Bergen Performing Arts Center
A nonprofit performing-arts venue and arts-education organization in Englewood, New Jersey, operating in a former movie theater.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Bergen Performing Arts Center, commonly known as BergenPAC, is a nonprofit theater and performing-arts organization in Englewood, New Jersey. The venue occupies a building whose history began as the Englewood Plaza movie theater, which opened on November 22, 1926. Its location and architectural legacy connect it to the development of entertainment and cultural institutions in northern New Jersey, while its current programming combines touring performances with community education. The property operated as a movie theater for much of the twentieth century. United Artists acquired the building in 1967 and continued operating it until 1973. After the theater closed, the building remained vacant for several years. Local arts advocates, led by impresario and educator John Harms, then worked to establish a concert and cultural venue. Their effort resulted in the John Harms Center, which opened on October 10, 1976, with a performance by Russian pianist Lazar Berman. John Harms had been presenting concerts in North Jersey since 1941. His work included identifying performers, arranging bookings, securing venues, preparing publicity, and promoting events through an extensive personal network. The conversion of the former movie theater into a dedicated concert hall fulfilled his long-standing ambition to operate a permanent performance space. During the 1990s, two substantial renovation projects modernized the building and expanded its media capabilities while seeking to preserve its characteristic acoustics. The John Harms Center became one of New Jersey's largest performing-arts centers and was described as the largest arts center in northern New Jersey. It closed on April 14, 2003. A public-private partnership reopened the facility on April 30, 2003, under the Bergen Performing Arts Center name. Since then, BergenPAC has presented a broad schedule of concerts, theater, comedy, dance, and other live events, with approximately 200 performances in a typical year. Artists associated with its main stage include Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Ringo Starr, John Legend, Jerry Lewis, Willie Nelson, and other nationally recognized performers. BergenPAC also operates the Performing Arts School at BergenPAC. The school provides year-round instruction in theater, dance, vocal performance, and related arts for students ranging from infants and young children through young adults. Its programs also extend into local school districts and serve participants with special needs. Students may perform on BergenPAC's main stage and at other locations throughout Bergen County, giving the educational program a public-performance dimension rather than limiting it to classroom instruction. The educational operation uses the former Englewood train station at One Depot Square, a site previously associated with Bennett Studios. Together, the theater and school position BergenPAC as both a regional presenting venue and a community arts institution. Its activities encompass professional performances, youth development, outreach, and access to live entertainment. The organization remains active, although specific ownership, executive leadership, financial, and attendance information is not established by the supplied reference material.
History
Bergen Performing Arts Center occupies a former cinema in Englewood, New Jersey, whose institutional history reaches back to the opening of the Englewood Plaza movie theater on November 22, 1926. The building operated as a movie theater for decades. United Artists purchased it in 1967 and continued its operation until 1973. After the cinema closed, the property was vacant for several years, creating an opportunity for local cultural advocates to repurpose it as a live-performance venue. The principal figure in that transformation was John Harms, an organist, teacher, and concert impresario. Harms began arranging appearances by well-known and emerging performers in North Jersey in 1941. His work was unusually hands-on: he selected artists, booked spaces, prepared publicity, and promoted events through a large personal contact network. His ambition was to establish a permanent concert hall of his own. With support from a group of local citizens, he helped turn the former Englewood Plaza into the John Harms Center. The John Harms Center opened on October 10, 1976. Russian pianist Lazar Berman performed at the inaugural event. The new institution built on the property's earlier entertainment role but shifted its emphasis from film exhibition to concerts and other live cultural presentations. It subsequently became one of New Jersey's largest performing-arts centers and was regarded as the largest arts center in northern New Jersey for a period. Two significant renovation projects during the 1990s modernized the building and created a more contemporary concert and media facility. The renovations were undertaken while retaining the venue's vintage acoustic qualities, allowing the historic structure to function as a modern performance space. The John Harms Center ultimately closed on April 14, 2003. A public-private partnership reopened the venue on April 30, 2003, as Bergen Performing Arts Center, generally shortened to BergenPAC. The renewed organization expanded the venue's role as a regional presenter. Its main-stage program has included concerts and appearances by performers such as Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Ringo Starr, John Legend, Jerry Lewis, and Willie Nelson. The venue has presented approximately 200 performances per year, covering multiple forms of live entertainment rather than a single musical genre. Education became a major part of the organization's identity through the Performing Arts School at BergenPAC. The school operates at the former Englewood train station at One Depot Square, a building previously used as Bennett Studios. It offers year-round classes in theater, dance, vocal performance, and art-related disciplines. Programs serve participants from infancy through age 21 and also extend to school districts and people with special needs. Students can appear on BergenPAC's main stage and at other venues around Bergen County. The institution therefore combines three related functions: preservation and reuse of a historic entertainment building, presentation of professional touring and local performances, and arts education for the surrounding community. The supplied sources do not establish a current chief executive, legal owner, budget, attendance figures, or corporate parent. BergenPAC is described as a nonprofit organization and remains active.
- 2025
Johnny Mathis gives reported final touring concert
[1]Johnny Mathis performs at BergenPAC in May in what the reference material identifies as his final concert before retiring from touring.
- 2003
John Harms Center closes and BergenPAC reopens
[1]The John Harms Center closes on April 14. A public-private partnership reopens the building as Bergen Performing Arts Center on April 30.
- 1990
Modernization period begins
[1]Two major renovation projects during the 1990s modernize the venue and media facilities while preserving its historic acoustic character.
- 1976
John Harms Center opens
[1]The former cinema reopens as the John Harms Center on October 10, with Russian pianist Lazar Berman performing at the debut.
- 1973
Movie-theater operation ends
[1]The United Artists-era movie theater closes, after which the building remains vacant for several years.
- 1967
United Artists acquires the theater
[1]United Artists purchases the movie theater and keeps it operating for several more years.
- 1926
Englewood Plaza movie theater opens
[1]The building opens on November 22 as the Englewood Plaza movie theater in Englewood, New Jersey.
Products and positioning
A nonprofit regional performing-arts center that combines touring entertainment and landmark-venue programming with accessible arts education and community outreach in northern New Jersey.
Live entertainment · 1976
Main-stage performances
BergenPAC presents a broad program of live events in its principal theater, including concerts, theater, dance, comedy, and other performing-arts formats. The venue has hosted nationally recognized artists across several generations and genres, including Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Ringo Starr, John Legend, Jerry Lewis, and Willie Nelson. Its schedule is described as comprising approximately 200 performances in a typical year.
Arts education
Performing Arts School at BergenPAC
The Performing Arts School provides year-round instruction in theater, dance, vocal performance, and art-related disciplines. Programs serve students from approximately two months old through age 21, while additional activities reach school districts and people with special needs. Participants may perform on BergenPAC's main stage and at other locations in Bergen County.
Community arts programming
Community and school outreach
BergenPAC extends its educational and performance activities beyond the main theater through school-district programming, special-needs initiatives, and performances by students throughout Bergen County. This work broadens the organization's role from ticketed presenter to regional community arts institution.
Recent events
- 2025
Johnny Mathis performs his final concert at BergenPAC before retiring from touring[1]
Other
Johnny Mathis gave what was described in the reference material as his final concert before retiring from touring at Bergen Performing Arts Center in May 2025.
Sources2 sources
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