Spanish nights

The Princeton Festival makes ready for Bizet’s passionate ‘Carmen’

By: Crhistian Kirkpatrick
   The Princeton Festival offered a taste of Spain and a sample of treats to come Saturday night during "Una Noche de Cabaret en España" — an Evening of Spanish Cabaret. Nearly a hundred guests gathered at the Present Day Club in Princeton for this benefit featuring Spanish food and Latin music.
   During the cocktail hour, guests ate tapas; for dinner, they enjoyed Iberian-inspired cuisine. A lively auction and a concert by the Karen Rodriguez Ensemble followed. Their passionate renditions of works by Tito Puente, Hector Lavoe, Celia Cruz and other popular performers from Latin America was the perfect nightcap for this Hispanic-themed evening.
   The concert was also an aperitif, preparing guests for the tasty fare the Princeton Festival will serve up this summer.
   "We’ll be celebrating the sounds of Spain," said Princeton-resident Helene Kulsrud, who is chair of the organization’s board of trustees. Under artistic director Richard Tang Yuk of Princeton University, the festival is preparing for its third season, which will include two operas, three concerts and a dance program, all inspired by Spanish themes or created by Spanish-speaking composers.
   This year, all performances during the 15-day festival will be held in Princeton, noted Ms. Kulsrud.
   They will begin on Sunday, June 17, with a jazz concert by the Miguel Zenón Quartet at Princeton University’s Taplin Auditorium. On the following Friday, June 22, pianist Christine McLeavey will play, among other works, selections from Albéniz’s "Iberia" and Mompou’s "Canciones y danzas." This concert will also be at Taplin.
   A fully staged version of Bizet’s "Carmen" with orchestra and chorus will open on Saturday, June 23. The production will be repeated Friday, June 29, and Sunday, July 1. Singing the title role will be mezzo-soprano Jessie Raven, who has appeared with the New York City Opera, Pittsburgh Opera Theater, Opera de Montréal, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, and the Oratorio Society of New York.
   On Sunday, June 24, the dance group Noches Flamencas will do some passionate Andalusian dances at the Performing Arts Center in Princeton High School.
   The musical "Man of La Mancha" will open on Thursday, June 28 and be repeated Saturday, June 30, at the Matthews Acting Studio at 185 Nassau St. And on Saturday, June 30, the Concordia Players will perform music of Boccherini, De Falla and Brahms at Taplin.
   "I find the notion of a summer professional arts festival very exciting," said Jean Brown of Yardley, Pa. There’s a lot to see and hear in Princeton during the season, she added, but things quiet down during the summer, creating an opportunity for this festival, modeled on the Spoleto Festival in Charleston.
   Ms. Brown hopes that the Princeton Festival will also draw visitors from beyond the area to stay for a weekend and attend several performances.
   Marcia Atcheson of Moorestown mentioned that the festival offers opportunities to young people through its Young Stars Program. Singers chosen to participate may audition for the chorus in the festival’s main production and for principal roles in its annual Young Stars Showcase Production, which this year is "Man of La Mancha." It will be sung entirely by youngsters in high school and college; the orchestra will be drawn from musicians of the same age.
   "Opera is my main love," said George Watson, an avid-festival supporter from Wall Township who said that he had thoroughly enjoyed the festival’s past productions. "Everything is done so well."
   Tickets for all festival events are now on sale. To order them, call (800) 595-4849 at any time or go to www.princetonfestival.org/tickets.html.