Wharton Performing Arts School Celebrates 40th Anniversary with Landmark 2025–26 Season

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ—Wharton Arts proudly announces the 40th Anniversary of its Performing Arts School, marking four decades of inspiring creativity, connection, and community through music, theater, and the performing arts. Since its founding in 1985, the Wharton Performing Arts School (PAS) has grown into a cornerstone of arts education in New Jersey, nurturing generations of students while fostering a vibrant, inclusive artistic community.

The 2025–26 Wharton Arts season, themed Arise!, invites audiences and students alike to celebrate artistry, representation, inspiration, self-expression, and empathy. Signature performances, community gatherings, and milestone events will honor the school’s history while looking ahead to the next 40 years of impact.

Highlights of the anniversary season include:

• Holiday Cabaret: Celebrating 40 Years of Community Through the Arts December 12, 2025 | Wharton Black Box Theater, Berkeley Heights
  A festive fundraiser and performance featuring PAS students and faculty, honoring four decades of transformative arts education.
• Wharton Players in Beetlejuice JR. December 5–7, 2025 | Wharton Black Box Theater, Berkeley Heights
  A frightfully funny student musical production of the Broadway favorite.

• Fall Festival & Suzuki Halloween Playdown October 24, 2025 | Wharton Performing Arts School
  A beloved community tradition with student performances, family fun, instrument petting zoo, and a playful Suzuki showcase.
• CAFÉ Choir Concerts November 19, 2025 and throughout the season | Wharton Black Box Theater
  Showcasing Wharton Arts’ commitment to lifelong learning and creative aging with joyful, intergenerational music-making.

Said Performing Arts School Director Deb Joyal, “Forty years ago, Judy Wharton founded a community to make performing arts education accessible to everyone. Today, we are deeply honored to carry on that legacy, providing a vast array of classes, performances, and events that connect with students at every age and stage of learning.”

These special events join a rich season of concerts and programs from Wharton Arts’ affiliated programs—the New Jersey Youth Symphony, New Jersey Youth Chorus, and Paterson Music Project—with signature performances including Lunar Rising: A Symphony in Light and Sound (October 18, 2025, UCPAC) and Galaxies of Joy: The Planets in Concert (December 13, 2025, UCPAC).

“Hitting this 40-year milestone is both a tribute to the vision of our founder, Judith Wharton, and a celebration of the extraordinary work of our current PAS director, Debra Joyal, under whose guidance our lifelong learning programs have flourished and our partnerships have grown far beyond the walls of our Berkeley Heights home,” said Artistic Director Helen Cha-Pyo. I am deeply grateful to our dedicated faculty, staff, and students who make our school a welcoming, inspiring learning space for all.”

“Wharton Arts began with a vision to make high-quality performing arts education accessible to all,” said Executive Director Gina Caruso. “As we celebrate our 40th year, we honor the thousands of students, families, faculty, and supporters who have built this thriving community—and we look forward to shaping the next 40 years of creativity together.”

The anniversary season will feature community celebrations, alumni gatherings, and opportunities for supporters to invest in Wharton’s future. Proceeds from the Holiday Cabaret and other fundraising events directly support student scholarships, educational programs, and performance opportunities.

For tickets, sponsorships, and more information about Wharton Arts’ 40th Anniversary season, visit WhartonArts.org.

Wharton Arts’ mission is to offer accessible, high quality performing arts education that sparks personal growth and builds inclusive communities.

Wharton Arts’ vision is for a transformative performing arts education in an inclusive community to be accessible for everyone.