Cyrus Langhorne
Do you have any idea how difficult it was trying to date during quarantine? Let's be honest - for anyone spending their time on dating apps and the accidental run-in at the coffee shop which turns into flirty words and a phone number exchange, the easiest thing to do pre-COVID was coming up with the perfect go-to date. For me? NJPAC, of course.
And then March 2020 happened.
Everyone in New Jersey and New York City literally forced to stay indoors and dating apps became endless ‘getting-to-know-you’ apps with an actual date being tougher than obtaining a Playstation 5 – or even getting it into your cart at the checkout.
But things have since changed with vaccinations surging and the country practically opened all the way back up. The New Jersey Performing Arts Center is freaking back and I can’t wait to attend some upcoming shows. From watching Michael Blackson and Bill Bellamy during holiday comedy shows to witnessing the legendary late John Witherspoon reenact his classic Friday movie scenes – the NJ PAC is much more than a fun event.
People dress up – of all ages – and really experience pure culture and love in one setting. And it’s with great joy and pleasure to highlight some upcoming shows going down at Newark, New Jersey’s legendary venue. Can’t wait.
Eddie Griffin: Saturday, September 18, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, September 18, 2021 at 9:30 p.m. $49.50 – $59.50
Eddie Griffin cut his teeth during the golden age of hip hop standup, with appearances on Def Comedy Jam, Comedy Central, and One Night Stand. The unapologetic comic is still making waves in his current Las Vegas residency and his new special, Eddie Griffin: Laughin’ Through Your Mask, filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The star of Malcolm & Eddie, you’ve seen Eddie in dozens of films including A Star Is Born, Undercover Brother, John Q, and Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo. No topic is off-limits on this night of no-holds-barred standup.
Max Jobrani: Friday, September 24, 2021 7:30 p.m. and Friday, September 24, 2021 9:45 p.m. $39.50 – $100.00
Maz Jobrani busts through cultural barriers wherever he goes, making audiences laugh from the Midwest to the Middle East. Come see the fearless and funny Iranian-American comic as he riffs on politics, parenthood, and the immigrant experience. Maybe you’ve seen his new Netflix special (Immigrant) or heard him as a panelist on NPR’s Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!, or maybe you’ve spotted him on TV (Superior Donuts, Grey’s Anatomy, Curb Your Enthusiasm). Maz has also performed at the White House, given two TED talks with 20+ million views, co-founded Comedy Central’s Axis of Evil Comedy Tour and written a best-selling book, I’m Not a Terrorist but I’ve Played One on TV.
Paula Poundstone: Saturday, September 25, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. $49.00
Comedy is back at NJPAC! Join us for an evening with Paula Poundstone, known for her smart, observational humor and spontaneous wit that has become the stuff of legend. She was the first woman to share the dais with the President and perform standup at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. She was the first woman to win the CableACE award for Best Stand-up Comedy Special. And she can be heard weekly as the host of the comedy podcast Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone, an out-of-control adult education class that meets in a treehouse. Paula continues as a panelist on NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! She is recognized in innumerable lists, documentaries, and literary compendiums noting influential standup comedians of our time.
It goes without saying Eddie Griffin at the legendary NJPAC? Can’t wait. Stay tuned for more updates and hopefully not too many gooey details of my dating goals reactivating at the NJPAC.
