January - March / 05

		Art Robots Toy-sized robots that paint and tell fortunes using the ancient Chinese system of I Ching are part of a show that asks: What happens when machines and mannequins stand in for human beings? “Almost Human: Dolls and Robots in Contemporary Art” is at the Hunterdon Art Museum through June 12th. Visit www.hunterdonartmuseum.org
		Chinese Bride Marriage is the most important life event in Chinese culture – the combining of two families. Traditional Chinese brides wore red, for good luck. But modern Chinese-American brides often wear white, and red, combining old and new, and East and West. The Newark Museum’s exhibit “The Bride Wore Red” examines the evolution of this ritual over the centuries. Visit www.newarkmuseum.org
		Vision and Voice In their newest exhibition, Vision and Voice, the members of the Princeton Artists Alliance teamed up with poets to create visual art inspired by poetry. More than 35 works including paintings, drawings, sculpture, video and photography – and the poems that inspired them – are on view at the State Museum’s Galleries at 225 West State Street through May 13. Visit www.newjerseystatemuseum.org
		Mars Zone This installation by John Goodyear reminds us of the presence of Mars, the god of war, in the past and our own age, by creating a facsimile of destruction, the aftermath of battle. The zone that he has created at the Hunterdon Art Museum is reminiscent of the battle zones that are found not only in Iraq, Afghanistan, and all over the world, but also in the inner cities of America. “Mars Zone: An Installation by John Goodyear” is on view through March 13. Visit www.hunterdonartmuseum.org
		Lend Me a Tenor Farce is often dismissed as a frothy confection in the theater world, but that doesn’t make it easy to do. Pulling off a good farce, like Ken Ludwig’s “Lend Me a Tenor” at the George Street Playhouse, requires precision teamwork, perfect timing, physical stamina, and serious acting. Visit www.georgestplayhouse.org
		The Superfly Effect “Superfly”, the 1972 film by Gordon Parks Jr., includes a memorable scene that presents the streets of Harlem as reflected in the shiny surface of a Cadillac’s front grill. That image is the inspiration for a group show of contemporary art at the Jersey City Museum, “The Superfly Effect”, which explores the influence of street style, urban culture and the mass media, and includes painting, sculpture, video, photography, cartoons, and even painted acrylic nails. Visit www.jerseycitymuseum.org
		Rosemary and I In Leslie Avayzian’s new play “Rosemary and I", a blocked writer decides to confront her past by conjuring the memories of her parents onstage and letting them interact as characters. In doing so, she gains the wisdom to be able to move forward with her own life. At the Passage Theater through February 27th. Visit www.passagetheatre.org
		24th Annual Juried Photography Show The 24th Annual Juried Photography Show at the Perkins Center is a highly competitive showcase for serious art photographers – as well as a chance for viewers to stay up-to-date about the latest trends in the field. Through February 27th. Photograph: “Fence” by Lori Nix, 2004. Visit www.perkinscenter.org
		New Jersey Tap Ensemble The New Jersey Tap Ensemble celebrates its 10th anniversary with a rhythmic journey through black history, from the Cotton Club to the Noise and Funk – and their feet will do most of the talking. January 30th at the Community Theater in Morristown. Visit www.communitytheatrenj.com
		Harold & Maude A musical version of the 70s cult movie about an 80 year old widow and a death obsessed teenager is the creation of another kind of May-December relationship – the artistic collaboration between 76 year old lyricist Tom Jones, who wrote “The Fantasticks” and “I Do, I Do”, and newcomer Joseph Thalken, who is more than 30 years younger. “Harold & Maude - The Musical” is at the Paper Mill Playhouse through February 7th. Visit www.papermill.org
		Mechanical musical instruments and automata Nearly 700 historic mechanical musical instruments and automata (mechanical figures) were recently donated to the Morris Museum by Murtogh D. Guinness, heir to the brewery fortune, who collected them obsessively throughout his lifetime. A preview of 60 of these unusual, ingenious, and rare objects is now on display. Visit www.morrismuseum.org