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Engeman Theater celebrates reopening with summer concert series

by Melissa Arnold - June 18, 2021

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Shades of Buble — Shades of Bublé, a three-man tribute to Michael Bublé, heads to the Engeman on July 25.

By Melissa Arnold

It’s been an agonizingly long year for lovers of the arts as the COVID-19 pandemic canceled concerts, closed galleries and darkened theaters everywhere.

At the John W. Engeman Theater in Northport, owners Richard T. Dolce and Kevin O’Neill have shouldered the burden of keeping the venue afloat and adapting to ever-changing safety guidelines.

“A part of running a business like this is being aware of risks where people wouldn’t be able to come to the theater,” said O’Neill, the theater’s managing director. “I’d been watching COVID spread since January of 2020, and I knew it was going to get ugly here. The last thing we wanted was to find out after the fact that one of our Saturday matinees ended up being one of those super-spreader events.”

Artistic director Richard T. Dolce recalled his last meeting with actors and the uncertainty they struggled with at the time.

Adam Pascal heads to the Engeman on Aug. 14

“We were in rehearsals for [a Main Stage production] in the city, and I went in on the 13th of March. The day before, Governor Cuomo had shut down Broadway. The show was ready to go on, and I said goodbye to the cast, saying we would take it day by day and see how it went. Not long after, we realized we weren’t going to reopen. It was difficult, because we had no idea what was going on.”

Of course, weeks turned into months of waiting. Fortunately, the theater was able to receive some financial support through federal small business relief loans. The community was eager to help as well.

“Everyone has been so incredibly kind and understanding, and we didn’t have a lot of refund requests — people wanted to continue to support us,” O’Neill said. “We’ve worked hard to build strong relationships with our patrons over the last 14 years, and it really felt like we were in it together.”

With the building unoccupied for the foreseeable future, it was also a good time to do some sprucing up. The Engeman now has a high-tech ventilation system that ionizes and purifies the air, a new stage deck, fresh carpets, new bar equipment and renovated bathrooms.

While the Main Stage productions have been postponed until September, the theater is ready to open again at full capacity for fully-vaccinated patrons on July 9 with a Summer Concert Series featuring a variety of musicians and other performing artists for one or two performances apiece. The series has a little something for everyone, from show tunes to crooners, folk rock and even comedy.

A few highlights include cabaret/jazz artist Carole J. Bufford honoring revolutionary women artists including Janis Joplin, Tina Turner, Carole King and Cher in “You Don’t Own Me: Fearless Females of the ‘60s and ‘70s” on July 10; Comedy Nights on July 15, July 24 and Aug. 26; “Shades of Bublé” will make you swoon with a three-man tribute to classic swing icon Michael Bublé on July 25; “Jersey Boys and Girls” will celebrate the best of the Garden State: Frank Sinatra, the Four Seasons, Bruce Springsteen, Whitney Houston and more on Aug. 5 and 6; “Adam Pascal: So Far” welcomes the Broadway veteran for songs and stories from more than 25 years onstage on Aug. 14; and “Rock ‘n’ Radio” will feature more than 80 years of chart-topping pop hits on Aug. 19.

The theater’s reopening is also a time for families with young children to rejoice, as children’s theater returns on July 24 to Aug. 29 with Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr. and teenagers can enjoy Heathers the Musical on July 31 and Aug. 1. Two sessions of Musical Theater Camp are also returning (July 5 to 30 and Aug. 2 to 27).

From the box office to the stage, the Engeman staff is beyond ready for the busy weekend crowds and the energetic crackle of a great performance.

“It feels wonderful to be back at the theater! Although as management we were working from home during the height of the pandemic and we all saw each other on our weekly Zoom meeting, there is something so special about being back together again. It feels like a kind of rebirth,” said box office manager Phyllis Molloy.

“The phone hasn’t stopped ringing since we opened the doors. Our patrons are excited that we are back and they are really looking forward to the [summer lineup]. They have wanted to chat and catch up,” said Molloy. “For me, it’s nice to be able to book them into upcoming performances and say ‘See you soon.’ I’m looking forward to the opening evening and seeing all their familiar faces back in the theater.”

The John W. Engeman Theater is located at 250 Main Street, Northport. For the full summer schedule and to purchase tickets, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com. Please note: As of press time, proof of COVID-19 vaccination will be required for all patrons 16 and older to enter.

Northport lacrosse doubles its pleasure

by TBR Staff - June 17, 2021

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Northport boys, girls win Suffolk County Titles at home on same day

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By Steven Zaitz

The Northport Tigers boys lacrosse team joined their female counterparts by winning the Suffolk County championship on Wednesday, June 16. They beat Ward Melville by a score of 8-6

Casey Fortunato, Mike Meyer and Dylan McNaughton all scored two goals apiece as the Tigers overcame an early three goal deficit. They will play Syosset on Saturday, July 19, in Bethpage for the Long Island High School Championship.

Earlier that same afternoon, the Northport Lady Tigers beat Smithtown East in a 9-8 thriller. Emma Demarco scored the winning goal with less than three minutes to go in the game. They will face the Nassau County champion Massapequa on Saturday as well.

D. None of the Above: So then these aliens land in my backyard and we start talking

by Daniel Dunaief - June 17, 2021

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By Daniel Dunaief

Aliens are all the rage these days.

People are excited about the declassified documents that seem to suggest a technology that exceeds American understanding and know-how.

Of course, one possible explanation is that other people built them. With billions of intelligent humans scattered around the planet, it’s possible that we have fallen a few steps behind the most advanced surveillance technology of the world, making these sudden flying objects that disappear an enormous mystery, even as our fellow humans elsewhere are snickering.

While that only feeds into the advanced state of American paranoia, it doesn’t preclude the possibility that these technological mysteries are human-generated. Then again, maybe someone has built a time machine and is tooling around in a craft from future humans. If that’s the case, why didn’t our descendants do more to fix historical tragedies, global warming or other human errors?

Another tantalizing option exists: what if they are, indeed, alien? What if advanced creatures from another planet, galaxy, solar system, or celestial neighborhood, have come into our airspace to spy on us, learn our secrets and decide whether to stick their appendages out at us so we can meet them and become acquaintances or allies?

I was thinking about what I might say to an alien scout gathering information to decide whether to bring all manner of other creatures to our planet to share a drink, catch a baseball game, and argue the merits of communism versus capitalism.

I imagine a conversation might go something like this:

Alien: So, tell me about yourself?

Me: Well, uh, I’m human.

Alien: What does that mean?

Me: I guess it means I can talk to you and that, unlike other animals on this planet, I have imagined what this conversation might be like for much of my life.

Alien: How do you know other creatures didn’t imagine it?

Me: Maybe they did, but they seem kind of busy trying to avoid getting eaten.

Alien: That doesn’t mean they couldn’t imagine it.

Me: I suppose. So, where are you from?

Alien: Somewhere else.

Me: Wow, helpful. Can you tell me about yourself?

Alien: Yes, but I made a long trip and I’d like to hear about you, first. Do you mind?

Me: Now that you put it that way, I wouldn’t want to be considered intergalactically rude. So, what else can I tell you?

Alien: What’s the best and worst part of humanity?

Me: It’s hard to come up with one of each. Our ability to help each other is near the top of the list. Oh, as is our ability to imagine something, like traveling to the moon or Mars, and then making it happen. Music and art are also pretty amazing.

Alien: What about the worst?

Me: Destruction? Hatred? Violence? Excluding people? Preying on people’s weaknesses? Using our trauma to traumatize other people?

Alien: You sound complicated. Can we trust you?

Me: We don’t trust each other, so, going by that, I’d say, caveat emptor.

Alien: What does that mean?

Me: It means, “let the buyer beware.”

Alien: Hmm. So, who is this near your leg?

Me: That’s the family dog.

Alien barks at the dog. The dog barks back. The alien nods.

Alien: We’ve decided to go in a different direction.

Me: Wait, where are you taking my dog?

Alien: He’s not yours, and he’s chosen to join us.

Me: Can I come?

Alien laughs and flies off, buzzing close by a jet, the sound of the family pet laugh-barking in the skies.

Between You and Me: Pressured into World War I by Gold Coast Long Islanders

by Leah Dunaief - June 17, 2021

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By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief

Most of my free time this past weekend I spent reading a little book, something of a page-turner, called “Long Island’s Gold Coast Elite and the Great War.” Doesn’t sound like a riveting read unless you like history and want to know more about what happened on the north shore of the Island from Sands Point to Port Jefferson, and its effect on the rest of the country during World War I.

Life here and in the northeast establishment was different then, epitomized by F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Gold Coast. It was a time of Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, a time of JP Morgan and William Vanderbilt, a time of high society that came from prep schools and Ivy League colleges, white-shoe law firms and Wall Street financiers. It was guardedly Anglo-Saxon and Protestant, in which members married each other and lived in over 1000 high-end, architecturally distinguished country homes that boasted large swaths of land and gardens. It featured a privileged existence that ended with the Great Depression, followed by the Second World War.

This highly influential concentration of those with money and power, though not so numerous in population, played an outsized role in nudging the country into WWI, and Richard F. Welch, the author of the well-researched book, tells us how. Why did the prominent residents want the nation to enter the war, and not just enter but to do so decidedly on the side of the Allies?

Welch offers the following reasons.

The first was money. Almost immediately after the outbreak of war, in 1914, JP Morgan & Sons was designated by Britain as the United Kingdom’s official agent for procurement in the United States. That meant exporting food, drugs and especially munitions to the U.K. The fact that Britain controlled the sea lanes provided practical encouragement. It got to the point where the bank’s activities interfered with the nation’s official policy of neutrality.

The Morgan bank also spearheaded funding for the Allied war effort that enabled purchases from the United States, despite the fact that the Wilson administration opposed loans for any of the belligerents. The bank evaded these sentiments by labeling loans as “bank credits.” And of course, the Morgan bank received commissions for these services that ultimately netted them $30 million. Wilson was stymied in his attempt at proposing a peace agreement that he calculated would bring the financially strapped Allies to the negotiating table. Only Germany’s unwitting launch of unrestricted submarine warfare on all supply ships, (some carrying passengers), which enflamed America, caused a reversal of the administration’s loans opposition.

Further, “there was an instinctive sense of class and ethnic solidarity—both inbred and learned—which affected virtually all the major players in the New York financial and business world and underlay the calculations in most government decisions,” writes Welch. Many of the men were descended from British stock, perhaps had British spouses and basically absorbed from the same syllabuses an “Eurocentric and assumed imperialism by the white western powers, domestically and internationally, as both normal and positive,” according to Welch. They socialized with each other, lived near each other, worked with each other and saw themselves as the country’s elite, strategically located at the heart of the nation’s economy.

And they saw America’s future, aligned with that of the U.K., as a burgeoning world power. This was certainly being proselytized by Teddy Roosevelt, Henry Cabot Lodge and those around them, “who envisioned America as the new global power—playing Rome to Britain’s Greece.”

And that was well before the phrase “special relationship” was hatched, “the belief that shared language, basic political principles and common international objectives bind the United States and Britain together.”

It’s a fascinating scenario that Welch puts forth, and not being a credentialed historian, I cannot comment on its validity. But I can attest to the social and cultural tone of Manhattan in the 1940s through ‘60s as being faithfully portrayed. It was indeed a different world, of which even as a child, I was aware.

Northport Tigers bite Smithtown West Bulls

by TBR Staff - June 15, 2021

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By Steven Zaitz

The Northport Tigers Boys Lacrosse team advanced to the Suffolk County Division I championship game with a hard-fought 9-6 win over Smithtown West this past Monday. They faced Ward Melville at Northport on Wednesday (results not available at press time). A win will give them a chance to take on the Nassau County Champion — Syosset or Farmingdale on June 19.

The Tigers were led by midfielders Tristan Triolo and Casey Fortunato both of whom had two goals, and got outstanding goaltending by Andrew Tittman, who recorded 15 saves on 21 shots. Troy Riley had two goals for the Bulls.

After Smithtown took a 2-1 lead midway through the first quarter, Northport exploded for three consecutive goals in a three-minute span to earn a 4-2 halftime lead.

“Our midfielders stepped up today,” Triolo said. “Against Smithtown East, our attackers scored most of the goals, but today it was the middies.”

Midfielder Jack Helrigel also chipped in with a goal, as did attackers Mike Meyer, Jim Atkinson, Ryan McCarthy and Drew Miller. Miller’s goal came midway through the fourth quarter and restored a two goal lead for Northport after the Bulls had two quick ones within a minute of each other, to cut the lead to one.

After Miller’s goal, Smithtown West asked the officials to check faceoff specialist Tyler Kuprianchik’s stick for illegal pocket depth — a rare challenge that turned out to be successful. The Bulls were awarded a two-minute man-up situation.

They failed to capitalize.

“That was a little disrespectful to the game, in my opinion,” Triolo said. “Tyler has been taking face-offs all game. Of course, his stick is going to be messed up. It didn’t really matter because they didn’t score anyway.”

Kuprianchik won 67% of his face-offs on the evening, providing precious extra possession time for the Tigers.

“Tyler was great, and Andrew (Tittman) was unbelievable in goal for us. He made all kinds of great saves,” Triolo said. “It was a great team win and now we get to play a home game for the County Championship. It’s crazy.”

The stakes get higher from here with county and Long Island Championship games in the offing, and with them, a new level of crazy.

Suffolk and Nassau honor transit workers lost to COVID-19

by Rita J. Egan - June 15, 2021

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On Saturday, June 12, elected officials from Suffolk and Nassau counties, along with union leaders, paid respect to local transportation workers who lost their lives to COVID-19.

Family members and friends of the 21 public transportation workers who succumbed to the virus were on hand for a dedication of a memorial garden to their loved ones on the east side of the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge.

The garden features a stone with all of the workers’ names and five American white dogwood trees donated by the Bridgehampton High School’s Future Farmers of America under the direction of Judiann Carmack-Fayyaz.

Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming (D-Noyac), who chairs the Legislature’s transportation working group, led the event.

The committee initiated the idea to salute the workers with the memorial. Fleming said with families not being able to properly mourn during the pandemic due to COVID-19 restrictions, it was important to take time out to remember the workers.

She said the concept of essential workers evolved over the past 15 months, from frontline workers such as police officers, firefighters and health professionals to educators, grocery store workers and more.

“Our public transportation workers ensured that each of these essential employees got to his or her workplace,” Fleming said. “Our bus drivers, and our train operators and our transportation workers literally kept our society moving and our economy afloat. We owe them a debt of gratitude that we cannot fully express.”

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) thanked labor leaders for working with the county during a difficult time.

“You have done so much to lead, to represent these essential workers and to work with us,” he said. It was “in an environment in which none of us had a playbook on how to deal with this, how to handle this.”

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran (D) said the families do not grieve alone.

“When people come and see these beautiful trees they’re going to ask questions, are going to want to know what happened here — why is this here?” she said. “People will know about your loved one’s sacrifice, and we’ll know about their lives. The fact that they were out there when so many other people were afraid, getting the doctors and nurses, getting the grocery store workers, getting home care workers to where they had to go. It was selfless work.”

Among the speakers were the Rev. Shaju Devassy, associate pastor of Church of St. Barnabas the Apostle in Bellmore; the Rev. Charles Coverdale, pastor of First Baptist Church of Riverhead; Debra Hagan, Transport Workers Union Local 252 president; Daniel Kane Jr., Teamsters Local 202 president; Anthony Simon, SMART Transportation Division general chairman; and Bill DeCarlo, national vice president/legislative director of Transportation Communications Union/IAM.

The Hauppauge High School Chamber Choir sang “A Parting Blessing” and “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and Lt. Sean Murtha of the Suffolk County Police Department Emerald Society Pipes and Drums played “Amazing Grace.”

Hagan said the workers left their homes every day knowing the risks they were taking, trying their best to protect themselves with masks, hand sanitizer and keeping their distance from others.

“They made that sacrifice, because the communities needed them to get on those buses and do their job,” she said. “It’s so important that we never forget that every morning they got up, and they left their home, kissed their loved ones goodbye. And unfortunately for many, sacrificed the ultimate sacrifice of contracting COVID and leaving us on this Earth. We’re not going to forget. Each and every one of your family members holds a very special part in our hearts. Their co-workers are never going to forget the camaraderie.”

Greenlawn Park Playground renovation to Include solar cell phone charging stations

by Press Release - June 15, 2021

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Rendering of the renovated Greenlawn Park playground.

Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci announced the start to construction of improvements to the playground at the Town’s regional Greenlawn Park starting Thursday, June 10 with expected completion by Labor Day.

“We are excited to see these playground improvements realized at Greenlawn Park, one of our most popular regional parks, which will provide a complement to its popular skate park and athletic fields,” said Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci, whose administration worked closely with the Greenlawn Civic Association to develop plans for the new playground.

Greenlawn Park (Tri-Village) Playground, at the corner of Pulaski Road and Broadway-Greenlawn Road in Greenlawn, will be closed starting June 10, 2021 to undergo substantial improvements, including:

new playground equipment;
a new concrete walkway;
a new picnic area with a gazebo;
new landscape plantings;
new fences – perimeter and interior; and
solar cell phone/table charging stations.
The total cost is expected to be approximately $468,000 and the project is anticipated to be completed by Labor Day.

Representatives of the Greenlawn Civic Association requested the playground improvements, working with Town staff in the Departments of Engineering, Parks and Recreation, and Planning and Environment as well as the Town’s EOSPA Committee to develop a playground plan that reflects the community’s needs.

The Town Board designated up to $525,000 in EOSPA-recommended Environmental Open Space and Park Improvement Funding for the project in January 2020. The project was bid in January 2021, the Town received 12 bids, and the Town Board awarded the construction contract to the lowest responsible bidder, Greenlawn-based Turf Tek USA in February 2021.

National Grid Foundation partners with Vanderbilt Planetarium to offer astronomy education to high-needs schools

by Press Release - June 14, 2021

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unnamed-2 — Reichert Planetarium educator Erin Bennett teaches astronomy via Zoom. Vanderbilt photo

The National Grid Foundation (NGF) – a longtime partner of the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum and its STEM programs – has been essential to the Museum’s outreach efforts to high-needs schools on Long Island.

For nine years, NGF support has enabled the Vanderbilt Reichert Planetarium to take its highly regarded astronomy and science education programs into under-served schools – free of charge – and to serve more than 25,000 students.

The current 2020-2021 school year marks the third year in a row that NGF has supported the Exploring the Universe: Traveling Astronomy Program, taught by educators from the Museum’s Charles and Helen Reichert Planetarium. Normally, they teach on-site in schools. This year, however, the educators traveled to schools virtually, live via Zoom. During the current school year, 1,685 students in more than 60 classes participated.

Dave Bush, director of the Reichert Planetarium, said, “We are happy to extend our professional expertise in the field of astronomy education to schools that would not otherwise be able to visit the Reichert Planetarium. Our goal is to provide quality programming that sparks curiosity, wonder, and excitement. Students who partake in our presentations are afforded highly engaging visuals and activities that leave lasting impressions.”

Exploring the Universe (ETU), developed and presented live by highly trained Vanderbilt science educators, immerses students in grades K-8 in an engaging astronomy course. An exciting multimedia presentation primes students to learn and inspires them to consider a variety of astronomy topics. ETU offers two live virtual programs, Space Adventure to the Moon and Exploring the Solar System.

Exploring the Universe is designed to offer educational experiences beyond the walls of the Vanderbilt Reichert Planetarium. Educators provide materials to help students learn and explore in greater detail the topics taught in the classroom. The program serves the communities and schools of Nassau and Suffolk counties to provide exciting learning experiences about the world of astronomy.

For more information, visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

Huntington Historical Society offers Summer Fun programs for kids

by Press Release - June 14, 2021

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2021 SUMMER FUN PROGRAMS

Children ages 7 to 12 are invited to join the Huntington Historical Society this summer as they bring history to life during these two hour fun programs.

These programs will be held in lieu of the society’s usual two-week Passport to the Past Summer Camp.
Cost: $30 Members, $35 Non-Members per child per program.
For the safety of all, children and instructors will be required to wear masks for the duration of the programs.
Advance registration is required by visiting www.huntingtonhistoricalsociety.org. For more information, call 631-427-7045, ext. 404.

Tour of Old Burying Ground
Wednesday, July 7, 9am-11am
Wednesday, August 4, 9am-11am
Take a tour of the Old Burying Ground and learn some amazing facts about Huntington history. You will have a chance to tour The Soldier’s and Sailor’s Building with Toby Kissam and create your own watercolor work of art.
Meet in the front of The Soldier’s and Sailor’s Building at 228 Main Street in Huntington.

Medicine in the 18th Century
Wednesday, July 14, 9am-11am
Wednesday, August 11, 9am-11am
Did you ever wonder how doctors treated patients in the 18th century? Learn what medicines and procedures were used, we promise you will be surprised! Take a tour of The Daniel Kissam House, plant your own medicinal herbs and take home an herbal tea.
Meet at the Daniel Kissam House 434 Park Ave. in Huntington.Become a Street Sleuth
Thursday, July 22, 10am-12pm
Take a tour of Huntington with the town historian, Robert Hughes, and learn some of the interesting history of the town. Take a closer look at some of the more prominent buildings in town, and see Huntington in a whole new way. Street Sleuth Guide included.
Meet in front of the Soldier’s and Sailor’s Building at 228 Main Street in Huntington.

Felting
Wednesday, July 28, 9am-11am
Wednesday, August 18, 9am-11am
Did you ever wonder how the colonists turned wool into fabric that was used for clothing and blankets. Using real wool, and a really fun process, you will make a piece of felt. Learn how the colonists made dyes using natural materials. No experience needed!
Meet at the David Conklin Barn at 2 High Street in Huntington.

Weaving Workshops
Friday, August 6th
Ages 7-11: 9am-11am
Ages 12-14: 1pm-3pm
Learn to weave on a table loom. At the end of class, you will have a piece of fabric to bring home! Meet at the David Conklin Barn at 2 High Street in Huntington.

Editorial: Andy vs. Lee in the mask game

by TBR Staff - June 14, 2021

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mask 4, kimberly brown — Parents gathered at an ‘Unmask Our Kids’ rally last week in Hauppauge. Photo by Kim Brown

The last week has been really confusing surrounding children wearing masks in schools and during recess.

With under three weeks left of classes, parents across Long Island have been rallying outside the county offices, demanding that Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) ends the mask mandates for little ones.

But it became political, fast.

We agree: Masks are annoying, and we can only imagine how it’s impacting children in schools emotionally and physically. The weather has been hot — field days and outdoor sports have been starting back up in high and humid temperatures. But public health is still a top priority. It should not be political.

And while U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY1) and Andrew Giuliani (R) held the same exact rally, in the same exact spot just a week apart, something must have worked because Cuomo announced a change in the state mandate two days after Zeldin’s gathering.

But then that changed because the state Department of Health said it isn’t time for kids to be maskless inside yet — outside they can.

Parents were confused, upset — and rightfully so. Districts had to send out letters every other day updating what was allowed and what was not allowed.

We’re all very tired. We want this to end. What we don’t want, though, is for things to happen prematurely. Is it better for the kids to spend the next few days with a mask on and then its summer break? Remember only people over 12 can be vaccinated, leaving many students in schools unvaccinated either because of age or their family’s choice.

In this case we think patience is a virtue. It’s not completely over yet. Be safe and be smart.

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