6/1 tuesday

Karaoke - 9 PM to closing, at Ryan's Pub, 299 Spotswood Englishtown Road, Monroe Topwnship, NJ. Call 732-251-1709, or visit www.RyansPubNJ.com.

Terrific Twos - for children 24 to 36 months old with caretaker. 11:15 AM, at the South Brunswick Public Library, 110 Kingston Lane, Monmouth Junction, NJ. Always call to confirm date and time of events. Call 732-329-4000 x7286.

Men’s Open Court Basketball - 8 - 10 PM, at Congregation B’nai Tikvah, 1001 Finnegan’s Lane, North Brunswick, NJ. Please use the Main Entrance. Fee, FREE to members. Call 732-297-0696, or visit www.BnaiTikvah.org.

StoryTime - children’s literary program. 10:30 AM, at Barnes & Noble, 240 Route 22 West, Springfield, NJ. FREE, preregister. Call 973-376-8544, or visit www.bn.com or www.barnesandnobleinc.com.

Historical Exhibit - a colorful new exhibit which provides a broader context for what people can see at this authentic, turn-of-the-century living history farm, maintained by the Monmouth County Park System. 1 - 3 PM daily, at Historic Longstreet Farm, Longstreet Road, Holmdel Park, Holmdel, NJ. The exhibit - which includes plenty of photos and artifacts - explains the architecture, tools, farm buildings, transition to modern agricultural methods, and place of the Longstreet Family in the larger community. On permanent display. Made possible with funding from the New Jersey Historical Commission, the Friends of the Parks, and a private donation. Call 732-842-4000 (TDD/TTY# 711), or visit www.monmouthcountyparks.com.

Les Femmes du Maroc - exhibition of the latest body of work by the New York-based, Moroccan-born artist Lalla Essaydi. On display during regular hours at the Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum, 71 Hamilton Street (corner of George Street) on the College Avenue campus of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. The artist is a contemporary Islamic woman whose subjects are informed by feminist perspectives and personal experience. The exhibit showcases 17 large-scale photographs which portray Moroccan women in tableaux based on famous examples of 19th-century European and American Orientalist paintings and covered in Arabic calligraphic script. Each photograph is the culmination of careful staging and is evidence of an arduous performative process over many hours. A selection of Orientalist works from the museum's extensive collections of European graphic art will also be on display to provide a cultural context for Essaydi's work. Continues through June 6, 2010. Call 732-932-7237 x610, or visit www.zimmerlimuseum.rutgers.edu.

Wicked - based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, this smash hit musical tells the story of the witches of Oz. 7 PM, at the Gershwin Theatre, 222 West 51st Street, Manhattan, NYC. Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the land of Oz. One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. These two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch. Fee. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster, 212-307-4100 or www.ticketmaster.com, or at the Gershwin Theatre box office. Visit www.wickedthemusical.com.

6/2 wednesday

Weekly Stitch-In - sponsored by The Princeton, NJ Chapter Of The Embroiderers' Guild of America, Inc. 7 - 9 PM, at Princeton Windrows, easily accessible from Route 1 off College Road West, Princeton, NJ. Contact: PrincetonEGA@aol.com or Marianne at 732-828-8608.

Toms River Farmer's Market - an opportunity to visit with local vendors, to select from fresh-picked Jersey Fresh produce (fruits and vegetables, plants, herbs, etc...), along with a variety of specialty food items - from beekeeper's honey to homemade pickles, fresh breads and more! 11 AM - 5 PM, in Huddy Park, on Water Street in downtown Tom's River, NJ. Rain or shine. Call 732-341-8738 or 732-946-2711, or visit www.DowntownTomsRiver.com.

Israeli Dancing - a session designed for beginners and those who may be "rusty," led by Nurit Brown. 7 - 10 PM, in the gym/all-purpose room at Congregation B’nai Tikvah, 1001 Finnegan’s Lane, North Brunswick, NJ. Open to everyone, regardless of gender or age. Soft sole shoes are required. FREE. Call 732-297-0594, email nuritbrown@yahoo.com, or visit www.BnaiTikvah.org.

Target First Wednesdays - special activities, extended hours and a reduced admission fee. 5 - 7 PM, at Please Touch Museum®, at Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, PA. Visitors can enjoy six interactive exhibits along with theater performances, art activities, and storytelling. Attractions include: theater show in the Please Touch Playhouse (5:30 PM), your favorite puppets throughout the museum, fun activities in the Elaine Wideman-Vaughn Program Room, and story times throughout the museum galleries. Fee, children under one are FREE. Call 215-581-3181, or visit www.pleasetouchmuseum.org.

Drumthwacket Guided Public Tours - a chance to explore a historically important Princeton estate and gardens - the official residence of the Governor of New Jersey, Drumthwacket, Route 206, just south of Princeton, NJ. Sited on land that witnessed the Princeton battle of the American Revolution, Drumthwacket was built in 1835 by Charles Smith Olden, the man who would be elected New Jersey’s Civil War governor. Drumthwacket's Italianate formal gardens (designed circa 1900), and also the stately house built in 1835, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Also open will be Olden House, the original 18th century Quaker farmhouse and birthplace of Drumthwacket's original owner, and the site of the Gift Shop. The house tour is 45 minutes, but allow extra time to explore. On-site parking. Preregister at least 1 week ahead. Call 609-683-0057, or visit www.drumthwacket.org.

Parents Anonymous - support group. 10 AM - noon, at the Family Support Organization of Burlington / Mercer Counties, 3535 Quakerbridge Road, IBIS Plaza Office Suites 400, Hamilton, NJ. Participants can freely share their questions, concerns, problems and solutions about parenting in a safe and supportive atmosphere. FREE, preregister. Call 609-586-1200.

BINGO Night - a pleasant evening in a spacious, climate controlled banquet hall. Doors open at 6:30 PM, games start at 7:30 PM, at Beth Am Temple, 60 East Madison Avenue (off William Street), Pearl River, NY. In addition to cash prizes, there will be giveaways and refreshments. BINGO will be held on the first floor of the temple and ample well-lit parking is available. Call 845-735-5858, or visit www.BethAmTemple.org.

Raritan Poets' First Wednesday - poetry meeting and workshop. 7:30 PM, at the East Brunswick Public Library, 2 Jean Walling Civic Center, East Brunswick, NJ. All ages welcome. FREE. Call 732-257-3088.

Carollo Scholarship Recital - 7 PM, in the Chase Room at NJ Performing Arts Center, One Center Street in Newark, NJ. Fee. (all events subject to change - always check for updates) Call 888-GO-NJPAC or visit www.njpac.org. (TTY: 877-886-5722) Family concert information: 973-624-3713.

Cirque du Soleil: OVO - this new big top touring production is not to be missed. NJ Suburban Parent's entertainment reviewers have seen this show, and enthusiastically recommend it for children and grownups alike! The show transports its audience into a colorful ecosystem populated with brilliantly costumed "insects" who perform thrilling and astounding feats of acrobatic artistry. The clowns, by the way, are hilarious! Every child seated within our reviewers' view was shouting with delight. 8 PM, at Randall’s Island Park, on Randall's Island in Manhattan's East River, NYC. This show is "a headlong rush into a colorful ecosystem teeming with life, where insects work, eat, crawl, flutter, play, fight and look for love in a non-stop riot of energy and movement." It's funny and exciting, and there's even a love story. The stunning flying trapeze act is the biggest of its kind ever presented under a big top by Cirque du Soleil. Our reviewers recommend the "Tapis Rouge VIP Experience," which includes: preferred seating, reserved parking, and access to the Tapis Rouge suite via an exclusive entrance one hour before the show and during intermission. In a stunningly decorated area, VIP ticket holders are treated to unique multimedia entertainment and original music; hors d'oeuvres, fine wines and refreshments followed by desserts during intermission; special souvenirs and additional perks. Find directions at: www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/ovo/tickets/new-york/maps-infos.aspx. Tickets and performance information are available at www.cirquedusoleil.com/ovo or at 1-800-450-1480.

Wicked - based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, this smash hit musical tells the story of the witches of Oz. 2 & 8 PM, at the Gershwin Theatre, 222 West 51st Street, Manhattan, NYC. Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the land of Oz. One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. These two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch. Fee. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster, 212-307-4100 or www.ticketmaster.com, or at the Gershwin Theatre box office. Visit www.wickedthemusical.com.