Harlem Stage Announces Fall 2009 Season Of Music, Dance And Theatre Performances, Film Series

A variety of music, dance, and theatre performances, and a film series comprise the 2009 fall season for Harlem Stage, a performing arts center and one of the country's top presenters, producers, and supporters of works by artists of color.

Collaborative projects are one of Harlem Stage's signature strategies to develop distinctive programs for diverse audiences. This fall, projects with the Black Documentary Collective, the Neighborhood Concert Series of The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall, Columbia University's Center for Jazz Studies, and music presenter Jazzmobile pepper the season. Harlem Stage also debuts a new music series, Uptown Nights at Harlem Stage, designed to appeal to younger audiences. Uptown Nights mixes a socializing club vibe with intriguing and accomplished music, swerving from hip-hop to Latin music, from avant-garde jazz cabaret to a mash-up of electronic rock and live beats with cello and trombone. The series will focus on envelope-pushing and experimental music forms and incorporate other performance elements.

A highlight of the fall 2009 season is the October 29 debut of the first section of "visible/invisible," a multi-part commission from Harlem Stage's Waterworks initiative, developed to support the creation of major new works and to connect audiences to the creative process through in-depth residency activities. Acclaimed choreographers Jawole Willa Jo Zollar of the Urban Bush Women dance company and choreographer Nora Chipaumire present "Naked City," a performance that blends stories and dance into a mesmerizing exploration of the alienation, protests, and celebrations that transpired during the Great Migration, and other immigration stories from urban America. Members of Urban Bush Women perform "Naked City," followed by a discussion with Zollar and Chipaumire.

The season kicks off September 9 with the insightful film "La Onda Chicana/The Chicano Wave" which traces the evolution of Chicano music through popular performers such as Freddy Fender, Los Lobos, Linda Ronstadt, and Selena. Writer/actress Josefina Baez presents "Dominicanish," an off-the-wall retelling of the "unofficial stories and undocumented histories" of the Dominican experience in America, November 6-8 featuring trumpeter Ross Huff and directed by Claudio Mir. Jazz wunderkind Maurice "Mobetta" Brown, who has backed the likes of Aretha Franklin and Talib Kweli, presents his distinctive blend of hard bop and new groove November 19.

"After nearly three decades as an arts presenter, Harlem Stage continues to pave new paths in diverse programming," says Pat Cruz, Executive Director of Harlem Stage. "Our fall season stays true to the adventurous soul of Harlem, offering something for everyone. I can't wait for audiences to sample the rich variety of everything we're offering."

The Harlem Stage Fall 2009 season was developed by Director of Programming Brad Learmonth. The full season is listed below -- presented by discipline and by date. For more information, visit www.HarlemStage.org.

Tickets to most Harlem Stage performances this fall are very affordable: $20 or less. Several (including most Harlem Stage on Screen films) are free. Other prices range from $20 to $50. Tickets to free performances must be reserved in advance. Ticket purchases and reservations can be made online at www.HarlemStage.org or by calling the box office at 212-281-9240, ext. 19 or 20.

SEASON DETAILS - (Arranged by discipline, then by date.)

 

DANCE

Thursday, October 29, 2009
visible/invisible: Naked City
Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and Urban Bush Women with Nora Chipaumire
7:30 pm at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (W. 135th St @ Convent Ave)
Tickets: $15

Harlem Stage joins forces with two revered choreographers - Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and Nora Chipaumire-for Naked City, the first section from visible/invisible, a new commission from Harlem Stage's WaterWorks initiative. Blending potent stories with the mesmerizing dance of Urban Bush Women, the work examines the alienation, protest, and celebrations that transpired from the Great Migration and other immigration stories from urban America. A discussion with the artists follows.

Friday, October 30, 2009
Opus Dance Theatre
7:30 pm at Aaron Davis Hall, Convent Avenue between W. 133rd and W. 135th streets
Tickets: $30, $40, $50

Acclaimed for promoting the Pan-African experience through performance and education programs, Opus Dance Theatre returns to Harlem Stage for an evening that includes deliciously evocative works by cutting-edge choreographers Christopher Huggins, Michael Leon Thomas, Iquail Shaheed and others who capture the essence of human experience in remarkable, soulful dance.

 

FILM

Wednesday, September 9, 2009
La Onda Chicana/The Chicano Wave
John Valadez, director & producer; Laurens Grant, co-producer
7:30 pm at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (W. 135th St @ Convent Ave)
FREE -- RSVP required

Harlem Stage and the Black Documentary Collective launch a new partnership with this insightful film that traces the evolution of Chicano music by examining how super-talented performers like Freddy Fender, Los Lobos, Linda Ronstadt, and Selena survived discrimination to achieve well-deserved acclaim. "La Onda Chicana" will be screened in the upcoming PBS series, Latin Music USA. A discussion with filmmaker John Valdez and reception will follow. Part of the Harlem Stage on Screen series; co-presented by Black Documentary Collective

Thursday, October 16, 2009
SCARRED JUSTICE: The Orangeburg Massacre of 1968
Bester Cram and Judy Richardson, producer/directors
7:30 pm at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (W. 135th St @ Convent Ave)
Tickets: $5

This gut-wrenching documentary film explores the events of February 8, 1968, when gunfire from white police officers left three African-American students dead and 27 wounded on the campus of South Carolina State College in Orangeburg. Join filmmaker Judy Richardson after the film for a discussion and reception. Part of the Harlem Stage on Screen series; co-presented by Black Documentary Collective.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Promised Land
Yoruba Richen, director and producer
7:30 pm at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (W. 135th St @ Convent Ave)
FREE - RSVP REQUIRED

This film explores the many compelling issues facing the re-building of post-apartheid South Africa after years of racism and violence. Part of the Harlem Stage on Screen series; co-presented by Black Documentary Collective.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009
MRS. GOUNDO'S DAUGHTER
Sabrina Schmidt Gordon, co-producer/editor
7:30 pm at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (W. 135th St @ Convent Ave)
FREE - RSVP REQUIRED

Sabrina Schmidt Gordon's gripping film tells the story of a Malian mother's fight for asylum in the US to protect her two-year-old from female genital mutilation. This film has been screened at the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival and the AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs Documentary Film Festival. Screening followed by a discussion and reception. Part of the Harlem Stage on Screen series; co-presented by Black Documentary Collective.

MUSIC

 

Saturday, September 26, 2009
2012, The HipHop Experiment
featuring Marc Cary's Black Instruments Band, with special guests Phonte (of Little Brother), Pharaohe Monch, The Dey, CrystAl Hall, Jessica Caremoore, Duo-Live, Fire Angel, Samita Sinha, and more.
* 6 pm -- Pre-performance talk with Marc Cary and George Lewis
* 7:30 pm-11 pm - Performance Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (W. 135th St @ Convent Ave)
Tickets: $15

Harlem Stage introduces the first of four highly anticipated social events with its new Uptown Nights at Harlem Stage music series. The series kicks off with an open bar mixer and features Marc Cary and his Black Instruments Band, who blend styles of hip hop, soul, electronic, and jazz. With dancers, bombers (graffiti artists), video artists, audience/artist interactions enhanced by "sensory response" technology, and a DJ set, this is sure to be a night of genre-defying performances. Co-presented with The Center for Jazz Studies at Columbia University and the Columbia/Harlem Jazz Project.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009
JAZZMOBILE AT HARLEM STAGE
SOUNDING DIASPORA: Music and Musings with Yosvany Terry and Marta Mareno Vega, Ph.D.
7:30 pm at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (W. 135th St @ Convent Ave)
Tickets: $15

Celebrating 45 years of presenting jazz, Jazzmobile comes to Harlem Stage with two events featuring sax player, composer, and educator Yosvany Terry. With a tribute to the great connection that Afro-Cuban music and jazz have made to Harlem's legacy, this evening features a lively discussion followed by Terry performing a sassy blend of Afro-Cuban music.

Thursday, October 22, 2009
YOSVANY TERRY: A Jazzmobile Community Dance Party
7:30-11pm at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (W. 135th St @ Convent Ave)
Tickets: $15

For the second of a two-night performance, Yosvany Terry and his band join with DJ ASHO, special guest emcees, Cuban dancers, and visual artists for a night of grooving to a Latin beat. Featuring an hour-long open bar mixer, followed by the performance and a closing DJ set, this is one rumba not to miss. Part of the new Uptown Nights at Harlem Stage music series.

Thursday, November 19, 2009
MAURICE BROWN
7:30 pm at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (W. 135th St @ Convent Ave)
FREE

Hard bop meets new groove standards! Since playing for legendary artist Aretha Franklin and alternative hip-hop master Talib Kweli, jazz trumpet wunderkind Maurice "Mobetta" Brown has been exciting bebop enthusiasts and hip-hoppers alike with his forceful fusion of down-home melodies with searing sound. This family friendly event is a collaboration with the Neighborhood Concert Series of The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall.

Saturday, November 21, 2009
Tamar-kali's CABARET CHOCOLAT: An Autumn Night's Soiree
7:30 pm at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (W. 135th St @ Convent Ave)
Tickets: $15

Tamar-kali, a force of nature with a most original voice, and her all-female Psychochamber Ensemble are joined by special guests The Maine Attraction, Monstah Black, Keibpoli, Master of Ceremony "Marco the Magician," and special surprise guests. Evening includes an open bar mixer, followed by a night of haunting deconstructed songs, fierce dance, burlesque, spectacle, and illusion. Co-presented with The Center for Jazz Studies at Columbia and the Columbia/Harlem Jazz Project. Part of the new Uptown Nights at Harlem Stage music series.

Saturday, December 12, 2009
MILK & JADE by Dana Leong
6:00 pm Pre-performance Dialogue with artists; 7:30pm Performance
at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (W. 135th St @ Convent Ave)
Tickets: $15

Milk & Jade features Dana Leong on cello, trombone and laptop. His band combines live grooves, electronically charged tracks, and poetic rhyming to create instrumental hip-hop beats with rock propulsions. The party starts with a full-hour of open bar and ends with DJ Scientific and special guest as they rock the house for this finale to the new Uptown Nights at Harlem Stage music series.

THEATER

Thu., November 6, 2009 and Fri., November 7, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Sun., November 8, 2009 at 3:00 pm
DOMINICANISH
Josefina Baez, writer/actress; Claudio Mir, director; featuring Ross Huff, trumpeter
Tickets: $20 in advance; $35 at door
Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (W. 135th St @ Convent Ave)

Using non-linear poetical and nonsensical texts, the multi-talented artist and educator Josefina Baez taps into the unofficial stories and undocumented histories that epitomize the Dominican experience in America.

Harlem Stage gratefully acknowledges the support of the following sponsors: Harlem Stage on Screen series receives major support from HBO. The Harlem Stage Partners program receives leadership support from Deutsche Bank and public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts. The Inside/Out program receives leadership support from the Ford Foundation. Time Warner is the Lead Sponsor of WaterWorks, which also has received major support from The Nathan Cummings Foundation. The Harlem Stage Family Series receives major support from the MetLife Foundation. JPMorgan Chase is the Lead Sponsor for Harlem Stage Education Program, which also receives support from Consolidated Edison, the Jean and Louis Dreyfus Foundation, and The New York Times Company Foundation.

2009-2010 Season partners include the Black Documentary Collective, Jazzmobile, The Center for Jazz Studies at Columbia, the Columbia/Harlem Jazz Project, and The Weill Music Institute of Carnegie Hall.

For more information, visit www.harlemstage.org.

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