Arts Council of Princeton Announces Spring Performance Schedule

The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) announces the line-up for the Spring 2017 Robeson Center Performances. Robeson Center Performances range from jazz, blues, world-fusion, folk, musical theater, and culturally-specific roots music. With Robeson Center Live!, Café Improv - a monthly showcase of local and regional artists broadcast on Princeton Community Television - and community collaborations, Robeson Center Performances present a diverse range of artists in the intimate setting of the Arts Council of Princeton's Solley Theater, one of New Jersey's best listening rooms. These performances present live music, theater, spoken word and comedy, in an uncluttered sound space, providing the audience with an inspiring, up-close-and-personal experience. Tickets are available at artscouncilofprinceton.org.

“We’re proud to present diverse programming for the spring, including several free events in collaboration with the Princeton Public Library celebrating Jazz Appreciation Month in April,” said Program Coordinator, Richard Robinson. “We look forward to seeing community members of all ages attend our Pi Day event and Communiversity ArtsFest 2017.”

Saturday, March 11, 3pm & 7:30pm - Einstein! A Pi Day Princeton Event. Einstein comes back from the beyond! Upset with the way his image has been cheapened and vowing to set the record straight, he tells us the remarkable and sometimes harrowing story of relativity and his struggles as a father. Based on the recent release of 15,000 documents about this curious man, award-winning writer/performer Jack Fry breathes life into one of the most intriguing icons of all time. $15/10 ACP members, students, seniors. This event is planned in conjunction with Princeton Pi Day, an annual celebration commemorating Albert Einstein’s birthday on 3.14. For a schedule of Pi Day events, visit pidayprinceton.com.

Friday, March 17, 7pm- Leila Adu. A young New Zealander of Ghanaian descent, Ms. Adu is a singer-songwriter and part of a generation of highly accomplished musicians such as Micachu, Joanna Newsom, and Esperanza Spalding who are eroding the distinctions between popular music and the increasingly academic worlds of jazz and instrumental music. $15/10 ACP members, students, seniors.

Fourth Saturday of every month, 7pm - Cafe Improv. Attendees of the long-running Café Improv can expect an evening of exciting local music, poetry and comedy. For a list of performers, to register to play and for more information visit cafeimprov.com. Spring Dates: March 25, April 22, May 27, June 24. $2/1 ACP members, students, seniors.

Tuesday, April 4, 7pm - Robeson Center Live! Sonic Liberation 8 featuring Oliver Lake. A collaboration with the Princeton Public Library, this kick-off to Jazz Appreciation Month features Sonic Liberation 8. Deeply rooted in the traditions of Afro-Cuban music, they’ve spent years fusing that tradition with new sounds, including composed jazz, modern chamber composition, and the powerful Orisha spirit. The eight-member ensemble has played extensively in the Philadelphia and New York areas and at festivals and cultural institutions throughout the Midwest U.S. and Canada. Sonic Liberation 8 has consistently won international critical acclaim and has been named Top 10 by the Village Voice, All About Jazz and Jazziz. This is a free event.

Sunday, April 9, 3pm - Commemorating Paul Robeson's Birthday: The Liberian Women's Chorus for Change. The Liberian Women's Chorus for Change brings the power of Liberian traditional song to the forefront of efforts to make communities safe and strong. Composed of renowned singers, dancers and musicians from Liberia -- Fatu Gayflor, Maima Kiazolu, Marie Nyenabo, Yomo Payne, Zaye Tete, and Tokay Tomah -- the Chorus inspires awareness and dialogue about domestic violence and other concerns of Liberian immigrants. The Chorus was formed in response to these artists’ own community research which found that local Liberian immigrant women have a hard time accessing resources and getting the support they need. Together, these award-winning performers create music intended to encourage women to make their voices heard, and to take positive steps forward. This is a free event.

Tuesday, April 18, 6:30pm - Film and Discussion: Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band. Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band is a documentary about a brilliant outlier, a woman who dared to live on her own terms. In a time when women were expected to stay at home and raise children, Mary Lou Williams forged her own path as an unparalleled jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. But this is also the story about a woman who pays a high price battling the gender and racial barriers in her way. Through her lens, this film tells a larger story about women’s ongoing struggle for equality. The gender politics that Mary Lou Williams encountered throughout the twentieth century still remain the struggle to be treated as an equal based on merit; the fight for equal wages; and society’s over-emphasis on physical beauty. This Free Jazz Appreciation Month event is held in collaboration with the Princeton Public Library.

Sunday, April 30, 1-6pm – Communiversity ArtsFest. On six stages of live performances, musicians and artists cover everything from Blues, R&B, Rock, Folk, and Performance Art, showcasing the best in local talent. Join us for Central New Jersey’s largest and longest running cultural event! For a full performance schedule, visit artscouncilofprinceton.org. This is a free event.

Friday, May 5, 7pm – Teen Open Mic Night. Teen Open Mic Night is presented exclusively for local high school students. This free event brings together students from surrounding high schools to perform original compositions, karaoke, improv and a capella, giving teens an opportunity to meet others outside their school district. This event is for teens only–no parents/adults other than staff will be admitted. Open Mic Night is sponsored by What’s Up Princeton partners: Arts Council of Princeton, Corner House, HiTOPS, Princeton Public Library, Princeton Recreation Department, and the Princeton Family YMCA. This is a free event.

Paul Robeson Center for the Arts, 102 Witherspoon Street, Princeton NJ 08542. Parking is available in the Spring and Hulfish Street Garages and at metered spots along Witherspoon Street and Paul Robeson Place. To learn more, visit artscouncilofprinceton.org or call 609.924.8777.

The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP), founded in 1967, is a non-profit organization with a mission of Building Community through the Arts. Housed in the landmark Paul Robeson Center for the Arts, the ACP fulfills its mission by presenting a wide range of programs including exhibitions, performances, free community cultural events, and studio-based classes and workshops in the visual, performing and literary arts. Arts Council of Princeton programs are designed to be high-quality, engaging, affordable and accessible for the diverse population in the greater Princeton region.