“Sprawling, ambitious, innovative.”
- Vogue
PORT(AL) is an innovative choral theater experience that delves into the history of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, exploring its past as a bustling port and its evolution within the ever-changing tides of the city. Like a river carrying whispers of forgotten stories, the acclaimed Brooklyn Youth Chorus guides audiences through a confluence of song, movement, and immersive storytelling. Co-created by a team of renowned artists including Dianne Berkun Menaker, Paola Prestini, Jad Abumrad, and Jessica Grindstaff, PORT(AL) invites you to navigate the currents of time, where the echoes of history, the realities of the present, and the dreams of the future converge.
Port(al) premiered at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in May 2025 and was also presented at PS21 Center for Contemporary Performance in June 2025.
PORT(AL) is a unique exploration of the Brooklyn Navy Yard's legacy, transformed into a choral theater experience. The acclaimed, Grammy Award-winning Brooklyn Youth Chorus performs as a living chronicle, channeling the voices of history to guide audiences through a mesmerizing blend of music, motion, and narrative. The production captures the Yard's journey from a bustling port to its place in the city's ever-changing story.
This project was co-created by a team of renowned artists: acclaimed composer and Artistic Director of National Sawdust Paola Prestini; MacArthur "Genius Grant" recipient and creator of the beloved radio show Radiolab Jad Abumrad; and multi-hyphenate artist and co-founder of Phantom Limb Company, Jessica Grindstaff. Conceived by Brooklyn Youth Chorus's visionary Founder and Artistic Director, Dianne Berkun Menaker, PORT(AL) invites you to navigate the currents of time, where the echoes of history, the realities of the present, and the dreams of the future converge.
BROOKLYN YOUTH CHORUS
Dianne Berkun Menaker, Founder and Artistic Director
Music by Paola Prestini and Jad Abumrad
Libretto by Jad Abumrad and Jessica Grindstaff
Directed and Designed by Jessica Grindstaff
Co-Created by Dianne Berkun Menaker, Paola Prestini, Jad Abumrad, and Jessica Grindstaff
Conceived by Dianne Berkun Menaker
Commissioned by Brooklyn Youth Chorus in association with VisionIntoArt
Co-Produced by Brooklyn Youth Chorus, VisionIntoArt, and Pomegranate Arts
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Submerge yourself in the depths of history. PORT(AL), a mesmerizing new choral theater work by the GRAMMY Award-winning Brooklyn Youth Chorus, opens a channel to the past within the cavernous walls of the Brooklyn Navy Yard's Agger Fish Building.
The show premiered on May 1, 2025, and was also performed at the PS21 Center for Contemporary Performance in June, 2025.
This immersive experience, conceived by Dianne Berkun Menaker and co-created with Paola Prestini, Jad Abumrad, and Jessica Grindstaff, invites you to navigate the eddies and flows of time. Like a ship embarking on a voyage of discovery, you are swept away by the Chorus's voices, tracing the tributaries of stories that have shaped this iconic port.
Listen closely for the echoes of historical figures like historian Howard Zinn and drag king Rusty Brown; their legacies swirl like seafoam upon the waves of time. Confront the undercurrents of a turbulent past, where prison ships once cast long shadows upon the harbor and the whispers of forgotten lives ripple through the air.
But PORT(AL) is not merely anchored in the past; it charts a course towards the uncharted seas of the future. As the Chorus navigates the swells of anxiety and the tides of hope that define a generation on the cusp of transformation, their voices intertwine with the whispers of yesterday, creating a powerful wake that propels us forward. Step into the current, and let PORT(AL) carry you on a transformative journey where the boundaries between eras dissolve and the enduring power of the human spirit sets sail.
“To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives…The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.”
— Howard Zinn
Following its site-specific premiere at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Port(al) has proven itself to be a versatile and adaptable work with global touring capabilities. The production was specifically designed to be flexible, allowing it to be presented in a wide variety of contexts and venues.
For example, its presentation at PS21 in Chatham, NY, represented a significant shift from the industrial, immersive setting of the Navy Yard. This adaptability is key to the show’s touring potential, as it can be staged in traditional theaters, found spaces, or other unique locations, with the core elements of the choral performance and storytelling remaining central while the staging adapts to the new environment. This ability to translate the work’s power across different settings ensures that its impactful message about history, labor, and identity can reach diverse audiences worldwide.
If you’re interested in presenting Port(al) at your venue, please email us at the link below.
Touring and Global Context
Venue
PORT(AL) originally premiered at the Brooklyn Navy Yard's Agger Fish Building, an unrenovated warehouse whose wood plank floors and remaining fish hooks served as a direct inspiration for the project. The raw physical space and its long, complicated history were central to the show's debut, allowing designers to play with and against the venue's unique qualities. While conceived with the Navy Yard's setting in mind, the production is highly adaptable and can be staged in a variety of venues.
The show most recently demonstrated this flexibility with a performance at the PS21 Center for Contemporary Performance, a state-of-the-art facility whose modern architecture offered a completely new experience. This adaptability allows PORT(AL) to continue its journey, bringing its powerful themes and story to new audiences and spaces.perations to fish warehouse, with wood plank floors and fish hooks in place that evoke its long and complicated history.
Sponsors
Brooklyn Youth Chorus gratefully acknowledges the lead donors of Port(al), without whom this project would not be possible.
This project is made possible with the generous support of
CHARLES J. AND IRENE F. HAMM
THE DIAMONSTEIN-SPIELVOGEL FOUNDATION
MARC AGGER OF THE AGGER FISH BUILDING
THE ARTHUR F. AND ALICE E. ADAMS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
GARYGRAHAM422
The commissioning of Port(al) was made possible with major support from The Diamonstein-Spielvogel Youth and Contemporary Music Initiative.
The premiere of Port(al) is dedicated to the 60th Anniversary of the passage of the NYC landmarks law, the legislation that created the Landmarks Preservation commission and established the preservation law in New York City.
Additional Support Provided By:
Jacqueline and Joseph Aguanno
Henry and Karoly Gutman - In Memory of Grace and Bill Gutman
Special thanks to 5Ohm, Duggal Visual Solutions, PRG.
Port(al) was developed with the support of a residency at PS21 Center for Contemporary Performance in Chatham, NY.