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Just in time for winter break, Theatre Three presents 'Dorothy's Adventures in Oz' through March 26. Photo by Peter Lanscombe, Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
Programs

Family Drop In Day at the LIM

The Long Island Museum, 1200Route 25A, Stony Brook welcomes families for Winter Break Fun in the Carriage Museum on Thursday, Feb. 24 from noon to 3 p.m. Step back in time and explore their world class carriage collection. You’ll see amazing vehicles that show you what the world was like before cars. Docents will be onsite to share information, hands-on objects, and activities. All ages are welcome and admission is free. Visit www.longislandmuseum.org.

Snow Globe Family Workshop

Celebrate the wonder of arctic whales with a Snow Globe Family Workshop at the Whaling Museum, 301 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor on Feb. 24. Drop in any time from 1 to 3 p.m. and use clay, glitter, and other materials to design and create a wintry whale scene inside of a shimmering snow globe. Recommended for ages 5 and over. Fee is admission plus $10 per participant. Call 367-3418 for more information.

Slimy Science

Enjoy February break at Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery, 1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor with Slimy Science on Feb. 25 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Learn why slime is important to animals while making your own gooey slime! This is an outdoor event. Admission is $7 adults, $6 seniors, $5 children ages 3 to 12. Call 516-692-6768.

Deer Detectives

Caleb Smith State Park Preserve, 581 W. Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown presents a family program, Deer Detectives, on Feb. 26 from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Where have all the deer gone? Expand your deer knowledge indoors as you explore the ways of the white-tailed deer and become deer detectives outdoors by  searching for clues the deer have left behind. $4 per person. Advance registration required by calling 265-1054.

Owl Pellet Dissection

Join the staff at Sunken Meadow State Park, Route 25A and Sunken Meadow Parkway, Kings Park for an Owl Pellet Dissection indoor family program on Feb. 27 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Owls are unique among the bird world! Discover more about this amazing raptor and, using dissection tools, explore the diet of this nocturnal hunter. Appropriate for children ages 8 and up. Advance registration required by visiting Eventbrite.com. Questions? Call 581-1072.

Scrimshaw Detectives

Calling private investigators! For the month of March, the Whaling Museum, 301 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor presents Scrimshaw Detectives! Spy around the museum and look for clues to uncover secret meanings hidden in scrimshaw art. When you complete your tasks, design and etch your own scrimshaw box to take home. For ages 5 and up. Admission plus $10 per participant. 

Theater

Disney’s ‘Frozen Jr.’

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents Disney’s Frozen Jr. Saturdays at 11 a.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. from Feb. 13 to March 13. When faced with danger, princesses Anna and Elsa discover their hidden potential and the powerful bond of sisterhood. This enchanting musical features all of the memorable songs from the hit Disney film and will thaw even the coldest heart! Tickets are $20. To order, call 261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.

A Royal Princess Party 

Come one, come all to a Royal Princess Party at the Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E. Main St., Smithtown from Feb. 19 to 26 with performances daily at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Join Royal Historians as they guide you through meeting each of the princesses, teaching the morals behind each of their stories and singing along to their favorite songs. Be sure to wear your best princess attire — the special surprises and magical touches make this show a royal treat! Tickets are $16 per person. To order, visit www.smithtownpac.org.

‘Dorothy’s Adventures in Oz’

Just in time for Winter Break, Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson presents the world premiere of Dorothy’s Adventures in Oz from Feb. 23 to March 26. Dorothy Gale is whisked away by a tornado to that magical land that lies just Over the Rainbow. Follow Dorothy and her friends the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion as they encounter challenges and celebrate friendship. This new take on a classic tale features an original score, memorable characters, and fun for the entire family. Dorothy’s Adventures in Oz is a delightful reminder that “there’s no place like home!” All seats are $10. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

Visit www.tbrnewsmedia.com for a list of Winter Break Camps.

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'The Snowbaby'

By Melissa Arnold

Author Jonny Hamilton

Jonny Hamilton of Greenlawn has a gift for visual arts and creative work. After becoming a father and reading one too many poorly-written children’s books, he decided to try writing his own. Hamilton’s second book, The Snowbaby, follows a just born snow-pal as he explores the world for the first time. The simple story and sweet characters are enhanced by Hamilton’s captivating and textured illustrations. The book was a hit with his own children, and will surely capture the eyes and imaginations of little ones during this especially snowy winter.

Do you write for a living, or is this a new undertaking for you? 

For the past 15 years, I’ve worked as the creative lead for an advertising network, but I’m an animator at heart. I went to school for digital media production and found myself drawn to the graphic design side of things. I started working professionally in Portland right out of school in a few boutique production and animation studios with some truly inspiring talent. On a personal trip to NYC, I decided on a whim to send my reel around. I ended up getting a job offer and moved east two weeks later. 

Writing is a relatively new undertaking — I drew comics for my friends in grade school and wrote absurd short stories in high school (very much inspired by Monty Python sketches and Steve Martin’s short stories), but I never really thought of myself as a writer. I suppose I sort of backed into it more as an illustrator looking for a story.

Did you read a lot when you were younger? What books inspired you? 

I didn’t read a lot as a kid. I was and still am a slow reader, so it’s hard to make time.  I do have very fond memories of the books of my childhood that are probably standard for my generation. Eric Carle, Maurice Sendak, and Arnold Lobel really resonated with me both visually and from a storytelling standpoint. And now that I have kids, I’ve become a big fan of Mo Willems, Adam Rubin & Daniel Salmieri, and Dav Pilkey. 

What inspired you to start writing?

I’ve always been interested in creating children’s media in general. I grew up with Sesame Street, the Muppets, Mister Rogers, etc. I had a deep love for all that stuff, and was a fan well past the age when most kids outgrew it. As an adult I did some freelance work making animated educational shorts for preschoolers and enjoyed it so much I started making some on my own.  

When I became a parent, I was exposed to this whole world of children’s books. The thing is, for every great book you get your kids, you somehow also end up with three terrible books. So after a few years, I thought, ‘I should give writing a kids’ book a try.’

My twin sons were 5 and our youngest was around 1, so we had a new baby around. The twins loved anything that had to do with babies, so I thought that was fertile ground to start with. I wrote my first book, What Babies Do at Night, and then The Snowbaby, and gave them to the twins as Christmas gifts. 

My kids loved the books, partly because they recognized themselves as the characters, but mostly because I nailed their favorite subject. It was the reaction from other family members that got me to publish. Everyone seemed genuinely impressed if not surprised that it was actually a decent little book.

What is the ‘The Snowbaby’ about?

The Snowbaby is the story of a curious and good-natured newborn exploring an entirely new world. He is fascinated by everyone he meets including a fox, rabbit and cardinal, and eventually finds just what he needs: his family. 

How long did it take to write?

My first book took almost three months, and I really struggled to get through it. I think I was trying too hard to get everything in, as if it were the only book I would ever write. With The Snowbaby I allowed it to be much simpler. I started with the illustrations, and the story just emerged.  

Tell us more about the illustrations. 

Each of my books has a different illustrative style, but I’ve received the most positive feedback about the artwork in The Snowbaby. I’m a huge fan of the background artwork in the Peanuts animated holiday specials, so that’s where I started with The Snowbaby. I used watercolor washes throughout to create an atmosphere of winter and then added bright splashes of color here and there with the cardinal, fox, etc. 

Did you publish in the traditional way, or did you self-publish? What company did you choose and why? 

I spent about a year sending out query letters for The Snowbaby, and my latest book The Annual Elf. As expected, I received many “Thank you, but …” responses. I finally decided to google “Self-Publishing Children’s Books” and I found a great video that showed how to do it “in 10 minutes” on Amazon through Kindle Direct Publishing.

Well, it took quite a bit longer than 10 minutes, but it wasn’t too difficult. There are pros and cons of publishing through this service. There are limited options for sizing, so I had to rework the layout. The color in the printing varies from batch to batch, and paperback is the only option for a book as short as The Snowbaby. The biggest benefit is you don’t have to order a bunch of copies. You just make it available, and they print them as needed per individual order.  

Is there a particular message or lesson you hope to share through this book?

I hope they experience a feeling of love and kindness that everyone deserves.

What is the target age for this book?

From ages 2 to 7 seems to be the sweet spot. One of my sons brought it into his kindergarten class and the class sent me a poster where every student drew their favorite scenes. It was an incredibly touching gift (Thanks, Mrs. Gutheil)!

Jonny Hamilton’s books are available for purchase at www.amazon.com/author/jonnyhamilton. View an animated version of The Snowbaby by searching for “Jonny Hamilton The Snowbaby” on YouTube, and keep up with Hamilton on Instagram @jonny_hamilton_author.

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Taylor Ackley and Alison Rowe head to The Jazz Loft for an acoustic concert on Feb. 26.

Don’t like big crowds? Who does these days? Then the Jazz Loft’s Acoustic in the Main Room series is your ticket to paradise. This jazz music series showcases small duos/trios in the Loft’s main performance room with plenty of space. 

“Our Acoustic in the Main Room series is a unique opportunity to hear some of the most talented singers and musicians that perform regularly at the Loft in a relaxed setting, with plenty of room to socially-distance,” said Jazz Loft founder Tom Manuel. “If you don’t know any Jazz performers personally to invite into your own living room, then this is the next best thing.”

Upcoming performances include:

Brazilian guitarist and songwriter Rubens De La Corte, Brazilian singer and actress Corina Sabbas and guitarist Steve Salerno will perform Brazilian, jazz and fusion standards on Feb. 25.

Taylor Ackley, multi stringed instrumentalist and vocalist and cellist and vocalist, Alison Rowe perform in the genres of blue grass, folk, Western swing and Old Time music on Feb. 26.

All performances will also include the talents of Tom Manuel on cornet and Steve Salerno on guitar.

The Acoustic Series is limited to only 40 guests. All events start at 7 p.m., and feature two sets with a brief intermission. Events are paired with local regional wines which are available for sale. Tickets for all performances are $40 and start at 7 p.m. and can be purchased at www.thejazzloft.org.

The Jazz Loft is located at 275 Christian Avenue in Stony Brook. For more information, call 631-751-1895.

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HOLLYWOOD LEGENDS Celebrate St. James kicks off its Classic Film Series with a screening of ‘That’s Entertainment’ celebrating MGM’s 50th anniversary on Feb. 27 at 1 p.m.
Ongoing

Winter break at the Vanderbilt 

During the February school break, Monday to Friday, February 21 to 25, the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum and Reichert Planetarium, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport will be open every day from noon to 4 p.m. (and Sunday as always) for exploring galleries, guided Mansion tours, and shows. The Planetarium also will be offering shows on Friday and Saturday, February 25 and 26, from 7:30 to 10 p.m. The gift shop and café will be open and visitors can purchase sandwiches, salads, and snacks prepared by the renowned Copenhagen Bakery and Café in Northport. Guests may purchase tickets for guided tours of the Vanderbilt Mansion and for two recently premiered Planetarium shows: Exoplanets: Discovering New Worlds and Explore. And parents can sign up their children for fun, creative workshops. For more information, please visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org or call 854-5579.

Thursday, February 24

‘Emergence’ art reception

Gallery North, 90 North Country Road, Setauket invites the community to an opening reception for Emergence: Gerald Monroe, a memorial retrospective of abstract painter Gerald Monroe from 6 to 8 p.m. For more information, call 751-2676.

Vanderbilt lecture

Join the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport for a lecture by Elyse Graham in the Charles and Helen Reichert Planetarium at 7 p.m. Graham, who writes under the pen name E.J. White, is the author of You Talkin’ to Me?: The Unruly History of New York English, will explore how commonplace words like “boss,” “dollar,” “tycoon,” and “rush hour” got started in the thriving metropolis of New York City and eventually became part of our shared vernacular. Fee is $10 per person. Register at www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

Native American Drumming

All Souls Church Parish House, 10 Mill Pond Road, Stony Brook will host a Native American Drumming Meditation program from 7 to 8:45 p.m. Led by elder drummer, Ric Statler, drumming meditation seeks to integrate the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual parts of the human self, creating a state of well-being. Please call 631-655-7798 for more information.

Atelier online workshop

The Atelier at Flowerfield in St. James will present a free online demonstration titled Spring Tulips via Zoom from 7 to 9 p.m. Instructor and certified botanical artist Liz Fusco will demonstrate how to paint a beautiful tulip in watercolor from start to finish. To register, visit www.theatelieratflowerfield.org or call 250-9009.

Friday, February 25

Long Island Spring Home Show

Suffolk County Community College Sports & Exhibition Complex, Crooked Hill Road, Brentwood hosts the Long Island Spring Home Show today from 4 to 8 p.m., Feb. 26 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Feb. 27 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event is designed for homeowners who are in all stages of remodeling, landscaping and decorating their homes with home improvement and remodeling exhibits with product demonstrations and sample interior and exterior vignettes in a fun, interactive environment. Admission is free with online registration (www.lihomeshows-sc.com) or $10 at the door. Call 516-624-1097 for further information.

Poets in Port

First Presbyterian Church, 330 Main St., Northport hosts a Poets in Port event in the Joshua Hartt Room at 7:30 p.m. Featured poet will be Emmy Sue Sloane, an award-winning poet from Huntington Station. An open reading will follow. The event will also be held on Zoom. Free. For further information, visit www.northportarts.org.

An evening of opera

Live opera returns to Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts Recital Hall, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook at 8 p.m. Arthur Haas conducts the Stony Brook Baroque Ensemble in a production of John Blow’s Venus and Adonis. Sung in the original English with projected titles. The show will also be held on Feb. 27 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $10. To purchase, visit www.stallercenter.com or call 632-2787.

Friday Night Face-Off

Friday Night Face Off, Long Island’s longest running Improv Comedy Show, returns to Theatre Three’s Second Stage, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson tonight at 10:30 p.m. Using audience suggestions, FNFO pits two teams of improvisers against each other in an all-out championship! Recommended for ages16 and up, due to adult content. Tickets are $15 at the door only. Call 928-9100 for more information.

Saturday, February 26

Long Island Spring Home Show

See Feb 25 listing.

Turning Back Thyme

Hallockville Museum Farm, 6038 Sound Ave., Riverhead presents Turning Back Thyme: A Taste of Hallockville from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Begin your morning in the Old Homestead and explore 19th-century cooking techniques with culinary historian and local preservationist Diane Schwindt. This is a hands-on cooking class utilizing an historic wood-burning stove. Participants will have the opportunity to prepare homemade sausage and other cold-weather delicacies. $65 per person. To register, visit www.hallockville.org.

Composers meet Whitman

Walt Whitman Historic Birthplace State Historic Site, 246 Old Walt Whitman Road, Huntington Station presents Composers Meet Whitman from 7 to 8:30 p.m. via Zoom. The virtual discussion will feature the works of composer, writer, and filmmaker Daron Hagen, who discusses works by a variety of composers based on Whitman’s verse; Filmmaker H. Paul Moon, and WWBA Music Collection Archivist George Mallis join the conversation. Suggested $5 donation. To register, visit www.waltwhitman.org.

Sunday, February 27

Long Island Spring Home Show

See Feb 25 listing.

Huntington Winter Farmers Market

Get your farm fix in the off-season at the Huntington Winter Farmers Market every Sunday through March 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Located behind the senior center at 423 Park Ave., Huntington, visitors will find items ranging from hydroponic greens to artisan breads and vegan treats and everything in between. Call 944-2661.

Psychic Fair and Gift/Craft Show

The Radisson Hotel, 110 Vanderbilt Motor Parkway, Hauppauge will host a Psychic Fair and Gift/Craft Show from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 18 psychics will be available to give you a positive and uplifting reading. Choose from among mediums, clairvoyants, Tarot and Angel Card readers, palm readers and others. Personal one-on-one readings are $40 for 15 minutes or $70 for 30 minutes. There will also be free hourly door prizes as well an array of vendors offering unique items that you won’t find anywhere else. Free admission. Visit www.islandwidepsychicfairs.com.

Port Jeff Winter Farmers Market 

The Port Jefferson Winter Farmers Market will be held every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Port Jefferson Village Center, 101-A E. Broadway, Port Jefferson through April 25. This year’s vendors include Brownies N’ Stuff, Joann’s Desserts, Farm Fresh Potions, Mello Munch Awesome Granola, O Honey Bee Farm, Sweet Melissa Dip, Mr. B’s Hot Sauce, Speedy Kiwi Bakery, Knot of this World Pretzels, Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery, Spilt Milk Macarons and many more. For more information, call 802-2160.

Monday, February 28

Alternative Medicine

Comsewogue Public Library, 170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station presents an in-person program, Alternative Medicine: CBD & Chiropractic, at 7 p.m. Get the facts about hemp-sourced cannabidiol and how it can complement chiropractic care from Your CBD Store Port Jefferson Station and Corrective Chiropractic. Registration is required by calling 928-1212.

Virtual Movie Trivia Night

Do you know a lot about movies? Well here’s your chance to prove it! Join the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington for a virtual Movie Trivia Night at 8 p.m. Hosted by Dan French, the winning team will get up to four CAC Gift Cards (1 per team member) and bragging rights. Tickets are $10 per team, $7 members. Visit www.cinemaartscentre.org to register. Questions? Email [email protected].

Tuesday, February 1

Daughtry in concert

Daughtry “The Beloved Tour” heads to The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington today at 7 p.m. (rescheduled from Nov. 17) with special guests Tremonti and Lyell. For tickets, visit www.paramountny.com.

Wednesday, February 2

No events listed for this day.

Thursday, February 3

Suffrage exhibit opens

The Port Jefferson Village Center, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson celebrates Women’s History Month with an exhibit on the second floor titled Celebrating Women’s Suffrage and the Timeless Connection of Nan Guzzetta. The exhibit opens today and runs through March 31 daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The community is invited to a reception on March 6 from 2 to 4 p.m. See story in the issue of March 3. For more information, call 473-4778.

Vanderbilt lecture

Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport will present an evening lecture titled Necessary Ingredients: Astronomy and Life’s Origins at the Charles and Helen Reichert Planetarium at 7 p.m. Dr. Tom Rice will explore one of astronomy’s most pressing issues—how the ingredients necessary for life, nitrogen and carbon, become part of terrestrial worlds like the Earth during planet formation. A stargazing event will follow the lecture, weather permitting. Tickets are $15, $5 members. To register, visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

An evening of jazz

The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook presents a concert by the Jazz Loft Big Band at 7 p.m. The 17-member band led by Jazz Loft founder Tom Manuel performs jazz standards

and original compositions and arrangements written by band members. Tickets are $30 adults, $25 seniors, $20 students, $15 children, children under 5 free at www.thejazzloft.org.

Film

‘That’s Entertainment’

Celebrate St. James kicks off its Classic Film Series with a screening of “That’s Entertainment” (1974) at the St. James Community Cultural Arts Center, 176 2nd. St., St. James on Feb. 27 at 1 p.m. MGM’s stars present their favorite musical moments from the studio’s 50 year history. Hosted by Jack Ader. Refreshments will be served. $20 donation, $15 seniors. To register, call 984-0201 or visit www.celebratestjames.org.

‘Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen’ 

The Port Jefferson Documentary Series kicks off its 2022 Spring season with a screening of “Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen” at Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson on Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. Narrated by Jeff Goldblum, the documentary draws on behind-the-scenes footage and never-before-seen stills, capturing the experience of making Fiddler on the Roof. Followed by a Q&A with director Daniel Rain via Zoom. Tickets are $10 at the door. Visit www.portjeffdocumentaryseries.com for more information. See story on page B13.

Theater

‘Punk Rock Girl!’

The Argyle Theatre, 34 West Main St., Babylon kicks off the new year with the world premiere of PUNK ROCK GIRL! from Jan. 20 to Feb. 27. With book and arrangements by Tony-nominated Long Island composer Joe Iconis, arrangements and orchestrations by Rob Rokicki and directed and choreographed by Jennifer Werner, the new musical features a score of popular songs written and made famous by female artists and female-fronted bands including Blondie, Pat Benatar, Avril Lavigne, Joan Jett, P!nk, Gwen Stefani, and more. Tickets range from $49 to $77 and may be purchased online at www.argyletheatre.com or by calling 230-3500.

‘Rock of Ages’

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents Rock of Ages from Jan. 27 to March 13. The five-time Tony Award®-nominated Broadway musical smash tells the story of a small-town girl, a city boy, and a rock ‘n’ roll romance on the Sunset Strip. But when the bar where rock reigns supreme is set to be demolished, it’s up to these wannabe rockers and their band of friends to save the day — and the music. Rock of Ages’ electric score features all your favorite ’80s rock anthems and power ballads, including “Every Rose has its Thorn,” “I Wanna Know What Love is,” Here I Go Again,” “Don’t Stop Believin’,” and more! Tickets range from $75 to $80 with free valet parking. To order, call 261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com. 

‘The Marvelous Wonderettes’

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson presents The Marvelous Wonderettes from Feb. 19 to March 26. This blast-from-the-past musical takes you to the 1958 Springfield High School prom, where we meet Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Missy, and Suzy, four girls with hopes and dreams as big as their crinoline skirts! Featuring over two dozen classic ’50’s and ’60’s hits including “Lollipop,” “Dream Lover,” “Wedding Bell Blues,” and “Son of a Preacher Man.” Tickets are $35 adults, $28 seniors and students, $20 children ages 5 and older. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com. See review on page B9.

‘The Diary of Anne Frank’

Star Playhouse at the Suffolk Y JCCC, 74 Hauppauge Road, Commack presents The Diary of Anne Frank on March 12 and 19 at 8 p.m. and March 13 and 20 at 2 p.m. In this transcendently powerful adaptation, Anne Frank emerges from history a living, lyrical, intensely gifted young girl, who confronts her rapidly changing life and the increasing horror of her time with astonishing honesty, wit, and determination. Tickets are $25 adults, $20 seniors and students. To order, call 462-9800, ext. 136 or visit www.starplayhouse.com.

Festival of One-Act Plays

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson presents the 23rd annual Festival of One-Act Plays, featuring the world premiere of six new works, at The Ronald F. Peierls Theatre, on the Second Stage from Feb. 27 to April. 2. Featuring Steve Ayle, Antoine Jones, Tamralynn Dorsa, Brittany Lacey, Steven Uihlein, Steve Wangner, Bradlee Bing, Sari Feldman, Eric J. Hughes, and Evan Teich. Adult content and language. Parental discretion is advised. Tickets are $20. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

* All numbers are in (631) area code unless otherwise noted.

 

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A scene from 'The Marvelous Wonderettes'. Photo by Brian Hoerger/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'The Marvelous Wonderettes'. Photo by Brian Hoerger/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'The Marvelous Wonderettes'. Photo by Brian Hoerger/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'The Marvelous Wonderettes'. Photo by Brian Hoerger/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'The Marvelous Wonderettes'. Photo by Brian Hoerger/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'The Marvelous Wonderettes'. Photo by Brian Hoerger/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'The Marvelous Wonderettes'. Photo by Brian Hoerger/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'The Marvelous Wonderettes'. Photo by Brian Hoerger/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'The Marvelous Wonderettes'. Photo by Brian Hoerger/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'The Marvelous Wonderettes'. Photo by Brian Hoerger/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'The Marvelous Wonderettes'. Photo by Brian Hoerger/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.

By Barbara Anne Kirshner

Do you have close-knit forever friends applauding your successes as well as offering encouragement during challenging times? If your answer is yes, then you are truly lucky to have such treasures in your life. The Marvelous Wonderettes, a feel good musical romp back to the 50’s and 60’s now playing at Theatre Three, follows four such friends as they navigate life’s often unpredictable twists and turns together.

Playwright Roger Bean was approached by the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre to write a small-scale musical for their black box space. With constrictions such as little room backstage, Bean wrote the one-act version of The Marvelous Wonderettes produced in 1999. He got the inspiration for the musical from a conversation with his mother about when she was a high school song leader and part of a singing trio. Bean also credits his mother for instilling in him a love of 50’s and 60’s music. 

That Milwaukee production was so successful that the theatre revived it in 2001, this time as a full-scale two-act musical. Then came the Los Angeles production in 2006 followed by a smash Off-Broadway run in 2008 with an Off-Broadway revival in 2016.

It’s prom night, 1958, at Springfield High School and song leaders, Betty Jean (Cassidy Rose O’Brien), Cindy-Lou (Noelle McLeer), Missy (Kate Keating) and Suzy (Ashley Brooke) in frilly crinoline dresses, wrist corsages and teased up hair burst onstage delivering a bouncy rendition of “Mr. Sandman” followed by “Lollipop” and segue into “Sugartime.” When Cindy-Lou steals the microphone and belts out Betty Jean’s signature song “Alleghany Moon,” slapstick antics of trying to upstage each other ensue thus highlighting their competitive natures and the hilarious tone of the show.

The girls explain to the crowd that they are last minute stand-ins for the evening’s entertainment. It seems the boys’ glee club lost the gig after lead singer Billy Ray Patton was suspended for smoking behind the girls locker room. They go on to announce the theme for this year’s prom, “Marvelous Dreams,” and break into a rapturous “All I Have to Do Is Dream” followed by “Dream Lover.”

Each girl in this ensemble is as unique as the individual colors they wear with Betty Jean and her all-American looks in lime green, the bespectacled and comedic Missy in orange, ditzy gum chewer Suzy in blue and self-centered Cindy-Lou in pink.

A nice choice of playwright Bean was to set Act II ten years later reuniting the girls at their 1968 class reunion. This act is brimming with pop 60’s tunes. The crinoline has now been replaced by flowing robes trimmed with feathers, knee high white go-go boots and hoop earrings. A lot has changed for each girl, but they come together once more in harmony realizing they have a bond that stands the test of time.

All four of these actresses deliver powerhouse performances with dynamic acting, rich voices and lithe dancing. Keating’s Missy is passionate as she reveals her crush in “Secret Love” and then gives a standout version of “Mr. Lee” replete with impressive, sustained notes that receive spirited applause from the audience. 

Brooke’s Suzy punctuates Act I with an exuberant “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me” and then delivers an intense “Maybe I Know” in Act Two. O’Brien’s Betty Jean explodes in a heart-wrenching “You Don’t Own Me” followed by “That’s When the Tears Start” and McLeer’s Cindy-Lou sends chills in “Son of a Preacher Man” into “Leader of the Pack.”

It must be noted there is some humorous audience participation that puts the crowd right in the center of all the action.

Linda May’s direction keeps the festivities lively. She has created an ensemble that holds on to the audience from their first effervescent entrance until their final bow. Sari Feldman’s stylized choreography is reminiscent of the best girl groups of that era. Costumes by Ronald Green III are a cornucopia of colors and fabrics. Green’s attention to detail accentuates the 50’s and 60’s flavor of the show.

The band under the musical direction of Cesar Flores is built into the backdrop so they are onstage for the entire show keeping the energy high. Tim Haggerty’s sound design infuses exhilaration to each number.

Scenic design by Randall Parsons offers a buoyancy even before the show begins with a pink backdrop and sparkling fringe bordering the band shell. Lighting design by Robert W. Henderson, Jr. generates vibrancy to songs like “Lollipop” and “Wedding Bell Blues” as well as mood lighting with “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me” and “That’s When the Tears Start.” The disco ball swirling blue spots around the theater is a nice touch to close Act I. Heather Rose Kuhn’s properties joins in the fun with giant lollipops, a hanging crescent moon and bubbles.

Theatre Three’s The Marvelous Wonderettes is such a fast-paced delight that at the end you can’t believe it’s over already. See it with your best friends — you’ll be glad you did!

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson presents The Marvelous Wonderettes through March 26. Tickets are $35 adults, $28 seniors and students, $20 children ages 5 and up. For more information or to order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com. 

 

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Photo by Veronica Sayers/Sweetbriar Nature Center

Calling all photographers! Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown hosts a program titled Up-Close for Photos — Birds of Prey on Saturday, Feb. 26 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Take photos of birds of prey on natural perches and on the glove. You may bring tripods and any photo equipment you’d like. Learn about the center’s raptors while you’re photographing, and meet a special visitor that doesn’t live at the center. $25 per person. To register, visit www.sweetbriarnc.org or call 631-979-6344.

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Christopher Vakoc. Photo from CSHL

By Daniel Dunaief

Diseases like cancer take the normal raw materials of a cell and make them a part of a pernicious process that often threatens a person’s health.

Ideally, when researchers find the raw materials cancers need to survive, they discover specific proteins that are necessary for cancer, but aren’t critical for healthy cells.

That appears to have happened recently in the lab of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Professor Chris Vakoc in the study of the blood disease Acute Myeloid Leukemia, or AML.

Vakoc’s former graduate student Sofya Polyanskaya, who now works in a pharmaceutical company in Germany, discovered the importance of an understudied protein called SCP4, which removes phosphate groups from other proteins, in some forms of AML. This protein acts as an enzyme, which makes it a particularly appealing target.

In his lab, Vakoc said he and his researchers take “genes and the proteins they encode and [try to] publish the first paper linking them to cancer,” Vakoc said.

Polyanskaya and Vakoc recently published their findings in the journal Cell Reports.

These scientists disabled proteins in a host of diverse cancer types, looking for dependencies that were unique to each cancer. After determining that SCP4 was only needed in leukemia and not other cancers, they inactivated the protein in normal, healthy blood cells and found that it wasn’t needed.

“Leukemia cells are super sensitive to the loss of this enzyme,” Vakoc said.

Vakoc praised the work of Polyanskaya, who he said conducted the “inspiring work” that led to this conclusion. “It’s not easy for a brand new scientist entering the field to write the first cancer paper on a target.”

Polyanskaya surveyed hundreds of these enzymes to find a potential new protein that cancer, specifically, might need. The CRISPR technology, which didn’t exist nine years ago, provides a way of altering a large number of potential enzymes to find the ones that are critical for cancer’s survival.

Ideally, this kind of analysis enables researchers like Polyanskaya and Vakoc to focus in on the ones that are critical to cancer, but that don’t perform any important function in normal cells.

One of the other benefits of this work is that it validates the importance of targets that have become the focus of other research projects.

“Part of what we’re doing is making sure that our processes more broadly in the field are robust,” Vakoc said. “We are more confident in other targets we didn’t discover” but that play a role in the progression of leukemia.

To be sure, the discovery of the SCP4 target is the first step in a series of questions that may require considerable time and resources to ensure a reliable and safe clinical benefit.

As with many cancers, leukemia may have the equivalent of a back up plan, in case this seemingly important enzyme is unavailable. Indeed, the battle against cancer and other diseases involves moves and counter moves by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and the diseases they battle.

Additionally, researchers like Vakoc need to discover the reason cells produce this enzyme in the first place. Mice lacking SCP4 are born, but develop metabolic stress after birth.

“The important experiment in the future will be to determine what the consequences of targeting SCP4 are in normal tissue much later after birth,” Vakoc explained in an email.

Like other cancers, leukemia is a heterogeneous disease, which is another way of saying that not everyone with the disease has the same symptoms and prognosis and not everyone would respond to the same treatment in the same way.

Vakoc would like to figure out for “which subset of patients with leukemia is this protein the most important. Down the road, that could help determine who might benefit from an SCP4 inhibitor.

“We want to personalize therapy as much as possible,” he said.

In his follow up research, Vakoc hopes to learn more about the three-dimensional structure of the protein complex.

Vakoc’s interest in leukemia stems from his interest in studying blood. When he conducted his PhD training at the University of Pennsylvania, he studied normal blood development.

He was particularly interested in pediatric cancer. While AML is on of the cancers that children can develop, it is far more common in elderly people.

The lab has a strong focus on leukemia.

Vakoc, whose lab is next door to CSHL Cancer Center Director David Tuveson, has also starting searching for potential therapeutic targets in pancreatic cancer.

He is excited about the potential to bring attention to a possible candidate that may provide a therapeutic benefit for patients at some point.

“It feels good to put a new target on the map,” he said.

The CSHL scientist recognizes that cancer can and often does develop resistance to a treatment that tackles any one enzyme or protein. Still, he said treating cancer with any new and effective therapy could extend life by several months, which are often “very valuable to patients.”

Vakoc suggested that any potential new treatment for leukemia would likely involve several drugs working together to stay ahead of cancer.

“The real hope and optimism is that, if you had a copule of targets like this that are not needed in healthy cells, you could add 10 or 20 years of high quality life. You could keep the disease in a chronic, latent state.”

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Pixabay photo

By Michael E. Russell

Michael E. Russell

As I sit here on Sunday morning pondering what I would recommend to readers, I find myself in a quandary.

Ukraine is in the forefront of the news, while Canadian truckers are being arrested and having their bank accounts taken due to their opposition to Trudeau and his position on masking and vaccinations.

Is it time to put money to work during these uneasy times? Emotionally an investor could think not. History says otherwise.

Once again, the reader only has to look back in time and realize that sound investment decisions can be made at any juncture. 1929, 1952, 1987, 2001, 2002, 2008. These dates were extremely stressful to the investor. Sell, hold or buy? DECISIONS, DECISIONS!

Today, it is more of the same. Companies that we have mentioned are still financially strong with solid balance sheets. Yet, they are being punished by this market! Do we sell shares in these companies while earnings are robust?

Is 5G now a passing fancy? Not so.

Increasing interest rates will bolster the balance sheets of many Money Center and Regional banks. It is fair to say that even though the ten-year treasury is now yielding 2%, our checking and savings accounts are still yielding close to 0%! Thus, bank earnings and balance sheets are stronger than ever.

I believe that based on past history, investors should think about adding or starting a position in some great companies. Dollar cost averaging is a smart way to start or increase your positions. Emotion should not play a part in selling a stock. 

Banks need to watch their loan portfolios and manage the risk as to their non-performing loans.

We are all aware of the supply chain problems thus effecting the costs of goods and services.

With all of this in mind, we need to remember a basic tenet; try to have enough liquidity to cover 6 months of household and business expenses. It is especially important now to monitor your debt load due to higher interest rates.

Let us look at some stocks that have been mentioned before. Qualcomm is certainly a quality investment at these levels, even during this volatile market period. It is reasonably priced with a P.E. ratio of 14x forward earnings with a solid dividend. Morgan Stanley is another sound investment idea. The company is buying back $3 billion in stock each quarter while paying a 3% dividend. 

Still a favorite is Nvidia. This company has exceeded even the highest expectations of forward guidance for earnings. A great CEO, Jensen Huang, has Nvidia positioned to take advantage in the growth of 5G. For those suffering from cabin fever, look at Disney. Increase pricing power and high occupancy rates at their theme parks suggest good earnings growth.

In closing, let us hope the people of Ukraine will be safe. By the time this article is published we will probably know if Russia has decided to invade.

Be safe and stay healthy. 

Michael E. Russell retired after 40 years working for various Wall Street firms. All recommendations being made here are not guaranteed and may incur a loss of principal. The opinions and investment recommendations expressed in the column are the author’s own. TBR News Media does not endorse any specific investment advice and urges investors to consult with their financial advisor. 

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Stock photo

The Kraft Heinz Co., the third-largest food and beverage company in North America, has agreed to set a goal to reduce total virgin plastic use following the filing of a shareholder proposal and engagement with As You Sow. 

The proposal asked Kraft Heinz to report on how the company would reduce plastic packaging, including planned reduction strategies or goals, materials redesign, substitution, or reductions in use of virgin plastic.

The company intends to set a substantial virgin plastic packaging reduction goal later this year or in the first quarter of 2023, the company informed As You Sow in a statement. In response, As You Sow agreed to withdraw its shareholder proposal. Kraft Heinz’s commitment continues a steady stream of major U.S. brands and retailers who have agreed to cut virgin plastic use after interaction with As You Sow. 

Kraft Heinz said it would “continue to drive towards its packaging goals and support of a circular economy through a variety of initiatives and investments, including reduction of virgin plastic material, packaging redesign, increased use of recycled content, and continued exploration and scaling of reuse models.”

“We were pleased to reach this agreement with Kraft Heinz that involves a substantial virgin plastic reduction goal for packaging including consideration of packaging redesign and innovative reuse models,” said Conrad MacKerron, senior vice president at As You Sow. “We have similar pending proposals at Amazon, McDonald’s, and Kroger and hope that those companies can agree to reductions in the use of plastic for packaging.”  

Forty-five percent of Kroger shareholders and 35% of Amazon shareholders supported proposals last year asking for reductions in plastic use.

Five other large companies — Keurig Dr Pepper, Mondelez International, PepsiCo, Target Corp., and Walmart — agreed to virgin plastic reductions in 2021 after the filing of shareholder proposals by As You Sow. Target and Keurig Dr. Pepper agreed to reduce virgin plastic in brand packaging by 20%, Walmart agreed to a 15% cut; and Mondelez agreed to cut 5% — all by 2025; and PepsiCo agreed to a 20% cut by 2030. Cumulatively, the reduction in use of virgin plastic announced by these five brands is expected to total more than 700,000 tons. 

As You Sow’s efforts have been catalyzed by a 2020 landmark study by Pew Charitable Trusts, Breaking the Plastic Wave, which said immediate and sustained new commitments throughout the plastics value chain are needed, including actions by brand owners, consumer goods companies, and retailers to reduce at least one-third of plastic demand through elimination, reuse, and new delivery models.

The largest cut in overall plastic use to date by a major consumer goods company was a 2019 commitment by Unilever to cut virgin plastic use by 50%, including a total elimination of 100,000 tons of plastic packaging by 2025.

# # #

As You Sow is the nation’s leading shareholder advocacy nonprofit, with a 30-year track record promoting environmental and social corporate responsibility and advancing values-aligned investing. Its issue areas include climate change, ocean plastics, pesticides, racial justice, workplace diversity, and executive compensation. Click here for As You Sow’s shareholder resolution tracker.

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Members of the research team include: Daniel Mazzone (formerly of Brookhaven Lab, now at the Paul Scherrer Institut in Switzerland), Yao Shen (Brookhaven Lab), Gilberto Fabbris (Argonne National Laboratory), Hidemaro Suwa (University of Tokyo and University of Tennessee), Hu Miao (Oak Ridge National Laboratory—ORNL), Jennifer Sears* (Brookhaven Lab), Jian Liu (U Tennessee), Christian Batista (U Tennessee and ORNL), and Mark Dean (Brookhaven Lab). *Photo Credit: DESY, Marta Mayer
Scientists identify a long-sought magnetic state predicted  60 years ago
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have discovered a long-predicted magnetic state of matter called an “antiferromagnetic excitonic insulator.”
“Broadly speaking, this is a novel type of magnet,” said Brookhaven Lab physicist Mark Dean, senior author on a paper describing the research just published in Nature Communications. “Since magnetic materials lie at the heart of much of the technology around us, new types of magnets are both fundamentally fascinating and promising for future applications.”
The new magnetic state involves strong magnetic attraction between electrons in a layered material that make the electrons want to arrange their magnetic moments, or “spins,” into a regular up-down “antiferromagnetic” pattern. The idea that such antiferromagnetism could be driven by quirky electron coupling in an insulating material was first predicted in the 1960s as physicists explored the differing properties of metals, semiconductors, and insulators.
“Sixty years ago, physicists were just starting to consider how the rules of quantum mechanics apply to the electronic properties of materials,” said Daniel Mazzone, a former Brookhaven Lab physicist who led the study and is now at the Paul Scherrer Institut in Switzerland. “They were trying to work out what happens as you make the electronic ‘energy gap’ between an insulator and a conductor smaller and smaller. Do you just change a simple insulator into a simple metal where the electrons can move freely, or does something more interesting happen?”
The prediction was that, under certain conditions, you could get something more interesting: namely, the “antiferromagnetic excitonic insulator” just discovered by the Brookhaven team.
Why is this material so exotic and interesting? To understand, let’s dive into those terms and explore how this new state of matter forms.
In an antiferromagnet, the electrons on adjacent atoms have their axes of magnetic polarization (spins) aligned in alternating directions: up, down, up, down and so on. On the scale of the entire material those alternating internal magnetic orientations cancel one another out, resulting in no net magnetism of the overall material. Such materials can be switched quickly between different states. They’re also resistant to information being lost due to interference from external magnetic fields. These properties make antiferromagnetic materials attractive for modern communication technologies.
Next we have excitonic. Excitons arise when certain conditions allow electrons to move around and interact strongly with one another to form bound states. Electrons can also form bound states with “holes,” the vacancies left behind when electrons jump to a different position or energy level in a material. In the case of electron-electron interactions, the binding is driven by magnetic attractions that are strong enough to overcome the repulsive force between the two like-charged particles. In the case of electron-hole interactions, the attraction must be strong enough to overcome the material’s “energy gap,” a characteristic of an insulator.
“An insulator is the opposite of a metal; it’s a material that doesn’t conduct electricity,” said Dean. Electrons in the material generally stay in a low, or “ground,” energy state. “The electrons are all jammed in place, like people in a filled amphitheater; they can’t move around,” he said. To get the electrons to move, you have to give them a boost in energy that’s big enough to overcome a characteristic gap between the ground state and a higher energy level.
An artist’s impression of how the team identified this historic phase of matter. The researchers used x-rays to measure how spins (blue arrows) move when they are disturbed and were able to show that they oscillate in length in the pattern illustrated above. This special behavior occurs because the amount of electrical charge at each site (shown as yellow disks) can also vary and is the fingerprint used to pin down the novel behavior.

In very special circumstances, the energy gain from magnetic electron-hole interactions can outweigh the energy cost of electrons jumping across the energy gap.

Now, thanks to advanced techniques, physicists can explore those special circumstances to learn how the antiferromagnetic excitonic insulator state emerges.
A collaborative team worked with a material called strontium iridium oxide (Sr3Ir2O7), which is only barely insulating at high temperature. Daniel Mazzone, Yao Shen (Brookhaven Lab), Gilberto Fabbris (Argonne National Laboratory), and Jennifer Sears (Brookhaven Lab) used x-rays at the Advanced Photon Source—a DOE Office of Science user facility at Argonne National Laboratory—to measure the magnetic interactions and associated energy cost of moving electrons. Jian Liu and Junyi Yang from the University of Tennessee and Argonne scientists Mary Upton and Diego Casa also made important contributions.
The team started their investigation at high temperature and gradually cooled the material. With cooling, the energy gap gradually narrowed. At 285 Kelvin (about 53 degrees Fahrenheit), electrons started jumping between the magnetic layers of the material but immediately formed bound pairs with the holes they’d left behind, simultaneously triggering the antiferromagnetic alignment of adjacent electron spins. Hidemaro Suwa and Christian Batista of the University of Tennessee performed calculations to develop a model using the concept of the predicted antiferromagnetic excitonic insulator, and showed that this model comprehensively explains the experimental results.
“Using x-rays we observed that the binding triggered by the attraction between electrons and holes actually gives back more energy than when the electron jumped over the band gap,” explained Yao Shen. “Because energy is saved by this process, all the electrons want to do this. Then, after all electrons have accomplished the transition, the material looks different from the high-temperature state in terms of the overall arrangement of electrons and spins. The new configuration involves the electron spins being ordered in an antiferromagnetic pattern while the bound pairs create a ‘locked-in’ insulating state.”
The identification of the antiferromagnetic excitonic insulator completes a long journey exploring the fascinating ways electrons choose to arrange themselves in materials. In the future, understanding the connections between spin and charge in such materials could have potential for realizing new technologies.
Brookhaven Lab’s role in this research was funded by the DOE Office of Science, with collaborators receiving funding from a range of additional sources noted in the paper. The scientists also used computational resources of the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, a DOE Office of Science user facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Brookhaven National Laboratory is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit science.energy.gov. [https://www.energy.gov/science/]
Related Links
Online version of this news release with related graphics [https://www.bnl.gov/newsroom/news.php?a=119438]
Scientific paper: “Antiferromagnetic Excitonic Insulator State in Sr3Ir2O7” [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-28207-w]
Media Contacts
Karen McNulty Walsh [mailto:[email protected]], (631) 344-8350, or Peter Genzer [mailto:[email protected]], (631) 344-3174
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