Compiled by Kevin Coughlin
From heavenly harps to baudy puppets to blood-curdling historical homicides, Greater Morristown has a little something for everyone this weekend.
UPDATE: The baudy puppet show at the Mayo Performing Arts Center has been canceled…but there are more than enough events here to pick up the slack!
Get tips on careers or longevity, or both. Clean a river. Re-visit the Borscht Belt or the Crime of the 19th Century.
Scroll down for details. Or dive into our handy calendar for even more options.
THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014
You can’t turn back the clock…but maybe you can make it tick slower. Licensed clinical social worker Renee Jacobs will “discuss the physical pillars of nutrition, sleep and exercise and the vital role each plays in creating vitality and longevity,” at 10:30 am at the Morristown Jewish Center, 177 Speedwell Ave. Admission is free. Next week, in part two, this certified Rubenfeld Synergist will discuss emotional and psychological health.
Calling all Game of Thrones fans! The Morristown & Township Library is hosting a free discussion about the HBO series (which begins Season Four on April 6, 2014) and the George R. R. Martin book series A Song of Ice and Fire. The talk starts at 7 pm and includes refreshments. The library promises “this program will delve into the relevant characters, events and history that shaped the time period prior to the scenes of the first book and the first HBO episode.” No spoilers or plot lines beyond season one will be revealed. Bring your theories–but leave your Valyrian Steel at home. At One Miller Road, Morristown.
Spyro Gyro celebrates the 35th anniversary of Morning Dance, the 1979 crossover hit that put this contemporary jazz fusion combo on the map, at 8 pm at Morristown’s Mayo Performing Arts Center. Tickets: $39-$59. At 100 South St. Call 973-539-8008.
FRIDAY, MARCH 21
Interested in a career as a medical technician? Learn more during a free 11 am session at the Morristown Neighborhood House at 12 Flagler St. “The program offers ways to become a certified nursing assistant, a certified medication aid, a certified alcohol and drug counselor, a phlebotomy technician, and a certified medical billing and coding specialist.” To register, or for more information, call Rosa Chilquillo at 973-538-1229 ext 37.
Organ Music of the Great French Tradition comes to the Presbyterian Church in Morristown at noon. The 45-minute concert by Carol Johnson, Joel Ramseyer and Matthew Webb is free; lunch from a local restaurant can be purchased afterward for $7. At 57 East Park Place. Call 973-538-1776 for more.
The Simon Gallery in Morristown is hosting a reception from 6 pm to 8 pm for artist Santiago Hernandez, whose exhibition runs through April 19, 2014, at 48 Bank St.
Want to hear some heavenly sounds? Celtic Harp should do the trick, at 8 pm at The Minstrel in Morris Township. Harpers Patrick Ball, Lisa Lynne and Aryeh Frankfurter take you “deep into the myths, magic and fabled history of this most captivating instrument,” the Minstrel says. Admission: $8, children 12 and under, free. At the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship, 21 Normandy Heights Road.
SATURDAY, MARCH 22
The Whippany River Watershed Action Committee (WRWAC) has scheduled a clean-up of the Whippany River from 9 am to noon. Anyone interested in volunteering should come to the Bethel AME Church on Spring Street in Morristown. Last year more than 2,500 pounds of garbage and debris were removed from this stretch of the river.
Singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant comes to the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown at 8 pm. She will “perform intimate songs specifically written to be performed with a symphony orchestra.” Tickers: $59-$99. At 100 South St. Call 973-539-8008.
SUNDAY, MARCH 23
Jude M. Pfister, chief of cultural resources at the Morristown National Historical Park, will sign and sell copies of his award-winning book, The Jacob Ford Jr. Mansion, to visitors at the Macculloch Hall Historical Museum between 1 pm and 4:30 pm. Admission: Adults $8; seniors $6; children 6 – 12 years $4; children 5 years and under and Museum members are free. At 45 Macculloch Ave., Morristown.
Too Jewish? Avi Hoffman, an Off-Broadway musical in the tradition of Vaudeville, Borscht-Belt shtick and Allan Sherman, comes to the Bickford Theatre in Morris Township at 2 pm. Tickets: $30/Museum-Theatre Guild members and seniors, $35/general public, $28/groups (10 or more), $20/students (18 and under or with valid college ID). At 6 Normandy Heights Road. Call 973-971-3706 for more information.
Celebrate the arrival of spring with Opera in Springtime, at 3 pm as part of the Opera at Florham series, in Lenfall Hall of Fairleigh Dickinson University, 285 Madison Ave., Madison. Tickets: Single $30, senior $25, student (under 22), $10. Call 973-443-8620 for more.
Take two: Morristown’s Macculloch Hall Historical Museum kicks off a monthly lecture series, Controversies: The More Things Change… at 4:30 pm with a rescheduled talk about the infamous 1833 murder trial of Antoine LeBlanc. Retired Superior Court Judge Kenneth MacKenzie is an expert on this bizarre and gruesome case, which thrust Morristown into the spotlight in the 19th century. The series enhances an exhibit exploring local events of national significance. Admission: Adults $8; seniors $6; children 6 – 12 years $4;children 5 years and under and Museum members are free. At 45 Macculloch Ave. This talk was postponed earlier this month by weather-related issues.
