Color Purple's Harper Performs Modo Fusion Lounge, 10/9

Conceptual pop artist Francesca Harper, currently on stage in The Color Purple, will blend original music, choreography, dance, and film into a contemporary pop variety show, "Modo Fusion Lounge," which will be performed at the 92nd Street Y's Makor/Steinhardt Center (35 W. 67th St.) on October 9th at 7:30 PM.

"As a singer and lyricist, Harper will be performing her rich mix of soul-inspired R&B and rhythmic electronica grooves off of her debut full-length solo album Modo Fusion along with the Modo Fusion Lounge Band featuring Damon Banks (bass), Bruce Cox (drums), and Victor Y. See Yuen (percussion). 'Modo Fusion Lounge' serves as an ever-evolving show that welcomes special guest collaborators ranging from people on the street to fellow Broadway performers including Kemba Shannon and Maia Wilson of The Color Purple.  Harper, who is also a film director, will screen her experimental short film Swan Lake…Another Point of View, the 2004 winner of Best film/video in the Fine Arts Discipline at Black International Cinema Berlin Film Awards," according to notes on the event.

"Conceived by Harper and written with the help of Pulitzer-Prize winning author Margo Jefferson, 'Modo Fusion Lounge' draws on Harper's experiences as a dancer, a singer and an African-American woman, by exploring social quirks and cultural baggage through an accessible, hybrid stage work."

Harper, who is in the ensemble of The Color Purple and who understudies the role of Squeak, has released singles in Europe and Japan, while her song "Would I?" is featured on Powerhouse Records' "Cool Moves Vol. 1" compilation album.  Harper, who trained in ballet and modern dance, has performed with the Dance Theater of Harlem as well as William Forsythe's Ballet Frankfurt from 1994-1999.  She is also a noted choreographer.  Her theatre credits include Fosse, All Shook Up and The Frogs on Broadway, while she was featured in a tour of The Producers, as well as the movie musical version of the show.  In 2005, she founded The Francesca Harper Project, a concert-dance company dedicated to creating groundbreaking dance, music, and theater works.

General tickets are $15.  For reservations, call the 92nd Street Y at 212.415.5500 or visit www.92y.org.  For more information about Francesca Harper, visit www.francescaharper.com.  Her solo CD, "Modo Fusion," is available for purchase online at www.cdbaby.com.