The Princeton Festival is an amazing extension of the cultural arts season. It brings musical theater, opera, Baroque and choral music, jazz, and a piano competition to town. The best part is we get city caliber performances right here in Princeton.
What sets The Princeton Festival’s season apart from the other local performing arts centers is they offer operas not found in New Jersey. Some of have a more refreshing take and there’s a relaxed dress code. It’s perfect for all ages and backgrounds.
We trust that our performances will invigorate your heart and allow your spirit to soar. – Richard Tang Yuk, Executive and Artistic Director.
This year, they are celebrating their 15th Anniversary. The season kicks off June 7 offering nine events with a total of 22 performances.
The Festival runs from June 7 to June 30. Performances include:
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John Adams’s opera Nixon in China is a poetic and thought-provoking modern masterpiece (June 23 and 30) about Nixon’s historic visit to China in the 1970s, but it’s not just a narrative about the event. It brings out how we communicate across cultures and how people can misunderstand each other. If you think you don’t like opera, you should really experience Nixon in China, This production will be visually stunning and welcoming. Nixon in China is not performed often, so this will be a rare opportunity, especially in New Jersey.
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13 performances of She Loves Me, which is a charming romantic comedy musical by the team that created Fiddler on the Roof (June 8-30). Fun fact: The movies You’ve Got Mail (Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan), The Shop Around the Corner (Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullivan), and In the Good Old Summertime (Van Johnson and Judy Garland) were all inspired by She Loves Me. The Princeton Festival offers a musical annually, which is rare to find in town.
- Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist Jazzmeia Horn, called “one of the best voices I’ve heard in over 40 years” by jazz legend Jon Hendricks (June 16) debuts in Princeton.
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Internationally known pianist Rachel Cheung, finalist and Audience Award winner at the 2017 Van Cliburn piano competition, will play music by Chopin, Ravel, and Schubert among others in her Princeton debut (June 22).
- The distinguished Concordia Chamber Players perform an evening of music by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, and Kodály (June 7).
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Baroque fans rejoice! The period-instrument Princeton Festival Baroque Orchestra present a chamber performance (June 22) in a full orchestra concert (June 26).
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Choral music by J.S. Bach and Antonio Vivaldi, will be accompanied by the Baroque Orchestra (June 30).
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The Festival’s piano competition opens up for its exciting final round (June 9).
The Festival also offers a slate of free events, including eight lectures relevant to the music being performed, the popular Artists’ Round Table featuring performers and directors of the opera and musical, a reading of contemporary Chinese poetry, and a season preview. In addition, there will be two workshops: one on opera and another, limited to high school students, on performing in musicals.
“If you love the performing arts, you’ll want to visit Princeton this June.” – Tang Yuk
For more information and a link to ticket sales (handled by McCarter Theatre), visit www.princetonfestival.org. To purchase tickets by phone, call McCarter Theatre at 609-258-2787.
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