclaim on six continents, reaching a over 1.5 million people.

Lakota Sioux Dance Theatre

The Count Basie Theatre (Red Bank)
Apr 21, 2010
(732) 842-9000

Founded at the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota with the support of traditional Lakota Indian educators, healers, community leaders, championship pow-wow dancers, singers, and storytellers, the Lakota Sioux Dance Theatre performs work that celebrates the culture of the Lakota people. Set against a backdrop of spectacular video imagery and accompanied by live traditional, sacred, and courting songs, narratives and creation stories are woven into the fabric of the performance.

Candide!
Leonard Bernstein's Operetta, with Book by Lillian Hellman and Lyrics by Richard Wilbur, Dorothy Parker, and John Latouche

Colonial Symphony, performing at Drew University (Madison)
May 8, 2010
(973) 984-7400

Leonard Bernstein's renowned and beloved comic operetta is based on Voltaire's celebrated classic novel. Candide falls in love with the Baron's daughter, Cunegonde...much to the Baron's displeasure. The two lovers are parted by fate and undergo a series of madcap adventures, aided and abetted by the unflinchingly optimistic Dr. Pangloss. Candide is a complex, fun, and larger-than-life musical story, presented by Colonial Symphony as a staged reading.

On Your Toes by Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart

Surflight Theatre (Beach Haven)
Jun 2-13, 2010
(609) 492-9477

Music Professor Phil "Junior" Donal III has a jazz ballet in mind--and wants the director of the Russian Ballet to stage his "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue." But when Junior gets tangled up in a relationship with Vera, the Prima Ballerina, he's forced to assume the male lead. Throw in Vera's jealous ex-lover and dance partner and a pair of thugs hired to make Junior disappear, and the drama offstage escalates way past what's onstage! A groundbreaking comedy, On Your Toes holds historic merit as one of the first plays to incorporate classical dance and jazz into an American musical score.

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