To the Editor:

We were enormously gratified to welcome the largest crowd ever to the Princeton Festival’s 15th Anniversary Gala, dubbed “A Crystal Celebration,” on April 27. We want to thank everyone who helped put the event together, and everyone who participated in the fun, for supporting our 2019 season of opera, jazz, musical theater, concerts, and free community programs. This landmark season runs from June 9 to June 30. Performance and ticketing information is available at www.princetonfestival.com.

Guests make a party, and members of the Princeton community and beyond came to celebrate. The pre-dinner cocktail hour was lively, the bidding on the silent and live auctions was competitive, and the dance floor was packed until curfew. In the process our guests set a new Gala record for the amount of money raised. Thank you to all of them.

It takes a great team to plan and run such an event. Chairs Marcia Bossart, Helene Kulsrud, and Anastasia Marty and the members of the Gala committee planned and executed an exceptional party right down to the last detail. It was also wonderful of them to recognize Honorary Chairs Susan Rhoda Hansen, Dr. George Hansen, Pamela Bristol, and Jerry Odening, who have done so much to support the Festival over the years.

No dinner party is truly successful without fabulous food. Executive chef Chris Krail and the banquet staff at Cobblestone Creek Country Club delivered a true gourmet feast, from hors d’oeuvres to dessert.

Last but not least was the entertainment. Harry Fini set the tone for the evening as cocktail pianist. After dinner the Courtney Colletti Band entertained with “Crystal Memories,” a survey of the Festival’s musical theater presentations over the years, and then swung into music to get everyone dancing.

This year the Festival’s presentations include Nixon in China, a landmark modern opera with mesmerizing music; the charming musical She Loves Me; Grammy-nominated jazz vocal sensation Jazzmeia Horn; Rachel Cheung, an internationally acclaimed pianist; and three Baroque concerts. Our nine free lectures and community events plus two workshops enrich the season. None of it would be possible without the kind of support exemplified by the Gala. Once again, our heartfelt thanks to everyone involved.

Richard Tang Yuk
Executive and Artistic Director

Costa Papastephanou
Board Chair
The Princeton Festival