SummerStage 2012 Announces Full Season: Limón Dance Company and More
By: Kelsey Denette Apr. 23, 2012
City Parks Foundation today announced the 2012 season ofSummerStage presented by AT&T, New York's largest free performing arts festival, bringing over 110 free performances to eighteen parks throughout the five boroughs. With performances ranging from American pop, Latin and world music to dance, comedy and theater, SummerStage fills a vital niche in New York City's summer arts festival landscape. Cutting edge artists from over 15 countries will perform at SummerStage, presenting the best of what is happening globally in the arts world as well as in the heart of the city. Since its inception twenty-seven years ago, more than six million people from New York City and around the world have enjoyed SummerStage. The festival runs from June 6th until August 30th.
"AT&T* is proud to be the first city-wide sponsor of SummerStage, a quintessential New York City event," said Tom DeVito, AT&T's vice president and general manager for New York and New Jersey. "We plan to be on-site at performances in Central Park and every borough to provide New Yorkers with a more interactive experience than ever before including the opportunity to check out the latest technologies on the market and access to charging stations for concert-goers."
This season, in addition to its impressive lineup, City Parks Foundation's SummerStage has commissioned a number of artists to create four unique programs that will premiere for the first time ever at SummerStage. These four works span the worlds of music, dance and theater and feature some of the brightest rising stars, as well as several critically acclaimed artists. These distinctive events further SummerStage's dedication to presenting the best artists from around the world, and playing an active role in promoting artistic creativity.
Numerous artists have chosen SummerStage as their platform to showcase new works. In addition to the four commissions, there will be twelve premieres, offering audiences the chance to see the latest works from a number of dance and theater companies.
"Audiences have come to expect the highest-quality, free arts programming from SummerStage and we intend to continue that tradition. We also see the importance of contributing to the arts landscape through supporting artists in their creative endeavors via the funding of these commissioned works," says City Parks Foundation President, Alison Tocci. "We are delighted that the debut of these exceptional pieces will always be associated with SummerStage."
Musical highlights from this season include soul legend, BOBBY WOMACK, hip-hop legendsBRAND NUBIAN and BIG DADDY KANE, contemporary R&B stars J. HOLIDAY and ERIC BENÉT, new generation rockers DAWES, ALABAMA SHAKES and GARY CLARK JR., reggae stars INNER CIRCLE and MIDNITE, cutting edge comedy troupe THE UPRIGHT CITIZENS BRIGADE, gospel greats Hezekiah Walker and LE'ANDRIA JOHNSON, a global cast of the best Latin rockers, salseros and bachata singers including MALA RODRIGUEZ, KINKY,HECTOR "EL TORITO" ACOSTA, TOBY LOVE, and JOSÉ ALBERTO "EL CANARIO", downtown performance legend Joey Arias and jazz great ROY HAYNES, among dozens of other top notch artists.
Dance enthusiasts will be visually engaged with a stunning array of performances that feature a variety of dance genres including tap, hip-hop, step, modern, vogue and numerous others. Female hip-hop troupe, DECADANCETHEATRE will premiere a new work set to Vivaldi's famed Four Seasons violin concertos. Contemporary dance superstar KORESH DANCE COMPANY will perform pieces from its famed repertoire. Modern dance company, WHITE WAVE Young Soon Kim Dance Company will perform Here NOW So Long, an ambitious work featuring live music that will explore the body's limitless capacity for expression.
SummerStage Theatre presented by Time Warner will delight viewers with the world premiere ofTHE POWER OF THE TRINITY, a theatrical concert event celebrating Ethiopia's last monarch, Haile Selassie. PAIGE IN FULL makes its NYC premiere and is an exceptional coming of age story told through the lens of hip-hop music. The Faux-Real Theatre Company premieres its newest take on the classic, JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS– TALES FROM THE ARGONAUTICA.
Commissioned Works
Limón Dance Company with special musical guest Paquito D'Rivera
Saturday, June 30, 2012 & Sunday, July 1, 2012
Central Park, MN
Join SummerStage as we celebrate the 65th anniversary of the José Limón Dance Company and the "Summer of Limón" series. The company will premiere Come With Me, a specially commissioned dance piece set to live music by world-renowned GRAMMY® Award winning, Cuban composer, Paquito D'Rivera and choreography by Rodrigo Pederneiras of Brazil's Grupo Corpo. This new work is Pederneiras' first commission for a U.S dance company and D'Rivera's first dance commission.
Camille A. Brown & Dancers with special musical guest Imani Uzuri
Wednesday, August 01, 2012
Central Park, MN
Camille A. Brown & Dancers unite with vocalist and composer, Imani Uzuri for a thrilling premiere night of original choreography set to selections from Uzuri's new album , The Gypsy Diaries, which will be performed live .
A King of Infinite Space
By Mando Alvardo, Directed By Jerry Ruiz
Adapted from Hamlet By William Shakespeare
SummerStage Theater Presented By Time Warner
Friday, July 06 - Saturday, July 07, 2012
St. Mary's Park, BX
8:00 PM
Friday, July 13 - Saturday, July 14, 2012
Crotona Park, BX
8:00 PM
American rock collides with Shakespeare in the SummerStage commissioned, theatrical concert event, A King of Infinite Space. Noted playwright Mando Alvarado's modern spin on William Shakespeare's Hamlet places the plot in the Lower East Side, Manhattan for a more relatable take on the quintessential tale of struggling family dynamics, power, and revenge. Fusing the music and themes from American rock icon Pearl Jam's ground-breaking album, 10, with a gritty Lower East Side dynamic, this concert event relates Shakespeare's 17th century literature to 21st century New York City.
20th Anniversary: Charlie Parker Jazz Festival
Bird with Strings with Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and Special Guests
Produced by Revive Music
Friday, August 24, 2012
Marcus Garvey Park, MN
7:00 PM
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the beloved late summer jazz favorite, the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival. In honor of this anniversary, SummerStage will present an additional evening of performances. This exceptional night will feature the world premiere of specially commissioned pieces by Revive Music Group in collaboration with Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, celebrating the vibrant work of Charlie Parker's 1950's record, Charlie Parker with Strings.
The complete SummerStage schedule follows. For the most up-to-date scheduling and line-up for all SummerStage programming, follow SummerStage via the below links and visitwww.SummerStage.org for festival information.
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