River To River Festival Presents Broadway2Battery: Duncan Sheik, 7/15

Bringing the Great White Way downtown to Castle Clinton National Monument, the Alliance for Downtown New York will present three nights of free outdoor concerts featuring Broadway-themed performances by Madeleine Peyroux, Duncan Sheik, and Antibalas as part of the River To River Festival. New York's largest free summer arts festival, River To River Festival draws hundreds of thousands of people each year to venues throughout Lower Manhattan.

"We're thrilled to offer New Yorkers the opportunity to experience the best of Broadway in one of the city's most beautiful outdoor settings," said Robin Schatell, Executive Director, River To River Festival. "Just steps away from where Broadway literally begins, audiences will be treated to three artists celebrating the Great White Way in a unique and special way."

The series is part of this year's "Broadway2Battery" theme, which also includes "Dan Zanes Jam and Jubilee," a Fourth of July family festival featuring Dan Zanes and Friends performing their own brand of Broadway classics in Battery Park. Musicians of all ages are invited to perform 76 Trombones in a spectacular Fourth of July parade. Full information and song sheets can be downloaded from the River To River Festival website. There will also be a month of Broadway-themed films screened outdoors for Movie Nights On The Elevated Acre, including Broadway Danny Rose (July 29), Auntie Mame (August 5), The Country Girl (August 12), and The Muppets Take Manhattan (August 19).

The special concert series will take place at Castle Clinton National Monument (Battery Park; State Street and Battery Place) on successive Thursdays at 7pm from July 8th to July 22nd. The concerts are:

Thursday, July 8

Broadway2Battery: Madeleine Peyroux
Music at Castle Clinton
Presented by Alliance for Downtown New York
As noted by NPR, Madeleine Peyroux became famous, in part, for putting her idiosyncratic touch on time-tested standards. With a repertoire that extends from personal, original songs to a breadth of rare classics from a bygone era, Madeleine Peyroux's standards are anything but standard. Tickets will be distributed two per person outside Castle Clinton on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 5:00pm on the day of the show. 7pm, Battery Park at State Street. Free.

Thursday, July 15

Broadway2Battery: Duncan Sheik
Music at Castle Clinton
Presented by Alliance for Downtown New York
Tony and Grammy® award-winning composer and songwriter Duncan Sheik has navigated both the Great White Way and the world of pop and indie rock. Sheik's achievements include Tony Awards for Best Orchestration and Best Original Score, and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album for Spring Awakening. His latest release, Whisper House, hones his integrated voice - it is as much pop as it is a musical theater composition. 7pm, Battery Park at State. Free.

Thursday, July 22

Broadway2Battery:Antibalas
Music at Castle Clinton
Presented by Alliance for Downtown New York
Antibalas - Spanish for "bulletproof" - is a high-energy, highly celebrated Afrobeat orchestra from Brooklyn. The band anchors this year's Broadway hit FELA! with their musical direction and energetic instrumentalists, arranging and performing the music of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti and originals alike. Tickets will be distributed two per person outside Castle Clinton on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 5pm on the day of the show. 7pm, Battery Park, State Street and Battery Place. Free.

Named "one of the city's most compelling summer series" by The New York Times, the River To River Festival is New York's largest free summer arts festival. Founded in 2002 with funding by American Express to help revitalize Lower Manhattan after September 11th, the festival draws hundreds of thousands of people each year to Downtown's spectacular waterfront. The events span venues from the World Financial Center and Rockefeller Park on the Hudson River to Castle Clinton National Monument, Wagner Park, and Battery Park at Manhattan's tip to The Elevated Acre and The Seaport on the East River.

The full River To River Festival schedule can be found at www.RiverToRiverNYC.com.

About The River To River Festival
The River To River Festival is presented by a collaboration of Lower Manhattan's major cultural event producers including the Alliance for Downtown New York, Arts World Financial Center, Battery Park City Authority, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and The Seaport. Co-presenters for the 2010 season are The Joyce Theater and IMG Artists. All partners are firmly committed to using the arts as a tool for economic revitalization and the development of new audiences for the arts.

Free admission to River To River® events is underwritten by a wide range of funders led by the Festival's Founding Sponsor, American Express.

Major support is provided by the Festival's Producing Partners, including NBC Local Media New York and WNYC New York Public Radio. Vital support comes from our Supporting Funders, including Century 21 Department Stores, EmblemHealth, JetBlue Airways, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, Target, and The Village Voice. Participating Funders are CB Richard Ellis, The Moody's Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, New York Marriott Downtown, New York State Council on the Arts, New York Stock Exchange Foundation, Pace University, and TKTS Seaport.

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