P.T. Barnum and Jenny Lind Come to Life at The New York Society Library 12/5

The New York Society Library is pleased to present singer Madeleine Kristoffersson and actor John Ray in The Nightingale. The Nightingale is an authentic and lighthearted retelling of "Swedish Nightingale" Jenny Lind's triumphant 1850 American tour with "Prince of Humbugs" P.T. Barnum. The performance will take place Sunday, December 5, at 3:00 p.m. at the New York Society Library, 53 East 79th Street (just east of Madison Avenue, 6 train to 77th Street). This event is generously supported by the Estate of Marian O. Naumburg.

The cost is $20 per person with advance registration, or $25 at the door. Reservations can be made at http://nyslnightingale.eventbrite.com or by contacting the Events Office at events@nysoclib.org or 212-288-6900 x230.

When "The Swedish Nightingale," opera star Jenny Lind, sailed into New York Harbor in September 1850, an enthusiastic crowd of more than 30,000 greeted her ship, even though no one on this continent had ever seen or heard her. Who could cause this great effect? Only the Prince of Humbugs himself, Phineas Taylor Barnum, born 200 years ago in 1810. In this afternoon of song and story, contemporary Swedish opera star Madeleine Kristoffersson and actor John Ray recreate the music and the drama of Jenny Lind's landmark American tour under Barnum's management.

Madeleine Kristoffersson is an acclaimed international artist. She has performed at opera houses and festivals across Europe, Mexico, and the United States, as Salome, Brunnhilde, Donna Anna, Elektra, Leonore, and Tosca, among others. Her performances have been featured twice on Good Morning America and on national television in Europe, as well as at Carnegie Hall, Bechstein Hall and the United Nations Assembly Hall. She has given several command performances for the King and Queen of Sweden.

John Ray, Esq. has been a well-known practicing attorney in the greater New York area for over 27 years. Several of his high-profile cases have been covered on Court TV, and he has appeared there and on national television as an advocate, legal expert, and guest commentator. He enjoys a parallel career as an actor and reenactor, portraying Barnum, Benjamin Franklin, and multiple roles in Dickens's A Christmas Carol.

The New York Society Library was founded in 1754 and is the city's oldest library. In the eighteenth century, an organization labeled "Society" meant that it was open to all-available to everyone throughout society. The Library today is open to all for reading, reference, and selected events, with circulation and other services by subscription.
The beautiful landmarked building dates from 1917 and includes reading rooms, spaces for study, stacks, and the Assunta, Ignazio, Ada and Romano Peluso Exhibition Gallery. The Library has approximately 275,000 volumes and hosts a variety of special events, reading groups, and workshops, as well as the New York City Book Awards.
Information on the Library and its history can be found at www.nysoclib.org.