Lincoln Center Out of Doors to Launch This Month with Patti Smith and More

Lincoln Center Out of Doors, one of the country's longest-running outdoor summer festivals, will open its 46th season of free performances on Wednesday, July 20 at 7:30 pm with multi-faceted artist Patti Smith in an evening of words and music, joined by longtime musical collaborators Lenny Kaye and Tony Shanahan.

The first week of Out of Doors continues on Thursday, July 21 with a rare New York performance by The Hallelujah Train, Louisiana gospel at its best, on a bill shared with South Africa's renowned Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Friday, July 22, features a concert on Hearst Plaza by pioneering rock and R&B rhythm guitarist and singer-songwriter Barbara Lynn. Also on July 22, as a special event to mark the 50th anniversary of Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival, Damrosch Park's audience will be treated to an evening of sublime classical music with Maestro Louis Langrée leading the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra in an all-Mozart program. Saturday, July 23 opens with a Lincoln Center Block Party at 11:00 am on Josie Robertson Plaza hosted by Philadelphia's Illstyle & Peace Productions to kick off the annual Family Day at Out of Doors. Moving to Hearst Plaza, the dancers continue with a performance at 1:00 pm and following at 2:00 pm, the acclaimed Dance Theatre of Harlemwill give a performance and demonstration featuring students and dancers of the company. The windup to Family Day, at 3:00 pm on Josie Robertson Plaza is She's a Rebel: The Girl Group Concert, featuring young women ages 12?18 and some of the pioneering women responsible for the girl group sound of the '60s. On Saturday evening, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Darlene Love takes the stage at Damrosch Park and celebrates her 75th birthday.

July 24 starts in the afternoon at 1:00 pm on the Hearst Plaza stage with Lincoln Center once again partnering with the Center for Traditional Music and Dance and the Center for Art, Tradition and Cultural Heritage to present Heritage Sunday. This year's edition, Global Beat of The Bronx: From Bambara to Breakbeats features performances by four exciting troupes who call the Boogie Down home, and draw on a rich mix of traditional African, Caribbean, Latino, and contemporary sources in their music and dance. Week One culminates on July 24, in Damrosch Park with a concert by salsa's pioneering duo, "El Embajador del Piano," Richie Ray, and celebrated vocalist Bobby Cruz.

Upcoming Weeks Two and Three - Highlights:

WEEK TWO: July 27, a second collaboration with AFROPUNK's Girrrl Riot @ Lincoln Center, an all-women lineup that includes the Grammy-nominated soul and pop singer Alice Smith, alt-rock blues singer-songwriter SATE, and Brooklyn-based rock band The VeeVees; July 28, tap dance legend Maurice Hines; July 29, a double bill curated by Okayafrica featuring New York Afrobeat group Antibalas, and Nigerian Afrobeats pop star Davido; July 30 and 31 La Casita; July 31: Songs of Freedoma double-bill featuring Ky-Mani Marley and Finotee, curated by the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute;casual week-night concerts on Hearst Plaza (with drinks available for purchase) on July 27, Dane Terry; July 28, Jaime Woods; and July 29, Eli "Paperboy" Reed.

WEEK THREE: August 3, internationally-acclaimed flamenco company Soledad Barrio & Noche Flamenca dancing a new work commissioned by Lincoln Center; August 4, NPR Music Live in Concert with correspondent Ann Powers joining the hosts of the popular shows All Songs Considered and Alt.Latino to introduce three of their favorite artists: Lucinda Williams, iLe, andThao and The Get Down Stay Down; August 5, singer-songwriter M. Ward (member of the pop duo She & Him) sharing a double bill with Margaret Glaspy; and closing weekend, August 6 and August 7, Roots of American Music presents Americanafest NYC with August 6: Those Pretty Wrongs, Mary Gauthier, and Teddy Thompson & Kelly Jones; The Last Waltz 40th Anniversary Celebration featuring The Midnight Ramble Band, musical direction by Larry Campbell, with guestsLucinda Williams, Dr. John, Patty Griffin, Buddy Miller, Anderson East, Howard Johnson, and more; August 7, country music superstar Dwight Yoakam.

As previously announced, July 30 is the date of The Bells: A Daylong Celebration of Lou Reed, featuring a mass tai-chi session, The Drones, a sound installation, afternoon concerts, films, readings, and an evening concert, Lou Reed's Love Songs, in Damrosch Park followed by the late-night screening of Julian Schnabel's film Berlin. The special tribute to the late musician and consummate New Yorker is curated by Reed's wife, Laurie Anderson, and Hal Willner, his longtime producer.

August 13, a post-festival, special event co-presented with the Mostly Mozart Festival: the world premiere of composer David Lang's the public domain, a site-specific work performed by a chorus of 1,000 volunteer amateur and professional singers on Josie Robertson Plaza.

All events are FREE; no tickets required. Visit: LCOutOfDoors.org for program updates. Events take place on LINCOLN CENTER'S PLAZAS between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, from West 62nd Street to West 65th Street (except where noted). Take No.1 IRT to 66th Street?Lincoln Center station) OR the A, B, C, D, and No. 1 trains to 59th Street?Columbus Circle.

Inaugurated in 1971, Lincoln Center Out of Doors began as a small festival of street theater in collaboration with Everyman Theater (cofounded by actress Geraldine Fitzgerald). Over its 45-year history, Out of Doors has commissioned more than 100 works from composers and choreographers and presented hundreds of major dance companies, renowned world-music artists, and legendary jazz, folk, gospel, blues, and rock musicians. It has highlighted the rich cultural diversity of New York City with its annual La Casita project which offers poetry and spoken word, along with music and dance performances. Out of Doors has partnered with dozens of community and cultural organizations including the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute, Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center, Center for Traditional Music and Dance, and the Chinese American Arts Council. The festival is produced by Jill Sternheimer.

Lincoln Center Out of Doors is a presentation of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (LCPA), which serves three primary roles: presenter of artistic programming, national leader in arts and education and community engagement, and manager of the Lincoln Center campus. A presenter of more than 3,000 free and ticketed events, performances, tours, and educational activities annually, LCPA offers 16 series, festivals, and programs including American Songbook, Avery Fisher Career Grants and Artist program, David Rubenstein Atrium programming, Great Performers, Legends at Lincoln Center: The Performing Arts Hall of Fame, Lincoln Center at the Movies, Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Awards, Lincoln Center Festival, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, Lincoln Center Vera List Art Project, Midsummer Night Swing, Mostly Mozart Festival, White Light Festival, the Emmy Award?winning Live From Lincoln Center, which airs nationally on PBS, and Lincoln Center Education, which is celebrating 40 years enriching the lives of students, educators, and lifelong learners. As manager of the Lincoln Center campus, LCPA provides support and services for the Lincoln Center complex and the 11 resident organizations: The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, The Film Society of Lincoln Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Juilliard School, Lincoln Center Theater, The Metropolitan Opera, New York City Ballet, New York Philharmonic, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, the School of American Ballet, and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. For more information, visit LincolnCenter.org.