National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene to Host Immigration Arts Summit

The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene (NYTF) hosts a two-day immigration arts summit on Monday/Tuesday July 17 & 18 during the Off-Broadway run of the musical "Amerike -- The Golden Land."

With a keynote address by John Leguizamo (Monday July 17 at 5pm), and a closing night outdoor concert (Tuesday July 18 at 7pm), the two-day summit will bring together leading artists, presenters and community leaders that serve immigrant communities or that present work inspired by cultures from abroad to a wide audience.

Participating organizations include the performing arts producers Pan Asian Repertory, Repertorio Español, Irish Repertory Theatre, the Kairos Italy Theater, the Irish Arts Center, and the Turkish American Repertory Theatre, as well as such museums and cultural organizations as the Romanian Cultural Institute, Israel's Office of Cultural Affairs in the USA, and the Cumbe Center for African and Diaspora Dance.

Taking place at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, 36 Battery Place, the two-day Summit will consist of panels, talks and workshops led by distinguished artistswhose work reflects immigrant experiences and ethnic traditions; prominent cultural leaders; and scholars, authors and journalists who have studied and covered the contributions of immigrant groups to the welfare and unique identity of the United States.

Confirmed participants include the musicians and thought leaders Larry Kirwan (Irish rock band Black 47, Sirius XM Radio), and Frank London (The Klezmatics); performance artist Jenny Romaine; Morris Vogel, executive director emeritus of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, and the journalist Ann Curry. The Summit concludes with a free outdoor concert at the Robert F. Wagner Park on Tuesday July 18 at 7pm. The concert will feature a blend of performances by several of the participating artists and organizations, and excerpts from the musical "Amerike -- The Golden Land" -- all set against the dramatic backdrop of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor.

"All immigrant story-lines of starting new lives in America and pursuing the American Dream share many common threads," says NYTF CEO Christopher Massimine. "That is why we are so excited by the opportunity to welcome a wide array of New Yorkers from different backgrounds to see 'Amerike -- The Golden Land,' a musical that vividly depicts an iconic journey from hardship and racism to integration and continued identification with the mother culture. There is so much we hope to learn about the positive and negative aspects of this uniquely American experience."

A richly textured evocation of New York City as it absorbed wave upon wave of Jewish immigrants from 1897 through the 1940s, "Amerike - The Golden Land" runs from July 4 to August 6 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. Filled with authentic period songs and the stories of actual immigrants, the show illustrates how the songs heard on the radio and in the theatres along Second Avenue both responded to and even influenced American popular culture... a two-way process that goes on as America continues to welcome immigrants from around the world. (The topic of cultural absorption and integration will be one of many focuses of the summit.)

Co-created by NYTF artistic director Zalmen Mlotek (who serves as the production's music director), and Moishe Rosenfeld, "Amerike -- The Golden Land" is directed by the Drama Desk-nominee Bryna Wasserman.

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SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS: "Immigrant Arts in America" -- A Summit of Artists, Presenters, Cultural Institutes, Arts Supporters and Community Leaders

Monday July 17, 10am to 4:30pm -- sessions and talks.
Mon July 17, 5pm -- Key note address John Leguizamo
Mon July 17, 7pm -- Performance of "Amerike -- The Golden Land"
Tues July 18, 10am to 1pm -- Plenary Session will representatives with all participating organizations, government agencies, artists, academics, journalists and arts patrons and supporters.
Tues July 18, 3pm to 5pm -- additional sessions.
Tues July 18, 7pm to 9pm -- Outdoor Concert, Robert F. Wagner Park

Tickets are $10 for each day, or $15 for both. The concert is free. For more details or to purchase tickets visit www.nytf.org.

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The 2017 Immigration Arts Summit is supported by the NYC Mayor's Office on Immigrant Affairs, New York Foundation for the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Battery Park Conservancy, Ellis Island, etc.

Established 1915, the Drama Desk-winning NYTF brings a rich cultural heritage to life on stage-one that was nearly destroyed some 75 years ago. At its new permanent home at the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, NYTF actively cultivates wide audiences by emphasizing the continued impact and relevance of Yiddish culture on American popular culture. Its programs draw more than 100,000 attendees annually.

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