The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Honors Indigenous Peoples’ Day with Launch Of Free Community Celebration That Places Native American Voices at the Forefront

Presented in Partnership with Akomawt Educational Initiative and Jonathan James-Perry (Aquinnah Wampanoag Nation)

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), is offering its first free celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Monday, October 14, presented in partnership with the Akomawt Educational Initiative and Jonathan James-Perry, Tribal Citizen of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Nation.

The community celebration re-positions Columbus Day as a holiday to honor the original inhabitants of the Americas. Part of the Fenway Alliance’s 18th annual Opening Our Doors Day, Indigenous Peoples’ Day at the MFA recognizes the heritage of Native Americans and the histories of their nations and communities, promoting the artistry of indigenous peoples in Greater Boston and New England. Throughout the day, visitors can explore the Native North American Art Gallery, enjoy music and dance, and drop in on a variety of family art-making activities. Indigenous Peoples’ Day is sponsored by Ameriprise Financial. Additional programming support is provided by The Lowell Institute.

“The MFA was founded in 1870 and stands on the historic homelands of the Massachusett people. This event is one step in building bridges and engaging indigenous communities with the Museum through local and region-wide partnerships with artists, performers, educators, tribal nation leaders and community members,” said Makeeba McCreary, Patti and Jonathan Kraft Chief of Learning and Community Engagement at the MFA. “As a museum, we acknowledge the long history of the land that we occupy today and seek ways to make these narratives more prominent and visible within our galleries.”

During the celebration, visitors are invited to share their perspectives on Cyrus Dallin’s Appeal to the Great Spirit (1909), a monumental sculpture on the MFA’s Huntington Avenue lawn, through a community-activated art project. Visitor feedback will help to inform the interpretation of the work—continuing conversations that began during a spring 2019 lecture and community discussion. In the afternoon, a welcome and blessing will be held by Matthew Teitelbaum, Ann and Graham Gund Director; Elizabeth Solomon, Member of the Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag; Jonathan James-Perry, Tribal Citizen of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Nation; and Chris Newell, Passamaquoddy, Akomawt Educational Initiatve.

Additional highlights of the community celebration include:

• Tours in the Native North American Art Gallery co-led by MFA curators and educators from the Akomawt Educational Initiative
• Native American hoop dance performances by Toronto-based professional hoop dancer Lisa Odjig (Ojibwe), telling the story of creation; narrated by renowned musician Chris Newell (Passamaquoddy), also the co-founder and director of education at the Akomawt Educational Initiative
• Vocal performances by Jennifer Kreisberg (Tuscarora, North Carolina)
• Hand drum and contemporary powwow song performances by the Iron River Singers, an intertribal northern style group composed of Ojibwe, Abenaki and Wampanoag singers from the South Coast of Massachusetts
• Interactive songs and dances by The Kingfisher Dance Theater, featuring members of the Southern New England Native community
• Art-making activities led by Elizabeth James-Perry (Aquinnah Wampanoag) and Kerri Helme (Mashpee Wampanoag)
• Weaving and beadwork demonstrations with artist Sparrow Plainbull (Haliwa-Saponi)

Indigenous Peoples’ Day one of 11 annual community celebrations at the MFA, co-created with valued community partners, artists and performers, highlighting external perspectives and local expertise. The series includes Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Lunar New Year, Nowruz, Memorial Day, Highland Street Foundation Free Fun Friday, Latinx Heritage Night, ASL Night, Diwali and Hanukkah.

Schedule of Indigenous Peoples’ Day Events. Museum admission is free all day, 10 am–5 pm

Share Your Thoughts

• 10 am–4 pm | Huntington Avenue Lawn
• What do you see when you look at Cyrus Dallin’s sculpture Appeal to the Great Spirit? Share your thoughts about this artwork. Your response will inform its future interpretation.

Welcome and Blessing

• 1:30 pm | Shapiro Family Courtyard
• Matthew Teitelbaum, Ann and Graham Gund Director; Jonathan James-Perry, Tribal Citizen of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Nation; and Chris Newell, Akomawt Educational Initiative

Native American Hoop Dance Featuring Lisa Odjig (Ojibwe)

• 11 am and 2 pm | Shapiro Family Courtyard
• Watch as two-time World Hoop Dance Champion Lisa Odjig tells the story of creation using music, dance and multiple flexible hoops. Narrated by renowned musician and MC Chris Newell (Passamaquoddy).

Jennifer Kreisberg (Tuscarora Nation)

• Noon and 3 pm | Remis Auditorium
• Mother, singer, composer, producer, teacher, and activist—Jennifer Kreisberg (Tuscarora, North Carolina) comes from four generations of Seven Singing Sisters through her maternal line. She is known for her fierce vocals and soaring range.

Iron River Singers

• Enjoy hand drum and contemporary powwow songs from Iron River Singers, an intertribal northern style group comprised of Ojibwe, Abenaki, and Wampanoag singers from the South Coast of Massachusetts.

The Kingfisher Dance Theater

• 11:30 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm | Gallery 250
• Enjoy interactive song and dance with members of the Southern New England Native community.

Art-making Activities

• 10 am–1 pm | Education Center in the Druker Family Pavilion, Room 159
• Elizabeth James-Perry (Aquinnah Wampanoag): Wampum

• 11am–4 pm | Gallery 168
• Sparrow Plainbull (Haliwa-Saponi): Weaving and beadwork

Examining the Collection Tours

• 10:30 am and 2:30 pm | Gallery LG33
• Join Akomawt Educational Initiative educators and MFA curators in the Native North American Art gallery as they discuss the defining characteristics of “Native art” and who gets to make these decisions. Hear about techniques used in the works on display and learn about the ever-changing cultural contexts in which we understand them.

Guided Tours

Meet at Sharf Visitor Center

Join a free guided tour to explore highlights from the Museum’s many collections.

• 10:30 am | Highlights of the Museum Collections
• 11:30 am | Art of Asia
• 12:15 pm | Art of the Americas
• 12:30 pm | 3 in 30 Minutes
• 1 pm | Introduction to the Contemporary Collection
• 1:45 pm | Art of Europe
• 2:30 pm | Art of the Ancient World
• 3:15 pm | Highlights of the Museum Collections

Education, access and community programs at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), connect visitors from Boston’s neighborhoods, New England and around the world with art. The MFA welcomes more than one million visitors annually, serving many through its learning and community engagement programs. Opportunities for free and discounted admission for students, teachers, children, EBT card holders and military personnel and veterans can be found at mfa.org/visit, including free access for college students through the MFA’s University Membership and Pozen Community College Access program. Visitors can also learn about access programming for visitors with disabilities online, which includes free entry for personal care attendants. Additionally, the MFA Citizens program offers free one-year family memberships to newly naturalized U.S. citizens living in Massachusetts. The Museum is free for all after 4 pm every Wednesday and offers 11 free community celebrations annually. Each year, the Museum welcomes approximately 55,000 students and teachers—kindergarten through high school—for school group visits. Additional educational programming includes gallery talks, lectures, artist demonstrations, studio art classes and art-making workshops for hospital patients. In 2020, the MFA is marking its 150th anniversary with a yearlong celebration of generosity, community and inclusion through a series of special events and initiatives.

The MFA is located on the Avenue of the Arts at 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115. For more information, call 617.267.9300, visit mfa.org or follow the MFA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Tom Hanks to be Recipient of the 2020 Cecil B. deMille Award at The 77th Golden Globes Awards

September 24, 2019– The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) announced that eight-time Golden Globe winner and 15-time nominee, Tom Hanks, will be honored with the coveted Cecil B. deMille Award at the 77^th Annual Golden Globe Awards. The highly-acclaimed star of such legendary films such as Big, Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, Cast Away, and the upcoming release of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood will accept the honor at Hollywood’s Party of the Year® on Sunday, January 5, 2020 airing LIVE coast-to-coast from 5-8 p.m. PT/8-11 p.m. ET on NBC.

Tom Hanks the star of Columbia Pictures’ “Captain Phillips.” Photo Credit: AUSTIN HARGRAVE

“The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is proud to bestow the 2020 Cecil B. deMille Award to Tom Hanks,” said HFPA President Lorenzo Soria. “For more than three decades, he’s captivated audiences with rich and playful characters that we’ve grown to love and admire. As compelling as he is on the silver screen, he’s equally so behind the camera as a writer, producer, and director. We’re honored to include Mr. Hanks with such luminaries as Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Martin Scorsese, and Barbra Streisand to name a few.”

Chosen by the HFPA Board of Directors, the Cecil B. deMille Award is given annually to a talented individual who has made a lasting impact on the film industry. Honorees over the decades include Jeff Bridges, Robert De Niro, Audrey Hepburn, Harrison Ford, Jodie Foster, Sophia Loren, Sidney Poitier, Steven Spielberg, Denzel Washington, Robin Williams, and many more.

Hanks’ complex and moving performances have earned him the honor of being one of only two actors in history to win back-to-back Best Actor Academy Awards®, he won his first Oscar® in 1994 for his moving portrayal of AIDS-stricken lawyer Andrew Beckett in Jonathan Demme’s Philadelphia. The following year, he took home his second Oscar for his unforgettable performance in the title role of Robert Zemeckis’ Forrest Gump. He also won the Golden Globe Award for both films, as well as a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award® for the latter.

In 2013, Hanks was seen starring in Golden Globe-nominated film Captain Phillips, for which he received Golden Globe, SAG, and BAFTA nominations as well as in AFI’s Movie of the Year Saving Mr. Banks with Emma Thompson. Hanks was most recently seen alongside Streep in Spielberg’s Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated film The Post, for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe and won Best Actor with the National Board of Review. He will next be seen portraying Mr. Fred Rodgers in the upcoming biopic A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. Additional upcoming projects include the WWII drama Greyhound, which he also wrote, the post-apocalyptic BIOS and Paul Greengrass’ pre-Civil War drama News of the World.

His other feature credits include the Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski film Cloud Atlas; Stephen Daldry’s Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close; the animated adventure The Polar Express, which he also executive produced and which reunited him with director Robert Zemeckis; the Coen brothers’ The Ladykillers; Spielberg’s The Terminal and Catch Me If You Can; Sam Mendes’ Road to Perdition; Frank Darabont’s The Green Mile; Nora Ephron’s You’ve Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle; Penny Marshall’s A League of Their Own; Ron Howard’s Apollo 13; The Da Vinci Code; Angels & Demons; Splash; Hologram for a King; Inferno;Sully; and the computer-animated blockbusters Cars, Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Toy Story 3 and Toy Story 4.

In 1996, Hanks made his successful feature film writing and directing debut with That Thing You Do!, in which he also starred. More recently, he wrote, produced, directed and starred in Larry Crowne, with Julia Roberts. Hanks and Playtone produced 2002’s smash hit romantic comedy My Big Fat Greek Wedding, with his wife Rita Wilson. Other producing credits include Where the Wild Things Are, The Polar Express, The Ant Bully, Charlie Wilson’s War, Mamma Mia!, The Great Buck Howard, Starter for 10, and the HBO series Big Love, Band of Brothers, The Pacific and From the Earth to the Moon.

In 2002, Hanks received the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award.

He was later honored by the Film Society of Lincoln Center with the Chaplin Award in 2009. In 2014, Hanks received a Kennedy Center Honor.

Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture Announces Fall Programming Schedule

Fall Programming Launches With Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch’s Book Event on Third Anniversary of National Museum of African American History and Culture

Two Book Discussions, Screening of the New Film “Harriet” and the 25th Anniversary Event of Furious Flower Poetry Center With Nikki Giovanni and Sonia Sanchez Are Featured

Lonnie G. Bunch III, the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian, will host a book talk Tuesday, Sept. 24, to kick off fall programming at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. Bunch will join Scott Pelley of CBS 60 Minutes to discuss his new book A Fool’s Errand: Creating the National Museum of African American History and Culture in the Age of Bush, Obama, and Trump. The Washington, D.C., leg of Bunch’s national book tour celebrates the third anniversary of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opened Sept. 24, 2016. A Fool’s Errand provides an inside account on how Bunch planned and managed the challenges of choosing a construction site, commissioning a team of architects, raising more than $400 million, designing exhibitions and building a collection of nearly 40,000 objects. The Washington event is sold out; however, the discussion will be streamed live. More information about the national book tour is available on the museum’s website.

Scheduled fall programming features two book discussions, a LGBTQ speakeasy event with comedian Sampson McCormick and a screening of the new film Harriet. All programs held in the museum’s Oprah Winfrey Theater will stream live on the museum’s Ustream channel at ustream.tv. All programs are free.

September and October Programming

Lectures & Discussion: A Fool’s Errand by Lonnie Bunch

Tuesday, Sept. 24; 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. (Heritage Hall)

On the museum’s third anniversary, newly appointed Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch and Scott Pelley will delve deeply into Bunch’s latest book, A Fool’s Errand, which chronicles the strategies, support systems and coalitions he put in place to build the Smithsonian’s 19^th museum, one that would attract more than 4 million visitors during its first two years. The book goes on sale the same day, Sept. 24. The event is sold out; however, the discussion will stream live on the museum’s Facebook Live channel.

NMAAHC LIVE: Furious Flower 25

Saturday, Sept. 28; 1 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. (Oprah Winfrey Theater, Heritage Hall)

To celebrate African American poets and poetry, the museum will host James Madison University’s Furious Flower Poetry Center’s 25th anniversary with eight hours of poetry-focused programming open to the public. Founded in 1994 the Furious Flower Poetry Center is the nation’s first academic center of black poetry for creative writers, scholars and poetry lovers. The festivities commence with discussions, workshops and a performance by the Swazi Poets of South Africa, beginning at 3:45 p.m. The day concludes with two hours of readings and performances by 25 of the nation’s most storied American poets, including Sonia Sanchez, Nikki Giovanni, Gregory Pardlo, Tyehimba Jess, Yusef Komunyakaa and Terrance Hayes. Books by participating poets will be available for sale and signing courtesy of Smithsonian Enterprises. Admission is free; however, registration is required at https://nmaahc.si.edu/event/upcoming.

A Speakeasy Evening: LGBTQ Celebration

Tuesday, Oct. 15; 7 p.m. (Museum Concourse and Oprah Winfrey Theater)

Inspired by the prohibition-era clubs of the Harlem Renaissance where speakeasies like the Cotton Club and the Savoy Ballroom thrived, the museum invites visitors to attend a LBGTQ speakeasy for allies of all gender identities and orientations to experience camaraderie, comedy and art. The evening starts with a reception on Concourse Level with light refreshments. Following the reception, the museum will screen the short film Happy Birthday, Marsha! The fictional film reimagines transgender rights pioneers, Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, in the hours leading to the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City. The program will conclude with social commentary by noted comedian Sampson McCormick. Registration is required at https://nmaahc.si.edu/event/upcoming.

Historically Speaking: A DNA Story: An Adoptee Traces Her Biological Roots With Dena Chasten, Saturday, Oct. 19; noon

Special guest Dena Chasten will share her journey as a 12-year-old adoptee to find her family roots. Through public records’ search and interviews, Chasten was able to locate her birth parents and later used DNA testing to discover her identity and ancestry. Chasten will explore how a class assignment led her on a life-changing journey of self-discovery and identity affirmation. To register for the event, email familyhistorycenter@si.edu.

Historically Speaking: The Bold World by Jodie Patterson

Wednesday, Oct. 23; 7 p.m. (Oprah Winfrey Theater)

Based on her memoir The Bold World, social activist and author Jodie Patterson will reveal how she reshaped her attitudes and beliefs, as well as those of her community, to meet the needs of her trans-gender son, Penelope. Patterson has been lauded for her activist work and sits on the board of a number of gender/family/human rights organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign. The discussion will be moderated by Thelma Golden, director of the Studio Museum in Harlem. Following the discussion, Patterson’s book will be available for sale and signing courtesy of Smithsonian Books. Registration is required at https://nmaahc.si.edu/event/upcoming.

Cinema + Conversation: Harriet

Thursday, Oct. 31; 7 p.m. (Oprah Winfrey Theater, Heritage Hall)

Harriet, “Be free or die“. directed by: Kasi Lemmons, starring: Cynthia Erivo, Janelle Monae, Leslie Odom Jr., Jennifer Nettles

Join the museum for a special screening and discussion of the new film Harriet, based on the life of iconic abolitionist and Underground Railroad-conductor Harriet Tubman. Directed by Kasi Lemmons, the biopic Harriet follows Tubman’s escape from slavery and subsequent missions to free dozens of enslaved men and women through the Underground Railroad. Details of the screening will be made available at https://nmaahc.si.edu/event/upcoming.

Since opening Sept. 24, 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture has welcomed more than 5 million visitors. Occupying a prominent location next to the Washington Monument on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the nearly 400,000-square-foot museum is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive cultural destination devoted exclusively to exploring, documenting and showcasing the African American story and its impact on American and world history. For more information about the museum, visit nmaahc.si.edu.

Publishing Giant Condé Nast Announces New Global Leadership Structure

U.S./New York-based Condé Nast and London-based Condé Nast International Are Integrated as One Global Team. New Consumer Marketing Function to Bring Focus on Direct-to-Consumer Efforts With Unified Commercial Team to Better Serve Global Clients’ Holistic Needs

New Leadership Structure is Expected to Help Further Turn the Financial Ship Around As Company Moves Beyond Closing and Selling Off Magazine Titles, Layoffs and Consolidation of Workforce Across All Titles

Long expected, Condé Nast yesterday appointed a new global leadership team designed to accelerate the company’s evolution into a 21st-century media company. The new organizational structure, which combines Condé Nast and Condé Nast International into a unified global team, was created with several guiding principles in mind, including the preservation of local editorial voice and authority, an enhanced focus on the consumer, unification of the company’s ad and commercial sales functions to reflect clients’ local and global needs and the development of new ways to share capabilities and best practices across the company.

Condé Nast is a global media company, home to iconic brands including Vogue, The New Yorker, GQ, Glamour, AD, Vanity Fair, and Wired, among many others. The company’s award-winning content reaches 84 million consumers in print, 367 million in digital and 379 million across social platforms, and generates more than 1 billion video views each month. The company is headquartered in London and New York and operates in 32 markets worldwide including China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico & Latin America, Russia, Spain, Taiwan, the U.K., and the U.S., with local license partners across the globe. Launched in 2011, Condé Nast Entertainment is an award-winning production and distribution studio that creates programming across film, television, social and digital video and virtual reality.

“One of my top priorities has been to define our organizational structure so that we can take full advantage of our unique growth opportunities and exceptional content around the world,” said the recently-appointed CEO of Condé Nast, RogerLynch “I’m confident that our new global structure will better enable us to collaborate across teams and markets and, ultimately, deliver unparalleled experiences for our consumers and clients.“

The new structure is as follows:

Global Content Functions:: Anna Wintour, U.S. Artistic Director, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue U.S. and (newly-appointed) Global Content Advisor, will continue in her role as U.S. Artistic Director and Editor-in-Chief of Vogue U.S., and will add Global Content Advisor and oversight of Vogue International to her responsibilities. In her expanded role, Wintour will advise the executive leadership team on global content opportunities and act as a resource to editors-in-chief and editorial talent worldwide.

Oren Katzeff, President of Condé Nast Entertainment (CNE), will expand the company’s digital video, film and television operations to create best-in-class video content experiences for audiences worldwide. The company has been increasing its focus on video content and currently generates 1.1 billion video views per month. Under Oren’s leadership, CNE will now be the core of our global network of video teams, supporting the growth of our video businesses in all markets.

David Remnick, Editor-in-Chief of The New Yorker, will also continue to report directly to Lynch.

Global Operations Organization: Wolfgang Blau, President, International & Chief Operating Officer will oversee all non-U.S. markets, as well as selected global strategic functions, including Product & Technology, Data, Licensing, Global Editorial Operations, Business Development, and Delivery & Business Transformation. This organization will ensure day-to-day operational excellence and capability sharing across the business.

Global Commercial Organization: Pamela Drucker Mann, Global Chief Revenue Officer & President, U.S. Revenue, will lead a new global revenue organization that brings together the company’s U.S. and international ad sales, creative and agency, B2B marketing and client service capabilities. Jamie Jouning, promoted to Chief Client Officer, will report to Drucker Mann and oversee key global accounts, multi-market deals, and central digital ad operations. Drucker Mann will define ad sales and ad product strategies globally, and work closely with Jamie and the central team and commercial leads in the company’s worldwide markets to drive overall ad, agency, and B2B revenue and share best practices.

Consumer Marketing Organization: Condé Nast is creating a new consumer marketing organization that will be led by a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and will bring added focus to the company’s direct-to-consumer efforts. As the company expands its consumer offerings, this team will be charged with developing best-in-class capabilities and consistency across consumer experiences on every platform. The team will also be responsible for consumer revenue, with a core focus on subscriptions and memberships. In addition, the team will have responsibility for global brand management, consumer research, and insights and global audience development, ensuring a data-driven approach to the company’s efforts. The search for a CMO to lead this new organization will begin immediately.

Corporate Functions: The company is also globalizing its three corporate functions to leverage skills, expertise and standardize processes and best practices: People, Finance and Communications. The company will begin an immediate search and selection process for these and other open roles. Until new leaders are identified, teams will maintain their existing reporting lines and responsibilities.

“We’re bringing added focus to our direct-to-consumer efforts and will build a new consumer marketing function that will be charged with developing best-in-class subscription and membership capabilities, and maintaining the authenticity of our iconic global brands,” Lynch continued. “And by transforming our sales organization into a unified global team, Condé Nast will be better positioned to serve the holistic needs of our clients around the world and make it easier for them to do business with us.“

The new structure and appointments take effect immediately.

2018 Holiday Gift Guide: PANDORA Jewelry & The Christmas Spectacular Starring The Radio City Rockettes Announce PANDORA As The Official Jewelry Partner For The Second Consecutive Year

PANDORA Jewelry Debuts Two Seasonal Mementos Featuring PANDORA’s Signature Charms: ‘Radio City Music Hall Charm and Ceramic Box’ and ‘2018 Exclusive Holiday Charm and Ornament Gift Set,’ Inspired By The Glamour Of The Radio City Rockettes

PANDORA Jewelry and The Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes, presented by Chase, have announced that for the second consecutive year, PANDORA will be the Official Jewelry Partner of The Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes. Expanding upon the successful 2017 inaugural year of the partnership, PANDORA has created two seasonal mementos, ‘Radio City Music Hall Charm and Ceramic Box‘ and a limited edition ‘2018 Exclusive Holiday Charm and Ornament Gift Set,’ which was inspired by the world-famous Radio City Rockettes.

PANDORA Logo (PRNewsfoto/PANDORA Jewelry)

As part of the partnership, PANDORA will again host an exciting pop-up activation within Radio City Music Hall during the show’s run from November 9, 2018 – January 1, 2019, where the exclusive merchandise will be sold for audiences attending the Christmas Spectacular as well as at Radio City’s Sixth Avenue Store.

“The Christmas Spectacular holds a special place in the hearts of many during the holiday season, much like the feeling of finding that perfect piece of jewelry as a gift for a loved one,” said Laurie McDonald, General Manager, PANDORA U.S.A. “Whether you’re attending for the first time or have fond memories of going in the past, we’re excited to continue creating and being a part of these wonderful moments that last forever.“

2018 Exclusive Holiday Charm and Ornament Gift Set

The ‘2018 Exclusive Holiday Charm and Ornament Gift Set‘, is a limited-edition Christmas ornament and charm for fans who are looking to add some extra Rockettes inspired glamour and sparkle to their holiday season. Inspired by a Rockettes costume, the silver base features stripes of white enamel inlaid with cubic zirconia gems and is topped with a delicate bow. Presented in an exquisitely designed matching holiday ornament, it makes for a beautiful and sophisticated keepsake. The exclusive gift set is currently available for purchase at PANDORA authorized retailers, on the PANDORA ecommerce website, at PANDORA’s Radio City Music Hall pop-up, and at Radio City’s Sixth Avenue Store.

Saks Fifth Avenue reveals “Theater Of Dreams” Holiday Window Concept In Partnership With Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS

Saks Fifth Avenue continues its long-standing tradition of delighting and captivating spectators around the world with a holiday show like no other. In alliance with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, one of the nation’s leading industry-based HIV/AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations, Saks Fifth Avenue will unveil its theater-inspired 10-story-tall theatrical light show and holiday windows concept on Fifth Avenue on Monday, November 19.

“As we reimagine our iconic Fifth Avenue windows and celebrate the holiday season with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS this year, we hope to connect with people in a meaningful way while helping those in need,” said Marc Metrick, President, Saks Fifth Avenue. “From the Broadway-caliber Theater of Dreams performance on Fifth Avenue to spreading holiday magic across all Saks stores in North America and online, we strive to deliver an unparalleled holiday shopping experience for our customers.“

‘Theater of Dreams’ Logo

Over a year in the making, the fantastical show is an ode to the grandeur of the Broadway stage. The performance, titled Theater of Dreams, will include well over one hundred Broadway dancers performing a one-of-a-kind number live on Fifth Avenue, in a number produced by Broadway Cares. The musical performance is directed by Michael Lee Scott and choreographed by Tammy Colucci.

“What could be more magical for the holidays than 124 high-spirited Broadway dancers filling Fifth Avenue to usher in the holidays in front of New York’s most iconic window displays and light show at Saks?” Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Executive Director Tom Viola said. “We’re honored Saks invited us to join them in this special celebration and are particularly appreciative of Saks’ support for those who’ve been marginalized and simply need a kind, helping hand.”

For the first time in the retailer’s 94-year history, Saks Fifth Avenue premieres a digital storytelling animation concept, along with the brand’s traditional vignettes in its New York holiday window display. The windows, presented by Mastercard, will bring to life an imaginary shopper’s visit to the theater, where she dreams of Saks Fifth Avenue.

A rendition of Saks Fifth Avenue ‘Theater of Dreams window facade

As part of the display, the Fifth Avenue center six windows each depict a different scene from the shopper’s dream, integrating real-life props with digital screens. Vignettes include the shopper experiencing countless luxurious offerings within Saks, including her personal Fifth Avenue Club visit, her search for the perfect shoe inside the world-renowned 10022-SHOE, and her trip to a spa room for pampering unlike any other on the revolutionary beauty floor.

Saks Fifth Avenue crowd

A rendition of Saks Fifth Avenue ‘Theater of Dreams window facades

The New York unveiling of Theater of Dreams will be live from Fifth Avenue and streamed via Saks.com for audiences around the world to enjoy. The online event, presented by Mastercard, will take place on Monday, November 19 at 7:00 PM ET. The window animation and light show will continue throughout the holiday season until January 2, 2019.

“Mastercard is proud to partner with Saks Fifth Avenue on this year’s Theatre of Dreams, the brand’s 2018 holiday experience,” commented Linda Kirkpatrick, executive vice president, U.S. Merchants and Acceptance Mastercard. “For over a decade, Mastercard has partnered with Saks to create unique experiences for customers and cardholders that are truly Priceless and captivate audiences around the world. The Saks’ holiday windows and light show is an iconic New York City tradition and we are excited for this year’s performance.”

Customers can sponsor a light bulb on the façade of the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship for the annual holiday light show and all proceeds will benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Visit saks.com to purchase.

Select Saks stores across the country will host an extraordinary array of events, including theatrical performances and shopping surprises starting November 29. Events are held each Thursday, Friday, and Saturday through the holiday season until December 22. Visitors can view their local store’s activities on the Store & Events page on Saks.com.

In celebration of the gift-giving season, Saks offers dedicated holiday concierges to assist customers with all of their gift-giving needs, including gift-wrapping, shipping, delivery, or simply finding that perfect present. Customers may access the holiday concierge in select Saks locations or 24/7 on saks.com/locations/services.

Whether shopping for exclusive gifts or designer delights, customers can find impeccable presents in the 123 page ultimate Saks Holiday Gift Guide. Gift guides are in stores or on Saks.com.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s 60th Anniversary Opening Night Gala Benefit Performance And Party

Honorary Chairs are Iconic Screen Stars Angela Bassett and Cicely Tyson

Evening Features a Piece d’Occasion by Robert Battle, Alvin Ailey’s Revelations Sung by Ledisi, Erica Campbell, Norm Lewis, and Brandie Sutton, and the Premiere of Becoming Ailey – a Multimedia Work that Returns Alvin Ailey’s Presence to the Stage

Celebration Honors Prudential Financial and Launches Ailey’s Five-Week New York City Center Season

As a centerpiece to its yearlong Ailey Ascending 60^th Anniversary celebration and a kickoff to its five-week holiday season, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will host a star-studded gala benefit on Wednesday, November 28^th at 7pm, complete with a performance for the ages at New York City Center and party at the New York Hilton Midtown Grand Ballroom. The Honorary Chairs for the evening are screen icons, Angela Bassett and Cicely Tyson.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Samantha Figgins and Jeroboam Bozeman. Photo by Andrew Eccles

Bassett, a Golden Globe Award winner, stars in the hit television series 9-1-1, and was most recently featured in the 2018 blockbusters Black Panther and Mission: Impossible – Fallout. Tyson – known for a myriad of roles across television and film, including Roots, Fried Green Tomatoes, and most recently How to Get Away With Murder – has received three Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and on November 18^th will make history as the first black woman to receive an Honorary Academy Award.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recognized by U.S. Congressional resolution as a vital American “Cultural Ambassador to the World,” grew from a now-fabled March 1958 performance in New York that changed forever the perception of American dance. Founded by Alvin Ailey, recent posthumous recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the nation’s highest civilian honor, and guided by Judith Jamison beginning in 1989, the Company is now led by Robert Battle, whom Jamison chose to succeed her on July 1, 2011.

(The Ailey organization also includes Ailey II (1974), a second performing company of emerging young dancers and innovative choreographers; The Ailey School (1969), one of the most extensive dance training programs in the world; Ailey Arts in Education & Community Programs, which brings dance into the classrooms, communities and lives of people of all ages; and The Ailey Extension (2005), a program offering dance and fitness classes to the general public, which began with the opening of Ailey’s permanent home—the largest building dedicated to dance in New York City, the dance capital of the world —named The Joan Weill Center for Dance, at 55th Street at 9th Avenue in New York City. For more information, visit www.alvinailey.org.)

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater with live onstage music in Alvin Ailey’s Revelations. Photo by Christopher Duggan

The once-in-a-lifetime program features selections of classic Ailey works including a specially staged excerpt of Memoria, a work he choreographed as an elegy for a dear friend; a piece d’occasion by Battle, set to Nina Simone’s Black is the Color; and culminates with Alvin Ailey’s masterpiece, Revelations, performed with live musicians and special guest singers Ledisi (Grammy-nominated jazz and R&B artist), Erica Campbell (Grammy-winning singer from the gospel duo Mary Mary), Norm Lewis (Tony-nominated baritone known for Broadway’s Porgy and Bess and NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar live), and Brandie Sutton (critically-acclaimed Metropolitan Opera soprano). The program also features the premiere of Becoming Ailey, a multimedia piece celebrating the continual gift of Alvin Ailey’s presence in our hearts, minds, and stages. Created in collaboration with the award-winning artists Bob Bonniol and Caryl Glabb of MODE Studios, Inc., it will bring the voice and likeness of Alvin Ailey back to the stage at the start of each performance during the New York City Center season.

Cicely Tyson. Photo courtesy of Ailey, DCP.

“On this historic night we will mark 60 groundbreaking years and carry Alvin Ailey’s pioneering legacy onward and upward with a performance featuring renowned guest performers, cutting-edge innovation, and the artistry and inspiration that has made Ailey one of the world’s most beloved dance companies,” said Artistic Director Robert Battle. “It is also fitting that we take this occasion to honor Prudential Financial, a company that has helped Ailey reach so many milestones and was instrumental in creating the New Jersey Performing Arts Center where Ailey is the Principal Resident Affiliate and has performed annually for two decades. We welcome everyone to join the celebration and share in the joy during this milestone season.”

Ailey’s 60th Anniversary Holiday Season of premieres by renowned choreographers Rennie Harris, Ronald K. Brown, and Wayne McGregor, and returning favorites also features special programs, including “Timeless Ailey,” “All New,” “Three Visionaries,” “All Ailey,” and “All Battle,” plus a sparkling Season Finale on Sunday, December 30th. Click here for more information.

This historic evening also honors Prudential Financial for its generous support and commitment to Ailey for over three decades, especially its educational and community programs.

“As one of our longest-standing corporate benefactors, Prudential Financial has played a vital role in Ailey’s success for more than half of the Company’s lifetime,” said Executive Director Bennett Rink. “Prudential has been indispensable in funding our outreach programs in Newark, AileyDance Kids and AileyCamp – a free summer program in Newark and 10 cities nationwide that helps guide inner city youth to their full potential. We thank them for their strategic planning and leadership support, as well as their commitment to advancing young people through education, and we applaud them for the tremendous work they’ve done to elevate the city of Newark.”

“Prudential Financial is honored to have worked alongside Alvin Ailey to help achieve his vision to bring dance to all people,” said Lata Reddy, senior vice president, Diversity, Inclusion, and Impact at Prudential Financial. “His belief that the arts give voice to our shared humanity is one that we share. It’s with great joy that we at Prudential congratulate the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater on their 60th Anniversary.“

Christopher Taylor, an alumnus of the inaugural AileyCamp Newark (2011) and a current scholarship student at The Ailey School, will join Artistic Director Robert Battle in presenting Prudential Financial with the Ailey Legacy Honor.

Prominent figures in the worlds of entertainment, business, philanthropy, and politics will join Robert Battle and the Company for dinner and dancing to live music in the New York Hilton Midtown’s Grand Ballroom following the performance. The Gala benefits the creation of new works, scholarships to The Ailey School, and Ailey’s educational programs for young people. Emily & Len Blavatnik, Paulette & Howard Bradnock, Mellody Hobson & George Lucas, Debra L. Lee, Stephen Meringoff & Kim Charlton, Lata N. Reddy, Daria L. & Eric J. Wallach, and Joan & Sandy Weill serve as Co-Chairs for the Gala. (Call 212-405-9031 or visit alvinailey.org/support/60th-anniversary-gala for tickets.)

(Opening Night Gala Benefit Sponsors are Emily & Len Blavatnik, BNY Mellon, Debra L. Lee, The Meringoff Family Foundation, Prudential Financial, Daria L. & Eric J. Wallach, The Weill Family Foundation.)

Ailey is also proud to announce the Ailey Ascending Honorary Committee, a distinguished group of individuals across industries who will join the organization in celebrating 60 years of artistry and excellence: Gbenga Akinnagbe, Christiane Amanpour, Jon Batiste, Harry Belafonte, Colman Domingo, André Holland, LaTanya & Samuel L. Jackson, Jane Krakowski, Audra McDonald, Naturi Naughton, Yvonne Orji, Robin Roberts, Anika Noni Rose, Jussie Smollett, Lorraine Toussaint, and Fredricka Whitfield.

Tickets for season performances start at $29, and are now on sale at the New York City Center Box Office, through CityTix® at (212) 581-1212, or online at www.alvinailey.org or www.nycitycenter.org.

Lead support for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater‘s 60th Anniversary is provided by Emily and Len Blavatnik. Major support for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s 60th Anniversary is provided by the  Ford Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, and Pamela D. Zilly & John H. Schaefer. Delta Air Lines is the Official Airline of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s 60th Anniversary Season in New York. American Express is the Official Card of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater gratefully acknowledges the support of Diageo North America during the 60th Anniversary Season. The 60th Anniversary Season is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has performed for an estimated 25 million people in 71 countries on 6 continents – as well as millions more through television broadcasts, film screenings, and online platforms – promoting the uniqueness of the African‐American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance tradition. In addition to being the Principal Dance Company of New York City Center, where its performances have become a year‐end tradition, the Ailey company performs annually at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami‐Dade County in Miami, The Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley, CA and at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark where it is the Principal Resident Affiliate), and appears frequently in other major theaters throughout the United States and the world during extensive yearly tours.