PRESS RELEASE: Rialto to Launch Spotlight Series to Raise Awareness and Funds for Reimagined Future
New monthly conversations connect the community, celebrate creativity, and build momentum for the Rialto Reimagined fundraising campaign.
WESTFIELD, NJ – The Rialto, a cornerstone of Westfield’s cultural life since 1922 and now set to be transformed into the Rialto Center for Creativity, will launch the Spotlight Series, a limited-run monthly event of live conversations beginning October 2025. Created to share the Rialto story and engage the community with what comes next, the series marks an exciting new phase in the Rialto’s redevelopment, supported by detailed architectural planning and the Rialto Reimagined fundraising campaign. The project aims to transform the historic theater into a lively cultural center, complete with performances, film screenings, art exhibits, workshops, and spaces for learning, gathering, and celebrating creativity in all its forms.
The Spotlight Series showcases the vision for the Rialto’s future while celebrating the creativity that has long defined Westfield. Each guest in the series has a meaningful connection to Westfield, whether living in the area, inspired by the town’s creative figures, or returning to their hometown to share their talents. Events will be held in the newly repaired lobby, offering an intimate space for conversations moderated by local radio personality Garre Vogel of Elvis Duran and the Morning Show. The series offers the community a first look at the Rialto’s evolving role as a home for creativity, live performances, and hands-on learning.
“The Spotlight Series is more than a set of conversations; it’s an opportunity for our community to reconnect with Westfield’s creative roots and to envision the Rialto’s future as a vibrant gathering place for performances, cultural conversations, and creative exploration,” said Bill Crandall, president of the Rialto Board of Trustees.
“With a varied roster of guests, we hope to engage a broad range of people across Westfield and beyond, while also inspiring the community support that will help us achieve our fundraising goals through the Rialto Reimagined campaign.”
Upcoming Spotlight Guests
October 16, 2025 – Will and Aaron Eisenberg, Writers Guild of America Award–nominated screenwriters, producers, and actors who grew up in Westfield and went on to create for Nickelodeon, Netflix, Disney, Comedy Central, and more.
November 13, 2025 – Tanya Birl-Torres and Monica L. Miller, Harlem Renaissance scholars continuing the legacy of Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes, who worked together in Westfield to write Mule Bone.
December 18, 2025 – Lucy Ritt er, a professional drummer who began her musical journey at Westfield’s Wilson Elementary School and has since toured internationally with Chappell Roan and Broadway’s Jagged Little Pill, including performances at Coachella and NPR’s Tiny Desk.
January 15, 2026 – Mike Emanuel, Fox News Chief Washington Correspondent and Rutgers graduate, returning to share reflections on journalism, storytelling, and his Westfield upbringing.
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 DJ Dave.
Event Details
Each month, the Spotlight Series brings guests together on a Thursday evening from 7:30 to 9:00 pm in the Rialto lobby. Seating is limited to maintain the intimate setting of the series and reflect the current capacity of the space, but the series is designed to be accessible to the entire community. Digital recordings will be shared online, and community members are encouraged to submit questions via Instagram and Facebook for a chance to have them included during the live event.
For tickets and additional information, visit www.rialtowestfield.org. Stay connected by subscribing to our newsletter and by following the Rialto Center for Creativity on Instagram @RialtoCenterForCreativity and on Facebook at facebook.com/rialtocenterforcreativity.
About the Rialto Center for Creativity
The Rialto Center for Creativity is transforming Westfield’s historic Rialto Theater into a vibrant hub for cultural conversation, live performance, and hands-on learning. The reimagined Center will feature a theater for performances and film, flexible classrooms and studios, gallery space for regional artists, and welcoming community areas, including a café and bar.
Through concerts, exhibits, film screenings, workshops, and events, the Rialto will enrich the cultural life of Westfield and the surrounding region. Guided by values of creativity, inclusion, and community, the Center is designed as more than a performance venue. It will be a gathering place where people of all ages and backgrounds can come together to create, learn, and celebrate.
The Rialto Center for Creativity is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit 501c(3) organization responsible for raising 100% of its construction and operating costs. Funding is being advanced through the Rialto Reimagined campaign with support from state and county government, corporations, foundations, and individual donors. Once open, ticket sales, rental revenue, and a robust arts education center will help sustain operations.
