Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts Announces Holiday Ticket Packages

Looking for a truly unique holiday gift this year? How about a once-in-a-lifetime experience? The upcoming Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA), which holds the spotlight for three and a half weeks next spring (April 7 to May 1), has you covered, with a slate of unprecedented programming featuring virtually every artistic genre, targeted to the young and young-at-heart alike. Today, with an eye towards making this year's gift-giving season the easiest yet, festival organizers announce a full menu of special ticket packages sure to please everyone on your list. Additionally, PIFA Holiday Ticket Packages are discounted 10% when bought together vs. single ticket prices. Any or all of the Ten Holiday Ticket Packages, each including 3 diverse programs, can be purchased online at www.pifa.org, or at the Kimmel Center Box office, and the newly re-designed PIFA website provides easy access to detailed information on all PIFA partner organizations and events.

PIFA, inspired by the Kimmel Center¾Philadelphia's renowned performing arts center¾ is the city and region's first major international arts festival, celebrating the spirit of collaboration and innovation that characterized Paris from 1910 to 1920. Paris at that time was a center of tremendous creativity and ultimately shaped how we defined the arts throughout the 20th century. Featuring a feast of music, dance, fashion, fine arts, outdoor events, theater, literature, cuisine and more, the festival will celebrate Philadelphia's rich and vibrant cultural community.  More than 140 of our region's finest organizations will combine forces to produce more than 30 commissioned works, offer an enticing mix of collaborative programs, and feature a roster of International Artists from Paris and beyond.  From classical performances to new works inspired by the avant-garde spirit of that earlier era, from family and children's programming to cutting-edge dance and music, from captivating productions to renowned French chefs and gravity-defying aerial artists, PIFA is truly a banquet for longtime arts lovers and novices. So this year, pass on the traditional gifts and offer your loved ones, colleagues, and friends a gift they'll never forget. 

FAMILY OUTING
Astral Artists - 4/9, Perelman Who Stole the Mona Lisa? - A Family ConcertSpecially commissioned animation and audience participation make this concert a truly fun family event! First, kitchen utensils go wild in Martinu's La Revue de Cuisine.  Then The Story of Babar is narrated to Poulenc's charming music. Lastly, a live, virtuoso performance of Stravinsky's Firebird Suite propels a whimsical animated film based on a true story: the theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre in Paris in 1911.  The painter Picasso, of all people, was accused of the crime. In Astral's animation, created by University of the Arts graduate animator/illustrator/painter Micah Chambers-Goldberg, the Firebird comes to life and helps solve the mystery. This zany animation is part Pink Panther, part Moulin Rouge.

Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts - 4/6-16, Harold Prince TheatrePetrushka Master puppeteer Basil Twist, known the world over for his astonishingly innovative productions, makes his Philadelphia debut with Petrushka, a dazzling interpretation of this brilliant Stravinsky ballet that premiered in 1911 in Paris. Delight your eyes and ears as puppets fly, dance and float in midair and tell the tale of the clown Petrushka, the alluring Ballerina, and the dashing Moor - whose stories emerge amidst the swirl of the Russian carnival.  Russian identical twins Julia and Irina Elkina perform the two-piano version of Stravinsky's masterpiece, providing the music that inspires nine hidden puppeteers, who combine Czech and Japanese puppetry traditions in a spectacle of wonder and fantasy perfect for adults and children alike!

Magic Garden Tours - Saturdays 12 noon and 4pm; Sundays 4pmGuided Mosaic Mural ToursPhiladelphia's Magic Gardens, created by Isaiah Zagar, will offer tours of the gardens that highlight the French artistic influences on Zagar.  These tours will discuss specific French references and texts, as well as Zagar's techniques and narratives, and will explore the history and development of Philadelphia's legendary South Street.
 
 GREAT ORCHESTRAS
Orchestra 2001 - 4/8, Trinity CenterParis and Philadelphia: Musical Sister CitiesA fascinating collection of works that came out of Paris then, and Philadelphia now, including masterpieces by Stravinsky and Debussy and two world premieres by Philadelphians.  The pièce de résistance: a unique, collaborative performance featuring French composer Henri Dutilleux's Mystère de l'instant.  Ten visual artists have been selected to create artistic responses to these pieces; their visions will be projected as the orchestra performs Dutilleux's collection of ten miniature tone poems.
L'Orchestre National de France - 4/15, Verizon Hall Rite of Spring, Ravel ConcertoFrance's best-known orchestra returns to the Kimmel Center to perform works that revolutionized musical composition: Stravinsky's Rite of Spring and Ravel's Piano Concerto in G.  This performance marks the Kimmel Center debuts of conductor Daniele Gatti and pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet.

The Philadelphia Orchestra - 4/28-4/30, Verizon HallGreek Tragedy and MythologyMaestro Charles Dutoit and The Philadelphia Orchestra continue their contribution to PIFA with two masterworks from early-20th century Paris. Apollon Musagète tells the story of Apollo's consecration of the muses, while Oedipus Rex attempts, in Stravinsky's words, to distill the essence of the original play by Sophocles, and "focus on a purely musical dramatization." Dutoit conducts a stellar cast led by one of the Metropolitan Opera's most stalwart lyric tenors, Paul Groves, joined by the men of the Philadelphia Singers Chorale.

MASH-UP
The Wilma Theater & Ballet X - 4/12 - 4/24, Wilma TheaterProliferation of the Imagination (World Premiere)The Wilma Theater and Ballet X collaborate on a piece inspired by Guillaume Apollinaire's The Mammaries of Tiresias. Proliferation of the Imagination is an interdisciplinary, multimedia event that incorporates dance, spoken text, video, and original music.

The Organ Project - 4/16, Verizon HallRemember Paris (World Premiere)Organist Thierry Escaich collaborates with director Emmanuelle Delpech and two silent actors to take audiences on an intimate, emotional journey through ten potent and inspiring years in Paris.  Gilles Boustani's evocative video design will provide realistic images as well as dreamlike re-imaginings of Paris of a century ago.  From the mysterious Mata Hari to the flood of 1910, from World War I to the brilliance of artists such as Picasso and Chagall, this show will create a compelling experience of that time and place: a haven for artists reveling in the joy of daring creativity and idealism, yet a world devastated by destruction and loss.  Philadelphia Theatre Company, Gershman Y, and Philadelphia Museum of Art -  4/28-4/30, Suzanne Roberts Theatre.Bella: The Color of LoveThis one-woman cabaret theater piece explores the lives of Marc and Bella Chagall in Russia, Paris, and finally New York.  Bella deftly incorporates newly-composed music as well as pieces that stem from the Chagalls' world, performed before projected images of art concurrently on view in the Philadelphia Museum of Art's Chagall exhibition.  Theresa Tova, who co-wrote the piece and performs it, offers a poignant glimpse into the often hidden life of Bella, Marc Chagall's muse, who was a gifted artist in her own right. 

CENTER STAGE
The Philadelphia Orchestra & PA Ballet - 4/7, Verizon HallPulcinella Alive (World Premiere)To launch PIFA's inaugural season, The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Pennsylvania Ballet, in an historic first, perform together on the stage of Verizon Hall, presenting the world premiere of Jorma Elo's exciting new choreography to Stravinsky's Pulcinella.   This visionary staging re-imagines one of the many great collaboratives creations that came out of the Ballets Russes, the brainchild of the flamboyant impresario Serge Diaghilev.   The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and Guests - 4/24, Verizon Hall Hope: An Oratorio (World Premiere)Composer Jonathan Leshnoff, one of the rising stars in the world of classical music, has written a work that explores faith, despair, and renewal, through texts that derive from spiritual and worldly sources the world over.  And just as his texts cross barriers, so do his musical settings, as he writes for four soloists, two from the classical world, one from world music, and one from jazz.  Featuring soprano Jessica Rivera, alto Angélique Kidjo, and tenors Jason Collins and David Linx, along with the Pennsylvania Girlchoir and the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia.

Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis - 5/1, Verizon HallJazz at the SourceLed by incomparable trumpeter-composer Marsalis, the inimitable Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra brings PIFA to a triumphant close with a breathtaking, French-influenced program. Whether performing historic compositions or commissioned works, the "finest big band in the world today" (Daily Telegraph, United Kingdom) delivers a dynamic, attention-grabbing show every time. The 15 jazz soloists and ensemble players, under Marsalis' esteemed direction, are serious musicians whose playing is as fun as it is stylistically remarkable. 

NEW CREATIONS
The University of the Arts, College of Performing Arts, University of Delaware - 4/22 & 4/23, Merriam TheaterA Snapshot, Paris 1911(World Premiere)

Composer John Hollenbeck and choreographer Scott Jovovich take their inspiration from 1911 photos of Paris shot by the incomparable photographer Alfred Steiglitz, as they create a new work for large jazz ensemble and dancers. A Snapshot shares the program with Stravinsky's Ebony Concerto and a rare performance of George Antheil's quirky and controversial Ballet Mécanique, for percussion ensemble..

Rennie Harris Puremovement- 4/15, 4/16, 4/17, PerelmanHeaven (World Premiere)Newly-commissioned, full-length dance inspired by Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. Fifteen dancers perform to live music, illuminated by an innovatively-designed lighting installation.  Heaven features Japanese motifs and multimedia anime, and reflects on the ways in which dance and music cross generational and cultural divides.

Arden Theater - April 7 - May 1, (performances 6 days a week) Arden TheaterWanamaker's Pursuit (World Premiere)A new play by Cuban-American playwright Rogelio Martinez that tells the story of Nathan Wanamaker, an imagined department store heir who travels to Paris in 1911 to learn to be a buyer for his family's store. He receives an invitation to the first great party of the 20th Century.  Paul Poiret, the famous French fashion designer, actually threw such a party, and called it "The Thousand and Second Night," in tribute to the Arabian Nights. In Martinez' play, Nathan begins to develop an unusual friendship with Poiret, the self-proclaimed "King of Fashion."  Surrounded by Poiret's extravagances, Stravinsky's music, and Picasso's art, Nathan soon finds himself having to make a difficult choice: what to bring back to Philadelphia, and what to leave behind in Paris.
NO JACKET REQUIRED Philadelphia School of Circus Arts, 4/14 - 4/16, Hamilton GardenThe Green Fairy CabaretAerial and acrobatic feats, plus comedy, juggling and spectacular physical skills in this circus variety show. Daytime show is family-friendly; nightly show has its own rewards.  Off Broadway at the Kimmel- 4/7 - 4/17, Innovation StudioA Passing Wind (World Premiere)An intimate musical, written and directed by Seth Rozin, chronicling the (mostly) true story of Joseph Pujol - a.k.a. Le Petomane ("The Fartiste"). From provincial baker to populist entertainer at Paris' renowned Moulin Rouge, Pujol grosses out thousands, while out-grossing his contemporaries, until World War I crashes the party, and Pujol's acts of crepitation no longer tickle France's funny bone.
Les Nubians, 4/21, Perelman TheaterGrammy®-nominated international recording artists Les Nubians have intrigued audiences for almost a decade with their inventive and glamorous Afropean style. Their distinctive sound embodies elements of Miriam Makeba, Ella Fitzgerald, Doudou N'diaye Rose, Fela Kuti, Edith Piaf, The Fugees, and Soul II Soul. Recognized for their colorful auras, Les Nubians' vogue is a fusion of Funkin' Fashion and Modern Amazon. 

DISCOVER
African American Museum of Philadelphia (AAMP) /West Phila. Cultural Alliance (Paul Robeson House), at AMMP, 4/8-5/1Free to Be:  The Artistry and Impact of African American Artists in Turn of the Century ParisExhibit showcasing Josephine Baker and other iconic African American artists who found artistic and personal freedom in Paris.  Featuring a festival of Baker's French films; insightful panel discussions with prominent scholars; and a ground-breaking new exhibit featuring the costumes, personal clothing and art of African American ex-patriots. 

?uestlove of the Roots with Keren Ann, 4/17An unconventional drummer, DJ, and producer, ?uestlove launched to stardom as a member of Grammy® winning band The Roots. He is internationally recognized for his expressive style, infused with hip-hop and multicultural elements. ?uestlove has collaborated on dynamic projects with musical artists spanning every genre. Catch ?uestlove's spin on Paris of 100 years ago as he joins forces with French singer-songwriter Keren Ann, and other special guests. Painted Bride Art Center- 4/30, Painted BrideAtypical (World Premiere)Four artists come together to create an original, genre-bending, intercultural performance. Collaborators include: Viji Rao, a Bharatanatyam (a traditional dance from South India) dancer/choreographer; Francois Zayas, an Afro-Cuban percussionist; DJ Statik aka Mr.Sonny James, a multimedia turn-tablist and producer; and Ryat Christina, a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and composer.  Atypical is an innovative Bride series that showcases Philadelphia's most exciting emerging artists.   PARIS NIGHTS 

LyricFest - 4/10, First Presbyterian ChurchStranger Things...Lyric Fest presents a program that explores fascination with all things "Other" in Paris in the early 20th century: Exoticism, Orientalism, African and American Jazz influences, animal songs, the occult and the forbidden. A captivating program of songs and historic narrative, interspersed with the reflections of contemporaneous composers and poets. Selections from Maurice Ravel's Chansons Madecasses, Igor Stravinsky's Three Japanese Lyrics, Albert Roussel's Jazz dans la nuit, Francis Poulenc's Le bestiaire, Kurt Weill's Seven Deadly Sins, and more. 

Alchemy Dance - 4/15, Painted BrideRite of Passage (World Premiere)Travel back in time as Alchemy Dance Company transports you to the Théatre des Champs-Elysées in Paris circa 1913 and the riotous audience reception at the world premiere of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. Alchemy's dance explores what that extreme reaction reveals about the society, the artist, and the human spirit.  

Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra - 4/28, Independence Seaport MuseumParis - When It Sizzled:  Stravinsky, Milhaud and Le Jazz HotA fascinating concert that explores the impact of "hot" jazz on the emerging modern styles of two of Paris's most iconic composers: Igor Stravinsky and Darius Milhaud. Stravinsky's Octet and Milhaud's Symphonies de chambre begins a musical journey from Paris to Harlem and back again.  Master jazz trombonist Wycliffe Gordon and members of the Rodney Mack Philadelphia Big Brass bring you the sizzling sounds of ragtime and Dixieland music that Black musicians were cooking up in America.  The concert ends where it began, when the BPCO returns to perform works by Stravinsky and Milhaud that demonstrate how jazz influenced their own musical imaginations.    DANCE, DANCE, DANCE

Pennsylvania Ballet - 4/14 - 4/17, Merriam TheaterBuilding on BalanchinePennsylvania Ballet honors its Balanchine heritage with two works from the master choreographer, exemplifying his creative breadth. Agon is an organic collaboration between George Balanchine and Igor Stravinsky, who together designed the structure of this ballet during the creation of the music. Then, Who Cares? brings a bit of Broadway to the ballet! You'll be tapping your toes to the lively George Gershwin score, featuring beloved numbers like "The Man I Love" and "I Got Rhythm." The Company looks to its future with a world premiere ballet from renowned French-born choreographer Benjamin Millepied rounding out the program. 

Miro Dance - 4/21 - 4/23, Innovation StudioPunch (World Premiere)Punch, a re-imagining of Stravinsky's Pulcinella, will be Miro Dance Theatre's most ambitious work to date. Its creation is inspired by the interdisciplinary work of the Ballets Russes in the early 20th century, and will feature a new score commissioned from composer Zeena Parkins, with choreography by Amanda Miller and video work by Tobin Rothlein. 

Anne-Marie Mulgrew and Dancers Co.- 4/29, The RotundaLa Dada va Gaga dans 2011Dadaist artists such as Marcel Duchamp and Jean Arp questioned artistic convention, and even the very definition of "art," creating collages out of litter and putting on display such everyday objects as a snow shovel.  100 years later, Le Dada revisits this era of questioning, redefining and exploring the infinite possibilities of art, while glimpsing the realities of the present.  The project aspires to juxtapose The Rotunda's sanctuary space and the irreverent attitude of the Dadaists through the mediums of dance and video. TASTE OF PIFA
The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia- 4/10 & 4/11, PerelmanStravinsky's L'Histoire du Soldat (World Premiere production)L'Histoire du soldat (The Soldier's Tale) is a 1918 theatrical work "to be read, played, and danced,"  according to composer Stravinsky. The libretto, which is based on a Russian folk tale, is a parable about a soldier who trades his fiddle to the devil for a book that predicts the future of the economy.  The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia collaborates with Philadelphia's award-winning puppeteer and director, Robert Smythe, who has been commissioned to create a new production for PIFA.
Jeanne Ruddy Dance, 4/14-17, Hamilton Building, Pennsylvania Academy of the Performing ArtsMonTage á Trois MonTage á Trois will be performed in the Annenberg and Tuttleman Galleries of PAFA's Hamilton Building. This first site-specific piece for JRD will feature a new, evening-length choreographic work set to music of Debussy and Satie.  Ruddy's dance will captivate you and draw you from one gallery to another, incorporating Ellen Fishman-Johnson's multimedia presentation, which she has based on the work of renowned painter Elizabeth Osbourne.
 
EgoPo Classic Theater, 4/27 - May 1, German Society of Pennsylvania HellHenri Barbusse's 1908 novel Hell shocked the world and changed the face of modern literature. This world premiere theatrical adaptation of France's most scandalous novel will be the first exposure to the work for American audiences.  Hell tells the story of a man who looks through a hole in the wall of his boarding house room, only to uncover the secrets of life. It is excruciatingly beautiful, mysterious, sensual, and shockingly graphic.  You will never forget this experience of peering through the peep hole and watching what unfolds. A theatrical event like none other.  Directed by Lane Savadove and starring Ross Beschler, who also co-wrote this World Premiere adaptation.                                 

The full slate of PIFA programming to date can be accessed both on www.pifa.org and at the Kimmel Center Box Office. Tickets to individual performances and events can be purchased on the PIFA website, in person at the Kimmel Center Box Office, or by phone at 215-546-PIFA. Tickets are priced by individual presenting organizations, ranging from FREE to the public to $125. For the most up to date information, contact PIFA at (215) 790-5800 or visit www.pifa.org.    About PIFA¾The Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA), inspired by the Kimmel Center, launches the city's art and cultural scene onto the world stage with a three-week festival offering performances, exhibits and events for loyal fans and casual attendees. Based on the philosophy of collaboration, innovation and creativity, PIFA's programs represent every arts discipline and include more than 100 partners. Offerings include newly commissioned works, classical performances and exhibits, surprising partnerships featuring local and International Artists, and exciting explorations of traditional, non-traditional, new and emerging art forms. In homage to the artistic energy of Paris 1910-1920, PIFA celebrates works from that era and new creations inspired by the brashly innovative spirit of the period. The festival was made possible by an extraordinary grant from Philadelphia philanthropist Leonore Annenberg, whose vision for a city-wide celebration of the arts shaped its philosophy and programming. PIFA takes place April 7-May 1, 2011.   About Kimmel Center, Inc. ¾The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts manages, supports, and maintains Verizon Hall, Perelman Theater, Innovation Studio, Merriam Theater, the Academy of Music, and Forrest Theatre. The mission of the organization is to operate a world-class performing arts center that engages and entertains patrons from throughout the Greater Philadelphia region with a wide variety of spectacular programming.  The Kimmel Center Presents 2010/2011 season is sponsored by Citi and includes a diverse line-up of pop and classical musicians, comedy stars, creative dance troupes, and ground-breaking theater.  For additional information, visit kimmelcenter.org For further press information on PIFA, including access to the festival, media appearances or interviews, please contact Nina Zucker Associates, (610) 667.0706 or nzapr@aol.com. For information on sponsorship or festival participation, please contact Dawn Frisby-Byers at (215) 670.2324 or DfrisbyByers@kimmelcenter.org. For general information about the festival, please call (215) 790.5800 or visit www.pifa.org.    

 

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