McCarter Theatre Center Opens Fall Season With Camille A. Brown and Dancers in I AM

McCarter Theatre Center opens its fall presenting season on Friday, September 26, with Camille A. Brown & Dancers performing I AM. A five-time Tony Award nominee, Brown has redefined boundaries across dance, opera, and Broadway, bringing African American culture to the forefront with brilliance, depth, and joy. Her artistry has been showcased in productions such as Gypsy starring Audra McDonald, Alicia Keys’ Hell’s Kitchen, Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones, and PBS’ Giant Steps.

In I AM, Brown imagines new possibilities for self-actualization, Black joy, and cultural liberation. Drawing inspiration from HBO’s Lovecraft Country and the pulse of Drumline, she interweaves African diasporic dance forms with live music and reimagined ’90s R&B hits, creating a performance that is energetic, immersive, and universal in its celebration of humanity. This is not a sit-back-and-watch kind of performance: I AM invites audiences to clap, snap, and sing along, embracing the African tradition of call and response. The energy flows in every direction—between dancers, musicians, and audience—making the experience as personal as it is communal, and as celebratory as it is soul-stirring.

“This season we are welcoming artists who bring audiences together across cultures and generations,” said Paula Abreu, McCarter’s Director of Presented Programming. “From the bold vision of Camille A. Brown to the legendary voices of Heather Headley and Aida Cuevas, to virtuosic innovators Jacob Collier and Chris Thile,  and the timeless artistry of Kyung Wha Chung, McCarter’s stages are alive this fall with extraordinary experiences you won’t find anywhere else.”

The fall lineup continues with a dynamic range of performances across music, dance, spoken word, theater, and family programming. Other highlights include Pink Martini All-Stars featuring NPR’s Ari Shapiro, Edna Vazquez, and Jimmie Herrod with special guest Storm Large (October 5), Disney’s Moana live-to-film concert (October 9), Step Afrika! (October 25), and the Philip Glass Ensemble (November 22).