Already an annual must-attend event, Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City began in 2022 as a post-pandemic way of bringing art from the New York area and beyond to audiences just beginning to venture out again, and it has grown in size and scope to what it is today: hosting hundreds of artists who perform for appreciative local and international audiences.
This year’s edition, which begins this month, will run through August 9 in several indoor and outdoor locations on the Lincoln Center campus and, according to Shanta Thake—Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts’ Erhenkranz Chief Artistic Officer since 2021 and Summer for the City’s brainchild—might be the most wide-ranging and encompassing yet.
“There’s a real global look at this year’s festival, which is intentional,” Thake says, referencing some of the artists who are performing this summer, including from Canada, India, Brazil, Brooklyn and other parts of the United States. “It’s a chance for us to look at and reflect on the world and what are the stories we need to hear right now. It’s about looking forward and looking at innovation and how these artists are rooted in stories that in some cases go back generations.”
One of those stories is the 4,000-year-old Sanskrit epic Mahabharata. For the Toronto-based Why Not Theatre, this sprawling work links ancient and modern in its compelling story of a family feud writ large; the production itself—which is in two parts, Karma: The Life We Inherit and Dharma: The Life We Choose— integrates contemporary technology into the staging as it moves forward. “Why Not is a beautiful company out of Canada,” Thake says, “and theirs is a piece that needs to be epic in scale. It represents the diaspora of Indian artists, and there are many art forms in it, from Carnatic music and dance to opera and theater. This is some of the purest storytelling that you will see onstage.”
Also telling tantalizing stories set to music is the American Modern Opera Company (AMOC*), a pioneer in presenting groundbreaking new work. The Run AMOC* Festival—pronounced “Amuck”—will show the company’s formidable breadth and depth, showcasing works that run the gamut from opera to dance and featuring music by Olivier Messiaen, Julius Eastman, and Matthew Aucoin (one of AMOC*’s founders), in both indoor and outdoor venues at Lincoln Center from June 18 to July 16. The residency begins with The Comet/Poppea, which welds together Monteverdi’s The Coronation of Poppea with W.E.B. Du Bois’ short story "The Comet," the latter set to music by George Lewis. Directed by Yuval Sharon, The Comet/Poppea is in the David H. Koch Theater June 18–21.
“AMOC* is a group of amazing artists who all have a summer home in different parts of our campus,” Thake explains. “They are so prolific and already seem so omnipresent, so we wanted to highlight their work and how they are able to animate different kinds of spaces—in the Koch, in the Rubenstein Atrium, on Hearst Plaza, and even on the balconies of our theaters. It will be fun to see how they are able break out of the walls that we usually put our artists in.”
Summer for the City highlights a single country, and this summer Brazil Week (July 16–20) highlights the astonishing variety of Brazilian artists, including performances at Damrosch Park by legendary Latin Grammy winner Lenine (July 16) and soul-samba singer Liniker (July 19). “You can’t think of Brazil without thinking of different genres of music,” Thake says, “and two of the greatest purveyors are Lenine and Liniker—two different types of musicians who haven’t come to New York as often as we would want. I’m really excited to see them this summer.”
Anniversaries abound this summer as well. The innovative string quartet Brooklyn Rider celebrates 20 years together with 20 Years at Play (August 7–9) and the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts—one of the city’s storied cultural institutions—turns 60 this year. Living Library: Celebrating 60 Years features film screenings, concerts, silent discos, workshops, storytimes, and tours (July 23-27). “The library is an inspiration point for so many artists,” Thake notes, “and we will showcase what’s been an incredible resource for all of us: We are turning their archives inside out in a way. It’s also a great place to sit in air conditioning during the summer!”
Presented in collaboration with New York Presbyterian Hospital, The Art of Wellbeing welcomes participants of all ages to engage in self-care through the power of art to engage mind, body, and spirit. These free events (in June and July, various locations) include meditations, dance classes, and movement-based lessons, all accompanied by live music. For Thake, this is something that has grown organically out of the need to link art with mental and physical health.
“Coming out of the pandemic, we thought about the idea of the wellbeing of our audiences and the arts,” she explains. “Everything from yoga to dance with health practitioners helps rewire our minds and our bodies. We are hoping to make this a year-round experience.”
