MELA: A SOUTH ASIAN FESTIVAL

Theatre, Dance, Music, Film & Comedy,
January 22 – February 15, 2003.

Baruch Performing Arts Center, in its inaugural year presents MELA: A SOUTH ASIAN FESTIVAL, in co-production with the Indo-American Arts Council. The celebratory fair highlights South Asian performing arts in our Western culture: theatre, dance, music, film and leading South Asian stand-up comedians, January 22 – February 15, 2004. MELA, meaning “fair” in Hindi, will showcase performing and visual arts that include new works and classics:

THEATRE: KALIGHAT, a new play by Paul Knox with choreography by Myna Mukherjee, follows the journey of a group of Western volunteers at Mother Teresa’s home for the dying in Calcutta. Cultures clash at the intersection of spirituality and sexuality. Presented in association with Circle East.

DANCE: NAYIKAS is New York’s first and only resident classical Indian Odissi dance theater company, creating innovative and cutting-edge theatrical dance pieces. Myna Mukherjee’s choreography for Nayikas gives traditional Odissi an urban and contemporary flair, privileging voices of often-neglected women protagonists in Indian mythology. Odissi is the oldest dance form in India, dating back to the second century BC. The current repertoire, “Samita,” explores themes of feminine divinity, sexuality and humanity.

MUSIC: CLASSICAL INDIAN MUSIC, a medley of vibrant and rich classical melodies from India. The program features ragas (classical Indian melodic compositions), bhajans (devotionals) and ghazals (lyrical music) performed by celebrated North Indian classical singer Marina Alam, a disciple of Pandit Jasraj. INDIAN FUSION & JAZZ, features talented musicians who come together to reflect the South Asian Diaspora, combining Indian classical, folk , jazz and other modern musical forms. Isheeta Ganguly, Athul Prashar, Neil Dave & Ravi Sukhnandan draw on the best of both worlds, blending the melodic and rhythmic richness of Western and Indian musical traditions.

FILM: “THE FILMS OF SATYAJIT RAY,” celebrates the work of one of the twentieth century’s greatest filmmakers. Some film historians call Ray the greatest filmmaker in the second half of the twentieth century. Satyajit Ray, the director of some 37 films was honored with a special lifetime achievement Academy Award in March 1992, just a few weeks before he passed away. The series will debut newly restored films, which have been generously restored at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Archives (AMPASA) in Beverly Hills, CA. The six-film series will be accompanied by a lecture presentation on Mr. Ray. Scheduled films include the Apu Trilogy: Pather Panchali, Aparajito and Apur Sansar; Charulatta, Abhijan, and Kanchanjang (not restored). A panel discussion will be held on February 6th with special guest speakers TBA.

COMEDY: “LAFF-O-RAMA: A NIGHT OF SOUTH ASIAN STAND-UP COMEDY,”
featuring Shazia Mirza, Vidur Kapur and Vijai Nathan, among others. An evening of cutting edge comedy by groundbreaking South Asian comics who tackle issues of identity, racism and immigration through humor. Ms. Mirza, UK’s only female Muslim comic, will soon be profiled on the TV news program “60 Minutes.” Mr. Kapur has been getting international attention with his edgy and urban comedy that focuses on his experiences as a gay Indian immigrant. Ms. Nathan’s irreverent humor springs from her experiences of growing up as a “foreigner” in America, despite the fact she was born and raised in a suburb of Washington D.C. Presented in association with Sholay Productions.

SCHEDULE OF PERFORMANCES

Kalighat -Theatre

Tuesday – Fridays at 7PM, Saturdays at 2 & 8PM, Sundays at 3PM for the following:
January 22 – 25, 2004
January 30 – February 6, 2004
February 10 – 15, 2004
No performance Thursday, February 12, 2004.

Tickets: General Admission $19; Student /seniors $15; Baruch ID holders $12. You may purchase them at http://www.smarttix.com or call (212) 868-4444. General Info (646) 312-4085.
Theatre: Nagelberg Theatre. 25th St & Lexington. Entrance 25th Street.



NAYIKAS – Dance

Sunday – Thursday, Jan 27 – 29 at 8PM
Saturday – Monday, Feb 7 –9 at 8PM
Tickets: General Admission $25; Students/Seniors $18; Baruch ID Holders $15. You may purchase them at http://www.smarttix.com or call (212) 868-4444. General Info (646) 312-4085.
Theatre: Nagelberg Theatre. 25th Street & Lexington Avenue. Entrance 25th Street.


INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC EVENT

Monday, January 26 at 8PM

INDIAN FUSION AND JAZZ NIGHT

Monday, February 2 at 8PM.
Tickets: General $15. Student/senior citizens $10. Baruch ID Holders $8. You may purchase them at http://www.smarttix.com or call (212) 868-4444. General Info (646) 312-4085.
Theatre: Engelman Recital Hall – 25th Street & Lexington Avenue. Entrance 25th Street.

“THE FILMS OF SATYAJIT RAY”
February 6 at 7PM: Documentary on Satyajit Ray. 8PM, panel discussion on Mr. Ray. Special guest speakers TBA.

February 7: The Apu Trilogy: Pathar Panchali at 12:00 PM; Aparajito at 3:30 PM; Lecture presentation entitled “Cinema of Satyajit Ray” at 6:30PM ; Apur Sansar at 8PM.

February 8: Charulatta 1PM; Abhijan at 4:30PM; Kanchanjanga at 8PM
Tickets: $10. You may purchase them at http://www.smarttix.com or call (212) 868-4444. General Info (646) 312-4085. There is no charge for the panel discussion or the lecture talk.
Theatre: Baruch Performing Arts Center, Mason Hall – 17 Lexington Avenue at 23rd St.

“LAFF-O-RAMA: A NIGHT OF SOUTH ASIAN STAND-UP COMEDY,”
Thursday, February 5 at 8:30PM
Tickets: General $10. Baruch Student ID holders $7.
Theatre: Baruch Performing Arts Center, Mason Hall – 17 Lexington Avenue at 23rd St.

For additional information, please visit the following websites:
Baruch Performing Arts Center--http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/bpac;
Indo-American Arts Center--http://www.iaac.us


Zane Berzins
News Manager