December 25, 2024

Scott Fitzgerald and Jimmy Stewart Give a Princeton Touch to Christmas 2024

By Stuart Mitchner

One of my most vivid memories is of coming back West from prep school and later from college at Christmas time.

—F. Scott Fitzgerald

My preferred Santa of the moment is the one trudging up the Union Square subway stairs on the cover of the December 16 New Yorker, a heavy red bag slung over his shoulder, one hand on the railing, snow falling. I like the noirish urban darkness of Eric Drooker’s image, the way the Con Ed building is framed, the fading portrait of a beloved city against a blank sky. I also like the touch of mortal menace. Will Santa make it to his next stop before he’s mugged or run down by a drunken driver?

The Poetry of Gatsby

The epigraph I’ve used here comes from F. Scott Fitzgerald and may sound routinely autobiographical, but is actually crucial to The Great Gatsby, which will celebrate its centenary next year. Nick Carraway’s line about coming home from college at Christmas sets the stage for the concluding reference to Gatsby’s dream, “which must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night.” That’s where the poem that is The Great Gatsby truly ends; the two short paragraphs that follow, about the “orgastic future” and “boats against the current,” are prosaic and workmanlike by comparison.  more

Princeton Pro Musica Rings in Holidays with “A Feast of Carols”

By Nancy Plum

Princeton Pro Musica pulled out all the stops recently for a performance of international music for the season, much of which was arranged by the ensemble’s Artistic Director Ryan J. Brandau. The concert on December 15 attended by a festive full house at Richardson Auditorium brought together chorus, orchestra, and two vocal soloists for an eclectic afternoon of music spanning the globe, multiple centuries, and languages.

Brandau has established a deserved reputation as an arranger and orchestrator, and a significant part of Pro Musica’s program showed off his talents. “Mash-ups” of two or more musical numbers put together are popular in the choral world, and Brandau included several of his own in the performance. The concert opened with a combination piece of “O Come Emmanuel” and “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen,” as set by Brandau. With supertitles and Pro Musica’s trademark precise diction, Brandau’s composition moved seamlessly between the medieval chant and the 17th-century English carol. Introduced by solo cellist Melissa Meell and delicately accompanied by harpist André Tarantiles, the two selections well demonstrated Pro Musica’s blended choral sound. more

Stepping and Other Styles At Step Afrika! Performance

DANCE, SONGS, AND MORE: Step Afrika! Brings traditional dances, music, and audience participation to State Theatre New Jersey on January 17. (Photo by Sandi Horvat)

State Theatre New Jersey presents Step Afrika! on Friday, January 17 at 7:30 p.m. The production blends percussive dance styles, traditional African dances, stepping, and contemporary dance and art forms. Much more than a dance show, Step Afrika! also integrates songs, storytelling, humor, and audience participation. Tickets range from $29-$99.

Founded in 1994 by C. Brian Williams, Step Afrika! is the world’s leading authority on the artform of stepping. Under Williams’ leadership, stepping has evolved into one of America’s cultural exports, touring more than 60 countries across the globe and ranking as one of the top 10 African American Dance Companies in the U.S.  more

“Next Forever” Artist Commissions Announced by Lewis Arts Center

Kate Douglas
(Photo by Stephanie Crousillat)

Princeton University’s High Meadows Environmental Institute, Lewis Center for the Arts, and The Civilians, a New York City-based theater company, have announced the 2024-25 artists of their collaborative initiative, The Next Forever, Kate Douglas and Kate Tarker. The Next Forever is a partnership that seeks to create new stories for a changing planet, exploring how dynamic storytelling can engage vital environmental subjects and provide the vision and inspiration society needs to navigate the challenges of our planet’s future — the “next forever.”

The two artists will spend time on the Princeton University campus as guest artists, engage with faculty and students across disciplines, and participate in an ongoing series of public events and performances over the course of a year-long residency and two-year commissioning agreement. They join last year’s inaugural artists Kareem Fahmy and AriDy Nox, who are continuing to develop the works they began during their residencies last year.

Douglas is a writer, performer, and composer. Her recent work includes The Apiary, nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award; Tulipa through New York Stage and Film; and hag with co-writer Grace McLean through The New Group. She has been awarded residencies at SPACE on Ryder Farm, Swale House on Governors Island, Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, Millay Arts, and Goodspeed Musicals, among others. Her upcoming projects include Centuries starring opposite her co-writers Matthew Dean Marsh and Raina Sokolov-Gonzalez at Ancram Center for the Arts. She holds a certificate in sustainable garden design from New York Botanical Garden. more

African American Spirituals To Be Sung by Keith Spencer

The Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum (SSAAM) will ring in the new year with “Lord, Write My Name – The Gospel and African American Experience in Spirituals,” featuring baritone Keith Spencer and award-winning composer/pianist Peter Hilliard.

This concert at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Titusville at Washington Crossing on Saturday, January 18 at 3 p.m. will weave together iconic African American spirituals and powerful narratives, poetry, and letters written by enslaved and free Black historical figures

SSAAM is Central New Jersey’s only museum telling the rich local and regional stories of African Americans from the time of the transatlantic slave trade to the present day. With the support of the Preserving Black Churches grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the organization is honored to continue this important work with its first special event of 2025.   more

Hearing Mendelssohn’s Music In a Unique, Unexpected Way

On Saturday-Monday, January 11-13, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on the Princeton University campus, Princeton University Concerts (PUC) presents an opportunity for audiences to continue getting to know Felix Mendelssohn’s music in a unique way with a new “Future Presence” program in virtual reality and spatial sound developed by Mahler Chamber Orchestra (MCO).

This interactive experience brings participants on a journey through several selections from Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Op. 61, including the famous “Wedding March.”

“Last year, the North American premiere of this novel experience was wildly popular and elicited such unexpectedly emotional reactions,” said PUC Director Marna Seltzer. “Of course this is not a replacement for live concertgoing; rather it is an entirely new and exciting way to experience music in an interactive, immediate, immersive, and truly beautiful way. I am excited for this season’s version to take participants through musically narrative excerpts of Felix Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The theatrical nature of this score is thrilling to experience in this new medium.” more

Gourgaud Gallery to Present Works by Maguire Morolda

“GLAD, HAPPY MEETINGS”: Paintings by Kathleen Maguire Morolda will be featured at the Gourgaud Gallery in Cranbury January 4 through January 26.

Gourgaud Gallery in Cranbury will present a collection of artwork by board member and local professional artist Kathleen Maguire Morolda January 4 through January 26.

Color is the key to Maguire Morolda’s paintings. Inspired by the natural beauty of the environment, she draws most of her creative energies from the natural beauty of her home state of New Jersey. Maguire Morolda awakens the imagination of the observer through the creative manner in which she blends shape and color.  more

“Art and Nature” Exhibit Coming to Trenton Library

“BELL’S WOODLANDS”: This work by Jean Burdick is featured in “Art and Nature,” on view at the Trenton Free Public Library January 11 through March 8. An opening reception is on January 11 from 5 to 7 p.m.

The Trenton Artists Workshop Association (TAWA) and the Trenton Free Public Library will present the exhibition “Art and Nature” at the Trenton Free Public Library from January 11 through March 8. This a continuation of the art series that showcases the talent of area artists that is slated to continue as an ongoing series. An opening reception is set for Saturday, January 11, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Artists featured in the exhibition include Jena Burdick, Mary Allessio Leck, and Bonnie Christina Randall. more

Former PU Standout Offensive Lineman Travis Helped Iowa State Produce Historic Campaign

COMING UP BIG: Jalen Travis (No. 72) heads upfield this fall for the Iowa State football team. Former Princeton University football standout offensive lineman Travis starred at left tackle for the Cyclones this fall as a grad transfer. He helped Iowa State, now 10-3, reach the Big 12 Championship game for the second time in program history and earn a spot in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando, Fla. on December 28 against Miami. (Photo provided courtesy of Iowa State Athletic Communications)

By Justin Feil

Never in 132 years had the Iowa State football team won more than nine games in a season.

Then offensive lineman Jalen Travis joined the Cyclones. more

Ivy League Reverses Field Regarding Postseason Ban, Will Allow its Football Teams to Play in FCS Tourney

INTO THE FRAY: Members of the Princeton University football team burst onto the field as they hosted Dartmouth on November 8. Last week, the Ivy League Council of Presidents has approved a proposal to allow league teams to play in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs starting in 2025. The decision, which followed a year-long process initiated by the Ivy League’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), reversed the league’s previous policy of barring its football programs from competing in the tourney despite allowing all other sports to take part in national postseason play. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

This fall, the Princeton University field hockey team lost a heartbreaking 1-0 nail-biter to Saint Joseph’s in the NCAA quarterfinals while the Tiger men’s and women’s soccer teams both suffered disappointing one-goal defeats in first-round contests in the national tourney.

Although those setbacks stung, each squad knew where they stood on the national scene. more

PDS Boys’ Hockey Competes Hard in Busy Week, Edging CBA before Falling to Don Bosco, Now 2-1-1

FAST START: Princeton Day School boys’ hockey player Jake Harrison races up the ice in action last season. Junior forward Harrison scored a goal for PDS as it fell 7-2 to Don Bosco Prep last Wednesday. The Panthers, now 2-1-1, are on a holiday break and will return to action when they host La Salle College High (Pa.) on January 2. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

With the Princeton Day School boys’ hockey team trailing undefeated powerhouse Don Bosco Prep 2-0 in the second period last Wednesday, Jake Harrison seized opportunity.

“They were on the power play, we were short-handed and their defenseman got the puck flat-footed,” said PDS junior forward Harrison. “I jumped him and I got a breakaway. “ more

Sparked by Sophomore Dandy’s Finishing Touch, PDS Girls’ Hockey Gets Off to Sizzling 3-0-1 Start

FINE AND DANDY: Sammy Dandy goes after the ball in action this fall for the Princeton Day School field hockey team. Sophomore Dandy, who led the Panthers in scoring in 2024 with five goals, has brought her finishing touch to the ice for the PDS girls’ hockey team. Dandy has piled up six goals to pace the Panthers as they have produced a 3-0-1 start. PDS, which defeated defending New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) state champion Pingry 7-3 last Thursday, hosts Immaculate Heart on January 7. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Sammy Dandy helped spark the offense this fall for the Princeton Day School field hockey team, emerging as the squad’s leading scorer with five goals.

This winter, sophomore star Dandy has brought her finishing touch to the ice for the PDS girls’ hockey team, piling up six goals to pace the Panthers as they have produced a 3-0-1 start. more

December 18, 2024

A Visit From Santa

Santa Claus made a stop in jaZams toy store on Saturday afternoon as he strolled around Palmer Square. His visits, and entertainment, continue on Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 2 p.m. on the Square through December 22. (Photo by Thomas Hedges)

 

 

 

Princeton Deer Management Plan Is Stalled

By Donald Gilpin

As Municipal Attorney Trishka Cecil reported to Princeton Council at last week’s meeting, the town’s plans for deer management, using both lethal and non-lethal means, are at an impasse.

“I am very disappointed,” Cecil told Council members. “Your constituents, your Council, and White Buffalo [the town’s deer management contractor] all want to include non-lethal means. They want you, as scientists, as people committed to responsible deer management — they want you to be able to use every tool that is available in your toolbox, and you are being confronted with a division that for reasons I cannot understand seems dead set against it.”

Princeton’s deer management program has been in place since 2000, and the existing sharpshooting initiative carried out by White Buffalo Inc., which operates nationwide and specializes in population control of white-tailed deer, has helped to reduce the town’s deer population, with some assistance from recreational bow hunters.  more

New Electric Buses Will Be Transporting PPS Students Soon

By Donald Gilpin

Two new electric school buses will be traveling the roads of Princeton, possibly as early as the summer of 2025, following the award of up to $620,000 from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) as part of a $15 million statewide program to help school districts transition to electric transportation.

The Princeton Public Schools (PPS) announced that the grant will also help to fund a fast-charging station for the electric vehicles. The station requires about six hours to fully charge both vehicles simultaneously, and each will be capable of traveling about 110 miles per charge. Once New Jersey has a program in place, this station will be able to send energy back to the grid during high-demand periods.

PPS Business Administrator Matthew Bouldin applauded the state’s contribution to the district’s sustainability efforts. “We believe governmental entities can and should take the lead in modeling sustainable practices, especially when we can achieve this within our fairly strict budgetary framework,” he said. “Programs like the NJDEP grant make sustainable choices attainable.” more

Renowned Professor and World War II Hero Victor Brombert Leaves Enduring Legacy

CENTENARY CELEBRATION: Victor Brombert delivered the closing salute at a 2023 event at Princeton University that celebrated his 100th birthday and the release of his latest book, “The Pensive Citadel.” The legendary scholar, teacher, and World War II hero died last month at 101. (Princeton University, Humanities Council; Tori Repp/Fotobuddy, 2023)

By Donald Gilpin

Beth Archer Brombert, widow of esteemed Princeton University professor, author, and war hero Victor Brombert, who died on November 26 at 101 years old, went out to get the newspaper in the driveway of their Princeton home on the morning of November 30, four days after her husband’s death. She described what happened next.

“On returning to the house, I glanced at the dry, brown clematis on the brick wall to the left of our front door. To my astonishment, on the very top of the desiccated vine, on a stem well above the dead leaves, standing like a star on a Christmas tree, I saw a single purple flower — fully open.” more

Patriots Week Activities December 26-31 In Trenton Target Families and History Buffs

BIGGER, BETTER, AND BROADER: The annual Patriots Week celebration in Trenton includes “the usual suspects” — battle reenactments and musket firing demonstrations, pub tours, and a Colonial ball — as well as more activities geared to all ages and varied interests.

By Anne Levin

With the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence just a year away, planners of this year’s Patriots Week are hoping that the lineup of interactive events — all related to Trenton’s role in shaping the nation — will generate more than the usual level of excitement.

Enthusiasm has been building, in fact, since last year’s Patriots Week, the first since coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. The annual series of activities is designed to give visitors and residents a chance to not just hear about, but relive pivotal moments of the American Revolution. more

Gas-Powered Leaf Blower Ban Back in Effect Through March 14

By Anne Levin

Princeton’s leaf blower restrictions went back into effect this week, prohibiting landscapers and residents from using gas-powered blowers between now and March 14.

An ordinance adopted unanimously by Princeton Council in October 2021, after almost a year of deliberations, maintained that “residents and landscapers shall use only electric or battery-powered leaf blowers for leaf and debris-blowing needs. Property owners and their landscape contractors are co-responsible to reduce the amount of noise and air pollution and to achieve more sustainable landscaping practices in our community.”

Councilwoman Eve Niedergang, who was closely involved in development of the ordinance, said that while many are playing by the rules, there is still room for improvement.

 more

High School Juniors from Four Schools are Making a Difference with Music

MUSIC WITH A MISSION: From left: Spoorthy Gundra, Eshani Banerjee, Eric Sigalov, and Aleena Zhang will perform to raise funds for victims of devastating hurricanes at their concert at the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville this Sunday, December 22 at 3 p.m.

By Anne Levin

For the four high school juniors who make up the Del Forzza Chamber Music Society, helping others is as important as making music together.

This quartet, made up of two flutists and two saxophone players, will perform at the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville on Sunday, December 22 at 3 p.m. Their goal is to raise funds to aid the victims of Hurricane Helene, which caused catastrophic damage in North Carolina last September; and Hurricane Milton, the destructive tropical cyclone that hit Florida a month later. Also on their list are the wildfires that devastated Lahaina, Hawaii, in August 2023. more

A Game of “Authors” with Jane Austen and Mark Twain

By Stuart Mitchner

One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other.

—Jane Austen (1775-1817), from Emma

According to A Book of Days for the Literary Year, the week of December 15 begins with the publication of Emma, a day before Jane Austen’s 40th birthday in 1815. Emma Woodhouse’s comment about a divided understanding of the world’s pleasures, spoken soon after she herself disastrously misunderstands a courtship charade, has me thinking about Authors, the card game that my parents and I played when I was a boy. The fact that Jane Austen had been overlooked by the creators of the game (the only female being Louisa May Alcott) naturally didn’t occur to me, although when my wife and I played Authors with our son decades later, her absence was front and center. How could they leave her out, a question that had serious resonance on the Christmas morning I gave my wife illustrated editions of Persuasion and Mansfield Park.  more

“A Christmas Carol” Returns to Delight Audiences at McCarter; Spirited Staging Mixes Somber Themes with Festive Music, Dance

“A CHRISTMAS CAROL”: Performances are underway for “A Christmas Carol.” Adapted and directed by Lauren Keating, the play with music runs through December 29 at McCarter’s Matthews Theatre. Above, from left: A surprised Margaret (Vivia Font) and Bob Cratchit (Kenneth De Abrew) watch as Tiny Tim (Caryna Desai Shah) receives a significant gift from Ebenezer Scrooge (Joel McKinnon Miller). (Photo by T. Charles Erickson)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

McCarter Theatre’s annual presentation of A Christmas Carol has returned to delight Princeton audiences. Working from her adaptation of Dickens’ 1843 novella, Lauren Keating again directs (assisted by Jaimee Harmon-Taboni), guiding a uniformly talented cast and creative team through a production that artfully juxtaposes the story’s darkest themes against festive caroling and dances.

Community involvement in the show — exemplified by the opportunity to participate in the youth ensemble — has long been an integral part of McCarter’s adaptations of the story. Keating extends this to her staging; as the show opens, carolers dance down the aisles as they sing to the audience. Immediately, we are part of the action.  more

History of “The Nutcracker” is Topic of Online Exhibit

NUTCRACKER MEMORIES: Snowflakes in George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker,“ 1954. (Photo by Frederick Melton. Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.)

“Winter Wonderland: George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker” is the title of an exhibition currently on view via the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts’ website, nypl.org. The show, which is online only, tells the story of the 70-year-old holiday classic choreographed for the New York City Ballet by George Balanchine.

While The Nutcracker is today an annual event performed by ballet companies across the globe, it was not an immediate success when Balanchine debuted his version in 1954. But when a televised and narrated version brought the work into people’s homes across America in 1958, a classic was born. more

Princeton Symphony Orchestra Marks Maestro’s 60th Birthday

Rossen Milanov
(Photo by PSO staff)

The centerpiece of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra’s (PSO) 2024-25 season is the upcoming celebration of Music Director Rossen Milanov’s 60th birthday at concerts held at Richardson Auditorium on January 11 and 12.

Designated as the season’s Edward T. Cone Concert, the program consists of Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto with Leila Josefowicz as soloist and Tchaikovsky’s rarely heard Manfred Symphony.

“I’m thrilled to collaborate creatively again with my friend, the superb violinist Leila Josefowicz, and I am celebrating my birthday by conducting two works among my favorites in the orchestral repertoire,” said Milanov. “I’m Slavic by birth, so when it comes to conducting works by these great composers, I feel deeply connected to the music.” more

A Show After the Show at “A Christmas Carol”

JP Coletta

Following some weekend performances of A Christmas Carol at McCarter Theatre, a “show after the show” will take place in the Lockwood Lobby.

Actor/musician JP Coletta, a member of the cast, will perform holiday music and take audience requests on Friday and Saturday, December 20 and 21 and 27 and 28. On Fridays, the music starts at 10 p.m. and bars stay open until 11 p.m. On Saturdays, the music starts at 8 p.m. and the bars are open until 9 p.m.

Coletta is a New York City-based actor and musician with credits including A Charlie Brown Christmas, Million Dollar Quartet, White Christmas, Sweeney Todd, and more. He is also the creator and star of Rock n’ Roll Piano Man, a theatrical concert celebrating the history of the piano in rock ‘n’ roll.

A Christmas Carol runs through December 29. Visit mccarter.org or call (609) 258-2787 for tickets.

Teen Arts Festival Returning in May

On May 2, 2025, hundreds of young artists and performers will have the opportunity to experience the Mercer County Teen Arts Festival. This annual festival provides high school and middle school students from Mercer County’s public, private, parochial, and independent schools the opportunity for a day of full arts immersion at the West Windsor campus of Mercer County Community College.

“For many students across Mercer, the Teen Arts Festival is one of the highlights of the year,” said County Executive Dan Benson. “We’re excited to offer another opportunity for students to come together to learn, hone their talents, and grow as artists.” more