It’s high quality and it’s cheap. It’s
international and local. It’s easy to get to and hard to leave.
Get out your daily planners, because I’m only going to write
this one time.
And for the love of God, don’t tell your Manhattan friends.
Celebrate Brooklyn kicks off its 2002 season of performances
at the Prospect Park band shell on June 20 with a weekend of
"multicultural funk and Dominican music" beginning
with a performance by the New Orleans doctor of boogie – Dr.
John, that is.
Although the festival is 24 years old, co-producer Jack Walsh
is keeping it vital by tweaking everything from the concession
stand (now catered by Park Slope’s Two Boots) to the roster of
performers, which has swelled with the inclusion of the Lincoln
Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis on July 5.
"I certainly think that we’ve tried to achieve our usual,
unusual mix," Walsh said of the 2002 lineup.
This year’s Celebrate Brooklyn is an abundant harvest of 26 performances
culled from the international scene as well as this borough’s
resident masters, like the Mark Morris Dance Group and the Brooklyn
Philharmonic. Walsh is also presenting Flatbush hip-hop artist
Talib Kweli, formerly of Black Star with Mos Def, on July 19
and the "pan-Latino flair" of Si Se, featuring Carol
C of Flatbush and Neil Ochoa of Fort Greene, on Aug. 9.
"The mix changes from year to year," said Walsh. "Last
year there was a lot of world music, and this year, there’s rock
’n’ roll, too. We’ve got great, perennial underground favorite
Yo La Tengo on July 12."
Also new are benefit concerts, and a "ramped up" membership
program, "Friends of Celebrate Brooklyn."
"We were definitely affected by the soft economy and post-Sept.
11 events, but we are thrilled we could present as full a schedule
as we have," said Walsh.
"We didn’t have to cut back dramatically," he explained,
as a result of a "Andrew Mellon Foundation post-Sept. 11
fund grant," benefit concerts planned for August and the
improved membership program which provides benefits ranging from
T-shirts to parties to an exclusive "Friends Tent,"
in exchange for donations of $25 and more.
Tickets for the benefit concerts are $30 for the Aug. 17 performance
by Jamaican reggae artists Capleton & Friends, and $37.50
for the "smorgasbord of cult groups" on Aug. 24 and
Aug. 25 at 4:30 pm. The lineup on those days features "folk-hip-hop-soul-country-funk-alterna-rockers"
Cake, as well as "indie heroes" Modest Mouse; "post-punk,
acid bubble gum surrealist pop stars" The Flaming Lips;
boho rap founding fathers De la Soul; and the electronic samples,
house and Latino rhythms of Kinky, "who are coming out of
the rocking Espanol scene of Mexico City," said Walsh.
Admission to the rest of the Celebrate Brooklyn performances
is technically free, though a $3 donation is encouraged.
On Friday, July 26 at 8 pm, Fort Greene’s Mark Morris Dance Group
will return to dance "Canonic 3/4 Studies" (1982),
"The Argument" (1999) and "Gloria" (1984).
They will be accompanied by Mark Morris musical director and
pianist Ethan Iverson and cellist Wolfram Koessel.
(Perhaps the troupe was lured back to the band shell by the roaring
standing ovation it received after last year’s rain-delayed performance.)
The Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of Grant
Llewelleyn (music director of the Handel & Haydn Society),
will perform a huge show on July 27. In addition to Gershwin’s
"Porgy & Bess" suite with three guest vocalists
and a chorus joining the orchestra, the program will also feature
a tribute to Queen Elizabeth’s 50th anniversary on the British
throne.
Fleet of foot
Additional highlights of the 2002 season include a performance
on June 28 by Sarah Harmer and her band, who spent last summer
on tour with the rock group Barenaked Ladies, and three new dance
works, commissioned by Celebrate Brooklyn, to be performed by
choreographers David Neumann and NicholasLeichterDance on Aug.
2.
According to Celebrate Brooklyn co-producer Rachel Charnoff "each
of them had admired each other’s work, they both teach at NYU,
so they agreed to do a duet.
"They are very physical dancers, two great, handsome, but
very different, dancers working on this duet," said Charnoff.
"David Neumann had done a piece with Laurie Anderson; he’s
very collaborative and up and coming. He crosses that boundary
between acting and performance.
"Nick is a very sexy choreographer who works a lot with
very contemporary, stylish music." As choreographers-in-residence,
Neumann and Leichter will also host an open rehearsal-lecture-demonstration
at the Prospect Park Picnic House on July 31 to share the techniques
used in creating their new works.
Screen gems
In addition to showcasing a wide swath of music and dance, Celebrate
Brooklyn has several film screenings including Harold Lloyd’s
1928 film "Speedy" with a score performed live by the
returning Alloy Orchestra on July 18; Walt Disney’s "Fantasia"
on July 25; and Alfred Hitchcock’s "North by Northwest"
on Aug. 1.
Not only is Walsh bringing rock back to the band shell stage,
he’s bringing it back to the silver screen. In recognition of
the 25th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death, Celebrate Brooklyn
will screen the 1957 film "Jailhouse Rock," with its
Lieber-Stoller score, on Aug. 8 at 7:30 pm.
"The film is black-and-white, but it’s in Cinemascope, wide
format, and it will be awe inspiring," said Walsh. "It’s
unanimously hailed as Elvis’ best movie – and we all know there
are a lot of his films that had left a lot to be desired – but
the direction [by Richard Thorpe] is excellent."
The film will be preceded by an Elvis tribute performed by the
Losers Lounge, assembled by Patty Lenhart and Williamsburg resident
Joe McGinty.
Walsh also emphasized that "film purists" will be pleased
that the festival shows 35-mm, good quality film prints on its
50-foot wide screen.
There are still a large core of international performers in this
year’s festival – too numerous to name here – including the 11th
annual "African Festival" on July 13, which Walsh calls
his "strongest lineup ever" and on June 30, their first
"Kreyol Festival," a day-long Haitian celebration of
music and culture.
With the help of Celebrate Brooklyn, it seems that Brooklyn’s
performing arts off-season is heating up fast.
Celebrate Brooklyn performances take
place June 20-Aug. 25 at the Prospect Park Band Shell (Ninth
Street at Prospect Park West) in Park Slope beginning at 7:45
pm on June 20, with pianist Dr. John.
For a performance schedule, call (718) 855-7882, ext. 45 or visit
the Web site at www.celebratebrooklyn.org.
Rain or shine. A $3 donation is suggested.
Tickets for the Celebrate Brooklyn benefit concerts on Aug. 17,
Aug. 24 and Aug. 25 are available through Ticketmaster, www.ticketmaster.com
or by phone (212) 307-7171.
