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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sara Valentine
718-442-7030 - office
347-576-4638 - mobile
wordygurl@earthlink.net
www.wordygurl.net/sicp

 

The Staten Island Composers Project:
LIVE AT THE ST. GEORGE THEATRE

David Johansen, Galt MacDermot and Vernon Reid

Three Music Titans on One Stage!

 

 

Staten Island, NY – (October 2007)--– On Saturday, October 27, 2007 at 8pm, the
Council on the Arts and Humanities for Staten Island (COAHSI) presents The
Staten Island Composers Project: Live at the St. George Theatre. This
concert, made possible by a grant from the New York State Music Fund, is a
world-premiere of new work by three Staten Island residents; internationally
acclaimed recording artists David Johansen, of the New York Dolls; Galt
MacDermot, composer of HAIR; and Vernon Reid, Grammy-award winning
guitarist and record producer. Wayne Miller, noted Staten Island entertainer
and host of Time Warner Cable’s game show Cranial Crunch, will host. Tickets
are $25, $45, and $65, and are now available through Ticketmaster: 212-307-
7171 or  at ticketmaster.com. Call the St. George Theatre box office directly at
718-442-2900. The program will include a 20-minute set of new music by each
artist. The three will then come together on stage for one amazing finale!

 

This unique concert experience is the culmination of a year-long commission by
COAHSI. Through The Staten Island Composers Project, COAHSI has been able
to honor and pay tribute to some of the most notable names in the music
industry. “Each of these musicians have built world-renowned careers and
reputations and after it all - they come home to Staten Island, New York City’s
forgotten borough. We are honored to have such powerful talent among us and
cannot wait to hear what they have in store,” states producer Lorna Harris, the
Interim Executive Director of COAHSI.

COAHSI requested that the artists’ work embody their connection to Staten
Island and the neighborhoods in which they choose to spend their private time.
This event provides the international touring artists a special opportunity to
compose and play music for their hometown crowd.


When selecting a location to premiere the commissions, COAHSI thought of the
legendary St. George Theatre. The jewel of Staten Island, the St. George is a
78-year old Spanish-Baroque style vaudeville palace. Newly remodeled in 2004
by “Mrs. Rosemary” Cappozalo, founder of the Richmond Dance Ensemble, the
majestic 1800-seat house plays host to everything from ballet to children’s
theatre, in addition to housing the Richmond Dance Ensemble’s outreach
program. An open dress rehearsal will be held at the theatre for private and
public school students from across Staten Island.


Major support for this event is being provided by the New York State Music Fund,
with sponsorship from Time Warner Cable and The Village Voice.

 

About The Artists


A collaboration between Johansen, MacDermot, and Reid might appear to be
counterintuitive - each one has made a name for himself in completely different
musical genres. Yet, when reflecting upon their individual careers, it becomes
clear how these artists’ work compliments one another. It’s with eager
anticipation that COAHSI awaits the commissioned pieces.

 

Native Staten Islander David Johansen is perhaps best known as the frontman
for the early '70s seminal glam/punk act, New York Dolls. He achieved notoriety
in the 1980s performing as alter ego Buster Poindexter. In recent years, he's
explored the world of American roots music with his band The Harry Smiths. He
currently tours with the New York Dolls in support of their 2006 release, One Day
It Will Please Us to Remember Even This. “The David Johansen Mansion of Fun
Show” can be heard weekly on Sirius Satellite Radio.

 

Galt MacDermot may very well be the father of modern musical theatre. The
jazz pianist/composer is the man responsible for the innovative and wildly
successfully musical score to the 1967 worldwide phenomenon HAIR. Winner of
two Grammy Awards and one TONY, he composed the soundtrack for the 1970
film Cotton Comes To Harlem, and the Broadway play, Two Gentlemen of
Verona. In 1990, MacDermot received an ASCAP Top R&B Award for his
contribution to Run DMC’s track “Down With The King." Founder/owner of
Kilmarnock Records, he continues to record, release and perform with his
group, New Pulse Jazz Band.

Vernon Reid is one of music's modern renaissance men. As a guitarist and
frontman, he's best known for his work with the multi-platinum, Grammy-award
winning rock group, Living Colour. As a record producer, he's received two
Grammy nominations: one for his work on James “Blood” Ulmer’s Memphis
Blood: The Sun Studio Sessions, and one for his production of African singer
Salif Keita's record, Papa. His vast musical oeuvre includes music for
choreographer Bill T. Jones and soundtracks for film and television such as Mr.
3000, starring Bernie Mac, and Court TV’s documentary, Ghosts of Attica. He is
the cofounder of the Black Rock Coalition and frequently performs with his
project Vernon Reid and Masque. Currently he tours with Living Colour and with
DJ Logic as one-half of the The Yohimbe Brothers.


Tickets are $25, $45, and $65, and are now available through ticketmaster.com,
212-307-7171, or at the St. George The Box Office, 35 Hyatt Street, in St. George,
Staten Island, call 718-442-2900.

 

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About COAHSI
The Council on the Arts and Humanities for Staten Island (COAHSI) continues to successfully
develop, foster and promote activities in art, cultural, and humanities on Staten Island. From
providing technical assistance for organizations and individuals, to operating the V.I.S.I.T.
Center in the Whitehall Ferry Terminal, COAHSI helps local groups and institutions collaborate
to bring a level of excellence to the arts and humanities throughout the borough.
www.statenislandarts.org
www.wordygurl.net/sicp

 

About The New York State Music Fund
The New York State Music Fund was created when the New York State Attorney General’s
Office resolved investigations against major record companies that had violated state and
federal laws prohibiting “pay for play” (also called “payola”). The settlement agreement
stipulated that funds paid by music businesses would support music education and
appreciation for the benefit of New York State residents.  The Attorney General’s Office
enlisted the services of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, one of the nation’s largest and most
experienced philanthropy services, to develop and manage the grant program.

 

 

 

 

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