The Great Fredini’s Heavy Metal

Posted inThe Daily Heller
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By Steven HellerPosted  ∙  2 min. read

The Coney Island USA Annual Spring Gala, a magical evening of spectacle and fantasy in support of the not-for-profit arts organization, will this year honor Fred Kahl, aka the Great Fredini.

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Photo: George Koury

He has been an active part of the fabric of Coney Island for over 30 years. A veteran of the Coney Island Circus Sideshow, founder and executive producer of New York’s longest-running burlesque series, Burlesque at the Beach, he is an artist, magician, sword swallower and technological visionary. Creator of Coney Island’s long-running off off off Broadway, public access TV cult hit, America’s Favorite Burlesque Gameshow—This or That!, Fred’s recent projects include the Scan-A-Rama 3D Portrait Studio and the world’s largest desktop 3D printed art installation, Thompson & Dundy’s Luna Park:3D Printed, currently on view in the Coney Island Museum. This special evening of magic and mayhem will feature signature performances by superstars of the Burlesque and Sideshow movements, as well as go-go dancers and live music. Food and an open bar are included.

Coney Island USA is the engine of fun that brings New York City the famous Mermaid Parade, The Coney Island Museum, Coney Island Circus Sideshow, Burlesque at the Beach, Coney Island Film Festival and other beloved programming. All proceeds from the CIUSA Spring Gala go directly toward funding these distinctive arts programs.

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“Our Annual Spring Gala is the most fun you can legally have while still supporting the arts, and this year’s event is not to be missed!” exclaimed Dick D. Zigun, founder of Coney Island USA. “We’re a lean organization and rely on this to help fund fantastic events like The Mermaid Parade. We’re dedicated to preserving Coney Island’s historic wonder while expanding its contemporary arts cultural development.”

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Photo: Laure Leber

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Posted inThe Daily Heller

Steven Heller has written for PRINT since the 1980s. He is co-chair of SVA MFA Designer as Entrepreneur. The author, co-author and editor of over 200 books on design and popular culture, Heller is also the recipient of the Smithsonian Institution National Design Award for "Design Mind," the AIGA Medal for Lifetime Achievement and other honors. He was a senior art director at The New York Times for 33 years and a writer of obituaries and book review columnist for the newspaper, as well. His memoir, Growing Up Underground (Princeton Architectural Press) was published in 2022. Some of his recent essays are collected in For the Love of Design (Allworth Press).

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