| Hosted by | International Festival of Arts & Ideas |
|---|---|
| Details | Starring Capathia Jenkins & Ryan Shaw, this program will feature songs by such iconic artists as Michael Jackson, Prince, Whitney Houston, Gladys Knight, Elvis Presley, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, and many others. Dance the night away with your New Haven Symphony Orchestra led by Perry So on the New Haven Green! Capathia Jenkins The Brooklyn-born and raised singer/actor, Capathia Jenkins, premiered her new show, ICON: The Voices That Changed Music, with the Princeton Symphony, with subsequent performances with the Houston Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Reno Philharmonic, North Carolina Symphony, Anchorage Symphony, and several others. She premiered her solo show, She’s Got Soul, with the Houston Symphony in October 2022, followed by performances with the Cleveland Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Utah Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Naples Philharmonic, Philly Pops, among many others. Ms. Jenkins starred as ‘Medda’ in the hit Disney production of Newsies on Broadway. She made her Broadway debut in The Civil War, where she created the role of Harriet Jackson. She then starred in the Off-Broadway 2000 revival of Godspell, where she wowed audiences with her stirring rendition of ‘Turn Back, O Man’ which can still be heard on the original cast recording. She returned to Broadway in The Look of Love and was critically acclaimed for her performances of the Bacharach/David hits. Ms. Jenkins then created the roles of ‘The Washing Machine’ in Caroline, Or Change and ‘Frieda May’ in Martin Short-Fame Becomes Me where she sang ‘Stop the Show’ and brought the house down every night. In 2007 she went back to Off-Broadway and starred in (mis) Understanding Mammy-The Hattie McDaniel Story for which she was nominated for a Drama Desk Award. She was also seen in Nora Ephron’s Love, Loss, and What I Wore. An active concert artist, Ms. Jenkins has appeared with numerous orchestras around the world including the Cleveland Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony (with Marvin Hamlisch), National Symphony, Cincinnati Pops (with John Morris Russell), Philly Pops, San Francisco Symphony, San Diego Symphony, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, and many others. She was also a soloist with the Festival Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic multiple times. In October 2025, Ms. Jenkins traveled to Bratislava to perform at the Concert Hall of the Slovak Philharmonic. Ms. Jenkins had the great honor of performing in the ‘Broadway Ambassadors to Cuba’ concert as part of the Festival De Teatro De La Habana. She has performed at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops multiple times and also sang in a Tribute to Marvin Hamlisch at the Library of Congress. She is a founder and board member of Black Theatre United. Socia Media @capathianyc Ryan Shaw Ryan Shaw is a three-time GRAMMY ® nominated artist for his solo projects, Columbia Records’ This is Ryan Shaw, his In Between, and Dynotone’s Real Love. Ryan has shared the world stage with such artists as Van Halen, Bonnie Raitt, John Legend, B.B. King and Jill Scott. His music has been featured on FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance and ABC’s Dancing with The Stars, Grey’s Anatomy, and Lincoln Heights, and the films My Blueberry Nights and Bride Wars, and the Sex and the City soundtrack. Ryan has been a featured guest on national TV talk shows. He starred as Judas in the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Olivier Award-winning London production of Jesus Christ Superstar, as the original Stevie Wonder in Motown: The Musical on Broadway, and on London’s West End as the Soul of Michael Jackson in Thriller Live. Ryan debuted at Radio City Music Hall in the Dream Concert benefit for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. His Carnegie Hall appearances include Elton John and Bernie Taupin Tribute, A Celebration of The African American Cultural Legacy, and a Nat King Cole 100th concert with the NY Pops. His concert schedule includes NY Central Park’s SummerStage, Nat King Cole at 100 with the National Symphony Orchestra at The Kennedy Center as well as the Nashville Symphony, Aretha: A Tribute, and ICON – The Voices That Changed Music. Ryan’s solo orchestral show, RYAN SHAW: Masters of R&B recently premiered at the Ferguson Center for the Performing Arts with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and is now being presented by numerous orchestras around the country. In addition to Aretha: A Tribute, his new duo show with Capathia Jenkins entitled ICON – The Voices That Changed Music is also scheduled to be presented by numerous orchestras. He has also been a featured artist with the Houston Symphony for their R&B Mixtape concert as well as the soloist for the Houston Symphony’s 4th of July Celebration. Ryan’s recent and upcoming symphonic performances include The Cleveland Orchestra, Philly Pops, Seattle Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Utah Symphony, Colorado Symphony, Florida Orchestra, North Carolina Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Arkansas Symphony, Evansville Philharmonic, Harrisburg Symphony, Maryland Symphony, Anchorage Symphony, Helena Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic, Tucson Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Des Moines Symphony, Omaha Symphony, Wheeling Symphony, Wilmington Symphony, Mississippi Symphony, Springfield Symphony, Gulf Coast Symphony, among others. Ryan was a featured guest in The 92nd Street Y’s recent presentation of Lyrics & Lyricists What’s Going On?: Songs of Change. Ryan’s last album, Imagining Marvin, showcases Marvin Gaye hits alongside Ryan’s original songs and features GRAMMY® Award-winning co-writers Valerie Simpson and Rob Thomas, and special guests Derek Trucks, Rob Thomas, Robert Randolph and Shoshana Bean. For 2025, Ryan’s newest single, Rising Up, is an inspirational call to action. The full album will be released in early 2026. Simultaneously with Rising Up, Ryan recently released a new duo album with Ray Angry entitled OFF Broadway. This project features contemporary and progressive soul versions of classic Broadway songs spanning over 70 years. New Haven Symphony Orchestra The fourth-oldest orchestra in America, the New Haven Symphony Orchestra’s exceptional and accessible performances and education programs reach more than 27,000 audience members and 10,000 students each year. Innovative programming and a dedication to the commission of new works inspires deeper audience engagement and meaningful artistic and educational collaborations. Through the nationally-acclaimed Harmony Fellowship program, as well as numerous award-winning education and community engagement programs, the Symphony strives to be a leader for racial equity in the arts. |
| Admission | FREE |
| Location | Main Stage on the New Haven Green |
| Where |
|
| More Info | info link |