Israel@60: A Capital Celebration to be Held on National Mall

Israel@60: A Capital Celebration to be Held on National Mall

Internationally-Acclaimed Singer-Song Writer Regina Spektor to Headline Event

Tony and Emmy Award-Winning Actor Mandy Patinkin to Emcee Free Community-Wide Festival

Sesame Street Muppets Oscar the Grouch and his Israeli cousin Moishe Oofnik to Participate

WASHINGTON, May 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Israel@60: A Capital Celebration will take place on Sunday, June, 1, 2008, from noon to 5:00 p.m. on the National Mall in the Nation's Capital. This free, community-wide celebration will feature internationally-acclaimed singer-songwriter Regina Spektor (who wrote and recorded a song in the new "Narnia" movie); Tony and Emmy award-winning actor on both the television and the stage, Mandy Patinkin, who will emcee the program; Sesame Street Muppets Oscar the Grouch and his Israeli cousin Moishe Oofnik; and the Israeli rock band Mashina. The event is sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, in partnership with the Embassy of Israel and other community organizations.

Regina Spektor, an emerging young Jewish artist whose music resonates among a diverse age group and wide variety of audiences, brings her personal sound and story to all of her performances. Spektor and her family emigrated from the former Soviet Union when she was a child and settled in the New York City area. Praised by such magazines as People Magazine, USA Today, Alternative Press, Spin, The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Blender, and many others, Spektor is one of those rare talents who manage to outrun the trends and force the rest of the world to keep up. Rolling Stone raves Spektor breathes as much heartbreaking meaning and inflection into individual syllables as most singers give entire words.

Since his Broadway debut in 1980, Mandy Patinkin has extensive credits on and off Broadway, including Evita (TONY AWARD), Sunday In The Park With George (TONY AWARD), Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Dress Casual, The Secret Garden, Enemy of the People (Williamstown Theater Festival), Henry IV, Part I, Winters Tale, The Knife, and Leave It to Beaver is Dead. He has appeared in over 20 films and has starred in numerous television shows, recently including Criminal Minds on CBS. Patinkin is also famously known for his role as Inigo Montoya, in The Princess Bride (1987), where he delivered the oft-quoted line: "Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

Spektor and Patinkin will be joined by other performers and entertainers, including acclaimed Israeli rock band Mashina and Sesame Street Muppets. Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington.

WHAT: National celebration of Israel's 60th birthday on National Mall

Multiple festival happenings, hands-on exhibits and activities for all ages: music, dance, theater performances, Israeli food, children's activities and family workshops.

WHO: Greater Washington celebration to include headline performer singer/songwriter Regina Spektor, actor Mandy Patinkin, Sesame Street Muppets Oscar the Grouch and his Israeli cousin Moishe Oofnik, Israeli rock band Mashina, and others. Free and open to the public.

WHEN: Sunday, June 1, 2008; 12:00 Noon-5:00 P.M.

WHERE: Israel@60: A Capital Celebration will take place on the National Mall, in front of The National Gallery of Art and The National Air and Space Museum, between Archives-Navy Memorial and L'Enfant Plaza metro stops. Parking is limited; take Metro.

For more information: http://www.shalomdc.org/

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington

CONTACT: Barbara Sherbill of the Jewish Federation of Greater
Washington, +1-301-523-2299; or Myra Clark-Siegel, +1-202-641-6220,
myra@rabinowitz-dorf.com, for the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington

Web Site: http://www.shalomdc.org/

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Profile: International Entertainment