We Love Lenny!

Seattle arts organizations come together for city-wide Bernstein Festival, beginning with PNB’s West Side Story Suite

SEATTLE, WA –An unprecedented consortium of the Puget Sound’s arts organizations announce the formation of Seattle Celebrates Bernstein, a regional Arts Festival to be held from April through June of 2010. Participating groups range in size from major to small, from established to fledgling, and include musical ensembles, dance companies, film presenters, theater companies and educational institutions. The Festival will focus on the multi-faceted genius of Leonard Bernstein – composer, writer, conductor, thinker, media personality, and educator. During three months of concerts, theatre, performances, lectures, classes, film screenings and other events Seattle Celebrates Bernstein will bring together Northwest arts organizations to spotlight this uniquely American artist’s legacy as well as showcase the wealth and wonder of Seattle’s world class arts scene.

Participating organizations will present a calendar full of events throughout the spring and early summer of 2010. At press time groups and events include:

• The 5th Avenue Theatre presenting fully staged productions of Bernstein’s Broadway musicals On the Town (in collaboration with Spectrum Dance Theater) and Candide.
• Seattle Symphony will present A Bernstein Young People’s Concert with Seattle Symphony and Cascade Youth Symphony Orchestras performing side-by-side under Gerard Schwarz; and Season Finale: A Bernstein Celebration conducted by Gerard Schwarz featuring Misha Dichter and Seattle Symphony Chorale at Benaroya Hall.
• The Seattle International Film Festival will screen a trilogy of Bernstein-scored movies: On the Waterfront, On the Town, and West Side Story.
• Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus will combine forces for Glitter and Be Gay -- a concert of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim’s collaborative and individual musical works at McCaw Hall.
• Seattle Opera will present a panel discussion entitled Collaborating with Bernstein featuring artists who worked directly with Leonard Bernstein.

· Seattle Jewish Chorale will perform selections from Bernstein's Jewish-themed repertoire as part of their spring concert at Town Hall.

• The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs will present two Bernstein events as part of Seattle Presents, the free lunchtime concert series at City Hall.
• The Lake Union Civic Orchestra will perform three dance episodes from On the Town as part of its season finale at Town Hall.
• Showtunes Theatre Company and Seattle Theatre Group present West Side Story Stories: “Memories of Lenny” featuring music and remembrances by original West Side cast member Martin Charnin.
• Orchestra Seattle/Seattle Chamber Singers will perform music from Bernstein’s The Lark in concert at the First Free Methodist Church.

Several additional arts organizations are expected to announce further Seattle Celebrates Bernstein programming over the course of the next few months. To check for ongoing updates, along with a current calendar and a biography of Bernstein, visit seattlecelebratesbernstein.org.

Although the Festival won’t officially begin until March the Pacific Northwest Ballet is excited to offer a special “pre-Festival event” -- Bernstein’s West Side Story Suite as part of it Director’s Choiceclassic Broadway musical, Jerome RobbinsMozart, C.P.E. Bach & The Cramps and Alexander Glazunov. program opening November 5. Adapted from the ballet will be one of a quartet of ballets featuring music by

“The score for West Side Story brims with vibrant energy,” says Peter Boal, Artistic Director of Pacific Northwest Ballet. “The winning combination of choreographer Jerome Robbins and composer Leonard Bernstein captures the distinct energy of American youth. The power of this great work resonates as much with today's audiences as it did a half century ago at its premiere.”

Director’s Choice opens at PNB on Thursday November 5 and runs till November 15; for tickets and details, call (206) 441-2424, or go to pnb.org.

Seattle Celebrates Bernstein will have its official kick-off on Monday, March 22 at The 5th Avenue Theatre with an event in the theatre’s popular Spotlight Night series that will serve as both an introduction and preview of the upcoming Festival.

“Leonard Bernstein is one of the few composers who has worked successfully and brilliantly in nearly all of the performing arts including theatre, opera, film and every manner of instrumental and vocal music,” says The 5th’s Producing Artistic Director David Armstrong. “That makes him the ideal nexus for a festival that will showcase all that Seattle’s plethora of world class arts organizations have to offer.”