Feature: THE NEWLY RENOVATED HIGHMARK MANN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

 Imagine, if you will, a peaceful,sweet summer evening. A light breeze ruffles your hair as you find your seat under the roof of the open-air concert hall, or maybe you are enjoying a picnic dinner on the picturesque grounds.  As your fellow concert-goers and you settle into your seats, the full professional orchestra in front of you on the stage strikes up a lively tune, one you find impossible to ignore. Amidst bird song, the concert proceeds.

Where are you? Saratoga? Ravinia? Tanglewood? No! You are within sight of the city center of Philadelphia, on a bucolic 121 acre patch of land in historic Fairmount Park. 

This is the newly renovated Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts, formerly known as Robin Hood Dell. Members of the press were given a tour of the new,impressive facility, which is located just steps from the original grounds of the 1876 Centennial Exposition. Back in the day, Fairmount Park played host to this mini-World’s Fair to showcase the progress of America since its inception in 1776.

 The Highmark Mann Center ("The Mann")  has been made more state-of-the-art in every way. A new entrance leads onto a sparkling clean plaza, near which there are  a variety of food and drink concessions as well as a new gift shop full of books and other souvenirs. The East Wall of the TD Pavilion (The wall-less roof over the seats)  constantly displays a huge LED  showcase of visual, digital artwork and a short video giving a capsule history of The Mann and the significance of the site in Fairmount Park. There is also a fine dining option, Crescendo, for those who want a more refined setting for dinner. 

Backstage in any theater can be confusing for performers and visitors alike, and in its previous incarnation The Mann was no exception. Now, however, it is far less so. Having removed unnecessary walls and doors to create a better "traffic" flow, the artist-centered environment allows performers to concentrate on their performances, not on finding the stage entrance. Cutting edge technology will enable the outstanding sound and visual systems to add even more value to the shows.  

The best way to see and hear the "new" Mann Center is of course to be there in person. The acoustics are astonishingly good for an outdoor venue. There is clarity of tone and nuance in the orchestra, as was noted during the concert heard on June 17th. 

The Philadelphia Orchestra under the direction of Anthony Parnther, gave a concert to demonstrate the capbilities of the revamped theater and more. John Williams' Liberty  Fanfare, first composed for the celebrations marking the centennial of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor.Typical of Williams' compositions there is a heavy emphasis of brass and percussion, both of which make for an exciting start to the concert.

Julia Wolfe's clangorous style, derived from her experiences with her seminal group Bang on a Can, gives free reign to her creativity vis a vis the life of the Liberty Bell. Different metal tones depending on the circumstances the orchestra finds itself in.  The piece is a story without words.  John Philip Sousa's most famous march, without which no patriotic occasion is complete, Stars and Stripes Forever  was the penultimate piece on the program. It quite nearly blew the roof away!  

To quote the excellent program notes of Nancy Plum: the final work on this program, A Hundred Years On by Peter Boyer combines elements of oratorio and musical theater....all transport the audience to a fairground. Five fictional story lines converge to tell stories that somehow find a connecting thread within the !876 Centennial Exposition. It was riveting and stirringly performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra, a chorus, and five brilliant soloists.  Lyricist Mark Campbell and composer Boyer recognize the timeliness of their collaborative work. Said Boyer, "I believe that music can be a vessel for optimism, particularly in times of strife, and it is in that spirit that the score was composed." It certainly was thrillilng to be part of the audience.

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