PRESS RELEASE: Rialto Spotlight Series Expands with Two April Events
Broadway composer Matthew Sklar on April 16 and electronic artist DJ_Dave on April 30 explore creativity across performance and technology.
WESTFIELD, NJ – March 2026 – The Rialto’s Spotlight Series continues this April with two events highlighting distinct creative paths shaped by Westfield roots. The series will feature Broadway composer Matthew Sklar on Thursday, April 16, followed by electronic artist and producer DJ_Dave on Thursday, April 30. Both events begin at 7:00 p.m. at the Rialto.
Peek Inside the Stage Door: Matthew Sklar
Westfield native Matthew Sklar will share insight into the creative process behind his award-winning Broadway music and reflect on how his early experiences shaped his career in musical theater. Sklar is a Tony and Emmy Award-nominated composer whose Broadway credits include The Prom, which received seven Tony nominations, Elf the Musical, and The Wedding Singer, which received five Tony nominations.
His screen work includes the Netflix film adaptation of The Prom, starring Meryl Streep, which received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. His work on NBC’s Elf: Buddy’s Musical Christmas earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Music Direction, and his honors include the Dramatists Guild Frederick Loewe Award for Dramatic Composition, the ASCAP Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award, and the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation Award.
During his Spotlight Series appearance, Sklar will discuss his perspective on the importance of performance art.
A New Digitized Beat: DJ_Dave
Later in the month, DJ_Dave, a Westfield High School Class of 2016 alum, will join the Spotlight Series to explore a creative practice that connects music, technology, and performance.
DJ_Dave is an electronic artist and producer known for her work in live coding, creating music in real time through text-based programming. By bypassing traditional interfaces and MIDI controllers, her process centers on direct coding and real-time sound synthesis, forming the foundation of both her studio work and live performances. Her performances incorporate live vocals and projected code, allowing audiences to see the music being built in real time.
During her Spotlight Series, DJ_Dave will discuss her approach to creative coding, her perspective on digital artistry, and her role in shaping new directions in electronic music.
Event Details
Matthew Sklar: Thursday, April 16 | 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Tickets are sold out.
DJ_Dave: Thursday, April 30, 2026 | 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Tickets on sale April 3rd.
Location: Rialto Center for Creativity, 250 East Broad Street, Westfield, NJ
Recording: A digital recording will be available following the event.
Spotlight Series: Showcasing the Vision for the New Rialto
The Rialto’s Spotlight Series brings the community together for intimate conversations with artists, thinkers, and storytellers connected to Westfield and the surrounding region. Each event highlights the creative journeys that shape culture while building momentum for the Rialto Reimagined campaign, supporting the opening of the Rialto Center for Creativity in 2028.
Past Spotlight Series guests have included journalist Mike Emanuel, playwright Marc Acito, touring drummer Lucy Ritter, and scholars Tanya Birl-Torres and Monica L. Miller. Most recently, it was music photographer Jay Blakesberg whose work has shaped how generations experience rock and roll. A digital recording of the event is on our Youtube channel.
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. Guided by values of creativity, inclusion, and community, the Center will host performances, film screenings, exhibitions, workshops, and classes in a welcoming, flexible space designed to inspire. The project is part of the Rialto Reimagined campaign, which will fund construction and operations through government support, private donations, and future earned revenue streams, with construction anticipated to begin in 2026 and a grand reopening anticipated in 2028.
Visit www.rialtowestfield.org for more information.