PRINCETON FESTIVAL WINE TASTING: The Princeton Festival held its annual wine tasting event on Saturday, October 15 where Richard Tang Yuk told the assembled guests of the plans for the Festival’s 2017 season beginning in June. A good time was had by all, including a surprise visit by Ludwig von Beethoven (Lance Channing). Beethoven posed for a picture with Marie Miller, costume designer for the Festival. The 2017 season’s opera is Beethoven’s “Fidelio.” (Photo Courtesy of The Princeton Festival)

The word “October” is evocative of various images. For children it means Halloween costumes and trick-or-treat candy. For many adults it means harvest time and Oktoberfest beers. For Princeton Festival aficionados it means the Festival Guild’s annual wine tasting and the announcement of the upcoming 2017 season’s performance offerings.

Held on a day with distinctly un-October-like weather at The Castle in Hopewell, the wine tasting featured wines from CoolVines in Princeton with cheeses and charcuterie provided by Olsson’s Fine Foods of Princeton. Musicians Jessica Medoff (from this past season’s A Little Night Music) and Michael Bunchman entertained the guests. The gathering was so delightful that Ludwig von Beethoven himself put in an appearance (portrayed by Lance Channing).

Artistic and General Director Richard Tang Yuk presented the highlights of the upcoming Festival’s 2017 season to the assembled guests. The opera will be Fidelio by Beethoven. This is the only opera Beethoven composed; it is a story of conjugal love, personal heroism, and the overthrow of tyranny set to music that only Beethoven could write.

The musical will be Stop the World, I Want to Get Off with book, music, and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthon Newley. This is a comedic but thought-provoking tale about the fleeting nature of worldly success. The jazz offering will be the Peter Martin Trio that hails from St. Louis. Dance will again be offered, this time featuring Ballet X, Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet company.

The Unicorn, the Gorgon and the Manticore is a production that includes a mix of genres (chorus, dancers, and chamber orchestra) with words and music by Gian Carlo Menotti. It is a witty madrigal fable with the timeless theme of “keeping up with the Joneses”.

In collaboration with the Princeton Garden Theatre, Princeton Festival presents a screening of the 2012 film Quartet (directed by Dustin Hoffman and starring Maggie Smith).

The Youth Piano Competition returns and the chamber music will feature the Concordia Chamber Players.

Additional programming will be announced as artists and dates are confirmed.

For more information, visit www.princetonfestival.org.