“Forever Tango” will be presented at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank Friday, May 18, at 8 p.m. Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, “Forever Tango” has been seen by more that 5 million people on five continents around the world. Features an all-Argentine cast of 14 dancers and an 11-piece orchestra. Tickets are $45, $35, $25. For reservations, call the box office at (732) 842-9000 or visit www.countbasietheatre.org. Gypsy music is wild like the wind, passing over and picking up bits from many different cultures. That is why Milena Dawidowicz, violin, and Elena Panova, piano, call themselves Duo Baval, or Wind Duo. Come out to Middletown Township Public Library at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 20, to hear the music created over the centuries by the Roma (gypsies) of Eastern Europe. For more information, contact the library at (732) 671-3700 ext. 320 or visit the library Web site, mtpl.org. The main library is located at 55 New Monmouth Road, in Middletown.
Roll out the red carpet. The second annual “Basie Awards” will take place Wednesday, May 23, at 7 p.m. The Count Basie Theatre awards acknowledge musical and theatrical productions staged by Monmouth County high schools. Categories include Best Performance by a Leading Actor/Actress, Outstanding Musical Direction, Outstanding Choreography, and more. The award ceremony will be hosted by comic Roz Gholston of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing.”
The Monmouth Camera Club will offer four educational sessions in conjunction with a month-long photography exhibit at the Middletown Township Public Library. The exhibit will run through May 29. The presentations are: Turning Snapshots into Photographs, Basic Photoshop and Then Some; Introduction to Wildlife Photography and Creating Digital Slide Shows. Dates and times are available on the library Web site, MTPL.org. For more information, call (732) 671-3700 ext. 320. The main library is located at 55 New Monmouth Road in Middletown. Tickets can be purchased by calling
the box office at (732) 842-9000 or by visiting the Web site at www.countbasietheatre.org.
The Liberty Oak Chorus chapter of Sweet Adelines International presents “Any Time Is Now,” a lively evening of a cappella music, May 19 at 7:30 p.m. at the Pollak Theatre at Monmouth University, 400 Cedar Ave., West Long Branch. Tickets are $18, $15 for seniors and MU students, $12 for children 12 and under. For tickets and information, call (732) 252-6171 or visit www.libertyoakchorus.org.
“Playtime”Illustrations from her book “Butterfly Kisses and Wishes on Wings: When someone you love has cancer… a helpful, hopeful book for kids” and other mixed media works on paper by Red Bank artist Nanci Hersh are on exhibit at No Ordinary Joe Coffeehouse, 51 Broad St., Red Bank, through May 27.
The Art Society of Monmouth County is holding its Members Annual Art Show through May 29. The nonjuried show is on view during normal library hours at the Little Silver Library on Prospect Avenue, behind borough hall. Call (732) 747-9649.
The Joyful Noise Cafe Jazz series continues in May: Friday, May 18, Gregg Gambone Trio, Vel Johnson on sax, John Simms on drums, Gregg vocal and piano; Saturday, May 19, Ocean Jazz Trio; Memorial Day Weekend Jazz – Friday, May 25, Poncho D; Saturday, May 26, Nu-Horizans with Talib Zain; Sunday, May 27, Jerry Romano Quartet. Performances begin at 8 p.m. The cafe is located at 1400 Asbury Ave. and Prospect Avenue, Asbury Park. For more information, call (732) 774-5006.
Tommy James and the Shondells will appear in concert at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank Saturday, May 19, at 8 p.m. The music of Tommy James is played in every country in the world, and has been for over a generation. His songs, like “Crystal Blue Persuasion,” are part of the fabric of modern culture.
Tickets: $88-$28. Call the box office at
(732) 842-9000 or visit www.countbasietheatre.org.