A Theatrical Spectacle About Immigration at the Winter Garden

The audience moves with the "Harbored" performers in the Winter Garden. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

The Winter Garden at Brookfield Place came alive this past weekend with “Harbored,” a  multilayered and audience immersive theatrical spectacle featuring a melange of song, dance, spoken word and dramatic conversations about immigration.

From "Harbored," an En Garde Arts production, written and directed by Jimmy Maize, with music composed by Heather Christian and choreography by Wendy Seyb

With lyrics adapted from Walt Whitman and texts selected from Emma Lazarus and Willa Cather, “Harbored” also offered the public a chance to include their own family stories of immigration in one of the evening shows by stopping by, earlier in the day, to speak to the show’s writer and director, Jimmy Maize.

The show, which was performed from Thursday through Sunday, was part of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council's River to River Festival.

In a note to audiences about the Arts Brookfield commissioned work,” En Garde Arts founder and artistic director Anne Hamburger wrote:

“With the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island just a stone’s throw away and the new World Trade Center just across the street, the symbolism of this space brought home to me the foundational ideals upon which this country was built: a sanctuary for those fleeing from persecution, poverty and war and a land that held the promise of a better life. In a time when Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and fear of the 'other' is at an all time high, it seemed only fitting to take on the topic of how the American Dream has succeeded and failed in delivering on its promises.”