We wanted to let you know that acclaimed dancer/choreographer Randy Skinner is the special guest dancer at 92Y’s upcoming Jazz in July concert celebrating Fred Astaire. Please see below for information on this event; for the complete Jazz in July schedule, please visit www.92Y.org/JazzinJuly.
92Y JAZZ IN JULY FESTIVAL
92nd Street Y
Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street
Thu, Jul 31, 8 pm, tickets from $52, age 35 and under – $25
I WON’T DANCE: THE FRED ASTAIRE SONGBOOK
Fred Astaire proved to be a jazz master, using his innate sense of rhythm and swing to collaborate with songwriting legends from Gershwin (“Nice Work if You Can Get It”) to Berlin (“Puttin’ on the Ritz”) and others to introduce some of their biggest hits. I Won’t Dance is back-to-back toe-tappers, featuring Sachal Vasandani, vocals / Ken Peplowski, clarinet & tenor sax / Michael Dease, trombone / Renee Rosnes, piano / Bill Charlap, piano / George Mraz, bass / Carl Allen, drums
Special Guest Dancer – Randy Skinner
Randy Skinner has received three Tony Award® nominations for his choreography of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, 42nd Street and Ain’t Broadway Grand, also earning Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Astaire award nominations. Last month he choreographed the American premiere of Cole Porter’s long-lost The Ambassador Revue at Town Hall, and he has choreographed five New York City Center Encores! productions—Do Re Mi; Of Thee I Sing; Face the Music; No, No, Nanette and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes; he also appeared in last year’s On Your Toes as Phil Dolan II. In Los Angeles, Mr. Skinner has received the LA Drama Critics and Dramalogue awards for his choreography, and on London’s West End he has choreographed productions of White Christmas and Lend Me a Tenor: The Musical.
ABOUT JAZZ IN JULY
This annual summer jazz festival, directed by pianist and Blue Note recording artist Bill Charlap, brings together some of the world’s best jazz musicians for once-in-a-lifetime performances at 92nd Street Y. Recent Festival shows have explored be-bop and Latin jazz; celebrated jazz legend Jimmy Heath and former artistic director Dick Hyman; and sampled the work of great composers, from Cole Porter to Thelonious Monk. Recent line-ups have featured jazz greats Ray Bryant, Barry Harris, Wynton Marsalis, Eddie Palmieri, Trio Da Paz, and Frank Wess.
92Y Jazz in July is partially endowed by Simona and Jerome A. Chazen.
ABOUT 92ND STREET Y
92nd Street Y’s unique fusion of community and culture makes it the only place of its kind in the world. 92Y is a nonprofit community center, performance stage and lecture hall; a literary salon and home for artists; a school, outreach organization and summer camp; a gym, a residence and more. 92nd Street Y, a proudly Jewish institution since its inception in 1874, has become a community of communities, welcoming people of all ages, races, faiths and backgrounds. Now serving more than 300,000 people each year in its New Yorkfacilities, 92Y also reaches millions of “virtual” guests around the world through its website, satellite broadcasts and other electronic media. Committed to making its programs available to everyone, 92nd Street Y awards nearly $1 million in scholarships annually and reaches about 7500 public school children through subsidized arts and science education programs.
