“Everything’s Coming Up …..”
As the long Summer season starts drawing to a close, Schimmel Center looks forward to a season of new and exciting programing. We may have dropped the “Pace Presents” title but we are still dedicated to bringing our audiences the finest world class entertainment in the areas of music, cabaret, dance and lecture. This season, we will also expand our repertoire to include film screenings as well as family programming.
Cabaret highlights of the season include the incomparable Patti LuPone. The Grand Dame of Broadway will take to our stage in May for a special evening of music and anecdotes about her storied career which includes roles in Evita, Les Miserables, Sweeny Todd and Gypsy. Our foot lights will shine bright yet again for another member of Broadway’s royal court, on May 30, when we welcome Ben Vereen. With a decades-long career in such musicals as Hair, Pippin, Fosse, Jesus Christ Superstar and Wicked, Vereen is sure to bring magic to our stage. Of course Fred Barton, his glorious orchestra and star studded cast of Broadway performers will be back, twice this year, to celebrate the show stopping scores of composers Cy Coleman and Irving Berlin, respectively.
Patti LuPone, the grand dame of the Great White Way will grace our stage on May 2, 2015, with her cabaret show, “Far Away Places.”
This season we are excited to be presenting some exciting new dance companies and welcoming back old favorites. Become enchanted with the whimsical and athletic “Backhausdance Company,” take in the harmonious Eastern aesthetic of “Take,” and revel in the raw passion of “Koresh.” You will also have the opportunity to become reacquainted with the holiday tradition of Gelsey Kirkland’s The Nutcracker. Speaking of Gelsey Kirkland, the studio will also be unveiling their newest production, Don Quixote in the spring.
“Let’s go to the Movies!” Travel back to the days of movie houses and grand organs with Ben Model. Model, one of the nation’s leading film accompanists, has worked with the Schimmel to curate an exciting series of silent film classics. Come gaze on some of the greatest faces to ever come out of Hollywood: Clara Bow, Buster Keaton and Douglas Fairbanks are sure to entertain in Titles like It, 7 Chances and The Mark of Zorro. This November, you can actually become a part of one of the most beloved American movie musicals of all time. Join us for the sing along version of Grease! You can come dressed up in your “pink lady” or “T-bird” finest and sing along with the movie. The price of admission even includes a free “magic moments fun pack!”
The whole family will love our new family fun series! Come for critically acclaimed acts such as Gustafer Yellowgold, The Okee Dokee Brothers and The Peking Acrobats. The family fun series has been especially curated for young audiences and is a fun and exciting Saturday afternoon excursion!
We have teamed up once again with the folks at LiveSounds to bring you the best musical talent from across the globe. You only have to travel as far as the Schimmel to hear the world’s premiere sitar player, Amjad Ali Kahn. Straight from Nigeria, the group Tal National, “mixes energy and precision with an engagingly hybrid style.” On Friday April 14, we will pay special tribute to the ground breaking Chilean singer-songwriter Violeta Parra. Special guests will include the Andean folk group, Illapu, as well as Parra’s niece, Columbina Parra.
For the fourth year in a row, we will welcome back Dr. Janetta Rebold Benton for her ever popular Art History Alive lecture series. This years’ series will include lectures on great masters like Botticelli, Goya, Rodin and Chagall and architectural masterpieces, respectively. As always, the conversation continues afterwards with a luncheon complete with a menu based on the foods of the country being discussed.
Rounding out our incredible season of offerings is Emmy Award winning singer song writer, Loudon Wainwright III. Best known for his novelty song, Dead Skunk (In the Middle of the Road) as well as numerous appearances in the films of Judd Apatow and the NBC comedy series Parks and Recreation, Wainwright will bring his quirky antics to the schimmel stage for an amusing night of music and laughs.
Loudon Wainwright III brings his quirky musical repertoire to the Schimmel stage on Saturday, October 11th.
In addition to following our Blog, we have several exciting ways to stay connected to us throughout the 2014-15 season. You can like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. Staying connected with us through our various social media outlets is a great way to ensure that you aren’t missing a moment of what our series has to offer! As always, you have the opportunity to join our Email Club. Friends receive our monthly e-newsletter, special discounted rates, first notice of additional shows added and a special discounted pre-announcement rate for our upcoming season. For full info on our incredible offerings, please be sure to check out our calendar page on the website. Please join us this season as we continue to pave the way for the downtown Manahttan cultural scene!
See you at the Schimmel!
Michael Scott-Torbet
Schimmel Center 2014-15 Blogger
