IMAGINE Festival + the Republican Natl Convention in NYC...

From:"Patrick Kowalczyk" <[email protected]>
To:[email protected]
Subject: Imagine Festival Unveiled
Date:Wed, 2 Jun 2004 11:10:48 -0400


For Immediate Release
Contact: Patrick Kowalczyk, [email protected]
Michael Kaminer Public Relations, 212.627.8098

IMAGINE FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES CITYWIDE ARTS FESTIVAL

IN RESPONSE TO REPUBLICAN CONVENTION IN NEW YORK;

NEW YORK ARTS COMMUNITY FOCUSES ON ISSUES NOT POLITICS

www.nyamerica.org

New York (May 26, 2004) Using art, not politics or protest, to
confront the critical issues facing the nation, a stunningly
diverse coalition of New York City arts organizations today
unveiled plans for a major citywide festival with more than 100
events the week of Republican National Convention.

Led by a group of New Yorks most innovative and accomplished
artists, the Imagine Festival of Arts, Issues and Ideas will be
"a powerful reminder of how the arts can bring people together
to explore ideas, challenge beliefs, and open minds. This is
what the arts do best," according to Whitney Museum
producer Boo Froebel, the festivals co-executive producer.

The festival boasts a stellar and diverse roster of artists
from all disciplines ranging from film director John Sayles,
musician Marc Anthony Thompson of Chocolate Genius Inc., and
comedian Margaret Cho to Def Poetry Jam co-founder Danny Simmons,
author E.L. Doctorow, and Urban Bush Women choreographer Jawole
Willa Jo Zollar.

"We see the Republican National Convention as an incredible
opportunity," said Chris Wangro, co-executive producer of Imagine
Festival, whose credits as a producer include the Popes 1995
Mass in Central Park. "A half million people, including 15,000
journalists, are coming to New York City for the convention."

Dozens of venues throughout the city - from the hippest clubs and
performance spaces to the citys most prestigious cultural
institutions - will present events during the festival including
Joes Pub, The Point, Symphony Space, Dance Theater Workshop,
Galapagos Art Space and The Apollo.

Kicking off two days prior to the Republican National Convention
on August 28th, the six-day festival will showcase concerts,
performances, cabaret, poetry slams, screenings, exhibits, panel
discussions and large-scale street theater. Each day of the
festival will explore a specific issue, beginning on
August 28th with Freedom, followed by Community, Democracy,
Justice, Prosperity, and concluding on September 2nd with Future.

(more)

"The streets will come alive during the Republican National
Convention." according to Wangro. "Opinions will be voiced at
fever pitch. Both parties will issue highly manicured public
statements. We need a third space to counter the spin from both
these extremes. The Imagine Festival is thatthird space."

"People are disillusioned by the sound bites and disheartened by the
cynicism coming from both political parties," said Wangro. "We can do
better. The Imagine Festival pulls together this countrys brightest
and most creative. By uniting these voices, this festival will make
a positive statement and ignite the publics imagination."

"After all," added Froebel, "New York City is home to the worlds most
vibrant and passionate arts community - a community that has a long
history of using art and performance to instigate, entertain, and
inspire."

Imagine Festival highlights include:

Comedian Margaret Cho will kick off the festival on August 28th with
the world premiere of her State of Emergency World Tour at the Apollo
Theatre.

Hosted by Def Poetry Jam co-founder Danny Simmons, Dance Theater
Workshop presents an evening of young poets from Urban Word NYCs Teen
Poetry Slam.

The Thalia Follies, a political satire featuring original sketches by
E.L.Doctorow, Roy Blount, Jr., and Mary Gordon among others, runs every
night of the festival at Symphony Space. After each performance, a
simulcast of the convention will be presented in the Leonard Nimoy Thalia
Theater.

Stand Up For Choice, an all-star evening of music and comedy
dedicated to women's health, will be presented in partnership with
Planned Parenthood at The Beacon Theater.

Hosted by Andy Borowitz at The Bitter End, The Moth storytelling
collective presents Listen Up: Stories of Squeaky Wheels.

Joes Pub will present several artists, among them Tammy Faye
Starlite, the lovechild of Loretta Lynn and Lenny Bruce, a
gospel-country-musicionary who happily skewers one and all.

A staged reading of Sophocles Electra with Marisa Tomei and Kathleen
Chalfant and directed by Lawrence Sacharow at the New York Public
Library of Performing Arts Dorothy and Lewis B Cullman Center at Lincoln
Center.

Asia Society presents The Forgiveness Project, composed by Eve
Beglarian and based on a classic Chinese opera about a warrior's revenge.

Musician Marc Anthony Thompson of Chocolate Genius Inc. will serve as
musical director for an all-star evening at The Apollo Theater on
September 2nd.

Please see attached document for a more complete listing of festival
programming.

The Imagine Festival of Arts, Issues & Ideas is produced by NY,
America, a non-profit organization of artists and producers committed
to engaging the public in civic discourse through events that unite
the arts, sciences, and humanities.




Patrick Kowalczyk
Michael Kaminer PR | 212.627.8098
1123 Broadway Suite 805 | New York, NY 10010
www.mkpr.com


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