UPCOMING
EVENTS
FALL/WINTER
SPOTLIGHT
SERIES
PRESENTED BY
Westfield has a rich and storied connection to creativity—World-renowned actors, poets, screenwriters, painters, illustrators, architects, business leaders, and more have called Westfield home. Now, these creative luminaries are coming to the Rialto for our Spotlight Series.
Each month, we’re bringing a different guest speaker into the spotlight to tell their story, dive deeper into their connection to Westfield, and reflect on the new vision of the Rialto. Throughout the 90-minute conversation and Q&A, they’ll discuss the importance of creative community spaces and share stories of how their artistic expression was cultivated during their time in Westfield.
There is something for everyone in the Spotlight Series, from movie buffs, history enthusiasts, Broadway fans, voracious readers, photography fans, and more. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to connect with the legends of Westfield in the place that brought them to where they are today.
Spotlight Series events are held in the lobby of the Rialto on a Thursday each month from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. In-person attendance is capped at 50 people due to space constraints. Tickets must be purchased to attend in person and will be available to purchase on each event’s page on this website.
The live event is just one way to experience the Spotlight Series—Everyone is encouraged to participate remotely. We invite the community to submit questions for our luminaries on social media by following us on Instagram, X, and TikTok and tagging us with your questions for a chance to have them asked during the event. Get in on the inspiring conversations by watching the event recordings on our YouTube channel.
Looking ahead, confirmed guests for 2026 include rock and roll photographer Jay Blakesberg, Tony-nominated Broadway composer Matthew Sklar, writer and publisher Wendy Loggia, playwright and novelist Marc Acito, and DJ and producer Sarah Davis.
The Rialto is grateful for Westfield realtor, Jean Marie Morgan, for helping to bring our inaugural Spotlight Series to life.
MEET THE MODERATOR
We’re excited to have Westfield local and radio host Garrett Vogel moderating our fall Spotlight Series events.
Garrett Vogel is a media professional with a passion for storytelling across radio and television. Best known for his work on Elvis Duran and the Morning Show, Garrett has built a career blending creativity, humor, and authenticity to connect with millions of listeners. His behind-the-scenes production skills and on-air personality make him a versatile presence in broadcasting, while his experience in television has further expanded his reach. Beyond the studio, Garrett is proud to call Westfield, New Jersey home, where he finds balance, community, and inspiration. Dedicated to both his craft and his town, Garrett continues to bridge national media influence with local connection, proving that great storytelling begins with authenticity.
CELEBRATING LOCAL HARLEM RENAISSANCE ARTISTS: TANYA BIRL-TORRES & MONICA L. MILLER
This month, we’re joined by two esteemed guests working at the intersection of Black history and creativity. Tanya Birl-Torres and Monica L. Miller are continuing the stories and impact of Westfield’s Harlem Renaissance icons Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes, who worked together in Westfield to write Mule Bone, a groundbreaking play that was the first to depict Black Americans in a non-stereotypical way.
Monica L. Miller is Chair and Professor of Africana Studies at Barnard College, Columbia University. A specialist in contemporary African American and Afro-diasporic literature and cultural studies, she is the author of the book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, which inspired Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, the 2025 Costume Institute exhibition at The Met. At Barnard, she is the resident Zora Neale Hurston scholar and is leading the college’s Hurston Centennial, 2025-2028. A frequent commentator in the media and arts worlds, she teaches and writes about Black literature, art, and performance, fashion cultures, and contemporary Black European culture and politics.
Tanya Birl-Torres is a NYC-based creative director, choreographer, movement director, and systems change facilitator. After a decade on Broadway, she choreographed productions at Goodman Theater, The Public Theater, Signature Theater, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Through her company SoHumanity, she brings embodied practices to social innovation, working with National Arts Strategies, Illuminate Network, and Systems Sanctuary to bridge conversations across differences. Birl-Torres is the Artistic Director of the Washington Heights Womanist Arts Festival. Recent honors include the 2024 MAP Fund Grant and the 2023 NewYorker 4 NewYork Award. She currently serves as Social Practice Artist in Residence at The Shed for "The Zora Project," honoring the legacy of Zora Neale Hurston.
Join November’s Spotlight Series to learn about Westfield’s historical connection to the Harlem Renaissance and modern Black culture.
PHOTO CREDIT: Laura Yost
KEEPING TIME WITH A DRUMMING SENSATION: LUCY RITTER
Our last Spotlight Series of 2025 brings Lucy Ritter, a professional drummer known for her work on Broadway’s Jagged Little Pill’s touring company and Chappell Roan’s Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess tour, back to the Rialto.
Westfield native Lucy began drumming at 9 and landed her first professional gig by 14. After gigging through high school, she studied at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music before leaving to tour with An Officer and a Gentleman and later the Grammy-winning Jagged Little Pill. In 2023, she moved to LA and joined Chappell Roan’s band within a week. From NPR Tiny Desk to SNL, Coachella, and the Grammys, Lucy has toured extensively across the US, UK, and Europe. She’s also performed with Mannequin Pussy and The Two Lips. When not touring, she creates and teaches in LA.
Check out Ritter’s Spotlight Series to hear how her Westfield upbringing fed her musical pursuits and what she thinks a creative center can offer aspiring musicians in the area.
TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE STARTING NOVEMBER 14.
PHOTO CREDIT: Josh Kim
BREAKING NEWS COMES TO THE RIALTO: MIKE EMANUEL
Journalism is an unsung hero of creativity—critical thinking, novel storytelling, imaginative questions, on-the-spot problem solving is what separates a good journalist from a great one. Few know this better than Chief Washington Correspondent and former White House Correspondents' Association journalist for Fox News, Mike Emanuel, who joins us for this month’s Spotlight Series.
Emanuel has worked for Fox News Channel since July 1997. You’ll find him hosting Fox News Live on Sundays at 1 p.m. EDT or filling in on Special Report, Fox News @ Night, Fox News Sunday, America's Newsroom, America Reports, and Fox Report. Before joining Fox, Emanuel reported for local stations around the country, from Texas to California.
PHOTO CREDIT: FOX NEWS MEDIA
FROM WESTFIELD TO HOLLYWOOD… AND BACK AGAIN: WILL & AARON EISENBERG
Aaron and Will Eisenberg are a WGA Award-nominated screenwriting team from Westfield, NJ. In 2024, they sold two original films to Amazon Studios: An R-rated vacation comedy, SPORKINFEESTEN, with Bobby Farrelly attached to direct, and an untitled, animated family movie. In 2023, the Eisenbergs released their chart-topping college admissions comedy series, BIG ENVELOPES, as an Audible Original, starring Abbi Jacobson and Susie Essman. Their star-studded 2022 comedy, CURSED FRIENDS, is available to stream on Paramount+, and their 2020 Blumhouse horror-comedy, GOOD BOY, can be found on Hulu. Among other credits, Aaron and Will served as staff writers on Guillermo Del Toro's Netflix series 3BELOW: TALES OF ARCADIA, and created Nickelodeon's first-ever animated original TV movie, ALBERT.
Join the Spotlight Series to be a part of a creative exchange with the award-nominated Eisenbergs.
PHOTO CREDIT: Mac Fisken
TICKETING INFORMATION
Purchasing Tickets
Tickets may be purchased online at www.rialtowestfield.org. We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover cards. All tickets must be paid for at the time of order – we are unable to hold tickets without payment.
Ticket Delivery
Upon purchase, tickets will be sent by email and presented on your mobile device upon arrival at the Rialto.
Ticket Exchanges and Returns
All sales are final, and no refunds are offered.
Photography and Video
Taking photographs or video recording during a performance is strictly prohibited.
Consent
By entering the facility, patrons consent to the use of their voice and likeness without compensation in film, videotape, photography and/or sound recording at any events, and agree to release Rialto Center for Creativity from any liability on account of such use.
PAST EVENTS
Since we purchased the building, we’ve used the space to interact with local groups and showcase creativity through Sidewalk Galleries covering a wide range of topics, including visual art, film, and poetry.
ACCESSIBILITY, VISITOR INFO, AND PARKING
Currently, the Rialto is not open to visitors, except for our Board of Trustees meetings and the ticketed monthly Spotlight Series.
The Rialto will be fully ADA-compliant once built. Inclusion is a key value of the Rialto, and we’re striving to make creative programming available for all visitors regardless of backgrounds, physical abilities, sensory experiences, and more.