LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA + FRIENDS AT TILLES CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS SET TO LAUNCH THE 2023/24 SEASON WITH UNPRECEDENTED EVENT

Moderator Jeremy McCarter, RISE Musicians, and Long Island's Own Central Islip High School 
Concert Choir Announced. Local Title 1 Schools and LIU Students Received Special Access to Tickets.
Final Block of Tickets Released.

BROOKVILLE, N.Y., Sept. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- New details announced about Lin-Manuel Miranda + Friends, the first event of the 2023/24 season at Tilles Center for the Performing Arts at LIU Post. In a one-night-only event created exclusively for Tilles Center, Pulitzer Prize, Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award-winning songwriter, actor, producer, and director Lin-Manuel Miranda will be joined by moderator Jeremy McCarter, with whom he co-authored two New York Times bestsellers. The evening will also feature musicians from the RISE Theatre Directory and Long Island's own Central Islip High School Concert Choir. A final block of tickets has also now been released for sale.

Complementing the moderated conversation with Miranda will be performances by previously announced Broadway stars Mandy Gonzalez (In the Heights, Wicked, Hamilton) and Javier Muñoz (In the Heights, Hamilton), with music direction and piano by Dan Lipton (The Band's Visit, The Last Ship). Tilles Center is proud to partner with the Miranda Family Fund in the creation of opportunities for artists of color. Proceeds from Lin-Manuel Miranda + Friends support these efforts, and can be purchased at tillescenter.org, by phone at 516.299.3100, or in person at Tilles Center's Tantleff Box Office at 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville.

As co-author with Miranda of two New York Times bestselling books, Hamilton: The Revolution and In the Heights: Finding Home, moderator Jeremy McCarter brings a personal touch to the intimate conversation with Miranda about his work, his process, and his already spectacular career. Among his many accomplishments, McCarter spent five years on the artistic staff of the Public Theater in New York, where he created and ran the Public Forum series, featuring some of America's leading actors, writers, activists, and community leaders, exploring the intersection of arts and society.

Dan Lipton will lead a four-piece band of musicians sourced from the RISE Theatre Directory, co-founded by Lin-Manuel. The Directory seeks to build a more equitable and inclusive theatre industry. Musicians for the evening will be guitarist Jacinta Clusellas, drummer Emma Ford and bassist Irio O'Farrill. "I happened to get the call for this event the day Lin-Manuel's RISE Theatre Directory was announced, so the first thing I said was... let's use it!" shares music director Dan Lipton. "RISE was launched in partnership with MAESTRA, whose directory has become a major resource for me in hiring female musicians. Thanks to RISE, our band at the Tilles Center will amplify diversity while amplifying Lin's songbook."

Students from the award-winning Central Islip High School Concert Choir will join Lin-Manuel Miranda + Friends during select closing musical numbers during the event. The choir has received distinguished recognitions such as Gold Rating with Distinction rating during the NYSSMA Major Organization Festival, commendations by federal, state and local legislatures, and has performed at the White House and the Vatican. Central Islip Director of Music Education, Philip Voigt, shared, "The musicality, talent and dedication of these students and their director, John Anthony never ceases to amaze me.  To have this wonderful opportunity to share the stage with Lin-Manual Miranda and Friends will no doubt be that once-in-a-lifetime highlight of their educational journey!"

True to the mission of Tilles Center and the Miranda Family Foundation, affordable tickets have been made available, including to students at Title 1 schools. One hundred $30 tickets in the first three rows of the Tilles Center Concert Hall have been reserved for students from Title 1 schools including Amityville High School, Brentwood High School, Hempstead High School, Hicksville High School, and North Babylon High School.  Title 1 is the nation's oldest and largest federally funded education program. Annually, it provides over $7 billion to school systems across the country for students at risk of failure and living at or near poverty.

Additional blocks were made available to LIU students at $30, and $65 seats were open to the public in unprecedented front orchestra locations when the event went on sale in July. In all, 15% of the house was made available at prices below $65. 

"An important part of our mission is to make world-class performances available to everyone," shares Executive and Artistic Director, Tom Dunn. "Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and donors, we are able to provide access to low price tickets to all members of our community." Lin-Manuel Miranda + Friends is sponsored in part by Victoria Rodriguez Minowitz and Robert Minowitz, Diana and Randy Plotnitzky and Brenda and Jason Wilensky.

Students of Long Island University were able to access the $30 student rush tickets as part of Tilles Center's university engagement programs, which also include master classes, employment, and internship opportunities throughout the year.

About the Tilles Center 2023/24 Season:
"This season, my first as artistic director, will build on Tilles' incredible 40-plus year history as Long Island's premier live entertainment venue. You'll notice an intentional effort to bring the best artists and emerging voices across all genres to the Tilles Center stages, and to make sure those artists represent the full makeup of our Long Island community," shares Tilles Center executive and artistic director Tom Dunn. "This season will provide Long Island audiences with diverse, world-class offerings right here in our own backyard."  

A digital version of the 2023/24 Season brochure is available at tillescenter.org/events/brochure.

Tickets are available online at tillescenter.org or ticketmaster.com, in-person at Tilles Center's Tantleff Box Office or by telephone at 516.299.3100. The box office, located at 720 Northern Boulevard (Route 25A) in Brookville, New York, is open Monday to Friday from 1 to 6 p.m. Members and Subscribers receive early access to tickets, and benefits, including subscriber discounts. Subscription and Membership information can be found at tillescenter.org and may be purchased via the Tantleff Box Office at Tilles Center by phone at 516.299.3100 or in-person. Fees are associated with all orders. There are no refunds.

ABOUT TILLES CENTER
Tilles Center for the Performing Arts at LIU Post's mission is to engage and enrich our community through arts performance, education, and advocacy. For more than 40 years, Tilles Center has hosted and presented more than 50 performances each season by world-renowned artists in music, theater, and dance. The nonprofit also supports thousands of children and adult learners each year through its robust arts education programs, providing arts experiences to underserved communities — from low-income school districts and those on the autism spectrum to local seniors. Tilles Center is located at LIU Post, 720 Northern Blvd, Brookville NY. Learn more at tillescenter.org.

ABOUT LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY (LIU)
Long Island University, founded in 1926, continues to redefine higher education, providing high quality academic instruction by world-class faculty. Recognized by Forbes for its emphasis on experiential learning and by the Brookings Institution for its "value added" to student outcomes, LIU has a network of over 285,000 alumni, including industry leaders and entrepreneurs around the globe. Visit liu.edu for more information.

ABOUT CATHOLIC HEALTH
Catholic Health is an integrated system encompassing some of the region's finest health and human services agencies. The health system has nearly 17,000 employees, six acute care hospitals, three nursing homes, a home health service, hospice, and a network of physician practices.

OUR PARTNERS
A 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, funding for the 2023/24 season at Tilles Center for the Performing Arts at LIU Post comes from Season Sponsor Catholic Health.

Additional support for general operating is provided by Capital One, Peter & Jeri Dejana Foundation, Poll Restaurants, Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, P.C., Robin and Jay Silverman, The Kroll Family, Green Vale School, and Long Island Speech & Myofunctional Therapy. Family Programming is sponsored, in part, by Northville Industries. Chamber Music is made possible, in part, by The Honorable Roger B. Tilles. Jazz programming is made possible, in part, by Sandy and Eric Krasnoff. Dance performances are made possible, in part, by the Eric and Sandy Krasnoff Dance Endowment Fund. Classical music performances are made possible, in part, by the Classical Music Fund in honor of Dr. Elliott Sroka. Midori and Festival Strings Lucerne is made possible by a generous gift from Manuel H. and Claire Barron. Academy of St. Martin in the Fields with Music Director & Violinist Joshua Bell is the Joan and David Steinberg Annual Endowed Concert and in sponsored, in part, by the Cosmo H. Guarriello and Lissa V. De Angelis Happiness Fund. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is sponsored, in part, by Ruth Stober and The Stober Lafer Family Foundation. Parsons Dance is sponsored, in part, by Dori and Peter Tilles. Lin-Manuel Miranda + Friends is sponsored, in part, by Diana and Randy Plotnitzky and Brenda and Jason Wilensky. We are proud to partner with the Miranda Family Fund in the creation of opportunities for artists of color. Proceeds from Lin-Manuel Miranda + Friends support these efforts. Jimmy Webb: The Glen Campbell Years is sponsored, in part, by the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame. The 2023/24 presenting program receives funding from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.

Funding for arts education is provided by Long Island Community Foundation, Bethpage Federal Credit Union, and Salvatore and Mary Ranieri for the School Partnership Program; The Fay J. Lindner Foundation and The Theresa Foundation provide support for Sensory Friendly Initiatives; Dance for Parkinson's classes are supported by Dance Party for Parkinson's. Additional support for arts education provided by Barbara Bell Cumming Charitable Trust and Sandra L. and Steven P. Harris. Arts Education Programs are made possible, in part, by the Gilbert and Rose Tilles Endowment for Arts Education.

Support for capital projects is provided by The Estate of Dolores and Herbert Goldsmith, Dori and Peter Tilles, and Judith and Irwin Tantleff.

Link to PHOTOS & BIOS FOR LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA + FRIENDS

Link to 2023/24 Season PHOTOS, VIDEO, SEASON BROCHURE & MORE

SOURCE Long Island University

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