Contact: Margie Smith
Director of Media Relations
215-790-5867
margiesmith@kimmelcenter.org

Keisha Hutchins
Public Relations Assistant
215-790-5847
khutchins@kimmelcenter.org

Summer Schedule features Weekend Festivals in July, Wednesday Night Dancing in July & August, Free and Ticketed Events

PHILADELPHIA (May 21, 2002) – The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts will usher in the summer season exactly one month from today with an all-night Summer Solstice celebration. The 12-hour event on June 21^st kicks off "2002 Summer at The Kimmel: Festival Fun in the (Air-Conditioned) Sun!" The Kimmel Center’s summer programming continues with four themed weekend festivals in July with both free and ticketed events, including performances by Harry Belafonte, Judy Collins, The Neville Brothers, Noche Flamenca, Los Hombres Calientes, Buckwheat Zydeco, Rennie Harris, Mavis Staples, Jerry Blavat and Kimmel Center Resident Companies, plus silent movie screenings with live orchestra, and Wednesday night dance parties under The Kimmel’s soaring glass-vault ceiling.

"We’re going to challenge the notion that everyone goes to the shore in the summer," said Janice Price, President and CEO of The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. "We have such a diversity of events in store – everything from jazz to world music to rock and roll, daytime concerts for families and nighttime dancing under the stars – we literally have something for everyone, residents and visitors alike. Our summer programming will entice a whole new group of audiences to come experience what the arts are all about. We’ll be reaching out to people who haven’t been to The Kimmel Center yet and doing our part to keep the Avenue of the Arts a bustling and exciting place to be throughout June, July and August."

The events begin Friday, June 21^st, at 8 p.m. with a Philadelphia first: an all-night Summer Solstice Celebration. Just $10 buys an all-access pass for 12 straight hours of entertainment. Choose from musical offerings varying from jazz to classical to blues in all of The Kimmel Center’s venues. Listen to acclaimed pianist Lang Lang and his father Lang Guoren play traditional Chinese music or dance with the Philadelphia Funk Authority and Synthesis Latin Band in the Perelman Theater. Take in a spoken word performance in the Merck Arts Education Center, then wander down to the Rendell Room to hear classical musicians from The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. Catch blues singer Juanita Holiday or "Papa" John DeFrancesco performing on his Hammond B3 Organ. Recite your own poetry during the evening or toot your own horn in the wee-hours jazz jam session. Grab a late-night snack or an early breakfast (food and beverage will be available for sale all night) and check out a cabaret act in Innovation Studio. Get your fortune told in Commonwealth Plaza or sneak in a little midnight shopping at Intermission, The Kimmel Center gift shop.

Then at dawn, join in a sunrise celebration led by storyteller and drummer Kala Jojo as you watch the sun rise over The Kimmel Center’s 150-foot glass ceiling. The public is invited to BYOD (Bring Your Own Drum)! The Philadelphia Gospel Seminars choir will conclude the festivities at 6 a.m. with a soul-stirring performance in Verizon Hall.

"We invite everyone to join us on Friday, June 21, and get a taste of the wonderful variety of performance that is becoming the trademark of The Kimmel Center," said Mervon Mehta, Director of Programming and Education for The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. "I am particularly pleased that all of the performers for Solstice are from Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley. Stay for an hour or stay all night. Then come back for our Wednesday night dance parties or our weekend festivals in July. The Kimmel Center will be a center of activity all summer long. There’s no rain, no heat and no humidity under our roof and for many of our events, you don’t even need a ticket."

Summer Solstice is just the beginning. The Kimmel Center’s warm weather offerings continue with summer festivals every weekend in July, each with a different theme:

Independence Day stretches into an all-American weekend as The Kimmel Center’s Commonwealth Plaza becomes Main Street U.S.A. complete with hotdogs, ice cream and strolling entertainers. Verizon Hall hosts some of the biggest stars in American folk and pop music and Perelman Theater screens classic silent films with a live orchestra.

Friday, July 5, 2002

Charlie Chaplin films with Paragon Ragtime Orchestra

7 p.m. Perelman Theater

Tickets: $15

Perelman Theater is transformed into a turn-of-the-century movie house for silent movies the way they were originally seen. Rick Benjamin’s Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, the world’s most active ensemble of its kind, accompanies the films of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd with their original scores, complete with sound effects.

The Neville Brothers

7:30 p.m. Verizon Hall

Tickets: $15, $30, $40

The Big Easy’s First Family heats up Verizon Hall. Aaron, Art, Charles and Cyril Neville create a steamy, hypnotic gumbo of pop, R&B, jazz, funk, soul, doo-wop, reggae and Caribbean sounds.

Saturday, July 6, 2002

Buster Keaton films with Paragon Ragtime Orchestra

7 p.m. Perelman Theater

Tickets: $15

Judy Collins’ Wildflower Festival

with Arlo Guthrie, Beth Neilson Chapman and John Gorka

7:30 p.m. Verizon Hall

Tickets: $15, $30, $40

Two of America’s songwriting treasures share the stage with two relative newcomers in this folk music traveling road show.

Sunday, July 7, 2002

Harold Lloyd films with Paragon Ragtime Orchestra

2 p.m. Perelman Theater

Tickets: $15

Harry Belafonte

7:30 p.m. Verizon Hall

Tickets: $15, $35, $50

The winner of Philadelphia’s first prestigious Marian Anderson award, Harry Belafonte has been called both the consummate entertainer and the consummate humanitarian. Decades after his landmark 1955 "Calypso" became the first pop album to sell over a million copies, Belafonte still transports audiences to the tropics, delivering an evening of unforgettable classics.

Take a weekend tour of Latin America without leaving Philadelphia. The Kimmel Center sizzles with the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of Brazil, Portugal, Spain, Mexico and Cuba. The Perelman Theater heats up with Portuguese fado singer Misia and three days and nights of Flamenco dancing with Noche Flamenca. The hottest Latin big bands take over Verizon Hall, beginning with the Big 3 Palladium Orchestra. Take in the Bossa Nova sounds of Brazil, then get a Latin-New Orleans mix with Grammy-nominated Los Hombres Calientes. Los Fakires and Albita close the weekend with an all-Cuban concert.

Friday, July 12, 2002

Noche Flamenca

7 p.m. Perelman Theater

Tickets: $25

The Philadelphia Inquirer called this eight-member dance troupe "the best dancers, singers and guitar players in Southeastern Pennsylvania, their home city of Madrid, or anyplace else" and urged readers to "go see Noche Flamenca at least two or three times. Seriously. It’s that good." Here’s your chance. Experience the art of flamenco in three exciting performances.

Big 3 Palladium Orchestra

Machito, Tito Rodriquez and Tito Puente Bands

with special guest Giovanni Hidalgo Septet

7:30 p.m. Verizon Hall

Tickets: $15, $30, $40

In the 1950s America fell in love with mambo and "The Home of Mambo" was New York’s Palladium Ballroom at 53^rd & Broadway. The Machito Orchestra was the first headliner followed by bandleader Tito Puente and singer Tito Rodriguez and his band. Today, Mario Grillo, Tito Rodriguez, Jr. and Tito Puente, Jr. lead "The Big 3" in the music made famous by their fathers. Giovanni Hidalgo, "the Michael Jordan of Percussion," adds the rhythms of his native Puerto Rico with electrifying performances on the congas. Hidalgo’s Septet will open the evening and Hidalgo will also guest star with The Big 3.

Saturday, July 13, 2002

Noche Flamenca

7 p.m. Perelman Theater

Tickets: $25

Los Hombres Calientes and

40 Years of Bossa Nova directly from Brazil: Paula Morelenbaum, Os Cariocas

7:30 p.m. Verizon Hall

Tickets: $15, $30, $40

So powerful is the music of Los Hombres Calientes, three record companies reportedly fought to sign them after the ensemble’s very first gig at Snug Harbor in New Orleans. Just three years old, the sextet heats up Verizon Hall with its unique mix of jazz, funk and traditional Latin and African rhythms. Opening the evening are four performers who trace the history of the now-classic Bossa Nova rhythm of Brazil.

Sunday, July 14, 2002

Noche Flamenca

2 p.m. Perelman Theater

Tickets: $25

Misia

7 p.m. Perelman Theater

Tickets: $25

Literally translated as "fate," Portugese fado, like Brazilian bossa nova and Chicago blues, draws on the despair and heartache of life. Fado singer Misia brings a fresh approach to this music of her native Portugal with a soulful performance that respects and preserves its rich tradition.

Los Fakires and Albita

7:30 p.m. Verizon Hall

Tickets: $15, $30, $40

The captivating vocals of Los Fakires bring to life the rich and vibrant sounds of son, a musical tradition from central and western Cuba. The group’s five musicians (two are in their seventies, the youngest is 51 years old) have been performing together for more than 40 years, but only recently were "discovered" beyond their home base of Santa Clara. The son tradition continues with the powerful voice of Cuban diva Albita. "Albita sweats Cuban music," says She magazine.

Bring the kids and the grandkids for a weekend of family entertainment. Children of all ages will enjoy cotton candy and watermelon, face painting and balloons as well as performances by Buckwheat Zydeco, John McCutcheon, and Celtic fiddler Natalie MacMaster. Three of The Kimmel Center’s Resident Companies—The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Peter Nero and the Philly Pops and PHILADANCO’s apprentice troupe D/2—will present special concerts ideal for families. All performances are appropriate for children age 6 and older.

Friday, July 19, 2002

Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia: Carnival of the Animals

7 p.m. Perelman Theater

Tickets: $15

The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia will be joined by a narrator for Camille

Saint-Saëns Carnival of the Animals and H.K. Gruber’s Frankenstein.

Buckwheat Zydeco

7:30 p.m. Verizon Hall

Tickets: $17, $25

Direct from Louisiana’s Creole Country, zydeco maestro Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural, Jr. blends Afro-Carribean rhythm & blues, soul, rock and country music to create what The New York Times calls "one of the best party bands in America." "No sound has caught on faster than the spicy musical gumbo called zydeco," raves The Cincinnati Post, "and no zydeco performer has caught on faster than Buckwheat Zydeco." Buckwheat will perform many selections from his acclaimed children’s CD Choo Choo Boogaloo. Just try to sit still during this show!

Saturday, July 20, 2002

John McCutcheon

2 p.m. Perelman Theater

Tickets: $15

One of America’s most respected and loved folksingers, John McCutcheon is a master of a dozen different traditional instruments, most notably the rare and beautiful hammer dulcimer. He brings to the stage a love of Appalachian music and a storytelling style that’s been compared to Will Rogers and Garrison Keillor.

Natalie MacMaster

2:30 p.m. Verizon Hall

Tickets: $17, $25

Cape Breton Celtic fiddler Natalie MacMaster is described by The Los Angeles Times as "a ball of fire, performing jigs and reels with unstoppable, foot-tapping energy and ballads with irresistible passion."

Sunday, July 21, 2002

D/2

2 p.m. Perelman Theater

Tickets: $15

The dancers of PHILADANCO’s apprentice company D/2 show off their talent and energy in this hour-long modern dance performance. After the show, get a chance to chat with the troupe as the young dancers hold a question-and-answer session from the stage.

Peter Nero and the Philly Pops: Family Concert

2:30 p.m. Verizon Hall

Tickets: $17, $25

Led by two-time Grammy Award-winning Peter Nero, The POPS will present a fun concert for the entire family. Music from the movies, classics, jazz, Broadway and big band, POPS is for everyone!

From the now-classic rhythms of New Orleans jazz to the new legends of Philadelphia’s own hip hop dance scene, it’s spirited and soulful, joyful and jubilant. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band and the Count Basie Band start things off Friday night. Philadelphian Rennie Harris sits in residence for three nights of Illadelph Hip Hop Legends and Mavis Staples brings down the house with a gospel tribute to Mahalia Jackson on Sunday night.

Friday, July 26, 2002

Rennie Harris Puremovement: Illadelph Hip Hop Legends

7 p.m. Perelman Theater

Tickets: $30

Hip hop choreographer and Philadelphian Rennie Harris has been hailed as the dance master who took hip-hop from the streets to the stage. His "Illadelph Legends" is part of an ongoing effort to document the evolution of hip hop culture, with special emphasis on the urban dance’s Philly roots. Three performances in Perelman Theater feature an all-star cast of dancers, rappers and DJs, including the Don Campbell Lockers, Crazy Legs, Electric Boogaloos, Crutch Master, Nucleus, Pop Master Fabel, Kemistry and Untouchables.

Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Count Basie Orchestra

7:30 p.m. Verizon Hall

Tickets: $15, $30, $40

For almost 50 years the Preservation Hall Jazz Band has been the epitome of New Orleans jazz and Dixieland jazz. In the Big Easy people line up around the block waiting for a chance to hear the lauded sounds which are the foundation of modern day jazz. Sharing the stage is the world-famous Count Basie Orchestra which, under the direction of bandleader Grover Mitchell, has returned to its hallmarks: swing, precision and, above all, a focus on the ensemble.

Saturday, July 27, 2002

Rennie Harris Puremovement: Illadelph Hip Hop Legends

7 p.m. Perelman Theater

Tickets: $30

Regina Carter and Philip Bailey

7:30 p.m. Verizon Hall

Tickets: $15, $30, $40

Rising star jazz violinist Regina Carter, who has played with Wynton Marsalis, Cassandra Wilson, Aretha Franklin and Lauryn Hill, kicks off this evening of jazz-influenced R&B. Lead singer of Earth, Wind and Fire, Philip Bailey, brings his new jazz group to Verizon in support of his latest CD "Soul on Jazz."

Sunday, July 28, 2002

Rennie Harris Puremovement: Illadelph Hip Hop Legends

2 p.m. Perelman Theater

Tickets: $30

Mavis Staples "Tribute to Mahalia Jackson" and Take 6

7:30 p.m. Verizon Hall

Tickets: $15, $30, $40

Lead singer for the legendary Staple Singers, Mavis Staples performs classic songs associated with gospel great Mahalia Jackson, accompanied by Stephen Smith on organ. Seven-time Grammy Award-winning Take 6 rounds out the bill with its classic black gospel and mainstay a cappella harmonies.

All four of the weekend Summer Festivals also will feature themed menus and beverages to compliment the festival and daily free performances. Free Performances will be held at 5 p.m. Friday, noon and 5 p.m. Saturday, and noon and 5 p.m. Sunday during Americana Fest, Fiesta Latina and Hip Hop, Jazz & Soul. During Family Fun Fest, there will be free performances at 5 p.m. Friday, and noon on Saturday and Sunday.

During the week, grab a partner and come out for our Wednesday Night Dance Parties. Dance under the stars in Commonwealth Plaza from 8-11 p.m. every Wednesday in July and August beginning Wednesday, July 10. Bands and DJs will vary from swing to salsa, doo-wop to disco, square dancing to ballroom:

July 10 Swing dance with the City Rhythm Orchestra

July 17 Doo-wop night with host/emcee Jerry Blavat

July 24 Square and Contra Dance with caller John Krumm and

The Bow Rockers

July 31 Salsa with Synthesis Latin Band

August 7 Rhythm & Blues with Philadelphia Funk Authority

August 14 Ballroom dancing (Band TBA)

August 21 Disco Night

August 28 Doo-wop night with host/emcee Jerry Blavat

Worried that you have two left feet? No problem. Each evening begins with an introductory dance lesson from 7-8 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door.

Then on Tuesday, July 23, get ready for another evening of Geator Gold as the legendary Jerry Blavat makes an encore appearance in Verizon Hall. Jerry Blavat’s "Street Corner Summer Harmony" concert begins at 7:30 p.m. with appearances by The Passions, The Duprees, The Five Satins, The Chiffons, Johnny Maestro and The Brooklyn Bridge, and Kenny Vance and the Planotones, all accompanied by the sounds of The Pure Gold Band. Tickets are $15, $30 and $40.

Tickets for all Summer Festival events are on sale now for members of The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and Kimmel Center Presents subscribers. Tickets go on sale to the general public May 28^th. Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online at www.kimmelcenter.org, or at the box office, open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily and later on evenings with performances. A limited number of $10 tickets will go on sale for each performance at 10 a.m. on the Saturday before that performance. These $10 tickets are available only at the box office and are limited to two per person.

Tickets for the Summer Solstice Celebration and the Wednesday Night Dance Parties are $10 at the door. There will be no advance sales. Admission and re-admission will be based on capacity. For a complete listing of Summer Solstice events, go to www.kimmelcenter.org.

Summer Solstice is also the perfect time to make the rest of your Kimmel Center summer plans. All Summer Festival tickets purchased at the box office during the Summer Solstice celebration will be 10% off. The box office will be open all night.

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