Usdan to Welcome Nikki M. James, Natalie Joy Johnson & More During 47th Season

Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts, the renowned Long Island summer arts day camp now beginning its 47th season on June 30, will feature award-winning professional artists of music, dance and theater on its unique "Festival Concerts" series. The daily performances give its 1600 students ages 6-18 major exposure to the best of the arts.

These private performances are special educational experiences running through the first weeks of the season. After that, student classes take over, and every day features a different music, dance or theatre student ensemble in Usdan's 1,000-seat McKinley Ampitheater.

In addition, a new program for Senior theater majors is Acting the Musical Moment, a program designed to focus on the intersection of acting and singing. The new workshops have been designed by Jim Incorvaia, Chairman of Usdan's Theater Department and Justin Greer, the acclaimed actor, singer and dancer who was a member of the original Broadway casts of Shrek the Musical, Seussical, and Urban Cowboy (also Dance Captain). He also appeared on Broadway in Annie, The Producers, Annie Get Your Gun, and Anything Goes.

The 2014 series opens June 30 with jazz composer/pianist Ted Rosenthal, a Thelonius Monk Competition-winner who has performed with Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer and other jazz legends, and who has been called "A new jazz leader" by the New York Times. The succeeding days will feature the Limon Dance Company (July 1), renowned by critics for their "Indescribable magic" and "Extraordinary theatricality"; So Percussion (July 2), a quartet the Village Voice called "An experimental powerhouse"; Ghenghis Barbie (July 3), the edgy all-female horn ensemble noted for its "Aplomb and vitality" by the New York Times; The Chameleons mime theater, which has appeared throughout the world and garnered many awards for educational excellence (July 7); Metropolitan Opera soprano Monica Yunus (July 8); the Sybarite 5, an "indie" string ensemble that "Excels at the exquisite" - Washington Post (July 9); pieces by the winners of the Young Choreographers Competition (created by Usdan Dance Chair Maurice Brandon Curry, Broadway choreographer and former Director of the Joffrey Ballet School) on July 10; "Voices of Broadway," a musical revue featuring members of current Broadway casts: Nikki M. James, of the new Les Miserables, and a Tony Award-winner as Best Featured Actress for The Book Of Mormon; Brian Gonzales of Aladdin; Benjamin Howes of Scandalous; and Natalie Joy Johnson of Kinky Boots. The Musical Director is Nate Buccieri. The series continues on July 15 with pianist/violinist Melvin Chen ("A pianist whose playing is powerful and driven" - New York Times); Grammy-nominated Jane Monheit (a Usdan alumna) on July 16; "The Puppet Kitchen," the trio of artists who have won Emmy Awards and other honors creating and presenting a variety of stringed creatures returns, on July 17; and on July 21, pianist Sara Davis Buechner, ("Not to be missed" - terry Teachout, New York Daily News).

Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts (www.usdan.com), counts among its alumni actors Natalie Portman, Olivia Thirlby and Jackie Hoffman, and singers Jane Monheit and Mariah Carey. It has introduced the arts to more than 60,000 Tri-State Area children since its founding in 1968. The Center is open to all young people from age 6 to 18. No audition is needed for most programs - rather, admission is based on an expression of interest in the arts. Each summer, 1,600 students are transported to the Center in air-conditioned buses each day. One-third of Usdan's students attend on scholarship. Although the mission of the Center is for every child to establish a relationship with the arts, the unique stimulation of the Center has caused many to go on to arts careers. Alumni include members of Broadway shows and major music, theater, and dance ensembles such as the Boston Pops and the New York City Ballet. In addition to its regular programs, Usdan offers special opportunities for advanced high school- age performing artists in music and dance. Usdan Center is an agency of the UJA-Federation of New York. For more information, write to info@usdan.com. Call (631) 643-7900, or visit www.usdan.com.

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