Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment Debuts OFF BROADWAY IN THE BOROS: POP-UPS

The Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment and small theatre groups collaborated on an innovative series of five outdoor pop-up performances, one in each borough, from Friday, October 23 through Monday, October 26. This series builds on MOME's "Broadway in the Boros," a series of free, outdoor performances by Broadway casts that takes place during the summer months.

The "Off Broadway in the Boros: Pop-Ups" series was a way to call attention to the important contribution small theatres make to New York City's cultural fabric, while also providing support for artists and organizations struggling during the pandemic. In 2019, MOME conducted the first-ever Small Theatre Industry Cultural and Economic Impact Study and found that pre-COVID, NYC's small theatres contributed $1.3B in economic output, 8,400-plus full-time jobs and $512M in wages a year.

These events gave artists and theatres the opportunity to bring their work right into the communities they are a part of. Each pop-up performance took place at a public plaza in each of the five boroughs.

"We're thrilled to celebrate New York City theatre in a safe and accessible way at a time when New Yorkers need it most and when our small theatres and artists need financial and promotional support," said the Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, Anne del Castillo. "Theatre is at the heart of what makes this the creative capital of the world and this series allowed us to bring back a bit of that magic to communities across the city."

MOME worked with its fellow NYC agencies, Citywide Event Coordination and Management (CECM) and the Department of Transportation (DOT), to present safe and socially distanced outdoor performances. The performances were not announced in advance to avoid crowding. No stages were used. Amplified sound was provided by MOME's production team. Each theater or presenting company received payment, inclusion in a promotional video, and marketing support.

"Our streets and plazas are already some of the most interesting intersections in the world, and this week they'll be all the more exciting with Off Broadway in the Boros," said Ellyn Canfield, Executive Director at the NYC Mayor's Office of Citywide Event Coordination and Management. "The Mayor's Office is proud to support our cultural organizations by providing them a stage in the streets."

To share these performances with a larger audience, videos of the performances will be available for free on each participating theatre's website.

THE PERFORMANCES:

Friday, October 23, 1 p.m.

Roberto Clemente Plaza, East 149th street & 3rd Avenue, The Bronx

Pregones/PRTT

artists and musicians combined Nuyorican pieces with a Dominican fusion of folk and contemporary music. The performance began with a short poem "Where were you" written by Rosalba Rolón, read by the actress Christin Eve Cato, and featuring master bongocero and percussionist Anthony Carrillo. This led into a trilogy featuring a piece from "Torched!," which is set to premiere next Summer. This was followed by a performance of Magadalena Gómez's "Madre de Bomba" by the company's ensemble and guest band Yasser Tejeda & Palotré, an exciting quartet that fuses a variety of Dominican traditional sounds with jazz, rock and other genres.

Friday, October 23, 4 p.m.

Astor Place South & 4th Avenue, Manhattan

La MaMa

A performance by the storyteller, composer, pianist, artist and singer, Dane Terry, whose music is a mix of Pop, Classical, Latin, Folk, Jazz and Boogie-woogie.

Saturday, October 24, 11 a.m.

Lowery Plaza, 40th Street & Queens Blvd., Sunnyside, Queens

The Chocolate Factory Theatre

A dance and musical performance by Yackez, the married musical duo of Larissa and Jon Velez-Jackson.

Saturday, October 24, 2 p.m.

Myrtle/Wyckoff Plaza, Wyckoff Avenue & Gates Avenue, Ridgewood, Brooklyn

Bushwick Starr

A performance by the composer, singer and actor, Whitney White and the guitarist, Dan Rosato, of Whitney's musical and theatrical experience piece, "Definition," which takes a surrealist look at an African American woman's inner awakenings. "Definition" was in the Sundance Theatre Lab 2016 ANT Fest and will be part of The Bushwick Starr's 2020-2021 season.

Monday, October 26, 1 p.m.

St. George Ferry Terminal Plaza, Staten Island

A Collaboration: Kaleidoscope Entertainment and Staten Island Illuminart Productions

theatrical producer Holly-Anne Devlin of Kaleidoscope Entertainment created a program of song and dance featuring artists who perform under the name of the Hell's Kitchen Happiness Krewe including, the HKHK Quartet, the Josh Roberts Trio, "Taptastic" Brian Davis, and the Imposters' Colin Summers and Jefferson MacDonald. These artists were joined by the theatrical chorus of Staten Island Illuminart Productions.

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