Singer Rufus Wainwright books Princeton concert with student super-orchestra
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The gist
Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright performs at Princeton's McCarter Theatre on November 19 with a 40+ musician ensemble.
The show is billed as the only stop on his farewell run with an orchestra built just for him.
Background
Rufus Wainwright is a GRAMMY-nominated Canadian-American singer-songwriter, son of folksingers Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, known for his recreation of Judy Garland's 1961 comeback concert, Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall, and the albums Want One and Want Two. The Princeton date is part of what is described as his farewell run, and the venue is hosting it under its Arts & Ideas initiative. The ensemble, the Princeton Playhouse Sinfonia, was created specifically for the concert, combining Princeton University's Sinfonia with the Princeton Playhouse Orchestra, Princeton Jazz Ensembles members and local professionals.
How it unfolded
- Nov 4, 2026BroadwayWorld reports Wainwright brings his "Wanted: Judy Garland" program to the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts at UConn on November 21 with Symphony New Hampshire.
- Nov 9, 2026Wainwright is announced for a November 19, 7:30pm concert at McCarter Theatre in Princeton with the Princeton Playhouse Sinfonia, a 40+ musician ensemble of Princeton students and local professionals; tickets range from $70 to $149.
- Nov 9, 2026Wainwright is also listed for a 7:30pm show at Glazer Hall in Palm Beach at $125, and lists his $2.3 million Laurel Canyon home, a 1926 Spanish-style cottage.
Key terms
- super-orchestra
- A very large instrumental ensemble combining string, woodwind, brass and percussion sections, typical of classical music or jazz.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- Official
- McCarter's Debbie Bisno and Paula Abreu say the concert puts an orchestra of student and professional musicians under one of the great song interpreters of our time, and that it is the only stop on the farewell run where he shares the stage with a super-orchestra built just for him.
- Expert
- Elton John, per sources, has praised Wainwright as "the greatest songwriter on the planet," and David Bowie called his song "Dinner at Eight" the best father-son song he knew.