The Public Theater to Celebrate Toshi Reagon at Joe's Pub, 1/19-26

This month, The Public Theater will honor composer, musician and songwriter Toshi Reagon with five concerts at Joe's Pub and a special engagement during the Public's annual Under the Radar festival. Reagon will be joined by her band BIGLovely, featuring Judith Casselberry, Adam Widoff, Robert Burke, Fred Cash, Stephanie McKay and Marcelle Davies Lashley. Tickets are on sale now at www.joespub.com.

The first concert is January 19 at 8:00 PM during UTR in The Public's Martinson Theater where Reagon will perform Sacred Stories, a retrospective of the composer's opera repertory. The evening features selections from Robert Wilson's The Temptation of St Anthony and Zinnias: The Life of Clementine Hunter, as well as Lines, an opera commissioned by Joe's Pub in 2011 as part of its inaugural New York Voices series. Sacred Stories includes twelve guest vocalists and the BIGLovely Orchestra.

From January 22 - January 26 at 9:00 PM, the celebrations continue at Joe's Pub where Reagon will perform five more shows as part of her 30th Annual Birthday Concerts with BIGLovely. The Joe's Pub shows will include music written by Reagon while a 2013 Fellow with Brooklyn Philharmonic, an all-women line up of BIGLovely (this show will benefit the Atsraea Foundation) and special guests such as Nona Hendryx, sketch artist Michael Arthur and Lizz Wright. Reagon's mother Bernice Johnson Reagon will help close the week with a sold-out performance of their Sacred Music Show.

"We are thrilled to celebrate Toshi's career and success at Joe's Pub and Under the Radar," said Joe's Pub director Shanta Thake. "Her history and music are deeply rooted in the music of the Civil Rights movement, and she continues to use her voice to promote equality in all of its myriad forms. It's only fitting that these concerts begin on Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend."

Toshi Reagon has been described by Vibe magazine as "one helluva rock'n'roller-coaster ride" and by PopMatters as "a treasure." She is widely recognized as one of the best practitioners of progressive American music, skillfully combining rock, folk, blues, traditional sacred music forms, soul and rhythm and blues with her signature vocals, guitar and powerful lyrics. For more information on Toshi Reagon, visit www.toshireagon.com.

Toshi Reagon & BIGLovely Anniversary Celebrations:

Sun, Jan 19 at 8:00 PM

Toshi Reagon & BIGLovely at Under the Radar

The Public's Martinson Theater

Sacred Stories: Featuring Selections from the Temptation of St Anthony, Zinnias: The Life of Clementine Hunter and Lines

BIGLovely Orchestra: Toshi Reagon, Guitar/Vocals; Fred Cash, Bass; Adam Widoff, Guitar; Robert Burke, Drums; Juliette Jones, Violin; Marika Hughes, Cello

Guest Vocalists: Stephanie Battle, Helga Davis, Carla Duren, Randy Jeter, Karma Mayet Johnson, Marcelle Davies Lashley, Josette Newsam Marchak, Stephanie McKay, Carl Hancock Rux, Jason C Walker, Christalyn Wright and Imani Uzuri

http://www.undertheradarfestival.com/sacredstories/

Wed, Jan 22

Toshi Reagon and BIGLovely: 30th Anniversary Concerts

Joe's Pub at The Public

All Women All The Time: All Women version of BIGLovely

Special Guests: Allison Miller, Ganessa James, Alex Nolan, Elena Canlas, Marcelle Davies Lashley, Judith Casselberry and Stephanie McKay. This show will benefit the Astraea Lesbian Foundation For Justice.

Thurs, Jan 23

Toshi Reagon and BIGLovely: 30th Anniversary Concerts

Joe's Pub at The Public

The String Project

Special Guests: Juliette Jones and Caley Monohan-Ward

Fri, Jan 24

Toshi Reagon and BIGLovely: 30th Anniversary Concerts

Joe's Pub at The Public

Special Guest: Nona Hendryx and Visual Artist Michael Arthur Drawing Live

Sat, Jan 25

Toshi Reagon and BIGLovely: 30th Anniversary Concerts

Joe's Pub at The Public

Special Guest: Lizz Wright

Sun, Jan 26 at 8:00 PM

Toshi Reagon & BIGLovely Sacred Music Show with Bernice Johnson Reagon

Joe's Pub at The Public

Special Guests: Josette Newsam Marchak and Jason C. Walker

Visit www.joespub.com for a complete list of shows and to book tickets, or call 212-967-7555, or visit in person at The Taub Box Office at The Public Theater (1 PM to 6 PM) located at 425 Lafayette Street, NYC.

ABOUT JOE'S PUB AT THE PUBLIC: Named for Public Theater founder Joe Papp, Joe's Pub debuted in 1998 and plays a vital role in The Public's mission of supporting young artists while providing established artists with an intimate space to perform and develop new work. In 2013, Joe's Pub celebrates 15 years of the best in live music and performance nightly, continuing its commitment to diversity, production values, community and artistic freedom. It received a top-to-bottom renovation in 2011, leading to improved sightlines, expanded seating capacity and a new menu from acclaimed Chef Andrew Carmellini. With its intimate atmosphere and superior acoustics, Joe's Pub presents talent from all over the world as part of The Public's programming downtown at its Astor Place home, hosting approximately 800 shows and serving over 100,000 audience members annually. www.joespub.com

ABOUT The Public Theater AT ASTOR PLACE: Under the leadership of Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Patrick Willingham, The Public Theater is the only theater in New York that produces Shakespeare and the classics, musicals, contemporary and experimental pieces in equal measure. The Public continues the work of its visionary founder, Joe Papp, by acting as an advocate for the theater as an essential cultural force, and leading and framing dialogue on some of the most important issues of our day. Creating theater for one of the largest and most diverse audience bases in New York City for nearly 60 years, today the Company engages audiences in a variety of venues-including its landmark downtown home at Astor Place, which houses five theaters and Joe's Pub; the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, home to its beloved, free Shakespeare in the Park; and the Mobile Unit, which tours Shakespearean productions for underserved audiences throughout New York City's five boroughs. The Public's wide range of programming includes free Shakespeare in the Park, the bedrock of the Company's dedication to making theater accessible to all, new and experimental stagings at The Public at Astor Place, and a range of artist and audience development initiatives including its Public Forum series, which brings together theater artists and professionals from a variety of disciplines for discussions that shed light on social issues explored in Public productions. The Public Theater is located on property owned by the City of New York and receives annual support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. The LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust provides leadership support for The Public Theater's year-round activities. www.publictheater

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