One of Huntington Animal Shelter's residents, Martha. Photo from Town of Huntington
Supervisor Edmund Smyth announced the Town of Huntington Betty White Challenge raised $9,585 in donations for Give A Dog A Dream in one week.
“Our generous residents would have made Betty White proud,” Smyth said. “Huntington loves our shelter dogs.”
Smyth, along with his rescue dog Louie, first invited residents to participate in the Betty White Challenge on Wednesday, Jan. 12, and in one week, the town has raised $9,585 for Give A Dog A Dream from 451 donations. On Jan. 17 alone, which would have been Betty White’s 100th birthday, 339 donations came in totaling $6,749. The Huntington Animal Shelter also received donations of collars, leashes and treats for the town’s shelter dogs.
Give a Dog a Dream Inc. is a charitable 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, formed by the Town in 2014, that funds medically necessary surgeries and treatments, advanced behavior modification training, and costs related to finding forever homes for dogs with the Huntington Animal Shelter long-term, who may be difficult to place in a traditional home due to behavioral issues that cannot be retrained through the shelter’s rehabilitation program. Donations can me made online at https://www.giveadogadream.org/donate.
The shelter takes donations of all types of but items the shelter needs most are flat collars (sizes M, L, XL), flat leashes, treats, and indestructible toys.
Due to COVID-19-related staffing shortages, the Huntington Animal Shelter is open by appointment only at this time; please call ahead to drop off items or schedule a visit with our dogs at 631-754-8722. The Huntington Animal Shelter is located at 106 Deposit Road, East Northport, NY 11731 and open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. During weekends the shelter is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For after-hours emergency calls, dial 631-351-3234.
The Town of Huntington Cat Shelter, located next door to the dog shelter (at 104 Deposit Road), is managed by Little Shelter Animal Rescue and Adoption Center. For details on donating to the cat shelter, please call 631-651-9788.
The Betty White Challenge encouraged fans of the late actress, who was an animal advocate who passed away on Dec. 31, 2021, at the age of 99, to donate $5 to animal rescues and shelters in her name. Jan. 17, 2022 would have been White’s 100th birthday.
Shakore Philip visited the Sunshine Prevention Center in Dec. 2021
Professional football player, Shakore Philip, spent some time with the students at the Sunshine Alternative Learning and Prevention Center in Port Jefferson Station over the holidays. He went to the center to share some knowledge and life experiences with the students at one of their small group sessions.
Shakore Philip has lived in New York his whole life, except during his tenure playing collegiate football at Widener University in Pennsylvania. He is actively seeking his next professional football opportunity for the upcoming season. Shakore has a passion for underprivileged youth in his community and felt that sharing some life knowledge with the students at the Sunshine Center was a great opportunity to affect their lives in a positive way.
“In my time at the Sunshine center I was able to meet several young individuals,” said Philip. “I was able to share some of the experiences I’ve had in my life. My favorite part of this experience was being able to hear the input of the students and have a genuine conversation with them as well.”
The Sunshine Alternative Learning and Prevention Center is a leader in the field of substance abuse and violence prevention for the last 25 years. The center works to build drug-free and violence-free communities on Long Island. Sunshine provides a family-centered approach to prevention and is concerned about the social/emotional needs of all children and families. All the programs at Sunshine are designed to build on healthy social skills each with the focus on specific needs. This center uses support groups to normalize students struggles, helping them to see that they are not alone, that others have gone through the same or similar things and others DO understand.
Located at 468 Boyle Rd, Port Jefferson Station, the Sunshine Alternative Learning and Prevention Center offers many different kinds of programs for children and adults throughout the year. Including alternative education and secondary school, adult and parenting programs, summer prevention programs, teen and children’s programs. This opportunity with The Sunshine Alternative Learning and Prevention Center was the best way for Shakore to show how much he loves his community.
For more information about Sunshine Alternative Learning and Prevention Center please visit https://www.sunshinepreventionctr.org/. To learn more about Shakore Philip you can follow his Instagram @the_8th_continent
#15 Anthony Roberts, during last Wednesday's game. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics
Stony Brook was not able to overcome its hot-shooting hosts, as Vermont knocked off the Seawolves in a battle of the top two teams in the preseason poll Jan. 12 at Patrick Gymnasium in Burlington.
Tykei Greene and Anthony Roberts each led Stony Brook with 13 points, as Stony Brook was not able to fend off a Vermont attack that drilled 19, 3-pointers en route to the win.
The Seawolves came out hot in the first half, making eight of their own 3-pointers on 13 attempts but went just 1-for-10 in the second 20 minutes of action and were not able to make it up inside the arc. With the loss, Stony Brook fell to 9-6 overall and 1-1 in America East play.
“Vermont played great. They came in shooting 29 percent from three as a team but were able to hit 15 of their first 21, so have to give them a lot of credit. We played very well offensively in the first half, shooting 56 percent from the field and yet we were still down double figures. We have a quick turnaround coming so we can’t sulk over a poor result,” saidhead coach Geno Ford.
The Stony Brook men’s basketball game versus New Hampshire, scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 15, was postponed due to COVID-19 issues within the New Hampshire program. The game has been rescheduled for Monday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. at Island Federal Arena. To exchange your tickets, call 631-632-9753.
Renowned New York City based dance company, Complexions Contemporary Ballet returns to Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook on Saturday, Feb. 5 for a spectacular evening on the Main Stage featuring their two newest full length pieces performed on the same program for the very first time, in celebration of Black History Month. The show starts at 8 p.m
Under the artistic direction of dance Icons Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, (both former principal dancers with ALVIN AILEY DANCE and star choreographers), COMPLEXIONS will perform two monumental pieces, “WOKE” and LOVE ROCKS”, born out of the current crisis’ we are facing in the world. Through dance, COMPLEXIONS confronts this moment in time and the question of what it means to exist in today’s society and how we connect in spite of it.
“WOKE” is a physical reaction to the daily news. A bold and dynamic socially conscious one act ballet featuring the full company that examines our humanity in conjunction with today’s political climate.
LOVE ROCKS, which also features the full company, is set to the powerful music of Grammy Award-winner Lenny Kravitz. It is a fun, thrilling and moving dance and a tremendous compliment to “WOKE”.
Dancing these two pieces together in the same program is a challenge for the company. Complexions Dance is working overtime through extreme pandemic conditions to create this unique program for the Staller Center as they present it to the University community and greater Long Island region.
Tickets range from $42 to $58. For more information or to order, visit www.stallercenter.com, call 631-632-ARTS or email [email protected].
Major Sponsors are News 12 – Campolo, Middleton & McCormick – Danfords Hotel & Marina – Friends of the Staller Center – Hilton Garden Inn – Island Federal – Jefferson’s Ferry – Renaissance – Stony Brook Medicine – Suffolk County – WLIW – Paul W. Zuccaire Foundation.
COVID GUIDELINES
The Staller Center prioritizes the safety of its patrons, staff and students, and will enforce strict Covid-19 protocols for the Fall 2021 season. At this time, visitors must show proof of full vaccination or proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of the event (children ages 12 and under are exempt when accompanied by a parent or guardian who meets the requirements). Additionally, each audience and staff member must wear a mask while inside the venue. All audience members will be advised to not attend if they feel unwell, have symptoms of Covid-19 or have recently been exposed to someone with the disease.
With these guidelines, the Staller Center ticket policy for return or exchange of tickets will be liberalized to accommodate patrons who cannot attend due to the above.
ABOUT THE PERFORMER
Complexions Contemporary Ballet was founded in 1994 by Master Choreographer Dwight Rhoden and the legendary Desmond Richardson with a singular approach to reinventing dance through a groundbreaking mix of methods, styles and cultures. Today, Complexions represents one of the most recognized, diverse, inclusive and respected performing arts brands in the World. Having presented an entirely new and exciting vision of human movement on 5-continents, over 20-countries, to over 20-million television viewers and to well over 300,000 people in live audiences, Complexions is poised to continue its mission to bring unity to the world one dance at a time.
Complexions has received numerous awards including The New York Times Critics’ Choice Award. It has appeared throughout the US, including the The Joyce Theatre and Lincoln Center in NYC, The Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Paramount Theatre/Seattle, The Music Center/Los Angeles, Winspear Opera House/Dallas, The Cutler Majestic Theater/Boston, The Music Hall/Detroit, and has toured extensively around the world to venues including The Bolshoi Theater, The Kremlin, The Mikhailovsky Theater, and the Melbourne Arts Center.
The company’s foremost innovation is that dance should be about removing boundaries, not reinforcing them. Whether it be the limiting traditions of a single style, period, venue, or culture, Complexions transcends them all, creating an open, continually evolving form of dance that reflects the movement of our world—and all its constituent cultures—as an interrelated whole.
Together, Rhoden and Richardson have created in Complexions an institution that embodies its historical moment, a sanctuary where those passionate about dance can celebrate its past while simultaneously building its future. In the 27 years since its inception, the company has continued to awaken audiences to a new, exciting genre with their singular approach of reinventing dance and contemporary ballet. Their work has borne witness to a world that is becoming more fluid, more changeable, and more culturally interconnected than ever before—in other words, a world that is becoming more and more like Complexions itself.
With stunning gifted dancers and powerful choreography, Complexions has been hailed as a “matchless American dance company” by the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Companies like Complexions are game-changing: they’re forging a path for what ballet can be instead of what it historically has been.”- The Guardian
Learn about tropical rainforest at Sweetbriar Nature Center on Jan. 23. Photo from Sweetbriar Nature Center
Programs
Star Quest!
Calling all brave explorers! The Whaling Museum, 301 Main St.. Cold Spring Harbor presents Star Quest! Thursdays to Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Jan. 31. Hunt for star constellations around the museum with a spyglass to navigate your journey, just like mariners at sea. Solve puzzles to find your reward — a glittery star lantern you can decorate in our workshop to light your way home. For ages 5 and older. Admission fee plus $10 per participant. Call 367-3418.
Owl Prowl
Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown invites the community to an Owl Prowl on Jan. 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. Meet and learn about some of the resident owls at the center and embark on a walk into the darkness to enjoy the night and maybe call in an owl or two.Dress warmly, wear bug spray, and bring a flashlight just in case. Open to families with children ages 5 years old and up. $15 per person. To register, visit www.sweetbriarnc.org.
Open Play at the Explorium
The Long Island Explorium, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson will present a series of hands-on interactive STEM explorations centered on the importance of the Tundra Biome and the interactions between the climate, living things, and the layers that exist beneath them all on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. throughout January. Hands-on activities, crafts, and more! $5 per person. Call 331-3277.
Growing Up Wild
The Town of Brookhaven presents an environmental program for children ages 3 to 6, Growing Up Wild, at Cedar Beach’s Nature Center, Harbor Road, Mount Sinai on Jan. 22 at 10 a.m. and again at 1 p.m. Parents and grandparents are invited to explore nature with their little ones. Each class will focus on a different nature topic and will include a story time and a related craft or activity. Free but registration is required by emailing [email protected].
How Animals Prepare for Winter
Sunken Meadow State Park, Route 25A and Sunken Meadow Parkway, Kings Park presents a program for children ages 3 to 5 titled How Animals Prepare for Winter on Jan. 22 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Children and their parents will connect with nature through short walks, animal visitors, and crafts. $4 per child. Advance reservations required by visiting Eventbrite.com and searching for #NatureEdventure.
Family Hour Sunday
Join the Heckscher Museum of Art for a virtual Family Hour Sunday program via Zoom on Jan. 23 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Children ages 5 through 10 are invited for a family-friendly art experience with Museum Educator Tami Wood. $10 per child. To register, visit www.heckscher.org.
Sunday Fun-Day
Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown hosts a Sunday Fun-Day program on Jan. 23 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Learn all about tropical rainforests and meet some amazing animals that live there. Best suited for ages 5 to 7. $10 per child, $5 per adult. To register, visit www.sweetbriarnc.org. For more information, call 979-6344.
Theater
‘Puss In-Boots’
Above, the cast of ‘Puss In Boots’.Photo by Brian Hoerger/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson continues its children’s theatre with Puss In Boots, a hilarious re-telling of the tale of a boy and his ingenious feline. When Christopher inherits his father’s cat, he sets out on an adventure that takes him to the palace of King Vexmus and beyond. Join them as this clever cat teaches us that faith comes from within. Performances will be held on Saturdays, Jan. 22, 29 and Feb. 5 at 11 a.m. and Sunday, Jan. 23 at 3 p.m. All seats are $10. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com. See review on page B21.
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 CLASSICAL EVENING
The award-winning Emerson Quartet (from left, Paul Watkins, Eugene Drucker, Philip Setzer and Lawrence Dutton) heads to the Staller Center on Jan. 26. Photo from Staller Center
Thursday January 20
Theater Talk
Northport Public Library, 151 Laurel Ave., Northport presents a program titled New Hollywood— American New Wave Cinema of the 1970s at 7 p.m. The 1970s brought some of the most momentous films and filmmakers of all time. Historian Greg Blank will explore directors and their films, including Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather, Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, and George Lucas’ Star Wars. To register, call 261-6930.
Friday January 21
Friday Night Face-Off – Update: This event has been canceled.
Join Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson for Friday Night Face-Off, Long Island’s longest running improv comedy show, tonight at 10:30 p.m. on the Second Stage. For ages 16 and up. $15 cash at the door. Call 928-9100 for more information.
Saturday January 22
Maple Sugaring Day
Join the staff at Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve, 25 Lloyd Harbor Road, Huntington for a Maple Sugaring program from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This interactive program for adults will teach you how to identify and tap a maple tree so you can make real maple syrup at home. You will also learn the cultural, historical, economical, and scientific background of this uniquely American craft. Very short-walk. $4 per person. Advance reservations required by calling 423-1770.
Sunday January 23
The Golden Age of Broadway
Join Celebrate St. James for a program titled The Golden Age of Broadway with Jack Ader at the St. James Community Cultural Arts Center, 176 Second St., St. James at 1 p.m. Enjoy a video presentation of interviews with some of the stars during the golden age of Broadway along with anecdotes of Ader’s own personal experiences. Donation $20/ $15 seniors. To register, call 984-0201 or visit www.celebratestjames.org.
Monday January 24
No events listed for this day.
Tuesday January 25
Medicine Collection
The Northport Police Department and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office will collect unused or expired prescription and over-the-counter medications in pill form only at the Northport Public Library, 151 Laurel Ave, Northport and the East Northport Public Library, 185 Larkfield Road, East Northport from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. No questions asked. Call 261-6930.
Wednesday January 26
Cinema at the Library
Northport Public Library continues its Cinema at the Library series tonight at 6:30 p.m. Join Cinema Arts Centre co-director Dylan Skolnick for a viewing and discussion of The French Dispatch (rated R). The plot follows three very different storylines as the French outpost of the fictional Evening Sun newspaper creates its final issue. Registration required by calling 261-6930.
Emerson Quartet in concert
Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook presents the award-winning Emerson String Quartet in concert in the Recital Hall at 7 p.m. The program will include String Quartet #2 by Walton, Quartet #1 by Bartok and Quartet #3 by Shostakovich. Tickets range from $52 to $60. To order, call 632-2787 or visit www.stallercenter.com.
Atelier Art Talk – Update: This event has been moved to February 2
The Atelier at Flowerfield in St. James presents an online lecture titled Noctures: A Brief History Art of the Night Sky from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Join instructor Randall DiGiuseppe in exploring different artists and landmark works from the Paleolithic Age to modern times and how our ever-evolving understanding of the night sky has influenced art. Free. To register, visit www.theatelieratflowerfield.org.
Thursday January 27
Native American Drumming
All Souls Church of Stony Brook hosts a Native American Drumming Meditation program at its Parish House, 10 Mill Pond Road, tonight from 7 to 8:45 p.m. Led by elder drummer Ric Statler, the meditation seeks to integrate the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual parts of the human self, creating a state of well-being. Call 655-7798 for more information.
Film
‘Homecoming: A Story of African American Farmers’
The Cinema Arts Centre will present a free online screening of Homecoming: A Story of African American Farmers via Zoom on Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. On Long Island there were once numerous Black-owned farms stretching from Queens to the East End. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, Black Long Islanders established farms in and around the communities of Sag Harbor, Manhasset, New Cassel, Roslyn Heights, Amityville, Glen Cove, Setauket, Bridgehampton, as well as many others. The screening will be followed by a live discussion and Q&A with director Charlene Gilbert. Free. To register, visit www.cinemaartscentre.org.
Theater
Ken Ludwig’s ‘Baskerville’
A scene from ‘Baskerville.’ Photo by Brian Hoerger
The play is afoot! Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson presents Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery from Jan. 8 to Feb. 5. The play is afoot! Comedic genius Ken Ludwig transforms Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic The Hound of the Baskervilles into a murderously funny adventure. Sherlock Holmes is on the case. The Baskerville heirs have been dispatched one by one and, to find their ingenious killer, Holmes and Watson must brave the desolate moors before a family curse dooms its newest descendant. Watch as the intrepid investigators try to escape a dizzying web of clues, silly accents, disguises, and deceit as five actors deftly portray more than forty characters. Tickets are $35 adults, $28 seniors and students $20 children ages 5 to 12. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.
‘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.
Apu and Manjula. Photo from the Smithtown Animal Shelter
MEET APU AND MANJULA!
This week’s shelter pets are Apu and Manjula, 8-month- old domestic short hair cats up for adoption at the Smithtown Animal Shelter. Apu is a black male and Manjula is a brown tabby female.
These two beauties are low key affectionate sweethearts. They love to get petted and to play with each other. They are not bonded, but do enjoy each other’s company.The shelter’s preference would be a happy home together, but they may be separated.
If you would like to meet these sweethearts, please call ahead to schedule an hour to properly interact with them in a domestic setting.
The Smithtown Animal & Adoption Shelter is located at 410 Middle Country Road, Smithtown. Visitor hours are currently Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Sundays and Wednesday evenings by appointment only). For more information, call 631-360-7575 or visit www.smithtownanimalshelter.com.
The Stony Brook University women’s basketball team (13-2, 4-1 America East) came out strong to pick up a win over New Hampshire (3-12, 0-4 America East), 71-53, on Jan. 16 at Lundholm Gymnasium in Durham.
With the victory, Stony Brook extended its winning streak to four games in a row and are winners of six out of its last seven games. The Seawolves were paced by four student-athletes who scored in double figures to lead the team to their league leading 13th win of the season.
The Seawolves’ scoring was led by graduate forward Leighah-Amori Wool and senior guard Anastasia Warren both finishing with 12 points. Wool and Warren were joined by junior guard Gigi Gonzalez and graduate forward India Pagan each chipping in with 10 points apiece.
Stony Brook took a 29-22 lead into halftime after Pagan made a layup to take back the lead with 6:27 left to play in the second quarter. The Seawolves did not let up as they held the lead for the reminder of the game.
Wool pulled down her 500th career rebound with 7:51 left to play in the third quarter which led to a pass to Pagan who converted a layup to help extend the lead for Stony Brook. The Seawolves’ lead grew to as large as 20 points with 25 seconds left to play.
With the win, Stony Brook improved to 13-2 overall and 4-1 in America East play.
“I’m happy to get a dub on the road. I thought New Hampshire played really hard. It’s not easy to get conference wins — especially on an opponent’s home court,” said Stony Brook head coach Ashley Langford after the game.
The team returned home to Island Federal Arena to face-off against New York foe Binghamton on Jan. 19. Results were not available as of press time.
Celebrate Valentine's Day with a screening of 'Casablanca' at the Cinema Arts Centre.
“Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.”
In honor of its 80th anniversary, Casablanca returns to select cinemas nationwide on Sunday, Jan. 23 and Wednesday, Jan. 27, courtesy of Fathom Events and Turner Classic Movies and Warner Brothers.
Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) owns a nightclub in Vichy-controlled Casablanca, frequented by refugees desperate to escape German domination. Despite the ever-present human misery, Rick manages to remain uninvolved in World War II now raging across Europe and Northern Africa. But all that changes when his lost love Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) walks through the front door of Rick’s club. Rick must now choose between a life with the woman he loves and becoming the hero that both she and the world need.
The film won an Oscar for Best Picture, Best Director (Michael Curtiz) and Best Screenplay (Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch) and received Academy Award nominations for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Humphrey Bogart); Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Claude Rains); Best Cinematography, Black-and-White; Best Film Editing; and Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture.
This special event includes exclusive insights from Ben Mankiewicz, host of Turner Classic Movies.
Locally the film will be screened at the AMC Stony Brook 17 on Jan. 23 at7:30 p.m. and on Jan. 26 at 7 p.m.; Island 16 Cinema De Lux in Holtsville on Jan. 23 at 4:30 p.m. and on Jan. 26 at 4 p.m. and 7 pm.; and Farmingdale Multiplex on Jan. 23 at 4:30 p.m. and Jan 26 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. To order tickets in advance, visit www.fathomevents.com.
Steven Uihlein and Michelle LaBozzetta in a scene from the show. Photo by Brian Hoerger/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
Above, the cast of 'Puss In Boots'.Photo by Brian Hoerger/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
Above, the cast of 'Puss In Boots'.Photo by Brian Hoerger/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
Above, the cast of 'Puss In Boots'.Photo by Brian Hoerger/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
Above, the cast of 'Puss In Boots'.Photo by Brian Hoerger/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
Above, the cast of 'Puss In Boots'.Photo by Brian Hoerger/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
Steven Uihlein and Michelle LaBozzetta in a scene from the show. Photos by Brian Hoerger/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
By Heidi Sutton
Every five years or so, Theatre Three’s Children’s Theatre reaches into its vault filled with scripts and pulls out a gem. This time it’s a musical twist on the classic story of Puss In Boots. The show opened on Jan. 16.
Although there have been many versions of the European fairy tale over the centuries, the most well known is The Master Cat or Puss in Boots from The Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault in 1697. When Puss was reintroduced in Shrek 2 in 2004, a whole new generation was smitten.
Now the clever ‘tail’ returns to Theatre Three’s MainStage with a fresh score and choreography and does not disappoint. Written by Jeffrey Sanzel and Douglas J. Quattrock, the show was first performed in 1991 and has withstood the test of time.
In the kingdom of King Vexmus, a kind-hearted young man named Christopher lives on a farm with his father and his two brothers, Shank and Amos. Every day his brothers force him to work the fields while they take naps. When their father dies, Shank and Amos inherit the farm while Christopher gets his father’s cat Puss and is promptly kicked out.
With no food, money or a place to live, Christopher begins to lose hope until he discovers that Puss can talk. He confides in the cat that he has fallen in love with the king’s beautiful daughter, Princess Anafazia, who he met briefly when her entourage drove past the farm (in a great flashback scene). Puss agrees to help in the name of love and hatches a scheme to have Christopher pose as the rich and mysterious Marquis of Carabas to win Anafazia’s heart. Will everything go as planned? Will there be a happy ending?
Directed by Sanzel, the fast-paced show is wonderful on so many levels. Steven Uihlein is perfectly cast in the role of Christopher and also serves as storyteller. His plight gains the sympathy of the audience right away. Liam Marsigliano and Jason Furnari make a great comedic team as Amos and Shank. Their futile attempt to farm the land after Christopher leaves is hilarious.
Michelle LaBozzetta, in the role of Puss, the cat of all trades, steals the show with her energetic and flamboyant personality. In one of the cutest scenes, her character acquires her famous boots by causing a ruckus outside Shank and Amos’s door.
Sanzel and Josie McSwane are excellent in the roles of the bickering King Vexmus and Queen Ida (or should I say Queen Ida and King Vexmus) who in the end agree to disagree. Haley Saunders is terrific as the spoiled Princess Anafazia, who quickly reveals that this royal’s beauty is only skin deep. Rachel Max as Ida and Louisa Bikowski as Missy, the no nonsense wives of Shank and Amos, and Heather Rose Kuhn as the sweet Julia, Princess Anafazia’s lady-in-waiting, are a fine supporting cast.
Choreographed by Sari Feldman and accompanied on piano by Douglas Quattrock, the 12 musical numbers are the heart of the show, with special mention to the duets “Puss in Boots” with Puss and Christopher and “Take a Moment for Yourself” with Puss and Julia, and the lively group number, “Song of the Marquis of Carabas.”
The charming costumes, designed by Jason Allyn, from the royal gowns in shades of lavender complete with wigs and crowns to the peasant garb in hues of brown, tie the story together perfectly. And wait until you see Puss’s fierce and fabulous outfit!
This special show doesn’t come around often. Catch a performance before it’s gone.
Running time is one hour and 20 minutes with a 15 minute intermission. Meet the entire cast in the lobby on your way out for a keepsake photo.
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Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson presents Puss In Boots on Jan. 22, 29 and Feb. 5 at 11 a.m. and Jan. 23 at 3 p.m. Children’s theatre continues with Dorothy’s Adventures In Oz from Feb. 23 to March 26 with a sensory friendly performance on Feb. 27 and The Adventures of Peter Rabbit from April 16 to May 7 with a sensory friendly performance on April 24. All seats are $10. For more information or to order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com
Under the artistic direction of dance Icons Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, (both former principal dancers with ALVIN AILEY DANCE and star choreographers), COMPLEXIONS will perform two monumental pieces, “WOKE” and LOVE ROCKS”, born out of the current crisis’ we are facing in the world. Through dance, COMPLEXIONS confronts this moment in time and the question of what it means to exist in today’s society and how we connect in spite of it.
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