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Theater, UFC, soccer, rock concerts, Monster Jam: North Jersey things to do May 31-June 2

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What will you be doing this weekend in North Jersey?

Theater enthusiasts have several local options this weekend, with “Barefoot in the Park” in Randolph, “You Make My Frame ‘Shake’!” in Oradell, “Applause” in Leonia, and Robert Creighton in Hackensack.

Sports are varied in the area this week – Ultimate Fighting comes to the Prudential Center, the Red Bulls will celebrate Pride at their soccer game in Harrison and local sportscasters will take part in a unique horseracing event at the Meadowlands.

Fans of classic prog or hard rock music can choose between Jon Anderson of Yes in Englewood and a Guns n’ Roses tribute band in Teaneck.

Plus, foodies can enjoy a Korean cuisine fair at American Dream, outdoor types can get crafty at Tenafly Nature Center, the whole family can enjoy watching monster truck action at Metlife Stadium and there’s comedy in Rutherford for those who need a laugh.

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Sunny and warm all weekend!

According to the National Weather Service:

  • Friday: Sunny, with a high in the mid-70s and a low in the mid-50s.
  • Saturday: Sunny, with a high around 80. Mostly clear at night with a low near 60.
  • Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high in the low 80s. Partly cloudy at night with a low in the low 60s.

Korean Food WonderLand

Sponsored by aT Center New York, this food fair on Friday and Saturday at American Dream promotes the charm of Korean food. The experience will feature Korean food, games and activities. Enjoy an abundance of samples, prizes, and more.

Go: K-Food Wonderland at American Dream (Dream Stage, Court A, Level 1) in East Rutherford, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday. americandream.com.

Meadowlands Sportscaster Derby

The 5th Annual Sportscasters Charity Derby on Friday at the Meadowlands features two harness races to benefit charitable organizations selected by the participating sportscasters, each of whom will team up with a Meadowlands driver in a jog cart and compete in a field of four for a one-mile race. Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment will donate $5,000 to each of the two winners’ charities and will also make a $1,000 donation to each charity.

The participating sportscasters in the first race will be Chris Lopresti (WFAN660, CBS Sports Radio, SiriusXM), racing for St. Barnabas Hospital Health System; Don LaGreca (ESPN-NY 98.7 FM), racing for Ronald McDonald House; Chelsea Sherrod (SNY), racing for Grow Our Game; Mark Cannizzaro (NY Post), racing for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Participants in the second race are Maria Marino (Action Network), racing for American Cancer Society/Making Strides Against Breast Cancer; Marc Malusis (PIX11, SNY, WFAN), racing for Make-A-Wish Foundation; Perry Sook (PIX11), racing for St. Barnabus Hospital Health System; and Keith Irizarry (MLB Network), racing for Cavan McGovern Family Research Fund.

Go: The 5th Annual Sportscasters Charity Derby at Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment in East Rutherford. 6:30 p.m. Friday. playmeadowlands.com. 201-843-2446.

Brundage Park Playhouse presents ‘Barefoot in the Park’

Written by Neil Simon and directed by J Cavaliere, performances of “Barefoot in the Park” will take place Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the playhouse in Randolph.

Paul and Corie Bratter are newlyweds in every sense of the word. He’s a straight-as-an-arrow lawyer and she’s a free spirit always looking for the latest kick. Their new apartment is her most recent find – too expensive with bad plumbing and in need of a paint job. After a six-day honeymoon, they get a surprise visit from Corie’s loopy mother, Ethel, and decide to play matchmaker during a dinner with their eccentric neighbor-in-the-attic, Victor Velasco, where everything that can go wrong does.

The cast includes Owen McKenna of Basking Ridge, Alexis Rizzo of Belleville, Grace Lyttle of Lincoln Park, and Russ Crespolini and Joe McCaig, both of Randolph.

Go: “Barefoot in the Park” at Brundage Park Playhouse, off Carrell Road in Randolph. 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets purchased online are $20; $15 for children under age 12, seniors age 62 years older and military personnel with ID. A $2 handling fee will be added to tickets purchased at the box office. For information, call 973-989-7092 or visit brundageparkplayhouse.org.

Bergen County Players present ‘You Make My Frame ‘Shake’!’

BCP’s production of this play, written by Luigi Jannuzzi and directed by David Luke, will be performed Friday through Sunday at the Little Firehouse Theatre in Oradell.

Twelve romances come to life at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in this fast-paced series of eight comedic love plays and four comedic monologues. Jannuzzi is a New Jersey-born and bred playwright that specializes in romantic/absurdist comedy with serious themes of love, truth and the need to rise above it all.

Go: “You Make My Frame ‘Shake’!” presented by Bergen County Players at the Little Firehouse Theatre, 298 Kinderkamack Road, Oradell. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. $15. bcplayers.org for information and tickets.

Crafty Critters at Tenafly Nature Center

Meet a live animal and explore your creative and crafty side on Saturday at the Tenafly Nature Center. After an up-close visit with one of the center’s animal ambassadors, participants will create an artistic version of their new animal friend. This activity is tailored for both adults and children ages 4 and up looking to explore their artistic side. Children must be accompanied by an adult. The program will take place indoors and outdoors.

Go: Crafty Critters at the Tenafly Nature Center, 313 Hudson Ave., Tenafly. 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday. $8 for members; $12 for non-members; free for children under age 2. tenaflynaturecenter.org, 201-568-6093.

The Players Guild of Leonia presents ‘Applause’

With sass, wit and a pulsing 1970s score, “Applause” presents show biz in all its glory and ferocity on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The updated musical version of Mary Orr’s story “All About Eve” concerns superstar Margot Channing and her ambitious, scheming assistant, Eve Harrington. Directed by Craig M. Tiede, book by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Lee Adams. The musical’s songs include “But Alive,” “Applause,” “Welcome to the Theater” and “Something Greater.”

“The strength of ‘All About Eve,’ so soundly conceived and executed on the screen, lay in the timelessness of its basic story,” wrote Comden and Green. “It is a tale of treachery…told in terms of the witty, glamorous theatre star and the mousy, adoring girl from the sticks who ingratiates herself into the star’s private world, and then systematically attempts to take over her career, her lover and her life.”

Go: “Applause” at the Players Guild of Leonia, 130 Grand Ave. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. $29; $25 for seniors and students. Free parking is available at the Leonia Swim Club on Moore Street, just off of Grand Avenue. leoniaplayers.org for information, showtix4u.com for tickets.

UFC 302 at Prudential Center

UFC returns to the Rock after setting the venue’s live sporting event gate record last year. This will mark the 10th UFC event at the arena. Islam Makhachev defends his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier in the main event. Fighting in a five-round co-main event is former middleweight champion Sean Strickland and former title challenger Paulo Costa.

Other scheduled matchups include: No. 7-ranked heavyweight contender Jailton Almeida (20-3, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil) squares off against Alexander Romanov (17-2, Comrat, Moldova) scheduled for three five-minute rounds. A pivotal matchup is scheduled for the middleweight division as No. 9-ranked contender Roman Dolidze (12-3, Batumi, Georgia) and No. 12 Anthony Hernandez (12-2 1NC, Dunnigan, California) go to battle. New Jersey’s Mickey Gall (7-5, Green Brook) makes his return to the Octagon to take on Bassil Hafez (8-4-1, Denver, Colorado) at welterweight.

All bouts are subject to change.

Go: UFC 302 at the Prudential Center, 25 Lafayette St., Newark. 6:15 p.m. Saturday. $369 to $12,500. prucenter.com for information, ticketmaster.com for tickets. 973-757-6000.

Monster Jam at MetLife Stadium

Enjoy big-time family fun as 12,000-pound monster trucks tear up the dirt in wide-open competitions of speed and skill. Stunts, big-air, backflips and head-to-head battles highlight the Event Championship. Watch trucks like Grave Digger, Max-D and Megalodon push the limits in Freestyle, Skills and Racing competitions.

At the Pit Party, you can get up close to the massive trucks, enjoy family-friendly activities, meet your favorite drivers, get autographs and take pictures. The Post-Event Driver Meet and Greet is your opportunity to meet and mingle with the drivers shortly after the event. Take photos, get autographs and hear competition takeaways from the drivers in a private event space. You will also receive a Monster Jam souvenir 3-by-5 foot checkered flag.

Go: Monster Jam at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, 7 p.m. Saturday. Parking lots open at 12:30. $35 to $135. metlifestadium.com for information, ticketmaster.com for tickets. All attendees ages 2 and older must have a ticket to enter.

Paradise Rose – A tribute to Guns n’ Roses

So you weren’t able to catch Gn’R on its most recent tour? Or maybe you’re in the mood for more of the band’s hard rock classics? Head to Debonair Music Hall in Teaneck on Saturday for Paradise Rose and get your Guns n’ Roses fix.

Go: Paradise Rose at Debonair Music Hall, 1409 Queen Anne Road, Teaneck. 7 p.m. Saturday. Doors open at 6. Advance tickets are $15 general admission and $20 reserved seating. Tickets are $5 more at the door. debonairmusichall.com. 201-833-0011.

Red Bulls soccer in Harrison

Saturday is Pride Night, presented by Wawa at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, with a sunglasses giveaway as the New York Red Bulls take on the Orlando City SC.

Go: Red Bulls soccer at Red Bull Arena, 600 Cape May St., Harrison. 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Gates open at 6:30. $16 to $211. newyorkredbulls.com for information. ticketmaster.com for tickets.

Yes – Epics, classics & more featuring Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks

Jon Anderson, the original lead vocalist of Yes, brings classic progressive rock to BergenPAC on Saturday, along with the Band Geeks. Anderson was an author and creative influence behind the album, “Fragile,” as well as the series of complex pieces such as “Awaken,” “Gates of Delirium” and “Close to the Edge.” Additionally, Anderson co-authored the group’s biggest hits, including “I’ve Seen All Good People,” “Roundabout” and “Owner Of A Lonely Heart.”

The Band Geeks began as the house band for the Band Geek podcast, created by Richie Castellano (Blue Öyster Cult). The band’s detailed recreations of music by artists like Queen, Toto, Black Sabbath and Yes, have earned the them more than 30 million views on YouTube.

Go: Yes – Epics, Classics & More at Bergen Performing Arts Center, 30 N. Van Brunt St., Englewood. 8 p.m. Saturday. $49 to $159. Box office 201-227-1030 (11 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays). Ticketmaster for tickets, bergenpac.org for information.

Robert Creighton: What A Character!

Robert Creighton, a veteran of eight Broadway shows and the recipient of the NYC Bistro Award for Outstanding Entertainer, will perform songs from Broadway and the American Songbook on Saturday at Hackensack Performing Arts Center. This irrepressible optimist will also share stories – both comic and inspirational – about his journey from a small town in rural Ontario to living his dream on Broadway.

Creighton has been on Broadway in “Disney’s Frozen,” “The Lion King,” “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” “Anything Goes,” “Chicago,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and “Jackie Mason’s Laughing Room Only.” He was nominated for the Drama Desk & Outer Critics Circle Awards, Best Lead Actor in a Musical; and was the recipient of the Fred Astaire Award for Outstanding Male Dancer.

Go: “Robert Creighton: What a Character!” at Hackensack Performing Arts Center, 102 State St. 8 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday. $40 plus fees. hacpac.org, 201-820-3007, hacpac@hackensack.org.

Stand-up comedy in Rutherford

Hatem Gabr presents “The Next Big Thing, an All-Star Standup Comedy Show,” starring Lou Perez, Chris Lamberth, Liz Glazer and Boris Khaykin. Comedian, writer and producer Perez is a regular on “Gutfeld!,” and “Open to Debate.” He’s the author of “That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore” and his writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Spectator and Spiked magazine. He hosts “The Lou Perez Podcast” and “The Wrong Take” debate series.

Lamberth has shared the stage with headliners including Bill Burr, D.L. Hughley, Craig Robinson, Marc Maron and Maria Bamford. He has performed on AXS TV’s “Gotham Comedy Live” and the “2 Dope Queens” podcast. Glazer, who used to be a tenured law professor, has won festivals – Boston Comedy Festival and Ladies of Laughter. Khaykin was listed by Time Out NY as one of Brooklyn Comedy Festival’s biggest stars and is a regular guest on The Comedy Cellar’s “Live From America Podcast.”

The lineup is subject to change without notice.

Go: “All-Star Comedy Lineup: The Next Big Thing” at the Williams Center, 15 Sylvan St., Rutherford. 8:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday. williamscenter.co for information and tickets.

Have an event coming up? Tell us about it. Write to Daniel Galioto at galiotod@northjersey.com.

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