The Nature of Music - State Theatre

The State Theatre in New Brunswick New Jersey is an excellent venue to see and hear music. The theatre is warm and intimate with great acoustics. The staff was friendly and even recommended a great place to eat afterwards (Tumulty’s Pub - 361 George Street)
We went to hear the Princeton Symphony Orchestra performing Peter & the Wolf: The Nature of Music. The Program began with excerpts from Vivaldi - Spring from the Four Seasons. Beethoven Excerpts from Symphony No. 6 "Pastoral", Grieg "Morning Mood" from Peer Gynt, Debussy "The Snow is Dancing", Smetana Excerpts from The Moldau, Mussorgsky "Night on Bald Mountain", Strauss "Thunder and Lightning Polka", and the Finale Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf" Narrated by Louis Butelli. All of the selections began with the conductor providing some insight into the music by presenting the impression that the composer was trying to create or what a particular musical passage represents. (For example the birds in Beethovens Pastoral) The performance and the Program were both geared towards kids with the Orchestra dressed in casual bright clothes. A contrast from the standard black formal attire normally donned by an orchestra.
The selections, mostly short in duration ranged from 5 to 15 minutes and kept the younger members of the audience interested and actively Listening.

The Theatre, which was renovated in 2004 has big open spaces in the lobby in which the kids were able to burn off some energy, a large balcony section, and a chandelier hearken back to its heyday in the 1920's when it was a vaudeville and silent film palace. Located about an hour from New York City the State Theatre is worth a visit.
Coming in June is The Backyardigans