STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE: The cast of the award-winning musical “Rent,” coming to Kelsey Theatre at Mercer County Community College April 5-14.

Mercer County Community College’s (MCCC) theater, dance, and entertainment technology are collaborating on the Broadway show Rent, April 5-14 at the Kelsey Theatre on the college’s West Windsor campus.

Based loosely on the Puccini opera La Boheme, Jonathan Larson’s Rent follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York’s Lower East Side under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. The physical and emotional complications of the disease pervade the lives of Roger, Mimi, Tom, and Angel, while Maureen deals with her chronic infidelity through performance art, and her partner, Joanne, wonders if their relationship is worth the trouble. more

PROFESSOR PETE: Retired history professor Allan Winkler sings the music of folk legend Pete Seeger at a concert at Christ Congregation Church on April 19.

On Friday, April 19 at 8 p.m., the Princeton Folk Music Society presents a celebration of the legacy of Pete Seeger with Professor Allan Winkler. The concert will be held at Christ Congregation Church, 50 Walnut Lane.

Seeger (1919-2014) is one of the most influential figures in American folk music. Singing first with the Almanac Singers, then the Weavers, and finally on his own, Seeger found himself in the forefront of every important social movement of the past 70 years. In the 1950s, he found himself under attack during the Red Scare for his radical past. In the 1960s, he became the minstrel of the civil rights movement. more

INSPIRED BY ROMEO AND JULIET: The 7 Fingers’ production of “Duel Reality” is among the highlights of McCarter Theatre Center’s 2024-25 season. (Photo by Arata Urawa)

Artistic Director Sarah Rasmussen and Executive Director Martin Miller have announced McCarter Theatre Center’s 2024-2025 theater series. Included are a gravity-defying spectacle, a true story from Moisés Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Project, two comedies making their New Jersey premiere, and a world-premiere musical.

The company returns to a full five-play offering for the first time since the 2019/20 season. Also returning as a season add-on is McCarter’s annual holiday production of A Christmas Carol.  more

Randy Rainbow

State Theatre New Jersey presents Randy Rainbow For President on Saturday, April 13 at 7:30 p.m.

Rainbow is a four-time Emmy and Grammy-nominated American comedian, producer, actor, singer, writer, satirist, host, and New York Times bestselling author known for his popular web series, “The Randy Rainbow Show.” He is known internationally for his musical parodies and political spoofs. His most recent show was Playing with Myself.

In 2019, composer and lyricist Marc Shaiman collaborated with Rainbow on his holiday EP, Hey Gurl, It’s Christmas!, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Comedy chart and No. 1 on the iTunes Holiday chart. His first full-length studio album, A Little Brains, A Little Talent, also debuted at No. 1 and earned Rainbow his first Grammy nomination for Best Comedy Album in 2023. more

“PRINCETON MAKES BLOOMS”: Works by Adriana Groza and other member artists are featured in an exhibition on view at Princeton Makes in the Princeton Shopping Center April 4 to 19.  An opening reception is on April 4.

Princeton Makes, the artist cooperative located in the Princeton Shopping Center, will host an opening reception for “Princeton Makes Blooms —Art in the Basement,” an art show organized and curated by artist member Adriana Groza, on Thursday, April 4 starting at 4:24 p.m. This exhibition, set in the basement of Princeton Makes, celebrates the essence of spring through a collection of works by member artists of Princeton Makes. It will be open and available for viewing and purchase through April 19. more

“SUPPLICANT”: This mixed media work by Holly Roberts is featured in “Holly Roberts + Brander Furniture,” on view through April 27 at Morpeth Contemporary in Hopewell. A reception is on April 6 from 2 to 5 p.m.

Morpeth Contemporary presents an exhibition featuring the work of New Mexico Artist Holly Roberts as well local craftpersons Robert and Nina Brander. “Holly Roberts + Brander Furniture” runs through April 27, with a reception on Saturday, April 6 from 2 to 5 p.m.

Throughout her four-decade career, Roberts has consistently delved into the depths of her rich and varied inner world, reflecting her deep connection to both nature and humanity. Through her fusion of painting and photography, she has created a unique visual language that invites viewers into her intricate world of storytelling. In the early stages of her career, Roberts focused on transforming photographs through the application of paint, often completely obscuring the original image. However, as time went on, she began to recognize the inherent strength of the photograph itself. This realization led to a reversal in her creative process. Roberts now works on top of a painted surface, developing a narrative scene with collaged photographic elements.  more

“ART AT THE OLD BARRACKS”: Submissions are due by May 1 for this year’s “Old Barracks Gallery Show: Trenton Makes,” which will showcase the work of Trenton-area artists in the historic 18th-century building.

The Old Barracks Museum is celebrating Trenton area artists and Trenton art in a month-long gallery show hosted in its historic 18th-century building. The “Old Barracks Gallery Show: Trenton Makes” will showcase artworks that best exemplify Trenton art and artists. The show will hang during upcoming events to allow the public to experience these works throughout the month. more

This work by Helene Plank is featured in “Inspired Together,” her joint exhibition with William Plank, on view in the second floor Reading Room at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, through June 1.

VISUAL STORYTELLING: “The Wonder and the Worry,” among the features in the upcoming Princeton Environmental Film Festival, follows the careers of former National Geographic Editor-in-Chief Chris Johns and his daughter Louise, a young freelance photographer. (Photo by Saskia Madlener)

The Princeton Environmental Film Festival, a signature Princeton Public Library event, opens Friday, April 5 and runs through Sunday, April 14. The 18th annual festival features 22 films: eight feature-length documentaries and 14 short films.

Films will be screened in person at the library and streamed virtually, with some films available in both formats. Streamed selections will be available to view April 8-14. There will also be an off-site screening at the Princeton Garden Theatre on April 7. more

FEMALE PERSPECTIVE: Golda Schultz, soprano, makes her Princeton University Concerts debut with pianist Jonathan Ware in “This Be Her Verse.” (Photo by Dario Acosta)

Making their Princeton University Concerts (PUC) debuts, South African star soprano Golda Schultz and pianist Jonathan Ware will bring the original song cycle, “This Be Her Verse” to PUC audiences on Monday, April 8 at 7:30 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium.

The program includes works by female composers Clara Schumann, Emilie Mayer, Rebecca Clarke, Nadia Boulanger, and Kathleen Tagg. It reflects Schultz’s great love of lieder, concert singing, and storytelling; she is as at home in solo recitals as she is starring in opera productions, including the Metropolitan Opera’s Porgy and Bess and the Royal Opera House’s Così fan tutte. more

ANOTHER ROUND: Members of BRKFST Dance Company are among the three additional artists announced as choreographers in residence at Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts. (Photo by Shane Wynn)

The Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Dance at Princeton University announces three additional artists as Caroline Hearst Choreographers-in-Residence for the 2023-2024 academic year: Roderick George, Gabrielle Lamb, and BRKFST Dance Company.

All the artists are creating new works for Princeton students or guest teaching in spring classes. They join Amy Hall Garner, Shamel Pitts, and Donna Uchizono, who were Hearst Choreographers-in-Residence during the fall semester, and whose work was featured in the Princeton Dance Festival in December. more

“SUNCATCHER”: This acrylic painting by William Plank is featured in “Inspired Together,” his joint exhibit with Helene Plank, on view at Princeton Public Library through June 1. An art talk and exhibit opening are on March 27 at 6:30 p.m.

Artists Helene Plank and William Plank discuss “Inspired Together,” a joint exhibit of their work, on Wednesday, March 27, at 6:30 p.m. at Princeton Public Library. The presentation will be in the Community Room prior to the exhibit’s official opening in the second floor Reading Room.

Helene Plank gives new life to discarded buttons and beads by combining them to form intricate mosaics on canvas. The materials are hand sewn, rather than glued, to the canvas and are influenced by artist Georges Seurat and his techniques of optical blending. more

“A WANDER THROUGH THE WATER LILIES”: This work by Fiona Clark, artist-in-resident at West Windsor Arts (WWA), is featured in “Leave Your Mark,” the Member Art Show on view April 9 through June 1 at WWA. Clark is also the show’s juror. An opening reception is on April 12 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Artists have the unique opportunity to leave their mark in the world through their artwork. Fiona Clark, West Windsor Arts’ artist-in-residence, took that concept a step further when conceiving “Leave Your Mark,” West Windsor Arts’ 2024 Member Art Show.

“For this show, artists were asked to submit work that employs different techniques of mark-making,” said Clark, West Windsor Arts’ first artist-in-residence and the juror of the show. “What that means is open to interpretation, but there needs to be some kind of a tactical component — brushstrokes, pencil marks, fingerprints, woven fabric. It will be exciting to see the artist’s hand in their artworks.” more

“THIS WAY THROUGH”: This watercolor by Beatrice Bork is featured in “Immersion,” her dual exhibition with Michael Schweigart, on view April 4 through May 5 at Artists’ Gallery in Lambertville. An opening reception is on April 6 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Artists’ Gallery, 18 Bridge Street in Lambertville, will present “Immersion,” a joint exhibition featuring the works of Beatrice Bork and Michael Schweigart, April 4 through May 5. An opening reception is on Saturday, April 6 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

In this exhibit, Bork delves deeper into nature close to heart and home. Her watercolors go beyond her meticulously rendered subjects, with underlying themes that make her art both poetic and captivating. In regards to her work, she said, “The careful rendering of my subject and its character, for me, is a reflection of the love and respect I have for animals. The themes in my paintings are imbued with personal reflection — and tend to resonate with nostalgia, humor, hope, or a moment in time.” more

“PAISAJE IMAGINARIO (IMAGINARY LANDSCAPE)”: This painting by Chilean artist Facundo Cabrera is featured in an exhibition of his works at the Gourgaud Gallery in Cranbury March 28 through April 25. A reception is on Sunday, April 7 from 1-3 p.m.

Gourgaud Gallery in Cranbury, presents “Paisaje Imaginario (Imaginary Landscape),” an exhibition of works by Chilean Artist Facundo Cabrera, on view March 28 through April 25. An opening reception is scheduled for Sunday, April 7 from 1 to 3 p.m.

Cabrera was born in Chile in 1934, and at a young age migrated to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he completed his art studies at the School of Fine Arts. He said he always had a passion for art and painting, and through his youth and education, he won several art contests. A major career highlight was painting a portrait of Eva Perone (Argentina’s first lady from 1946 to 1952), which earned him a personal letter of recognition from Perone. Upon his arrival to the United States in 1969, Cabrera created oil paintings of scenic landscapes and portraits for individuals and families until having his own family in the 1980s, and then only painting as a side hobby.  more

OLD AND NEW: Emily Cordies-Maso is among the dancers to appear in “Of Swans and Variants” at McCarter Theatre on April 4. (Photo by Harald Schrader)

American Repertory Ballet (ARB) will be on stage at McCarter Theatre on Thursday, April 4 at 7 p.m. with “Of Swans and Variants,” a program of classical and contemporary works.

The evening’s double bill features an excerpt from the classic Swan Lake, as well as VARIANTS, choreographed by Artistic Director Ethan Stiefel.

ARB recently performed to sold-out audiences with the premiere of “Classic Beauty” featuring Swan Lake Act II at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center. The iconic second act of the full-length ballet, to music by Tchaikovsky, tells the tale of Odette, the swan princess, as she reveals her true form to Prince Siegfried.  more

“LUNA MOTH”: This photo by Sydney Vine was an entry in Friends of Princeton Open Space’s 2023 photo contest. Entries for this year’s contest, Perspectives on Preservation, must be submitted by September 8.

Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS), a nonprofit devoted to land preservation and stewardship in Princeton, has announced its 2024 photo contest, Perspectives on Preservation, sponsored by REI Co-op Princeton.

Now in its ninth year, the annual contest originally coincided with REI’s Opt Outside campaign, which encourages people to skip the mall on the day after Thanksgiving and spend the day outdoors instead. Now accepting photos taken in any season, the Perspectives on Preservation photo contest continues to be sponsored by REI Co-op Princeton and encourages photographers to explore the Mountain Lakes Open Space Area all year round.  more

MULTI-SENSORY EXPERIENCE: “Night Forms,” the third and final installment of Grounds For Sculpture’s partnership with Klip Collective, closes on April 7.

“Night Forms,” a site-specific multi-sensory experience on view at Grounds For Sculpture (GFS) in Hamilton since November 2023, will close soon on April 7. This third and final installment of GFS’ partnership with Klip Collective has more than a dozen installations from the second season’s “Infinite Wave” along with a reprise of Froghead Rainbow, one of the most popular works from Klip’s inaugural project at GFS, “dreamloop.” The exhibition is designed to engage with Grounds For Sculpture’s art and horticulture collections and invites visitors to explore the grounds after dark.  more

“ABOVE THE ROOFTOPS”: This oil on canvas painting by Francisco Silva is part of “This Looks Familiar,” his solo exhibit on view at the David Scott Gallery at Berkshire Hathaway on Nassau Street through May 19. An artist reception is on March 23 from 2 to 5 p.m.

David Scott Gallery now presents “This Looks Familiar,” Francisco Silva’s first solo exhibition of paintings, on view through May 19 in the offices of Berkshire Hathaway, 253 Nassau Street. An artist reception is on Saturday, March 23 from 2 to 5 p.m.

After many years working as a graphic designer and web developer, 2019 marked Silva’s return to painting, primarily en plein air. He began with landscapes inspired by his backpacking trips on the Appalachian Trail. Since then, his work has grown to include still lifes, urban and rural scenes, architecture and structures, and themes portraying the struggles of the everyday person. Silva’s influences include Edward Hopper and the social realist painters of the 1920s and 1930s. The rich textiles of his Peruvian roots inform his use of vibrant color, and his brushwork is a seamless combination of loose, painterly strokes and controlled detail.  more

VISUAL STORYTELLER: James Baldwin introduces his new book, “Evidence of Things Not Seen,” at the home of Lerone Bennett in Chicago 1983. “Michelle V. Agins: Storyteller” is on view through December 8 at the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers – New Brunswick. (Photo by Michelle V. Agins)

Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Michelle V. Agins, whose images tell stories about life in America, was the second Black woman ever hired as a staff photographer at the New York Times. She built her career at a time when photo editors gave very few assignments to women — much less to women of color.

The Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers — New Brunswick now presents “Michelle V. Agins: Storyteller.” On view through December 8, the exhibit features 66 photographs taken during her 35 years at the Times. Her groundbreaking assignments offer important documentation of race relations, celebrity culture, sports, spirituality, and economic disparity in America. Agins visits the museum for an artist talk and reception on April 21. Visit go.rutgers.edu/artisttalk0421 for details. more