PHILADELPHIA– The Mann Center for the Performing Arts will be the place to be this summer for a 2022 season filled with live entertainment on the expansive Fairmount Park campus. The region’s premier outdoor music destination will usher in two multi-year partnerships with leading performing arts organizations-The Philadelphia Orchestra, whose residency this summer will extend into a long-term partnership running through the 2027 season (including a celebration of the Mann’s 50th anniversary in 2026), and BalletX, Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet, which will begin a three-year residency this spring.
Along with the start of these long-term residencies, perennial favorites like Movies @ the Mann will return with an homage to the 20th anniversary of the Harry Potter franchise; the 2022 Party in the Park gala and concert will feature global superstar Josh Groban; and an allnew audience experience, an intimate connection for audience and artists, alike – Downstage @ the Mann – will present three concerts illuminating themes of social justice.
All of this is in addition to the much-anticipated return of the blockbuster Roots Picnic on June 4 and 5, with headliners including, for the first time ever, Mary J. Blige with The Roots, as well as Summer Walker, Wizkid, Kirk Franklin, Jazmine Sullivan, G Herbo, Mickey Geyton, and more–and on July 19 and 20, Phish makes its return trip to the Mann with a two-night stand. The Mann’s venerable Presser Foundation Stage in the TD Pavilion and the general admission Skyline Stage will also play host this season to a line-up that continues to build with a variety of incredible, touring artists from Haim to Bonnie Raitt to 5 Seconds of Summer.
“Summer 2022 will see the best of our aspirations playing out on our stages, across our campus, and throughout our community–and we couldn’t be more thrilled to be nearing its brilliant start,” said Catherine M. Cahill, president and CEO of the Mann. “Through collaborations with important partners like The Philadelphia Orchestra, BalletX, and our exclusive booking partner Live Nation, our work is aligning to present a compelling and joy-filled season that offers world-class music and performing arts in an outdoor setting like no other in our city. We can’t wait to welcome music and performing arts audiences back!”
Companies In Residence
While the Mann has been a summer home for The Philadelphia Orchestra since 1976 (and since the 1930s at the Mann’s predecessor, the Robin Hood Dell), the return to a multi-year residency through 2027 provides additional opportunities for the Mann and the Orchestra to partner on artistic programming, the creation of new works, and community engagement and education initiatives. The same holds true for the BalletX multi-year relationship, which grew from a successful Mann debut for the company in 2021. BalletX and the Mann expect to team up on a co-commission for the 2024 season.
The Philadelphia Orchestra will perform three concerts over one week this July. Through this long-term partnership, the organization looks to grow the number of performances each season. This season’s performances will include the beloved Tchaikovsky Spectacular with fireworks on July 21, followed by a tribute to the legendary Nina Simone by R& B and jazz recording artist, songwriter, and producer Ledisi in Ledisi Sings Nina on July 22.
The 2022 series with The Philadelphia Orchestra culminates with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone™ In Concert on July 23 to celebrate the series’ 20th Anniversary, with the score played live as the celebrated film is shown on the Mann’s 40-foot main stage screen as well as on two giant back-of-house screens for guests on the Mann’s Great Lawn. As always, with the Orchestra’s shows at the Mann, patrons are welcome to pack a picnic to enjoy on the lawn before and during the show.
“With this five-year partnership, we will broaden and deepen our collaboration well into the future,” said Matías Tarnopolsky, president and CEO of The Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center, Inc. “We look forward to welcoming audiences for extraordinary artistic programs and engaging community and education initiatives with our colleagues and friends at the beautiful Mann Center for the Performing Arts.”
BalletX returns to the Mann on May 18 and 19 with two world premieres by Jennifer Archibald, acclaimedFounder and Artistic Director of Arch Dance Company in New York, and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, award-winning choreographer who has created works for more than 70 international dance companies. The program in the TD Pavilion at the Mann also includes, Matthew Neenan’s The Last Glass accompanied by the music of indie rock band Beirut. BalletX will host its annual gala, the Premier Party, at the Mann earlier in the week on May 16.
‘BalletX is thrilled to be a new resident company at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts alongside the prestigious Philadelphia Orchestra,” said Christine Cox, Artistic & Executive Director of BalletX. “Cathy Cahill is a truly visionary leader. We are so grateful for the opportunity to shine a light on our work, build new audiences and inspire our community through world-premiere choreography.”
New Audience Experience – Downstage @ the Mann The Mann’s 22-acre campus, a frequent nominee for Pollstar’s “Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue,” has offered three distinctive stage experiences for artists and audiences over the last several years: The Presser Foundation Stage, the Mann’s main stage in the TD Pavilion, which seats 4,500 and can accommodate another 10,000 concertgoers in Connelly Terrace seating and on the Mann’s Great Lawn; Skyline Stage positioned at the top of the Mann’s campus overlooking the dramatic Philadelphia skyline and can host 7,500 general admission guests on three acres of grassy parkland; and the full campus for multi-stage festivals, utilizing existing and temporary stages, for upwards of 25,000 guests.
2022 will mark the addition of a fourth experience – Downstage @ the Mann – as the Mann continues to expand programming initiatives. Downstage @ the Mann places both audience and artists together in the same space, on the Presser Foundation Stage in the TD Pavilion, for an up-close, undercover, open-air setting. This intimate, in-the-round experience can accommodate an audience of up to 300 and offers a new level of performance engagement and immersion. This year, the Downstage @ the Mann series will focus deeply on artists who lyrically, musically, and in their own lives have been impacted by the fight for social justice.
Opening the series on April 29 and 30 will be the Philadelphia premiere of Deep Blue Sea, a Mann commission from renowned choreographer, director, and dancer Bill T. Jones and the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company. A three-part experience, Deep Blue Sea will feature a solo performance by Jones, an ensemble of 10 from the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, and a diverse group of community performers featuring local participants. Deep Blue Sea was commissioned by Park Avenue Armory and Manchester International Festival in association with the Holland Festival. Additional commissioning support was provided by the Mann, with original support provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.
On July 16, six-time GRAMMY-nominated Nigerian Afrobeat icon, and social justice warrior, Femi Kuti will perform with his troupe, The Positive Force, as part of the Downstage series. Philadelphia’s Oluwafemi will DJ the evening, including a pre-concert and post-show, on-stage dance party.
Closing out the inaugural year of Downstage @ the Mann on Oct. 7 will be the Resistance Revival Chorus, a collective of social justice female activists and non-binary singers who breathe joy and song into the resistance and uplift women’s voices.
Skyline Stage Seeks Naming Sponsor
The Skyline Stage turns 10 in 2022! In celebration of a full decade of summer festival music, the Skyline Stage is seeking a partner to name this one-of-a-kind destination. The Skyline Stage’s festival-like, open-air, general admission setting is maximized by the vantage point its name suggests – unmatched views of Philadelphia’s spectacular nighttime skyline. “As a naming sponsor for this incredible space, the right partner will become synonymous with the live music experience that can only be experienced here at the Mann’s Skyline Stage and be immersed in the fabric of Philadelphia’s performing arts and entertainment community,” said Cahill.
Highlights of Mann Presents concerts are below. For a full list of shows that have been announced to date for summer 2022 and to purchase tickets, visitmanncenter.org/events.
