The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Announces 2010/11 Season

Transcription

1 MAY 14, 2010 The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Announces 2010/11 Season Highlights include: Theatre season focuses on works by Irish playwrights and features performances by The Druid Theatre of Galway in The Cripple of Inishmaan and the Abbey Theatre in Terminus Other theatre highlights include Tectonic Theatre Project s The Laramie Residency and Ella The Musical, a bio-musical about the celebrated vocalist Ella Fitzgerald Dance Celebration season, co-presented by Dance Affiliates and the Annenberg Center, juxtaposes blockbuster dance companies with emerging talent New works by Paul Taylor, Pilobolus and Parsons Dance Companies; Philadelphia debuts by up and coming choreographers Aszure Barton and Larry Keigwin Trumpet player and composer Terence Blanchard headlines the Jazz series with a performance from his Grammy award-winning album A Tale of God s Will (A Requiem for Katrina) Philadelphia native Christian McBride, jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band also perform as part of Jazz season Partnership with the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA) brings performances of famed puppeteer Basil Twist s Petrushka to the Annenberg Center stage African Roots Series features the legendary Hugh Masekela, South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and a Gospel performance by Take 6 Irish Roots Series celebrates the 25th anniversary of Altan; other highlights include Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul, Irish holiday performance by Slide (Ireland) and singer/guitarist Kathy Mattea By Local Series continues commitment to showcase the best of Philadelphia talent

2 Page 2 Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Announces 2010/11 Season (Philadelphia, May 14, 2010) The 2010/11 season at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts features six distinct performance series that highlight amazing artists and extraordinary experiences. This season showcases a world-class roster of performers including international theatre companies, jazz and world music greats, superstar dance companies and Philadelphia s most edgy and innovative artists. The upcoming season includes 90 performances and runs from September 25, 2010 May 22, Subscriptions to the 2010/11 season are on sale now and can be purchased online by visiting AnnenbergCenter.org, over the phone by calling or by visiting the Annenberg Center Box Office. Single tickets will be on sale in August. We are delighted to announce the 2010/11 season at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts said Managing Director Michael J. Rose. Featuring great theatre, music, and dance from around the world, the nation, and this great city augmented by a broad range of intriguing wraparound issues and ideas programs this will be a season that entertains and enlightens, provokes and inspires, a season where one can freely engage one s imagination and creative powers through great art. THEATRE SERIES Moisés Kaufman s groundbreaking play, The Laramie Project, energized American attitudes about violence against the gay community. Ten years after Matthew Shepard's murder, Kaufman, along with members of the Tectonic Theater Project, returned to Laramie, Wyoming to conduct follow-up interviews with residents portrayed in the play. Those interviews were turned into a companion piece entitled The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later an Epilogue. Ten Years Later an Epilogue demonstrates the power of community when people come together to deal with crisis and support each other through the healing process and features cast members from the original Laramie Project. The Laramie Residency (November 11-13, 2010) features performances of both The Laramie Project and The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later an Epilogue over the course of three days, as well as day-long workshops with the Philadelphia theatre and LGBTQ communities. The National Theatre of Ireland, the award-winning Abbey Theatre, has produced some of the most significant and crucial plays of the 20th century. Now, the company returns to the Annenberg Center stage in performances of contemporary Irish playwright Mark O Rowe s wildly innovative and vivid play Terminus. Featuring a straightforward narrative told by three characters two women and a man who are identified only as A, B and C Terminus is a tale of three people ripped from their daily lives resulting in an audacious drama of interlocking monologues. Described as a startling, surprisingly touching, and enormously satisfying thrill ride by The Irish Times, The Abbey Theatre will embark on a fall tour of the U.S. that will bring Terminus to the Annenberg Center February 16-20, Featuring more than a dozen of Ella Fitzgerald s most famous hits, including A Tisket, A Tasket, How High the Moon, That Old Black Magic and They Can t Take that Away from Me, Ella The Musical (March 22-27, 2011) weaves myth, memory and music as it tells the uplifting and poignant story of one of the greatest jazz/pop vocalists of the 20th century. Starring vocalist Tina Fabrique, with a four-piece band

3 Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Announces 2010/11 Season Page 3 on stage to back her up, Ella The Musical leads audience members on a tour of the singer s career and the bumps she experienced on her road to fame. Known the world over for his innovative puppet shows, master puppeteer Basil Twist makes his Philadelphia debut with Petrushka (April 6-16, 2011). Petrushka tells of the tragic love triangle between three magical, life-size puppets the clown Petrushka, the alluring Ballerina and the dashing Moor whose stories emerge amidst the swirl of a Russian carnival. Russian identical twin pianists, Julia and Irina Elkina, perform a specially created two piano version of Stravinsky's masterpiece while nine hidden puppeteers combine Czech and Japanese puppetry traditions. The program opens with an abstract fantasia of puppetry set to Stravinsky's Sonata for Two Pianos. Performances on April 7-9, 2011 are part of the Philadelphia International Children s Festival, including two Student Discovery performances April 7-8. All performances are part of the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (see page 8 for more information) and are made possible by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage through Dance Advance. The Cripple of Inishmaan, written by Academy Award winner and four-time Tony Award nominee Martin McDonagh and directed by Tony Award winner Garry Hynes toured Ireland and the United Kingdom before attracting the highest attendance ever for a production at the Atlantic Theater in New York City in From January to June 2011, this widely acclaimed multi-award winning Druid Theatre of Galway and Atlantic Theater co-production will undertake a major tour of the USA that includes performances at the Annenberg Center (May 19-22, 2011). Set in 1934 on an island off the west coast of Ireland, The Cripple of Inishmaan begins as Hollywood filmmaker Robert Flaherty arrives on the neighboring island of Inishmore to film his movie The Man of Aran, stirring excitement in the sleepy community of Inishmaan. For orphaned Billy Claven, who has been relentlessly scorned by the island s inhabitants, the film represents an escape from the poverty of his existence. He vies for a part in the film, and to everyone s surprise, it is the cripple who gets his chance. The Cripple of Inishmaan is a savagely funny and brutally honest tale one that, in the great tradition of Irish storytelling, promises to stay with you long after you leave the theater. DANCE CELEBRATION SUPERSTARS OF DANCE, TODAY AND TOMORROW The 29th season of Dance Celebration, the region s foremost presenter of renowned international dance companies and artists, features eight companies in 35 performances. Under the artistic direction of Randy Swartz, Dance Celebration, presented by Dance Affiliates and the Annenberg Center, brings to Philadelphia the most sought-after contemporary touring dance companies. This season, titled Superstars of Dance, Today and Tomorrow, juxtaposes blockbuster dance companies with hot, new talent emerging on the dance scene. Dance has always had the tradition of having one foot in the present, the other foot in the past, and an eye to the future. The 2010/11 season is about honoring our traditions and discovering new voices, said Swartz. This season will feature new works by the masters and performances by the next generation that will fill their shoes.

4 Page 4 Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Announces 2010/11 Season Hailed by the San Francisco Examiner & Chronicle as the greatest living American choreographer, Paul Taylor and his troupe return to Philadelphia to perform their newest works, October 21-23, Celebrating its 55th year (and Taylor s 80th birthday), Paul Taylor Dance Company continues to be a major force in the advancement of modern dance. Not just any tango show, Luis Bravo s Forever Tango (November 16-20, 2010) traces the evolution of the tango from its start in 19th century Argentina to today s popular variations. Forever Tango features 14 of the world s finest tango dancers, who are joined by an 11-piece orchestra. This internationally-acclaimed spectacle is now the longest-running tango production in Broadway history and a must see production according to the New York Times. The Swiss group Mummenschanz (which loosely translated means masquerade ) provides a unique option to those looking for an alternative to The Nutcracker or A Christmas Carol this holiday season. Enchanting audiences for over 30 years, Mummenschanz s newest show 3 x11 (a 33-year restrospective) uses ordinary materials such as toilet paper, white sheets, foam and recycled junk that morph into giant balloons to tell stories that transcend the need for words. These invisible masters of movement (founding members Bernie Schürch, Floriana Frassetto, Raffaella Mattioli and Pietro Montandon) have revolutionized theatre using mime, acting, dance and magic, and according to the Boston Herald, they create their own comic universe a place of constant wonder and ingenuity (December 16-18, 2010). Parsons Dance Company premieres a new full-length work titled Remember Me to Philadelphia audiences, December 2-4, The piece is a collaboration with the East Village Opera Company and will feature live singers performing rock renditions of favorite arias to the choreography of one of the great movers of modern dance (New York Times). Remember Me is the classic story of a love triangle between two brothers and the woman they love and features lighting design by Tony Award winner Howell Binkley and costumes by Project Runway star Austin Scarlett. Considered the dance world s choreographer of the moment, Larry Keigwin has made a name for himself with his unflinching showmanship and an uncanny sense of humor. Keigwin + Company makes its Philadelphia debut (January 20-22, 2011) with Elements, a full-length production that explores fire, water, air and earth and is anything but conventional. After leaving the dance stage to pursue a career in musical theatre, OBIE and Bessie awardwinning artistic director and performer Mark Dendy is back with his new company, Dendy DanceTheater (February 10-12, 2011). Dendy and his company will premiere his latest semiautobiographic creations including the Afternoon of the Faunes, a provocative and mesmerizing male duet, to Debussy and the premiere of Working Class Heroes, a tribute to the American do-or-die spirit. Since exploding onto the dance scene nearly 40 years ago, Pilobolus Dance Theater is still renowned the world over for its imaginative and athletic exploration of creative collaboration.

5 Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Announces 2010/11 Season Page 5 Pilobolus has received numerous awards including the Berlin Critic s Prize, the Brandeis Award and a Primetime Emmy Award and has appeared on CBS 60 Minutes, The Academy Awards, The Oprah Winfrey Show and the Olympics. Producing new and innovative works each season, Pilobolus returns to Philadelphia, March 3-5, Hailed as the next big thing in dance, choreographer Aszure Barton has created works for Hubbard Street, American Ballet Theatre, Mikhail Baryshnikov, the National Ballet of Canada, Sydney Dance Company and Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal as well as the Broadway production of Three Penny Opera. Barton makes her Philadelphia debut with the premiere of Busk, a full-length work inspired by street performers (buskers) featuring street hoofers, hooded monks, compelling video projections and an evocative score by composer and violinist Lev Ljova Zhurbin (May 5-7, 2011). In addition to performances, the Dance Celebration 2010/11 season offers outreach activities by all the touring companies for the local community. These programs include master classes, workshops, and residencies as part of the Artist to Artist Series as well as hour-long performances by all seven companies and talk back sessions after the show in the Student Discovery Series. For more information about outreach activities call ext.110 or visit DanceAffiliates.org. JAZZ SERIES Four-time Grammy award-winning trumpter/composer Terence Blanchard returns to the Annenberg Center to perform music from his newest and most profound project yet (October 3, 2010). Film director Spike Lee commissioned Blanchard, a New Orleans native, to compose the score for his HBO documentary When the Levees Broke, which explores the physical and emotional ravages the city of New Orleans and its residents endured after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in In 2007, Blanchard released A Tale of God s Will (A Requiem for Katrina), a beautifully haunting and impassioned song-cycle that features many of the original songs from the documentary. Blanchard s other impressive credits as a composer include the film scores for Princess and the Frog, Jungle Fever, Malcolm X, Clockers, Summer of Sam and Inside Man. After enjoying a sold-out performance at the Annenberg Center in 2009, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band returns to perform their hit holiday show, A Creole Christmas (December 10, 2010). Named after Preservation Hall, the revered music venue located in the heart of New Orleans s French Quarter, this Grammy award-winning ensemble has traveled worldwide spreading its mission to preserve the art form of traditional New Orleans jazz. An annual must-see production for New Orleans families since 2005, A Creole Christmas features swinging jazz versions of Holiday tunes including Blue Christmas, and Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, as well as New Orleans holiday jazz classics like Swingin in a Winter Wonderland. Philadelphia native and bass phenom Christian McBride returns to the Annenberg Center stage for a special performance of his new jazz opus, The Movement, Revisited (February 26, 2011),

6 Page 6 Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Announces 2010/11 Season which also features a special collaboration with the Penn Jazz Ensemble and New Spirit of Penn Gospel Choir. This monumental work is a tribute to the great icons of the civil rights crusade including Rosa Parks, Muhammad Ali, Malcom X and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and features a newly added movement dedicated to the 2009 election of America s first black president. The Movement Revisited captures musically how their deeds shaped our world and reminds us of our responsibility to pave the way for many to live a better life, says McBride. Co-Director of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, McBride is known for not only being one of the most prolific, passionate and talented jazz bassists of today, but for his performances on hundreds of albums and in concert with artists such as David Sanborn, Chick Corea, Sting, McCoy Tyner, Diana Krall, Natalie Cole, Kathleen Battle and George Benson. Six-time Grammy Award nominee Nnenna Freelon (April 1, 2011) returns to Philadelphia performing hits from her hot new album, Homefree a mix of tunes that Freelon identifies as feeling at home in your own skin which bubble with the energy and creativeness that have become her hallmarks. Freelon has shared the stage and appeared on recordings with music icons such as Herbie Hancock, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, the Count Basie Orchestra and more, and recently she s been heard and seen in the feature film What Women Want, as well as on the Emmy and Golden Globe winning TV show Mad Men. AFRICAN ROOTS SERIES One of the world s most versatile artists, Hugh Masekela is considered one of the most thrilling live performers around (Rolling Stone). Over the course of a 40-year career during which he has collaborated with a myriad of international artists from Paul Simon to Dizzie Gillespie to Ladysmith Black Mambazo to Alvin Ailey this extraordinary trumpeter and composer has mixed the music of his native South African roots with the pop-jazz of the 1960s. Masekela s Grammy award-winning hit Grazing in the Grass sold over four million copies and made him an international star while his Broadway smash musical Sarafina introduced the sounds and passion of South African music to theatre audiences. Now, this living legend stops in Philadelphia for one night only (October 8, 2010) to perform classic favorites as well as hits from his new album Phola. The incredible worldwide sensation Ladysmith Black Mambazo returns by popular demand to the Annenberg Center (March 18, 2011) to perform hits from their new Grammy -winning album, Ilembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu. For more than 40 years, this eight-member vocal group has opened doors to South African culture through music, dance and singing, marrying the intricate rhythms and harmonies of their native South African musical traditions to the sounds and sentiments of Christian gospel music and continues to sell-out venues worldwide. The powerhouse a cappella vocal group Take 6 performs an evening of uplifting gospel music (April 30, 2011). Considered a throwback to an earlier, more genteel era of African American music, this charismatic sextet sings in a contemporary style, integrating R&B and jazz influences into their

7 Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Announces 2010/11 Season Page 7 devotional songs. The award-winning group has collaborated with music icons such as Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Ray Charles, Queen Latifah, Brian McKnight and Quincy Jones. IRISH ROOTS SERIES She's been called a "sensation" by Billboard magazine and "the Jimi Hendrix of the violin" by the New York Times. Fiddler Eileen Ivers has established herself as the pre-eminent exponent of the Irish fiddle in the world today and a pioneer of Celtic music. Ivers returns to the Annenberg Center with her band Immigrant Soul for one night only, performing hits from her new album Beyond the Bog Road (September 25, 2010). With roots in traditional Irish music, two-time Grammy Award winner Kathy Mattea performs hits from her latest album, Coal, inspired by the Sago, West Virginia Mine Disaster of 2006 (October 30, 2010). Singer of such classics as 18 Wheels and A Dozen Roses and Where ve You Been, Mattea has collected nearly a dozen songs about the human and environmental costs of coal mining in her native West Virginia. Also part of the October 30 program A champion of Al Gore s An Inconvenient Truth, Mattea will speak about the importance of fighting global warming and the environmental and physical devastation of coal mining. Hailed by The Irish Times as traditional musicians with attitude, Slide (Ireland) has made a name for themselves with their ability to combine traditional Irish music with contemporary hits. Featuring festive fiddling, traditional Irish tunes and holiday favorites, the group performs a special Irish Christmas Celebration (December 11, 2010). Among Ireland's biggest names in traditional Irish music, Altan embarks on a three-continent tour in celebration of their 25th anniversary that includes a special one-night performance at the Annenberg Center (March 19, 2011). The group will perform tunes from their recently released 25th Anniversary Celebration album. BY LOCAL SERIES The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts continues its dedication to local Philadelphia artists during the 2010/11 By Local Series. Funded in part through The Wallace Foundation and the National Endowment from the Arts, and curated by the Annenberg Center s Director of Operations Madison Cario, the series showcases both emerging and established Philadelphia talent. The 2010/11 By Local season features an eclectic mix of world and classical music performances, as well as theatre and dance performances and even Chinese puppetry. The 2010/11 By Local Series at the Annenberg Center presents a sampling of the high quality, entertaining and stimulating work of Philadelphia-based artists. This season features an eclectic mix of music, dance and theatre, and of course those events that defy definition, said Cario.

8 Page 8 Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Announces 2010/11 Season Zydeco is a syncopated dance music originally created at house dances, where families and friends gathered for socializing. At its core it is the sound of an accordion paired with the scraping of a washboard known as a rubboard. The Philadelphia-based Zydeco band, Zydeco-A-Go-Go, who is in demand up and down the East Coast, will keep Annenberg audiences dancing all night long with its highenergy performance (October 9, 2010). FLATLAND 2010 by idiosyncrazy productions is a physical theatre work directed and designed by Jumatatu Poe that examines contemporary human (mis-)communication. A diverse cast of 11 athletic performers explores what happens to human relationships in a flattened world of abbreviation and oversimplification (January 15, 2011). Serafin String Quartet debuted in New York in 2004 to a sold-out crowd at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, and has consistently received superlatives in the press and ovations ever since. The quartet performs Sky Quartet by 2010 Grammy Award and Pulitzer Prize winning Philadelphia composer Jennifer Higdon, as well as works by Barber and Bartók (February 4, 2011). Celebrate the Chinese New Year with Hua Hua s Visual Expressions and The Monkey King (February 11-12, 2011). Hua-Hua is committed to using Chinese puppet art to explore universal themes and ideas through visual cross-cultural expression, using theatrical performances and educational programs. This production of The Monkey King uses contemporary shadow puppetry with 3-D masks and scenery with music by Chinese composer Liang Liang and American composer (and Pennsylvania resident) Mary Knysh. The play remains faithful to the colorful and zany spirit of the original, but its biting satire will now be Americanized with targets including politicians, health insurance, drug companies and sex. Nice People Theatre Company Have a Nice Life: A Theraputic Musical (March 12, 2011) follows the story of seven eccentric characters whose lives come together for better (or worse) during a 90- minute group therapy session. Hailed by the Fringe Review as a work of true brilliance after a successful run last summer at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, this sharp-witted musical comedy performed by the incredible talent of this up and coming Philadelphia theatre company is about the barriers we put up and what happens when they come crashing down. PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts joins together with arts and cultural organizations throughout the city for the inaugural Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA). For three weeks, from April 7 through May 1, 2011, participating audiences will enjoy an array of one-time, onlyin-philadelphia productions by many of the region s top talents. PIFA will feature music, dance, fashion, fine arts, poetry, cuisine, and more in homage to the artistic energy of Paris from

9 Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Announces 2010/11 Season Page 9 As part of the Festival, The Annenberg Center will present Basil Twist s Petrushka. Originally commissioned for the Lincoln Center for The Performing Arts, this innovative work breathes new magic into the legendary 1911 Ballets Russes production of Petrouchka. It tells of the tragic love triangle between three magical, life-size puppets the clown Petrushka, the alluring Ballerina and the dashing Moor whose stories emerge amidst the swirl of the Russian carnival. Russian identical twin pianists, Julia and Irina Elkina, perform a specially created two piano version of Stravinsky's masterpiece while nine hidden puppeteers combine Czech and Japanese puppetry traditions. Performances are made possible by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage through Dance Advance. ARITSTS & AUDIENCES CHANGING LIVES During the 2009/10 season, the Annenberg Center launched an innovative free membership program that showcased performers who were selected not only because of their unique artistry but also because of their tireless support of important causes. Members of the Artists & Audiences Changing Lives program received background materials prior to attending a performance, invitations to artist discussions to hear first-hand about their work and an opportunity to donate 10% of their ticket purchase towards the artist s cause, all at no additional cost. The program also provides the opportunity to network with other audience members who share the desire to help those in need. Artists & Audiences Changing Lives returns during the 2010/11 season and again features an incredible lineup of artists whose reputations as talented world-class artists are as synonymous with their reputations as humanitarians. Artists featured as part of the program include Grammy Award winner Terence Blanchard, whose work, A Tale of God s Will (A Requiem for Katrina) was a response to the ongoing tragedy in his hometown of New Orleans after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005; jazz bassist Christian McBride celebrates Black History Month with his work, The Movement, Revisited, a tribute to the great icons of the civil rights crusade; and the South African vocal ensemble Ladysmith Black Mambazo, who are tireless supporters for the education of the children of South Africa and have created their own foundation, The Mambazo Foundation, to support their work. For more information about the program, please visit AnnenbergCenter.org/ACL. PRE- AND POST-SHOW ENHANCEMENT EVENTS The Annenberg Center offers many exciting pre- and post-performance events to learn from artists and Penn professors, chat with fellow arts lovers and experience the arts firsthand. A full schedule of enhancement events will be made available prior to the start of the season at /11 SUBSCRIPTIONS

10 Page 10 Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Announces 2010/11 Season For the second straight season, ticket prices will remain steady, with no increase for subscriptions. Subscribers receive a savings of up to 30% off regular ticket prices and continue to have the benefit of free unlimited exchanges on all subscription tickets during the 2010/11 season. Other subscriber benefits include free ticket replacement, priority seating and other special promotional offers, including parking discounts and discounts at restaurants and shops around town. Subscribers have the opportunity to purchase additional tickets to any of the season s Dance Celebration or Annenberg Center Presents shows at a 10% discount. Current subscribers may renew their subscriptions through July 23, 2010 and keep the same seats. Single tickets will go on sale at the end of August. Traditional series subscription packages are available for the Theatre, Dance Celebration, African Roots, Irish Roots, and Jazz series. Series subscriptions for the Dance Celebration series are available in three, five, or seven show packages. Series subscriptions for the Jazz series and the Irish Roots series are available in three or four show packages. Also available at this time is the popular Signature Series, a three show package designed for those who enjoy the ability to customize their own subscription and pick and chose across different genres. New this season, additional three show subscription packages include the Celebration Series, highlighting the best of the 2010/11 season, and the Discovery Series, for those who enjoy trying new things and being challenged by the unfamiliar. Subscription prices range from $51-$261. A $9 processing fee is added to each subscritpion. Subscriptions can be purchased online by visiting AnnenbergCenter.org, over the phone by calling or by visiting the Annenberg Center Box Office. Group sales tickets are also on sale now. Groups of 10 or more enjoy a 25% discount off ticket prices. For group sales, call or groups@ac.upenn.edu. Single tickets will be on sale in August. The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts The University of Pennsylvania s Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts has been the region's leading multi-disciplinary performance venue for theatre, dance, jazz, world music, new music and children s programming since its inception in The Annenberg Center s curatorial vision emphasizes four primary values: artistic integrity, cultural diversity, curatorial balance and a willingness to take risks. By presenting world-renowned and cutting edge artists and companies who express adventuresome perspectives on contemporary issues, timeless ideas and diverse cultures, the Annenberg Center promotes critical thinking and dialogue among its audiences, creating a uniquely rewarding arts experience. The Annenberg Center has achieved national recognition for its outstanding Dance Celebration series (presented in partnership with Philadelphia's Dance Affiliates), touring theatre series, and for its superior offerings for children, including both its Student Discovery Series and the acclaimed 26-yearold Philadelphia International Children s Festival, the oldest festival of its kind in the United States. Through a generous grant from The Wallace Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Local series. Annenberg Center also showcases its commitment to local artists each year through its By

11 Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Announces 2010/11 Season Page 11 Throughout its history, the Annenberg Center has presented innovative and critically-acclaimed theatre productions with some of the biggest stars of stage and screen including Liv Ullmann and Sam Waterston in A Doll's House, A Streetcar Named Desire with Glenn Close, Jessica Tandy in Beckett's Not I, and Tennessee Williams' Sweet Bird of Youth with Irene Worth and Christopher Walken. University of Pennsylvania alumnus and noteworthy Broadway producer and director Harold Prince staged many of his plays at the Annenberg Center before taking them to Broadway. Dance Celebration Founded by Artistic Director Randolph F. Swartz, Dance Celebration is the Greater Philadelphia region's major contemporary dance series and a nationally-recognized leader in its field. For the past 28 seasons, Dance Celebration has been a collaboration between Dance Affiliates and Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. The Dance Celebration annual series engages a broad range of world-class and emerging dance companies each season. As a major cultural asset to the city and region, the program helps enhance the quality of life of both residents and visitors. Supporting Dance Celebration's primary mission of presenting and commissioning is a commitment to the presentation of diverse styles and choreography, cultures and nationalities; the cultivation of broadly-based adult and children's audiences; the enrichment of the school curriculum through quality children's matinees, arts education, and outreach; collaborations with performing arts partners in the field; and service to the local dance community through workshops, master classes, seminars and symposia. Throughout its illustrious history, Dance Celebration has had ancillary series including the edgy NextMove Festival ( ), the groundbreaking Monday Night Series ( ), and numerous special events ( ). Nikolais Dance Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Pilobolus Dance Theater and Murray Louis Dance Company launched the inaugural season at Annenberg Center in 1983, followed in subsequent years by modern dance legends Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, Alvin Ailey, Bella Lewitsky and Jose Limón. For additional press information or to set up interviews, please contact: Lauren Saul, Marketing and Communications Manager phone: ; lasaul@ac.upenn.edu # # #