Harlem Stage Announces Their Winter/Spring 2010 Lineup
By: Gabrielle Sierra Dec. 02, 2009
Dance, music and theater performances that feature and celebrate prominent African-American artists, and a slate of topical films on a variety of issues comprise the 2010 winter/spring season for Harlem Stage - one of the country's top presenters, producers, and supporters of works by artists of color.
From back-to-back programs highlighting the experience of Black soldiers, to its explosive new music series Uptown Nights at Harlem Stage with a tribute to Nina Simone featuring Tamar-kali and the Black Rock Coalition Orchestra, to its signature E-Moves Dance Series featuring Ronald K. Brown's EVIDENCE, A Dance Company in its 25th anniversary year, and two major new commissions from its WaterWorks series, Harlem Stage continues its mission to support artists of color and to provide programs that reflect the diversity of Harlem and the city of New York. Collaborative projects remain one of Harlem Stage's key strategies to develop distinctive programs for diverse audiences. Uptown Nights at Harlem Stage, the cutting-edge music series that debuted last fall to sell-out houses, includes concerts co-presented or co-produced by The Center for Jazz Studies at Columbia University, Revive Music Group, George Wein's CareFusion New York Jazz Festival and more. The Columbia Partnership joins Harlem Stage for two WaterWorks series projects, one featuring composer Diedre Murray and playwright Marcus Gardley, and the other featuring composer/pianist Vijay Iyer with poet Mike Ladd. A Harlem Stage Family Series event with the Fisk Jubilee Singers is a collaborative presentation with the Neighborhood Concert Series of The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall. And the seven-part Harlem Stage on Screen film series is co-presented with the Black Documentary Collective.· The winter/spring 2010 season is full of highlights, kicking off January 13 with "Still Bill," a documentary film that follows the private life of soul legend Bill Withers ("Ain't No Sunshine," "Lean On Me," "Lovely Day," and "Just the Two of Us"). · February brings an exploration of soldiers of color with a work-in-progress showing of a WaterWorks- commissioned music/spoken word project by Vijay Iyer and Mike Ladd based on writings of contemporary American war veterans; also: an Uptown Nights event featuring Grammy Award-winner Van Hunt on the cusp of his new CD release.· March is anchored by a Nina Simone tribute from the Black Rock Coalition Orchestra under the musical direction of Tamar-kali and featuring 20 female musicians and singers. Part of the new Uptown Nights at Harlem Stage music and performance series.· Three events celebrate emerging and legendary modern dance performers in April, including the eleventh E-Moves Dance Series program highlighting new dance talent on the horizon; a documentary film about Carmen De Lavallade and her husband Geoffrey Holder; and the reading of a new work with movement and text by James Scruggs, about the dark world of sexual outsiders. Also in April: an Uptown Nights tribute to the legendary funk/soul/jazz performer Roy Ayers by Pete Rock and the Robert Glasper Experiment.
Tickets to most Harlem Stage performances this fall are very affordable: $20 or less. Several are free (with advance reservation) and others range from $25 to $40. Ticket purchases and reservations can be made online at www.HarlemStage.org or by calling the box office at 212-281-9240, ext. 19 or 20.
SEASON DETAILS
This comprehensive listing of Harlem Stage activities is arranged by artistic discipline, then by date.
HARLEM STAGE WATERWORKS SERIES PRESENTS HOLDING IT DOWN: SONGS OF EXPERIENCE by Vijay Iyer and Mike Ladd
7:30 pm at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (at West. 135th St.)
Tickets: $15 at HarlemStage.org
Acclaimed pianist/composer Vijay Iyer and celebrated poet Mike Ladd launch Holding it Down: Songs of Experience, a new work of music and poetry commissioned by Harlem Stage's WaterWorks program. Iyer and Ladd collaborated directly with young American war veterans of color initially developing a series of short performances from interviews with Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. The artists have now built an evening-length performance (also slated to become an album), woven from their testimonies into a mix of music, poetry, video and song. At its core, Holding It Down considers what it means for soldiers of color to move from a racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically complex American context to the international context of war - and what it means when they return home. Commissioned and presented by the Harlem Stage WaterWorks program. Co-presented with the Center for Jazz Studies at Columbia University and the Columbia/Harlem Jazz Project Saturday, February 27
UPTOWN NIGHTS AT HARLEM STAGE PRESENTS: VAN HUNT w/ DJ COSI (The Freedom Party)
7:30 pm at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (at West 135th St.)
Tickets: $25 (including 1 drink) at HarlemStage.org
In anticipation of his 2010 release, join Grammy Award-winner Van Hunt as he graces the stage for an unforgettable Uptown Nights event. With a diverse collection of masterful compositions showcasing influences from Thelonious Monk and Prince to Bach and Liszt, Van Hunt and his powerhouse band presents new work from the upcoming album alongside selections from his classic albums Van Hunt, On the Jungle Floor, Popular, and Use In Case of Emergency. Part of the Uptown Nights at Harlem Stage series.Friday, March 26
UPTOWN NIGHTS AT HARLEM STAGE PRESENTS: A Nina SimonE TRIBUTE featuring TAMAR-KALI and THE BLACK ROCK COALITION ORCHESTRA with Imani Izuri, Joi, Lisala Beatty, Toli Nameless, and special guests
7:30 pm Harlem Stage at Aaron Davis Hall's Marian Anderson Theater, 138 Convent Avenue (at West 135th St.)
Tickets: $35 (includes 1 drink) and $20
Nina Simone is Black rock. And with this rare presentation, more than 20 female musicians from the Black Rock Coalition Orchestra sing her praises. Seven years after her death and fresh off of a string of standing-room only shows in France, the Black Rock Coalition celebrates Simone's legacy with performances that highlight her unwavering influence on today's most dynamic musicians. A "Nina Remix After-Party" featuring DJ Reborn follows the performance in the Aaron Davis Hall lobby. Part of the Uptown Nights at Harlem Stage series. Presented by Harlem Stage, co-presented with The Center for Jazz Studies at Columbia University and the Columbia/Harlem Jazz Project Saturday, April 24
UPTOWN NIGHTS AT HARLEM STAGE PRESENTS: A TRIBUTE TO ROY AYERS featuring Pete Rock and The Robert Glasper Experiment
7:30 pm Harlem Stage at Aaron Davis Hall's Marian Anderson Theater, 138 Convent Avenue (at West 135th St.)
Tickets: $35 (includes 1 drink) and $20
Revive Music Group's tribute to legendary jazz musician Roy Ayers features an amazing lineup of music pioneers including hip hop producer Pete Rock, the Robert Glasper Experiment featuring Chris Dave, Derrick Hodge and Casey Benjamin, and other special guests. The assembled artists will salute the vibraphonist's extraordinary career as well as his influence and his contributions to contemporary urban music. Ayers will be in attendance. Part of the Uptown Nights at Harlem Stage series.Tuesday, May 18
HARLEM STAGE FAMILY SERIES PRESENTS: A COMMUNITY SING FEATURING THE FISK Jubilee Singers
7:30 pm at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (at West 135th St.)
Tickets: FREE (reservations required at HarlemStage.org)
Community members area invited into the act during an evening of joyful song with this world-renowned choir. The Fisk Jubilee Singers encourage audiences to lift their voices in song, while performing some of their signature works. Presented by Harlem Stage in collaboration with the Neighborhood Concert Series of The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall. Saturday, May 22
UPTOWN NIGHTS AT HARLEM STAGE PRESENTS: HOMECOOKING Featuring WUNMI w/DJ Spinna
7:30 pm at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (at West 135th St.)
Tickets: $20 (includes 1 drink) at HarlemStage.org
The musical richness of Nigeria is center stage as this multi-cultural Uptown Nights performance mixes that country's signature Afrobeat music with New York house and London jazz. Performing works from her highly anticipated new album, Wunmi ("The Queen of Afro Dance Fusion") takes the stage with infectious vocals and energetic dance moves, backed by a super-tight band. Combined with DJ Spinna, it'll be impossible to stay off the dance floor. Part of the Uptown Nights at Harlem Stage series.Friday & Saturday June 25 & 26
HARLEM STRIDE and UPTOWN NIGHTS AT HARLEM STAGE PRESENTS: HABANA/HARLEM
7:30 pm at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (at West 135th St.)
Tickets: $20 at HarlemStage.org
On Friday June 25 Habana/Harlem's Cultural Fusion: Past, Present Future highlights a musical dialogue between two world-renowned pianists - New Orleans legend Henry Butler and Cuban sensation Osmany Paredes. The program puts late-19th century "early jazz" period selections alongside ragtime music, danzones and habaneras, to reveal and celebrate historic musical parallels. On Saturday June 26, "Habana/Harlem" introduces audiences to the singular vision and dynamic energy of Pedro Pablo Martinez's newly formed Pedro Martinez Project. In his new role as bandleader, Pedrito (formerly of Yerba Buena) infuses the project with his unique brand of Afro-Cuban funk and Hip Hop inflection. Fans will groove to his exciting new music, which features guests vocalists De'Adre Aziza, Ihsan, Maria Isa, and Nina Rodriguez. Both performances are part of George Wein's CareFusion New York Jazz Festival. The Pedro Martinez Project's performance is part of the Uptown Nights at Harlem Stage series.
THEATER/PERFORMANCEMonday April 12
TOUCHSCAPE, AN EMOTIONAL STRIPTEASE, a reading of a new work by James Scruggs
7:30 pm at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (at West 135th St.)
Tickets: FREE (reservations required at HarlemStage.org)
Touchscape, An Emotional Striptease is a raw, sensual, and sexual collection of first-person monologues that explore men, their relationships with the sense of touch, and the dark world in which sexual outsiders find themselves. The men chronicled in Touchscape invite viewers to experience their stories without judgment and, in the process, identify with them. Part of the Harlem Stage Inside/Out program. Thursday, May 13
THE VOICE WITHIN, conceived and composed by Diedre Murray; Book and Lyrics by Marcus Gardley
7:30 pm at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (at West 135th St.)
Tickets: $15 at HarlemStage.org
This is the final work-in-progress reading of a new musical theatre work before it goes into its final development period and its eventual world premiere in fall 2010. The Voice Within is a richly textured exploration of the voice - as an instrument, and an expression of all that is around us, emerges from us, and ultimately connects us to all humanity. Commissioned and presented by Harlem Stage's WaterWorks program.
DANCE/PERFORMANCEFriday and Saturday April 9-10 and April 16-17
E-Moves 11
TIME: 7:30 pm at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (at West 135th St.)
Tickets: $20 at HarlemStage.org
Harlem Stage's signature dance series features an enticing look at new talent on the horizon. Performing in this year's showcase, over two weekends, are contemporary dance performer Malcolm Low and tap artist Maurice chestnut. Thursday - Saturday June 17- 19 and Sunday, June 20
EVIDENCE, A Dance Company
June 17-19 at 7:30 pm; June 20 at 3 pm at the Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (at West 135th St.)
Tickets: $40 at HarlemStage.org
Artistic Director Ronald K. Brown and his EVIDENCE company return to Harlem to celebrate their 25th Anniversary milestone at Harlem Stage. In the intimate space of the historic and beautiful Gatehouse, the company presents two programs of highlights spanning its 25 years of trailblazing accomplishments. The first program, on June 17 and 18 includes "For You, Better Days," "Incidents" and "To Harm the Dangerous." Program two, on June 19 and 20 (special Father's Day performance), includes "2 Year Old Gentlemen" and "One Shot." This performance is part of the Harlem Stage E-Moves series.
FILMWednesday, January 13
STILL BILL by DamanI Baker and Alex Vlack
7:30 pm at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (at West 135th St.)
Tickets: $10 at HarlemStage.org
You know the music. Now meet the man. STILL BILL is an intimate portrait of soul legend Bill Withers, best known for numerous smash hits - including "Lovely Day," "Ain't No Sunshine," and "Just the Two of Us" - and for his soulful delivery and warm, heartfelt sincerity. Filmmakers Baker and Vlack follow Withers and offer a unique and rare look inside his world. A Q&A with the filmmakers and a reception follows. Part of the Harlem Stage on Screen series. Presented by Harlem Stage and co-presented by Black Documentary Collective. Tuesday, January 19
BY THE PEOPLE, The Election of Barack Obama by Amy Rice and Alicia Sams
7:30pm at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (at West 135th St.)
Tickets: $5 at HarlemStage.org
One year ago the U.S. inaugurated its first African-American president. Two years before that, filmmakers Amy Rice and Alicia Sams began to roll cameras on the young Senator Barack Obama. For more than 19 months, they criss-crossed the country, chronicling the ups and downs of the campaign trail as experienced by Obama, his family, and his staff and volunteers. Obama's meteoric rise to the White House has been well documented in the press, but few Americans know this behind-the-scenes story of passionate campaigners who helped a young freshman senator attain the nation's highest office. A Q&A with the filmmakers and reception follows. Part of the Harlem Stage on Screen series. Presented by Harlem Stage and co-presented by Black Documentary Collective. Wednesday, February 3
761ST by Pete Chatmon
7:30 pm at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (at West. 135th St.)
Tickets: Free; RSVP required at HarlemStage.org
What the Tuskegee Airmen were to the skies, members of the 761st were to land, requested by General George S. Patton to assist with heavy fighting during the Battle of the Bulge in WWII. The 761st was the first unit to enlist African-American soldiers to operate armored vehicles. Soldiers in its Tank Battalion fought for 183 consecutive days in six countries with great success, in the face of a 50-percent casualty rate. Despite these accomplishments, the Battalion did not receive its due credit until 1978, when President Carter issued the Presidential Unit Citation to them. Twelve 761st soldiers recount their experience in the United States Army, fighting for a freedom overseas they did not enjoy in America. Screening followed by a Q&A with Pete Chatmon and a reception. Part of the Harlem Stage on Screen series. Presented by Harlem Stage and co-presented by Black Documentary Collective.Friday March 12
THEN I'LL BE FREE TO TRAVEL HOME, Part 2: The Battle To Save The New York African Burial Ground by Eric Tait
7:30 pm at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (at West. 135th St.)
Tickets: $10 at HarlemStage.org
Then I'll Be Free to Travel Home chronicles what happens when urban growth clashes with the past - in this case ancient African burial grounds. In Part 2, members of Harlem's oldest church, Elmendorf Reformed Church, battles New York and federal transportation officials who want to build a parking garage on its 330-year-old African burial ground. After a 13-year saga, church officials reach a form of rapprochement with New York City Transit and Department of Transportation officials. Screening followed by a Q&A with Eric Tait and Gary Anthony Ramsay, president of NYABJ, and a reception. Part of the Harlem Stage on Screen series. Presented by Harlem Stage and co-presented by Black Documentary Collective.Saturday, April 10
CARMEN AND GEOFFREY by Linda Atkinson
4:00 pm at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (at West. 135th St.)
Tickets: $10 at HarlemStage.org
This film is about the work of American artists Carmen De Lavallade and Geoffrey Holder, who stepped forward in the 1950s to play a vital part in the newly energized world of modern dance. But also it is about a 47-year marriage and creative partnership that has sustained their collective and individual accomplishments. Over three years, Atkinson (a student of Carmen's) and Nick Doob filmed the virtually uninterrupted creativity of this couple, who are now in their seventies. Screening followed by Q&A with Holder, Atkinson and dance scholar Charmaine Warren, and a reception. Part of the Harlem Stage on Screen and the E-Moves dance series. Presented by Harlem Stage and co-presented by Black Documentary Collective.Wednesday, May 5
THE DEADLIEST DISEASE IN AMERICA by Crystal Emery
7:30 pm at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (at West. 135th St.)
Tickets: Free; RSVP required at HarlemStage.org
Health care reform is in the headlines, with President Obama's initiatives being challenged and criticized on a daily basis. Coverage for all Americans is the primary concern but, to the dismay of practitioners and consumers, none of the discussions includes the prevailing issue of racial and ethnic disparities in the system. The Deadliest Disease in America explores these issues as it follows the real-life stories of four individuals - each of whom has experienced racism in their medical care - and three health care organizations where change is becoming real. Part of the Harlem Stage on Screen series. Presented by Harlem Stage and co-presented by Black Documentary Collective.Wednesday, June 9
THE BLACK AND THE GREEN by St. Clair Bourne, filmmaker and founder of Black Documentary Collective
7:30 pm at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Avenue (at West. 135th St.)
Tickets: $10 at HarlemStage.org
Black Documentary Collective (BDC) and Harlem Stage celebrate BDC's 10th Anniversary by screening one of its late founder's most rarely seen films. The Black and the Green (1983) draws parallels between the civil rights movement and the Northern Ireland "troubles" fomented by Irish Catholics who were influenced by the civil rights movement. In discussing the movie, Bourne once told The Washington Post it "ends up seeming pro-Irish Republican Army in the same sense that a film about Selma in the '60s might have ended up seeming pro-black." Bourne's sister Judith is a special guest at the screening, which is followed by a reception.
ABOUT HARLEM STAGE
Harlem Stage is one of the country's top presenters, producers, and supporters of works by artists of color. Its work celebrates and perpetuates the unique and diverse artistic legacy of Harlem and the indelible impression it has made on American culture. The organization provides opportunity, commissions, and other support for artists, it makes performances accessible to all audiences, and it introduces children to the rich diversity, excitement and inspiration of the performing arts. Many legendary artists have appeared at Harlem Stage (Harry Belafonte, Max Roach, Bill Cosby, Maya Angelou, Tito Puente, Bill T. Jones) and many historic cultural moments happened here including a Town Hall meeting with Ted Koppel and ABC's "Nightline" featuring the newly released Nelson Mandela, actor Danny Glover's presentation of his celebrated Romeo and Juliet, the Harlem Renaissance Awards honoring Harry Belafonte, Nancy Wilson and Maya Angelou, and more. On October 2006, Harlem Stage opened The Gatehouse, a brilliantly re-imagined showcase for film, music, theater, and dance that marked a new era in the history of the institution. To celebrate the milestone, the organization launched three new cultural programs: WaterWorks (a commissioning program), Harlem Stride (honoring the musical legacy of Harlem) and Harlem Stage Partners (a collaborative program designed to bring new energy and creativity through cultural partnerships).
SUPPORTERS AND PARTNERS
Harlem Stage gratefully acknowledges the support of the following sponsors: Harlem Stage on Screen series receives major support from HBO. The Harlem Stage Partners program receives leadership support from Deutsche Bank and public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts. The Inside/Out program receives leadership support from the Ford Foundation. Time Warner is the Lead Sponsor of WaterWorks, which also has received major support from The Nathan Cummings Foundation. The Harlem Stage Family Series receives major support from the MetLife Foundation. Bloomberg is the lead sponsor of the E-Moves Dance Series. JPMorgan Chase is the Lead Sponsor for Harlem Stage Education Program, which also receives support from Consolidated Edison, the Jean and Louis Dreyfus Foundation, and The New York Times Company Foundation.Season partners include the Black Documentary Collective, CareFusion New York Jazz Festival, The Center for Jazz Studies at Columbia, the Columbia/Harlem Jazz Project, Revive Music Group, and The Weill Music Institute of Carnegie Hall.
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