The Opening Number Of
New York Spring Spectacular, Presented By Chase, Will Be Performed To The
Orchestrated Music of Taylor Swift's "Welcome To New York," And
Choreographed by Emmy-Award Winning Choreographer Mia Michaels Of
So You Think You Can Dance
Separately, To Open The All-Star Game, The Rockettes Will Perform Alongside
Grammy Award-Winning International Recording Artist Christina Aguilera
To A New York-Themed Medley
NEW YORK, Feb. 5, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MSG Entertainment (MSGE) announced today that the legendary Rockettes will debut the show-stopping opening number from their all-new live theatrical production, New York Spring Spectacular, at the 64th NBA All-Star Game. The opening number of New York Spring Spectacular, presented by Chase, is choreographed by Mia Michaels to the orchestrated music of Taylor Swift's "Welcome to New York." The Rockettes performance at the NBA All-Star Game will be part of the "Entertainment Series presented by JBL" on Sunday, February 15 at Madison Square Garden. The game will air live at 8 p.m. ET on TNT. New York Spring Spectacular will debut in March 2015 at Radio City Music Hall and is jointly produced by Madison Square Garden Entertainment and Weinstein Live Entertainment. The limited seven week engagement begins previews on March 12, 2015 and runs through May 3, 2015. Tickets on sale now at www.rockettes.com/spring.
Prior to their performance of "Welcome to New York," the Rockettes will perform alongside Grammy Award-winning international recording artist Christina Aguilera. The Rockettes will join Aguilera for a spectacular open to the night with a New York-themed medley prior to introducing the 2015 NBA All-Stars.
"'Welcome to New York' is the perfect anthem for the Rockettes to welcome guests to the NBA All-Star Game here in New York City and will be an unparalleled introduction to New York Spring Spectacular," says Mia Michaels, choreographer of New York Spring Spectacular's opening number. "This number is a true celebration of New York City and features the phenomenally talented and inspiring Rockettes. The music, performed by the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra, sets the tone of this amazing story and accompanies the dynamic opening dance sequence beautifully."
Mia Michaels, the choreographer of the opening number, is well-known for her work on the Fox Television Show, So You Think You Can Dance, and has collaborated with artists such as Prince, Madonna and Celine Dion. Variety Magazine named Michaels as "One of the Most Innovative Women" of 2013 and she has received multiple Emmy Awards for Outstanding Choreography. Michaels will also be lending her talents to Finding Neverland, which opens on Broadway in 2015.
New York Spring Spectacular takes audiences on a whirlwind adventure across New York City while telling an inspiring and hopeful narrative about New Yorkers who change each other's lives in unexpectedly wonderful ways. The all-star collaborators and cast in New York Spring Spectacular include Tony Award winning actress Laura Benanti starring as the female lead, Jenna; Emmy Award winning choreographer Derek Hough as the male lead, Jack; Lenny Wolpe in the role of Bernie; and Jared Grimes in the role of Marshall. Additionally, some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment will be lending their talents and voices to the production including Whoopi Goldberg as the voice of the Statue of Liberty puppet and Bella Thorne as the voice of the Alice in Wonderland statue, along with celebrity video cameos by Carmelo Anthony, Henrik Lundqvist, Donald Trump and more!
The New York Spring Spectacular is led by Director and Choreographer Warren Carlyle, a Tony and Drama Desk Award winning director and choreographer, including for such popular Broadway productions as The Mystery of Edwin Drood, A Christmas Story: The Musical and After Midnight, which he also directed and for which he won both the Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for Best Choreographer. Working by his side are Co-Creative Directors Diane Paulus and Randy Weiner. Paulus is a Tony Award winning director for the A.R.T.'s Pippin and was among 2014's TIME 100, TIME Magazine's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Weiner is the creator of the Off-Broadway extravaganza Queen of the Night at the Paramount Hotel and is a frequent collaborator with Paulus, most recently working together to create Amaluna for Cirque Du Soleil. Weiner is also the producer of the Drama Desk Award winning New York premiere of Punchdrunk's Sleep No More. Writer Joshua Harmon made his professional New York playwriting debut with the critically acclaimed play Bad Jews, which was produced by Roundabout Underground and was the first play to transfer to the Roundabout's Laura Pels Theatre in October 2013. It received Outer Critics Circle and Lortel nominations for Best Play. Harmon earned degrees in playwriting from Northwestern and Carnegie Mellon and studied at Julliard's Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights program.
Check out exclusive New York Spring Spectacular behind-the-scenes photos, videos and interviews at www.rockettes.com/spring, and follow Rockettes and New York Spring Spectacular on Facebook, @Rockettes on Twitter and @TheRockettes on Instagram for all the latest updates on the show.
The New York Spring Spectacular logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=30027
NYSS Ticket Information
Preview performances of the New York Spring Spectacular begin March 12, 2015 at Radio City Music Hall®. Opens March 26, 2015 and runs for a limited engagement ending May 3, 2015. Prices range from $46 - $100 for previews and regular box office pricing from $50 - $150, depending on show date and time. Tickets are available online at www.rockettes.com/spring, by phone via Ticketmaster at 866-858-0007, or at Radio City's Box Office (50th St. & Avenue of the Americas). Group tickets of 9+ contact Group Sales at 212-465-6080 or group.sales@msg.com. Box Office hours are daily, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00pm. Tickets purchased via Ticketmaster are subject to service charges.
About MSG Entertainment
MSG Entertainment (MSGE), the live entertainment arm of The Madison Square Garden Company (Nasdaq:MSG), is a worldwide entertainment company recognized for its signature combination of event production and entertainment marketing. In addition to the nearly 900 entertainment concerts and events that take place each year at Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, the Beacon Theatre, The Chicago Theatre, and the Forum in Inglewood, California, MSGE has an exclusive co-booking agreement with Boston's Citi Performing Arts Center/ Wang Theatre. MSG Entertainment's live events include the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, which has played to more than 75 million people in 77 different cities across North America. More than five million people attend MSG Entertainment branded events annually including concerts, special events, and family attractions.
About NBA All-Star 2015
NBA All-Star 2015 in New York City will bring together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league's history for a global celebration of the game. The 64th NBA All-Star Game, which will take place Sunday, Feb. 15 at Madison Square Garden, will reach fans in 215 countries and territories in 47 languages. TNT will televise the All-Star Game for the 13th consecutive year, marking Turner Sports' 30th year of All-Star coverage. Barclays Center in Brooklyn will host the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge on Friday, Feb. 13 and State Farm All-Star Saturday Night on Saturday, Feb. 14. Other events at Barclays Center will include the NBA Development League All-Star Game presented by Kumho Tire and the NBA Development League Dream Factory presented by Boost Mobile on Sunday, Feb. 15. Madison Square Garden will host Friday night's Sprint NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.