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Members of Tero Saarinen Company performing Borrowed Light.
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The Brooklyn
Academy of Music (BAM) held its 25th Next
Wave Gala on November 7. The evening honored Altria
Group, Inc. and included a special tribute
to Hamish Maxwell, retired chairman
and CEO of Phillip Morris Companies Inc. The Gala
was attended by 850 guests and grossed over $1 million
dollars. G. Penn Holsenbeck, Dinyar
Devitre, and Jennifer P. Goodale were
the Gala chairs.
A highlight of the evening was a performance of Finnish
choreographer Tero Saarinen's Borrowed
Light, whichwas inspired by the distinctive music,
dance, and culture of the Shakers. The piece was performed
by Tero Saarinen Company and early-music
ensemble The Boston Camerata, and directed
by Joel Cohen. An hour-long piece for
eight dancers and eight singers, the striking work draws
freely from the Shaker tenets of duty and solemn devotion
and addresses the theme of a communitarian society. Borrowed
Light is named for the Shakers' architectural
practice of building windows into interior rooms—thus
maximizing daylight and productivity. The engagement
marks the BAM debut of both Tero Saarinen Company and
The Boston Camerata.
BAM's Next Wave Festival, which enters its 25th
season in 2007, has permanently changed the landscape
of culture through breakout performances, landmark
productions, daring experiments, and once-in-a-lifetime
moments. The Festival originated as a fall series entitled “The
Next Wave/New Masters.” In November 1981, Philip
Glass' new opera, Satyagraha, was presented
as one of four productions under the Next Wave moniker.
A more ambitious series followed in 1982, including
a two-evening performance work by Laurie Anderson — United
States: Parts I-IV.
From the seeds of these two rich years grew an idea
for something bolder and riskier. The Next Wave Festival,
dedicated to exciting new works and cross-disciplinary
collaborations by promising young artists, was launched
in October 1983. Pieces that previously had been presented
in downtown lofts and small “black box” theaters
were staged in the exquisite 2,100-seat BAM Opera House
(later renamed the Howard Gilman Opera House), a renovated
1,000-seat playhouse (the Helen Carey Playhouse, now
home to BAM Rose Cinemas), and a flexible 300-seat
performance venue (the Lepercq Space). In 1987, with
Peter Brook's The Mahabharata, BAM opened
another large stage — the 900-seat Majestic Theater — since
renamed the BAM Harvey Theater in honor of Harvey Lichtenstein
(former president and executive producer). Since 1999,
BAM has been led by president Karen Brooks
Hopkins and executive producer Joseph
V. Melillo, who curates the Next Wave Festival
and served as the producer of the inaugural festival.
Altria Group, Inc. has been the primary sponsor of
the Next Wave Festival since its inception in 1983.
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Gala co-chair Jennifer P. Goodale; BAM president Karen Brooks Hopkins;
honoree Hamish Maxwell; Stephanie E. French; BAM executive
producer Joseph V. Melillo.
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Brooklyn Borough president Marty Markowitz; Alan H. Fishman, chairman
of BAM.
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Merce Cunningham, Judy Fishman.
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Philip Glass, Wendy Sutter.
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Burt Barr, Trisha Brown, Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson.
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| Photos:
Image 1: Jack Vartoogian/Front Row Photos; All other
images: Elena Olivo |
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AUG 05,
2008
CRI Young Philanthropists' Summer Social |
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AUG 02,
2008
Southampton Hospital Summer Party |
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AUG 01,
2008
Rita Hayworth Gala Kickoff |
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AUG 01,
2008
Aspen Art Museum artCRUSH |
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JUL 31,
2008
Black Ties & Baseball Caps Gala |
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JUL 31,
2008
Aspen Art Museum previewCRUSH |
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JUL 29,
2008
Mostly Mozart Festival Gala |
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JUL 25,
2008
HOFI Hamptons Benefit |
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JUL 25,
2008
NY Stem Cell Foundation Reception |
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JUL 22,
2008
Museum at FIT Cocktail |
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JUL 19,
2008
HDS Gala Preview |
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| >> MORE EVENTS |
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