Date Night Options Abound Around Union County

The Borgata, Atlantic City

THIS WEEKEND Friday Comedian Craig Robinson, from "The Office," delivers his standup comedy routine at The Music Box; Saturday Wild comedian Kathy Griffin does two stand-up shows,Saturday, Nov. 19

 NEXT WEEK Chris Cornell at the Music Box Theater, 9 p.m., Friday, Nov. 25 and Saturday, Nov. 26; 

Check out theborgata.com for details about these and other shows.

Kean University, Union

THIS WEEKEND Saturday The 5 Browns — Ryan, Melody, Gregory, Deondra and Desirae — became the first family of five siblings ever accepted simultaneously to The Juilliard School in New York. Their three CDs each have topped the Billboard Classical Album Chart. The quintet perform individually and together, providing duets to complex five-piano arrangements, 7:30 p.m.

 NEXT WEEK No shows

BOOK IT NOW Branford Marsalis Quartet, 7:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 9; Holiday Brass, 3 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 18 

Check out keanstage.com for details about these and other shows.

Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown

THIS WEEKEND Saturday New Jersey Ballet performs a colorful production of Don Quixote, based on the 1900 version staged for the Bolshoi by Alexander Gorsky, about an old knight, his squire, and their fanciful foray into the age of chivalry, 8 p.m.

NEXT WEEK Chicago performs four decades of their greatest hits, 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 25

BOOK IT NOW  Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons deliver their impressive list of hits — and show those guys on Broadway how it's done — on Jan. 17, 18 and 19; Texas country/swing/gospel singer Lyle Lovett rescheduled his August show for 7:30, Sunday, Dec. 11; Legendary crooner Tony Bennett brings his heart to Morristown, Thursday, Feb. 2

Check out mayoarts.org for details about these and other shows.

NJPAC, Newark

THIS WEEKEND Friday "Yamato — The Drummers of Japan," This troupe of taiko drummers combines a sense of drama with the primal power of percussion, producing on of the world's most "physical" forms of music, 8 p.m. in Prudential Hall.

NEXT WEEK No shows

BOOK IT NOW The Grammy-winning New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, NJPAC's resident orchestra, performs in Prudential Hall, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 26.; Folk icon Paul Simon returns to Newark (Jersey trivia alert: he was born in Brick City), 7:30, Sunday, Nov. 27. 

Check out njpac.org for details about these and other shows.

The Prudential Center, Newark

THIS WEEKEND Tonight through Sunday Disney on Ice: Dare to Dream;  The Seton Hall Pirates kick off the 2011-12 college hoops season with a game against St. Francis, 7 p.m. 

 NEXT WEEK Seton Hall v. Yale, Tuesday; Devils v. Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m., Wednesday.

BOOK IT NOW Devils v. New York Islanders, 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 26; Seton Hall v. St. Peter's, 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 26

Check out prucenter.com for details about these and other shows.

Scotty's, Springfield

THIS WEEKEND: Friday and Saturday, Jim Mendrinos, who's appeared in Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn and Leighann Lord, whom you have seen on VH1 and Comedy Central

NEXT WEEK No shows

BOOK IT NOW Rich Ramirez, who's appeared on more than 20 TV comedy shows on HBO, A&E, Showtime and VH1. His acting debut was with Academy Award winners Tom Hanks and Sally Field in "Punchline". More recently, he's had roles on NBC's "Law and Order" (not sure if he was supposed to be funny on that one),  Friday and Saturday, Dec. 2 and Dec. 3

 For details and more information, log onto scottyssteakhouse.com.

Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Madison

THIS WEEKEND To Kill A Mockingbird, the staging of Harper Lee's American classic tale of race, integrity and growing up in the South, through Sunday.

BOOK IT NOW: A Christmas Carol, the staging of the Charles Dickens classic, Dec. 1-Jan 1.

Click on shakespearenj.org for details.

Shanghai Jazz, Madison

THIS WEEKEND Friday Vocalist/harmonica player Rob Paparozzi Trio, who performed with the Blues Brothers, Blood Sweat & Tears and the late Phoebe Snow; Saturday Grammy-nominated pianist Keith Inghambrings the Keith Ingham Trio to perform "From Brubeck to Broadway to the Beatles." 

 NEXT WEEK Nicky Parrott & the Warren Vache Trio, Wednesday

 BOOK IT NOW The Steve Turre Quartet; Turre has been named the top trombonist inthe world, performing with legends such as Ray Charles and Dizzy Gillespie; Friday and Saturday, Nov. 26 and 27.

All shows 6:30 and 8:30. Check out shanghaijazz.com for more details.

South Orange Performing Arts Center

THIS WEEKEND Sunday Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble, the Dance Ensemble is a troupe of sixteen young dancers trained at the Dance Theatre of Harlem, founded in 1969, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.  

NEXT WEEK No shows scheduled

BOOK IT NOW The Nutcracker, performed by the New York Theatre Ballet, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 4; John Pizzarelli Quartet, 8 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 10.

Go to sopacnow.org for more details about all shows.

State Theatre, New Brunswick

THIS WEEKEND Friday Masters of Illusion, based on the TV show by the same name, the show boasts magicians, illusionists, escape artists and two white tigers — all with the express purpose of scaring and stupefying you; Saturday and Sunday Aftermath,  tells the story of nine Iraqi people who lost their country in the years since the United States invasion.

NEXT WEEK Straight No Chaser,  8 p.m., Wednesday

BOOK IT NOW "The Sleeping Beauty in HD," a showing of the Bolshoi Ballet's classic work, from Moscow, 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 30; Paula Anka, Christmas My Way, Thursday, Dec. 1; The Beach Boys' Christmas, Saturday, Dec. 3

Check out statetheatrenj.org for more details.

Stress Factory Comedy Club, New Brunswick

THIS WEEKEND: Tonight through Saturday Bryan Callen, who you will recognize from appearances on Mad TV and Chesela Lateley

NEXT WEEK "A Comic's Tale," featuring Vinnie Brand, Rich Vos, Bonnie McFarlane and Keith Robinson is a show billed as comedy taking on a "tall tale" format, 8 p.m., Wednesday

BOOK IT NOW Jim Florentine, a regular on shows such as Special Attraction. Down and Dirty with Jim Norton, Crank Yankers, That Metal Show, The Howard Stern Show, Crank Yankers, Jimmy Kimmel, Shows at 8 and 10:30, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 25 and 26.

Check out stressfactory.com for more details.

Union County Performing Arts Center, Rahway

THIS WEEKEND No shows

NEXT WEEK No shows 

BOOK IT NOW Judy Collins and Arlo Guthrie: Home for the Holidays, 7 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 27; Erin McKeown's Anti-Holiday Show, 8 p.m., Dec. 3; Nick Cannon's Ha! Ha! Holiday comedy special, 8 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 8

Check out ucpac.org for details about these and other shows.

Wellmont Theatre, Montclair

THIS WEEKEND Tonight Lykke Li, a Swedish singer-songwriter will perform melancholy songs from her second album, "Wounded Rhymes," First Aid Kit opens. Friday Fomer Kinks frontman Ray Davies brings three generations of songs, to the Wellmont, 8 p.m.

NEXT WEEK  "The Musical Box performs Genesis, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway." This band, with authorization from Peter Gabriel, recreates one of the bands greatest albums (they weren't CDs back then!) and includes the more than 1,000 slide projections from the band's '74-'75 tour, 8 p.m., Wednesday

BOOK IT NOW Guster and Brette Dennen, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 25 and 26; Nov. 18. Stephen Colbert is booked to provide his special brand of comedic mayhem on Dec. 2.

Check out wellmonttheatre.com for more shows.