George Street Playhouse Awarded NJEDA Grant for “Choose Your Price” Performances of “My Lord, What A Night”

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) — George Street Playhouse (GSP) announced that they are the recipients of a $500,000 grant from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) under Phase II of the Activation, Revitalization, and Transformation (A.R.T.) program. This grant will support an expanded run and “Choose Your Price” performances for GSP’s upcoming production of My Lord, What A Night, designed to increase access to professional theater for audiences across New Jersey.

The NJEDA A.R.T. Phase II program aims to catalyze community placemaking efforts by leveraging New Jersey’s arts and cultural sector as a creative force for change, and by supporting non-profit organizations focused on public art installations and arts-based initiatives. Funded through the American Rescue Plan (ARP), A.R.T. Phase II replicates the first phase of the program, which focused on Atlantic City and Newark, by expanding eligibility to municipalities throughout the state. The A.R.T. Phase II program adds to the NJEDA’s robust toolkit of existing programs meant to expand access to arts and culture, which includes the Cultural Arts Facilities Expansion (CAFE) program, which provides tax credits to incentivize broad scale capital projects for arts and cultural venues in New Jersey.

Six performances will be offered as “Choose Your Price” events: Wednesday May 6 at 1:00pm; Friday May 8 at 7:30pm; Saturday May 9 at 7:30pm; Sunday May 10 at 7:00pm; Tuesday May 12 at 7:00pm; and Wednesday May 13 at 2:00pm. For these performances, anyone may purchase tickets at a price of their choosing, starting at $10 (all fees included). The initiative is designed to reduce barriers to attending live theater and welcome new audiences from across the region.

“Choose Your Price” tickets begin at $10 and are available here. Performances take place at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, which is located at 11 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

“George Street Playhouse has long been a cornerstone of New Brunswick’s vibrant arts community, and this $500,000 NJEDA A.R.T. grant is a well-deserved recognition of its continued impact,” said New Brunswick Mayor Jim Cahill. “By expanding access through ‘Choose Your Price’ performances, GSP is ensuring that more people throughout our region can experience the power of live theater right here in the heart of our city. We are proud that New Brunswick remains a place where arts, culture, and community come together, and we congratulate the entire George Street Playhouse team on this exciting achievement.”

Added Lindsay Erben, Director of the Arts Institute of Middlesex County, “We are committed to ensuring that everyone has access to meaningful, high‑quality arts experiences right here in Middlesex County. The ‘Choose Your Price’ model is a powerful way to welcome audiences who may have previously faced cost barriers, while also encouraging those who are able to invest more deeply in a treasured community institution. We are proud to support George Street Playhouse as a Core Partner Institution and applaud their continued leadership in making theater accessible to all.”

Additionally, GSP will offer Spanish Open Captioning at the performances on Saturday May 9 at 7:30pm, and Sunday May 10 at 7:00pm.

“The Consulate of Mexico in New Brunswick is delighted that George Street Playhouse will offer two performances with Open Captioning in Spanish on May 9th and 10th,” said Mariana Diaz, Head Consul. Head Consul Diaz welcomed this initiative, stating that “it allows the Spanish speaking community of New Jersey to experience art and culture in a way that is easier to understand, and also brings people closer to GSP and their wonderful programming.”

My Lord, What a Night is written by Deborah Brevoort (Blue Moon Over Memphis) and directed by Sheldon Epps (Play On!). Previews for My Lord, What a Night will begin on Tuesday April 28, 2026, with opening night set for Friday May 1, for a limited engagement through Sunday May 17, 2026, at George Street Playhouse.

A Remarkable Friendship. A Night That Changed History.

Princeton, 1937. When world-famous contralto Marian Anderson is turned away from a hotel because of her race, she finds an unexpected host in Albert Einstein. What begins as a simple act of hospitality grows into a unique friendship between two brilliant minds—one that will resonate through history.

Based on true events, My Lord, What a Night offers an intimate look at the meeting of these two icons and the events that ignited Anderson’s legendary performance on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.