Brandon Victor Dixon, Jim Gaffigan, Pam Grier, Emmylou Harris, et al. Set for 2011 SummerStage Season

City Parks Foundation has announced programming for the 2011 season of SummerStage, New York’s largest free performing arts festival, which will bring over 100 performances to 18 parks throughout the five boroughs, and run June 7-September 2.

Broadway veteran Brandon Victor Dixon will join Burnt Sugar and The Arkestra Chamber for Indomitable: James Brown, directed by Patricia McGregor and held at Von King Park in Brooklyn on June 17 & 18 at 8pm. Pam Grier will be among the storytellers participating in The Moth, hosted by Andy Browitz on the Mainstage at Central Park on Tuesday, June 28 at 7:30pm. Jim Gaffigan, currently appearing on Broadway in That Championship Season, will be joined by special guest John Pinette for Comedy Central Park on the Mainstage at Central Park on June 29 at 8pm.

Featured theater productions, performing in multiple locations, will include Sangre, by Mando Alvardo, directed by Jerry Ruiz (July 8-August 17); Tunde’s Trumpet, by Chisa Hutchinson, directed by Kristin Horton, with lyrics by Sarah Gancher and music by Elliot Goldman (July 29-August 8); and Classical Theatre of Harlem’s staging of Shakespeare’s Henry V, directed by Jenny Bennettt, with music by Patricia Ju (August 5-29);

In addition, Faux-Real Theatre Company will present Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex (August 30, September 1) and Aeschylus’ Seven Against Thebes (August 31, September 2), both in Manhattan’s East River Park. Programming will also include Shelabration! A Tribute to the Works of Shel Silverstein, produced by Hal Wilner at the Mainstage at Central Park on August 6.

As previously reported, The Metropolitan Opera will hold a summer recital series in conjunction with SummerStage. Featured performers will include soprano Angela Meade, mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano, tenor Dimitri Pittas, soprano Layla Claire, mezzo-soprano Renée Tatum, bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green, and pianist Bradley Moore.

Additional artists participating in the free programming include Armitage Gone! Dance, Ron Ayers, Vijay Iyer, Wanda Jackson, Yo-Yo Ma, Imelda May, Reggie Watts, and many more.

There will also be several benefit concerts, which help to support the free programs of SummerStage. All Benefit shows will take place at Rumsey Playfield Mainstage in Central Park, and will include Florence and the Machine with Twin Shadow and Bubbles (June 24); Ratatat (July 13); Emmylou Harris, Levon Helm and Hayes Carll (July 18); Wiz Khalifa (July 25); Lykke Li (August 1); and Guster with Jack’s Mannequin (August 8).

For more information, including additional programming, click here.