City Parks Foundation recently announced the 2011 season of SummerStage, New York's largest free performing arts festival. SummerStage runs from August 5 to August 13 in Harlem and Washington Heights and will present free performances ranging from hip-hop, R&B and gospel music to dance and theater performances. SummerStage fills a vital niche in New York City's summer arts festival landscape and has entertained more than six million people from New York City and around the world since its establishment 26 years ago.
Musical highlights for this season in Northern Manhattan include hip-hop legends ROB BASE and FUNKMASTER FLEX; contemporary R&B star RYAN LESLIE, gospel great VASHAWN MITCHELL and Latin musicians such as HENRY SANTOS, ANDY ANDY and BACHATA HEIGHTZ, among other top notch artists.
Dance enthusiasts will be visually engaged by a range of dance genres from West African dance traditions mixed with hip-hop to ballet and jazz. The artistically brilliant FORCES OF NATURE DANCE THEATER will awe audiences with four works that highlight the company's 30th anniversary in "The Best of Forces." The CECILIA MARTA DANCE COMPANY will celebrate diversity and unity by melding ballet, Latin and nuances of earthy funk and soul alongside FRANCINE E. OTT/THE WALK who will premiere, "A Delicate Balance" for Ott's SummerStage debut.
"Every year SummerStage consistently hosts a selection of high quality arts programming in various parks throughout Northern Manhattan," said James Burke, City Parks Foundation's Director of Arts and Cultural Programming. "New Yorkers and visitors alike can now visit Northern Manhattan to discover talent at SummerStage that is as artistically and culturally diverse as the neighborhoods themselves."
This season, City Parks Foundation's SummerStage has also commissioned a number of artists to create unique programs that will premiere at SummerStage. These programs span the worlds of music, dance and theater and feature some of the brightest rising stars as well as several critically acclaimed artists. These distinctive programs further SummerStage's dedication to not only presenting the best artists from around the world but to also play an active role in promoting artistic creativity.
Commissioned Works Performed in Manhattan
TUNDE'S TRUMPET
By Chisa Hutchinson
Directed by Kristin Horton, Lyrics by Sarah Gancher with Music by Elliot Goldman
SummerStage Theater presented by Time Warner
August 07 - 08 at Marcus Garvey Park, Manhattan
Tunde's Trumpet is a commissioned musical production from SummerStage alumna, Chisa Hutchinson that celebrates the magical effect of music on the life of a young boy, performed with hand-crafted puppets that will captivate audiences of all ages.
The complete SummerStage schedule for Northern Manhattan follows. For the most up-to-date scheduling and line-up for all SummerStage programming, follow SummerStage via the below links and visit www.SummerStage.org for festival information.
Twitter: @SummerStage
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/centralparksummerstage
City Parks Foundation (CPF) is the only independent, nonprofit organization to offer park programs throughout the five boroughs of New York City. We work in over 750 parks citywide, presenting a broad range of free arts, sports, and education programs, and empowering citizens to support their parks on a local level. Our programs and community building initiatives reach more than 600,000 people each year, contributing to the revitalization of neighborhoods throughout New York City.
SummerStage 2011 Schedule Information
HENRY V
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Jenny Bennettt, Music by Patricia Ju
Co-produced by Classical Theatre of Harlem
SummerStage Theater Presented By Time Warner
Friday, August 05 and Saturday, August 06
Marcus Garvey Park, Manhattan
Show at 8:00 pm
Artist Website: http://www.classicaltheatreofharlem.org
The Classical Theatre of Harlem (CTH) is a professional theatre company founded at the Harlem School for the Arts. In each of its productions, which have included numerous works by playwrights such as Shakespeare and Euripides, CTH is dedicated to returning the "classics" to the stages of Harlem, to nurturing new, young, and culturally diverse audiences, and to producing theatre that truly reflects the diversity of ideas and the racial tapestry of America.
