Mandy Patinkin and Pasadena POPS Kick Off Zev Yaroslavsky Signatures Series Tonight

To coincide with the 20-year anniversary of the Ford Partnership Program, which nurtures locally based artists and arts organizations, the Los Angeles County Arts Commission presents the inaugural Zev Yaroslavsky Signatures Series. This two-concert program benefiting the Ford Theatre Foundation pairs world-renowned performers with a local artistic treasure, celebrating Los Angeles as a destination for world-class artists, who find here both collaboration with, and inspiration from, celebrated local artists.

With support provided by L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, the Signature Series kicks off this summer tonight, June 9 at 8 p.m. with Tony Award-winner Mandy Patinkin in concert with the Pasadena POPS. Conducted by Eric Stern, the evening will dazzle with musical adaptations of popular songs and Broadway classics, sung in Patinkin's inimitable style and backed by local orchestra Pasadena POPS, known for its talented musicians.

On Saturday, August 10 at 8 p.m., experience an evening of dance featuring a special appearance by Complexions Contemporary Ballet, who mark their return to Los Angeles with a mix of repertory and new works and a performance by Los Angeles' own Lula Washington Dance Theatre.

TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED AT FORDTHEATRES.ORG OR (323) 461-3673. For more information: www.FordTheatres.org, Facebook.com/FordTheatres, Twitter.com/FordTheatres. Tickets for June 9 concert are $55 to $95; Tickets for August 10 performance are $45 to $85. The Ford Amphitheatre is located at 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood, Calif., across the street from the Hollywood Bowl and south of Universal Studios.

"Over many decades, the Ford has become one of our most distinctive County performing arts venues, a first-class and truly unique space," Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said. "I am committed to seeing that the Ford's diverse programming remains accessible to all of our Los Angeles communities."

The Ford Theatres, owned and operated by the County of Los Angeles, has a rich history dating back to the 1920s. Former L.A. County Supervisor Ed Edelman championed the venue, supporting the creation of the first summer season, named "Summer Nights at the Ford," in 1993. The program was designed to enable Los Angeles County music, dance and theatre groups to produce successfully in a major venue, providing production and marketing support and often facilitating their first important public appearances.

Twenty years later, the program is more robust than ever and has served hundreds of arts organizations and producers. "Supervisor Edelman saw the Ford as a County asset that was being under-utilized," says Laura Zucker, Executive Director of the L.A. County Arts Commission. "He challenged us to find a way to restore the shine to this local treasure and we responded with a program that offers a physical location, technical assistance and a way to generate revenue for arts organizations. We've watched these groups flourish, building capacity and connecting to new audiences."

Adam Davis, Managing Director of Productions, L.A. County Arts Commission said, "To celebrate our 20th anniversary of the Ford Partnership Program and honor Supervisor Yaroslavsky, we've chosen for the inaugural Signature Series four National Treasures - each pairing for the first time. Mandy Patinkin came to national fame as "Che" in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita, which had its American premiere in 1979 at the Music Center, sister County facility. Now he will be joined by the Pasadena POPS, which in a few short years has become one of our most highly-regarded area summer orchestras." Davis continues, "Dance has always been a big part of our summer season and having three of the most acclaimed choreographers - Dwight Rhoden, Desmond Richardson and Lula Washington -- bring their respective dance companies to the Ford stage is an exciting addition to the Signature Series. Complexions Contemporary Ballet's performance will include a solo by Desmond Richardson and a piece featuring music by U2 while Lula Washington Dance Theatre performs pieces from their extensive repertoire. Being able to see these two revered companies the same evening is a special treat for Los Angeles."

ABOUT Mandy Patinkin: In his 1980 Broadway debut, Patinkin won a Tony Award for his role as "Che" in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita and was nominated in 1984 for his starring role in the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, Sunday in the Park with George. In 1991, he returned to Broadway in the Tony Award-winning musical The Secret Garden and in 1997 played a sold-out engagement of his one-man concert, Mandy Patinkin in Concert, with all profits benefiting five charitable organizations. Patinkin's other solo concerts, Dress Casual, Celebrating Sondheim and Mamaloshen, have been presented both on Broadway and Off. In 2009, he celebrated the 20th anniversary of performing his solo concerts with a two-week run at New York's Public Theater, the very space he began his concert career. Patinkin continued the celebration with a critically acclaimed two-week run of Mandy Patinkin in Concert in London's West End at the Duke of York's Theatre. Patinkin's other stage credits include the world premiere of Compulsion, a new play by Rinne Groff and directed by Oskar Eustis, appearing in productions of the play at Yale Rep, Berkeley Rep and finally at The Public Theater in early 2011; Paradise Found (London's Menier Chocolate Factory), The Tempest (Classic Stage Company), Enemy of the People (Williamstown Theater Festival), The Wild Party (2000 Tony nomination), Falsettos, The Winter's Tale, The Knife, Leave It to Beaver is Dead, Rebel Women, Hamlet, Trelawney of the 'Wells', The Shadow Box, The Split, Savages, and Henry IV, Part I.

Feature film credits include: Everybody's Hero, The Choking Man, Piñero, Elmo In Grouchland, Lulu on the Bridge, Men with Guns, The Princess Bride, Yentl (1984 Golden Globe nomination), The Music of Chance, Daniel, Ragtime, Impromptu, The Doctor, Alien Nation, Dick Tracy, The House on Carroll Street, True Colors, Maxie, and Squanto: Indian Warrior. Patinkin won a 1995 Emmy Award (as well as a Golden Globe nomination) for his performance in the CBS series "Chicago Hope," and recently starred in the CBS series "Criminal Minds" as FBI profiler Jason Gideon and in the Showtime Original Series "Dead Like Me" as the reaper Rube Sofer. Patinkin returns to TV in the Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning Showtime Original Series "Homeland" as CIA Division Chief Saul Berenson. His other television appearances include the role of Kenneth Duberstein in the Showtime film "Strange Justice," playing Quasimodo opposite Richard Harris in the TNT film presentation of "The Hunchback," a film version of Arthur Miller's "Broken Glass" for BBC/WGBH-Boston, and episodes of "Three Rivers," "The Larry Sanders Show" (1996 Emmy nomination), "Law and Order," "Boston Public," "Touched By An Angel" and "The Simpsons."

In 1989, Patinkin began his concert career at Joseph Papp's Public Theater. This coincided with the release of his first solo album entitled Mandy Patinkin. Since then he has toured extensively, appearing to sold-out audiences across the United States, Canada, London and Australia, performing songs from
writers including Stephen Sondheim, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Irving Berlin, Randy Newman, Adam Guettel and Harry Chapin, among others. In 1990 he released his second solo album entitledMandy Patinkin In Concert: Dress Casual on CBS Records. His 1994 recording, Experiment, on the Nonesuch label, features songs from nine decades of popular music from Irving Berlin to Alan Menken. Also recorded on the Nonesuch label are Oscar & Steve, Leonard Bernstein's New York, Kidults and Mandy Patinkin Sings Sondheim. In 1998 he debuted his most personal project,Mamaloshen, a collection of traditional, classic and contemporary songs sung entirely in Yiddish. The recording of Mamaloshen won the Deutschen Schallplattenpreis (Germany's equivalent of the Grammy Award). In October 2007, Patinkin debuted a new concert with dear friend Patti LuPone and they continue touring their show, An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin, throughout the US, Australia, New Zealand, and most recently during a nine-week Broadway run at the Barrymore Theatre. Patinkin continues to collaborate with An Evening with Mandy Patinkin & Nathan Gunn and most recently The Last Two People on Earth: An Apocalyptic Vaudeville starring Patinkin and the performance artist Taylor Mac, directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman. Patinkin resides in New York City with his wife, actress and writer Kathryn Grody, and their two sons.

ABOUT THE PASADENA SYMPHONY AND POPS: The Pasadena Symphony Association was founded in 1928 by Conductor Reginald Bland. Originally named the Pasadena Civic Orchestra, its first members were mostly volunteer musicians, many of whom were students of Bland. Over the past 80 years, the Pasadena Symphony has artistically matured into one of the top performing symphonic ensembles in southern California, comprised of the most gifted and sought after musicians from the motion picture film industry.

In the fall of 2007, the Pasadena Symphony incorporated the Pasadena POPS into its Association under the new name Pasadena Symphony and POPS. This merger created an expanded Classics and POPS series providing the community with a full spectrum of live symphonic concerts year-round at the historic Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena and at its summer venue at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden.

A hallmark of its robust education programs, the Pasadena Symphony Association has served the youth of the region since 1972 through the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra comprised of gifted middle school students from all over the Southland.

ABOUT COMPLEXIONS CONTEMPORARY BALLET: It is artistic directors Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson's lifelong appreciation for the artistic and aesthetic appeal of the multicultural that forms the cornerstone of Complexions Contemporary Ballet's singular approach to reinventing dance. Founded in 1994, Complexions' groundbreaking mix of methods, styles, and cultures has created an entirely new and exciting vision of human movement over the past 18 years.

Complexions has received numerous awards including the New York Times "Critics Choice" Award. It has appeared throughout the US, including The Joyce Theater/NY, Lincoln Center/NY, the Brooklyn Academy Of Music's/NY, the Mahalia Jackson Performance Arts Center in New Orleans, the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, the Music Center in Los Angeles and the Winspear Opera House/Dallas.

The company has appeared at major European dance festivals including Italy's Festival of Dance for four consecutive years, the Isle De Dance Festival in Paris, the Maison De La Dance Festival in Lyon, the Holland Dance Festival, Steps International Dance Festival in Switzerland, ?ód? Biennale, Warsaw Ballet Festival, Kraków Spring Ballet Festival, the Dance Festival of Canary Islands/Spain and Le Festival des Arts de St-Sauveur/Canada, and in Korea, Spain, and Australia.

The company's foremost innovation is that dance should be about removing boundaries, not reinforcing them. Whether it be the limiting traditions of a single style, period, venue, or culture, Complexions transcends them all, creating an open, continually evolving form of dance that reflects the movement of our world-and all its constituent cultures-as an interrelated whole.

It is Rhoden and Richardson's unique career paths that have paved the way for them to re-define dance-as their multifaceted resumes will show, neither has ever been comfortable with his art being placed in a box. Instead, from E! to PBS to VH1, from Cirque du Soleil to the Joffrey Ballet, the two have allowed the transformative power of their art to flow freely throughout the entertainment world-their creative vision restricted by nothing but the limits of the human body itself.

Together, Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson have created in Complexions an institution that embodies its historical moment, a sanctuary where those passionate about dance can celebrate its past while simultaneously building its future. In the 16 years since its inception, the company has born witness to a world that is becoming more fluid, more changeable, and more culturally interconnected than ever before-in other words, a world that is becoming more and more like Complexions itself.

ABOUT Lula Washington DANCE THEATRE: The Lula Washington Dance Theatre (LWDT) is a Los Angeles-based repertoire dance ensemble that performs innovative and provocative choreography by Lula Washington. The company tours internationally. Lula Washington has steadfastly focused on using dance to explore social and humanitarian issues, including aspects of African-American history and culture.

LWDT was founded in 1980 by Lula and Erwin Washington in the inner city area of South Los Angeles. Since then, LWDT has risen to become one of the most admired African-American contemporary dance companies in the west - known for powerful, high-energy dancing, unique choreography and exceptional educational residencies. LWDT's repertoire unveils honesty, integrity, and creativity of unparalleled power - with Lula Washington as the main choreographer and "voice" of LWDT.

The company is composed of young athletic dancers, many of whom were groomed in Lula Washington's inner city dance studio. While Washington encourages her dancers to be excellent performers, she also emphasizes the importance of being leaders in their communities.

Lula Washington was the first recipient of Maria Shriver's Minerva Award, given to women who make a significant impact on women, girls and families in California. She choreographed movements and rituals for the Na'vi people in James Cameron's film Avatar and company dancers performed in the film as Na'vi. She also choreographed the dancing fishes in the Disney film The Little Mermaid. "Under The Sea," which won the Academy Award for best song, was choreographed by Washington, as was "Kiss the Girl."

Lula Washington augments her choreography with dances by master artists Donald McKayle, Katherine Dunham, Donald Byrd (The Color Purple), Louis Johnson (The Wiz), Christopher Huggins, and local icon, Rudy Perez. The company also performs works by talented, emerging choreographers such as Tamica Washington-Miller, Associate Director of LWDT.

LWDT has performed at such venues as Lincoln Center Out of Doors, the Joyce Theatre, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Jacob's Pillow, the Ordway Theater in Minneapolis, the Pioneer Center in Nevada, the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and at theatres in Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Mexico, Russia, Spain, and the Virgin Islands. In addition to touring, LWDT dances in scores of schools each year.

ABOUT THE FORD: At 1,196 seats, the Ford Amphitheatre creates an intimate concert experience that is a favorite among Angelenos. Each summer, the Ford hosts a diverse roster of events representing music and dance styles reflective of the communities that comprise Los Angeles County. A county regional park operated by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, the Ford summer season events are in partnership with Los Angeles County-based arts organizations and producers. Unlike a traditional presenting model, these organizations apply to be part of the season and receive significant marketing, box office and house management support while keeping the majority of box office proceeds. This historic venue was built in 1920 and is located in a beautiful County park in the Hollywood Hills, just off the 101 Hollywood Freeway across from the Hollywood Bowl and south of Universal Studios.

ABOUT THE LA COUNTY ARTS COMMISSION: The Los Angeles County Arts Commission fosters excellence, diversity, vitality, understanding and accessibility of the arts in Los Angeles County. The Arts Commission provides leadership in cultural services for the County, encompassing 88 municipalities, including funding and job opportunities, professional development, and general resources for the community, artists, educators, arts organizations and municipalities. For more information, visit lacountyarts.org.