High School Musical is Part of Upper West Fest

Symphony Space will present the second annual Upper West Fest, celebrating the diverse cultural and artistic richness of Manhattan's Upper West Side, from Saturday, April 28 through Sunday, May 20, 2007 with 20 Upper West Side cultural organizations participating, featuring more than 50 dance, music, art, film, theater, family programs and special events for adults and children of all ages, including many other free offerings and on-going exhibits.  

Highlights of the Festival include Symphony Space's free Wall to Wall Opera, an all-day marathon exploring the world of opera over the past 400 years, on May 19; as well as a performance of High School Musical at the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan on April 29; the Fourth Annual Mamapaloooza Outdoor Extravaganza in Riverside Park South on May 20; the American Museum of Natural History's Bees & Honey exhibit on May 8; and the first annual Yiddish Film Festival, presented be the Folksbienne National Yiddish Theater, April 28 – 30.

Additional participants include:  American Repertory Ballet, Ballet Hispanico, Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Barnard College Department of Dance, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Children's Museum of Manhattan, Columbia University, Hayden Planetarium, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Merkin Concert Hall, New-York Historical Society, Opus 21, Uptown Express, and Summer on the Hudson at Riverside Park South.

Symphony Space's Executive Director, Cynthia Elliott, states, "The Upper West Side has been home to many of our country's most acclaimed artists and intellectuals for several generations, and these lovers of great theater, art, music and learning created many of the Upper West Side's great cultural institutions. The Festival allows these institutions -- from Jazz at Lincoln Center to Barnard College -- to open their doors and welcome everyone to the Upper West Side." 

Other highlights of the Festival will include Symphony Space's Dance Sampler:From Tap to Toe!, a four-hour marathon showcasing the vibrant spectrum of NYC's contemporary movement, from tap to modern dance, ranging from emerging to established dance companies, on Saturday, April 28, and an all-day Children's Wellness Fair, at The Children's Museum of Manhattan, on Sunday, April 29.

The Upper West Fest is sponsored by Zabar's and zabars.com, the landmark Upper West Side gourmet food emporium at Broadway and 80th Street.  In addition, the Festival partners include political, educational, religious and community groups and businesses. The media sponsors are the Manhattan Media Group, including The West Side Spirit newspaper and The New York Times: Times Talks.

Visit www.symphonyspace.org for more information.