Kimmel Center Announces Local Casting For World Premiere Of Cristal Palace And Philadelphia Premiere Of SEA (Singular Extreme Actions)

The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is honored to announce that Philadelphia artists, including Center City Jazz Festival Creative Director Ernest Stuart, will join the traveling troupes from Transe Express and STREB during the 2018 Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA). Various local dancers and actors will join Ernest Stuart during the World Premiere of Transe Express's Cristal Palace, direct from France, on the banks of the Schuylkill River June 1-10, 2018. West Philadelphia native DJ Matthew Law will add his party rocking musical stylings to the Philadelphia Premiere of STREB's SEA (Singular Extreme Actions) June 5-7, 2018 in the Perelman Theater.

"I am so thrilled that our own region's dancers, actors, and performers will get the opportunity of a lifetime to collaborate with these international superstars for PIFA 2018," said Anne Ewers, President and CEO of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. "Our city is bursting with diverse talent and it will be wonderful to watch as they join brilliant international companies to defy gravity and provide local audiences with unforgettable experiences."

West Philadelphia's DJ Matthew Law will incorporate his eclectic and unique musical knowledge with STREB's MC Zaire Baptiste for the three performances of SEA (Singular Extreme Actions). DJ Matthew Law has been entertaining audiences around the world since 2009. He has opened on tour for artists such as Kendrick Lamar, De La Soul, and J Cole, and is the DJ for the annual Roots Picnic in Philadelphia. He has also toured extensively with Black Thought of The Roots, Grammy nominee Jazmine Sullivan, and legendary comedian Dave Chappelle.

Ernest Stuart, the current creative director for the Center City Jazz Festival and Temple University alum, continues to perform various styles of music on his trombone while sharing his sound all over the Philadelphia and New York music scenes. Having shared the stage with artists such as The Roots, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia's Terell Stafford, and many more, Stuart will join Transe Express as a featured musician on the trombone, playing homage to T.S.O.P. (The Sound of Philadelphia) during all performances of Cristal Palace.

Rounding out the Philadelphia cast of Transe Express's World Premiere of Cristal Palace are Belle Alvarez, Lydia Azondekon, Benjamin Behrend, Lorenza Bernasconi, Amber Janelle Brown, Kristin Devine, Ricky Dieter III, Jessica Gruver, Gregory Holmes, Shizu Homma, Enya-kalia Jordan, Joshua Kachnyez, Shamus Hunter McCarty, Rachel O'Hanlon-Rodriguez, Gregory Martin Pease, Natalie Pendergast, Ebony Pullman, and Stephanie Stevens.

Tickets are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online at www.kimmelcenter.org/pifa, or at the Kimmel Center Box Office. Group sales are available for groups of 10 or more and can be purchased by calling 215-790-5883. See www.kimmelcenter.org/pifa for more information.

Located in the heart of Center City, Philadelphia, the Kimmel Center's mission is to operate a world-class performing arts center that engages and serves a broad audience through diverse programming, arts education, and community outreach. The Kimmel Center Campus is comprised of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts (Verizon Hall, Perelman Theater, SEI Innovation Studio, and the Merck Arts Education Center), the Academy of Music (owned by the Philadelphia Orchestra Association), and the Merriam Theater. The Kimmel Center is also home to eight Resident Companies: The Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, The Pennsylvania Ballet, The Philly POPS, PHILADANCO, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and Curtis Institute of Music. With nearly 9,000 seats per night, The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is the region's most impactful performing arts center, and the second largest in the country. TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is the season sponsor of the Kimmel Center's 2017-2018 Season. American Airlines is the official airline of Broadway Philadelphia. For additional information, visit www.kimmelcenter.org.

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