Free Summerstage In Harlem Schedule 2014

City Parks Foundation proudly presents the 2014 season of SummerStage, Harlem’s largest free performing arts festival, bringing free performances to parks. SummerStage provides theater, music, circus, and dance shows that brings communities together to celebrate summer and the performing arts. Top performers from around the world are showcased at SummerStage, presenting the best of what is happening globally as well as in the heart of the city. The city-wide festival runs from June 3rd until August 24th.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014
The Metropolitan Opera Summer Recital Series
Mary-Jane Lee (soprano), Ginger Costa-Jackson (mezzo-soprano), and Yunpeng Wang (baritone), accompanied by pianist Dan Saunders
Jackie Robinson Park, MN
7:00 PM – 8:00PM
Website: metopera.org/summer
An enchanting evening of favorite opera arias and duets featuring rising Metropolitan Opera stars.

Mary-Jane Lee (soprano) is in her first year of the Met’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. Most recently, she was featured as Parasha in Mavra, as part of a co-production of the Met and the Juilliard School, conducted by James Levine. She has received awards from the Met’s National Council Auditions, the Licia Albanese–Puccini Foundation Vocal Competition, the Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition, and the Dallas Opera Guild Competition.

Ginger Costa-Jackson (mezzo-soprano) is a graduate of the Met’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and a Samling Scholar. She made her Met debut in the Opening Night Gala of the 2008–09 season and has since appeared in the Met premiere of Nixon in China, new productions of Thaïs and Manon, and in Cavalleria Rusticana, Lulu, La Fanciulla del West, Carmen, and Francesca da Rimini. Next season, she will appear in Xavier Montsalvatge’s El Gato con Botas with Gotham Chamber Opera in New York and return to the Met as Lola in a new production of Cavalleria Rusticana.

Yunpeng Wang (baritone) is in his first year of the Met’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. This past season, he was featured as Fieramosca in Benvenuto Cellini as part of a co-production of the Met and the Juilliard School, conducted by James Levine. He was a first prize–winner in the Alan M. and Joan Taub Ades Vocal Competition at the Manhattan School of Music in 2013 and recently won the Second Place Prize, the Zarzuela Prize, and the Audience Award at Plácido Domingo’s Operalia World Opera Competition.

Dan Saunders is increasingly well known to audiences around the world as an accomplished conductor and pianist. An assistant conductor to James Levine and Seiji Ozawa and a recitalist with many of the world’s finest soloists, he served as the associate conductor of the Virginia Opera from 2000 until 2006 and is currently an assistant conductor with the Met. This past season, he served on the music staff for Met productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Der Rosenkavalier, Die Fledermaus, and Arabella.

Tuesday, July 29 – Saturday, August 2nd; Tuesday, August 5th – Saturday, August 9th
Urban Theatre Movement’s Handball
By Seth Zvi Rosenfeld Directed by Brenda Banda
Marcus Garvey Park, MN
8:00 PM
Website: http://urbantheatremovement.com/
Urban Theatre Movement’s Handball, written by Seth Zvi Rosenfeld and directed by Brenda Banda delivers an explosive take on gentrification in New York City. The play tracks a park filled with characters as unique and diverse as the city itself. Tempers flare as new transplants work to make their mark while old residents struggle to maintain their way of life. Over the course of two hot, summer days we watch a once lively, buoyant park become extremely tense as each character struggles to find their way and survive while witnessing their neighborhood falling apart. Stories become intertwined, power is shifted and change reveals itself to be inevitable. Handball tells the story of modern-day urban America and the people struggling to find their way in it.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Joe in association with WBLS
Marcus Garvey Park, MN
7:00 PM – 9:00PM
Having put out more than 10 albums in 20 years, JOE has become one of R&B’s most accomplished and popular singers with seven Grammy nods along the span of his career. Singles such as “All The Things (Your Man Won’t Do),” “All That I Am,” “No One Comes Close” and “I Wanna Know” established Joe as a bona fide hit-maker who has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide. Moreover, his work with Mariah Carey (“Thank God I Found You”), Big Pun (“Still Not A Player”) and G-Unit (“Wanna Get To Know You”), shows that Joe is a much sought-after collaborator with some of music’s biggest and best artists. Joe’s most recent offering, Double Back: Evolution of R&B, debuted as the #1 R&B album in the country on Billboard’s “R&B Albums”  “Top 200” charts this past summer. With that success, Double Back has produced a top five single with its first release “I’d Rather Have A Love”. With a new label deal in place PLAID TAKEOVER/BMG CHRYSALIS and new management, with veteran music executive Gerald “Plaid” Isaac, JOE is already gearing up for a successful 2014. The top-selling R&B singer is currently in the studio putting together magnificent songs in preparation for his new commercial album 2014, summer release entitled “BRIDGES”. The lead single & video, “Love & Sex Pt. 2,” features the incredible and equally beautiful Kelly Rowland of X-FACTOR/Destiny’s Child fame and is currently impacting radio and TV heavily. In support of his new release(s) JOE will be touring the US, Europe, Asia and abroad.

Wednesday, August 13
Bobby Sanabria / Screening: Chico and Rita
in association with ImageNation Cinema Foundation
Marcus Garvey Park, MN
7:00 PM – 9:30PM
Website: www.bobbysanabria.com
Bobby Sanabria – drummer, percussionist, composer, arranger, recording artist, producer, filmmaker, conductor, educator, activist, multi-cultural warrior and multiple Grammy nominee – has performed with a veritable Who’s Who in the world of jazz and Latin music, as well as with his own critically acclaimed ensembles. His diverse recording and performing experience includes work with such legendary figures as Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Paquito D’Rivera, Charles McPherson, Mongo Santamaría, Ray Barretto, Marco Rizo, Arturo Sandoval, Roswell Rudd, Chico O’Farrill, Candido, Yomo Toro, Francisco Aguabella, Larry Harlow, Henry Threadgill, and the Godfather of Afro-Cuban Jazz, Mario Bauzá.

Website: www.imagenation.us
Chico & Rita is a stunning, Oscar-nominated animated feature for adults. Chico is a young piano player with big dreams, while Rita is a beautiful singer with an extraordinary voice. Music and romantic desire unites them, but their journey — in the tradition of the Latin ballad, the bolero — brings heartache and torment, as they battle impossible odds to unite in music and love. Along the way they meet Chano Pozo, Dizzy Gillespie and travel to three continents in pursuit of their passions. Directed by Tono Errando, Javier Mariscal, Fernando Trueba.

Thursday, August 14, 2014
Byron Cage in association with WLIB
Marcus Garvey Park, MN
7:00 PM – 9:00PM
“If people really want to know me, then listen to my music – my words especially,” says Byron Cage, one of the biggest names in urban praise and worship music. “If you want to know what my beliefs are, I always put that in my music.” The man who became known for his Top Ten worship anthems like “The Presence of the Lord” and “I Will Bless the Lord” is pouring his heart out in his new and ninth CD, “Memoirs of a Worshiper.” Cage’s evolved perspective on the power of praise dates back to his youth. Born in Grand Rapids, MI – the second of three children – he was friendly with the DeBarge R&B singing family and his uncle Bishop James Abney taught him choir conducting at an early age. After a path that has had its share of twists and turns, Cage feels he’s where God meant for him to be.

Friday, August 15, 2014
SummerStage and The Firehouse Present: The Harlem Dance Caravan: Erasing the Boundaries
Marcus Garvey Park, MN
7:00 PM – All Levels Open Dance Master Class by: Theresa Lavington
8:00 PM – Performances
Acclaimed Harlem performing arts institution, The Faison Firehouse has joined with SummerStage to present Harlem Dance Caravan, a thrilling celebrating our diversity through music and dance.

Website: http://faisonfirehouse.org/
George Faison, award winning, internationally celebrated producer, writer, essayist, composer, director, choreographer and dancer, made history in 1975 when he became the first African American to win in a Tony Award for best choreography for The Wiz. Flash forward to 2000, when Mr. Faison established along with co-founder Tad Schnugg , the Faison Firehouse Theater in a former New York City Firehouse in Central Harlem, a technologically advance theater where he is developing digital applications for the performing arts as well as original theater pieces. The 130 seat theater, branded “Hollywood of Harlem” by the media, is a full service performing arts and cultural center with fine arts galleries, rehearsal facilities and a cabaret theater. Join him again this year as he presents the immensely popular annual Harlem Dance Caravan at the Richard Rogers Amphitheater.

Audiences will be enthralled by companies such as Baoku & the Image Afro-Beat Band, who presents African drumming and dancing that fuses jazz and rock with traditional elements; Jamel Gaines’ Creative Outlet, famed for its merging of classical and modern techniques and shows that incorporate theatrics like spoken word and video; Lotus Music and Dance, the only company and educational institute in NYC that makes accessible the music and dance traditions of all world cultures; and the multicultural Cecilia Marta Dance Company, who aims to build bridges between communities through dance.

Baoku & The Image Afrobeat Band is a world class Afrobeat music powerhouse. Based out of Cincinnati, Ohio, this band performs all original music by their Nigerian front man, Baoku Moses. Baoku is a professionally-trained African drummer, dancer, and talented songwriter. He began the band in 2005. In following the legacy and footsteps of the late Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, Baoku’s music blends a solid rock and jazz fusion with African instruments and languages to express world peace and unity. Baoku released his first solo album, Okodoro Oro: The Realistic Reality, in 2004 and will release the band’s first album together in the summer of 2014. Comprised of musicians from different musical and cultural backgrounds, Baoku & The Image Afrobeat Band provides more than just another musical performance; it is a complete high-energy, cultural experience.

Website: http://www.creativeoutlet.org/
Jamel Gaines’ Creative Outlet (CO) is a professional dance company that merges rigorous classical and modern technique with African-American soul and spirit. Under the artistic direction of Jamel Gaines, the company has been hailed by reviewers in the United States and Europe for its “richness of dance tone” and “contagious vitality.” The company is comprised of unique performing artists whose talents include theatre, spoken word, multi-media/ visual arts, and instillation. Based in New York City, CO has been featured at the Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), The Apollo Theatre, SummerStage in Central Park, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Martha Graham School, McCallum Theatre, Rialto Theatre, Paramount Theatre, and NewYork Theatre Workshop. Internationally, CO has toured in Rome, Italy; London, England; Acapulco, Mexico; Madrid, Spain; Kingston, Jamaica; Cologne, Germany; and
Toronto, Canada. Our artists have been featured on Broadway stages such as: Fela!, The Lion King, Chicago, Fosse, and Memphis. Additionally, Gaines has collaborated with Notable artists such as: Michael Jackson, Madonna, Beyonce, Rihanna, Whitney Houston, Jennifer Holiday, Max Roach, Savion Glover, Ornette Coleman, and Chris Brown. Jamel Gaines’ vision is to bring art to the masses that touches the human spirit.

Website: http://www.ceciliamartadance.org/cmdc/Home.html
Cecilia Marta Dance Company is committed to creating dance and artistic collaborations that inspire diversity of movement and unity; fuse the multicultural richness of sight, sound, and feeling in its vision of “World Jazz”; and build bridges between communities. After traveling the globe, Cecilia returned to NY with a vision to bring together a diverse and extraordinary group of dancers that would create CMDC. The objective: to speak through the language of dance, about the ritualistic rhythms and magical experiences she encountered throughout her life, and as a child growing up in Panama. CMDC is a multicultural dance company, committed to celebrating diversity and unity by creating works that inspire collaborations with other artists and art forms. Possessing a distinct breath, CMDC’s repertoire incorporates elements that are reflective of Ms. Marta’s life and heritage, as well as her intimate acquaintance with many forms and styles of dance.

Theresa Lavington, is a fitness and dance professional with over 15 years of experience. She holds an Associates of Arts Degree in Dance and is certified by AFAA (Aerobics and Fitness Association of America). Theresa, has taught a variety of group exercise classes for Bally Total Fitness, Crunch, New York Sports Club, Equinox, New York Health & Racquet and other elite gyms in the New York City area. As part of the New York Sports Club, Bally’s and Crunch PR team, Theresa Lavington has also appeared and participated in demos for upcoming fitness and dance classes on Telemundo, WB11 News, CBS Morning News, and Fox 5 Good Day New York. Additionally, Theresa has performed and choreographed for singing artists, health and fitness venues, and many other events. Join Theresa for a fun, energetic, and easy to follow dance workout fused with hip-hop, funk, and the latest dance moves.

Saturday, August 16, 2014
SummerStage and The Firehouse Present: The Harlem Dance Caravan: Erasing the Boundaries
Marcus Garvey Park, MN
7:00 PM – All Levels Open Dance Master Class by: Calvin Wiley
8:00 PM – Performances
Acclaimed Harlem performing arts institution, The Faison Firehouse has joined with SummerStage to present Harlem Dance Caravan, a thrilling celebrating our diversity through music and dance.

Website: http://faisonfirehouse.org/
George Faison, award winning, internationally celebrated producer, writer, essayist, composer, director, choreographer and dancer, made history in 1975 when he became the first African American to win in a Tony Award for best choreography for The Wiz. Flash forward to 2000, when Mr. Faison established along with co-founder Tad Schnugg , the Faison Firehouse Theater in a former New York City Firehouse in Central Harlem, a technologically advance theater where he is developing digital applications for the performing arts as well as original theater pieces. The 130 seat theater, branded “Hollywood of Harlem” by the media, is a full service performing arts and cultural center with fine arts galleries, rehearsal facilities and a cabaret theater. Join him again this year as he presents the immensely popular annual Harlem Dance Caravan at the Richard Rogers Amphitheater.

Audiences will be enthralled by companies such as Baoku & the Image Afro-Beat Band, who presents African drumming and dancing that fuses jazz and rock with traditional elements; Jamel Gaines’ Creative Outlet, famed for its merging of classical and modern techniques and shows that incorporate theatrics like spoken word and video; Lotus Music and Dance, the only company and educational institute in NYC that makes accessible the music and dance traditions of all world cultures; and the multicultural Cecilia Marta Dance Company, who aims to build bridges between communities through dance.

Baoku & The Image Afrobeat Band is a world class Afrobeat music powerhouse. Based out of Cincinnati, Ohio, this band performs all original music by their Nigerian front man, Baoku Moses. Baoku is a professionally-trained African drummer, dancer, and talented songwriter. He began the band in 2005. In following the legacy and footsteps of the late Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, Baoku’s music blends a solid rock and jazz fusion with African instruments and languages to express world peace and unity. Baoku released his first solo album, Okodoro Oro: The Realistic Reality, in 2004 and will release the band’s first album together in the summer of 2014. Comprised of musicians from different musical and cultural backgrounds, Baoku & The Image Afrobeat Band provides more than just another musical performance; it is a complete high-energy, cultural experience.

Website: http://www.creativeoutlet.org/
Jamel Gaines’ Creative Outlet (CO) is a professional dance company that merges rigorous classical and modern technique with African-American soul and spirit. Under the artistic direction of Jamel Gaines, the company has been hailed by reviewers in the United States and Europe for its “richness of dance tone” and “contagious vitality.” The company is comprised of unique performing artists whose talents include theatre, spoken word, multi-media/ visual arts, and instillation. Based in New York City, CO has been featured at the Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), The Apollo Theatre, SummerStage in Central Park, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Martha Graham School, McCallum Theatre, Rialto Theatre, Paramount Theatre, and NewYork Theatre Workshop. Internationally, CO has toured in Rome, Italy; London, England; Acapulco, Mexico; Madrid, Spain; Kingston, Jamaica; Cologne, Germany; and
Toronto, Canada. Our artists have been featured on Broadway stages such as: Fela!, The Lion King, Chicago, Fosse, and Memphis. Additionally, Gaines has collaborated with Notable artists such as: Michael Jackson, Madonna, Beyonce, Rihanna, Whitney Houston, Jennifer Holiday, Max Roach, Savion Glover, Ornette Coleman, and Chris Brown. Jamel Gaines’ vision is to bring art to the masses that touches the human spirit.

Website: http://www.ceciliamartadance.org/cmdc/Home.html
Cecilia Marta Dance Company is committed to creating dance and artistic collaborations that inspire diversity of movement and unity; fuse the multicultural richness of sight, sound, and feeling in its vision of “World Jazz”; and build bridges between communities. After traveling the globe, Cecilia returned to NY with a vision to bring together a diverse and extraordinary group of dancers that would create CMDC. The objective: to speak through the language of dance, about the ritualistic rhythms and magical experiences she encountered throughout her life, and as a child growing up in Panama. CMDC is a multicultural dance company, committed to celebrating diversity and unity by creating works that inspire collaborations with other artists and art forms. Possessing a distinct breath, CMDC’s repertoire incorporates elements that are reflective of Ms. Marta’s life and heritage, as well as her intimate acquaintance with many forms and styles of dance.

Sunday, August 17, 2014
Harlem Family Day: Shine and the Moonbeams / Moona Luna / Kojo Odu Roney & Friends / B-Love’s Hip Hop Jazzy Groove / DJ-KS 360
Marcus Garvey Park, MN
4:00 PM – 7:00PM
SummerStage Kids presented by Disney presents Harlem Family Day, a day filled with the best in family music and dance. Presenting multiple musical genres including: Soul, Latin music celebrating Fania , Jazz performed by ten year old musical prodigy, Kojo Odu Roney and Hip-Hop inspired dance, audiences will sing and dance all afternoon!

Families will also have the opportunity to participate in interactive music & dance workshops + face painting and more!

Families can now stay late for more fun featuring an evening concert and film! For more information on these programs visit: www.SummerStage.org.

Shine and The Moonbeams is family music’s first Soul band. They bring a fresh soulful perspective to the world that belongs to families all across the planet. Take two outstanding NYC musicians with eclectic musical tastes and influences, combine their unique perspectives, add a backing band, and witness the result: a soulful, groove-heavy R&B musical extravaganza in a Rock and Roll package, capturing the sweetness, uncertainty, and simplicity of youth.

MOONA LUNA is the kindie group that the New York Daily News says is providing “the missing soundtrack for bilingual/bicultural kids.” After making a splash on the family music scene with their accordion-driven, Latin-inspired debut album, Piñata Party (2011), Moona Luna delivered something fresh in its sophomore album, Vamos, Let’s Go! (2013). Songwriter and bandleader, Sandra Velasquez, found inspiration in American pop hits of the 50’s and 60’s, and staying true to her bilingual mission, crafted Spanish and English lyrics for each song. Having bilingual lyrics is just the icing on the cake because the tunes are so finger – snapping good and cater to extremely wide audiences.

Website: http://www.kojoroney.com/
Ten year old Kojo Odu Roney loved the drums even as a baby. His father is jazz saxophonist Antoine Roney; his mother Nia Love, an established choreographer and dancer; and his uncle trumpeter Wallace Roney; Kojo sat down to his first drum set at the age of two and has never looked back. At such a young age Kojo understood how to play the drum set in jazz setting. By 4 years old, he was able to play with jazz ensembles confidently. Practicing daily helped Kojo match his understanding of rhythm and applying it to the drum set. By the age of 8 years old, he went on his first tour in Europe, which is the start of his professional music encounters. His travels included France, Italy, Switzerland and Greece. He also visited other countries including Serbia, Germany, Austria and Poland. Kojo shares the stage and performs with many professional musicians including Buster Williams, Darrell Green, Billy Spaceman Paterson, Rashaan Carter, Brandee Younger, Saadi Zain, Emanuel Ruffler and of course his father, mother and uncle. Some great highlights of Kojo’s many experiences is having the chance to sit in with The Incredible Lenny White, The Great Al Foster and legendary Jazz drummer, Roy Haynes, while great jazz drummers Louis Hayes and Grady Tate were in the audience and also having the chance to becoming friends with The Great Jimmy Cobb. Kojo currently performs with his dad and uncle.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/starchildenterprise1
As Founder and creative director of Starchild Enterprise, Oakland, California native Traci “B-Love” Bartlow is a woman of many talents. A phenomenal dancer, teacher, and choreographer Ms. Bartlow has worked with Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival, California Shakespeare Theater, Lorraine Hansberry Theater, Herrang Dance Camp in Sweden, as well as teaching a host of youth programs in the Bay Area. Ms. Bartlow has been a guest faculty lecturing in Hip Hop dance for UC Davis as well as UC Berkeley, and was the assistant director for the Sisyphus Syndrome; a Jazz Opera by the late Amiri Baraka. In 2011 Ms. Bartlow was named a “Frankie Manning Ambassador of Lindy Hop”. In 2013 the Eastbay Community Foundation commissioned Ms. Bartlow in the development of a new work that celebrates the birth of urban dance. This piece explores the retention of authentic jazz dance styles from the Harlem Renaissance in today Hip Hop movement. “My mission as a choreographer is to document and preserve black dance and culture while forging new ground to create a unique expression”.

Kwikstep , known as DJ-KS 360 on the turntables is an internationally known hip hop dancer/ choreographer/ poet/ actor and hand percussionist. In 1996 Kwikstep and his wife B-girl Rokafella established Full Circle as an internationally acclaimed non- profit hip-hop collective known as Full Circle Productions INC, it’s members are known as Full Circle Souljahs. Now DJ-KS 360 offers his smooth versatility with 360 degrees of the cultural urban and artistic New York experience that has influenced him since his youth. DJ-KS 360’s takes you on a journey through his musical selections of Rare 70’s Funk, 80’s Soul / RnB , Afro-Beat, Hip-hop, Disco, Garage, Salsa and House.

Sunday, August 17, 2014
Bellatrix!: A Soul Train Tribute to Women in Music
Presented in Association with: ImageNation Cinema Foundation
Marcus Garvey Park, MN
7:00 PM – 9:30PM
In homage to the women of soul music, SummerStage, ImageNation and Ubiquita Worldwide present Bellatrix!: A Soul Train Tribute to Women in Music. Dance, listen and watch with us as we celebrate the likes of Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Nona Hendryx, Tina Turner, Celia Cruz and others! This fete kicks off with live performances by special guests Jamila Raegan, The Ki Ki Experience, Raye Six & Phyllisia Ross accompanied by backing band Winston’s Crew Collective under the direction of bandleader Dannis Winston. The concert will be followed by a Soul Train Jam spun by the Ubiquita Sound System and a screening of the Academy Award winning film Twenty Feet From Stardom.
Ubiquita Sound System is home to an ever-growing roster of brilliantly talented an accomplished female DJ’s. Established in 2000, as one of the first groundbreaking all-female DJ residencies in NYC nightlife, the Ubiquita brand has become synonymous with a stamp of excellence for women on the 1 & 2’s .The legendary DJ collective has appeared on the cover of the Village Voice and have played a wide array of venues, special events and cultural institutions around the world.

Formerly known as the Ladies of Ubiquita, these gorgeous selectors’ more notable appearances include Good Day NY, The Studio Museum of Harlem, SummerStage, Brooklyn Academy of Music, VH1 Hip Hop Honors weekend, The Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum, Winter Music Conference in Miami, The Brooklyn Museum & Harlem Stage. Notable brand partnerships include Scion, Red Bull & Cover Girl.
Websites: www.imagenation.us

This Academy Award-winning documentary is the untold true story of the backup singers behind some of the greatest musical legends of the 21st century. Triumphant and heartbreaking in equal measure, the film is both a tribute to the unsung voices who brought shape and style to popular music and a reflection on the conflicts, sacrifices and rewards of a career spent harmonizing with others. Twenty Feet from Stardom juxtaposes interviews with industry legends (Bruce Springsteen, Bette Midler, and others) and the relative unknowns who support them like Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, and Judith Hill as they illuminate the art of melding their own distinct voices with lead vocals and reveal their desires for careers as solo artists. Directed by Morgan Neville.

Tuesday, August 19 – Wednesday, August 20 2014
International Contemporary Circus Festival:
THROW2CATCH / Loki Circus Theater / Puppets To Go / Circus To Go by Big Apple Circus / Paris the Hip-Hop Juggler
Marcus Garvey Park, MN
7:00 PM – 9:00PM
SummerStage Kids presented by Disney presents a special evening of circus! Bring the family for a fantastic evening under the stars where they can enjoy world class performers on stage as well as strolling performers from Circus to Go by the Big Apple Circus. This evening brings the circus outside the tent and into the park!

Experience SummerStage Kids premiere of its first ever circus commissioned work, “Circles” a distinctive piece inspired by the celebrated poet Rumi and his poem, “Zero Circle” that explores the nature of evolving relationships and was created in part with the innovative Loki Circus Theater company and famed beat box and Hip-Hop artist, Akim Funk Buddha. Canada’s globally recognized circus troupe, THROW2CATCH will wow audiences with their gravity defying acrobatic and juggling skills in a specially designed show for outdoor venues.

Families will also have the opportunity to participate in and interactive puppet making workshop by CPF’s own Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater.

Website: http://www.throw2catch.com/
Founded and under the direction or Samuel Roy and Nicolas Boivin Gravel, THROW2CATCH (T2C) produces contemporary circus performances and is based in Montreal, Canada. THROW2CATCH offers shows aimed at large public audiences, and provides creation and art direction for developing made to measure and original concepts for corporate and public events. T2C distinguishes itself through innovation and creativity of the performances, utilizing the circus arts with a unique and surprising originality. Samuel and Nicolas met in the 1990’s at the École de cirque de Verdun. Their artistic collaboration urged them to create a juggling act called THROW2CATCH. After attending the École Nationale de Cirque de Montréal, the duo presented their act around the world with major companies such as Cirque du Soleil, Cirque Éloize, Les 7 Doigts de la Main, Cavalia and the Arsenal Theater Company. The company have now 2 shows on the road. RESET presented in the venues all around the world and T3C.

Loki Circus Theater was founded by Susan Voyticky and Michelle Arvin to create innovative movement theater productions using a mixture of circus, physical theater and dance. Performances created with circus push audiences beyond the confines and limits of reality, in celebration of the infinite potential of the human being. The daring inherent in the expression of a circus artist is a call to our own individual audacity, an affirmation of rewards given to those who rise to the challenge of being human. Loki Circus Theater productions achieve this synthesis–combining the effect of circus with the affect of theatre.

Akim Funk Buddha is a multi-faceted performance artist with talents ranging from high-energy Classic Hip Hop rhymes, beat-boxing and Mongolian throat-singing. He creates borderless performance art fusing sounds and movements. Akim has performed his show at venues worldwide. He toured the world with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dancecompany, performing as throat singer/vocalist, multi-percussionist, and dancer, and performed at Carnegie Hall with Bobby McFerrin. He is known for his holistic Approach to Hip Hop, drawing from a full spectrum of cultural traditions and artistic disciplines. http://www.beatboxnyc.com

Website: http://www.bigapplecircus.org/circus-to-go
Circus to Go by The Big Apple Circus delivers high quality entertainment beyond the circus ring, bringing the joy and delight directly to you. Strolling performers mix and mingle with guests, spotlighted specialty acts add a splash of wonder to any occasion, skilled teaching demonstrations enhance educational and team building workshops and circus-themed stage shows are the perfect solution to your “featured entertainment” needs. Our creative staff will work with your theme and space to design the perfect performance fit.

Paris, given the nickname “The Hip-Hop Juggler” by Al Roker himself, has been dazzling audiences with his brand of juggling for over a decade. He has appeared at the Big Apple Circus, The Today Show, Sesame Street, The White House, and the We Free convention in Italy to name a few. He has also been featured in Juggle magazine and Time Out New York. Paris has gained critical acclaim for his juggling instruction, teaching hundreds at conventions, universities, and corporations. He has taught over 1,000 people how to juggle. We bet he can teach you too!

Thursday, August 21, 2014
Acrobatic Conundrum / ChelseaO Productions presents Cirqu’elle / Perfect Catch: a throw-mantic comedy
in association with CircusNow
Marcus Garvey Park, MN
7:00 PM – 9:00PM
SummerStage Kids presented by Disney presents a special evening of Circus! Enjoy world class performers on stage as well as strolling performers are part of Circus to Go! by the Big Apple Circus, bringing family entertainment outside the tent.

Website: http://www.acrobaticconundrum.com/
The Acrobatic Conundrum was founded in 2012 by Terry Crane and Joselynn Engstrom, with the mission to create performance experiences that delight and engage audiences. Conundrum shows feature moments of absurd and intimate humanity. The artists of the Acrobatic Conundrum tell their stories as individuals as well as take physical risks live onstage. As a company, they are dedicated to a vision of human courage, connection, and collaboration. The troupe has produced three shows to date: Volumes I & II, and The Way Out. The company has performed in various venues around the Pacific Northwest and headlined the Chicago Contemporary Circus Festival, the first festival of its kind.

Website: www.chelseao.com
Chelsea O’Brian is a performer, teacher and artistic director of ChelseaO Productions. She has worked in the mediums of circus, dance, aerial dance, film and theatre. Her works have been supported by the Canada Council, the Ontario Arts Council, Conseil des Arts et lettres de Quebec, Adesam, and the City of Vancouver public art program. She has performed with companies such as Cirque Plume in France, Cavalia, Sens Productions, Rea’son d’etre productions, and Zaccho Dance Theatre. She is known in the circus industry for having invented the Aerial Kite, a unique circus apparatus. Her Aerial Kites can now be found internationally. Chelsea is currently based in San Francisco. Cirqu’elle premiered in the summer of 2013 at Zaccho studio in San Francisco. Since then it has toured to Santa Barbara and Richmond CA, and Chelsea is thrilled to bring the show to SummerStage!

Website: www.perfectcatchshow.com
“Perfect Catch” is the dynamic juggling team of Michael Karas and Jen Slaw. In 2011, Michael and Jen decided to create a theatrical juggling show that would appeal to the theater goers of New York City. An adorable 50-seat theater, The Canal Park Playhouse, agreed to produce their whimsical idea and the result was a huge success that ran for two seasons. “Perfect Catch: A Throw-mantic Comedy” was named a Critic’s Pick by Backstage Magazine and received a rave review from the NYTimes as well, citing Jen and Michael as “expert jugglers”. Jen and Michael continue to tour their show, promoting theatrical juggling as well as “huggling”, the combination of hugging while juggling. In fact, they set a world record in 2013 on live television for the longest huggling session without a drop – 33 minutes and 43 seconds. They’re excited to present their show at SummerStage – enjoy and come say hi after the show!

Saturday, August 23, 2014
Charlie Parker Jazz Festival:
The Wallace Roney Orchestra / Lionel Loueke / Melissa Aldana / Kris Bowers with special guest Chris Turner
Marcus Garvey Park, MN
3:00 PM – 7:00PM
Wallace Roney earned the admiration and respect of his colleagues and his elders since age 16. He has been an integral part of the band with Tony Williams, Ornette Coleman, Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, Philly Joe Jones, Walter Davis Jr., Herbie Hancock, Jay McShann, David Murray, McCoy Tyner, Sonny Rollins, Curtis Fuller, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Dizzy Gillespie to name a few. He was one of the few musicians in his generation who learned and perfected his craft directly from alliances with Jazz Masters. But his most important and meaningful relationship was with Miles Davis. Wallace was mentored by Miles Davis after Miles heard him in 1983 at his birthday gala performance in Carnegie Hall. Their association peaked when Miles chose Wallace to share the stage at his historic performance in Montreux in 1991.

In what must be one of the grandest musical gestures imaginable, Wayne Shorter, one of the most important composers in the history of Jazz music and arguably the greatest living composer in Jazz today, bestowed on to Wallace Roney the scores to two large scale, large ensemble pieces that Wayne conceived and composed for Miles when he was still in the band but were never recorded (or even performed) and told Wallace he was now the person who could best fully realize these works. These two major works, Legend (composed in 1967) and Universe (composed in 1968 and 69) are amazing in their scope and breadth (they are written for as many as 18 pieces, including english horn, bassoon, french horn, flutes and clarinet along with more traditional instrumentation) and show Wayne to already be a fully formed masterful composer and orchestrator of large scale works at this early date in his career. Wayne also included a third unrecorded composition, Twin Dragon which was written for Miles in 1981 at his request as he was looking for material to perform for his comeback. Wallace Roney, who has performed and recorded with Wayne and was Miles Davis’ only protégé, has become a pivotal artist on the scene in his own right. With his vast experience with these great artists, he is clearly the right choice to bring this important music to life.
Website: http://www.lionelloueke.com/

Hailed as a “gentle virtuoso” by Jon Pareles of The New York Times, guitarist/vocalist Lionel Loueke follows up his acclaimed Blue Note releases Karibu and Mwaliko with the extraordinary Heritage. Co-produced by piano great and Blue Note label mate Robert Glasper, Heritage finds Loueke at the helm of a new lineup with a more electric sound. In addition, Loueke, long known for his nylon-string acoustic guitar, does not feature that instrument on Heritage. He transitions to steel-string acoustic and electric guitars A veteran of bands led by Terence Blanchard and Herbie Hancock, Loueke is bringing jazz into vibrant contact with the sounds of West Africa, in particular his native Benin. The title Heritage is a direct reference to his personal odyssey. “I have two heritages,” Loueke says. “One is from my ancestors from Africa, and that goes through my music, my body, my soul, every aspect of what I do. But also I have the heritage from the Occident, from the West, from Europe and the U.S. I speak English, I speak French, and I have that heritage too. I called this album Heritage because I’ve been blessed by all different parts of the world, and most of the songs reflect that.”

Website: http://www.melissaaldana.com/
25 year old Chilean saxophonist and composer Melissa Aldana had already caught the ears of the New York jazz scene before winning the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition last September – the first female instrumentalist and first South American to do so in the history of the competition. Now the entire world are discovering her. She picked up the saxophone by age 6, inspired by her father Marcos Aldana – himself a world class saxophonist – and he taught her how to transcribe the solos of great saxophonists – not least Charlie Parker. On stage she is joined by her “Crash Trio” featuring bassist Pablo Menares, also from Chile, & Cuban drummer Francisco Mela (dr) as she was on her forthcoming June 17 Concord Records album also entitled “Melissa Aldana & Crash Trio”.

Website: http://www.krisbowersmusic.com/
Pianist Kris Bowers is one of the newest and brightest lights on the jazz landscape. Schooled in jazz and classical music, raised amid the rap and hip-hop of the 1990s, inspired by the cinematic power of the great film composers of recent decades, Bowers’ sound – though rooted in traditional styles – is open to numerous external influences that keep the music fresh and vibrant for a new century. This rich and eclectic sensibility is evident from the very first notes of Heroes + Misfits, an ambitious debut album that positions Bowers at the forefront of a talented sextet and showcases a musical and compositional style that – while clearly rooted in the jazz tradition – is also reflective of an eclectic musical age. Bowers musical sensibilities were taking shape before he even saw the light of day. The story has it that his parents positioned headphones on his mother’s belly and piped soft jazz directly into his evolving consciousness in the months before he was born. And it was just the beginning.

Website: http://www.iamchristurner.com/
This classically trained crooner is a soul singer for the ages and a writer for our times. Starting at four years old, Chris Turner was a member of the Kairos Youth Choir, at nine with the San Francisco Opera Company, the Young Musicians Program at the University of California (YMP), the School of the Arts (SOTA) in San Francisco and was the featured vocalist for the SF Jazz High School All-Stars. In the GRAMMY High School Jazz Ensemble, he performed with many GRAMMY artists. Chris graduated from the New School University for Jazz and Contemporary Music. Chris has toured worldwide with Esperanza Spalding and Bilal and he recently opened for Gregory Porter at Town Hall in NYC. He performed on BET “106 & Park” as a MusicMatters “Artist To Watch” and premiered his first single, “Liquid Love”. Chris currently has a digital mix tape called “LOVElife Is A Challenge” and is featured on new recordings by Eric Harland, Kris Bowers, and Harvey Mason Sr.