Town Hall Presents| Spring Season 2017 by The Town Hall

Gods & Savages: A Literary Series

February 2017 will mark the beginning of a partnership with the storied Strand Bookstore, as The Town Hall presents a new and adventurous literary series.

Thursday, February 9 • 7pm NEIL GAIMAN: NORSE MYTHOLOGY

READING & CONVERSATION | Q&A

In an exclusive event, author Neil Gaiman introduces and reads from his new book, Norse Mythology (2017, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.), a dazzling version of the great Norse myths. Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Now he turns his attention back to the source, presenting a bravura rendition of the great northern tales. Neil Gaiman will also be joined in conversation with Ophira Eisenberg, host of NPR & WNYC’s Ask Me Another. Plus, Q&A with the audience and book signing reception following the event.

$45 | Includes signed hardcover book

T uesday mar C h 21 • 8 pm

BASSEM YOUSSEF: REVOLUTION FOR DUMMIES

READING & PERFORMANCE

Bassem Youssef, dubbed the Jon Stewart of the Arab World, was the host of popular TV show a l b ernamegwhich was the first-of-its-kind political satire show in the Middle East with 30 million viewers every week. In this premiere Town Hall event, Youssef introduces and reads from his new book, Revolution for Dummies: Laughing Through the Arab Spring.

co-presented by Pomegranate Arts

$45 / $50 / $55 / $65 | Includes signed hardcover book

may 5 • 8 pm

THE KENTUCKY DERBY IS DECADENT AND DEPRAVED

Based on the notorious 1970 article by Hunter S. Thompson (considered the beginning of Gonzo journalism), this multi-media presentation features a live score composed by guitar great Bill Frisell, recitation by renowned producer Hal Willner, artwork by Thompson’s legendary partner Ralph Steadman, and a very special guest rendition of the author. A performance of hallucinatory beauty and raucous humor, this marks the New York City debut, on the eve of the Kentucky Derby.

co-presented by Hal Wilner

$50 / $60 / $65 / $75 F

Improvisations

The Town Hall’s Spring Season introduces a new series called IMPROVISATIONS, featuring multiple disciplines--music, theater, spoken word and more--and masters of improvisation from each form.

T hursday F ebruary 23 • 8 pm

LAURIE ANDERSON & CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE

Maverick artist and musician Laurie Anderson and bass virtuoso Christian McBride collaborate for the first time in the commencement of Town Hall’s new series, Improvisations. One of the seminal artists of our time, Laurie Anderson’s genre-crossing work encompasses performance, film, music, installation, writing, photography, and sculpture. She performs with four-time Grammy®-winning jazz bassist Christian McBride, who has become one of the most requested, most recorded, and most respected figures in the music world today.

$40 / $50 / $60 / $75

T hursday mar C h 9 • 8 pm

DOOMSDAY SCENARIO

HOSTED BY DAVID PASQ u ESI & G u ESTS

In this original Town Hall production, a panel of apocalyptic “experts” meet on stage to discuss and debate a fictional doomsday scenario. Hosted by improv master David Pasquesi, this unique panel discussion explores the science and human drama of cosmic catastrophe, as well as lighthearted and humorous reflections about life and death.

$25 / $35 / $45 | Includes signed hardcover

& DAVE

Known as the Wright Brothers of the Unwritten, TJ& DAVE create full-length, hour-long plays from scratch (without audience suggestions). Always funny, they are also revered for their insightful, and deeply movingoutcomes. And what makes them all the more remarkable -- fans attest -- is that these dazzling feats of comedic and acting ingenuity NEVER recycle stories or characters. Trust them -- it is all made up.

co-presented by Barrow Street Theater

$22 / $25 / $29.50

T hursday mar C h 23 • 8

YO LA TENGO: AND THEN YO LA TENGO TURNED ITSELF INSIDE OUT

A large assembly of improvisors intertwine with Yo La Tengo, improvising transitions between songs and elevating YLT as they perform originals and covers of their choosing.

Co-presented by Le

$45 / $55

Fr I day mar C h 24 • 8 R OUND R OBIN WITH Th E DAP - KINGS

Co-presented by Le

$45 / $55

Broadway by the Year®

C REATED W RITTEN D IRECTED AND H OSTED BY

S COTT S IEGE l

s iegel takes audiences of all ages on a musical tour of the Great White Way, offering an entertaining verbal account of b roadway’s history. e ach evening celebrates the songs from b roadway shows of a selected year, sung by a cast of talented cabaret and b roadway performers.

Series Subscription | $200.00 / $220.00 / $240.00

m ONday F ebruary 27 • 8 pm

The Broadway Musicals of the 1920’s

F EATURING MUSIC BY Th E G ERS hw INS , I RVING B ER l IN , C O l E P ORTER , R ODGERS & hART , AND MORE !

m ON day mar C h 27 • 8 pm

The Broadway Musicals of the 1940’s

F EATURING MUSIC BY R ODGERS & hAMMERSTEIN , C O l E P ORTER , Ku RT wEI l , AND MORE !

mON day may 22 • 8 pm

The Broadway Musicals of 1997- 2006

F EATURING THE MUSIC OF S TEP h EN S OND h EIM , Ah RENS & Fl A h ERT y , A NDRE w l l O y D wEBBER , S TEP h EN S C hw ART z , AND MORE !

mON day J u N e 19 • 8 pm

The Broadway Musicals of 2007 - 2016

F EATURING THE MUSIC OF lIN -M AN u E l M IRANDA , A MANDA G REEN , Cy NDI lA u PE R , S ARA h B AREI ll ES , AND MORE !

Broadway’s Rising Stars

C REATED & H OSTED BY S COTT S IEGE l

D IRECTED BY S COTT C O ulTER

Town h all proudly presents b roadway r ising s tars, a national showcase that introduces New york audiences to the next generation of up-and-coming talent as chosen by a panel of discerning judges from among the most outstanding new graduates from acclaimed institutions. The 2016 r ising s tars is spearheaded by s cott s iegel, creator/writer/host of Town h all’s beloved b roadway by the year series.

Available with Broadway by the Year® Subscription $35 | SPECIAL PRICE!

Single event | $25 / $30 / $35 / $40

Shoots & Scores: Films in Concert

s a T urday, m ar C h 18 • 3pm | Fam ILy d ay

VINCE GIORDANO & THE NIGHTHAWKS THE CAMERAMAN p lus Laurel/Hardy & more

One of Buster Keaton’s richest and funniest pictures --a brilliantlyconstructed succession of sight gags, action, suspense, thrills, pathos, and romance-- is provided a live score of songs from the Twenties, as the acclaimed Vince Giordano and his Nighthawks return to Town Hall.

$25 / $30 / $35

T hursday apr IL 20 • 8 pm

THE PHILIP GLASS ENSEMBLE| LA BELLE ET LA BÊTE

FILM BY J ea N COCT eau | MUSIC BY ph ILI p GL ass

CONVERSATION WITH ph ILI p GL ass

One of the most celebrated and unique works in Philip Glass’s recent career is his live interpretation of Jean Cocteau’s masterpiece La Belle et la Bête. Originally conceived as part of a trilogy of stage productions celebrating the work of Jean Cocteau, La Belle et la Bête is Glass’s most challenging experiment in synchronizing music with film. For this production, Glass removed the film’s original dialogue track and score by Georges Auric and replaced it with his own musical score played live by members of the Philip Glass Ensemble. The dialogue is sung by live singers synchronized with the actors in the film. Not staged in New York City in over two decades, this special production is presented by The Town Hall and Tribeca in association with Pomegranate Arts, and features a Conversation with Philip Glass prior to the film.

Co-presented by Tribeca Film Festival in Association with Pomegranate Arts

$55 / $65 / $75 / $85

Global Icons

W ed N esday apr IL 5 • 8 pm

ANOUSHKA SHANKAR

Sitar player and composer Anoushka Shankar is a singular figure in the Indian classical and progressive world music scenes. Deeply rooted in the Indian Classical music tradition, Anoushka studied exclusively from the age of nine under her father and guru, the late Ravi Shankar, and made her professional debut as a classical sitarist at the age of thirteen. Her dynamic and spiritual musicality has garnered several prestigious accolades, including five Grammy® Award nominations, recognition as the youngest – and first female –recipient of a British House of Commons Shield, credit as an Asian Hero by TIME Magazine, and a Songlines Best Artist Award.

T hursday apr IL 27 • 8 pm

THE JAZZ EPISTLES

FEATURING ABD ull A h IBRA h IM & hu G h MASEKE l A

Legends of South African music reunite for a historic concert to tell the story of The Jazz Epistles, the most important jazz album ever to recorded in its country’s history. Abdullah Ibrahim welcomes special guest musicians from the his youth — superstar trumpeter Hugh Masekela — along with the original trombonist from that session, Jonas Gwangwa, to reimagine music for his Ekaya chamber ensemble, music that was almost lost forever — only 500 original copies were made in 1959, then buried, only to be rediscovered decades later after the tyranny of apartheid.

Co-presented by Le poisson r ouge

$35 / $55 / $65 / $75 / $125 VIP

$40 / $45 / $55 / $65

T uesday may 2 • 8 pm

DJAVAN

Djavan is a hugely popular Brazilian singer/songwriter whose ground-breaking music features a blend of South American rhythms and European rock and pop.

$50 / $60 / $75 / $85

Location & Hours

GlOBAl ICONS

5/2 DJAVAN

SIDE ORCH

CTR ORCH 3/9 DOOMSDAY SCENARIO

$25 REAR BALC

MID BALC

$45 ORCH

3/24 ROUND ROBIN

The Historical Town Hall

On 43rd Street, between Bryant Park and Times Square, stands The Town Hall - a testament to equality, inclusiveness and social progress.

Founded by suffragists in 1921, The Town Hall was created to educate people on the important issues of the day. It became one of New York City’s premiere performance halls, playing an integral part in the electrifying cultural fabric of the city for 95 years.

One of the greatest singers in the world, Marian Anderson , performed her first New York City recital at Town Hall on December 30, 1935. She continued to perform at Town Hall for 15 years before the great opera houses permitted a woman of color to sing on their stages.

Dedicated to it’s founding principles - to educate and and inform the public - the Town Hall created a series called America’s Town Meeting of the Air . It was one

of the most influential radio programs of the 20th Century and ran for 21 years. Guests included Eleanor Roosevelt , Richard Nixon , l angston h ughes , Jackie Robinson , Joseph McCarthy and hundreds more.

The Town Hall has been home to countless musical milestones and debuts, like April 12, 1963, when a young Bob Dylan performed his first major concert, or 1967 when l eonard Cohen made his stage debut at a Vietnam protest concert hosted by Judy Collins.

Garrison Keillor and Prairie Home Companion have broadcast from The Town Hall for twenty five years. Dizzy and Bird introduced bebop to the world at Town Hall. Nina Simone , Charles Mingus , Pete Seeger and dozens more recorded acclaimed albums from our stage. l earn more. Visit thetownhall.org/tours or call 212.997.1003 to sign up for a tour of this historic theater.