Alternate Routes

The 2006-2007 Alternate Routes festival features eleven events, bringing to NJPAC performers from all over New Jersey, the United States, and the world. In addition to performances in NJPAC’s Prudential Hall, Victoris Theater and The Chase Room, initimate post-performance discussions with featured artists are hosted at many events. The Alternate Routes festival opened October 14th with Complexions Contemporary Ballet.

Upcoming events include:

The third installment of Alternate Routes’ bi-annual hip hop festival Planet Hip Hop III kicks off with an opening reception at the Aljira Center for Contemporary Art (591 Broad Street, Newark) and continues that evening and each day through November 12 in the Victoria Theater, The Chase Room and at Aljira with performances, spoken word events, an open mic, two panel discussion/film screenings and a dance party. In total, the festival is comprised of nine different events in four days, five of which are free. Tickets for the four events are $17.00.Another Evening: I Bow Down Performed by the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance CompanySaturday February 3rd at 7:30pm and Sunday, February 4th at 3:00pm.Another Evening: I Bow Down brings an exuberant fusion of dance and theater to the Victoria Theater. For the Saturday, February 3rd performance, Jones and company perform a program of solos, duets and trios. The Sunday engagement will be performed in part to live music by Daniel Bernard Roumain, and will feature a program including a collaboration with the multidisciplinary hip-hop artist Akim Funk Buddha. Tickets are $44.00.Her Holy Water: A Black Girl’s Rock OperaPerformed by Imani UzuriSaturday, February 17th at 8pm As part of Alternate Routes’ Sacred Circle Cafe sub-series, Imani Uzuri takes a semi-autobiographical journey, backed by a full ambient band, in this rock opera. Her Holy Water is a lyrical, often humorous concert with strings, drum and bass arias, transformational ballads and soulful rock that tells stories about coming of age in rural North Carolina. Her Holy Water will perform in The Chase Room, and tickets are $17.00.Kaleidoscope: A retrospective of the Music of Hannibal LokumbeSaturday March 3rd at 7:30 pm. Hannibal Lokumbe returns to NJPAC for a one night-only retrospective of his work. Lokumbe will play solo, with his quartet, and in a wide variety of works that include full choir as well as special quest vocalist Jevetta Steele. The program includes Soul Brother, Brown and Blue; Fannie Lou Hamer, as well as excerpts from three of the composer’s most monumental works–African Portraits, Dear Mrs. Parks and God, Mississippi, and a Man Called Evers. The retrospective will perform in the Victoria Theater, and tickets are $38.00.Rick Khan’s World Theater Lab Saturday March 17th at 8pm. The World Theater Lab brings contemporary theater artists from Great Britain, South Africa and the United States to Alternate Routes’ Sacred Circle Cafe. The World Theater Lab encourages collaboration between artists in creating new theater works designed to address global issues and speak to a multinational audience. World Theater Lab will perform in The Chase Room, and tickets are $17.00.Radical Prayer The world premiere performance by the Liz Lerman Dance ExchangeSaturday March 31st at 7pm.Comprised of dancers whose ages span six decades, this world premiere, developed in the company’s five-year participation in the Global Exchange program through the NJPAC, is comprised of contemporary dance/theater works that break boundaries between artist and audience, theater and community, movement and language. Radical Prayer will perform in the Victoria Theater, and tickets are $38.00.Hip Hop:Out, Loud & Proudwith guest curator Pandora ScooterSaturday April 14th at 8pm. This evening of the Alternate Routes’ Sacred Circle Cafe will feature six spoken word artists representing all orientations and persuasions from gay, straight, queer, lesbian and bisexual, voicing their views on sexuality. The performance will incorporate an open forum for conversation between artists and audience. Hip Hop:Out Loud & Proud will perform in The Chase Room, and tickets are $17.00 Kenny Garrett and Nicholas Payton Saturday April 28th at 7:30 pm. Saxophonist and multi-Grammy-nominee Kenny Garrett and Grammy-winning trumpeter Nicolas Payton share the bill for the closing of the Alternate Routes 2006-2007 series. They will perform in the Victoria Theater, and tickets are $44.00.