PAC’s 2024-25 Schedule Packed with Legends and Icons

Candace Bushnell, the international best-selling novelist and creator of 'Sex and the City' headlines the 2024-25 schedule for the Performing Arts Center.

Galloway, N.J. – From tales of ‘Sex in the City’ to tributes to music legends, the 2024-25 schedule for Stockton University’s Performing Arts Center (PAC) has something for everybody.  

According to PAC Director Anjanette Christy, this season is filled with “iconic music, cutting-edge dance and powerful storytelling.”  

“This season’s richness lies in its variety and extraordinary talent,” Christy said. "At the PAC, we celebrate the power of live theater and the magic it brings into our lives. Our audiences breathe life into our performances, making every show a memorable adventure. I believe this year’s lineup will engage, entertain and inspire our patrons.” 

Here’s a detailed look at some of the schedule’s highlights:

Candace Bushnell: True Tales of Sex, Success and ‘Sex and the City’ – Saturday, Oct. 26

In a new one-woman show that is equal parts dramedy and memoir, Candace Bushnell — the international best-selling novelist and creator of “Sex and the City” — will grace the mainstage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26.  

Bushnell will take the audience on a storied journey to finding herself and her voice that was documented in her own 1996 anthology and eventually serialized in the iconic television show featuring six-time Golden Globe-winning actress Sarah Jessica Parker.  

Audience members are encouraged to dress to impress in their best couture! A cocktail reception in the Art Gallery with free appetizers and a cash bar stocked with cosmos will be available for those 21 years old and up.  


So Good! The Neil Diamond Experience Starring Robert Neary – Friday, Nov. 8

Broadway, television and motion picture actor Robert Neary will perform Neil Diamond’s biggest hits — including “Sweet Caroline” and “I’m a Believer” — at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8.  

In addition to performing hit songs for “So Good! The Neil Diamond Experience,” Neary will tell the audience the stories behind the songs and the 83-year-old singer-songwriter who originally performed them

Robert Neary on stage, playing a guitar
Neary grew up listening to, mimicking and creating his style from only two people in the music world: Elvis Presley and Neil Diamond.  

Step Afrika! – Saturday, Nov. 16

The first professional company in the world dedicated to the dance tradition of “stepping” will sweep perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16.  

Step Afrika! Blends percussive dance styles popularized by historically African American fraternities and sororities, traditional West and Southern African dances and various contemporary dance and art forms. Performances integrate songs, storytelling, humor and audience participation for a cohesive and compelling artistic experience

Dancers of Step Afrika! performing on stage
Step Afrika! is one of the top 10 African American dance companies in the United States, the largest African American-led arts organization in Washington, D.C. and Washington, D.C.’s only cultural ambassador. Photo courtesy of Louis "Ziggy" Tucker.

The Blind Boys of Alabama – Saturday, Feb. 1

Six-time Grammy-winning gospel group The Blind Boys of Alabama will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1.  

The Blind Boys of Alabama have a career that spans over 70 years. They have been recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Grammys with lifetime achievement awards and inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. The living legends are known for “crossing multiple musical boundaries” with their performances that encompass both traditional and contemporary gospel music

Photo of the Blind Boys of Alabama
The New York Times: "They proclaim their reverence in close harmonies and gutsy improvisations that leap heavenward.” Photo courtesy of Jim Herrington. 

“Moon Mouse: A Space Odyssey” by Lightwire Theater – Sunday, March 23

Lightwire Theatre will bring a classic story of a triumphant underdog (or mouse) to life through electroluminescent artistry at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 23.  

Marvin the Mouse, on a quest to become popular, goes on an adventure through space and finds himself on the surface of the moon. Audiences will join him and his homemade rocket as he meets “a strange cast of misfit creatures, learns of infinite peril and views awesome beauty.” 

Lightwire Theater on stage during "Moon Mouse: A Space Odyssey"
Each Lightwire performance is a unique interpretation of a story told by dancers and glow-in-the-dark puppets. Photo courtesy of Tya Bailiwick. 

Tito Puente Jr. & His Jazz Ensemble – Saturday, April 5

Inspired by his father’s profound impact on Latin music, Tito Puente Jr. and his jazz ensemble will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 5.  

Rather than shy away from his father’s legacy, Puente Jr. embraces it, saying, “There was magic in the music my father made. It made people happy all over the world.” 

Tito Puente Jr. on the timbales
Puente Jr. is the son of "El Rey de Timbales" ("The King of Timbales"). 

– Story by Loukaia Taylor


Full List of Mainstage Shows

Selected Shorts on Tour (Oct. 5); Candace Bushnell: True Tales of Sex, Success and ‘Sex in the City’ (Oct. 26); So Good! The Neil Diamond Experience Starring Robert Neary (Nov. 8); Step Afrika! (Nov. 16); Junwen Liang, Pianist (Nov. 24);  A Maccabeats Hanukkah (Dec. 8); “The Nutcracker” by the Atlantic City Ballet (Dec. 13-14); Blind Boys of Alabama (Feb. 1); “Madama Butterfly” by the NJ Association of Verismo Opera (Feb. 7); Celtic Angels Ireland (March 8); Forever Young (March 21); “Moon Mouse: A Space Odyssey” by Lightwire Theater (March 23); Giordano Dance Chicago (March 28); “Carmina Burana” by the Atlantic City Ballet, Greater South Jersey Chorus and the Ocean City Pops (March 29); Tito Puente Jr. & His Jazz Ensemble (April 5); and The Drifters: Rock & Roll Hall of Famers (April 12).

School of Arts & Humanities Performances

Dancers performing on stage
At the center of a liberal arts education, the School of Arts & Humanities allows students to explore their creativity, further their critical and objective thought and expand their view of the world.

Dance-Company-in-Residence: Limón Dance Company (Oct. 11); Stockton Theatre Project* (Nov. 21-23); Fall Choreography Project (Dec. 5-7); 40th Anniversary Performance of Handel’s “Messiah”*** (Dec. 8); Ed Vezinho & the Jim Ward Big Band** (Dec. 16); Spring Dance Concert (Feb. 27-March 1); Stockton Chamber Players** (March 2); Emerging Choreographers Showcase* (April 24-26); and Combined Choir Concert** (May 4). 

*These performances will be in the Experimental Theatre, steps away from the PAC.

**These performances will be in the Campus Center Theatre.

***Handel’s “Messiah” will be performed at Borgata Hotel & Casino.