“World-class performances!”– Hi! Drama
“Phoenix Theatre Ensemble is doing something wonderful in Nyack!”– Broadway Radio
Program features 30 shows on multiple indoor and outdoor tented stagesThe artists: More than 40 New York City actors, directors, dancers, musicians, set designers, costumers
Special early invitation to the local communityCommunity pre-sale Flex Passes are available now until April 2440% savings off the standard ticket priceFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEApril 5 Nyack, NY. The Phoenix Theatre Ensemble will present its second annual Phoenix Festival – Live Arts in Nyack from September 22 to October 21.
Building on last year’s critically acclaimed program, the 2023 Festival will offer an exciting mix of livetheatre, dance and music for audiences of all interests and ages – a celebration of arts, history and local culture.
The Festival roster includes 30 performances featuring more than 40 New York City actors, directors, dancers, musicians, set designers and costumers – presented on multiple indoor and outdoor stages in Nyack.
“We’re excited about the 2023 program, and proud to present world class live performances at affordable prices rarely available in ‘big city’ locations,” said Craig Smith, executive director, Phoenix Festival. “The experience is further enhanced by the beautiful Hudson Valley itself — a perfect setting for the joy of live arts.”
Festival venues include the tented outdoor meadow stage at Marydell Faith and Life Center, the garden at Hopper House, the Nyack Center, the ‘little theater’ at Nyack’s RCC Culinary Arts Center, Marueen’s Jazz Cellar and Hudson House – Nyack’s classic restaurant/bar which a century ago served as the village courthouse and jail.
As a special invitation to the local community, the Festival is offering pre-sale Flex Passes — available now and until April 24 only for $132 — a 40% discount off the standard ticket price. Flex Passes allow Festival-goers to purchase tickets in sets of four to use across the performances as they choose, selecting specific shows and dates at any time before or during the Festival.
“We’re thrilled to make the Festival’s home in Nyack, and happy to offer the best ticket prices of the season to our local community,” said Smith. “Flex Passes give our audience an opportunity to reserve their shows and lock in the special discount. Some venues have limited seating, so the community offer allows our local audience to reserve tickets early.”
Program highlights: See also details here Performance Calendar — Crime and Punishment: A taut 90-minute, edge-of-your-seat staging of Dostoyevsky’s iconic murder mystery
- The Wind in the Willows: A new interactive adaptation of the beloved novel for all ages, confirming the power of friendship and courage
- Pan American Male: A theatrical dance fable about a boy resisting the call to grow up too soon. Choreographed by Alvin Ailey’s Shawn Rawls
- Drinks With Dead Poets: UK award-winning poet, playwright, and actor Glyn Maxwell finds himself in a bar in Nyack, a village with the distinction of having the last open library in America. Maxwell, playing himself, encounters dead poets offering advice and ordering pints. Site-specific with cash bar– an unforgettable evening
- Honduras: A deeply moving solo piece based on real life personal stories gathered from mothers and children at the US southern border in the summer of 2018
- Children’s Shakespeare Theatre: Young actors bravely present the best of the Bard in their special fall production
- Reflections from the Shallow End of the Dating Pool: Debbi Hobson’s play shines a light on the fraught and often farcical experience of mid-life dating
- Concert presented by ArtsRock, Rockland’s resource for professional arts and multi- cultural programs supporting underserved communities
- Scandalton. Courtside seats to courtship drama and other fascinating social doings. All-star storytellers improvise an original regency-period piece on the spot. The audience supplies the rumors that drive the action. ‘You bring the tea. We spill it’
- Remembering Good Harbor Beach: Live script reading of a new one-act play about artists Edward and Jo Hopper. Authored by Debra Wiess and produced in collaboration with Nyack’s Edward Hopper House Museum & Study Center
- The Importance of Being Earnest: Oscar Wilde’s frothy, funny, forever comedy — a Festival favorite selected by NYC’s Theatrescene as “one of the top ten productions of 2022”
The Hudson River Museum amphitheater in nearby Yonkers will host a presentation of Honduras. Plus,Nyack itself will be onstage in a free, smartphone-based augmented reality walking tour of the village.
“Collaboration with our community partners — including Children’s Shakespeare Theatre, The Edward Hopper House Museum, ArtsRock, Rockland Poets, Nyack Center, Nyack Library and local businesses — are key to the Festival’s ongoing success,” said Smith.
“The Festival brings the community together in important ways,” added Roger Cohen, President, Nyack Chamber of Commerce. “Nyack businesses and residents contribute to – and benefit from – involvement in this highly successful event.”
Nyack will have the welcome mat out, with its one-of-a-kind retail shops, top-flight restaurants, friendly pubs, live music venues and vibrant night spots offering special Festival deals. Festival itineraries can also include plenty of fresh air — biking, hiking along the river front, boat excursions and more.
About Phoenix Theatre Ensemble. Founded in 2004, Phoenix Theatre Ensemble is an award-winning New York City theatre company that makes its second home in Rockland county, where the Ensemble has created and performed both classics and original works since 2018.
The Ensemble’s mission is to present the great stories of the classical canon, as well as new adaptations and innovative stagings that speak to, and serve, contemporary audiences.
While continuing to perform in New York City, the Ensemble has clearly made a successful transition from the footlights of Broadway to the foot of Rockland’s Hook Mountain. Theater critics agree. New York City’s TheatreScene traveled to Nyack for last year’s Festival, and rated the production of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance Being Earnest as one of the top ten productions of 2022.
The Festival is supported by the I LOVE NY – Market New York program, Rockland county’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism, local businesses, and individual sponsors.
“We’re grateful for the support we receive from the State of New York, Rockland County and our local businesses and individual patrons,” added Smith. We’re proud to be part of the Hudson Valley community, and look forward to many years of performance arts in Nyack.”PHOTOS:
Gallery from the 2022 season:
Phoenix Festival 2022 Photos
BOX OFFICE:
833-681-48002:00 pm – 6:00 pm, Monday – Saturday
FLEX PASSES
Community pre-sale prices available now
https://liveartsinnyack.com/flexpass
FESTIVAL ROSTER AND CALENDAR
Performance dates, times, locations
GENERAL INFORMATION
Facebook: @Phoenix Theatre Ensemble
Twitter: @Phnx Thtr Ensemble
Instagram: @phoenixtheatreensemble
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