MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE
NOW – MAY 12
MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE is a contemporary and street dance-influenced work that tells an uplifting tale of humanity and hope through the music of Sting and the choreography of Kate Prince.
Don’t miss your chance to see the show’s New York debut at City Center, after rave reviews on London’s West End.
MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE
DATES
Apr 30 – May 12, 2024
SPECIAL TWO-WEEK RUN
TIMES
Tue – Fri 7:30pm
Sat 2 & 7:30pm | Sun 2pm
PRICE
Tickets from $45 (fees included)
ACCESSIBLE PROGRAM PDF
To download a program accessible for screen readers, click here.
RUN TIME
Approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes with one intermission
COMMUNITY NIGHT
Fri May 3 at 6:30PM
Community Night welcomes Kate Prince for a conversation that highlights artists and organizations creating and sustaining a sense of belonging for immigrant communities, including People’s Theatre Project and poetry by Mujib Mehrdad through the Artistic Freedom Initiative network. Ticket buyers will be emailed to RSVP.
TALKBACK WITH STING & KATE PRINCE
Post show Sun May 5 after 2pm matinee
Join us after the performance for a conversation with the show’s creators Sting, Kate Prince, Lukas McFarlane, and dancer Natasha Gooden, moderated by Tony Award winner Jeanine Tesori.
STUDENT RUSH
Purchase student rush, same-day tickets for $23 (fees included) with a current, photo student ID. Present your photo student ID at the box office on the day of the performance to buy tickets (maximum of two). The box office opens at noon. Tickets are subject to availability.
GROUP SALES
For groups of 10 or more people, email Info@NYCityCenter.org
This is such a powerful, serious p
POV Evening Standard
4
Inspired by Sting’s greatest hits, including “Desert Rose,” “Every Breath You Take,” “Roxanne,” “Fields of Gold,” and 23 more of the artist’s most beloved songs, this dance-theater sensation opened to rave reviews on London’s West End and makes its New York debut here at City Center.
Five-time Olivier Award nominee Kate Prince and her company ZooNation have been celebrated for dance-theater hits like Some Like It Hip Hop and Into the Hoods, and Prince received raves for her choreography on Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. In this latest acclaimed work, she weaves Sting’s music together into a story of three siblings driven from their home by war. Featuring powerful athleticism by world-class dancers and new musical arrangements by Alex Lacamoire (Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen) and Martin Terefe, this contemporary a
WANT THE BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE?
Secure access to premium house seats when you become a Patron starting at $2,500. Please call 212.763.1257 or email Patrons@NYCityCenter.org for more information.
Programming subject to change.
Photo by Helen Maybanks
Synopsis
Synopsis
by Dramaturg Lolita Chakrabarti
We are confronted by stories of displacement every day — in newspapers, on television and on our streets. We regularly hear about migrants fleeing oppressive regimes, but the focus is often on the catastrophic political in-fighting and violence and we lose sight of the people affected.
Message In A Bottle is an imagined story about one family.
In a fictional village in a country far away, the community live well and support each other. But when civil war breaks out, this idyll of existence is devastated as the community is broken and homes destroyed. We follow the fortunes of a father, mother and their three teenage children — Leto, Mati, and Tana — who face this brutal reality together. They are confronted with impossible choices in order to survive. They must leave their homeland and undertake a perilous journey to safer shores. Along the way, they will be separated from each other and must persevere alone.
Inspired by the passionate, evocative and iconic music of Sting, Message In A Bottle is a universal story of loss, fear, survival, hope, and love.
Photo by Lynn Theisen
Dates & Tickets
Dates & Tickets
May 2 – May 12, 2024
Special Event
Showing 1 – 10 of 12 performances
-
May 2
Thu
7:30 PM
Not On Sale
-
May 3
Fri
7:30 PM — Community Night
-
May 4
Sat
2:00 PM
-
May 4
Sat
7:30 PM
-
May 5
Sun
2:00 PM — Talkback with Sting & Kate Prince
-
May 7
Tue
7:30 PM
-
May 8
Wed
7:30 PM
-
May 9
Thu
7:30 PM
-
May 10
Fri
7:30 PM
-
May 11
Sat
2:00 PM
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Interview with Lukas McFarlane
ECHOES OF STING
Associate Choreographer Lukas McFarlane on translating Sting’s music to dance in Message In A Bottle
Photo by Lynn Theisen
Video & Photos
In the Press
POV Guardian
4 stars
The story of loving, losing and finding your way
POV Sunday Mirror
5 stars
This is what dance is supposed to do. This is how it should make you feel.
POV Chicago Tribune
As conceptually compelling as it is thrillingly executed
Cast & Credits
Help Sustain Our Future
80 years ago, this City got its center.
Audiences like you got to enjoy world-class art at prices they could afford—and Manhattan got its first performing arts institution.
Your unwavering support has sustained City Center programming for 80 years. Deepen your impact today with a one-time donation and ensure this treasured programming continues for many years to come. Thank you.
Sponsors
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A Sadler’s Wells and Universal Music UK production co-produced with Birmingham Hippodrome and The Lowry, Salford. Research and development supported by The MOVEment.
Leadership Support
Lynne and Richard Pasculano Fund for Programming and EducationMajor Support for dance at New York City Center
Community Nights at New York City Center are made possible by
Supported using public funding by Arts Council England