November 20, 2024

On the Brilliance of “My Brilliant Friend”

By Stuart Mitchner

The television adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend (Europa 2012) made its HBO debut on November 18, 2018. After watching the concluding episode of the fourth and final season on November 11, 2024, my wife and I sat in stunned silence, feeling as if we’d just seen an unquestionably great film in spite of a pandemic-mandated two-year “intermission.” It didn’t matter that we’d had to rewatch some of the third season to catch up with the tangential characters, events, and relationships. What made it possible to appreciate the film as a single unified work of cinematic art was the evolution of the extraordinary friendship suggested by the title. All the other characters and plotlines and subplots were ultimately and necessarily secondary, “supporting” in every sense of the word. Postwar Italian history, politics, communism, fascism, drugs, family life, black marketeers, local color — nothing compared in significance to the relationship between Rafaella “Lila” Cerullo and Elena “Lenù” Greco. more

Princeton University Glee Club Celebrates 150 Years of Music

By Nancy Plum

The glee club tradition dates back to late 18th-century London, with musical groups informally gathering to perform short compositions and popular songs. Named after the Baroque-era English “glee” part song, these ensembles were until the mid-20th century comprised of male voices, with countertenors taking the upper parts. While late 19th-century glee clubs in London were superseded by large choral societies, they became very popular in U.S. high schools and universities, and more so after opening their ranks to women. A number of local collegiate institutions have glee clubs dating back to the mid-1800s, and Princeton University is no exception. The Princeton University Glee Club, founded in 1874, has grown far beyond the “short song” repertoire to become the largest choral organization in the University’s campus, with a commitment to complex works and commissioning new music.

The University Glee Club, currently under the direction of Gabriel Crouch, celebrated its 150th anniversary this past weekend with three days of concerts, rehearsals, and alumni reunions. Continuing its long-standing commitment to collaborating with world-class musical organizations, the Glee Club opened last weekend’s festivities with a join concert with The King’s Singers. Considered the “gold standard” of a cappella singing, the six-member all-male ensemble has been a pillar of choral excellence for the past 55 years. Glee Club conductor Crouch was a member of the chorus for eight years, and since then has built a solid partnership between the University choral program and the renowned vocal sextet.  more

“Eurydice” Updates a Myth, Retells it from the Heroine’s Viewpoint; Theatre Intime Delivers a Strong Staging of a Poignant, Poetic Script

“EURYDICE”: Theatre Intime has staged “Eurydice.” Written by Sarah Ruhl and directed by Lucy Shea, the play was presented November 15-17 at the Hamilton Murray Theater. Above: After a fatal accident, Eurydice (Melanie Garcia, right) arrives in the underworld and encounters her Father (Martin Brennan, left), who predeceased her. (Photo by Elena Milliken)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

According to the Greek myth, Eurydice — a nymph and, according to some versions, the daughter of Apollo — fell in love with Orpheus, who was said to be the son of the muse Calliope. Orpheus “was gifted with such extraordinary musical skills that even trees and rocks danced,” notes Britannica.com.

Fleeing to avoid the unwanted advances of Aristaeus, Eurydice was fatally bitten by a snake. Orpheus traveled to the underworld and charmed Hades with his music. Hades agreed to release Eurydice on one condition: “Orpheus and Eurydice were forbidden to look back while they were in the land of the dead.” Orpheus was unable to resist looking to see if Eurydice was following him, and she returned to the underworld forever. more

Renaissance Quartet Comes to McCarter Theatre Nov. 21

RENAISSANCE MEN: McCarter Theatre hosts the Renaissance Quartet, a group of Juilliard School graduates mentored by Itzhak Perlman, on Thursday, November 21. From left are Daniel Hass, Randall Goosby, Jeremiah Blacklow, and Jameel Martin.

The Renaissance Quartet, featuring violinists Randall Goosby and Jeremiah Blacklow, violist Jameel Martin, and cellist Daniel Hass, comes to McCarter Theatre on Thursday, November 21 at 7:30 p.m.

Graduates  of the Juilliard School who were mentored by Itzhak Perlman, the quartet blends classical mastery with a reimagining of chamber music traditions. The New York-based ensemble takes a forward-thinking approach to appeal to a diverse audience. more

Rock Musical Classic Comes to New Brunswick

ANNIVERSARY TOUR: Time-travel to 1973 with “Selling England by the Pound,” at State Theatre New Jersey on Friday, December 6. (Photo by Jean-Marc Hamel)

State Theatre New Jersey presents The Musical Box – 50th Anniversary Genesis—Selling England by the Pound on Friday, December 6 at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $29-$49. 

Fifty years ago, Genesis released Selling England by the Pound and changed rock history. In 1973, Peter Gabriel’s famous theatrics and Genesis’ musical apex produced some of the most iconic images and sounds of the ’70s, which to this day have a cult following. The Musical Box, who shared the stage with Phil Collins and Steve Hackett as performing guests at such venues as London’s Royal Albert Hall and Paris’ Olympia, will perform the emblematic 1973 show in painstaking detail.

State Theatre New Jersey is at 15 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick. Visit Stnj.org for tickets.

Playwriting Competition Seeks Student Participants

Phillips’ Mill’s third annual Play with Words Student Playwriting Challenge is accepting submissions through midnight on January 12, 2025. Winners will be announced in late January, and winning plays will be presented at the location in New Hope, Pa., in a staged reading on March 1.

According to Fran Ferrone, who chairs the competition, one of last year’s winners, Saskia Cooper of The Pennington School, said that she “was nervous … that a joke wouldn’t land … but was really happy to see the actors having fun,” and plans to enter again this year.

She also quoted Abigail Wus of Pennsbury High School (Pa.), who thinks the pressure of juggling time between studies and her love of writing is worth it. “To anyone who has a notes app full of unfinished ideas and fragments of stories, I encourage you to write for Play With Words,” Wus said. “It provided me the motivation to try a new medium and helped me realize a new depth to writing that I will carry with me in the rest of my works.”  more

MCCC Students in Two Productions at Kelsey

Mercer County Community College (MCCC) students from different departments are collaborating on an interpretation of a classic Greek tragedy The Bacchae of Euripides and A Mouthful of Birds, November 21-24, at the Kelsey Theatre on MCCC’s West Windsor Campus.

Both productions involve students from the Theater, Dance, and Entertainment Technology; Fashion Apparel/Design; and Advertising and Graphic Design programs serving as performers and costume designers and providing advertising/promotion support.

According to Jody Gazenbeek-Person, MCCC’s Theatre, Dance, and Entertainment Technology coordinator, the intra-program experience serves as a real-life lesson for a career in the entertainment industry, where understanding all aspects of a production is important for success.  more

Pianist and Professor

Mikhail Voskresensky will present an all-new program on Saturday, December 14 at 7 p.m. in Bristol Chapel, on the campus of Westminster Choir College, 101 Walnut Lane. He will perform works by Beethoven, Mozart, Grieg, Scriabin, and Chopin. Tickets are $45 ($20 for students).

Violinist and Pianist Make Princeton Debut

Dutch violinist Janine Jansen is set to make her long-anticipated Princeton University Concerts (PUC) debut with Belgian pianist Denis Kozhukhin on Wednesday, December 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium.

The program features Robert Schumann Violin Sonata No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 105; Clara Schumann Three Romances, Op. 22; and Johannes Brahms Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 100 and Violin Sonata No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 108.

“We have been eager to present this legendary duo for a very long time,” said PUC Director Marna Seltzer, “and after the pandemic and illness delayed their debut, it feels surreal that this historic moment has finally arrived. As we head into the holiday season, I can think of no greater gift.” more

Youthful Dancers

Princeton Youth Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker,” choreographed by Risa Kaplowitz and Talin Kenar, is on stage at Princeton High School Performing Arts Center Saturday, December 7 at 4 p.m. and Sunday, December 8 at 12 and 4 p.m. This version of the familiar holiday ballet is a coming-of-age story. Tickets are on sale at pyb.booktix.com.

Live Performance, Film is Narrated Travelogue

On December 3 at 7:30 p.m., Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts presents Courtney Stephens’ live performance/film essay, Terra Femme, at the James Stewart Film Theater, 185 Nassau Street. Admission is free and open to the public.

An essay film, a memoir, a post-colonial reckoning, Terra Femme is a work of live cinema that takes the form of a narrated travelogue, with Stephens leading the viewer through errant cinematic scrapbooks, seeking out the stories behind the images, and wondering after the early 20th century women who captured and witnessed them. This live performance/film has toured widely.

The essay film is comprised of amateur travelogues filmed by women in the 1920s-1950s. With a score by Sarah Davachi, the fims raise questions about female representation in the archive, the role of amateurism in early non-fiction filmmaking, and the politics of the Western gaze. more

Chanticleer Vocal Ensemble Presents Holiday Program

Princeton University Concerts (PUC) will welcome the Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer back for a special event performance of their A Chanticleer Christmas program of a cappella choral music, ranging from Renaissance masterworks to spirituals, on Saturday, December 7, at 7:30 p.m. in the Princeton University Chapel.

Prior to the concert, PUC will host a Do-Re-Meet LGBTQIA+ & Allies Mingle in the form of a festive “ugly sweater party,” at 5:30 p.m. at Maclean House on the campus.

Chanticleer first came to PUC in October 2023, engaging with the community by inviting singers of all ages and abilities to sing alongside as part of PUC’s free annual Chamber Jam conducted by Artistic Director Tim Keeler, a 2011 graduate of the Princeton University Music Department; singing for one of PUC’s free Live Music Meditation events; and performing a concert at Richardson Auditorium. more

Day With(out) Art 2024 Program at Garden Theatre

The Garden Theatre is partnering with the Princeton University Art Museum to again commemorate Day With(out) Art, an occasion to remember those artists and creators impacted by the AIDS crisis. This year’s program is on Tuesday, December 3 at 7 p.m.

The collection of videos Red Reminds Me…. will be screened, free to the public. The program will be introduced by Princeton University Art Museum Director James Steward, and followed by a discussion between Steward and one of the video’s directors, David Oscar Harvey.

Day With(out) Art was organized by Visual AIDS, “the only contemporary arts organization fully committed to AIDS awareness and creating dialogue around HIV issues today,” according to their website. It was first held on December 1, 1989, to coincide with the World Health Organization’s second annual World AIDS Day, and meant to “celebrate the lives and achievements of lost colleagues and friends.” more

Arts Council to Host “Crafting a Heart” Event

“CRAFTING A HEART”: The Arts Council of Princeton will host a workshop with Gisele Fetterman, right, and Diana Weymar, left, on Wednesday, December 4 at 6:30 p.m. A hands-on art activity and signed copy of Weymar’s new book are included in registration.

The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) will present a workshop with Gisele Fetterman and craftivist Diana Weymar on Wednesday, December 4. Attendees will learn to create a unique mosaic heart out of ceramic and tile pieces and learn more about using art to transform anxiety into action.

All attendees will receive a signed copy of Weymar’s new book, Crafting a Better World. Additional books will be available for purchase at the event.

This beginner-friendly workshop includes all materials and small-group instruction. Registration is $65 and is available on artscouncilofprinceton.org. more

Day of Artful Joy at Princeton Makes

DAY OF ARTFUL JOY: Artisan card maker Danyelle Kessler will teach children and adults how to make unique greeting cards on Saturday, November 23 from $12:30 to 2 p.m. at Princeton Makes in the Princeton Shopping Center.

Art Against Racism is partnering with Princeton Makes, a Princeton-based artist cooperative, to present a Day of Artful Joy on Saturday, November 23. It will be a day of creativity and fun celebrating International Art and Health Month. This event is part of Arts and Health Mercer, sponsored by Mercer County art and cultural organizations. Learn more at artshealthmercer.org. The activities will be held at Princton Makes, located in the Princeton Shopping Center.

The Lovey Monsters Beginners Sewing Class for Kids will be held from 10 to 10:45 a.m. Ronah Harris, an artist and the creator of Lovey Monsters, will help kids unleash their imagination and craft their very own adorable monster stuffy. To enjoy this blend of creativity and fluffiness, one can purchase the Monster Lovey kit available for $12.50. more

PU Program in Visual Arts Hosts Open Studios

OPEN STUDIOS: At the 2023 Open Studios event a then-junior, now senior, shares their work with a visitor. This year’s event is on November 20 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at 185 Nassau Street on the Princeton University campus. (Photo by Jon Sweeney)

Juniors and seniors majoring and minoring in visual arts at Princeton University will open their studios to share and discuss their works-in-progress on November 20 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at 185 Nassau Street on the Princeton campus. The event is free and open to the public.

The evening of Open Studios will feature work by students in a wide range of media including photography, sculpture, painting, drawing, printmaking, graphic design, and film, as well as multi- and interdisciplinary work. The student artists, from the classes of 2025 and 2026, will be present to discuss their work.  more

November 13, 2024

Elon Musk and the Ancient Mariner

By Stuart Mitchner

On Election Day, I began reading Walter Isaacson’s biography of Elon Musk (Simon & Schuster 2023) along with The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, which Samuel Taylor Coleridge first conceived during a walk with William Wordsworth on November 13, 1797.

Early Reading

Coleridge’s tale came to mind while I was reading the chapter about Musk’s early reading habits. As a teenager pondering “the meaning of life and the universe,” Musk found nothing helpful in philosophers like Nietzche, Heidigger, and Schopenhauer (“I don’t recommend reading Nietzche as a teenager”). His salvation was science fiction, novels like Robert Heinlein’s The Moon Is a Hard Mistress and Isaac Asimov’s Foundation Series, about sending settlers to a distant region of the galaxy “to preserve human consciousness in the face of an impending dark age.” More than 30 years later Musk claimed that the Foundation Series was fundamental to the creation of SpaceX, whose stated goal is “to build the technologies necessary to make life multiplanetary.” Says SpaceX Chief Engineer Musk, “This is the first time in the four-billion-year history of Earth that it’s possible to realize that goal and protect the light of consciousness.”  more

Princeton Pro Musica Opens Season with Haydn Oratorio 

By Nancy Plum

Certain musical pieces are tailor-made for specific ensembles. Princeton Pro Musica, now celebrating its fourth decade of music-making, has long excelled at choral/orchestral works requiring precision, block sound and expert counterpoint. Eighteenth-century Austrian composer Franz Joseph Haydn composed numerous sacred masses combining chorus, soloists, and orchestra, but fewer oratorios. The first of these was Die Schöpfung (The Creation), Haydn’s musical interpretation of the creation of the Earth, the animal world, and man. Premiered in 1798, The Creation was an immediate hit in Vienna, receiving instant acclaim and becoming an unofficial anthem of Vienna until falling into obscurity toward the end of the 19th century. Revived in the mid-20th century, The Creation is now a staple of choral societies worldwide and an audience favorite.

Led by Artistic Director Ryan J. Brandau, Princeton Pro Musica presented Haydn’s illustrative oratorio Sunday afternoon at Richardson Auditorium. Together with a chamber orchestra and three vocal soloists, the 100-member chorus performed Haydn’s uplifting music showing solid preparation and command of the music. Conductor Brandau began the long orchestral introduction with restraint, as the earth slowly came into being. The string sections demonstrated an ability to play very quietly, with wind solos depicting life forms emerging amid the murky chaos. Clearly rooted in the oratorio tradition of George Frideric Handel, The Creation also showed the influence of Mozart in lyrical arias and poignant duets.  more

A Teenager is Sent to a Mental Health Facility in “A Life Worth Living”; Lewis Center for the Arts Presents a New Musical by Jeffrey Chen ’25

“A LIFE WORTH LIVING”: Performances are underway for “A Life Worth Living.” Presented by the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University, and directed by Chesney Snow (assisted by Ava Adelaja), the musical runs through November 16 at the Lewis Arts complex’s Wallace Theater. Above, from left: Cecilia (Kailani Melvin), a therapist at a mental health facility, attempts to help Gavin (portrayed by writer and composer Jeffrey Chen) heal from a traumatic past. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski/Lewis Center for the Arts)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

The Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University is presenting A Life Worth Living. The new musical has a book, music, and lyrics by Jeffrey Chen, a senior who is majoring in neuroscience, with a minor in musical theater.

A Life Worth Living is described by the Lewis Center’s website as a “dramatic-comedy musical.” Its plot centers on Gavin, a teenager who is involuntarily sent to a residential mental health treatment facility. He reluctantly but steadily forms bonds with the other residents, as the staff works to uncover the past experiences leading to the incident that necessitates his treatment. more

American Repertory Ballet Presents “The Nutcracker”

HOLIDAY BALLET: American Repertory dancers, from left, Lily Krisko, Erikka Reenstierna-Cates, Rachel Quiner, Roland Jones, and Tomoya Suzuki will appear in “The Nutcracker” at McCarter Theatre and other New Jersey venues this season. (Photo by Harald Schrader)

American Repertory Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker is one of the longest running in the nation. Performances will take place from Friday, November 29 through Sunday, December 22, in Princeton, Red Bank, Trenton, and New Brunswick, starting with McCarter Theatre November 29-December 1.

Students from Princeton Ballet School (PBS), the official school of American Repertory Ballet (ARB), participate in the ballet, which tells the story of Clara, a young girl who receives a magical Christmas gift and embarks on an enchanted journey. Clara and her Nutcracker Prince battle larger-than-life mice alongside toy soldiers, and travel through a whirlwind of dancing snowflakes to the Land of Sweets. Greeted by the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier, Clara enjoys a suite of dances before opening her eyes to the familiar sights of her home, wondering if it was all a dream. more

Trombone Shorty, Orleans Avenue Play Brass Band

NEW ORLEANS SOUNDS: The music of Trombone Shorty’s native city is the focus of his appearance at State Theatre New Jersey on November 21.

State Theatre New Jersey presents Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue with support from New Breed Brass Band on Thursday, November 21 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $39-$79.

The show is crafted in the rich music scene of Trombone Shorty’s hometown of New Orleans, La. Evoking the tradition of the second-line parades of the city, the performance fuses jazz, funk, pop, hip hop, and rock music into a celebratory bayou sound.  more

Orchestra Accompaniment at “Spider-Man” Screening

MOVIE WITH MUSIC: “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse in Concert” mixes the famed film with music by a live orchestra on November 14 at State Theatre New Jersey. (Photo by Victor Frankowski)

State Theatre New Jersey presents Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse in Concert on Thursday, November 14 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $29-$99.

Building on the success of the sold-out global shows of the first Oscar-winning Spider-Man animated Spider-Verse film, comes the sequel: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. more

Holiday Movies Planned at the Garden Theatre

The Garden Theatre has announced its programming lineup for the holiday season. Starting on Black Friday and running through Christmas Eve, the selection features cheerful classics, from Jim Henson to Jimmy Stewart to Dr. Seuss to Bruce Willis.

On Black Friday, November 29, Elf will be screened as part of the $5 Family Matinee series, which is free for members. The following day, A Christmas Story, the definitive Christmas film, is on the schedule. This series continues throughout December with The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Polar Express, the 2018 animated The Grinch, and a rare exhibition of the cherished Rankin & Bass work, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, on Christmas Eve. more

Airborne

Roxey Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker,” now in its 29th season, is onstage at Villa Victoria Theater in Ewing Township November 30 to December 8. The schedule includes a sensory-friendly performance on December 1, school matinees, and a tea dance party. Visit roxeyballet.org/nutcracker for dates, times, and tickets.

Richardson Chamber Players Present “Songs With/out Words”

On Sunday, November 24 at 3 p.m. in Richardson Auditorium, performance faculty from the Princeton University Department of Music comprising the Richardson Chamber Players will present “Songs With/out Words,” a program of songs with and without words written by female composers on both sides of the Atlantic.

Songs for mezzo-soprano and piano by lieder composer Josephine Lang, and for mezzo-soprano and mixed chamber ensemble by Dame Ethel Smyth, bookend the program. Included are works for string quartet, solo piano, and flute, viola, and harp that reference American, Jamaican, and European song and poetry in between. In addition to Lang and Smyth, the program includes music by Florence Price, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, and Eleanor Alberga. more