The Princeton Festival presents “I Am Harvey Milk,” a musical theater oratorio by Broadway composer and lyricist Andrew Lippa, 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
The show celebrates the legacy of Harvey Milk, an American icon and the first openly gay man to hold office in California. Lippa’s oratorio is part choral work and part theater piece, taking audience members through Milk’s life, from his childhood to his assassination. Conducted by Lippa himself, the performances serve as the world premiere of a revised version of the original work, and take place in the tented performance pavilion on the grounds of Morven Museum and Garden, 55 Stockton St., Princeton. N.J.
The work is directed by Noah Himmelstein, a New York based theater director and associate art director of Everyman Theatre. The show features Benjamin Pajak as young Harvey, who most recently played the title role in “Oliver!” for Encores! at NY City Center. Adam Kantor, portraying Harvey Milk, most notably played Mark Cohen in the closing cast of “Rent” on Broadway. Broadway and West End actress Scarlett Strallen and Family Equality’s CEO Stacey Stevenson perform as Soprano and Speaker, respectively.
Lippa (“Big Fish,” “The Addams Family”) conducts the cast with the Princeton Festival Men’s Chorus and the Princeton Symphony Orchestra.
The Princeton Festival is hosting a companion event in conjunction with “I Am Harvey Milk.” A panel discussion with Lippa will take place 4 p.m. Friday.
Lippa will speak with young musicians about his process in writing “I Am Harvey Milk” and the ways artists can create social change through their work. The event takes place at the Stockton Education Center and is free and open to the public.
Tickets for the two performances at Morven Museum and Garden range from $42-$125; youth 5-17 receive a 50% discount with an adult purchase.
Visit the Princeton Symphony Orchestra webpage at princetonsymphony.org or call 609-497-0020.
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