Campus Picks: Feb. 23, 2012

USG Movie: ‘Hugo’

An orphaned boy living in a train station goes to desperate lengths to fix his father’s automaton, a mechanical man who can write with a pen. Martin Scorsese’s latest film, his first shot in 3D, delves into the themes of love, family and the birth of cinema, set against the magical backdrop of Paris in the 1930s. ‘Hugo’ earned 11 Academy Award nominations, the most of any film this year. Starring Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jude Law and Asa Butterfield as Hugo Cabret.

Princeton Garden Theatre

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 11:30 p.m.

Dance: 2012 Spring Dance Festival

Students in the University’s Dance Department perform the works of world-renowned choreographers, including pieces by George Balanchine, Doug Varone and Jessica Lang and a reinterpretation of a seminal work by the Trisha Brown Dance Company. Director of Dance Susan Marshall brings this choreography to the stage with the help of original music by composer David Lang. Princeton students also contributed choreography to this collaborative effort.

Berlind Theatre

Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.

Saturday, 2 p.m.

Sunday, 1 p.m.

Theater: ‘Kobor, The Grave’

The latest production from the Princeton South Asian Theatrics troupe is a decidedly serious affair. Written in 1952 by the then-incarcerated Munier Chowdhury, ‘Kobor’ deals with the themes of Bengali nationalism and independence that colored the era of Pakistani civil unrest. Tickets are $4 at the door. All proceeds will go to the Akanksha Foundation, which helps underprivileged youth in India.

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Wilson Blackbox Theater

Friday, 8 p.m.

Saturday, 9 p.m.

Film: Academy Awards Soiree

Red carpet. Black tie. Talented people. The Academy Awards are the event of the season, and the glamour and class of the affair cannot be experienced through tiny TV screens while sitting on crumb-ridden couches. In addition to a refined atmosphere and free refreshments, there will also be a wide array of prizes — movie posters, Garden Theatre tickets and passes and even a free yearlong subscription to Netflix! Sponsored by Subtitles Film Society.

Princeton Garden Theatre

Sunday, 7 p.m.

Concert: “Composing in the Moment”

This weekend, enjoy a jazz concert brought to you by Princeton’s finest musicians. The Department of Music is presenting its annual concert featuring faculty from the Program in Jazz Studies. Listen to the tunes of music professor Ralph Bowen (tenor saxophone), Bruce Arnold (guitar), Michael Cochrane (piano), Brian Glassman (bass) and Adam Cruz (drums). They will be performing some of their most recent works, like Arnold’s “Three and Fro (013 Blues in B)” and Bowen’s “Just Reconnoitering.”

Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall

Saturday, 8 p.m.

Theater: Dead Man’s Cell Phone

Have you ever wished you could talk to the dead? Perhaps, but have you ever received a dead man’s phone call? This production presents the tale of a woman who picks up a ringing cell phone at a cafe and collides with the mysterious world of the deceased owner. The poignant show explores how people relate to one another in the modern age of technology.

Theatre Intime

Thursday through Saturday, 8 p.m.

March 2-4

Theater: Princeton Univeristy Players’ Alumni Day Review

Current students and PUP alumni perform together in PUP’s 25th Anniversary Review. The review will include highlights from PUP’s 2011 season and performances from returning alumni. The show will also feature a preview from the upcoming musical, “Merrily We Roll Along.”

Wilson Blackbox Theater

Saturday, 5 p.m.

Campus picks compiled by Abby Williams, Lolita De Palma, Katie Bauman, Michael Becker, Neelay Patil and Emily Tseng.