Susan Sarandon Will Host THE OYSTER RADIO HOUR at Little Island

Little Island announced that Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon will host The Oyster Radio Hour, featuring performances by Tony Award nominees Amber Gray (Hadestown) and Amber Iman (Lempicka), which begins performances on Wednesday, July 31 and will run through Sunday, August 4 as part of Little Island's blockbuster summer season.

The Oyster Radio Hour is a live, three-act family-friendly radio show combining science, story and song that celebrates the resilience of oysters and their crucial ecological roles. Alongside Broadway vocalists Amber Gray and Amber Iman and with original music, Sarandon engages with audio interviews from scientists, historians, and artists, as their voices bring the world of oysters to life on stage. Beginning at 8PM each evening, the show blends hope and interconnectedness, spotlighting the humble oyster's journey of revival.

The Oyster Radio Hour is a collaboration between Creative Director RR Sigel, who was the Associate Artistic Director of NY PopsUp in 2021; Content Developer Ana González of WNYC, previously of Radiolab: For Kids; composer Angélica Negrón who has performed at Opera Philadelphia, the LA Philharmonic, NY Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and more; and Emmy and Drama Desk Award-nominated songwriter Mark Sonnenblick.

The Oyster Radio Hour is presented in partnership with Yo-Yo Ma's Our Common Nature, which explores how culture can reconnect us to the natural world.

The Oyster Radio Hour music team includes Jason Michael Webb (MJ) as Music Director and Arrangements, Negrón (water synth and accordion), Matt Evans (percussion), and multi-instrumentalist Darian Donovan Thomas (electric violin and fiddle).

Keenan Tyler Oliphant (Hadestown) serves as director with Miller & Harlow as writers; Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew (Kimberly Akimbo) as lighting/video designer; Beth Lake (Camelot) as sound designer; Dr. Matthew Hare, Elliot Ma, Ayasha Guerin, Moody Harney, and Alan Michelson as audio interviewees; and Beatrice Perez-Arche as stage manager.

After 10 years of inactivity, the acclaimed New Amsterdam Market is making a rare appearance with a special oyster-themed nightmarket at Little Island, in New York City's Hudson River Park.

The New Amsterdam Oyster Market will feature fresh shucked oysters, foods from the sea, desserts, cocktails, and other light fare prepared by chefs, cooks, and purveyors who support regional, seasonal & sustainable food systems, and who work to strengthen public space.

"I was thrilled when Little Island asked me to put on this event," says Robert LaValva, New Amsterdam Market's founder and executive director. "While I was not actively seeking to revive the market, I let this thought simmer on a back burner until the right opportunity came along. Little Island is one of New York's most unique and compelling public spaces. Under the leadership of its producing artistic director Zack Winokur it is producing an impressive roster of performances throughout the 2024 season. We are excited that the New Amsterdam Oyster Market will be Little Island's first ever food market event and look forward to adding another dimension to the identity of this premier destination.”

New Amsterdam Oyster Market will be held from Wednesday July 31 to Sunday, August 4 and coincides with The Oyster Radio Hour, a performance designed and produced by Little Island's creative team. Tickets to the Oyster Radio Hour can be purchased here.

New Amsterdam Oyster Market vendors include The Real Mothershuckers, Oyster Party, Lobster Place, Houseman Restaurant, Cervo's, Downeast Dayboat, Té Company, Chomps Élysées, La Newyorkina, and Pamina Dolci e Gelato.

Little Island's The Amph this week (July 24-28) features five performances from Britton Smith and Britton & The Sting debuting 13 new songs created specifically for Little Island entitled Mama, where sonic adventure embodies the transformative power of water, life, and connection. At The Glade, a week of cabaret performances starring downtown cabaret legend and recent recipient of the first Judy Icon Award, Justin Vivan Bond.

Little Island's first annual, four-month-long summer season of world premieres, which kicked off on June 1, features a total of nine newly commissioned pieces. Little Island's new arts program moves towards the future with a commitment to a multi-year roster of original work, all commissioned by and developed at Little Island. Bookended by the premiere of choreographer Twyla Tharp's newest work How Long Blues and a 90-minute remix of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro in which outré opera diva Anthony Roth Costanzo sings every leading role, the season offers premieres of varying scales across all areas of performance – including music, dance, theater, opera, comedy, jazz, pop, and funk, all outdoors and directly sited on the Hudson River at 14th Street in New York City. The Amph, the park's 700-seat amphitheater, will house larger scale performances at a $25 ticket price, while The Glade, the park's 200-seat venue, will be home to more intimate works, all of which will be completely free to the public.