Summer Solstice Celebration All Day and Night!
June 1, 2006
19 Hours of Entertainment in Every Corner of the Kimmel Center
Performer Line-Up Announced, Including Clifton Davis, Buried Beds, King Britt, Bubboon’s Tunes, and More
The Kimmel Center’s all day and night Summer Solstice Celebration, featuring 19 hours of entertainment in all venues of Philadelphia’s performing arts landmark, will be highlighted by music and events in all corners of the Kimmel Center. Summer Solstice takes place on Saturday June 24, 2006. Beginning at 11am with two family friendly performances by the Philadelphia Orchestra, music and events are drawn from the deep resources of the Philadelphia talent pool and will include kid-friendly performances as well as classical, blues, R&B, jazz, folk, dance, world music and much more. The list of performers is as long as the night and includes Clifton Davis, Carol Frazier, Xande Cruz and the Batukis Band, Beau Django, Chester County Concert Band, Bubboon's Tunes, Buried Beds and many others.
Jugglers, chair massages, face-painting and more will be stationed in Commonwealth Plaza and on the Hamilton Rooftop Garden. Food will be available throughout the day and night as well as into the morning as those inclined to stay overnight (or get up early) greet the dawn with a sunrise drum circle ceremony for which all are invited to bring their own drum.
Tickets for Summer Solstice are $12 if purchased in advance and $15 on the day of the event. There are no additional fees on phone or web sales. Ticket price includes admission to one of The Philadelphia Orchestra Family Concerts.* Tickets can be purchased online at www.kimmelcenter.org, by calling 215-893-1999, or at the Kimmel Center box office, open daily from 10am to 6pm and later on performance evenings.
NOTE: Check the Kimmel Center website at www.kimmelcenter.org/solstice for performer and schedule updates as new artists continue to be added.
"Keeping their tough promise to bring the noise, the funk and a slew of musical diversity, the Kimmel Center makes good with the ... Summer Solstice Celebration." (City Paper, 2002)
Summer Solstice Celebration
Saturday, June 24 - Sunday, June 25
11am | All Kimmel Center Venues
*The Philadelphia Orchestra (Verizon Hall, 11am and 12:45pm)
Perfect for children ages 6-12 and their families, The Philadelphia Orchestra performs Musorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.
King Britt (Perelman Theater, 12am – 3am)
Philadelphia producer and DJ, King Britt synchronizes different vibrations into metamorphosis of sound and light.
Clifton Davis (Verizon Hall, 7:15pm – 8pm)
Before his appearances on TV in That’s My Mama and Amen, and the film Scott Joplin, Clifton Davis’ legendary songwriting had made its mark with The Jackson 5’s “Never can say Goodbye”. Davis makes a very special appearance in Verizon Hall joined by the Carol Frazier Trio performing original compositions and Broadway standards.
Xande Cruz and the Batukis Band (Perelman Theater, 10pm – 11:45pm)
Mixing Brazilian percussion with turntables, samples, funk guitars, bass, drums, horns and rich vocals, Xande Cruz and the Batukis Band fire up audiences with a sound that’s fresh off the streets, rooted in Afro-Brazilian tradition, and steeped in pop melodies and flavors.
The POPS Principal Brass (Perelman Theater, 3:30pm – 4:15pm)
The POPS Principal brass brings the unbridled enthusiasm seen in their performances with Peter Nero and the Philly POPS to Summer Solstice. The POPS Principal brass will perform popular hits of yesterday and the favorites of today.
Phil Roy
Singer/songwriter Phil Roy, whose songs have been covered by Ray Charles, Mavis Staples and Joe Cocker, will prepare a dinner in tandem with Cadence Restaurant’s chef and perform selections from his new self-produced album. Separate dinner reservations required.
Josh Komorowski (Commonwealth Plaza, 10pm – 11pm)
Lyrically potent and shamelessly heartfelt, Josh Komorowski’s tender yet edgy songwriting has secured his position as an artist on a rise. A native of Philadelphia, Josh has been spreading his poetic and soulful vision across the country.
Buried Beds (Verizon Hall, 11pm – 12am)
On two EPs and their debut full-length Empty Rooms, Philadelphia’s Buried Beds has developed a unique fusion of old-time Americana, indie rock melancholy and classical string arrangements that earned the eight member mini-orchestra the title of Best Band in Philadelphia Magazine’s Best of Philly 2004.
Octavia (Commonwealth Plaza, 12am – 1am)
This vibrant vocalist and harmonica player will perform a blues/jazz mix with keyboardist Marty Mellinger. PA Musician Magazine says, “Octavia’s blues harp playing is freakishly good… Her vocals are sultry combination of velvet and gravel, capable of morphing from a hushed vulnerability into an indignant, bellowing roar.”
Liebesfreud Quartet (Rendell Room, 5pm – 6pm)
With a name meaning “Love’s Joy”, the Liebestreud Quartet’s focus is to explore the “heart” of the classical repertoire. The ensemble, comprised of two violins, viola and cello perform programs of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert and blended with selection from African-American, Italian, Jewish and Russian composers, accentuating their impressive versatility.
The Give & Take Jugglers (Commonwealth Plaza, 12pm and 1:45pm)
This family-oriented new vaudeville troupe combines circus arts, theater, and live music to bring non-stop fun for the whole family. The Ephrata Performing Arts Center said, “Their combination of clown like antics mixed with a hip wit and knowledge of current events kept the adults giggling along with their children!”
POP G (Verizon Hall, 5pm – 5:45pm)
An ensemble of great energy, The Philadelphia Orchestra Percussion Group, or POP G, has a repertoire that ranges from Debussy to Morales-Matos. POP G is a captivating group of passionate professionals that truly reaches out to the community with its riveting rhythms and infectious beats.
Philly Songwriters Project Showcase (Innovation Studio, 9:30pm – 11pm)
The Philly Songwriters Project has been promoting their vision of providing a comfortable and engaging atmosphere for songwriters and audiences alike in theaters and venues around the city for more than two years.
Adam Unsworth Trio
This highly disciplined, truck driving, pavement pounding, nail banging, 8-year Philadelphia Orchestra French hornist debunks the popular music mythology that a classical musician does not equal jazz artist. With his trio, Unsworth embraces the jazz idiom with guile and gusto while performing selections from his new groundbreaking CD excerpt this!.
Ryan Irish Dancers (Commonwealth Plaza, 6pm – 7pm)
Always a Solstice favorite, The Ryan Irish Dancers perform traditional Irish dance with energetic flair and signature colorful costumes.
Lydia Kaminska
Accordionist extraordinaire, Lydia Kaminska performs classical selections.
Chester County Concert Band (Verizon Hall, 3pm – 4pm)
Founded in 1981, The Chester County (PA) Concert Band is a large community band with more than 70 members consisting of amateur musicians from around the region celebrating their 25th anniversary!
Bubboon’s Tunes (Perelman Theater, 1pm and 2pm)
Bill and Jennifer Winegardner, the dynamic duo who are Bubboon’s Tunes, perform such hits as “The Cheese Song” and “The Blather Song”. According to School Library Journal, “[Their] songs are completely goofy and ridiculous, and children will find them vastly entertaining.”
Sunrise | Commonwealth Plaza (5am – 6am)
Leana Song Percussion Ensemble
The public is invited to BYOD (Bring your own drum) to enhance the rhythms as the summer rises over the Kimmel Center’s soaring glass vaulted ceiling. Using Adinka Symbols, or Ghanaian designs which represent ancient proverbs, members of the 12-member African drum ensemble will lead the audience at different stations in Commonwealth Plaza in a fusion of rhythms and call and response to dawn the new day.
Additional performers include: Conjunto 23; Thee Phantom & the Illharmonic Orchestra; Flamenco Ole; Montazh; and Pallavi Mahidhara. Check the Kimmel Center web site for performer updates.
*PLEASE NOTE: Summer Solstice ticket includes complimentary tickets to a The Philadelphia Orchestra Family Concert. If you purchase tickets by phone or at the box office, and you wish to attend either the 11am or the 12:45pm Philadelphia Orchestra Family Concert, your tickets will either be mailed or given to you at the time of purchase. If you purchase online, you will receive a second email to choose which Philadelphia Orchestra Family Concert you prefer. You will then pick up your tickets on the day of the performance (June 24) at the Kimmel Center box office. Seating for the Philadelphia Orchestra Family concerts is limited and subject to availability.
No additional fees on phone or web sales. The Kimmel Center Box Office is open daily from 10am - 6pm. The Call Center is open daily from 9am - 8pm. Call 215-893-1999 for single tickets. TTY callers only, the number is 215-875-7633.
PW is a proud sponsor of the Kimmel Center Presents 2006 Summer Concerts
NBC-10 is a Media Partner for Kimmel Center Presents.
American Airlines is the Official Airline of Kimmel Center Presents.
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