Summer 2016 Starts This Week at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts | Wolf Trap
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Summer 2016 Starts This Week at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts

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Wolf Trap is on track for one of the most popular seasons to date;
patrons are encouraged to order their tickets soon for best availability

  • From chart-toppers to family fare, comedy, classical, and classic rock, Wolf Trap hosts a diverse slate of artists and welcomes arts and entertainment fans from across the Washington region
  • Wolf Trap celebrates the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary all summer at America’s only National Park for the Performing Arts with Centennial Weekend Celebration of monumental acts including Ricky Martin, Aretha Franklin and Bonnie Raitt.
  • Opening week highlights the scope, diversity, and quality of Wolf Trap, with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Garrison Keillor’s final Wolf Trap appearances hosting A Prairie Home Companion, the annual Free Summer Blast-Off! concert and fireworks with the United State Marine Band, and pop icons Cyndi Lauper and Boy George.
  • Summer 2016 also includes performances at Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods from artists across all genres – from puppetry to dance to “kindie” rock, and Wolf Trap Opera presents several recitals and three new productions – including Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, the U.S. premiere of Gassman’s L’Opera Seria, and a fully staged production of Puccini’s La boheme at the Filene Center.
  • Wolf Trap’s new Young at Arts program invites families to introduce their children to the performing arts by offering one free youth ticket for each adult ticket purchased to select performances.
  • Season concludes with Wolf Trap Ball, celebrating 100 years of the National Park Service, on stage at the Filene Center September 16.

                              

Vienna, Va. (May 24, 2016) – Pack your picnic, grab your friends, and get ready for star-filled summer nights! Summer officially begins this week for Washington-area music lovers, when Wolf Trap opens the Summer 2016 season on the Filene Center stage at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts.

The season kicks off this Wednesday with indie rock artist
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros in their Wolf Trap debut at the 7,028-seat open-air Filene Center. On Friday and Saturday, Garrison Keillor makes his final Wolf Trap appearances as host of A Prairie Home Companion – a Wolf Trap opening weekend tradition since 2001. On Sunday, May 29, Wolf Trap hosts the annual free Summer Blast-Off!, featuring “The President’s Own” United States Marine Corps Band followed by a fireworks display.

The Filene Center season features iconic artists whose music mirrors the majesty and diversity of our national parks – and includes more than 50 debut artists. Select debuts include:  
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros (May 25), Lord Huron and Nathaniel Rateliff & The Nightsweats (June 7), Flight of the Conchords (June 13), Lake Street Dive (June 16), Paul Simon (June 27 + 28), Asha Bhosle (June 29), Sufjan Stevens (July 22), Don Henley (September 7+8), and Leon Bridges (September 10).

Returning acts include
Dolly Parton (June 8), Jackson Browne (June 14), Mary Chapin Carpenter (July 2), American Ballet Theatre in Romeo and Juliet (July 14-16), Kristin Chenoweth (August 21), and Weird Al Yankovic (September 11).  The National Symphony Orchestra continues its summer residency at Wolf Trap with DreamWorks Animation in Concert (June 30), America the Beautiful (July 1), Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with Yuja Wang (July 8), a special 35th anniversary presentation of Raiders of the Lost Ark (July 9), Seth MacFarlane (August 6), and much more. Additionally, to mark the 100th birthday of the National Park Service on August 25, Wolf Trap presents a weekend of performances by legendary artists Ricky Martin (August 24 + 25), Aretha Franklin (August 26) and Bonnie Raitt (August 27).

Wolf Trap has seen unprecedented ticket demand for shows across all genres, with a dozen performances already sold out and many more expected to sell out well in advance of the performance date. Due to this demand, patrons are encouraged to start planning summer calendars now – and buy early to ensure availability.

In addition to the Filene Center season, Wolf Trap also offers
Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, which runs June 21 through August 6, and performances at The Barns at Wolf Trap by Wolf Trap Opera, one of the most highly acclaimed artist training programs in the nation.

The Summer 2016 season will conclude September 16 with the
Wolf Trap Ball, Wolf Trap’s major fundraising event in support of its award-winning arts, education, and community programs. Held on stage at the Filene Center, this year’s unique charitable event will celebrate the National Park Service Centennial.  

Venue Information

  • The Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts is located at 1551 Trap Road, Vienna, VA.
  • Getting to Wolf Trap has never been easier: Wolf Trap is accessible by car, bus, and Metro. Parking is free. Visit www.wolftrap.org/directions for complete details.
  • Patrons are welcomed and encouraged to bring their own food and drink, including alcoholic beverages. Wolf Trap’s OVATIONS restaurant and concessions are also available onsite. Visit www.wolftrap.org/dining.   
  • Tickets for performances at the Filene Center start at $10 for lawn tickets. Pricing varies by performance and seat location. See wolftrap.org for complete details. Tickets may be purchased:
    • Online at wolftrap.org
    • By phone at 877.WOLFTRAP
    • In-person at the Filene Center Box Office, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna, VA. All ticket service charges are waived for in-person purchases.

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Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, produces and presents a full range of performance and education programs in the Greater Washington area, as well as nationally. Wolf Trap features three performance venues: the outdoor Filene Center and Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, both located at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, and The Barns at Wolf Trap, located down the road from the national park and adjacent to the Center for Education at Wolf Trap. The 7,028-seat Filene Center is operated in partnership with the National Park Service and annually showcases an extensive array of diverse artists, ranging from pop, country, folk, and blues to classical music, dance, and theatre, as well as multimedia presentations, from May through September. The Barns at Wolf Trap is operated by the Wolf Trap Foundation year round, and during the summer months is home to the Grammy-nominated Wolf Trap Opera, one of America’s outstanding resident ensemble programs for young opera singers. Wolf Trap’s education programs include the nationally acclaimed Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, a diverse array of arts education classes, grants, and a nationally recognized internship program

Media Information

(Please do not publish)

Wolf Trap’s Summer 2016 Press Kit, including press calendars with descriptors, individual show pricing, and high-resolution images are available online at www.wolftrap.org/press-and-media.

Media inquiries, including requests for interviews and/or to cover performances, may be directed to:


Emily Smalling, Coordinator, Public Relations
703.255.4096 or emilys@wolftrap.org

Michelle Pendoley, Director, Public Relations
|703.255.1917 or michellep@wolftrap.org  


Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, produces and presents a full range of performance and education programs in the Greater Washington area, as well as nationally. Wolf Trap features three performance venues: the outdoor Filene Center and Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, both located at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, and The Barns at Wolf Trap, located down the road from the national park and adjacent to the Center for Education at Wolf Trap. The 7,028-seat Filene Center is operated in partnership with the National Park Service and annually showcases an extensive array of diverse artists, ranging from pop, country, folk, and blues to classical music, dance, and theatre, as well as multimedia presentations, from May through September. The Barns at Wolf Trap is operated by the Wolf Trap Foundation year round, and during the summer months is home to the Grammy-nominated Wolf Trap Opera, one of America’s outstanding resident ensemble programs for young opera singers. Wolf Trap’s education programs include the nationally acclaimed Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, a diverse array of arts education classes, grants, and a nationally recognized internship program.
Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, produces and presents a full range of performance and education programs in the Greater Washington area, as well as nationally. Wolf Trap features three performance venues: the outdoor Filene Center and Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, both located at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, and The Barns at Wolf Trap, located down the road from the national park and adjacent to the Center for Education at Wolf Trap. The 7,028-seat Filene Center is operated in partnership with the National Park Service and annually showcases an extensive array of diverse artists, ranging from pop, country, folk, and blues to classical music, dance, and theatre, as well as multimedia presentations, from May through September. The Barns at Wolf Trap is operated by the Wolf Trap Foundation year round, and during the summer months is home to the Grammy-nominated Wolf Trap Opera, one of America’s outstanding resident ensemble programs for young opera singers. Wolf Trap’s education programs include the nationally acclaimed Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, a diverse array of arts education classes, grants, and a nationally recognized internship program.