The Kimmel Center’s Fourth Annual Summer in the City Gala Journeys on an African Safari, Wednesday, May 24, 2006
May 5, 2006
Each year the Kimmel Center transforms itself into a unique and chic new environment to celebrate the diversity of its programming and hold its annual fundraising gala. This year, on Wednesday, May 24, Africa is the theme at the Kimmel Center’s fourth annual Summer in the City with An African Adventure, as the breathtaking grasslands of the African savannah come to Philadelphia, complete with the sights and sounds and tastes of the cultural richness of Africa. Guests will be able to celebrate with gourmet cuisine and all night dancing, as well as gambling in the “Lion Sands Casino”, all to benefit the Kimmel Center Inc.’s education and community access programs as well as the diverse offerings of the Kimmel Center Presents performance series. Guests are invited to “dress fabulous” in summer cocktail attire for this hot evening of dining, dancing and entertainment.
The 2006 Summer in the City Gala Committee is chaired by Rosemary and William Hankowsky and Christine and Paul Tufano, and vice-chaired by Roberta and Carl Dranoff. (Mr. Hankowsky and Mr. Tufano are the Chair and Secretary, respectively, of the Kimmel Center Board of Directors.) Honorary chairs are Caroline and Sidney Kimmel, Governor Edward G. Rendell, Naomi Post-Street and the Honorable John F. Street. The Gala Advisory Board is made up of Pamela Berkman, Catherine Clifton, Gloria Drosdick, Anne Hamilton, Christina Lurie, Marsha Perelman, Louise Reed and Molly Rouse Terlevich.
“Africa will be on the minds of the entire Philadelphia region with the Lion King’s full summer-long engagement at the Academy of Music—a first in Philadelphia—so an African adventure theme was the perfect choice for this year’s Kimmel Center Gala,” said Janice Price, President and CEO of the Kimmel Center. “We are particularly excited about the planned entertainment for the evening. The Kimmel Center is dedicated to bringing a rich diversity of programming to Philadelphia, and we are certain that the Gala Concert, featuring rhythms and melodies from West Africa, will set the tone for a summer replete with vibrant, rousing entertainment,” Price said.
The 2006 Summer in the City festivities begin at 6pm in the Kimmel Center Plaza as guests arrive on a “zebra striped carpet“ instead of the traditional red carpet normally used at gala events, passing through thatch huts and jungle décor, to enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, with music by Universal African Drum and Dance Ensemble to set the stage.
At 7pm guests move to Perelman Theater for the musical portion of the evening by the stunning and musically vibrant Gangbé Brass Band comes from Benin in West Africa. They will be joined by a local favorite from New Jersey, the Universal African Drum and Dance Ensemble. Dinner follows at 8pm in the Commonwealth Plaza, as well as on the Kimmel Center’s spacious Tiers. At 9pm, the Safari spills over to a starlit dance party in the Commonwealth Plaza with Philadelphia radio icon Jerry Blavat. For guests looking to make a friendly wager on various games of chance, such as blackjack, roulette and more, the Lion Sands Casino opens its tables at 9pm in the Tier 1 Lounge, with all proceeds to benefit the Kimmel Center.
The Gangbé Brass Band was created in 1994 when eight musicians from Cotonou, Benin came together. These young jazz musicians formed to create an unusual fusion of traditional styles and promote the originality of the music of Benin. The result is definitely both modern and traditional, as it mixes jazz and time-honored Benin idioms. Using traditional rhythms while invigorating them with jazz harmonies, the fusion reveals as much as possible of the musical tradition while setting a western tone to link the past and future. They sing in vernacular language about life in general, political injustices and the tribulations of women.
"The first few notes from the Gangbé Brass Band ring out like a clarion call: These musicians will celebrate anything that gets them drunk on sound. In the band's dizzyingly gorgeous horn lines, rolling vamps carry sunny African Chorales, and polyrhythmic voodoo grooves host harmonies that slide in all directions at once. The music just plain sings." - The New York Times
The Universal African Dance & Drum Ensemble is one of the largest professional groups in the U.S. They continue to electrify audiences with their dazzling dancers, drummers, ground masquerades and acrobatic show. Their performances draw on cultural and musical traditions from all over the African continent. They have performed at the United Nations-NY, NJPAC, Tweeter Center and the famous UniverSoul Circus.
Tickets are $200-$1,000 and are still available. To purchase tickets, please call 215-790-7171. For corporate tables call 215-670-2377.
Kimmel Center, Inc., a charitable, not-for-profit organization, owns, manages, supports and maintains The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, which includes Verizon Hall, Perelman Theater, Innovation Studio and the Merck Arts Education Center. Kimmel Center, Inc. also manages the Academy of Music, owned by the Philadelphia Orchestra Association. The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and the Academy of Music serve as home to eight Resident Company performing arts organizations, including The Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ballet, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, American Theater Arts for Youth, PHILADANCO, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and Peter Nero and the Philly Pops®. Kimmel Center, Inc.’s mission also includes arts in education, community outreach and a rich diversity of programming through its Kimmel Center Presents and Broadway at the Academy series of performances.
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