NYC & Company Encourages New Yorkers & Visitors To Take Part In Weeklong Celebration Of Film, Oscars

2/25/10

NYC & COMPANY ENCOURAGES NEW YORKERS AND VISITORS TO TAKE PART IN WEEKLONG CELEBRATION OF CITY'S ROLE IN FILM, CULMINATING IN LIVE SCREENING OF OSCARS® AT LINCOLN CENTER



—Tickets Can Be Purchased at Alice Tully Hall Box Office;Proceeds Benefit NYC's Cultural Community—



—Oscar®-Related Activities and Programming Build Up to Official Oscars® Screening on March 7—



New York City (February 25, 2010) — As the backdrop to countless movies both new and old, New York City occupies a prominent place in film history—and now, NYC & Company, the City's official marketing, tourism and partnership organization, is offering residents and visitors the chance to participate in the first-ever official live Oscars® screening, as well as in activities and programming leading up to it from March 1 to 7. The week will culminate in Oscar Night® and the City, a host reception and live screening of the 82nd Academy Awards at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall starting 7pm on March 7. For a full rundown of event and ticket information, visit nycgo.com/oscarnight.



"New York City has set the scene for countless Academy Award–winning films and there has never been a better opportunity for residents and visitors to formally celebrate the unique connection the City has to film history," said George Fertitta, CEO of NYC & Company. "We encourage everyone to participate in the week's activities and buy tickets to the live Oscars® screening."



Oscar Night® and the City tickets cost $150 for a "supporting role" and $225 for a "starring role" (which includes VIP seating and access to a VIP cocktail lounge). The cocktail reception starts at 7pm, and the live screening at 8:30pm. Attendees can mix and mingle throughout the evening, enjoying an open bar and hors d’oeuvres and watching the Oscars® in Alice Tully Hall or from plasma TV screens in the lobby. The Julliard Jazz Ensemble will be on hand to perform Oscar®-winning songs. Each guest will receive an official program, the same one handed out at the Academy Awards. Dress for the evening is cocktail attire. Tickets can be purchased at the Alice Tully Hall box office or at lincolncenter.org.



AMC, home to movies from every genre and decade as well as the award-winning original series Mad Men and Breaking Bad, is a sponsor of NYC's Oscar Night® America celebration. Other sponsors include On Location Tours and Starwood Hotels of New York City.



NYC & Company is also presenting special Oscar® Week activities from March 1 to 7, celebrating the strong connection New York City has to film. The events include:



The Film Society of Lincoln Center will hold a marathon screening of Oscar®-winning New York–based films from March 5 to 7 at the Walter Reade Theater. And the Winner Is…New York! will feature Annie Hall, The Broadway Melody, Dog Day Afternoon, The French Connection, The Godfather, Klute, Kramer vs. Kramer, The Subject Was Roses, Raging Bull and West Side Story. For more information, visit filmlinc.com.



From February 25 to March 7, visitors and residents will have an opportunity to hold and be photographed with an actual Oscar® statuette at Meet the Oscars®. Film enthusiasts also can see the Oscar® that Judy Garland won in 1939 and learn how the iconic statuettes are made by R.S. Owens of Chicago. The exhibit takes place at The Shops at Columbus Circle, Time Warner Center, 10 Columbus Circle, Level 2, from 10am to 7pm, Monday through Saturday, and 11am to 6pm on Sunday. For more information, visit oscar.com.



On Location Tours is reducing prices for its New York TV & Movie Sites Tour from March 1 to 7 by 20% in honor of Oscar® Week in NYC (just use the promotional code OSCAR1); visitors can see where their favorite actors, personalities and characters live, work and play. Proceeds will benefit the NYC & Company Foundation. In addition, at noon on March 7, On Location Tours will debut its New York Movie Classics Tour, which will explore classic film locations on a three-hour guided bus tour. For more information, visit screentours.com.



From March 1 to 31, the Posteritati Gallery will present a new exhibition of movie posters from Academy Award–winning films, including Midnight Cowboy and On the Waterfront. The gallery, which is dedicated to the art of the movie poster, is located at 239 Centre Street between Broome and Grand Streets. For more information, visit posteritati.com.



Madame Tussauds New York will give visitors the chance to get up close and personal with some of the world’s most famous film stars—from legendary icons to today’s A-list celebrities—or their wax figures at least! From March 1–7, guests can experience Hollywood glamour in the heart of Times Square with a scavenger hunt: movie lovers can search for wax figures of those stars who have made a lasting impact on film—and even pose with a statuette of Oscar himself. Wax figures of Woody Allen, Whoopi Goldberg and Leonardo DiCaprio also will be a part of NYC & Company's Oscar Night® and City celebration at Lincoln Center. For more information, visit nycwax.com



Cabaret performer Jamie deRoy will present a special evening of her variety show, Jamie deRoy & friends, at 6pm Sunday, February 28, at Birdland, 315 West 44th Street. The evening will include performances of songs from Academy Award–winning films. DeRoy will be joined by Drama Desk Award–nominee Christina Bianco (Forbidden Broadway Goes to Rehab); four-time Tony Award–nominee Gregg Edelman (1776, Into the Woods, Anna Karenina, City of Angels); London's beloved triple-threat, Bonnie Langford (Chicago, NYC and London companies); conductor, composer and two-time Emmy Award–winner John McDaniel; critically acclaimed cellist Peter Sachon; Finian's Rainbow sensation Terri White and special guest Grammy Award–winning singer/songwriter Larry Gatlin. For more information, visit birdlandjazz.com



Tune in to That's So New York: Oscar® and the City at 10pm on NYC life during Oscar® Week. NYC life is broadcast on Channel 25. Check nyc.gov/media for local cable and satellite listings.



For more information, visit nycgo.com.



About NYC & Company: NYC & Company is the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide. For more information on visiting NYC, visit nycgo.com



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For press inquiries please contact Chris Heywood at 212.484.1270 or cheywood@nycgo.com.