Concerts at Tudor City Greens Season Finale Set for 10/5

"The Concerts at Tudor City Greens" wraps up its fourth season of free outdoor concerts on Wednesday October 5, at 6:30pm. (Rain date: Thursday October 6 at 6:30pm.) "Trust the Wind," features a mix of prominent performers from Broadway and cabaret, including the singers Eric Michael Gillett, Tanya Moberly, Cookie Stark, and Kenneth Gartman, and the stars of the popular Scott Siegel series "Eleven O'Clock Numbers" -- Carole J. Bufford, Christina Bianco, and Scott Coulter. Making a special guest appearance is the quadruple-platinum songwriter David Friedman, from NBC's "Today Show." Also featured are the highly regarded bassist Tom Hubbard, and series regular Terese Genecco on percussion. The concert's music directors are Jeff Cubeta and Kenneth Gartman.

Hosted and produced by Broadway and cabaret veteran Raissa Katona Bennett, the summer series played monthly concerts in May, June, and August. The September concert, "Back to Cool," was cancelled due to inclement weather. "The Concerts at Tudor City Greens," whose mission is to build new audiences for live music while encouraging public and private stewardship of New York's green spaces, is currently hosting a songwriting contest of songs celebrating the roles parks and green spaces play in the lives of New Yorkers. Original songs of any musical style are being accepted through December 31, 2011.

Serving as judges for the contest are Neil Sedaka, Amanda McBroom, Ann Hampton Callaway, David Friedman, Michael John LaChiusa, and MTV executive Matthew Parillo. For contest information visit www.raissakatonabennett.com.

"Trust the Wind: the Beauty of Music in Nature" takes place on Wednesday October 5 at 6:30pm, at the South Park of Tudor City Greens Park (enter at Tudor City Place, between 41st & 42nd Streets, and 1st & 2nd Avenues). Throughout the series' fifth season, which is scheduled to kick off in May 2012, eight semifinalist songs from the Songwriting Contest will be performed. A winter concert at Feinstein's at the Loews Regency (TBA) will showcase the contest's top three songs. Bennett (Broadway in "Phantom of the Opera" national tours of "Cats" and "Parade") won the 2010 Bistro and 2011 MAC Award for hosting "The Concerts at Tudor City Greens."

Tudor City Greens is one of a small number of privately maintained public spaces in New York. Nestled in the heart of Tudor City, which was built in the late 1920's, this green oasis in the heart of Midtown was threatened by Harry Helmsley in the 1970's who planned to build high-rises on the twin parks. A successful grass roots campaign to rescue the parks was mounted by Tudor City residents. Today, the Tudor City Association and the non-profit tenants group, Tudor City Greens, www.tudorcitygreens.org continues the tradition of park preservation.

For more information visit: www.raissakatonabennett.com.

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