MMT Recommends: the wonderful event lineup from our friends at The Mann Center

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Happy Friday MMT Fam! I wanted to make sure you knew about the dynamic events our friends at The Mann Center have lined up through Summer 2017! From R & B artists like the legendary Diana Ross, Bell Biv Devoe, En Vogue and SWV, to classic rock like The Moody Blues, Steve Miller Band and Peter Frampton, to the 5th annual Reggae Festival in the Park, to classical with a movie twist like The Philadelphia Orchestra backing the hit films “The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” and “Jurassic Park,” there is truly something for everyone coming up at the famed venue.

I’ve compiled a listing of several shows taking place, though it’s not exhaustive so check the full line up at manncenter.org:

• Music Among Us with Curtis Symphony Orchestra (Free Admission) – the Mann’s summer season will kick-off on Saturday, May 13 with a celebration of the next generation of classical artists.  The Curtis Symphony Orchestra is joined by the exuberant young artists of Play On, Philly! and The Rock School for Dance Education. Presented as a gift to the city, this free performance is a great way to celebrate Mother’s Day weekend with the whole family.  The performance is sponsored in part by PECO and is supported by The Jack Wolgin Curtis Orchestral Concerts Endowment Fund. Conductor: Curtis Conducting Fellows, Carlos Arango Agreda and Conner Gray Covington, will divide the program. 5/11/17 Update: has been changed to a live stream only event. The live stream of MUSIC AMONG US will be available via @theMannCenter and @CurtisInstitute Facebook pages at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 13. Visit MannCenter.org for more details.
•  Philly POPS Present: Memorial Salute (Free Admission) – The Philly POPS present the second annual Comcast NBCUniversal Memorial Salute at the Mann, a community concert honoring the American tradition of service. In celebration of those who serve, all tickets to the concert will be free of charge, with special tickets provided for veterans, active military, Philadelphia police officers, and firefighters – plus local students and Boy and Girl Scouts on Saturday, May 27.  Known for his work on the big screen, small screen, and Broadway, acclaimed conductor Larry Blank will lead this year’s program with guest vocalists Hugh Panaro and Broadway triple threat Christina Saffran. The Voices of the POPS, a professional vocal ensemble, will add a rich layer to the orchestra’s patriotic melodies. A particularly resonant rendition of Hymn to the Fallen will include the Philly POPS Festival Chorus, a 180-voice strong choral group under the direction of Chorus Master Jeff Kern, and several hundred School District of Philadelphia choir students. Music Conductor: Larry Blank with Special Guests: Hugh Panaro and Christina Saffran 
  Tickets: Free admission (registration requested, click here) Showtime: 7 p.m.; doors open at 5 p.m.
• Bell Biv Devoe’s Three Stripes Tour – Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ron DeVoe, AKA “Bell-Biv-DeVoe”, (BBD) have been bridging the gap between R&B and Hip-Hop music with a pop-feel-appeal-to-it for more than 20 years. Don’t miss them play the hits plus music from their new album Three Stripes on Thursday, June 1 live at the Mann with very special guests SWV and EN VOGUE.

• Movies @ the Mann – For the fourth year, the Mann is elevating the movie-going experience by presenting four, full-length, feature films on its main stage with the world-renowned Philadelphia Orchestra, and The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia for the finale, performing the movie scores live while the epic films are viewed on three giant screens.  The ever-popular Movies @ the Mann series returns in 2017 with the epic films: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King™ on June 24, Jurassic Park™ in Concert on July 22, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets™ in Concert on July 28, and La La Land on August 17.

• Steve Miller Band with Peter Frampton – Rock n’ Roll Hall of Famer Steve Miller is hitting the road with Peter Frampton and heading to the Mann for one night only on Tuesday, June 27. Steve and his band will delve into their deep catalogs of hits from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.
• The Moody Blues – The band is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of their iconic, landmark album, DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED , which was originally released in 1967.  They will reflect back on five decades of some of the most well-beloved music in pop culture history this summer, when they perform live onstage, for the first-time ever, their epic album that marked the first time a rock band had fused their sound with a symphony orchestra. Don’t miss out on hearing songs like “Nights In White Satin,” “Tuesday Afternoon” and more, plus greatest hits live at the Mann on Saturday, July 15th.
• Reggae in the Park – Celebrate the 5^th annual Reggae in the Park – Philly’s Premiere Summer Reggae Festival on Sunday, July 16^th featuring performances from Ziggy Marley, Beres Hammond, Sizzla, Capleton & many more. This festival features music on both the Mann’s main stage and at the Crescendo tent including performances from legendary reggae artists plus live DJ sets as well as arts & crafts vendors, Caribbean & global cuisine, and more all in the heart of Fairmount Park! Children 12 & under admitted free with parent.
• Diana Ross – Now y’all KNOW I love Ms. Ross aka “The Boss” and she’s back!! Diana Ross is returning to the Mann on Saturday, July 29th with her In The Name of Love Tour. In a remarkable career spanning almost five decades, Diana Ross has proven herself one of the most iconic female singers of all time as well as one of the most prominent women in popular music history.
• Super Solar Saturday – On Aug. 19, as part of the Mann’s New Frontiers six-month community festival inspired by the 75th birthday of Colonel Guion Stewart Bluford, Jr., pioneering NASA astronaut, Philadelphia native and the first African-American in space, and in partnership with The Franklin Institute, there will be a free day of entertainment which will transform the Mann’s campus into a space-themed wonderland.  The day will include performances by local artists on multiple stages, space-related family activities, and a screening of the Golden Globe and Academy Award-nominated film, Hidden Figures. Tickets: Free admission (registration requested, click here); Doors Open: 12:00PM and performances begin at 12:30PM; Hidden Figures screening: 7:00PM and re-entry is permitted throughout the day! Rain Date: August 20.

As stated previously, this is not an all-inclusive list of The Mann’s events, so make sure to visit www.manncenter.org to get additional show and ticket information (and use any of the hyperlinks above to go to the ticket page for each show mentioned).

Let me know if you check out any of the recommended events, and make sure to get the kids out to some of those free events – especially Super Solar Saturday which sounds very cool! And if you haven’t seen Hidden Figures, it really is a great film (check out the MMT review by Darryl King’s here)!

Until next thought, Thomasena