KIMMEL CULTURAL CAMPUS CO-PRESENTS COVID-19 RELIEF CONCERT CHRISTOPHER JACKSON: LIVE FROM THE WEST SIDE  STREAMED LIVE FROM NEW YORK

SATURDAY, AUGUST 15 AT 8 P.M. EST

 DONATIONS OF $40+ ACCEPTED STARTING AUGUST 4TH

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Philadelphia, PA, July 30, 2020): The Kimmel Cultural Campus announced today it is one of a select group of 16 nonprofit arts organizations across the nation who’ve partnered to present an exclusive live-streamed, relief concert event, Christopher Jackson: Live from the West Side, on Saturday, August 15 at 8 p.m. EST. Jackson is a Grammy and Emmy Award-winning songwriter/composer and a Tony Award-nominated actor best known for originating the role of George Washington in the cultural phenomenon Hamilton.

Christopher Jackson: Live from the West Side is accessible with a $40 donation and includes access to the livestream performance plus an additional 72 hours of on-demand viewing of the livestream. Donations support the Kimmel Cultural Campus’ COVID-19 Relief Fund, which was created to ensure the continuation of their free arts education offerings that serve the region’s Title 1 schools, as well as their ongoing efforts to protect and preserve their three buildings along Broad Street, and the successful re-emergence from this crisis.

"As the city of Philadelphia cautiously reopens in safe ways, the Kimmel Cultural Campus remains closed in compliance with City and Commonwealth guidelines. With no incoming revenue to support our community outreach initiatives or sustain our buildings, we launched our COVID-19 Relief Fund. We are honored to partner with the incredibly talented Christopher Jackson to help raise funds to make up for lost ticket sales, Resident Company activity, and venue rentals,” says Anne Ewers, President and CEO of the Kimmel Cultural Campus. “We’ve spent the last five months experimenting with emergent technologies and digital platforms, reaching new audiences in new ways. Our hope is that Philadelphia responds positively to this exciting offering and that this is the first of many large-scale livestream events.”

 “Nonprofit arts presenters are the lifeblood of the performing arts industry and a pipeline for young talent. Without them there is no Broadway,” said Jackson. “While everything is shut down during this terrible pandemic, I am delighted to be able to help spread some joy and help raise some much-needed support for these deserving organizations.”

Accompanied by a live band, Jackson will perform songs from his favorite musicals, pop standards, and some of his original material. He will also share stories from his time with two of the most important musicals of the last decade In The Heights and Hamilton. Audience members will be invited to text questions in real-time, which will be answered during the live event.

The livestream, which is a co-production of Dallas Summer Musicals and Entertainment Benefits Group, is a partnership enterprise with 14 nonprofit arts presenters around the country. The event will be livestreamed from New York’s renowned New World Stages, the original off-Broadway home to the smash hits, Jersey Boys, Avenue Q , and many others.

Beginning Tuesday, August 4th donations of $40+ to the Kimmel Cultural Campus Relief Fund will grant access to Christopher Jackson: Live from the West Side. Donations can be made at www.kimmelculturalcampus.org.

ABOUT CHRISTOPHER JACKSON

Christopher Jackson is a Tony Award-nominated actor as well as a Grammy and Emmy Award-winning songwriter/composer best known for starring as George Washington in the critically acclaimed, award-winning musical, Hamilton, on Broadway. He can currently be seen starring in the hit CBS drama "Bull" and has recently finished Freestyle Love Supreme on Broadway for a limited run. He also starred in Ava DuVernay’s Netflix mini-series When They See Us with Michael K. Wiliams, Vera Farmiga, and John Leguizamo.

In December 2018, “One Last Time (44 Remix)” was released as a part of the Hamildrop series which featured Chris alongside President Obama and BeBe Winans.

His Broadway credits include Holler if Ya Hear Me, After Midnight, The Bronx Bombers (Derek Jeter), In The Heights (Benny), Memphis (Delray Farrell) and The Lion King (Simba). Off-Broadway includes Bronx Bombers (Primary Stages), The Jammer (Atlantic Theater Co.), Lonely, I’m Not (Second Stage), In the Heights (37 Arts), and Cotton Club Parade (ENCORES at City Center).

In film and TV, he has appeared in Freestyle Love Supreme (Pivot Network) Person of Interest, A Gifted Man, Fringe, Gossip Girl, Tracers, and Afterlife.

Christopher recorded an original song written by Lin-Manuel Miranda for the Disney film Moana and was also the Composer/Songwriter for Sesame Street (6 Emmy nominations and 1 win), and co-Music Supervisor and Writer for The Electric Company (PBS).

Chris won an Emmy Award for his song with Will.I.Am, “What I Am”. In 2010 he released his first solo album titled, IN THE NAME OF LOVE with Yellow Sound Lab Records, and is currently working on his 2nd album. Recently, Chris performed at Kennedy Centers Honors Gala celebrating Lin-Manuel Miranda. He also has several musical projects in development for the musical stage and has sold out concerts at Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center.

The Kimmel Center Cultural Campus

Located in the heart of Center City, Philadelphia, our mission is to engage the region’s diverse communities with art through performance and education. Our Cultural Campus serves more than 1 million guests per year and includes the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the Academy of Music, and the Merriam Theater- representing more than 160 years of rich history for the performing arts along Philadelphia’s Avenue of the Arts. We are home to eight esteemed Resident Companies: The Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ballet, The Philly POPS, PHILADANCO, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and Curtis Institute of Music. With nearly 9,000 seats per night, we are the region’s most impactful performing arts center and the second largest in the country. Our Cultural Campus serves as a preeminent and inclusive place to enjoy exceptional experiences that reflect the spirit of our region by cultivating a creative and socially-responsible environment where our community shares experiences that are delivered with pride, integrity, and respect. As a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization, we collaborate on, present, and produce a broad range of relevant and meaningful events, we serve as an active gathering space for social and community events, we educate the region’s young people through access to quality arts experiences, and we provide support to artists in the creation of new work. American Airlines is the official airline of Broadway Philadelphia. For additional information, visit [http://about:blank/]www.kimmelculturalcampus.org.