First Night St. Louis December 31, 2011

St. Louis’ largest, most creative New Year’s Eve celebration reaches mythical proportions for its 20th anniversary. From 6 p.m. to midnight, Dec. 31, First Night® - St. Louis brings the magic of this year’s theme “Xanadu” to Grand Center with music, dance, magic, comedy, activities for all ages and two fireworks displays to greet 2012. Attracting thousands of people from all over the region and even across the country, First Night® – St. Louis is an indoor/outdoor visual and performing arts festival on the streets and within more than a dozen venues in Grand Center, celebrating the coming of the New Year.
Drawing inspiration from the 1980 romantic-musical-fantasy film and now cult classic by the same name, “Xanadu” is loosely known as a mythical place that houses the nine muses in Greek Mythology, including art, literature, music, dance and more – perfect inspiration for First Night® - St. Louis. While the muses stay busy in Grand Center year-round in the theaters, art museums, art galleries, schools, churches, restaurants and seasonal events, on Dec. 31, First Night® revelers might catch a glimpse of these apparitions stirring up a little New Year’s Eve magic.
After the 6 p.m. opening ceremony on the Main Stage at Grand and Lindell, performances continue through the night with three performances by interactive comedy illusionist Joel Meyers and his progressive brand of magic.
Featured on the street, revelers will see the high-flying, international trampoline sensation and former America’s Got Talent contestant, Flippen’ Out. Presenting world-class athletes and extreme trampoline shows, this troupe has performed all over the globe for large-scale corporate, private and public events, major festivals and fairs, as well as professional sports organizations.
Inside the venues throughout the district, visitors can catch a wide variety of stage and interactive performances. Hypnotist Brian Imbus performs three shows at the Scottish Rite Auditorium. First Night® favorites return including the magic of Brent Lowenstein in Johnson Hall at Third Baptist Church and Improv comedy with Ed Reggi’s Paper Slip Theatre in the Grandel Theater.
As always, First Night® will also be offering a wide variety of live music including jazz, bluegrass, cabaret, Irish harp, rock, barbershop and native American flute, to name a few. A new venue this year is the Grand Center Arts Academy at 711 N. Grand Blvd., where performers from the Academy along with the Teen Talent Showcase (presented by the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation) will show off their talents. On the main level of the brand new building, GCAA parents, teachers and staff will host a First Night® coffee shop, a great place to step out of the cold and enjoy some hot chocolate, coffee, tea and other festive refreshments.
The ever-popular children’s activities – with make-and-take art projects, face-painting along with favorite storyteller Bobby Norfolk – return to Busch Student Center. The 3rd floor ballroom of the BSC will be turned into a dance showcase featuring performances by Ashleyliane Dance Company, MADCO, Metro Dance Company and more.
The Cadence, a dynamic, lively drumming group from Springfield, Mo., returns to First Night®, taking the Main Stage at 8:30 and 11:30 p.m. to lead the countdowns to both fireworks displays, the first at 9 p.m. for the young and young at heart, and the grand finale at midnight. This talented group first captured the national spotlight on America’s Got Talent in 2008.
Outside, visitors to First Night® – St. Louis will find more activity on the festival footprint, where the district will be enveloped with special effect lighting and lively street performers. In Strauss Park, located at Grand and Washington, visitors can make wishes for the New Year and burn regrets from the past. Wishes will take the shape of “cake sprinkles,” decorating a giant, artificial 20th birthday cake built just for First Night®.
In the hugely popular heated dance tent, located next to the park on Washington, people can move and groove to the tunes spun by DJ Chris Johnson. Or for a little spice, visitors can dance to Latin music in the Sheldon Concert Hall ballroom.
“The 20th anniversary of First Night® in St. Louis is turning into quite a party,” said Travis Howser, director of events and theaters at Grand Center, Inc. “There’s always so much to see and do, and this year is no exception. We hear over and over how much people enjoy celebrating New Year’s Eve in a safe, festive atmosphere, surrounded by thousands of their friends and neighbors. First Night® originated as an event for the community, by the community, and I think we’ve kept that spirit alive each year. And of course, people love the fireworks!”
Admission buttons to FIRST NIGHT® - St. Louis go on sale in December and are $5 for children and $10 for adults. Several area businesses have partnered with First Night® to offer buttons at a pre-event price of $4 for children and $8 for adults. The community partners include: all area Dierbergs, select Schnucks locations and new this year, a collection of independent book stores, record stores and coffee shops throughout St. Louis: Left Bank Books, Subterranean Books, Dunaway News, Euclid Records, Vintage Vinyl, Park Avenue Coffee, Pudd’nhead Books, The Book House, and Main Street Books in St. Charles. Children 5 and younger are free. For more program information, visit www.firstnightstl.org or www.grandcenter.org.
Grand Center is the major arts and entertainment district in the St. Louis region and is home to more than 30 arts organizations that demonstrate the depth and diversity of the city’s cultural life. The district hosts more than 1,500 cultural events each year and welcomes over 1.5 million visitors annually. Grand Center’s artistic renaissance began with the restoration of Powell Hall and the Fabulous Fox Theatre and continues today with the growing vitality of restaurants, retail, commercial and residential development. For more information about Grand Center and Grand Center Inc. visit grandcenter.org.