David Byrne Announces AMERICAN UTOPIA FAREWELL! Benefit Performance
Guests will receive premium seating for the show, entry to an exclusive post-performance conversation with Byrne and special guests and a gift bag.
Just days before its April 3 conclusion at the St. James Theatre on Broadway, David Byrne's American Utopia will stage American Utopia Farewell!, a special benefit performance on March 30 with proceeds supporting Byrne's non-profit, Arbutus.
Guests will receive premium seating for the show, entry to an exclusive post-performance conversation with Byrne and special guests and a gift bag. VIP-level ticket holders will receive signed copies of his new book, A History of The World (in Dingbats), published by Phaidon, and a vinyl LP of the David Byrne's American Utopia original cast recording on Nonesuch Records. A significant portion of the ticket price is tax deductible. Tickets can be purchased here. Additionally, Arbutus is partnering with social impact platform Propeller to give fans the chance to win a pair of premium tickets for a donation of $5 or more. For more information and to enter, click here.
Founded by Byrne in 2018, Arbutus celebrates, re-presents and amplifies ideas found in surprising places, ensuring that our picture of the world contains the joy that it should, and is accessible to everyone. Arbutus' two current projects are:
a-? Reasons to be Cheerful, an online magazine that is tonic for tumultuous times.
a-? Theater of the Mind, a new immersive theater piece inspired by neuroscience research. Theater of the Mind will have its world premiere at the Denver Center this fall.
"I created American Utopia with the seeds of curiosity and imagination, and those same seeds are why I founded Arbutus," Byrne says. "The proceeds from the event on March 30th will allow Arbutus to continue our work at Reasons to be Cheerful and our world premiere of Theater of the Mind, hopefully making the world a little lighter and a little brighter."
A jubilant celebration of live music, community and connection, American Utopia features David Byrne with band members Jacquelene Acevedo, Gustavo Di Dalva, Daniel Freedman, Chris Giarmo, Tim Keiper, Tendayi Kuumba, Karl Mansfield, Abe Nouri, Mauro Refosco, Stéphane San Juan, and Angie Swan. The company standbys are Renée Albulario, Alena Ciera, Chris Eddleton, Evan Frierson, and Natalie Tenenbaum.
American Utopia returned to Broadway on Sept. 17, 2021, following its original 2019 smash hit Broadway engagement at the Hudson Theatre and the 18-month pandemic shutdown. The show was honored with a Special Tony Award in September 2021 and persevered through the December 2021 COVID surge with unprecedented "unchained" performances.
In 2020, Spike Lee's filmed version of American Utopia opened the Toronto International Film Festival to global acclaim and continues to stream on HBO. The film won two 2021 Creative Arts Emmy Awards: Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety Special (Rob Sinclair, Lighting Designer / Brian Spett, Lighting Director) and Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special (Paul Hsu, Re-Recording Mixer / Michael Lonsdale, Production Mixer / Pete Keppler, Music Mixer). It is currently nominated for a 2022 Grammy Award (Best Music Film).
David Byrne's original American Utopia studio album, also released by Nonesuch, in 2018, inspired the Broadway show. Later that year, the theatrical concert, which included songs from American Utopia along with songs from Talking Heads and Byrne's solo career, played more than 150 dates in 27 countries.
