Chris Wangro
Event Production
Over the last 20 years, Christopher Wangro has made significant contributions to the art and production of live spectacles.
His credits include:
- Producer, "Imagine: Festival of Arts, Issues and Ideas," the largest political arts festival to ever take place in the United States
- Director City-Wide Special Events for NYC. Credits include three largest events to ever take place in Central Park: "Earth Day '90," "Paul Simon's Concert in the Park" and "Pavarotti's Concert In The Park"
- Founder and Director, Janus Circus [1]
- Producer, Presidents Summit for America's Future
- Producer, Papal youth rally April 2008
Wangro's ability to create innovative public spectacle was recognized by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation; in 1988 he was recruited to produce free public events in that city’s parks. In 1990, he became the City-Wide Director of Special Events, and is credited with reinstating "Mega-Events" to Central Park where he oversaw the three largest public events in that Park's history: "Earth Day '90," "Paul Simon's Concert in the Park, August 15, 1991" and "Pavarotti's Concert In The Park," among hundreds of other events each year.
In 1994, Wangro resigned his position at Parks to begin his own firm, Zaragunda Inc. Working under the banner of Zaragunda, he has operated as an independent producer across an uncommonly broad range of disciplines, spanning the fields of music, entertainment, marketing, arts & politics. The impressive number and vast scale of the projects he took on, and his infectious energetic approach to producing, gained him a reputation as a true New York City impresario. Ever the juggler, Wangro spent several years running Zaragunda while acting as Executive Producer and "Vice President of Fun and Profit" for The John Schreiber Group, a national events marketing firm responsible for hundreds of events, touring programs and annual festivals.
After years of producing for the commercial and public sector, Wangro began dedicating his time to the creation of public spectacle and events for social causes. In 2003, he teamed up with award winning theatrical designer Tal Yarden, to create NY, America: a hybrid not-for-profit organization that unites the arts world with the community of social justice organizations. NY, America's first effort, "The Imagine Festival of Arts, Issues and Ideas," coincided with the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City. With over 200 events in six days, "The Imagine Festival" was the largest political arts festival to ever take place in the United States and has served as a model for arts and political organizations throughout the country. Wangro received an Obie Award for Imagine and went on to create events for many more social justice organizations including UNAIDS, the United Federation of Teachers, Care for the Homeless and an anti-war concert called "Bring 'Em Home," which benefited Iraq Veterans Against the War and Veterans for Peace.
Wangro continues his work with Zaragunda, The Usual Suspects and NY, America while acting as a consultant and advisor to a number of marketing firms, arts and social justice organizations. Wangro is based in New York City, and Woodstock, New York.