Makin Plans: Alborada Spanish Dance's anniversary

• Woodbridge-based Alborada Spanish Dance will celebrate 20th anniversary on Sept. 25 at Crossroads
• Westfield teen Florian Schantz will kick off a library tour with his family-friendly jazz combo
• All-ages shows return to New Brunswick's Court Tavern with a 3:30 p.m. matinee on Sept. 26
• Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass brings ooh poo pah doo and oom pah pah to New Hope arts fest

You can’t go wrong helping Alborada Spanish Dance Theatre celebrate its anniversary at 7:30 p.m. Sept 25 at Crossroads Theatre, 7 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick.

The Woodbridge-based troupe has been turning audiences onto flamenco, gypsy and other international styles of song and dance for 20 years.

So proud is the hometown of New Jersey’s premiere Spanish dance ensemble that Mayor John McCormac recently presented founding Artistic Director Eva Lucena and other principals with a proclamation that declared August Alborada Spanish Dance Theatre Month throughout the township.

The proclamation coincided with an annual appearance at Woodbridge’s Parker Press Park, which, for the first time, featured artists painting and sketching the dancers. Their works will be exhibited at Woodbridge’s Barron Arts Center, 582 Rahway Ave., starting Sept. 26, with a 7 p.m. reception on Sept. 30.

Tickets to the anniversary performance at Crossroads are $15.30 to $25.50 at http://alborada.bpt.me/ and 800-838-3006. For those who attend, the grateful dance troupe has secured a deal on dinner and a show. The Hub City restaurant Esquina Latina, 25 Liberty St., is providing a 10 percent discount to ticket holders. The Latin/Cuban restaurant is open until midnight on Sept. 25. For more Esquina Latina, visit www.esquinalatinarestaurant.com.

Besides going to see Alborada at Crossroads, arts patrons can support the dance theater while shopping at Amazon. The online retailer will donate .5 percent of each sale at http://smile.amazon.com/ch/22-3406591. For more about Alborada Spanish Dance Theatre, visit http://www.alboradadance.org.

All in the family

Families will enjoy the family that makes up more than half of the Florian Schantz Jazz Combo, led by an award-winning 13-year-old trumpet prodigy. His guitarist pop, Lowell, and sister, Margaret, who also plays the trumpet, as well as the flugelhorn, are in the band with trombonist-tubist Rup Chattopadhyay and drummer Cory Ackerman.

They will play a run of library dates starting this weekend. The shows will be:

• 2 p.m. Sept. 26, Sayreville Free Public Library
• 3 p.m. Sept. 27, Middlesex Library
• 6:30 p.m. Sept. 29, Caldwell Library
• 2 p.m. Oct. 24, Piscataway Public Library
• 7 p.m. Nov. 12, Garwood Public Library
• 1 p.m. Nov. 14, Fairfield Free Public Library
• 2 p.m. Nov. 15, Summit Public Library
• 7 p.m. Nov. 20, Matawan-Aberdeen Public Library.

The fall tour is proceeded by 120 performances of Dixieland jazz, ragtime, ballads and blues during the past two years, many of which took place in retirement and nursing homes, entertaining aging and ailing jazz fans. With the help of his dad, Florian founded the band when he was only 9 years old. Future plans include educational programs that will share his vast knowledge of music with his peers.

For more information, visit www.VFSJazz.com.

Westfield jazz prodigy raises the bar

All ages return

Thanks to the vision of new Court Tavern promoter-manager Brittney Nixon, all-ages shows once again will return to the Hub City hotspot.

Bad Case of Big Mouth, Cook Thugless and The Daysayers will share a 3:30 p.m. bill on Sept. 26. Tickets are $10. For more info about the show, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1651657658414990/.

Dixon recently said that she is looking for “youngins” to play future all-ages shows. If you are a young band struggling for gigs or you know someone who is, contact her at brittneyonfire@gmail.com.

For more about the Court Tavern, visit https://www.facebook.com/CourtTavern/events.

Room Eleven, Rotator Cuff headline Melody reunion at Court

Oom pah pah doo

Led by the cousin and nephew of New Orleans’ great Marsalis Family, Rodney Marsalis will bring a gumbo of ooh poo pah doo and oom pah pah to the New Hope Outdoor Juried Arts and Crafts Festival with his Philadelphia Big Brass band on Sept. 26.

Marsalis’ brass band will mix classical, big-band swing and New Orleans jazz at 2 and 8 p.m. at Bucks County Playhouse, 70 S. Main St.

Cousin Wynton Marsalis has heaped on the praise.

“No one plays absolutely beautifully all the time,” he has said, “unless you’re my cousin Rodney.”

Tickets are $25 and $35, but discounts are available at the theater’s festival grounds booth. For more info, visit www.bcptheater.org and http://www.rmpbb.com/.

In addition to the concert and outdoor juried art show, highlights of the festival, which will continue Sept. 27, include other live music, children’s activities, and a Riverbank Beer Garden. Entrance to the beer garden on the Playhouse grounds is free, as is a hot pretzel with a purchase of beer.

The festival will take place from noon to 6 p.m. on Sept. 26 and noon to 5 p.m. on Sept. 27, but the beer garden will remain open until 10 p.m. Sept. 26 and 6 p.m. Sept. 27. For more info, visit www.NewHopeArtsandCraftsFestival.com.

Also worth checking out

The following events also are worth checking out this weekend:

• Halfway to St. Paddy's Day Celebration with music by Lesser Séamus, plus servings of corned beef and cabbage, Irish lamb stew, Guinness, Smithwick's and Jameson, 9 p.m. Sept. 26, Tumulty’s Pub, 361 George St., New Brunswick. Admission is free. https://www.facebook.com/events/1640796479495703/
• Crossroads Theatre Co.’s “Gospel Fest” with vocalists Marc Baily, Leah Joy, Crystal Roe, L.C. DeSandies, Tamara Beamer, Khailah Johson, bassist Ellis Abrams, drummer Chrizhawn Brown, steel drummer Andre DeSandies, pianist-music director Gail Lou DeSantdies, guitarist Gene Clemetson, keyboardist Shawn V. Lucas, and the Body and Music School of Performing Arts, 2-4 p.m. Sept. 26, Crossroads, 7 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick. Admission is free
• Raritan River Festival & Rubber Duck Race with music by Billy, Foxanne, Toys in Trouble, Kala & the Lost Tribe, Korbein, Pat Guadagno, Bobby Beetcut, and Ricky Chess; community exhibits; dance and yoga classes, and fund and awareness raising for the Beez Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to cure brain cancer, noon to 6 p.m. Sept. 27, Boyd Park, Route 18 south, New Brunswick. Free admission. http://www.raritanriverfestival.net/
• Monroe-raised, Asbury Park-based one-man-band Keith Kenny has been turning some industry heads lately. He’ll celebrate the release of his new live CD at 9 p.m. on Sept. 25 at John and Peter’s, 96 S. Main St., New Hope. After that, he’ll head out on a two-month tour throughout the Northeast, Midwest and South. For more info, visit http://www.keithkenny.com.  

Staff Writer Bob Makin: 732-565-7319; bmakin@MyCentralJersey.com