March 18, 2009

No cutbacks at SummerStage; NY Pops kicks off June 12

Central Park SummerStage will present at least 32 free and six benefit shows this year — including the New York Pops, M. Ward, Bettye LaVette and TV on the Radio — the City Parks Foundation has announced.

Despite cutbacks elsewhere, SummerStage is not merely maintaining the same level of free programming as in past years, there’s a chance they may even be able to expand this season, David Rivel, the executive director of the City Parks Foundation told NewYorkology.

“Most of our sponsors are coming back” he said, including Manhattan Beer Distributors, American Airlines, Fetzer wines, Time Warner and all its other media partners.

The City Parks Foundation had been running a tight ship even before the economy tanked he said, and about 90 percent of its funding comes from corporate and individual donations as well as the receipts from the six summer benefit shows.

In addition to the SummerStage, which is now in its 24th consecutive season, the independent, non-profit City Parks Foundation also puts on free concerts and events at parks throughout the city. None of those will be cut this summer either, Rivel said.

This summer there might even be a seventh benefit show, he said. In part that’s to help the coffers, but also because the act they’re looking at would draw too big of a crowd for a regular free concert at SummerStage.

City Parks Foundation has released part of its SummerStage 2009 schedule:

June 12 - The New York Pops, with “a very special musical guest to be announced”
June 17 - Author Wally Lamb reads from his novel, “The Hour I First Believed.”
June 21 - Fête de la Musique, (World Music Day) with Yannick Noah
July 5 - Oumou Sangare
July 24 - Bettye LaVette
August 1 - M. Ward
August 14-15 - Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company debuts a new dance commissioned by City Parks Foundation, with live music by a special guest to be announced

Benefit Concerts:
June 5 - TV on the Radio and Dirty Projectors (sold out)
June 25 - 311 and Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers (Pre-sale tickets: April 14)
June 30 - Explosions in the Sky (tickets on sale)

Image source: Central Park SummerStage

Earlier: NYC’s (mostly free) summer concerts and film series

March 18, 2009 7:17 AM in Cheap Stuff, Sightsology, Upper East Side, Upper West Side

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