The Town Hall Centennial Concert Hosted by Jessica Vosk to be Presented at Bryant Park Picnic Performances

Bryant Park Picnic Performances' season of free, live performances reaches its finale on Monday, September 20 at 7pm with The Town Hall: Centennial Concert with Chris Thile, featuring special guests Cécile McLorin Salvant and Sullivan Fortner, Zakir Hussain and Ganesh Rajagopalan, Damon Daunno, and Timo Andres. The evening will be hosted by Broadway performer Jessica Vosk.

In line with continually expanding city and state safety protocols, Bryant Park will be welcoming guests to these Picnic Performance events on a first-come, first-served basis; no ticket is necessary. Vaccinated and negative-tested audience members may bring their own picnic blankets or take park-provided chairs for open seating on the world-famous Bryant Park Lawn. Unvaccinated or untested attendees will be offered seating in a separate, socially-distanced section. Food and beverages are available for purchase from vendors in the park. All event attendees are also invited to bring their own food and drinks.

For anyone unable to attend in person, a free livestream broadcast of the performance will be available nationwide via Bryant Park's website and social media platforms, thanks to the generous support of Bank of America. Additional support for on-site events is provided by Amazon.

More information about the performance, Bryant Park's current COVID-19 safety protocols, and line listings for all Picnic Performances programming follows. For more information about Picnic Performances and to request artist interviews, specific photos of performers, or to arrange for on-site photography or press passes, please contact John Seroff at GreenHouse Publicity by replying to this email.

Performance Details

Monday, September 20
The Town Hall: Centennial Concert with Chris Thile
Featuring Cécile McLorin Salvant and Sullivan Fortner, Zakir Hussain and Ganesh Rajagopalan, Damon Daunno, Timo Andres, and More TBA
Hosted by Jessica Vosk

Legendary NYC venue The Town Hall celebrates their 100th anniversary with Grammy-winning musician Chris Thile and special guests Cécile McLorin Salvant and Sullivan Fortner, Zakir Hussain and Ganesh Rajagopalan, Damon Daunno, and Timo Andres (with more to be announced soon) for an evening celebrating the remarkable history of The Town Hall. The performance will be hosted by Broadway singer and actor Jessica Vosk (Wicked).

MacArthur Fellow and Grammy Award-winning mandolinist, singer, songwriter Chris Thile is a founding member of the critically acclaimed bands Punch Brothers and Nickel Creek. For four years, Thile hosted public radio favorite Live from Here with Chris Thile (formerly known as A Prairie Home Companion).

The Town Hall's centennial concert in Bryant Park commences the storied hall's centennial season. The evening, hosted by Chris Thile, will pay tribute to the great artists and art forms that the hall nurtured and introduced to New York City. Known for being at the vanguard, the Town Hall held the concert hall debuts of many great artists like Marian Anderson, Isaac Stern, Billie Holiday, Glenn Gould, Leontyne Price, Nina Simone, Bob Dylan, Coretta Scott King and João Gilberto, among others. From 1935- 1956, The Town Hall hosted America's Town Meeting of the Air, one of the first of the radio "talk shows," a program which featured guests, scholars, and experts who discussed important issues of the day. Over its two decade run, the program's guests included Eleanor Roosevelt, Langston Hughes, Earl Browder, Senator Joseph McCarthy, Carl Sandburg, Pearl Buck and Mary McLeod Bethune.

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