THEODORE BIKEL TO CELEBRATE 85TH BIRTHDAY AT CARNEGIE HALL
2009 has a number of anniversaries to celebrate. In recent articles I’ve mentioned the upcoming Pete Seeger 90th Birthday celebration at Madison Square Garden, the 50th anniversary of the Newport Folk Festival, and later this year we will celebate the 40th anniversary of Woodstock! (Not to mention the most incredible event of 1969 – the Mets winning the World Series ! Also, a couple of guys walked on the moon.)
Another influential figure in the world of folk music is celebrating a milestone birthday this year – Theodore Bikel. A monumental talent on stage, screen, television and concert halls, Bikel will celebrate his 85th birthday this year and a celebration at Carnegie Hall will draw together friends and colleagues from his diverse career.
I had the pleasure of meeting Theodore Bikel at the revived Newport Folk Festival in the late 1980’s. The festival was celebrating it’s 30th anniversary at the time, and Bikel was sharing the stage with a number of his contemporaries. Bikel was on the board of directors of the original Newport Folk Festival, and all accounts depict a man who was passionately involved with the folk music of the world – drawing us all together by sharing stories and songs with universal appeal.
The Carnegie Hall celebration “Theodore Bikel: The First 85 Years” will be held on June 15th and the performers incuding Alan Alda; David Amram; Beyond the Pale; Artie Butler; Patricia Conolly; Arlo Guthrie; Rosemary Harris; Judy Kaye; David Krakauer; the Serendipity 4: Shura Lipovsky, Merima Kljuco, Tamara Brooks and Theodore Bikel; Tom Paxton; Noel Paul Stookey & Peter Yarrow; Susan Werner and Michael Wex. All proceeds to benefit Juvenile Law Center. For more information, visit the event website – http://www.jlc.org/bikel/ .
Here is the official press release:
Bikel made his Carnegie Hall debut in 1956 and went on to forge an extraordinary career as a musician, actor and activist. His stage and screen credits include such classic films as The African Queen and The Defiant Ones and the 1959 Broadway premiere of The Sound of Music, in which he originated the role of Captain Von Trapp. He has performed the role of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof more than 2,000 times and is currently starring in a national tour of Sholom Aleichem: Laughter through Tears.
A leading light in the folk-music scene of the 1960s, Bikel was a co-founder of the Newport Folk Festival and has been a powerful advocate for peace, human rights, and social justice for more than five decades – from the civil rights movements in the United States to apartheid in South Africa to promoting peace and religious pluralism among Israel and its neighbors.
“Throughout my life I have been equally passionate about music and social justice, and have allied myself with others whose use guitars, banjos, fiddles and words to conquer fear and injustice,” said Bikel. “I can think of no better way to celebrate that life than a night of music with some of my nearest and dearest friends, and no more deserving cause than protecting the rights of our nation’s most vulnerable children.”
All proceeds from the concert will go to Juvenile Law Center, which works to protect children’s rights and interests in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Juvenile Law Center, which provides legal services at no cost to its clients, is currently heading litigation in the Luzerne County, Pennsylvania judges scandal, a court corruption case that has made international news as one of the most egregious violations of children’s rights in U.S. legal history. The organization’s work on the case was recently covered by 20/20 (http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=7194700), the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/28/us/28judges.html?_r=2), and People magazine.
“Theodore Bikel was at the forefront of the social justice movement that led to the creation of organizations like Juvenile Law Center, and we’re awed and honored that he chose to turn his 85th birthday celebration into an incredible gift for us,” said Robert Schwartz, Executive Director of Juvenile Law Center. “Theo is not only helping to promote the rights of people around the world, but also providing a true inspiration the vulnerable children who seek justice and protection.”
Tickets go on sale April 16th and range from $30 to $500. A pre concert VIP reception for performers to mingle with sponsors, major donors, and box seat ticket holders will be held in the Rohatyn Room at Carnegie Hall.
About Juvenile Law Center
Founded in 1975, Juvenile Law Center ( http://www.jlc.org/ ) is the oldest multi-issue public interest law firm for children in the United States. With an approach grounded in principles of adolescent development, Juvenile Law Center uses the law on behalf of youth in the child welfare and criminal and juvenile justice systems to promote fairness, prevent harm, ensure access to appropriate services and create opportunities. Juvenile Law Center uses an array of legal and other advocacy strategies to ensure that the child welfare, juvenile justice, and other public systems provide vulnerable children with the protection and services they need to become healthy and productive adults. In 2008, Juvenile Law Center was one of eight organizations around the world to receive the prestigious John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Award for Creative and Effective Institutions.