McCarter Theatre Center’s Special Programming Director, William W. Lockwood, is pleased to announce the Fall 2018 lineup for Presented Events.
All Series in Princeton features an eclectic mix of the world’s greatest musicians, dance companies, and performing artists on tap, including several returning favorites and McCarter debuts.
About the variety of presented events, Mr. Lockwood added“This year’s schedule contains some of my very favorite performers, including some I’ve been trying to book for a long time. McCarter is unique in its reputation as a home for artists from around the world. No other institution in the country presents a full time theater series alongside a full schedule of presented events quite like McCarter does, and no other does it better.”
McCARTER THEATRE CENTER – PRESENTED EVENTS FOR FALL 2018
BALLETX– The Pride of Philadelphia
Wednesday, Oct. 17 & Thursday, Oct. 18, 2018, at 7:30 p.m. in the Berlind Theatre
BalletX, the sellout hit of the 2017 Princeton Festival, has been at the center of Philadelphia’s contemporary dance scene since its founding in 2005. The company has a repertoire of over 50 world premieres by today’s most celebrated choreographers, and makes regular visits to the most prestigious venues and festivals, such as the Joyce Theatre and Vail. In keeping with the company’s commitment to new work, the Berlind performances will feature several premieres, including one by founding choreographer Matthew Neenan.
THE IMPROVISED SHAKESPEARE COMPANY – My Kingdom for a Line!
Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018, at 8 p.m. in the Berlind Theatre
This dynamic group of five Chicagoans will improvise a Shakespearean masterpiece based on an audience-suggested title. These costumed improvisers weave a play in the complex, often rhyming language and themes of Shakespeare’s time, complete with spontaneous songs.
MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER – Sometimes Just the Sky
Friday, Nov. 2, 2018, at 8 p.m. in the Matthews Theatre
The winner of five Grammys, Princeton native Mary Chapin Carpenter’s 30 year career includes a repertoire mixing country, pop, rock, and soul. Her McCarter performance, a celebration of her upcoming 14thalbum, Sometimes Just the Sky,revisits her most well-loved songs, many of which have become an indelible part of the American songbook.
BÉLA FLECK, ZAKIR HUSSAIN, and EDGAR MEYER
Monday, Nov. 12, 2018, at 7:30 p.m. in the Matthews Theatre
Béla Fleck (banjo), Zakir Hussain (tabla),andEdgar Meyer (bass fiddle)are three genre-benders moving with ease among the worlds of classical, bluegrass and world music. To all three, music is intuitive, and their concerts are an exercise in wordless communication.
JESSICA LANG DANCE – Tesseracts of Time (and other works)
Friday, Nov. 16, 2018, at 8 p.m. in the Matthews Theatre
A master of visual composition and former Twyla Tharp dancer, Jessica Lang’s works extend the boundaries of the dancing body through architectural decor, and a prime example is Tesseracts of Time, her collaboration with Stephen Holl, the architect of Princeton University’s Lewis Arts complex. Lang’s McCarter program will also include Thousand Yard Stare, which celebrates the pride, honor, and searing loss experienced by military veterans.
THE NEW CHINESE ACROBATS
Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018, at 7:30 p.m. in the Matthews Theatre
Created in association with the world-famous Cirque Éloize, TheNew Chinese Acrobatsrepresent the next step in the evolution of acrobatic companies from the East. Mixing new techniques and acts with ancient traditions, their performance represents China’s ancient folk art mixed with a modern kaleidoscope of movement that defies laws of body mechanics and physics. Accompanied by live music, this troupe of gymnasts, jugglers, acrobats, and tumblers leave family audiences spellbound with their daring demonstrations of strength, agility, balance, grace, and unique artistry.
CÉCILE McLORIN SALVANT– New Big Band Project
Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018, at 3 p.m. in the Matthews Theatre
Fresh from winning her second Best Jazz Vocal Grammy this year for Dreams and Daggers, Cécile McLorin Salvantreturns to McCarter with her latest project, focused on a suite of her own songs as yet untitled and as orchestrated for a band of eclectic instruments by Darcy James Argue of Princeton’s Jazz Studies Program. Salvant sees her role as that of a griot, with her songs focusing on identity and the evolution of women in nature—”the landscapes in her mind and the landscapes surrounding her.”
JUST ANNOUNCED!
Numerous new additions to the previously announced season schedule are now on sale as well, including a hilarious 90s flashback with FRIENDS! The Musical Parody(Oct. 30), comedian and satirist Andy Borowitz (Feb. 8), alt-folk super-group I’m With Her (Feb. 16), singer-songwriter Angelique Kidjo (April 12), Joan Baez (April 30), and jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal (May 18).
