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Heidi Sutton

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By Heidi Sutton

Barnaby, Santa and Franklynne in a scene from the show.

This weekend the Village of Port Jefferson will celebrate its 23rd annual Charles Dickens Festival. Among the many events to attend this year will be Theatre Three’s production of “Barnaby Saves Christmas.” Written 15 years ago by Douglas Quattrock and Jeffrey Sanzel, the adorable musical, with its wonderful score and dance numbers, is the perfect way for families with young children to kick off the holiday season.

It’s Christmas Eve at the North Pole and Barnaby, the smallest elf in Elf School, is busy making a toy that Santa requested — a little stuffed bear with dark blue pants, buckles on his shoes and a bright yellow vest. When he realizes that Santa has left without it, he enlists the help of Franklynne, the littlest reindeer, to track down Santa and give the toy to him.

S.B. Dombulbury is up to his old tricks again!

During their adventures they meet Sarah and Andrew who teach them about Hanukkah and the Festival of Lights. They also bump into the sneaky S.B. Dombulbury and his henchperson Irma who are trying to ruin Christmas by stuffing all the chimneys with coal.

As director, Sanzel has assembled an outstanding cast to convey the story.

Eric Hughes returns for his third year as Barnaby, perfectly capturing his character as just wanting to fit in, and Michelle LaBozzetta tackles the role of Franklynne (It’s spelled with two n’s and a y — that makes it a girl’s name!) with just the right amount of spunkiness one would expect from a flying fawn. Andrew Lenahan is incredible in the dual role of Santa and Andrew, and Ginger Dalton is charming as both a slightly confused Mrs. Claus and Sarah.

Nicole Bianco and K.D. Guadagno play Crystal and Blizzard, two of Santa’s elves who are constantly hypnotized by S.B. Dombulbury to help him carry out his evil plan and at one point chase Barnaby and Franklynne through the audience like zombies in one of the funniest moments in the show. As a special treat, Jason Furnari, who originated the role of Barnaby, plays Sam the stressed-out head elf. However, it is the comedy tag team of Steven Uihlein as S.B. (spoiled brat) Dombulbury and Dana Bush as Irma that steal the show with their many antics. Their journey to redemption is heartfelt.

Santa’s elves, Barnaby, Sam, Blizzard and Crystal

The nine songs, accompanied by Quattrock on piano, are delightful, with special mention to “Miracles” and “Within Our Hearts.” The costumes, designed by Teresa Matteson and Toni St. John, are fun and festive as is the choreography by Bianco, and the special effects through the use of lighting is magical.

With the underlying message to “be the very best you can be,” “Barnaby Saves Christmas” is a beautiful story of hope, miracles and love. Don’t miss this one.

Souvenir elf and reindeer dolls will be available for purchase during intermission. Stay after the show for a photo with Santa Claus if you wish — the $5 fee goes to support the theater’s scholarship fund — and meet the rest of the cast in the lobby. Running time is one hour and 10 minutes with one intermission. Booster seats are available.

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson will present “Barnaby Saves Christmas” through Dec. 29. Children’s theater continues with “Jack & the Beanstalk” from Jan. 19 to Feb. 23. All seats are $10. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

All photos by Peter Lanscombe, Theatre Three Productions Inc.

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Lidl US and Best Market recently announced an agreement in which Lidl will acquire 27 Best Market stores in New York and New Jersey, including 24 on Long Island.

“Best Market has played an enormously positive role in the area, and we look forward to working closely with Best Market employees to build on that success,” said Johannes Fieber, CEO of Lidl US. “We are excited to expand into many great communities on Long Island and across the New York City area and introduce more customers to our simple and efficient approach to grocery shopping, which will mean high quality and huge savings for more shoppers.”

Best Market stores in our area include Selden, Commack, Lake Grove, Riverhead, East Patchogue, Huntington, Farmingdale and East Northport.

Lidl plans a step-by-step transition process that will begin next year and will involve the remodeling, reinvestment and reflagging of Best Market stores to converted Lidl stores. All Best Market employees in New Jersey and New York will have guaranteed employment opportunities with Lidl following the transition. Team members will be welcomed into positions with the Germany-based chain that offer wages and benefits that are equal to or better than what they earn with Best Market. The terms of the acquisition agreement are not disclosed, and it is expected to close over the coming months.

“Partnering with Lidl on this deal offers our employees a secure future with a growing grocer and continues the great tradition we started more than twenty years ago. We are delighted to be part of such a win-win and Best Market customers have something great to look forward to with Lidl,” said Aviv Raitses, co-owner of Best Market.

Compared to chains like Aldi and Trader Joe’s, Lidl stores have been proven to drive down prices for shoppers in areas where they open new stores. Earlier this year, a study from the University of North Carolina found that retailers in the immediate vicinity of Lidl stores dropped prices on individual products by as much as 55 percent on average in areas where Lidl operates.

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New York City Ballet’s Brittany Pollack and Daniel Ulbricht are this year’s special guests. Photo courtesy of New York Dance Theatre

New York Dance Theatre, under the direction of former New York City Ballet soloist Frank Ohman, will present its 37th season of “The Nutcracker” at Hofstra University, 1000 Hempstead Turnpike, Hempstead, on Saturday, Dec. 15 and Sunday, Dec. 16 with performances each day at noon and 5 p.m. 

Special guest artists Daniel Ulbricht and Brittany Pollack of New York City Ballet return to perform as the Sugarplum Fairy and her Cavalier.   

Over the years, Frank Ohman has created original dances and scenes that have been incorporated into the ballet, but as a former student and soloist under George Balanchine he is one of a select few authorized to use the original pas de deux choreography of his mentor. Ohman will continue his tradition of playing the role of the grandfather in the party scene that opens the ballet.

The role of Clara’s mysterious godfather Herr Drosselmeier will be played by former New York City Ballet soloist Robert Maiorano.   

With the elegant Christmas party scene, the drama of the magical growing Christmas Tree, the Battle of the Toy Soldiers and Giant Mice, the live Snow Storm and the brilliant dancing in the Land of the Sweets, “The Nutcracker” appeals to all ages.

In all, a cast of 80 children, preprofessional and professional dancers will bring this classic story ballet to life on the stage of the university’s John Cranford Adams Playhouse. The children’s roles are performed by students of the Frank Ohman School of Ballet in Commack, representing a variety of towns in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Tickets for this full production ballet are $42 adults, $32 seniors and children 12 and under. To order, visit  www.ohmanballet.org or call 631-462-0964. 

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Cast call

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson will hold open auditions for “The Miracle Worker” on Thursday, Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 2 at 10 a.m. All roles open. Readings will be from the script. Please bring picture/resume. Read-through will be held Feb. 28 with full rehearsals beginning on March 2. Performances will be held from April 6 to 28. For further information and full details, call 631-928-9202 or visit http:theatrethree.com/auditions.html.

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MEET IGGY!

This is Iggy, a two-year-old hound mix rescued from horrific conditions but now safe and sound at Kent Animal Shelter. Found tied to a dog house at an abandoned home, he was severely malnourished and brought to a crowded shelter. He arrived at Kent Animal Shelter on Nov. 16 and his tail has been wagging every since. Iggy is always happy to see people, has much love to give and wants nothing more than to be with a new family for the holidays. He comes neutered, microchipped and up to date on vaccines.

Kent Animal Shelter is located at 2259 River Road in Calverton. The adoption center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day. For more information on Iggy and other adoptable pets at Kent, call 631-727-5731 or visit www.kentanimalshelter.com.

Update: Iggy has been adopted!

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‘Yosemite Pine’ by Sungsook Setton

Art League of Long Island recently announced the winners of its 63rd annual Members’ Exhibition Part One, now on view at its Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery. The exhibit, which features 92 works of art, will be on view through Nov. 25. Part Two of the exhibit will be on view from Dec. 8 through Jan. 6.

Exhibition juror Stephanie Gress, director of curatorial affairs at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, selected four artists to receive Awards of Excellence including Old Bethpage’s Gerry Hirschstein for his oil painting titled “Mac’s Beachfront Dining”; Garden City’s Liz Masi for “Blue Beauty,” oil paint on linen canvas mounted on board; Lilian Masten of East Patchogue for her mixed media titled “Mapping the Road”; and Setauket’s Sungsook Setton for her ink and watercolor painting titled “Yosemite Pine.”

Gress also chose four Honorable Mentions including Dix Hills’ Joseph Peragallo for “Under the Williamsburg Bridge,” a digital image capture/archival pigment print; Pat Posillico of Melville for an oil painting titled “Caumsett Marsh”; Huntington’s Scott Schneider for his digital image capture titled “Spotted Fever”; and Janice Tozzo of Cold Spring Harbor for her glass sculpture titled “Iris and Bud.”

Gress will discuss her selections at a Gallery Talk on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019 at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

The Art League of Long Island is located at 107 Deer Park Road in Dix Hills. The Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery is open free of charge Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information and an update on holiday closings visit www.artleagueli.org or call 631-462-5400.

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By Heidi Sutton

The holiday season has arrived at the Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts, and while adults can enjoy a performance of “White Christmas,” younger audiences can go see Ken Ludwig’s “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” The adorable show runs through Dec. 30.

Directed by Christine Boehm, the play opens on a snowy Christmas Eve with Uncle Brierly (Tom Catt) reading Clement C. Moore’s classic poem, “Twas the Night Before Christmas” to the audience. He gets as far as, “Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse” only to be interrupted by Amos the mouse (Jae Hughes) who is in fact stirring, cookie dough that is, to make cookies for Santa in hopes that he’ll show up this year.

Turns out that Amos and his best human friend Emily (Lorelai Mucciolo) were left off the Naughty or Nice list last year by Santa and didn’t receive any presents.

As they lament over their misfortune, an elf named Calliope (Lisa Naso) arrives to investigate. Seems a lot of children were left off the list last year, and Calliope enlists the help of Emily and Amos to prevent this from happening again. With only a few hours left until Christmas Day, the three set off on an airplane to the North Pole on a quest to find this year’s Naughty and Nice list and to save Christmas. When they arrive at Santa’s workshop, they discover that a former elf, Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Catt), with the help of his sidekick Mulch (Anthony Panarello), sold the children’s Christmas list to retailers last year and plans to do it again this year. Can they be stopped in time?

Hilarity ensues with a chase scene through the audience, a surprise appearance from Amos’ brother (the incredible Hughes in a dual role), an exciting sword fight, a special visit by Santa and even a little snow in the theater at the end with the underlying message to make life an adventure.

With a running time of approximately one hour with a 15-minute intermission, this action-packed family-friendly show is the perfect first introduction to live theater. Booster seats are available. Meet the cast in the lobby after the show for a holiday photo.

The Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts, 2 East Main St., Smithtown will present Ken Ludwig’s “Twas the Night Before Christmas” through Dec. 30 followed by Disney’s “Aladdin Jr.” from Jan. 12 to Feb. 24. All seats are $15. For more information or to order, call 631-724-3700 or visit www.smithtownpac.org

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The Liverpool Shuffle, the popular Long Island Beatles tribute band, returns for its 10th performance at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum’s Charles and Helen Reichert Planetarium on Sunday, Dec. 9, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

The Liverpool Shuffle in their July 2018 ‘Sgt Pepper’ show in the Vanderbilt Mansion Courtyard. Photo by Evan Reinheimer.

The band performs and sings with infectious enthusiasm, high energy and an entertaining sense of humor that sets them apart from other tribute bands. People who attend their concerts agree — The Liverpool Shuffle really sounds like The Beatles.

Joe Refano, who formed the group in 2003, describes its act as “authentic, live Beatles music performed by professional Beatlemaniacs.” The four musician-singers are veterans of the New York music scene with a combined 125 years of experience. “The Beatles created the greatest popular music in history,” Refano said, “and we attempt to play it like they did.”

The band and the Vanderbilt encourage audience members and museum visitors to join them to collect food for the Long Island Cares Harry Chapin Food Bank. Collection bins will be located in the planetarium lobby.

Tickets are $20 for adults online at www.vanderbiltmuseum.org or $25 at the door. Children ages 5 to 15 pay $15 (online or at the door). Children under 5 are free. For more information, call 631-854-5579.

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The cast of 'A Christmas Carol' 2018
A scene from 'A Christmas Carol'
A scene from 'A Christmas Carol'
A scene from 'A Christmas Carol'
A scene from 'A Christmas Carol'
A scene from 'A Christmas Carol'
A scene from 'A Christmas Carol'
A scene from 'A Christmas Carol'
A scene from 'A Christmas Carol'

By Heidi Sutton

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, especially at Theatre Three in Port Jefferson. Beautifully decorated for the holidays, the historic theater is currently presenting its annual production of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” a community treasure that is celebrating its 35th season. 

Based on Charles Dickens’ 1843 novel of the same name, the story is a familiar one that needs to be retold often as a reminder to keep the spirit of Christmas in our hearts all year round. 

Adapted for the stage by Theatre Three’s Executive Artistic Director Jeffrey Sanzel, it tells the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge (Sanzel), a man who has allowed himself to succumb to the mighty dollar and lives in the world of business. When we meet Scrooge for the first time, he is a bitter and stingy and feared man who has a particular abhorrence for Christmas and charity. He considers the poor and needy to be lazy. “I cannot afford to make idle people merry,” he sneers.

It is only when he is visited by the ghost of his business partner Jacob Marley (Andrew Lenahan) on Christmas Eve that he is given a shot at redemption. Enveloped in the chains he has forged in life, Marley tells Scrooge he will be visited by three spirits — the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, who eventually help him discover the true meaning of Christmas and save his immortal soul.

With the Ghost of Christmas Past (Michelle LaBozzetta) we visit Scrooge as a young boy, left alone at boarding school for Christmas; as an apprentice at Fezziwig’s where he falls in love with Belle; and the exact point when he meets Marley (“and so it began”) and his life begins to unravel.

A “cheeky” Ghost of Christmas Present (Stephen Wangner) brings Scrooge to his clerk Bob Cratchit’s (Douglas Quattrock) home where he sees an ailing Tiny Tim and to his nephew Fred Halliwell’s (Steven Uihlein) home to understand how his late sister’s son feels about him.

Finally, the daunting Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (Steven Uihlein) shows Scrooge the shadows of what is yet to come, including his own death and how those around him are affected. The harrowing experience is exactly what the miser needs to turn his life around. 

The Victorian set and costumes designed by Randall Parsons, lighting by Robert W. Henderson Jr., musical direction by Brad Frey and the many special effects produce a beautifully executed well-oiled machine with powerful performances from the entire cast. 

Arrive a little early and be treated to a selection of Christmas carols by the actors in the lobby and stay afterward for a photo keepsake with Scrooge. The $5 fee goes to support the theater’s scholarship fund.

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson will present Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” through Dec. 29. Please note all evening shows begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 per person through November; $35 adults, $28 seniors and students in December. For more information or to order tickets, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

All photos by Brian Hoerger

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Photo courtesy of Kent Animal Shelter

MEET SHOTZY!

This gorgeous 4-year-old tabby is Shotzy, currently waiting at Kent Animal Shelter for her furever home. Sweet, playful and lovable, this little treasure would be the purrrfect addition to any family. Hurry down and meet her today! Shotzy comes spayed, microchipped, and up to date on vaccines.

Kent Animal Shelter is located at 2259 River Road in Calverton. The adoption center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day. For more information on Shotzy and other adoptable pets at Kent, call 631-727-5731.

Update: Shotzy has been adopted!

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