Usdan Annual Gala and Performance is Wednesday

Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts, the summer arts day camp in Wheatley Heights, presents its annual gala concert on Wednesday 7 p.m. at the McKinley Amphitheater on the Center’s 200-acre woodland campus.

The 2014 concert will feature performances by Usdan’s Jazz Ensemble, the Senior Concert Band (Bizet’s “Carmen Suite #2”) and the Usdan Musical Theatre Repertory Ensemble in songs from Broadway’s Gypsy.

Conductors include Adam Glaser (conductor of the Pre-College Orchestra at The Juilliard School), Orchestra; David Schecher, Concert Band; Karen Lehman DiMartino, Senior Chorus; and Andrew Giammalvo, Jazz Ensemble.

In addition, Genghis Barbie, Usdan’s 2014 resident artists, will perform Brahms’ choral piece Im Herbst at the Gala. The all-female horn quartet, praised by the New York Times for its “elegance and precision,” presents eclectic programs of music of many centuries, from traditional classical works to the latest pop styles.

The gala will also present the world premiere of a piece by Usdan Dance Chair/Broadway choreographer Maurice Brandon Curry, performed by students from Usdan’s advanced dance programs, the Ballet and Jazz and Tap Ensemble: “On the Town” excerpts, set to highlights of the classic Broadway score by Leonard Bernstein. Previous Usdan Gala premieres by Curry have included “Love, Judy,” set to songs performed by Judy Garland and “An American In Paris,” set to the George Gershwin music – and videotaped in performance, then chosen as Dance Spirit Magazine’s “Video of the Month.”

Tickets for the Gala concert cost $25, and can be obtained by writing to gala@usdan.com, calling (631) 643-7900, or by visiting www.usdan.com/gala. In addition to the concert-only tickets, there are also special Patron packages available. These include priority parking, a 5 p.m. pre-concert dinner, and priority seating at the Gala Concert. For information, call Patrice Frank at (631) 643-7900.

Usdan Center’s Gala Concert is the highlight of its 46th summer season, during which 1,600 children, ages 6-18, study the arts with the Center’s faculty of world-class artist- teachers. Students travel to the Center each day from New York City and throughout the Tri-State Area. The Center is situated on a 200-acre woodland campus at 185 Colonial Springs Road, Wheatley Heights (Huntington).

Choreographer Maurice Brandon Curry is former Director of the Joffrey Ballet School and has directed, choreographed, and produced events as diverse as the Michael Awards for the Fashion Industry, tours and videos for Diana Ross and Prince.

Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts, whose alumni include jazz singer Jane Monheit, Natalie Portman, Olivia Thirlby and Mariah Carey, has introduced the arts to more than 60,000 Tri-State Area children since its founding in 1968. Usdan’s program features more than 40 three, four and seven-week programs in music, dance, theater, visual arts, writing, nature & ecology, and chess. No audition is needed for most programs – rather, admission is based on an expression of interest in the arts. Each summer, 1,600 students are transported to the Center in air-conditioned buses each day. One-third of Usdan’s students attend on scholarship. Although the mission of the Center is for every child to establish a relationship with the arts, the unique stimulation of the Center has caused many to go on to arts careers. Alumni include members of Broadway shows and major music, theater, and dance ensembles such as the Boston Pops and the New York City Ballet.

In addition to its regular programs, Usdan offers special opportunities for advanced high school- age performing and visual artists. These include Music Staff Internships, a Summer Ballet Intensive, and a Summer Jazz and Tap Dance Intensive. Usdan Center is an agency of the UJA-Federation of New York.