Category Archives: redbankoRBit

Eric McMahon's over-40 mug. By TOM CHESEK One's a newlywed who's apparently still in that somewhat sick-making "public displays of affection" mode. One's a salt-'n-pepper suburban dad to three growing daughters. One's a lifelong lothario whose "single" schtick is starting...

By TOM CHESEK Maybe you first made the acquaintance of funnyman Pat Cooper on a network variety show, back in the days when Jackie Gleason and Ed Sullivan ruled the waves. Back then, Cooper — a horn-rimmed nightclub headliner —...

The real 'Dude.' By TOM CHESEK Sometimes, there's a man, well, he's the man for his time and place. He fits right in there. And that's the Dude. Sam Elliott as "The Stranger" in The Big Lebowski When the filmmakers...

Welcome back, my friends, to the song that never ends: Geoff Downes of Asia. By TOM CHESEK As part of a loose nationwide "underground railroad" of mid-sized auditoriums, theme-park arenas and summer-stage fairgrounds, the Count Basie Theatre continues to play...

It's been back up and running since late January, but this Saturday, the Red Bank Public Library plans to hold a grand reopening to mark the completion of a $1.6 million renovation. The interior design of the facility was done...

By TOM CHESEK The last time redbankgreen looked in on Matt O’Ree, the Jersey Shore bluesical legend was feeling downright Reegal — understandable, given that he had just been officially crowned the Guitarmageddon King of the Blues, by decree of...

By TOM CHESEK Ask the oRBit desk here at redbankgreen and we'll tell you that jazz — real jazz — has been giving us all the high-hat for far too long. Once upon a tick in time, the sounds now...

It's been a while since our last visit to the McKay Gallery, an interval that seems to have coincided with the entirety of winter. Were Bob & Liz McKay in hibernation, or were we? Never mind: winter is over. The...

Detail of the wall and ceiling in the restored New Jersey room at the Red Bank Public Library. Two and a half months after wrapping up a major renovation job, the Red Bank Public Library is preparing for a grand...

The first reviews the Two River Theater Co.'s new production of "The Glass Menagerie" are in, and they're raves. Theater critic Peter Filichia of the Star-Ledger writes that director (and TRTC founder) Bob Rechnitz's take on the Tennessee Williams classic...

Among the 16 eateries participating in April's 'Dine Downtown' promo is Sogno Ristorante on Broad Street. By TOM CHESEK Those who cherish a favorite Red Bank restaurant or two probably don't know the half of it. A walk around the...

Appearing on the Basie stage this weekend are (clockwise from top left): MCC conductor Mark Shapiro; sopranos Sungji Kim and Christine Reber; MSO assistant conductor Lucian Rinando; bass Nathan Baer; tenor Daniel Molkentin; clarinetist/conductor Roy Gussman; and violist Dorothy Sobieski....

Hold onto your lederhosen, Little Kraut: Lewis Black darkens the stage for two nights this week in the latest of a string of sold-out shows at the Count Basie Theatre. By TOM CHESEK You would think this was a sweet...

Himself. In response to questions posted by a redbankrgreen reader earlier this week, management at Count Basie Theatre Foundation, which is organizing Bruce Springsteen's solo acoustic show May 7, sent us the following this morning. About 1,000 seats are being...

The joint was jumping before sunset last night as the Downtown (née the Downtown Café) reopened following major renovations to the Red Bank nightspot. Click pix to enlarge. Email this story

Rob Dye outside Red, with the Downtown visible over his left shoulder. By TOM CHESEK If you've spent any time at all navigating the brackish channels of the Jersey Shore bar scene, chances are excellent that you've encountered Rob Dye...

Maybe Bear Stearns should have turned to Bruce Springsteen for a bailout. Tickets to Springsteen's May 7 solo fundraiser concert at the Count Basie Theatre to help the facility defray costs of rehab work will be auctioned off with a...

Cast members rehearse for next week's Cool School Showcase event at the Count Basie Theatre. By TOM CHESEK In some respects, it's not all that different from those good old school talent shows that generations have known and tolerated. Only...

By TOM CHESEK With his luxurious mane of silver hair, his Continental bearing, and his years of training in the most formidable academies of the former Soviet Union, Vladislav Kovalsky could be said to embody the very image of the...

Two River Theater founder Bob Rechnitz apparently can't believe what he's hearing as zoning board members detail their objections to his proposal. Bob Rechnitz thought he had a can't-miss idea. Buy a single-family house on the West Side of Red...