Theater for The New City’s (TNC) 23rd Annual Lower East Side Festival will be host to over 190 free cultural events in theater, music, art, dance, film, aerial arts, poetry, magic, comedy and more, throughout the Memorial Day weekend. The three-day Festival takes place at Theater for the New City, Crystal Field, Executive Artistic Director, from May 25th through 27th at 155 First Avenue (at East 10th Street). TNC’s Festival of The Arts this year showcases a roster of A-list performers, including the Academy Award winning lyricist E.Y. “Yip” Harburg’s Rainbow Troupe (Yip wrote the lyrics to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” with composer Harold Arlen), Academy Award winner F. Murray Abraham, Tony Award winner Mario Fratti, KT Sullivan, La Mama Etc., Folksbiene National Yiddish Theater, 13th Street Rep, Infinity Dance Theater, Luba Mason, Negro Ensemble, Thunderbird American Indian Dancers and many more.
For the full list and performance schedule please go to www.theaterforthenewcity.net
Wizard of Oz: A Jazz Musical for All Ages
This year’s festival also celebrates the grand opening of Theater for the New City’s new state-of-the-art Gerald Rupp Wheelchair-Accessible Elevator on Sunday the 27th at 2 PM. “Theater should be accessible to all: emotionally, spiritually, physically, economically,” says Crystal Field, TNC Executive Artistic Director. Kitty Lunn, director, choreographer and founder of Infinity Dance, an inclusive company of dancers of various abilities, will host the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and champagne toast. Infinity Dance and the Yip Harburg Foundation’s (YHF) Rainbow Troupe will perform at the ceremony.
On Saturday, May 26th from 2pm-5pm, the LES Youth Program features magic, puppets, juggling, songs and excerpts from Harlem Repertory Theater (HRT) and Yip Harburg Foundation’s co-production of The Wizard of Oz: A Jazz Musical For All Ages.
Ernie and Deena Harburg alongside Crystal Field (seated) at Yip Harburg and Jay Gorney’s “Brother Can You Spare a Dime” piano. Photo by James Avalos
TNC Board members Ernie and Deena Harburg (Founding President and Artistic Director of YHF) donated to TNC the piano that will accompany the performers. On this living piece of American history, legendary lyricist Yip Harburg, with composer Jay Gorney, wrote the anthem of the Great Depression, “Brother Can You Spare a Dime.”
“Yip is known as Broadway’s social conscience,” says Ernie Harburg, Yip’s son. “We are thrilled that Theater for The New City so superbly carries forward Yip’s ‘elegant legacy’,” adds Deena Harburg (Yip’s daughter-in-law).
Yip Harburg grew up just a few blocks from TNC on 11th Street and Avenue C.
Theater for the New City is a Pulitzer Prize-winning community cultural institution known for its demanding artistic standards and widespread community services. TNC produces 30-40 new American plays per year, at least 10 of which are by emerging young playwrights. Theater for the New City created the Lower East Side Festival in 1995 and has presented nearly 1,000 artists and their works, including theater, music, dance, comedy, performance art, poetry, video and fine arts.
TNC thanks The New York State Council on the Arts, Gerald Rupp (for whom the new elevator is named), the Christopher Reeve Foundation and John Baccordo for their unwavering support of the Festival.
Theater for the New City is located 155 First Ave. At 10th St. Admission is free.
For a complete calendar of event dates/times visit www.theaterforthenewcity.net or call 212.254.1109
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