Free Outdoor Screening of "Thriller" and "The Wiz", Plus "Live" Dance Retrospective As Part of The Citywalk ‘Summer Block Party’ Series
Universal CityWalk will become “Universal MoonWalk” for one night with Southern California’s largest outdoor public celebration of Michael Jackson’s life and music on Thursday, July 9, as part of CityWalk’s ongoing Summer Block Party free summer marathon of movies and music.
CityWalk’s tribute to the King of Pop will begin at 7:00 pm and will include screenings of “The Wiz” and “Michael Jackson’s Thriller, ” plus a “live” dance retrospective of Michael Jackson’s phenomenal musical history, from his days as the youngest sibling in The Jackson Five to his history-making solo career as the world’s most renowned pop music star. Admission is free.
CityWalk’s Summer Block Party provides seven-nights-a-week of non-stop entertainment, featuring top tribute band concert performances, the ever-popular outdoor movie night, swing dance lessons, star-making talent competitions and Latin entertainment nights. Summer Block Party continues through August 30.
In “The Wiz, ” an updated version of "The Wizard of Oz, " Dorothy gets whisked from her neighborhood to the mystical and nightmarish Land of Oz. Oscar®-winning director Sidney Lumet adapted the screen version of "The Wiz" from the smash Broadway musical which depicts Dorothy as a shy 24-year-old Harlem kindergarten teacher who is brought by a snowstorm to the mysterious Land of Oz, a sprawling, decaying and dangerous large U.S. city. "The Wiz" stars Diana Ross as Dorothy, Michael Jackson as Scarecrow, Nipsey Russell as Tinman, Lena Horne as Glinda the Good and Richard Pryor as The Wiz.
"Michael Jackson’s Thriller" is a ground-breaking 14-minute music video for the song of the same name, released in 1983 and directed by John Landis who co-wrote the screenplay with Jackson. In the video, Michael Jackson transforms into both a zombie and a "werecat" and performs dazzling dance sequences. In 2006, Guinness World Records listed it as the "most successful music video", citing sales over 9 million units.
More information on CityWalk’s “Summer Block Party” is available at www.CityWalkHollywood.com or by calling 818-622-1111.
Universal Studios Hollywood (www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com), The Entertainment Capital of L.A., includes a movie-based theme park and Studio Tour, the CityWalk entertainment, shopping and dining complex, the Universal Cinemas and the Gibson Amphitheatre concert and special event venue.
Universal Studios Hollywood is a unit of Universal Parks & Resorts, a division of NBC Universal. NBC Universal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May of 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi Universal.
Image: Courtesy Universal Home Entertainment – Michael Jackson as "Scarecrow" in The Wiz
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