Broadway Star To Open 2025 Ocean City Pops Season

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Warmer days are here and it's time to get ready for spring and summer fun in Ocean City. Broadway icon Brian Stokes Mitchell is announced to be opening the Ocean City Pops 2025 season, and tickets are on sale now, according to the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The two-time Tony Award winner will open the season on June 22. Dubbed “the last leading man” by the New York Times, Mitchell has enjoyed a career that spans Broadway, television, film, and concert appearances with the country’s finest conductors and orchestras. He received Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards for his star turn in “Kiss Me, Kate.” He also gave Tony-nominated performances in “Man of La Mancha,” August Wilson’s “King Hedley II,” and “Ragtime.” His other notable Broadway shows include “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” “Jelly’s Last Jam,” “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown” and “Shuffle Along.”

In 2016, he was awarded his second Tony Award, the prestigious Isabelle Stevenson Tony, for his charitable work with The Actors Fund. That same year, Stokes was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame.

The show will be at 7:30 p.m. June 22 at the Ocean City Music Pier, and tickets are on sale at oceancityvacation.com/box-office. Tickets are also on sale for eight performances (Aug. 5-14) of the hit musical “Footloose” featuring the Ocean City Theatre Company and the Ocean City Pops.

Also coming this spring is an Arts Showcase put on by the Ocean City School District on May 10. Admission to the show at Ocean City Music Pier will be free, and exhibits will be on display from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with performances scheduled from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Prints and other art works will be available in exchange for donations to scholarships and arts programs. A reception is scheduled for 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Registration is now open for a handful of annual events on Ocean City’s spring calendar.

• Girls Weekend (April 4-6): The popular Girls Weekend Fashion Show is set for 7 p.m. Friday, April 4, at the Ocean City Yacht Club. Tickets are limited, so don’t wait to purchase them. Visit oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice.
• OC Con Comic Book and Memorabilia Show (April 5): Vendor registration and sign-ups for the Super Hero 1-Mile Run and separate Kids’ Events are open at ocnjcon.com.
• Doo Dah Parade (April 12): Dietz & Watson returns as sponsor for Ocean City’s madcap spring parade. Anybody who would like to participate in the parade can register at ocnj.us/doodahparade.
• Sports Memorabilia Show (April 26-27): Vendor registration for the two-day event on April 26 and 27 at the Music Pier is open at ocnj.us/SportsMemorabiliaShow.