Undead Arts will present the seventh annual “Zombie Opera” concert on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026 at Hamilton Park in downtown Jersey City, New Jersey.

The confirmed cast includes mezzo-soprano Melina Jaharis, sopranos Heather Bobeck and Molly Dunn, male soprano Joshua Viltrakis, tenor Teddy Balfour Austin, bass Raul Morales Velazco, and baritone Phillip Bullock. They will perform repertoire from “Faust,” “Romeo et Juliette,” “Candide,” “Don Giovanni,” and “Porgy and Bess.” Jazz saxophonist and singer Mae Czuba will serve as emcee and open the program.

Members of the New York City orchestra TerpsiKord, led by former New Jersey Symphony conductor Tong Chen, will take part, along with a zombie chorus of North River Sing members, Kean University students, and local residents. Rising Voices, a public school enrichment program started by Undead Arts, will perform for the second consecutive year. The concert will include American Sign Language interpretation by Inclusive ASL and an ADA accessible seating area. Guests who wish to sit are encouraged to bring their own chairs.

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Catriona Rubenis-Stevens, founder of Half-Light Productions, will direct. The producing team consists of Rubenis-Stevens, Molly Dunn, and Katy Gardiner. Gardiner is also art director. Laia Cabrera and Isabelle Duverger created the projection art, and Yukie Ara and Amalia Romero Stiegwardt designed the makeup. Lauren Ver Hage created the artwork, and Kennedy Event Services will provide two 16 foot LED video screens.

“Zombie Opera” began in 2020 as a Halloween celebration on the stoops of Jersey Avenue, offering free entertainment to residents during the pandemic. The 2021 concert drew more than 2,500 people. Each of the 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 concerts in Hamilton Park drew more than 4,000. Past themes included a circus in 2022, an 80s prom in 2023, and outer space in 2024.

DeBanked, Corcoran Sawyer Smith, Silverman, Sage Vets, and Cangianos are signed on as sponsors. Community support comes from Ward E Councilman James Solomon, Grace Church Van Vorst, and Next Step Broadway, with additional donors to be announced. Hamilton Park Neighborhood Association is the official nonprofit venue partner. Undead Arts is partnered with Arts 14C, a creative space founded by Robinson Holloway in the powerarts district. The event is supported by public funds from the Jersey City Arts and Culture Trust Fund.

Undead Arts was founded by Dunn, Rubenis-Stevens, and Gardiner as a nonprofit based in Jersey City. The organization recently completed a sold-out run of “The Magic Flute” with the New Jersey Symphony. Its educational tour, “Mozart & The Magic Flute,” reached more than 3,000 students across New Jersey.