Newark Symphony Hall to host ‘America’s Big Deal’ live this month

Newark Symphony Hall – a massive performing arts venue in its namesake city – will host episodes of the USA Network series “America’s Big Deal” every Thursday night, starting Oct. 14.

The live performances will air at 9 p.m. featuring entrepreneurs pitching ready-made products to home viewers, according to a statement from the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission, which coordinates film, media and TV productions in the state and reviews applications for state subsidies for those projects.

Whichever entrepreneur sells the most of their product “before the buying window closes during the episode will win the chance to strike a life-changing deal with one of the show’s retail giants,” reads the Oct. 5 statement from the NJMPTC.

“New Jersey is enjoying a record amount of production work this year, and Newark continues to be a magnet for film and television projects,” said Steven Gorelick, who heads the state’s film and TV commission.

The series will be hosted by the Emmy-nominated “Access Hollywood” journalist Scott Evans and will enable viewers to make their purchases on ShoppableTV and NBCUniversal Checkout, the statement reads.

An estimated $3 billion in products have been sold to date to consumers via the show, according to Tuesday’s statement.

The venue boasts a 2,800-seat concert hall, 1,200-person ballroom and 250-seat black box theater, according to Newark Symphony Hall’s president and chief executive officer, Taneshia Nash Laird.

“As we begin to reopen after COVID lockdowns, we expect to attract more television and film productions at our historic performing arts center,” she added.

The series is being produced by Manhattan-based DIGA Studios. Its CEO, Tony DiSanto, felt the site was appropriate given its “stunning architecture, compelling history and prime location.”