Photo by Becca Oviatt
(PRINCETON, NJ) -- McCarter Theatre Center opens its fall presenting season on Friday, September 26, 2025, with Camille A. Brown & Dancers performing I AM. A five-time Tony Award nominee, Brown has redefined boundaries across dance, opera, and Broadway, bringing African American culture to the forefront with brilliance, depth, and joy. Her artistry has been showcased in productions such as Gypsy starring Audra McDonald, Alicia Keys' Hell's Kitchen, Terence Blanchard's Fire Shut Up in My Bones, and PBS’ Giant Steps.
In I AM, Brown imagines new possibilities for self-actualization, Black joy, and cultural liberation. Drawing inspiration from HBO’s Lovecraft Country and the pulse of Drumline, she interweaves African diasporic dance forms with live music and reimagined ’90s R&B hits, creating a performance that is energetic, immersive, and universal in its celebration of humanity. This is not a sit-back-and-watch kind of performance: I AM invites audiences to clap, snap, and sing along, embracing the African tradition of call and response. The energy flows in every direction—between dancers, musicians, and audience—making the experience as personal as it is communal, and as celebratory as it is soul-stirring.
Tickets are available for purchase online. Showtime is 7:30pm. McCarter Theatre is located at 91 University Place in Princeton, New Jersey.
“The joy of I AM is the joy of being entirely yourself, entirely present in the moment. We are here, Brown and the performers seem to say – and we’ll keep being here, together, dancing into the future.” -- The NY Times
Camille A. Brown is a prolific choreographer whose work bridges ancestral and contemporary stories, capturing deeply personal experiences and the cultural narratives of African American identity. Seamlessly balancing careers in stage, television, and film, she uses dance as a powerful medium for storytelling.
“This season we are welcoming artists who bring audiences together across cultures and generations,” said Paula Abreu, McCarter’s Director of Presented Programming. “From the bold vision of Camille A. Brown to the legendary voices of Heather Headley and Aida Cuevas, to virtuosic innovators Jacob Collier and Chris Thile, and the timeless artistry of Kyung Wha Chung, McCarter’s stages are alive this fall with extraordinary experiences you won’t find anywhere else.”
The fall lineup continues with a dynamic range of performances across music, dance, spoken word, theater, and family programming. Other highlights include Pink Martini All-Stars featuring NPR’s Ari Shapiro, Edna Vazquez, and Jimmie Herrod with special guest Storm Large (October 5), Disney’s Moana live-to-film concert (October 9), Step Afrika! (October 25), and the Philip Glass Ensemble (November 22).
McCarter will also mark Hispanic Heritage Month with a series of unique performances: The Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band: West Side Story Reimagined (October 4), Celia Cruz – A Tribute to the Queen! featuring Xiomara Laugart and Axel Tosca & band (October 10), and Aida Cuevas: 50 Years of Singing Mexico (October 17). Together, these performances honor the traditions and innovations of Latin music and celebrate its enduring global influence.
Arts & Ideas links Princeton University scholarship and community voices to the work on stage. Leading faculty and artists are paired with live performances to share insights and enhance the experience.
New this season – in the lobby one hour before most classical music and dance series events for a free conversation with experts about the performances audiences are about to see.
Tickets: For tickets and more information, visit www.mccarter.org or call Patron Services at 609.258.2787. For groups of 10 or more, contact [email protected] or call 609.258.8288.
McCarter is one of the country’s flagship theaters and a vibrant center for community and the performing arts. Located on the campus of Princeton University, the company is an independent nonprofit, serving as a nationally renowned, multi-disciplinary creative hub for arts and ideas, offering theatre, music, dance, spoken word, and educational programs for all ages. A two-time Tony Award winner, McCarter’s legacy of artistic excellence dates back to its first performances in 1930. Our Town, You Can’t Take It with You, and Bus Stop all premiered at McCarter, paving the way for a long history of launching remarkable works that have gone on to tens of thousands of performances worldwide.
The company is equally revered for presenting global artists on its stages, including Yo-Yo Ma, Samara Joy, Hasan Minhaj, Jon Stewart, Caetano Veloso, Rhiannon Giddens, Patti Smith, Esperanza Spalding, Lake Street Dive, and Herbie Hancock. Of the 100,000 community members who engage with McCarter each year, more than 5,000 are students participating in educational programs in Princeton, Trenton, and schools across the region. McCarter leads with values of justice, joy, and beauty in belonging—creating a space where artists and audiences can come together to celebrate the power of live performance.
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