GOSPEL FOR TEENS to Play the Dempsey Theater, 12/9

By: Nov. 22, 2011
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Vy Higginsen'S GOSPEL FOR TEENS: A HARLEM HOLIDAY BENEFIT CONCERT, featuring both gospel standards and Christmas carols, will take place at The Dempsey Theater, located at 127 West 127th Street (between Lenox and 7th Aves) on Friday, December 9th at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 and are available by calling 212- 868-4444 or online at www.smarttix.com.

Vy Higginsen formed Gospel For Teens in 2006 with gospel legend Dr. Emily "Cissy" Houston. A program of The Mama Foundation for the Arts, Gospel For Teens' mission is to teach youth between the ages of 13 and 19 the art of gospel, jazz and R&B, as well as to acknowledge the contributions that African-American music and gospel make to American music. Auditions are held twice a year and selected teens attend at no cost. Gospel For Teens helps replace the music programs taken out of many inner city schools, acknowledging and supporting the city's musically gifted children.

Gospel For Teens took the grand prize in at their very first competition - the open division at The Pathmark Gospel Choir Competition of Harlem, held at The Apollo in February 2011. Another memorable recent performance was backing up Madonna for "Like A Prayer" at the "Hope For Haiti Now" telethon in January 2010. Earlier this year, Ms. Higginsen and Gospel For Teens were featured on CBS-TV's "60 Minutes."

Born and raised on 126th Street in Harlem, Vy Higginsen is the writer, producer and director of the longest-running African-American Off-Broadway musical Mama, I Want to Sing. A revival of the musical, Mama, I Want To Sing: The Next Generation, featuring members of the Gospel For Teens choir, is currently playing an extended run, also The Dempsey Theater. Mama, I Want To Sing: The Next Generation performs on Saturdays at 1:00 and 4:30 p.m. through December 17th.

Ms. Higginsen will be honored at the 27th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards in January at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, TN, receiving the Thomas A. Dorsey Most Notable Achievement Award.


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