Nicole A. Watson
(PRINCETON, NJ) -- McCarter Theatre Center has announced its 2023–24 season, featuring five theatrical productions and an exciting lineup of classical music, pop, jazz, dance, spoken-word and family events.This year also marks the return of McCarter’s Subscription Packages for Theatre, Classical Music and Dance. Subscriptions are available for purchase now, with single-event tickets on sale in June.
“We’re thrilled to produce, present and collaborate on an expansive, imaginative collection of theatrical events and world-class performances for 2023–24,” said Sarah Rasmussen, Artistic Director of McCarter Theatre Center. “Our team curated a season that speaks to McCarter’s values of justice, joy and belonging. We are eager for audiences to take part in the uniquely personal and shared community experience of engaging with art and artists in our spaces.”
McCarter’s season opens in September with Bulrusher, playwright Eisa Davis’ Pulitzer Prize finalist, which tells the captivating story of a multiracial orphan girl’s journey of self-discovery and her gift of clairvoyance. Directed by Nicole A. Watson, McCarter’s BOLD Associate Artistic Director, the play— “a gleaming marriage of poetry and myth,” according to the Star-Tribune—introduces audiences to a story filled with compassion and thrills. Bulrusher is a Co-Production with Berkeley Repertory Theatre.
In May 2024, McCarter will stage the comedy Choice, directed by McCarter’s Artistic Director Sarah Rasmussen, a comic, surreal and thought-provoking play about journalist Zipporah Zunder, who is forced to reexamine her life by the biggest story she’s ever landed. For this brand new production, playwright Winnie Holzman—best known for co-authoring Wicked and creating the television series My So-Called Life—has completed extensive edits to the play, offering a fresh perspective since its original premier nearly a decade ago.
For the Halloween season, McCarter will present the original London production of Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black, a chilling mystery about a lawyer obsessed with a curse he believes has been cast over him and his family. Adapted by Stephen Mallatratt, the play—which Ben Brantley of the New York Times called “ingenious” and a “journey into fear”—recently completed a 33-year run in London’s West End.
McCarter also welcomes award-winning director Lili-Anne Brown to helm the production of the three-time Tony-nominated musical Caroline, or Change by Tony Kushner and Jeanine Tesori, which the Guardian called “one of the most gloriously disruptive, completely distinctive musicals of the past 20 years.” The powerful story—set against the backdrop of President Kennedy’s assassination and the Civil Rights Movement—centers on the lives of Caroline, a Black woman working as a maid, and Noah, a Jewish boy coming of age after a personal tragedy. This modern classic brings disparate, beautiful and passionate people together as they try to harness a better future.
McCarter will also bring back its annual production of A Christmas Carol, directed by Lauren Keating, and host several special events throughout the season for family audiences including The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show, which brings Eric Carle’s beloved children’s story to life through a captivating cast of storytellers, sweeping original music and stunning puppetry.
A full roster of multi-disciplinary performances by some of the world’s greatest talents, curated by Paula Abreu, Director of Special Programming, kicks-off in September when singer, author and poet Patti Smith presents Words and Music, a concert event featuring songs and stories from Smith’s remarkable life.
The line up of presented events also includes humorist and author David Sedaris; genre-bending soul singer Madison McFerrin; renowned tap dancer Ayodele Casel; violinist and conductor Joshua Bell in concert with soprano Larisa Martinez; MacArthur Fellow, celebrated composer and jazz bandleader Vijay Iyer, performing with Grammy winner Arooj Aftab and multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily from their new album, Love in Exile; and a performance by the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, making its first visit to McCarter since the onset of the Russian war in Ukraine.
“Our wide-ranging season is a testament to McCarter’s commitment to staging best-in-class events that attract the greatest talents in the world, resonate with our dedicated audiences and attract new ones,” said Paula Abreu.
As part of McCarter’s new Arts & Ideas series, which brings Princeton University scholarship and community partners into conversation with performance, McCarter will host renowned author Jhumpa Lahiri (in partnership with Princeton Public Library and Labyrinth Books) as well as a range of artist/scholar panels and workshops aligned with select performances across all genres. Arts & Ideas events will be added throughout the season and are co-sponsored by the Princeton University Humanities Council.
Theatre Series, Classical Music and Dance Series Subscriptions are now on sale.
*Tickets and “Choose Your Own” packages (McCarter’s Choice Pass) go on exclusive pre-sale June 13 at 12:00pm ET for McCarter Members and Subscribers. Tickets and Choice Passes go on sale June 15 at 12:00pm ET to the General Public, unless otherwise noted. Additional events will continue to be added to the calendar throughout the season. For Groups of 10 or more contact: groups@mccarter.org starting June 15.
For Subscription and Ticketing questions, contact patronservices@mccarter.org or call Patron Services at 609-258-2787, Tuesday-Saturday 12:00pm-6:00pm.
Visit www.mccarter.org for the full schedule of events and information including Student Ticketing options. Please note: all events are subject to time changes and cancellations.
THEATRE SUBSCRIPTION SERIES
Bulrusher By Eisa Davis; Directed by Nicole A. Watson. September 13, 2023 – October 7, 2024. A Co-Production with Berkeley Repertory Theatre. In 1955, in the redwood country north of San Francisco, a multiracial girl grows up in a predominantly white town whose residents pepper their speech with the historical dialect of Boontling. Found floating in a basket on the river as an infant, Bulrusher is an orphan with a gift for clairvoyance that makes her feel like a stranger even amongst the strange: the taciturn schoolteacher who adopted her, the madam who runs her brothel with a fierce discipline, the logger with a zest for horses and women, and the guitar-slinging boy who is after Bulrusher's heart. Just when she thought her world might close in on her, she discovers an entirely new sense of self when a Black girl from Alabama comes to town. Finalist – 2007 Pulitzer Prize in Drama.
“An engrossing rush... Eisa Davis' gleaming marriage of poetry and myth... has a big heart and a wide-open soul.” – Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune
“Davis has powers as a writer to find beauty in almost everything, and her play pulses with compassion and life. Bulrusher has the kind of satisfying, uplifting ending you can only find in live theater — vibrant, poetic, immediate and thrilling.” – Bay Area News Group
McCarter Theatre Center presents The Original London production of Susan Hill's The Woman in Black; Adapted by Stephen Mallatratt; Directed by Robin Herford. October 13 – October 29, 2023. A dark and scary mystery unfolds in this masterful theatrical event. The story comes to life as an old man recounts the events of his youth when he went to the fog-embarked countryside of England to settle the estate of a family shrouded in a tragedy that continues to haunt (literally!) anyone who comes too close.
“Ingenious… a journey into fear” – New York Times
“One of British theatre’s biggest—and scariest—hits!” – The Guardian
Caroline, or Change; Book and lyrics by Tony Kushner; Music by Jeanine Tesori; Directed by Lili-Anne Brown. March 6 – March 24, 2024. In 1963 in Louisiana, Caroline is a Black woman working as a maid and Noah is a Jewish boy coming of age after personal tragedy. Their lives intertwine in this passionate and powerful musical set against the backdrop of the Kennedy assassination, the Civil Rights movement, and two families trying to make sense of the world and each other. 3-Time 2020 Tony Award Nominee (Best Musical, Best Book, Best Score)
Set in one of the most pivotal times in America's history, the Tony-nominated Caroline, or Change is riveting, moving and awe-inspiring. Featuring a virtuosic score by Jeanine Tesori (Shrek The Musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Kimberly Akimbo), it blends blues, gospel and traditional Jewish melodies, creating a breathtaking medium for Kushner's provocative and personal story.
Tony Award-nominee for Best Musical, Best Book and Best Score, and featuring one of the most powerful female roles in musical theatre, Caroline, or Change is a true tour de force that will leave audiences breathless. McCarter is delighted to welcome award-winning director Lili-Anne Brown to helm this production.
Choice by Winnie Holzman; Directed by Sarah Rasmussen. May 8 – June 2, 2024. In this comic, surreal and thought-provoking play, journalist Zipporah Zunder has landed the story of her life—investigating a controversial social phenomenon that could reframe the way we think about the right to choose. As she dives deep into this complex story, she’s forced to reexamine her past, her (sometimes absurd) present and the choices that have shaped her life.
Playwright Winnie Holzman is an American dramatist, screenwriter, and poet. She is known for having created the ABC television series My So-Called Life, which led to a nomination for a scriptwriting Emmy Award in 1995, as well as her work writing for thirtysomething and Once and Again. Holzman has garnered fame for her work on Broadway, most notably for co-writing the smash stage musical Wicked.
DANCE SUBSCRIPTION SERIES
Once the Dust Settles, Flowers Bloom by Olivier Tarpaga Dance Project - Friday, September 29, 2023 at 8:00pm. In partnership with the Department of Music at Princeton University and the Seuls en Scène Princeton French Theater Festival, Olivier Tarpaga’s deeply humanist piece, “Once the Dust Settles Flowers Bloom,” gives voice and body to the refugees of Burkina Faso and the Sahel region, who, having fled the shadow of jihadists, settle in camps far from their homes. Looking beyond the horror, the work channels the strength and beauty of this displaced population.“An extraordinary, distilled piece of music and dance” — New York Times
Mark Morris Dance Group - Saturday, January 27, 2024 at 8:00pm. The country’s preeminent modern dance company brings an exciting program of recent works and audience favorites to the McCarter Theater. “The most successful and influential choreographer alive, and indisputably the most musical.” — New York Times
Ayodele Casel: Chasing Magic - Thursday, February 8, 2024 at 7:30pm. The latest work from one of the world’s great tap dance talents, a celebratory display of artistic encounters and how to reconnect with them.
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago - Thursday, March 28, 2024 at 7:30pm. One of Chicago’s premier dance companies returns to McCarter with a multi-faceted program celebrating its 45th season. “Oh, those dancers, the mighty Hubbard Streeters, at once a unified force and a community of individuals.” — Boston Globe
Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo: 50th Anniversary - Wednesday, April 17, 2024 at 7:30pm. The “World’s Foremost All-Male Comic Ballet Company” celebrates 50 years with an evening of delights at McCarter Theatre Center.
CLASSICAL MUSIC SUBSCRIPTION SERIES
Yunchan Lim - Thursday, September 21, 2023 at 7:30pm. Program: Tchaikovsky – Seasons op.37a complete. Interval: Chopin - 12 etudes op.10 complete. McCarter Debut Artist and Gold Medal 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition winner, Yunchan Lim is a precocious teen with prodigious talent marries technical brilliance with youthful emotion in this classical piano performance.
“There is no substitute for rare talent, and 18-year-old Yunchan Lim of South Korea is, indeed, the real deal…when the young South Korean is in his element, there are few sounds more ravishing in the world.” – SF Classical Voice
Davóne Tines, voice | John Bitoy, piano - Thursday, November 16, 2023 at 7:30pm. Recital No. 1: MASS. A bass-baritone singer whom The New Yorker declared is “changing what it means to be a classical singer,” Davóne Tines and his powerful voice first made waves leading operas by Kaija Saariaho (Only the Sound Remains), Matthew Aucoin (Crossing), and Terence Blanchard (Fire Shut Up in My Bones). But the Harvard and Juilliard graduate—who sang some of his first notes with his Baptist church choir in Virginia—really started turning heads with carefully curated, avant-garde recitals such as “Recital No. 1: MASS,” a deeply personal statement that finds a throughline between Bach and the Agnus Dei.
National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine; Volodymyr Sirenko, conductor; Soloists: Volodymyr Vynnytsky (piano). Program: Berezovsky, The 1 st Ukrainian Symphony in C major, Saint-Saens, Piano Concerto No 2; Dvorak, Symphony No 8. Sunday, February 11, 2024 at 1:00pm. A storied symphony returns to McCarter to perform a rich program showcasing some of Ukraine's most talented and renowned musicians.
Voice and the Violin; Joshua Bell, violin | Larisa Martinez, soprano | Peter Dugan, piano - Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 7:30pm. Grammy Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell and acclaimed soprano Larisa Martinez, alongside renowned pianist Peter Dugan, present “Voice and the Violin,” an intimate evening of romantic arias and modern classics. “Bell’s big sound is consistently beautiful, round, focused and unfailingly in tune, and he lavishes it in equal measure on all the music he plays.” – Washington Post
PRESENTED EVENTS (Not on Subscription) *Non-Subscription Event Tickets and Choice Passes go on exclusive pre-sale June 13 at 12:00pm ET for McCarter Members and Subscribers and on June 15 at 12:00pm ET to the General Public, unless otherwise noted.
Patti Smith, Words and Music - Saturday, September 23, 2023 at 8:00pm. (exclusive Pre-Sale and On-Sale dates to be announced)
Fatoumata Diawara - Saturday, September 30, 2023 at 8:00pm
Catapult - Sunday, October 1, 2023 at 3:00pm
Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, Shahzad Ismaily: Love in Exile - Thursday, October 5, 2023 at 7:30pm
An Evening with David Sedaris - Friday, October 6, 2023 at 8:00pm
Madison McFerin, photo by Justin French
Madison McFerrin - Saturday, October 14, 2023 at 8:00pm
Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists & Sir John Elliott Gardiner performing Bach's B Minor M - Monday, October 23, 2023 at 7:30pm
An Evening with Jhumpa Lahiri, presented in Association with Labyrinth Books and Princeton Public Library, Thursday, November 2, 2023 at 7:30pm
The Sound of (Black) Music - Friday, November 17, 2023 at 8:00pm
Alan Cumming & Ari Shapiro, Och & Oy: A Considered Cabaret - Saturday, November 18, 2023
Choir! Choir! Choir! Holiday Show - Saturday, December 16, 2023 at 7:00pm
Kaki King: Modern Yesterdays - Friday, January 26, 2024 at 7:30pm
American Patchwork Quartet - Saturday, February 9, 2024 at 8:00pm
The Legendary Ingramettes - Friday, February 16, 2024 at 8:00pm
The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Sunday, March 17, 2024 at 11:00am, 1:00pm and 3:30pm
Zakir Hussain, Sabir Khan, and Debopriya Chatterjee - Friday, April 12, 2024 at 8:00pm
Trailblazing Women of Country - A Tribute to Patsy, Loretta, and Dolly featuring Miko Marks and Kristina Train supported by a 5-member all-female band - Sunday, April 14, 2024 at 7:00pm
An independent not-for-profit performing arts center located between New York City and Philadelphia—and on the campus of Princeton University—McCarter is a multi-disciplinary creative and intellectual hub offering theater, music, dance, spoken word, and educational programs for all ages that inspires conversations, connections and collaborations in our communities. We lead with our values of justice and joy, and we seek beauty in belonging. Celebrated for developing new work and winner of the 1994 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, world premieres include Christopher Durang's Vanya, Sonia, Masha and Spike (Tony, Best Play), Tarell Alvin McCraney's The Brother/Sister Plays, Emily Mann's Having Our Say. Renowned artists who have appeared at McCarter include: Alvin Ailey, Yo-Yo Ma, Audra McDonald, David Sedaris, The Moth, Terence Blanchard, Roseanne Cash, the rock band Lake Street Dive, Shawn Colvin, more. McCarter connects with the community year-round via various community reading event opportunities, digital programming, on-site classes and in-school residencies. McCarter and Princeton University share a long history of unique partnerships and creative collaborations.
