15th Princeton Festival Opens June 7

The 15th Anniversary season of the Princeton Festival (www.princetonfestival.org) arrives on June 7 with over three weeks of performing arts, featuring nine different events in 22 performances at various venues in the Princeton area, plus an extensive schedule of free lectures and community happenings.

Featured presentations include the opera Nixon in China; the musical She Loves Me; an appearance by jazz vocalist Jazzmeia Horn; a recital by acclaimed pianist Rachel Cheung; and three concerts of Baroque music on period instruments. Complete performance descriptions and information on purchasing tickets are available on the Festival website.

"We've chosen two very different theatrical pieces for our mainstage works," said Richard Tang Yuk, the Festival's Executive and Artistic Director. "Nixon in China, a landmark opera by John Adams, plays out against the background of global politics, but we have created a more intimate new production to bring its emotional and philosophical content into clearer focus.

"The musical She Loves Me, on the other hand, is a charming romantic comedy where interpersonal relationships are the whole point of the piece. Other events include a powerhouse jazz vocalist, a brilliant pianist, and authentic Baroque music. This will be a season to remember."

• The Festival kicks off on June 7 at 7:30 pm with a concert by the renowned Concordia Chamber Players.
• She Loves Me, a musical by the creators of Fiddler on the Roof, runs for 13 performances between Friday, June 8, and Sunday, June 30, the Festival's last day.
• Jazzmeia Horn, Grammy nominee for Best Jazz Vocalist, sings in the intimate Taplin Auditorium on Sunday, June 16, at 7 pm.
• The Princeton Festival Baroque Chamber Orchestra plays W.F. Bach, Leclair, Telemann, and others on period instruments on Saturday, June 22, at 4 pm.
• Rachel Cheung's piano recital on Saturday, June 22, at 7:30 pm, includes works by Rameau, Chopin, Fauré, and Ravel. Cheung won the Audience Favorite award at the 2017 Cliburn competition and has performed to acclaim worldwide.
• Nixon in China premieres on Sunday, June 23, at 3 pm, with a second matinée performance a week later on June 30.
• The Princeton Festival Baroque Orchestra plays C.P.E. Bach, Vivaldi, Lully, and other composers on Wednesday, June 26, at 7:30 pm.
• The Baroque Chorus and Orchestra perform Bach and Vivaldi on Saturday, June 29, at 7 pm.

Fifteen free lectures, workshops, and community events supplement the ticketed performances. They include lectures on topics such as "Women in the Musical Theater," "Ping Pong Diplomacy," "20th Century Music: John Adams," and "Baroque Music in China;" a reading by Xue Di, a poet who witnessed the turmoil of the Tiananmen protests in China; and workshops on opera and the making of a musical. A complete list is available at https://princetonfestival.org/event/.

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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