Monmouth University’s Performing Arts Series at Pollak Theatre will present Roger McGuinn with Pat Guadagno Friday at 8 p.m. McGuinn is a founding member of The Byrds, who recorded such groundbreaking hits as “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Turn, Turn, Turn.” Pat Guadagno is a well-traveled troubadour with a repertoire that spans decades of country, blues, rock, and soul music. Tickets: $32.. Call the box office at (732) 263-6889. or visit www.monmouth.edu/arts.
Writers Marvin Laird and Joel Paley were so impressed with the Brookdale Community College production of their show “Ruthless!” that they wrote a new ending for their award-winning off-Broadway hit that features precocious brats and overbearing stage mothers. Performances of “Ruthless!” will be held 8 p.m. March 23 and 24, and 2 p.m. March 25 and April 1, at the Brookdale Performing Arts Center on the Lincroft main campus. Tickets are $24, $20 for seniors (62 and older) and non-Brookdale students and children, and $16 for BCC students with valid ID. Call the box office at (732) 224-2411.
“Stage Smarts,” a performance workshop for ages teen through adult, will be offered March 24, 3:30 to 5 p.m., at the Count Basie Cool School, 99 Monmouth St. Fee: $40 Taught by Sandy Sasso, a well-known jazz singer and recording artist, the workshop will provide the groundwork for developing a strong, smart stage presence. While focusing on vocalists, this class is not limited to singers. Participants must bring two pieces of music to perform; an accompanist will be provided. Call (732) 224-8778 or e-mail to [email protected].
Mary Poppins by Kent Melton, Disney sculptor and animator Kent Melton will appear at Cel-ebration! gallery, 30 Monmouth St., in Red Bank Saturday, March 24, 2 to 5 p.m., to meet collectors and speak about the unique 3-D art form, the animation maquette. Melton will bring models of his work for Disney, DreamWorks and Warner Brothers. Collectors will have the opportunity to purchase a Mary Poppins event sculpt created by the artist For more information, call the gallery at (732) 842-8489, e-mail to [email protected], or visit www.celebration.com.
The Monmouth Symphony Orchestra will present a concert March 25 at 3 p.m. in the Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank. Roy D. Gussman will conduct “The Wasps” overture by Vaughan Williams, Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E Minor performed by Samuel Magill, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 17, “Little Russian.” Magill is critically acclaimed as one of the most gifted cellists today. A preconcert lecture will be presented at 2:15 p.m. Tickets are $25, $20 for seniors (60 and over), and $5 for school-age children and students. For reservations, call the box office at (732) 842-9000.
The Red Bank Music Community has launched its latest program: “Now What? Music Career Planning.” A peer-led group moderated by keyboardist/songwriter Grand Masonet will meet at the Red Bank Music Academy at 52B Monmouth St. Wednesdays at 8 p.m. to discuss goals and pursue ideas and possible paths to success. On Tuesday, March 27, RBMC will host its bimonthly member showcase at 9 p.m. at Echo, 79 Monmouth St., featuring 4-6 acts. For information, visit www.redbankmusiccommunity.org.
Renegade Readers Theater, a staged reading series featuring high school students, will hold auditions for “Eat the Taste” Monday, March 26, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Two River Theater in Red Bank. Within a two-week period, teens audition, rehearse and perform a staged reading for the public. “Eat the Taste” by Greg Kotis, creator of “Urinetown,” is set in 2008 during the final days of the second Bush administration. John Ashcroft, the de facto attorney general, is leaving politics to begin a second career – on Broadway! Director Kate Cordaro is seeking a cast of performers with good comedic timing, as the dialogue is witty and rapid-fire, the script maniacally funny, the work a bizarre intersection of politics and musical theater. Rehearsals will be March 30 and April 6, 5-8 p.m., and Saturday, April 7, at 3 p.m. The reading will be April 7 at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $5. Call the box office at (732) 345-1400.
Eatontown Playhouse is presenting “Mass Appeal,” a drama with a strong message of social correctness and the church’s inability to change with the times, through March 31. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $22, $17 for seniors and students. The playhouse is located at 37-13 Route 35 north in the Tower Market Shopping Center. For reservations, call (732) 888-0339. The playhouse’s Children’s Entertainment Series is presenting “The Case of the Dancing Princess and The Emperor’s New Threads,” an interactive fairy tale, through March 31. Tickets are $10 and performances are at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
“Art Par Excellence,” an exhibit of artwork by students with disabilities, will be at the Gallery at 6th, Highland Park, through April 2. The show is the biennial exhibit of VSAarts of New Jersey (VSA/NJ) and is on view at the Highland Park Senior /Youth Center at 220 South 6th Monday – Friday, 9 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. The show consists of 50 pieces by students at schools including High Point Adolescent School, Morganville, the Rugby School, Wall, and Holmdel High School. VSA/NJ is dedicated to promoting the creative power of people with disabilities. For information, call (732) 745-3885, 745-3913 or e-mail to [email protected].