September 21, 2018 at 9 PM
September 23, 2018 at 6 PM
Duration: 70 minutes
Performed in French with English subtitles
Tickets are free but must be reserved at tickets.princeton.edu
NOTE: A standby line will form starting 1 hour prior to curtain for each sold out show
Nina Simone, one of the formidable artistic figures of the civil rights movement, was born to a poor black family in Northern Carolina and had dreams of becoming a great classical pianist. Citing racism as the barrier to realizing this dream, she instead became a singer earning the moniker “High Priestess of Soul.”
In conjunction with the production Harlem Quartet, the National Dramatic Center Comédie de Caen asked playwright and musician David Lescot to stage a portrait of the American singer. In the form of a documentary with interviews, this intimate musical portrait showcases Lescot’s desire to create a whimsical form of exchange. He plays guitar accompanying Ludmilla Dabo on stage, an actress with a lifelong affinity for the jazz of Nina Simone.