FirstWorks Heats up February with Big Band, Jazz Age Celebration of Indelible American Composer George Gershwin
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GEORGE GERSHWIN
17-piece Gershwin Big Band invites local swing dancers onto The VETS stage
Prohibition-style libations and vintage dancers delight at pre-show Speakeasy
Who could ask for anything more?
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PROVIDENCE, RI???????FirstWorks,??a Rhode Island non-profit dedicated to building community through world-class arts, celebrates the enduring musical legacy of composer George Gershwin with programs culminating in a performance of ???American Rhapsody: The Gershwin Songbook??? at 7:30 p.m. on??Thursday,??February 22 at??The VETS??(1 Avenue of the Arts, Providence). The FirstWorks Artistic Icons Series concert program features the 17-piece Gershwin Big Band and highlights special guest performers from Rhode Island???s rich community of creative talent. Tickets range from??$28-$88??and are on sale now at??first-works.org and 401-421-ARTS (2787), and at The VETS Box Office at 220 Weybosset Street, Providence.
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The 17-piece Gershwin Big Band is led by the charismatic vocalist and bandleader Michael Andrew, hailed as ???the next Harry Connick Jr???. a natural bandleader??? by The New York Post. Together with vocalist Michelle Amato, they bring beloved Gershwin standards like ???I Got Rhythm,??? ???Someone to Watch Over Me,??? ???The Man I Love??? and many more to life in this inspirational new program produced and created by members of the Gershwin family.
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???I have enjoyed countless Gershwin concerts throughout the world, and I can truly say that Michael Andrew is one of the most talented entertainers I have ever seen. His ability to interpret the music of George Gershwin is extraordinary,??? said Todd Gershwin, George Gershwin???s great-nephew and one of the show???s developers.??
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The concert evening kicks off at 6:00 p.m. with a pre-show cocktail Speakeasy in The VETS Loft where premium ticketholders can relive the Roaring Twenties with a signature cocktail from Regency Plaza and live entertainment from Chifferobe, featuring New England???s premiere vintage dance company, the TropiGals.
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Doors to The VETS lobbies open to concert ticketholders at 6:30 p.m. for FirstWorks JumpStart entertainment. Featured JumpStarts include the Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School Jazz Sextet led by Ron Sanfilippo and a dance performance by Providence Swings. The JumpStart series highlights local performers in FirstWorks event venue lobbies as a way of connecting Rhode Island???s rising talent with world-renowned Artistic Icons.
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Dancers from Providence Swings will also make a special guest appearance on the concert mainstage during the Gershwin Big Band???s performance of ???Blues??? from the Broadway hit musical ???An American in Paris.???
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???There is something magical about the many faces of George Gershwin???s music, and its ability to bring audiences of different generations and backgrounds together almost a century on,??? said Kathleen Pletcher, Executive Artistic Director of FirstWorks. ???We???re thrilled to include the next generation of performers in our celebration of a true Artistic Icon through our JumpStarts and Arts Learning matinee.???
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FirstWorks offers audiences of all ages ways to get into the swing of Gershwin???s legacy. As part of FirstWorks Arts Learning program, over 1,400 K-12 students from Rhode Island schools have the opportunity to attend a student matinee of ???American Rhapsody: The Gershwin Songbook??? from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at The VETS. Student matinee tickets are $8.50 and are available by calling FirstWorks Education and Community Outreach Manager Kathleen McAreavey at 401-868-1149 or email kathleenm@first-works.org. Participating schools will receive an accompanying FirstWorks Arts Learning curriculum guide.
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On February 6, FirstWorks in partnership with the John Nicholas Brown Center for Humanities (JNBC) and Richard Snyder invite journalist and jazz critic Larry Blumenfeld, composer/musician/polymath Melvin Gibbs and saxophonist, composer and arranger Russ Gershon, founder of jazz ensemble Either/Orchestra to Brown University for a lunchtime Creative Conversation titled Reimagining Gershwin: Rhapsody in Black and Blue. Open by reservation only to FirstWorks Curator???s Circle members and the Brown University JNBC community, the conversation will explore the relationship between George Gershwin???s music???including his controversial 1935 opera ???Porgy and Bess??? and his iconic 1924 composition “Rhapsody in Blue”??? and African American music and culture. The panelists will also explore Gershwin’s formative influences, as well as the enduring influence of his work.
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About FirstWorks
FirstWorks??is a non-profit based in Providence, Rhode Island whose purpose is to build the cultural, educational and economic vitality of its community by engaging audiences with world-class performing arts and education programs. Since 2004,??FirstWorks??festivals, performances and programs have attracted more than 400,000 participants. The??FirstWorks Arts Learning Program??reaches more than 4,000 students from public and charter schools across Rhode Island with transformative arts-based learning experiences.??FirstWorks??is Founding Partner for PVDFest, partnering with the City of Providence to produce an international arts celebration held each June that draws tens of thousands of visitors to Providence to experience music, art and spectacular performances. Visit??first-works.org??to learn more.