-- The Philadelphia Orchestra and BalletX return to the Mann with multi-year residencies -- 
-- Movies @ The Mann to celebrate Harry Potter series’ 20th Anniversary -- 
-- Roots Picnic returns in June -- 
-- Phish returns in July --
-- Party in the Park 2022 to feature GRAMMY®-nominated Josh Groban --
-- Bill T. Jones’ Deep Blue Sea to introduce new Downstage @ the Mann series --
-- More than 25 performances already announced with more shows adding weekly –
 

PHILADELPHIA (Feb. 15, 2022) – The Mann Center for the Performing Arts will be the place to be this summer for a 2022 season filled with live entertainment on the expansive Fairmount Park campus. The region’s premier outdoor music destination will usher in two multi-year partnerships with leading performing arts organizations – The Philadelphia Orchestra, whose residency this summer will extend into a long-term partnership running through the 2027 season (including a celebration of the Mann’s 50^th anniversary in 2026), and BalletX, Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet, which will begin a three-year residency this spring.

Along with the start of these long-term residencies, perennial favorites like Movies @ the Mann will return with an homage to the 20^th anniversary of the Harry Potter franchise; the 2022 Party in the Park gala and concert will feature global superstar Josh Groban; and an all-new audience experience, an intimate connection for audience and artists, alike – Downstage @ the Mann – will present three concerts illuminating themes of social justice. All of this is in addition to the much-anticipated return of the blockbuster Roots Picnic on June 4 and 5, with headliners including, for the first time ever, Mary J. Blige with The Roots, as well as Summer Walker, Wizkid, Kirk Franklin, Jazmine Sullivan, G Herbo, Mickey Geyton, and more; and on July 19 and 20, Phish makes its return trip to the Mann with a two-night stand. The Mann’s venerable Presser Foundation Stage in the TD Pavilion and the general admission Skyline Stage will also play host this season to a line-up that continues to build with a variety of incredible, touring artists from Haim to Bonnie Raitt to 5 Seconds of Summer.

“Summer 2022 will see the best of our aspirations playing out on our stages, across our campus and throughout our community, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to be nearing its brilliant start,” said Catherine M. Cahill, president and CEO of the Mann. “Through collaborations with important partners like The Philadelphia Orchestra, BalletX, and our exclusive booking partner Live Nation, our work is aligning to present a compelling and joy-filled season that offers world-class music and performing arts in an outdoor setting like no other in our city. We can’t wait to welcome music and performing arts audiences back!” 

Companies In Residence

While the Mann has been a summer home for The Philadelphia Orchestra since 1976 (and since the 1930s at the Mann’s predecessor, the Robin Hood Dell), the return to a multi-year residency through 2027 provides additional opportunities for the Mann and the Orchestra to partner on artistic programming, the creation of new works, and community engagement and education initiatives. The same holds true for the BalletX multi-year relationship, which grew from a successful Mann debut for the company in 2021.  BalletX and the Mann expect to team up on a co-commission for the 2024 season.

The Philadelphia Orchestra will perform three concerts over one week this July. Through this long-term partnership, the organization looks to grow the number of performances in each season.  This season’s performances will include the beloved Tchaikovsky Spectacular with fireworks on July 21, followed by a tribute to the legendary Nina Simone by R&B and jazz recording artist, songwriter, and producer Ledisi in Ledisi Sings Nina on July 22. The 2022 series with The Philadelphia Orchestra culminates with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone™ In Concert on July 23 to celebrate the series’ 20^th Anniversary, with the score played live as the celebrated film is shown on the Mann’s 40-foot main stage screen as well as on two giant back-of-house screens for guests on the Mann’s Great Lawn. As always, with the Orchestra’s shows at the Mann, patrons are welcome to pack a picnic to enjoy on the lawn before and during the show.

“With this five-year partnership, we will broaden and deepen our collaboration well into the future,” said Matías Tarnopolsky, president and CEO of The Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center, Inc. “We look forward to welcoming audiences for extraordinary artistic programs and engaging community and education initiatives with our colleagues and friends at the beautiful Mann Center for the Performing Arts.”

BalletX returns to the Mann on May 18 and 19 with two world premieres by Jennifer Archibald, acclaimed Founder and Artistic Director of Arch Dance Company in New York, and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, award-winning choreographer who has created works for more than 70 international dance companies.  The program in the TD Pavilion at the Mann also includes Matthew Neenan’s The Last Glass accompanied by the music of indie rock band Beirut. BalletX will host its annual gala, the Premier Party, at the Mann earlier in the week on May 16.

"BalletX is thrilled to be a new resident company at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts alongside the prestigious Philadelphia Orchestra,” said Christine Cox, Artistic & Executive Director of BalletX. “Cathy Cahill is a truly visionary leader. We are so grateful for the opportunity to shine a light on our work, build new audiences and inspire our community through world-premiere choreography.”

New Audience Experience – Downstage @ the Mann

The Mann’s 22-acre campus, a frequent nominee for Pollstar’s “Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue,” has offered three distinctive stage experiences for artists and audiences over the last several years:

• The Presser Foundation Stage, the Mann’s main stage in the TD Pavilion which seats 4,500 and can accommodate another 10,000 concertgoers in Connelly Terrace seating and on the Mann’s Great Lawn;

• Skyline Stage, positioned at the top of the Mann’s campus overlooking the dramatic Philadelphia skyline and can host 7,500 general admission guests on three acres of grassy parkland; and

• the full campus for multi-stage festivals, utilizing existing and temporary stages, for upwards of 25,000 guests.

2022 will mark the addition of a fourth experience – Downstage @ the Mann – as the Mann continues to expand programming initiatives. Downstage @ the Mann places both audience and artists together in the same space, on the Presser Foundation Stage in the TD Pavilion, for an up-close, under cover, open air setting. This intimate, in-the-round experience can accommodate an audience of up to 300 and offers a new level of performance engagement and immersion. This year, the Downstage @ the Mann series will focus deeply on artists who lyrically, musically, and in their own lives have been impacted by the fight for social justice.

Opening the series on April 29 and 30 will be the Philadelphia premiere of Deep Blue Sea, a Mann commission from renowned choreographer, director, and dancer Bill T. Jones and the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company. A three-part experience, Deep Blue Sea will feature a solo performance by Jones, an ensemble of 10 from the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, and a diverse group of community performers featuring local participants. Deep Blue Sea was commissioned by Park Avenue Armory and Manchester International Festival in association with the Holland Festival. Additional commissioning support was provided by the Mann, with original support provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.

On July 16, six-time GRAMMY®-nominated, Nigerian Afrobeat icon and social justice warrior, Femi Kuti will perform with his troupe, The Positive Force as part of the Downstage series. Philadelphia's Oluwafemi will DJ the evening, including a pre-concert and post-show, on-stage dance party. Closing out the inaugural year of Downstage @ the Mann on Oct. 7 will be the Resistance Revival Chorus, a collective of social justice female activists and non-binary singers who breathe joy and song into the resistance and uplift women's voices.

Skyline Stage Seeks Naming Sponsor

The Skyline Stage turns 10 in 2022! In celebration of a full decade of summer festival music, the Skyline Stage is seeking a partner to name this one-of-a-kind destination. The Skyline Stage’s festival-like, open-air, general admission setting is maximized by the vantage point its name suggests – unmatched views of Philadelphia’s spectacular nighttime skyline.  “As a naming sponsor for this incredible space, the right partner will become synonymous with the live music experience that can only be experienced here at the Mann’s Skyline Stage and be immersed in the fabric of Philadelphia’s performing arts and entertainment community,” said Cahill. 

Highlights of Mann Presents concerts are below. For a full list of shows that have been announced to date for summer 2022, and to purchase tickets, visit manncenter.org/events. 

2022 MANN PRESENTS LINE-UP

FRIDAY, APRIL 29 – SATURDAY, APRIL 30: Deep Blue Sea by Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company
Downstage @ the Mann
Deep Blue Sea, a co-commission by the Mann, makes its Philadelphia debut on the Presser Foundation Stage April 29-30 and also launches the Downstage @ the Mann series. Directed and choreographed by Tony Award-winning Bill T. Jones, Deep Blue Sea is an immersive arts experience that explores the relationships between the individual and the larger community, as well as performer and audience. The show unfolds in three sections: a solo by Jones deconstructing text from Martin Luther King, Jr.’s landmark “I Have a Dream” speech, which evolves into the 10-member Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, that further expands into a collaboration with local Philadelphia participants. 

The work is magnified through a visual environment by Elizabeth Diller of the architectural firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Tony Award-nominated projection designer Peter Nigrini, Robert Wierzel, and Liz Prince. An original vocal score by composer Nick Hallett and electronic soundscape by Hprizm aka High Priest, Rena Anakwe, and Holland Andrews is ever present. Major support for Deep Blue Sea has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage and the William Penn Foundation.

FRIDAY, MAY 6: Voices of Hope, A Celebration of Black Excellence
TD Pavilion
The Mann’s annual Black History Month celebration, Voices of Hope, extends into May this year. New, culturally rich performances and lessons will be presented by the digital Mann Music Room over the next few months and will lead up to an in-person culmination and celebration of Black excellence on May 6. “Out of an abundance of caution, we moved our Voices of Hope event from February to May so that we could be outdoors, under cover, and in-the-round on our grand main stage,” said Naomi Gonzalez, Vice President of Education & Community Engagement for the Mann. Voices of Hope, powered by TD and sponsored by Independence Blue Cross, Rivers Casino, The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, and American Heritage Federal Credit Union, is a free community event that celebrates African American culture and iconic Philadelphia innovators who are contributing to and changing the community of Greater Philadelphia. 

Honorees for this year’s ceremony are R&B artist Carol Riddick, culinary entrepreneurs Benjamin Bynum Jr. and Robert Bynum (The Bynum Brothers), real estate developers and partners Leslie Smallwood-Lewis and Gregory Reaves of Mosaic Development Group, and community leader and advocate Valarie Cofield, CEO of Eastern Minority Supplier Development Council. Musical guests will include Riddick, Philadelphia hip hop artist Chill Moody, and Eric Wortham II, GRAMMY® Award-nominated, pianist, composer, songwriter, and producer.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 18 – THURSDAY, MAY 19: BalletX Spring Series
TD Pavilion
BalletX returns to the Mann for a limited two-show engagement on May 18 and 19 in the TD Pavilion.  Gracing the stage will be world premieres by well-known and accomplished artists Jennifer Archibald (whose work has been reviewed as “mesmerizing” and “spellbinding”) and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa (whose 2019 BalletX premiere was named “one of the year’s must-see shows”), alongside a signature work: BalletX co-founder Matthew Neenan’s The Last Glass, set to the music of indie rock band Beirut. This series is part of Summer Picnics at the Mann.

TUESDAY, JULY 12: Party in the Park 2022 with Josh Groban
TD Pavilion
International GRAMMY®-nominated superstar Josh Groban will headline the Mann’s beloved celebration of summer and music, Party in the Park, on July 12. He will perform in the TD Pavilion at the Mann as part of his Harmony Tour, which will feature special guests Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Lucia Micarelli, and Eleri Ward. 

SATURDAY, JULY 16: Femi Kuti & The Positive Force
Downstage @ the Mann
On July 16, six-time GRAMMY®-nominated, Nigerian Afrobeat artist Femi Kuti will perform with his troupe, The Positive Force as part of the Downstage series. Before Femi was his own bandleader, he started playing saxophone in his father — Fela Kuti's — band, Egypt 80, in 1979. Fela Kuti is credited as the father of Afrobeat music.  Philadelphia's Oluwafemi will DJ the evening, including a post-show, on-stage dance party of funk, Afrobeat, old school soul, early hip hop, and more.

THURSDAY, JULY 21: Tchaikovsky Spectacular with The Philadelphia Orchestra
TD Pavilion
This beloved summer tradition at the Mann returns once again on July 21. The powerful, euphoric sounds of the Symphony No. 4, the warmth and romantic charm of the Rococo Variations, and the mounting drama of the ever-popular 1812 Overture culminate in a splendid explosion of sound and fireworks. The Philadelphia Orchestra will be led by its assistant conductor, Erina Yashima, for these special performances. This concert is part of Summer Picnics at the Mann.

FRIDAY, JULY 22: Ledisi Sings Nina with The Philadelphia Orchestra
TD Pavilion
The Mann’s summer residency with The Philadelphia Orchestra continues on July 22 with a live performance of Ledisi Sings Nina, the tenth studio album for the New Orleans-born and Oakland-raised singer Ledisi. Ledisi Sings Nina balances upbeat, big-band energy with atmospheric balladry and an attention to historic detail that succeeds in updating the music of the legendary Nina Simone for a modern hip-hop/R&B era. With the prowess of Ledisi’s voice, the artistry of The Philadelphia Orchestra, and the messages of Simone’s music, this performance is sure to speak to a generation facing the same harsh challenges and struggles of the 1960s. This concert is part of Summer Picnics at the Mann.

SATURDAY, JULY 23: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone™ In Concert with The Philadelphia Orchestra
TD Pavilion
The Philadelphia Orchestra’s summer residence at the Mann concludes on July 23 with a Movies @ the Mann night featuring Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone™ In Concert. The first film of the franchise, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone™ celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. John Williams’ unforgettable score will be performed live to picture by the Orchestra while the entire film plays in high-definition on a 40-foot screen on stage and on back-of-house screens for patrons on the Mann’s Great Lawn. Since the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone™ In Concert in 2016, more than 2.7 million people have enjoyed this magical experience from the Wizarding World, which is scheduled to include over 1,295 performances across more than 48 countries worldwide through 2022. This concert is part of Summer Picnics at the Mann.

^{WIZARDING WORLD and all related trademarks, characters, names, and indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights © JKR. (s22)}

FRIDAY, OCT. 7: Resistance Revival Chorus
Downstage @ the Mann
Drawing from a larger collective of more than 60 women and non-binary singers, the Resistance Revival Chorus fuses music and activism, inspiring change and uplifting women’s voices in the music industry and the world.  Chorus members are touring musicians, film and television actors, Broadway performers, solo recording artists, gospel singers, political activists, educators, and more, representing a multitude of identities, professions, creative backgrounds, and activist causes. From major concert halls and music festivals to pop-up performances for unsuspecting subway riders, the chorus performs euphoric music that mines the rich history of the protest song and embraces joy as an act of resistance. This one-of-a-kind performance will close out the first Downstage @ the Mann season.

About the Mann Center for the Performing Arts
As one of the foremost outdoor music centers in the country, the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, a leading non-profit organization, has a historical legacy of artistic excellence as a world-class entertainment destination presenting premier artists, now in association with Live Nation Entertainment. Each summer season, renowned symphony orchestras, iconic rock stars and the latest touring artists in indie rock, hip hop, R&B and pop take the stage here. The Mann is the summer home of The Philadelphia Orchestra and has presented critically acclaimed performers in every decade since the 1930s. Located in the heart of Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park, the Mann hosts more than 200,000 visitors annually. Signature concert experiences are surrounded by Philadelphia’s stunning skyline and include seats beneath the Mann’s acoustically acclaimed TD Pavilion; picnics, blankets and music under the stars on its Great Lawn or at the top of the hill at the Skyline Stage; and dining in Crescendo, the venue’s spectacular tented restaurant. In addition, the Mann’s Education & Community Engagement Program reaches tens of thousands of young people annually through free programming and educational initiatives as well as its virtual Mann Music Room. For more information, visit www.manncenter.org.

About The Philadelphia Orchestra

About BALLETX
BalletX, celebrating its 15th Anniversary Season as Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet, commissions choreographers from around the world to create new ballets that are “fresh, inclusive, and connect to what people want” (Philadelphia Citizen). Led by Artistic & Executive Director Christine Cox, BalletX has been recognized by The New Yorker as a “place of choreographic innovation” for producing nearly 100 world premiere ballets by more than 50 choreographers in its 15-year history. In addition to virtual works, main-stage performances, and international touring, the company offers free community pop ups, dance classes, artist Q&As, open rehearsals, and in-school dance education, designed to bring its audiences and the nation closer to dance. Among its many accolades and honors, BalletX was featured on the cover of Dance Magazine’s October 2019 issue under the headline “BalletX is Taking All the Right Risks.” To learn more about BalletX’s programming and dancers, please visit www.BalletX.org and follow the company on social media.
 
About The Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company 
The Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company was born out of an 11-year collaboration between Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane (1948–1988). During this time, they redefined the duet form and foreshadowed issues of identity, form and social commentary that would change the face of American dance. The Company emerged onto the international scene in 1983 with the world premiere of Intuitive Momentum, which featured legendary drummer Max Roach, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Since then, the Company has performed worldwide in over 200 cities in 35 countries on every major continent. Today, the Company is recognized as one of the most innovative and powerful forces in the modern dance world.

About Live Nation Entertainment
Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Media & Sponsorship. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com.

Live Nation Urban (LNU) is a partnership with Live Nation Entertainment, the world’s leading live entertainment company. Specifically focusing on Hip-Hop, R&B and Gospel, LNU builds platforms, events, and festivals globally and develops dynamic content strategies based upon the live properties created. Live Nation Urban considers itself the most powerful source for live urban music. For additional information, visit www.livenationurban.com.   

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