Little Island has announced that an annual, four-month-long summer season of World Premieres, kicking off June 1, will feature a total of nine newly commissioned pieces. Little Island's new arts program moves towards the future with a commitment to a multi-year roster of original work, all commissioned by and developed at Little Island. Bookended by the premiere of choreographer Twyla Tharp's newest full-length piece, titled "How Long Blues," and a 90-minute remix of Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro" in which outré opera diva Anthony Roth Costanzo sings every leading role, the season will offer premieres of varying scales across all areas of performance – including music, dance, theater, opera, comedy, jazz, pop, and funk, all outdoors and directly sited on the Hudson River at 14th Street in New York City. The Amph, the park's 700-seat amphitheater, will house larger scale performances at a $25 ticket price, while The Glade, the park's 200-seat venue, will be home to more intimate works, all of which will be completely free to the public. In addition to Ms. Tharp's newest work, which marks her 60th year making dances and is a collaboration with T Bone Burnett and David Mansfield, the season will include: "Robeson," a new work created and performed by star bass baritone Davóne Tines, co-created and directed by Zack Winokur, about events in the life of Paul Robeson; "Open Throat" by Henry Hoke, a theatrical experience based on the novella of the same name about a queer mountain lion living beneath the Hollywood sign, directed by Caitlin Ryan O'Connell; "Day For Night," a dance by choreographer Pam Tanowitz that takes place before and after sunset and uses the cityscape as its score; Mama, an evening of all-new music about, and performed on, the water, written by Britton Smith, who performs alongside his funk liberation band, Britton & The Sting, with direction and choreography by Ebony Williams; "The Oyster Radio Hour," a live three-act radio show combining science, story and song with special guest appearances to tell the captivating story of oysters in the Hudson River – a collaboration between RR Sigel, podcast producer Ana González and composer Angélica Negrón and Mark Sonnenblick, in partnership with Yo-Yo Ma's Our Common Nature project; The Summer Legacy Ball, led by the stage and film costume designer and activist Qween Jean, and directed by a consortium of emerging young producers from across New York City; and "The Manhattan Variations," a musical memoir that revolves around the legendary Lower East Side cocktail bar Milk and Honey, performed by the virtuoso mandolinist and acclaimed composer, Chris Thile, created by Thile and Claire Coffee. The season concludes "The Marriage of Figaro," directed by Dustin Wills, with new arrangements by Dan Schlosberg, and costumes by Emily Bode, in which star countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo sings every leading role. For a full lineup of events and performers, please visit littleislandtickets.com. Press contact: DKC/O&M (212/695-7400)...