Sixth Annual Summer in the City Gala Kicks Off Under the Big Sky in Kimmel Country on
May 7, 2008
Gala To Benefit the Kimmel Center’s Diverse Education and Community Initiatives
The Kimmel Center’s annual Summer in the City Gala features 12-time Grammy® award-winning mandolin phenom Ricky Skaggs and pianist Bruce Hornsby with Kentucky Thunder in a collaborative ground-breaking concert on Saturday, May 31, 2008 at 8:30pm in Verizon Hall, followed by a Summer Storm After-Party sponsored by Citi. Guests will experience the ultimate urban-country setting Under the Big Sky in Kimmel Country with toe-tapping music, high-country cuisine and an after-party to celebrate the diversity of Kimmel Center educational resources and community initiatives at this annual fundraising event.
Festivities begin at 6pm with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres served in the Kimmel Center’s Commonwealth Plaza, a pre-concert event sponsored by Verizon. Guests are then escorted to dine at 7pm in the North or South Carolinas on Tiers One and Two to celebrate in upscale country attire on this night of fabulous entertainment, dining and dancing. Evantine Design will transform Tiers One and Two, Perelman Theater and Commonwealth Plaza into the Big Sky Country. Restaurant Associates’ Chef Thomas McMullen has created an intriguing menu with a variety of Southern inspired soul food from short ribs and truffle mashed potatoes to vegetarian wellington with grits, and more. The Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby with Kentucky Thunder concert, sponsored by Philadelphia Country station 92.5 XTU, follows in Verizon Hall at 8:30pm.
Summer Storm After-Party sponsored by Citi surges into the Commonwealth Plaza at 9:45pm with open bar, fabulous frosty drinks and a kickin’ buffet featuring barbeque and cobblers, cordials and long necks, and more. For line dancing, toe-tappin’ high energy country music, the J. Blackwell Band will perform on the Commonwealth Plaza Stage; and Perelman Theater, the Lightning Club for one night only, is stripped of seats for an open dance floor donned with icy blue bar motifs, and a stellar performance by L.A. Starz, whose front line vocal talents have supported the vocal prowess of Christina Aguilera, Patti Labelle, Black Eyed Peas and others on tour engagements. Additional entertainment varies from an amusing photo booth to Texas Hold ‘Em competitions in the Plaza.
"We’re positive this year’s gala will uplift and inspire Philadelphians to support the Kimmel Center’s various educational programs and community initiatives," said Kimmel Center President and CEO Anne Ewers, "especially with a bluegrass performance by the phenomenal mandolinist Ricky Skaggs and pianist Bruce Hornsby on stage in Verizon Hall. These special events are not possible without the leadership of the Gala Advisory Committee, led by Gala Advisory Chair Louise Reed, who step forward out of their belief in the importance of the Kimmel Center and their commitment to our artistic and educational goals."
The 2008 Summer in the City Gala Advisory Chair is Kimmel Center Board member Louise Reed. Members of the Gala Advisory Committee include: Catherine R. Clifton, Gloria Drosdick, Anne Hamilton, Rosemary Hankowsky, Molly Rouse-Terlevich, and Carole P. Shanis. Members of the Gala Committee include: Gary J. and Kathy Z. Anderson, Jennifer and Hugh Anderson, William and Sharon Avery, Sally and Roland Bullard II, Laura and Bill Buck, Catherine R. and Anthony A. Clifton, Suzanne and Norman Cohn, Sarah Miller Coulson and Frank Coulson Jr., Susan W. and Cummins Catherwood, Jr., Kristin and Brian P. Daly, Jacqueline and Mitchell Dickman, Richard and JoAnn Gadzicki, Harold and Lynne Honickman, Todd Hummel and C.W. Markham III, Mr. and Mrs. D. Christopher Le Vine, Ellen and Jerry Lee, Mitchell and Hilarie Morgan, Leanne and Robert McMenamin, Margaret Anne and Jim Nolen, Ruth and Raymond G. Perelman, Lyette and Bruce Richards, Lyn and George Ross, Keith and Jim Straw, Thomas J. and Jane C. Sullivan, Connie and Sankey Williams, Leslie Miller and Richard Worley, Diane Dalto Woosnam and Richard Woosnam, Brooksley and Jim Wylie, Gordon Yasinow, Michael Zisman and Linda Gamble. Members of the Corporate Committee include: Co-Chairs William E. Brown and William B. Petersen; ABM Mid-Atlantic, Inc.; Bentley Graphics; Blank Rome; Canada Dry Delaware; Citi; Comcast Family of Companies; Cozen O’Connor; Dunleavy and Associates; Fluidics; Gabrielle and Al Rinaldi, Jacobs Music; JP Morgan Securities; Liberty Property Trust; Lincoln Financial Group; Jeffrey and Christina Lurie, Philadelphia Eagles; Montgomery, McCracken; PECO Energy; Philadelphia Newspapers; S.R. Wojdak & Associates; Sunoco, Inc., Verizon Pennsylvania.
Bluegrass music’s official ambassador Ricky Skaggs continues to lead the recent roots revival in music as an accomplished singer and mandolin player. The 12-time Grammy® award winner has brought the genre to greater levels of popularity in the past few years than the father of blue grass music, the legendary Bill Monroe. Recent albums include Bluegrass Rules! (1998), Ancient Tones (1999), Soldier of the Cross (2000) and Big Mon: The Songs of Bill Monroe (2000), History of the Future (2001), Live at the Charleston Music Hall (2003), Brand New Strings (2005), and Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder Instrumentals (2007). The eponymous 2007 CD was "one of the most memorable projects I’ve ever done" raves Skaggs.
"Skaggs and Hornsby played two screamed-for encores, giving the people what they paid for: feel-good Americana and virtuoso musicianship."
Grammy® winning pianist Bruce Hornsby has shown a range of versatility as a bluegrass, pop, jam band and jazz artist, whose ten albums have sold over 11 million copies worldwide. His top ten hits include "Mandolin Rain," "End of the Innocence" and "The Way It Is." He has collaborated with the "who’s who" in the music business, having played on over 100 records over the years including albums by Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, Don Henley, Bob Seger, Stevie Nicks, Cowboy Junkies, Bonne Raitt and more; his music has appeared as two end-title songs for two Spike Lee movies, Clockers (with Chaka Khan) and Bamboozled. In addition, Hornsby was a part-time member of the Grateful Dead from September 1990 to March 1992, having performed over 100 concerts with the group and appeared on four Dead albums.
Summer in the City raises critical funds for the Kimmel Center’s education programs including the curriculum-based performing arts classes serving grades 5-12, student matinees, Dance in the Schools Initiative, the Teen Summer Arts Camp and the Kimmel Center Youth Jazz Ensemble. Each of these programs, with the exception of the low-cost student matinees, are free of charge to every child.
Gala tickets start at $750 per person and special packages are still available. Summer Storm After-Party tickets are $225 per person ($100 tax deductible). Concert tickets are $65 and $55 per person. To purchase tickets, please call 215-790-7171 or visit the Kimmel Center website at www.kimmelcenter.org.
Kimmel Center Presents 2007/2008 season is sponsored by Citi. Support for the Mellon Jazz Series comes from The Bank of New York Mellon. The Great Orchestra Series is supported by ARC Wheeler. Additional support is provided by the University of Pennsylvania Health System and American Express. American Airlines is the Official Airline of Kimmel Center Presents. Toyota is the Official Vehicle of Kimmel Center Presents Mellon Jazz, Mellon Jazz Up Close and World & Pop.
The Kimmel Center also receives support from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, The William Penn Foundation, The Wachovia Foundation, Verizon Foundation, PNC Foundation, The Philadelphia Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, and the Philadelphia Music Project and Dance Advance, Initiatives of The Pew Charitable Trust administered by The University of the Arts. In-kind support is generously provided by Deloitte. NBC-10 is a Media Partner for Kimmel Center Presents, and additional media sponsors include WDAS, WRTI, WJJZ, Afro-Pop, WXPN and WXPN's Kids Corner 20th Anniversary.
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