Acrobats, dance troupes and world renowned musicians are just a few of the performers who will be visiting Princeton during McCarter Theatre’s upcoming Dance, Music and Signature Series. McCarter recently announced its 2016-2017 lineup, which will feature some returning performances, including Chris Botti and Pilobolus, while also bringing new talent to the stage.
McCarter’s Music Series kicks off on Nov. 9 with a performance by English pianist Imogen Cooper. She is internationally known for her virtuosity and lyricism, so much so that in 2007 she was appointed by Queen Elizabeth II as Commander of the British Empire, an award given for meritorious civil service.
Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker returns to the stage on Dec. 16. Stewart Goodyear will also be returning to perform a new arrangement of the Nutcracker for solo piano, which aims to strip away the ballet’s pomp and circumstance.
On March 18, guitarist Milos Karadaglic will be taking audiences through the history of his instrument, playing everything from Bach to the Beatles.
Violinist Hilary Hahn will be performing with pianist Robert Levin on March 20. Hahn has released 16 classic music albums and won three Grammy Awards.
McCarter’s Dance Series launches on Oct. 19 when Jessica Lang performs “The Wanderer.” The ballet is a dramatization of Schubert’s 1824 song cycle “The Fair Maid of the Mill,” sung live by baritone Steven LaBrie.
Noche Flamenca, a Madrid-based company, and it’s founder Soledad Barrio will bring flamenco to Princeton on Nov. 10. Barrio, her husband Martin Santangelo and 18 musicians and dancers will perform their adaptation of Antigone, a fusion of Greek tragedy with Spanish dance-theater.
On Feb. 28, choreographer Twyla Tharp will stop at McCarter with a new company of 12 dancers for her 50th Anniversary Tour. The performances will be set to a wide variety of music, from Bach’s “Well-Tempered Clavier” to New Orleans jazz.
McCarter’s Signature Series begins on Oct. 1 with a jazz centennial birthday celebration. Lizz Wright and Danilo Perez will honor Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald and Monto Santamaria—who were all born in 1917—with performances of their work.
The modern dance company Pilobolus will bring their signature blend of shadow theater, contortion and dance to McCarter on Feb. 7. Performers contort themselves to exaggerate the human form and then move to build a physical connection between each another. In their latest show, “Shadowland,” they incorporate moving screens to create a performance that merges projected images with live choreography.
On Feb. 15, jazz instrumentalist Chris Botti will return to McCarter. He won a Grammy Award for his recent album “Impressions,” in which he expresses his love for romantic melodies from around the world.
Cyclists, jugglers, acrobats, tumblers and elite gymnasts from The Peking Acrobats will storm the stage on Feb. 17. Families are encouraged to come out to see 2,000-year-old traditions of grace, agility and artistry be transformed into a modern kaleidoscope of movement.
Audiences can immerse themselves in Bahian culture on Feb. 18 when Bale Folclorico Da Bahia comes to town. Their program consists of 30 dangers, singers and drummers that play Afro-Brazilian rhythms and perform dances of carnivale.
McCarter may catch a case of some some disco fever on Feb. 25 when Saturday Night Fever: The Musical comes to Princeton. With classic Bee Gees hits, “Staying Alive on Stage” features a contemporary retelling of the 1977 movie.
The musicals continue on March 4 with “A year with Frog and Toad,” a Broadway hit nominated for three Tony Awards. Based on Arnold Lobel’s children’s books, the play follows two friends—the cheerful frog and grumpy toad—from spring to winter as they learn how friendship can weather all seasons.
The Berlind Stage is hosting their own Signature Series, starting on Oct. 17 with the return of “PIAF! The Show with Anne Carrere.” Carrere takes audiences on a musical journey through France during the 1940s and ‘50s.
On Oct. 22, Catherine Russell will be performing “Harlem on my Mind: Songs from the Great African American Songbook.” Russell’s soulful voice will belt out songs made famous by Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Billie Holiday and more.
The Hot Sardines are returning to the Berlind Stage on Dec. 22 to perform holiday classics, including “Rudoph” and “The White Cliffs of Dover.” The brass lineup, female vocals and a piano-led rhythm section aim to bring back a musical vibe from decades ago.
For the full list of events, visit www.mccarter.org.
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