Harlem Community News

Jennifer Ashley Tepper: Women Writing Musicals
2025-03-31 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | New York Public Library, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza (entrance at 111 Amsterdam between 64th and 65th) New York, NY 10023
In honor of Women’s History Month, author and theater historian Jennifer Ashley Tepper will celebrate her newly released book with a presentation and performance from Badia Farha (Hell’s Kitchen) and Alyse Alan Louis (TEETH), with Ruiran Xun (The Jonathan Larson Project) on the keys. Women Writing Musicals: The Legacy that the History Books Left Out is the first-ever book about female musical theater writers. In this program, Tepper will give an inside look at some of the more than 300 inspiring women featured, including several writers whose work appears in The New York Public Library collections.
Expect behind-the-scenes photos and stories about prolific and celebrated Broadway writers like Betty Comden and Jeanine Tesori, women who have written musicals but gained fame elsewhere like Dolly Parton and Sara Bareilles, and dramatists you may not have heard of—but definitely should have—from Micki Grant, whose mega-hit musical about the Black experience made her the first woman to write book, music, and lyrics for a Broadway show to María Grever, the first Mexican female composer to achieve international success—who made her Broadway debut at age 56.
Tepper will also present special guest performers, Badia Farha (Hell’s Kitchen) and Alyse Alan Louis (TEETH), with Ruiran Xun (The Jonathan Larson Project) on the keys, sharing some fascinating songs written by women for musicals that will bring the book to life and make you look at theater in a whole new way.

SEATING POLICY | Programs are free and open to all, but registration is requested. Check-in line forms 45 minutes before the advertised start time. Registered guests are given priority check-in 15 to 30 minutes before start time. Five minutes before the advertised start time, all seats are released, regardless of registration, to our patrons in the stand-by line. If you arrive after the program starts, you will be seated at the discretion of our front-of-house staff.
STANDBY LINE | If registration is sold out or has ended, do not fret! We welcome you to come to the Library regardless of registration status and wait in our standby line, which forms 45 minutes before the advertised start time. Five minutes before the program starts, all remaining seats are released. While this is not guaranteed, we will do our best to get you into any of our programs.
ASSISTIVE LISTENING AND ASL | ASL interpretation and real-time (CART) captioning available upon request. Please submit your request at least two weeks in advance by emailing accessibility@nypl.org.
BRUNO WALTER POLICY | Please note that any unoccupied seat will be released five minutes before the show begins and holding seats for anyone beyond that is prohibited. There is no food or drink allowed inside the venue.
AUDIO/VIDEO RECORDING | Programs may be photographed and recorded by and at the discretion of the Library for the Performing Arts and will post signs indicating as such. If you would prefer your image not be captured, please let us know and we can seat you accordingly. Attending any program indicates your consent to being filmed/photographed and your consent to the use of your recorded image for any and all purposes of the New York Public Library.
PRESS | Please send all press inquiries to Alex Teplitzky at alexteplitzky@nypl.org. Please note that all recording, including professional video recordings, are prohibited without expressed consent from the Library.

Assistive Listening and ASL
Assistive listening devices available

HSA 2025 “SOUL TRAIN” GALA
2025-05-02 18:00 - 22:00 | Ziegfeld Ballroom, 141 W 54th St, New York, NY 10019
We’re thrilled to invite you to the Harlem School of the Arts Annual Benefit Gala on Friday, May 2, 2025, at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City. The night will kick off at 6:00 PM with a reception, followed by dinner and the Gala program. The evening will conclude with an exciting after party, complete with dessert and plenty of dancing! This year’s Gala will immerse you in the vibrant culture of the 1970s, taking you back to the revolutionary Soul Train era and the musical heartbeat of Chicago. Under the guidance of their instructors, our talented students will transport you to a time of cultural transformation, musical brilliance, and funky dance moves. The 2025 event will also honor the extraordinary legacy of artists, innovators, and business leaders who shape the global landscape of Black arts, culture, and community empowerment.
We will be honoring the legacy of Don Cornelius, visionary host and producer of the revolutionary Soul Train, as well as Stephanie Horton, Holly Gaines Johnson Eric G. Johnson, Deborah Willis, and HSA alumnus Hank Willis Thomas.
We can’t wait to see you there, celebrating Love, Peace, and Soul, while supporting the next generation of artists at HSA. Together, we’ll make a lasting impact on the lives of young creatives and the artistic community.
For Tickets and Additional Information: smcphee@hsanyc.org
Follow HSA on Social Media for Updates: @hsanyc #HSA
Attire: Soul Train Themed (1970s Chic)

Harlem Girls in Sports Day!
2025-09-26 08:00 - 17:00 | Riverbank State Park, 679 Riverside Drive at West 145th Street New York, NY 10031
Participants ages 9-12 years old will have the unique opportunity to explore non-traditional sports through a hands-on experience, including basketball, flag football, tennis, soccer and thanks to the Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation, gymnastics. Held in partnership with Denny Farrell Riverbank State Park, the event is expected to feature 100-150 par-ticipants, and will celebrate health, fitness, and sports while inspiring and empowering urban girls.
Harlem Girls in Sports Day (HGSD) is a free community event that provides participants ages 9-12 years old with the unique opportunity to explore non-traditional sports through a hands-on experience. Held in partnership with Denny Farrell Riverbank State Park, the event is expected to feature 100-150 participants and will celebrate health, fitness, and sports while inspiring and empowering urban girls. Participants will rotate through 30-minute sessions. Sports will include gymnastics from the Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation, basketball, flag football, tennis, and soccer. Register using the link.
Event Contact Information
Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation | jasmin@nicholaslence.com

Concert by Harlem Chambers Arvo Pärt Summa
2025-09-26 19:00 - 21:00 | Broadway Presbyterian Church, 601 West 114th Street New York, NY, 10025
String Quartet David Baker “Roots II” Piano Trio, Arnold Schoenberg Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night), Op.4 for String Sextet Being held at Broadway Presbyterian Church 601 West 114th Street, NYC. We hope you will join us for this concert featuring some of the great works in the chamber music repertoire!
PROGRAM
Arvo Pärt Summa for String Quartet
David Baker “Roots II” Piano Trio
Arnold Schoenberg Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night), Op. 4 for String Sextet
ARTISTS
Claire Chan, violin
Philip Payton, violin
William Frampton, viola
Amadi Azikiwe, viola
Wayne Smith, cello
Robert Burkhart, cello
David Berry, piano

JAZZMOBILE SESSIONS - CHARENEE WADE - SAVOY BALLROOM CENTENNIAL - TRIBUTE #1 - TRIBUTE TO ELLA FITZGERALD
2026-03-11 19:00 - 20:30 | The Chapel at The Interchurch Center, 61 Claremont Ave, New York, NY 10115, USA
Jazzmobile’s mission is to present, preserve, promote and propagate America’s classical music, Jazz.
Founded in 1964 by National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, pianist, Dr. Billy Taylor and philanthropist and arts administrator, Ms. Daphne Anstein, Jazzmobile is the first U.S. not-for-profit arts and cultural organization created just for Jazz. Since the beginning, we have been bringing high quality Jazz performances and education programs to area residents, tourists and other visitors, reaching over 4,000,000 people living or visiting New York City. Our national programs brought us to other cities in the US; and the ‘Super Jazz Band’ had us touring cities in Europe and Japan.
Whether on the street, in a park or at a major concert hall here or abroad, Jazzmobile works in partnership with like-minded organizations to present high quality Jazz performances that enrich the culture and imbue new life into the surrounding area.
Our workshops, master classes, lecture demonstrations, and arts enrichment programs train the next generation of Jazz vocalists and musicians; while also exposing youth to this vibrant art form. For jazz aficionados and other enthusiasts, our panel discussions increase the knowledge of our many adult followers. Our primary aim is to reach out to communities where Jazz was nurtured and new forms born.
We are very proud of being an inspiration to other organizations such as The Manchester Craftsman’s Guild and Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Saturday@Harlem is…presents Savoy 100 Harlem
2026-03-14 12:00 - 17:00
Overview

Get ready to celebrate a century of Harlem’s iconic lindy hop and its birth at the Savoy ballroom. It will be an afternoon to rememeber

Saturday @ Harlem is…presents Savoy 100 Harlem – March 14th 12pm at Harlem Hospital Center (506 Lenox Avenue). RSVP required!
Don’t miss this lindy hop afternoon dance celebration. Feel the spirit and move to the beat with professional Harlem swing dances. Explore its roots from its days at the Savoy ballroom and learn its most popular moves of the 1930s. Be wowed by film clips of legendary Frankie Manning and more.
Be part of an informative dance dialogue with dance luminaries.
Produced With Barbara Jones, Director of the Harlem Swing Dance Society
It’s dance history – it’s living history – it’s Harlem history and its fun!
Includes an interactive visit to the harlem is… exhibit honoring over 100 cultural luminaires.
FREE. RSVP required
Harlem Hospital Center
506 Lenox Ave
A program of Community Works in association with New Heritage Theatre Group.
For further information email bh@communityworksnyc.org
Funding provided by Harlem Community Development Corporation.

Celebrate 100 Years of the Savoy Ballroom!
2026-03-21 08:00 - 17:00 | Alhambra Ballroom, 2116 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd, New York, NY 10027
Get ready to celebrate a century of Harlem’s iconic lindy hop and its birth at the Savoy ballroom. It will be an afternoon to rememeber. Harlem is…presents Savoy 100 Harlem – March 14th 12pm at Harlem Hospital Center (506 Lenox Avenue). RSVP required! Don’t miss this lindy hop afternoon dance celebration. Feel the spirit and move to the beat with professional Harlem swing dances. Explore its roots from its days at the Savoy ballroom and learn its most popular moves of the 1930s. Be wowed by film clips of legendary Frankie Manning and more. Be part of an informative dance dialogue with dance luminaries. Produced With Barbara Jones, Director of the Harlem Swing Dance Society. It’s dance history – it’s living history – it’s Harlem history and it’s fun! Includes an interactive visit to the harlem is… exhibit honoring over 100 cultural luminaires. FREE. RSVP required. Harlem Hospital Center , 506 Lenox Ave A program of Community Works in association with New Heritage Theatre Group. For further information email bh@communityworksnyc.org. Funding provided by Harlem Community Development Corporation.
A Tribute to Harlem’s Cultural Legacy
In March 2026, join us in celebrating the 100th anniversary of the legendary Savoy Ballroom—a symbol of Harlem’s vibrant cultural and musical heritage. Known as the ‘Home of Happy Feet,’ the Savoy Ballroom was more than just a dance hall; it was a community cornerstone that thrived from March 12, 1926, to July 10, 1958, bringing people together through the universal language of jazz and dance.
Join Us
Be part of a gala that echoes with the music and spirit of days gone by, while looking forward to a future that honors Harlem’s rich cultural tapestry.
Let’s dance into the next century together and keep Harlem’s heart beating strong! 🎉
Event Details:

Date: Saturday, March 21, 2026

Location: Alhambra Ballroom, Harlem, NYC
