In the Arts

The “Encounter with the Wolf” series at El Lobo Negro Gallery of the Arts, 519 Bangs Ave, Asbury Park, will present classic jazz with the Palmer Jenkins Trio on Friday, 7 to 11 p.m. Musicians are invited to bring their instruments for the third set jam. Tickets are $10.

For information, call (732) 775-3300 or e-mail dhs1250@aol.com.

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Convinced that their mother is going to ruin her life by marrying a punk rock singer half her age, daughters Faith and Hope hatch a plan to break up the impending marriage. Add a jealous husband, a nosy neighbor, a very big dog and misunderstandings, mishaps and mayhem ensue. “Grandma’s Getting Married,” a rollicking farce by local playwright Dennis Driskill, will be performed at the Phoenix Black Box Theatre, 11 Monmouth St., Red Bank, Feb. 3, 4, 10 and 11 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 5 and 12 at 2 p.m. To purchase tickets, call the box office at (732) 747-0014.

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The First Avenue Playhouse, 123 First Ave., Atlantic Highlands, will present “California Suite” by Neil Simon. The show opens Friday and plays every Thursday, Friday and Saturday through Feb. 25. A Sunday matinee will be presented on Feb 19 at 2:30 p.m. Doors open at 7:50 p.m., and show time is 8:30 p.m. Tickets for the dessert theater are $15 on Thursday and Sunday, $20 on Friday and Saturday, and $12 for seniors and students on Thursday evenings and the Sunday matinee. For reservations and information, call (732) 291-7552.

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Dunbar Repertory Company will present “Home” by Samm-Art Williams Feb. 4-26 at El Lobo Negro Gallery, 519 Bangs Ave., Asbury Park. Performances of the comic-drama about a young southern farmer’s coming-of-age journey to the north will take place at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturdays, and 4 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $16, $13 for seniors and students with valid ID. For information, call (732) 775-3300.

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All artists are invited to attend the opening reception of the Monmouth County Arts Council’s 27th annual Juried Art Show on Saturday, 3-5 p.m., in the lower gallery of Monmouth Museum, located on the campus of Brookdale Community College in Lincroft. Awards will be presented at that time. R.S.V.P. to (732) 212-1890 or e-mail cq@monmouthartscouncil.org.

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Jonathan Coulton, writer and songwriter, will be the guest speaker Tuesday, Feb. 7, at 7:30 p.m. at the Red Bank Music Community Guest Speaker Series. He will also perform songs from his CD “Our Bodies, Ourselves, Our Cybernetic Arms,” which he wrote in correlation with “The Future of the Body” series of articles in the September issue of Popular Science magazine. The meeting will take place in the Cool School studio at 105A Monmouth St., Red Bank, just to the right of the theater entrance. Admission is free for members, $5 for nonmembers.

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Eatontown Playhouse, 37-13 Route 35 north, will present “Gingerbread Lady,” a comedy by Neil Simon, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m., Feb. 10-March 4. Tickets are $22, $17 seniors/students. The Children’s Entertainment Series will present “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” and “Hansel & Gretel” for ages 3 and up, Saturdays and Sundays at noon, Feb. 18–March 4. Tickets are $10. For reservations, call (732) 888-0339.

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The Hellenic Dancers of NJ will present their 11th annual “Taverna Night” dinner-dance at Kimisis Tis Theotokou Greek Orthodox Church, 20 Hillcrest Road, Holmdel, on Feb. 11 beginning at 7 p.m. The performance will include dances of Kappadokia and Ikonion as well as regions of Greece including Macedonia, Thrace, Crete, the Northern Aegean Islands and Pontos. Proceeds will assist in restoring the company’s performance wardrobe, which consists of almost 600 complete regional folk outfits. General admission is $50 for adults, $25 for students, and $20 for children ages 12 and under; reservations are required. For more information or to make a reservation, contact Eleni Chakalos, executive director, at (732) 229-3998.

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The Gerard Edery Ensemble will perform Feb. 11 as part of the “Saturday Night at the J” performance series at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Monmouth County in Deal.

The ensemble will perform pieces from the Sephardic and Ashkenazi oral traditions in French, Spanish, Ladino, Hebrew, Yiddish, Arabic and English.

The concert will begin at 8 p.m. at the Herbert and Evelyn Axelrod Performing Arts Center at the JCC, located at 100 Grant Ave., Deal. Tickets are $25, $20 seniors and students. To order tickets, call (732) 531-9100, ext. 142.

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Writer’s Ink, resident poets’ group at the Red Bank Public Library, will sponsor a poetry reading by Laura McCullough on Saturday, Feb. 18, at 1:30 p.m. An open reading and refreshments will follow the free program at the library, located at 84 W. Front St. McCullough has published poems in literary magazines and journals and her first collection of poems, “The Dancing Bear,” was published in 2005. She is on the faculty of Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, where she chairs the Visiting Writers Series.

For information, contact the library at (732) 842-0690 or visit http://www.lmxac.

org/redbank.

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“Jesus 2000,” a Caribbean musical depicting the life of Jesus through dialogue, reggae music, calypso, and folk songs, will be presented at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank next month.

“Jesus 2000” is presented by the Diocese of Trenton and will be performed by a group of volunteer actors and singers from Jamaica at the Count Basie on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 26, at 3 p.m. Proceeds will benefit residents of shelters operated by Missionaries of the Poor in Jamaica, Philippines, Haiti, India and Uganda. For tickets and information, call (732) 252-5097 or visit www.Missionariesofthe-Poor.org.

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The JCC of Greater Monmouth County in Deal is seeking a delegation of Jewish teens, ages 13-16 with an interest in music, fine arts, writing, electronic arts and acting to participate in the Maccabi ArtsFest The event will be held in Baltimore, Md., on Aug. 20-25. Art workshops will be offered at various levels.

For more information, contact Daniel Levitt at (732) 531-9100, ext. 146 or dlevitt@jcca.org. Also visit the Web site www.JCCMaccabiArtsFest.org.