First Official Entertainment Event Held at Ford Field

DETROIT, May 23 Ford Motor Company and Ford Field announced today the details of the first official entertainment event to be held at Ford Field. Impact at Ford Field, which will take place Thursday, Sept. 5, will be an electrifying entertainment extravaganza that will benefit a local Detroit charity, The Children's Center.

"Our goal is to create an affordable entertainment event that showcases the city of Detroit, introduces its newest venue and provides financial support for an outstanding charity," said Bill Ford, chairman and CEO of Ford Motor Company and co-chair, along with his wife Lisa, of The Children's Center's capital campaign. "It's a great opportunity to have fun and to support our community and our children."

Guests participating in Impact at Ford Field will experience an entertainment event like no other. The red carpet Hollywood-style arrival of 2,000 VIP guests at 5:30 p.m. will be the first of many exciting elements that evening. VIPs will be greeted by photographers and flashing lights on the red carpet before taking a stroll into Marquee Alley, reminiscent of the nightlife in Detroit from the '30s, '40s and '50s. Upon reaching the Paradise Lounge, an area generating a sophisticated atmosphere created especially for this evening, VIP guests will enjoy a private reception featuring local musical entertainment, hors d'oeuvres and refreshments. The Paradise Lounge will also feature a live and silent auction to benefit The Children's Center.

Following the reception, VIPs will be escorted to the field for a five- course meal catered by Levy Foods, the official food service company of Ford Field. VIP tickets start at $500 per person.

At 8 p.m., the general admission audience will be admitted to the stadium foyer and warehouse areas. A total of 15,000 general admission tickets, at $25 per person, will go on sale in mid-June.

Together, VIP patrons and general admission audience members will experience a 90-minute program, which begins at 9 p.m., and features some of the most brilliant voices in America, 24 dancers, a 20-piece orchestra and a 150-voice community gospel choir under the direction of Reverend Edger L. Vann of Second Ebenezer Church in Detroit. A huge stage, 60 feet wide and 40 feet tall, will be the centerpiece on the field with giant video screens adding to the action.

"This is one of the most exciting events we have ever created and produced," said Dick Taylor, CEO and executive producer of Showcase Productions and Impact at Ford Field. "This event is not a concert, but it will feature continuous, contemporary music, amazing special effects, wild lighting and talent beyond belief. It's a fitting complement to the true star of the evening -- Ford Field."

Performers already set to appear in Impact at Ford Field include singer Catte Adams, currently touring with Natalie Cole; Deborah Gibson, international recording star; Sam Harris, Tony nominated performer discovered on TV's Star Search, who performed on Broadway in Jesus Christ Superstar and Cabaret; Dorian Harewood, an NAACP Image award recipient for I'll Fly Away, who's appeared in the films Glitter and Roots; Hugh Panaro, who starred on Broadway in Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera, and Billy Porter, who opens for Rosie O'Donnell and Aretha Franklin, and starred in Miss Saigon and the Dreamgirls concert album. Other major talents are expected to be announced soon.

To make this a community entertainment experience, Taylor and his production team will also cast two singers from the Detroit area to be featured in the show along with the Los Angeles and New York-based cast. Twelve of the 24 dancers will also come from a casting call in Detroit, as well as a search for 130 children to be included in the big finale. Open auditions for the show will be held July 15-16 at Martin Luther King High School in Detroit. More details will be released soon.

"Impact at Ford Field will be an amazing experience for everyone from the general admission audience to the VIPs, and even the performers themselves. It will be a night never to be forgotten," said Taylor. "We're proud to be a part of this great fund raising benefit for The Children's Center."

The Children's Center, located at 79 W. Alexandrine in Detroit, was established in 1929 by U.S. Senator James Couzens as one of the nation's first child-guidance clinics. Today, it is one of the largest child-serving agencies in Michigan, addressing the needs of more than 7,000 children and families annually through 28 inter-related programs.