A summer staple of New York City is bringing shows online for everyone to enjoy.
Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage is launching its digital series SummerStage Anywhere. Starting June 6, SummerStage Anywhere will feature performances each weekend streamed online.
“We are really excited to bring SummerStage to audiences at home through SummerStage Anywhere,” shares Heather Lubov, Executive Director of City Parks Foundation. “The arts have been critical during this time of sheltering at home, serving both as a respite and as an important outlet for expression and creativity. And, of course, our city’s parks remain some of the only public resources available for respite as we shelter at home. Both parks and arts create community, and that’s what we need most right now, even if we remain socially distant. So we are hard at work to make sure we can still deliver SummerStage to you, anywhere, while we look forward to gathering together in parks again soon.”
SummerStage Anywhere will kick off with at 7 p.m. on June 6 with an original performance by native New Yorker and pop phenom MAX. On June 13, the Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC) will bring its annual showcase key voices in the Latino LGBTQ community including pop singer Kany Garcia, hip hop artist Mabiland, indie electro-pop musician Javiera Mena and rock band Circo. SummerStage Anywhere will also host the official afterparty with a DJ Takeover featuring sets from Raul Campos and Latin Grammy-winning artist Cheo, formerly of Los Amigos Invisibles.
On June 19, SummerStage Anywhere will celebrate the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth with tribute performances from Jamel Gaines’ Creative Outlet Dance Theatre and poet Carl Hancock Rux, and a panel discussion led by Executive Artistic Director of The Billie Holiday Theatre, Dr. Indira Etwaroo. Closing out the June programming on June 26 is Grammy Award-winning Beninese singer-songwriter, actress and activist Angélique Kidjo, who will bring her Afropop world fusion sound to an exclusive performance followed by a live Q&A session.
“SummerStage artists purposefully reflect the communities we serve, celebrating the great history and diversity of NYC culture — something that we are very proud of year after year,” shared SummerStage’s Executive Artistic Director Erika Elliott. “Through SummerStage Anywhere, we will be able to showcase a uniquely New York City festival experience, authentically rooted in the neighborhoods in which our shows are typically held while curated for a far-reaching global audience. We are excited about this opportunity and look forward to bringing you SummerStage Anywhere.”
The summer series will continue after June and will include weekly content segments including interviews with and performances by iconic artists, neighborhood tours with artists, and arts engagement for youth. For a full schedule of upcoming programming, please visit summerstageanywhere.org.
Editor’s note: Summerstage has since postponed MAX’s June 6 performance due to recent events regarding George Floyd’s murder. You can read SummerStage’s statement below:
