Country singer Emmylou Harris is lending
her considerable talents to Celebrate Brooklyn’s first-ever benefit
concert on Aug. 7.
On tour with her band Spyboy, Harris is supporting her latest
album, "Red Dirt Girl" (Nonesuch, 2000), and in the
process will help the 23-year-old concert series sustain itself.
Jack Walsh, co-producer of Celebrate Brooklyn, explains that
the concert series, which is free but carries a suggested admission/donation
of $3, survives on the donations of audience members and sponsors,
yet still needs additional revenue.
"We offer the audience ways to support the festival, like
the slogan, ’Keep it great, give 3 at the gate,’ and the friends
of Celebrate Brooklyn [membership program]. This was an idea
we’ve seen other folks do – libraries do fundraiser concerts
– and we’re a concert series. It made sense."
The August Celebrate Brooklyn lineup has a top-notch program
ranging from film to dance to music, literally offering something
for everyone. The series has commissioned dances by Ben Munisteri
and rhythMEK, who have been deemed Celebrate Brooklyn’s artists-in-residence,
for Aug. 4 at 7:30 pm.
Brooklyn’s own Mark Morris Dance Group will perform Aug. 10 at
8 pm.
For film buffs, "The Blue Angel" (1930) starring Marlene
Dietrich as Lola Lola, with an original score performed live
by The BQE Project, will be a delight on Aug. 2 at 7:30 pm.
On Aug. 9 at 7:30 pm, the star-studded "Around the World
in Eighty Days" featuring cameos by 40 stars and filmed
on exotic locales around the world, will be screened.
On Aug. 3, Culture and Judah Eskender Tafari will perform reggae
music, and on Aug. 11, the Boricua Festival, a celebration of
Puerto Rican culture, will keep the audience dancing from noon
to 9 pm.
The series ends with an African music festival blowout on Aug.
19, from 1 pm to 9 pm, featuring music from all over Africa and
culminating with a performance by Senegalese Afro-pop superstar
Baaba Maal at 7:30 pm.
Celebrate Brooklyn hopes its benefit concert will be its first
annual fundraiser, but Walsh was also excited by the fact that
it drew an artist of Harris’ stature to the Prospect Park Bandshell.
"She’s a great artist," said Walsh. "We have a
lot of different cores to our audience, and she’ll appeal to
our country fans. She’s a touring artist who is several cuts
above anyone else we were able to present for free.
"We’ll see if this benefit concert idea is something we
can make a part of each season. It’s a bit of an experiment.
We’re hoping it’s another way our audience will support us, and
see an incredible artist."
Emmylou Harris will perform at 7:30 pm at the Prospect Park
Bandshell (Ninth Street at Prospect Park West in Park Slope).
Tickets are $45 and $25 and are available through Ticketmaster,
(212) 307-7171 and at prior Celebrate Brooklyn performances at
the Information Booth. For more information, call (718) 855-7882,
ext. 45 or visit the Web site at www.celebratebrooklyn.org.
