Grand Reopening Celebration
Featuring Angélique Kidjo

Thank you to everyone who joined the celebration!

The Flynn reopened it’s doors on Saturday, October 23 for a Grand Reopening Celebration. This event marked the first time the theater has been open to the public since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The evening featured a headline performance by the magnificent Afro-pop superstar Angélique Kidjo, whose genre-defying, high-energy performance enthralled the crowd. The night also included a beautiful gala reception; an opening performance by Flynn Creative Chair Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR), Flynn teaching artist Ferene Paris Meyer, and Nicole Nelson & the Resistance Revival Chorus VT; and an after party hosted by DJ Chia. 

Because of the generosity of ticket-buyers, we were able to gift free tickets for more than 50% of the seats in the theater to the community. Thanks to everyone who came out to be a part of this special event. The love for the the Flynn and the arts resonated all throughout the theater. And now, we look forward to an exciting season ahead!

About

Four-time Grammy-winner Angélique Kidjo is a creative force and one of the greatest artists in international music today. Recently named one of Time magazine’s "100 Most Influential People in the World," her striking voice, stage presence, and fluency in multiple cultures and languages have earned her acclaim all around the world. Kidjo has cross-pollinated the West African traditions of her childhood in Benin with elements of American R&B, funk, and jazz, as well as influences from Europe and Latin America. She has spent a lifetime laying the groundwork for the ascendance of African sounds and voices on the international stage. Ms. Kidjo’s new album, Mother Nature, is a tour de force collaborative project with some of the continent’s hottest stars. With this new project, she bridges the groundbreaking music of her career with the fiery, thrilling styles of a new generation of artists that she influenced.

Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) is a prolific and endlessly collaborative composer, performer, educator, and social entrepreneur. “About as omnivorous as a contemporary artist gets” (New York Times), DBR has worked with artists from Philip Glass to Bill T. Jones to Lady Gaga; appeared on NPR, American Idol, and ESPN; and has collaborated with the Sydney Opera House and the City of Burlington, Vermont.

As the owner of All Heart Inspirations, Ferene Paris Meyer creates heart-centered spaces through workshops, community engagements, culinary art, and more! Through storytelling, she aspires to make a collective difference within our local community and beyond one story at a time. 

Nicole Nelson (of Dwight & Nicole) founded the Vermont chapter of the Resistance Revival Chorus in 2019 in response to persistent police brutality and ongoing racial injustices. The gospel collective unites many talented, passionate BIPOC singers from the area.