McCarter Gala

Saturday, April 22, 2023 @ 5:30pm

McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theater)
91 University Place, Princeton, NJ 08540

McCarter’s Gala is an annual tradition in our community – a time to come together, raise a glass, and celebrate the performing arts. We hope you’ll join us for delectable food, festive drinks, and a first-rate performance by the incomparable Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Come to Bourbon Street (right here in Princeton) for this fun-filled evening, and McCarter’s biggest fundraising event of the year. Your support helps sustain our artistic and educational programming throughout the year. Thank you so much – we can’t wait to see you there.

5:30PM

VIP Cocktail Reception underneath the Bourbon Street Tent 

7:00PM

Performance by Preservation Hall Jazz Band 

8:30PM

Bourbon Street Party

Flamekeepers of the New Orleans jazz legacy, Preservation Hall Jazz Band have been holding court at their famed French Quarter venue since the 1960s. Founded by tuba player Allan Jaffe and his wife Sandra, Preservation Hall has featured a long cadre of legendary New Orleans musicians over the years and issued a number of albums including 1977's New Orleans, Vol.1, 1998's Because of You, and 2008's The Hurricane Sessions, all of which showcase the group's rootsy, soulful brand of traditional New Orleans jazz. With Allan Jaffe's passing in 1987, leadership of the band was handed down to his son, tuba player Ben Jaffe, who further pushed the group to evolve. While standards and traditional New Orleans jazz repertoire remain their core focus, they've transformed into a vibrantly cross-pollinated ambassador for New Orleans. Albums like 2011's American Legacies, 2013's That's It!, and 2017's So It Is, have found them exploring original compositions, Afro-Cuban rhythms, and collaborating with artists beyond the jazz spectrum.