Concert series brings on the film
SCHENECTADY — Closing out the summer with cinematic style, Music Haven has announced its inaugural Alfresco Film and Event Series, presented in partnership with Film Schenectady and First New York Federal Credit Union.
The series will take place for free at the Music Haven Stage in Schenectady’s Central Park from Friday, Aug. 23 to Friday, Sept. 6, starting at 5 p.m.
“We wanted to do something diverse that would have unique appeal for different crowds,” said Music Haven Producing Artistic Director Mona Golub. “Just like Music Haven features a diverse group of performers, talent, and musicians, so does film.”
“We really believe that the idea of the themes broadens the diversity of the Music Haven series, which has always endeavored to travel the world one concert at a time,” she continued.
The series will start with a combination of music with movies this Friday with Bollywood Night, featuring MC Mahendra Prag and live performances by local North Indian music legends Veena and Devesh Chandra on sitar and tabla, and West Indian vocalist Lalita Ramnauth. The film “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,” which holds the unique honor of being one of the most successful Indian films in history, will be screened.
“When you look at Bollywood Night, the feature is a cult classic from 1995,” said Schenectady County Film Commissioner Donna Pennell. “It holds the designation as the longest-running film in India. It’s a love story that’s also very culturally driven.”
The following Friday is “Reggae Sunset,” hosted by longtime Music Haven friend and WCDB legend Sir Walford. Music from Meta and the Cornerstones, led by Senegalese singer Mouhammad “Meta” Dia, will take center stage, followed by a screening of the newly released biopic “Bob Marley: One Love.”
“For Reggae Night, it’s the story of Bob Marley, who inspired generations through his message of love and music that masterfully fused elements of reggae and rocksteady,” said Pennell. “But he had a story, too.”
By showing films that feature music but are not inherently musicals, this event series differs from the one-off events previously hosted by Music Haven, where they have screened films such as “Summer of Soul” and “In the Heights. “When planning this series, Golub and Pennell formulated a different approach to what types of films to showcase.
“There are elements of music in each of these movies, but the movie is not entirely a musical feature,” said Pennell. “With each one that we chose, they all bring something different to the viewer and to the audience.”
“What Donna and I started thinking about was how much more could be done to celebrate the medium of film in this very comfortable, all-accessible venue in the heart of the park,” said Golub. “It was this opportunity to create an event that celebrated a film, and not necessarily a film that is pure music, but just a great film.”
Paint the Park Pink will close the series on a sparkling note on September 6, with FLY 92.3 spinning classic summer tracks. Attendees are welcome to dance and enjoy pink-themed activities and food before a screening of the award-winning blockbuster film “Barbie.”
The evening of Paint the Park Pink aims to “celebrate the fun of pop culture, along with some of the more serious messages that come through the film that we think are inspirational,” said Golub.
“I love sitting at an event like this with friends, family, neighbors, and people that I’m just meeting and watching a film together,” said Pennell. “It’s exciting because film—whether it’s the production end of it or the finished product where you’re sitting watching a film next to somebody— to me, it’s just a beautiful thing.”
“It goes to the mission that Music Haven adopted many years ago, of crossing borders, breaking down barriers, and celebrating our shared humanity,” said Golub.
