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The Jazz Loft

The Jazz Loft recently announced a grant award from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to support the organization’s upgrades in equipment. This grant is part of a capital project funding announcement by NYSCA, which totals over $32 million to 102 capital projects across New York State. The grant is a matching grant, with $50K coming from the state and $50K from The Jazz Loft donors.

According to The Jazz Loft founder Tom Manuel, the grant funds will go towards installing high-end audio and video equipment so that the Loft can livestream, and record performances and the space can also act as a recording studio.

“The over 100 projects we’re supporting through this funding will showcase arts and cultural organizations across the state and spur economic development for decades to come,” said Governor Kathy Hochul. “From historic sites to new multi-use arts centers, these diverse projects will expand accessibility and the sustainability of arts and culture organizations while growing local economies, driving tourism and creating jobs across New York State.”

“We are grateful to Governor Hochul and the legislature for their support. These projects are essential to the prosperity and well-being of our creative industry and our communities, especially as we continue to navigate the recovery of our creative sector. This support will help stimulate local economies, catalyze investment in our communities and help to ensure the vibrancy of our cultural organizations for now and the future. Congratulations to The Jazz Loft, NYSCA is a proud supporter of your contributions to New York’s arts and culture,” said New York State Council on the Arts Executive Director Erika Mallon.

The Jazz Loft is located at 275 Christian Avenue i9n Stony Brook. For more information visit thejazzloft.org

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Tony Butera and Company in a scene from 'The Producers'. Photo by Courtney Gilmore/Theatre Three
A scene from Theatre Three's 'The Producers'. Photo by Courtney Gilmore/Theatre Three
A scene from Theatre Three's 'The Producers'. Photo by Courtney Gilmore/Theatre Three
A scene from Theatre Three's 'The Producers'. Photo by Courtney Gilmore/Theatre Three
A scene from Theatre Three's 'The Producers'. Photo by Courtney Gilmore/Theatre Three
A scene from Theatre Three's 'The Producers'. Photo by Courtney Gilmore/Theatre Three
A scene from Theatre Three's 'The Producers'. Photo by Courtney Gilmore/Theatre Three
A scene from Theatre Three's 'The Producers'. Photo by Courtney Gilmore/Theatre Three
A scene from Theatre Three's 'The Producers'. Photo by Courtney Gilmore/Theatre Three
A scene from Theatre Three's 'The Producers'. Photo by Courtney Gilmore/Theatre Three
A scene from Theatre Three's 'The Producers'. Photo by Courtney Gilmore/Theatre Three
A scene from Theatre Three's 'The Producers'. Photo by Courtney Gilmore/Theatre Three
A scene from Theatre Three's 'The Producers'. Photo by Courtney Gilmore/Theatre Three
A scene from Theatre Three's 'The Producers'. Photo by Courtney Gilmore/Theatre Three
A scene from Theatre Three's 'The Producers'. Photo by Courtney Gilmore/Theatre Three
A scene from Theatre Three's 'The Producers'. Photo by Courtney Gilmore/Theatre Three
A scene from Theatre Three's 'The Producers'. Photo by Courtney Gilmore/Theatre Three
A scene from Theatre Three's 'The Producers'. Photo by Courtney Gilmore/Theatre Three
The cast of Theatre Three's 'The Producers'. Photo by Courtney Gilmore/Theatre Three

By Julianne Mosher

Nobody does camp better than Theatre Three. This time with their latest production of Mel Brooks’ The Producers, the Port Jefferson-based venue succeeds, yet again, with a phenomenal production of the hysterical musical that is bound to offend everyone and anyone in the best way possible.

Adapted from Mel Brooks’ 1967 film of the same name, the story follows two producers who scheme to get rich fast by fraudulently overselling interests in a Broadway musical they’re seeking to fail. Plot twist … it’s a smash hit, much to their dismay.

Theatre Three’s production is just as good as the latest Broadway revival (latest being 2001) which starred Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick. The cast and crew outdid themselves with every detail — from the constant costume and wig changes courtesy of Ronald Green III (and there are quite a few) to Randall Parson’s scenic sets that switch between the office of Max Bialystock (Scott Hofer) and Leo Bloom (Tony Butera) to the rooftop of Nazi-turned playwright Franz Leibkind (Evan Teich). 

Yes, a Nazi. Like I said, this play is going to offend. 

Hofer and Butera in the lead roles of the producers shine on stage, again, on the same level that the show’s former Broadway legends bore in the past.

With several dozen different roles — it’s a Mel Brooks show, so of course it’s going to be chaotic — every person who enters stage right and left are fantastic with an ensemble cast that literally does it all. The singing is master level, the choreography is impressive and you’ll be laughing as soon as the curtain opens during the first number, “It’s Opening Night.”

After Bialystock and Bloom find the most offensive musical out there, Springtime for Hitler, they need to find financial backers. Bialystock, a Casanova to the wealthy elderly, uses his charm on widowers while Bloom meets the beautiful and talented Ulla (Brittany Lacey) who becomes the main female lead in the play they’re hoping fails … as well as Bloom’s love interest. 

The next stop is to get the worst director out there — Roger De Bris (Ryan Nolin), a flamboyant failing director with his long-term, life “roommate,” Carmen Ghia (Jim Sluder). While Nolin and Sluder play near-deadbeats in the theater industry, both have remarkable talent in real life.

Directed by Jeffrey Sanzel, the three-hour-long show is so good you want to sit through it again and again. You’ll be bound to find something new at every showing.

So, like I mentioned earlier, Theatre Three does campy musicals extremely well. “When You Got It, Flaunt It,” right? And the only advice I have moving forward is to continue and “Keep It Gay” with all that talent on stage.

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Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson presents The Producers through June 22. Tickets are $40 adults, $32 seniors and students, $25 children (ages 5 to 12) and Wednesday matinees. Please Note: Contains adult humor and situations. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

See preview here.

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L-R LIMEHOF Educator of Note Recipients Alan Schwartz, Susan Weber, Frank Abel and Kim Löwenborg-Coyne.

Five music teachers from across Long Island were recently honored at the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) in Stony Brook in a special ceremony honoring the organizations most recent Educator of Note Award winners.

The teachers honored  include Alan Schwartz (Great Neck, 2023), Frank Abel (Uniondale/Roosevelt, 2022), Kim Löwenborg-Coyne (North Babylon, 2021), Marc Greene (Middle Country School District, 2020), and Susan Weber (Uniondale, 2019).

“It was wonderful,” said Tom Needham, Tom Needham, Second Vice Chair and Educational Programs Director at LIMEHOF. “When you get all these people together in one room and you hear about the number of students they’ve influenced over the years and the impact they’ve had on music education on Long Island. It’s truly incredible. We’re so excited to have this opportunity to have them all here in the room and to celebrate the good things that they’ve accomplished.”

“We all had and have such meaningful careers that have impacted music education in so many different ways,” said Susan Weber. “Bottom line is that we all love seeing the reaction with our students and former students and as time goes on how music education impacts kids and it was just a very special day.”

“It’s a wonderful opportunity and I’m just so thrilled to be amongst these people here and to have my name with these people, these legends is just one of the biggest honors of my life,” said Alan Schwartz.

“What a wonderful ride… a wonderful journey after 42 years of teaching on this very special day to receive this very special award at the Hall of Fame. We don’t go in teaching for awards but this one right here I’m going to cherish,” said Frank Abel.

Supporting and highlighting musical education and upcoming talent through its education programs is a large part of LIMEHOF’s mission. Each year the Long Island Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame presents an Educator of Note Award recognizing outstanding achievement in Long Island music education and normally they present the awards publicly during their galas. LIMEHOF has not held an awards Gala since 2019 in large part due to covid restrictions these award winners were unable to receive their awards in a public ceremony, so LIMEHOF organized this special ceremony for them at their Stony Brook Museum location.

LIMEHOF says it’s important to recognize the music teachers who are top in their field and making a difference by building strong educational programs for students to be able to perform and be evaluated.

“We celebrate music history here on Long Island and everybody knows we honor people like Billy Joel and John Coltraine and other artists but sometimes people forget that the people who have the biggest impact on Long Island in terms of music are music teachers,” said Needham. “Music teachers have the ability to reach thousands of kids throughout a career.”

The 2024 Educator of Note nomination process is currently open with a deadline of September 30th. For more information about LIMEHOF’s Educator of Note, scholarships and other music education programs, please visit https://www.limusichalloffame.org/educator-of-note/

About LIMEHOF

Founded in 2004, the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the idea that Long Island’s musical and entertainment heritage is an important resource to be celebrated and preserved for future generations. The organization, which encompasses New York State’s Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, and Kings (Brooklyn) Counties, was created as a place of community that inspires and explores Long Island music and entertainment in all its forms. In 2022, LIMEHOF opened its first Hall of Fame building location in Stony Brook, New York. To date, the organization has inducted more than 120 musicians and music industry executives, and offers education programs, scholarships, and awards to Long Island students and educators.

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The humble shepherd Strephon (Henry Horstmann) has fallen in love with wealthy heiress Phyllis (Kara Vertucci), but she’s a ward in chancery and his chances of winning her seem slim in a scene from the Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company of Long Island’s 2024 production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s Iolanthe. (Photo by NanMagna. Copyright 2024 The Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company of Long Island.)

Mortals and immortals come face to face in the Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company of Long Island’s 2024 production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s classic Iolanthe, coming to the South Huntington Public Library on Sunday, April 28, at 2 p.m.

Iolanthe—which debuted in 1883, with book and lyrics by W.S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan—is one of the most beloved of all the Gilbert & Sullivan operas, especially for its perfect balance of words and music, humor and drama, magic and political satire.  The current production is the Light Opera Company’s first since 2015.

2)    Phyllis (Kara Vertucci) is torn between competing proposals from Lord Mountararat (Kenneth Kopolovicz, left) and Lord Tolloller (Richard Risi) in a scene from the Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company of Long Island’s 2024 production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s Iolanthe.  (Photo by NanMagna.  Copyright 2024 The Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company of Long Island.)

The story is a whimsical one, involving a shepherd lad named Strephon, who has the unusual problem of being half fairy and half mortal … his mother was a fairy, his unknown father a mortal, and he’s a fairy down to the waist, though his legs are mortal.  When Strephon falls in love with Phyllis, a wealthy heiress who is a ward in chancery and sought after in marriage by half the House of Lords, it sets up a conflict between the wily Lord Chancellor and the cosmically powerful Fairy Queen, with the Queen’s band of fairies, the lovestruck Peers and Strephon and Phyllis themselves caught in between.

The dramatic side of the story involves Strephon’s mother, Iolanthe, who was sentenced to death for marrying a mortal, then reprieved at the last moment and banished from the fairy world.  Her greatest concern is for her son, and when the Lord Chancellor himself falls in love with Phyllis, Iolanthe faces a dilemma that may spell the end of her immortal life.

In the new production of the opera, Kara Vertucci of Lindenhurst plays Phyllis and Henry Horstmann of Lindenhurst plays Strephon, with Traci Weisberg Gang of Rego Park playing Iolanthe.  Chris Jurak of Brightwaters is the Lord Chancellor, with Kenneth Kopolovicz of East Islip and Richard Risi of Locust Valley playing, respectively, Lord Mountararat and Lord Tolloller.  Ben Salers of Northport plays Private Willis, with Delaney R. Page as the Fairy Queen.  Farah Chandu of Oakland Gardens plays Leila, Rebecca Rutkovsky of Manhasset play Celia and Hanna Roth of Upper Brookville plays Fleta.  The director is Gayden Wren, and the music directors are Isabella Eredita Johnson and David Bernard.

“Iolanthe is everything at once,” said Wren, a longtime member of the company and also the author of an acclaimed book about Gilbert & Sullivan.  “It’s a goofy slapstick comedy, a whimsical fantasy, a political satire and a drama of Shakespearean proportions, and it swings from one to another so gracefully that it seems perfectly natural.”

The score for Iolanthe is arguably Sullivan’s greatest, ranging from the jaw-breaking patter of the Lord Chancellor’s famous “Nightmare Song” to the romantic duet “None Shall Part Us,” from the swaggering “March of the Peers” to the keen-edged “When Britain Really Ruled the Waves,” offering literally something for everyone.

“It’s really Gilbert & Sullivan at their best,” concluded Wren, who admitted that it’s his personal favorite of the operas.  “The real magic isn’t the invisible fairies or the hypnotic spell they cast, it’s Gilbert, Sullivan and the way that they seem to come together so closely that it’s hard to tell where one begins and the other leaves off.  It’s one of the greatest works of musical theater ever written.”

Iolanthe will be presented on Sunday, April 28, at 2 p.m. at the South Huntington Public Library, 145 Pigeon Hill Road in Huntington Station.  Admission is free.  For further information, call (631) 549-4411 or visit www.shpl.info.

1)    The humble shepherd Strephon (Henry Horstmann) has fallen in love with wealthy heiress Phyllis (Kara Vertucci), but she’s a ward in chancery and his chances of winning her seem slim in a scene from the Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company of Long Island’s 2024 production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s Iolanthe.  (Photo by NanMagna.  Copyright 2024 The Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company of Long Island.)

2)    Phyllis (Kara Vertucci) is torn between competing proposals from Lord Mountararat (Kenneth Kopolovicz, left) and Lord Tolloller (Richard Risi) in a scene from the Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company of Long Island’s 2024 production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s Iolanthe.  (Photo by NanMagna.  Copyright 2024 The Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company of Long Island.)

3)    The Fairy Queen (Delaney R. Page) finds herself irresistibly drawn to the phlegmatic sentry Private Willis (Ben Salers) in a scene from the Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company of Long Island’s 2024 production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s Iolanthe.  (Photo by NanMagna.  Copyright 2024 The Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company of Long Island.)

 

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The North Shore Chamber Choir recently announced that its program for Spring 2024 will feature the world premiere of David Voss’s work, The Resurrection Promise: A Cantata for Easter. Voss, who is the Artistic Director for the Chamber choir, has written a modern setting for the Easter story, which also features a bell choir, various instrumentalists, and soloists. Voss graduated from Stony Brook University with a Master of Arts in Composition.

Chamber Choir President Mary Cappasso noted, “We are excited to be able to bring David’s musical vision to life this spring and invited new members to join our choir in this effort. We all love to sing different kinds of music – from Handel’s Messiah each holiday season to something new and challenging to our repertoire. The Resurrection Promise is a beautiful piece of music, and we look forward to preparing it for our audiences.”

In celebration of this beautiful music, please join them at one of the following Sing On! concerts:

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 309 Route 112, Port Jefferson Station on April 27 at 7 p.m. Admission is $20.

St. John the Baptist R.C. Church, 1488 North Country Road in Wading River on April 28 at 5 p.m. Suggested donation $20.

The First Baptist Church, 1018 Northville Turnpike in Riverhead on April 30 at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $20 adults, $15 seniors/students.

For more information on the North Shore Chamber Choir or additional concert information please contact [email protected]

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The Jazz Loft

May is blooming with talent at The Jazz Loft, as the month’s calendar of events offers something for everyone. The Jazz Loft’s popular Strictly Sinatra shows return, with a first-time ever afternoon show! Sinatra shows are May 2,3 and two shows on May 4. The Jazz Loft founder Tom Manuel will also be spinning some rare jazz tunes in the Coal Bin, along with mixing up some signature cocktails where Hangoutology Meets Mixology, on May 23.

Wednesday, May 1 at 7 p.m.

Jam Session at the Jazz Loft

The Jazz Loft Trio lead by Keenan Zach.

Tickets $10, $5 after 8 p.m.

 

Thursday, May 2, 7 p.m.

Strictly Sinatra

17-piece big band directed by Jazz Loft Director Tom Manuel (trumpet) with Pete Caldera on vocals

Tickets: $40 adults; $35 seniors; $30 students; $25 children and children under 5 years old are free.

 

Friday, May 3, 7 p.m.

Strictly Sinatra

17-piece big band directed by Jazz Loft Director Tom Manuel (trumpet) with Pete Caldera on vocals

Tickets: $40 adults; $35 seniors; $30 students; $25 children and children under 5 years old are free.

Saturday, May 4, 2 p.m.

Strictly Sinatra

17-piece big band directed by Jazz Loft Director Tom Manuel (trumpet) with Pete Caldera on vocals

Tickets: $40 adults; $35 seniors; $30 students; $25 children and children under 5 years old are free.

Saturday, May 4, 7 p.m.

Strictly Sinatra

17-piece big band directed by Jazz Loft Director Tom Manuel (trumpet) with Pete Caldera on vocals

Tickets: $40 adults; $35 seniors; $30 students; $25 children and children under 5 years old are free.

 

Wednesday, May 8 at 7 p.m.

Jam Session at the Jazz Loft

The Jazz Loft Trio lead by Keenan Zach.

Tickets $10, $5 after 8 p.m.

 

Wednesday, May 15 at 7 p.m.

Jam Session at the Jazz Loft

The Jazz Loft Trio lead by Keenan Zach.

Tickets $10, $5 after 8 p.m.

 

Thursday, May 16, 7 p.m.

The Bad Little Big Band

12-piece band featuring vocalist Madeline Kole, directed by composer, arranger and pianist Rich Iacona

Tickets: Adults $30; Seniors $25; Students $20; Children $15

 

Friday, May 17, 7 p.m.

Jamile Staevie Ayres, vocals; Miki Yamanaka on piano; Mikey Migliore on bass and JK Kim on drums

Tickets: Adults $30; Seniors $25; Students $20; Children $15

 

Saturday, May 18, 7 p.m.

The Jazz Loft Big Band with special guests Rich DeRosa and Warren Vache

Tickets: Adults $30; Seniors $25; Students $20; Children $15

Wednesday, May 22, 7 p.m.

Jam Session at the Jazz Loft

The Jazz Loft Trio lead by Keenan Zach.

Tickets $10, $5 after 8 p.m.

Thursday, May 23, 7 p.m.

Hangoutology Meets Mixology

Tom Manuel hosts vintage cocktails and a listening session in the Coal Bin, spinning rare, unreleased master acetates from the 1930’s through 1960’s.

Tickets are $100.

Wednesday, May 29, 7 p.m.

Jam Session at the Jazz Loft

The Jazz Loft Trio lead by Keenan Zach.

Tickets $10, $5 after 8 p.m.

Thursday, May 30, 7 p.m.

Interplay Jazz Orchestra

17-piece orchestra by Joe Devassy, trombone; Gary Henderson, trumpet

Tickets: Adults $30; Seniors $25; Students $20; Children $15

 

Friday, May 31 7 p.m.

The Bill Mays Trio, with Bill Mays on piano; Dean Johnson on bass; and Ron Vincent on drums

Tickets: $40 adults; $35 seniors; $30 students; $25 children and children under 5 years old are free.

 

The Jazz Loft is located at 275 Christian Avenue in Stony Brook. For all ticket info, visit: https://www.thejazzloft.org/tickets

For more information, call 631-751-1895.

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The event will feature a car show. Photo from WMHO

The Ward Melville Heritage Organization’s Spring Appreciation Day returns to the Stony Brook Village Center, 111 Main Street, Stony Brook on April 20 with live music, a car show, a petting zoo, the fire department will be on site, and a scavenger hunt with prizes from 11 a.m to 4 p.m. Throughout Stony Brook Village there will be something for everyone:

The day includes

Stony Brook Grist Mill. Image from WMHO

History: The Stony Brook Grist Mill (c. 1751) will be open for tours ($10 for adults, $5 for children, cash only) from noon to 4 p.m. and shopping in the Country Store. The history of the Grist Mill tour showcases highlights from WMHO’s brandnew program. It interprets the mill as both a place of mechanical ingenuity as well as a site of historic social networking from the early colonial period through the mid-20th century. A live Gypsy Romani music performance will take place from 1:30 p.m. till 3:30 p.m. in honor of the 19th century Miller, Alois Kopriva.

Technology: The Mustang and Shelby Club of Long Island car show will take place between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and will be located in the parking lot behind the Post Office. They will display over 65 cars with classic Mustangs and the latest cars that Ford has to offer. Automobiles from 1964 – 2023 will be on display, including some special edition Mustangs like the classic Shelby GT500, GT350 and the iconic Boss 302.

Nature: Steppin’ Out Petting Zoo will be set up in the Inner Court with a variety of animals for children to pet from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

The event will feature live music by Brenda and Burke. Photo from WMHO

Music: Brenda and Burke will be performing original and cover songs in the genres of R&B, Roots, Blues and Contemporary Acoustic in the inner court by the waterfall from 1:30 p.m. till 3:30 p.m.

And Discovery: The Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO)’s Youth Corps will be offering a scavenger hunt around Stony Brook Village from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Each person who returns a completed scavenger hunt will be entered into a raffle to win Discovery Wetlands Cruise tickets.

Lastly, the Stony Brook Fire Department will be sharing how you can join as a volunteer, and they will have a vintage firetruck on display during the event.

Spring Appreciation Day is sponsored by News 12, Long Island Speech, First National Bank of Long Island, RJG Consulting Group, and NYLife Insurance Company Agent, Ryan D. DeCicco.

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The Ward Melville Heritage Organization is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation founded in 1939 by businessman and philanthropist Ward Melville. Inspired by his legacy to preserve historic and environmentally sensitive properties, the WMHO continues to protect and interpret these Long Island treasures. The organization creates interdisciplinary educational and cultural experiences that integrate history, art, theater, music, science, and technology for all ages. The organization owns and manages properties deeded to it by Ward Melville, including the Brewster House (c. 1665), the Thompson House (c. 1705), the Stony Brook Grist Mill (c. 1751), which are listed on the state and national register for historic places, the Dr. Erwin Ernst Marine Conservation Center, the pristine 88-acre wetlands preserve at West Meadow, the 11-acre T. Bayles Minuse Mill Pond and adjacent park, two-acre Upper Pond, and the two-acre Jennie Melville Village Green. To learn more about the WMHO, visit www.wmho.org or call (631)-751-2244.

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For the fifth consecutive year, the NAMM Foundation has honored the Harborfields Central School District with a Best Communities for Music Education designation. Photos courtesy of Harborfields CSD
For the fifth consecutive year, the NAMM Foundation has honored the Harborfields Central School District with a Best Communities for Music Education designation. Photos courtesy of Harborfields CSD

For the fifth consecutive year, the NAMM Foundation has honored the Harborfields Central School District with a Best Communities for Music Education designation. 

This recognition is awarded to districts throughout the country that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music education and access to their students. 

“We pride ourselves on the quality and accessibility of our programs,” K-12 Music Department coordinator Dan Bilawsky said. “Harborfields is fortunate to have a very supportive community that stands behind the arts and shows a steadfast commitment to music education in particular. The board of education, administration, staff, parents and students all contribute to the success of our programs, and this award speaks clearly to music’s importance in Harborfields.” 

“Congratulations to the entire music department,” Superintendent Rory Manning said. “This is a well-deserved recognition for an amazing community of music educators.” 

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Stephen Schwartz, center, poses with the Broadway talent and LIMEHOF board of directors. Photo by Steve Leung

Broadway came to Long Island recently as a range of vocalists from the “Great White Way” and musicians gathered to honor and induct award-winning Broadway and movie lyricist and composer Stephen Schwartz (“Wicked,” “Godspell,” “Pippin,” “Pocahontas,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “The Prince of Egypt,” and the new movie adaptation of “Wicked,” among other titles) into the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) in Stony Brook on March 23.

The award presentation was preceded by an hour-and-a-half concert emceed by musician Paul Shaffer, which featured performances from Schwartz’ musicals.

Musician Paul Shaffer officially inducts and hands off the award trophy to Steven Schwartz. Photo by Steve Leung

Although well-known on Broadway and Manhattan, Schwartz has solid Long Island roots, having grown up in Williston Park and graduated from Mineola High School. With a career that includes winning four Grammy Awards, three Academy Awards, and numerous other accolades, Schwartz says that being recognized on Long Island is an extra-special honor for him.

Schwartz joins other legendary Broadway lyricists and musicians inducted into LIMEHOF with ties to Long Island, Brooklyn, and Queens, including George Gershwin (2006) and George M. Cohan (2006). LIMEHOF currently includes over 120 inductees.

Broadway performers and singers who performed at this event included Teal Wicks and Carrie St. Louis (“Wicked”), Dale Soules (“The Magic Show”), Alysia Velez (“Into the Woods”), Sam Simahk (“Into the Woods”) and DeMarius Copes (“Some Like It Hot”). The concert featured Music from “Wicked,” “Godspell,” “Pippin,” “Working,” “The Magic Show.” and “Pocahontas.” 

In addition to the music performances, Schwartz’s friend Stephen Reinhardt, who was a keyboard player and musical director for “Godspell” and “The Magic Show,” took the stage and gave a heartfelt speech. Sprinkled throughout the concert were various recorded video messages from Schwartz’ friends and colleagues who couldn’t be there but wanted to celebrate his induction, including Idina Menzel, Alan Menken, and Kristin Chenoweth, who had worked with Schwartz before in “Wicked,” and is working with him now on “The Queen of Versailles.”

After being inducted, Stephen closed out the evening by performing a song from his upcoming musical, “The Queen of Versailles,” which is set to debut later this year. 

After the event, Schwartz called it “a lovely evening” and said it was like a big reunion. “All those videos were surprises… from my son and my friends … and it was really a moving evening for me,” Schwartz said. “I didn’t really expect this, so it was very meaningful to me.”

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Alto Jazz saxophonist and composer Charlie Parker broke all the rules of Jazz when he recorded two albums entitled Charlie Parker with Strings, works that attempted to bridge the gap between Jazz and classical music. Nothing like Strings had ever been done before. History has proven Parker’s instincts correct, as these works are now universally recognized as masterpieces.

Jazz enthusiasts will have three opportunities to catch performances of the iconic Charlie Parker with Strings on Thursday, April 4 and Saturday, April 6 at The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Avenue in Stony Brook; and on Friday, April 5 at The Staller Center for the Arts at Stony Brook University, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook. All three concerts will begin at 7 p.m. and will be featuring Chris Donohue and Dayna Sean Stephens, both on alto saxophone.

Parker fans can also take in The Jazz Loft’s new Charlie “The Bird” Parker collection of more than 50 memorabilia items from the Jazz great. The collection includes master acetates from some of his most important recording sessions; a personalized instrument case; his union card; numerous notes, letters and correspondence; and his Birdland contracts. Some of the correspondence documents his challenge with the union as he often had his union card revoked for drug offenses. The letters, from him, his agents, promoters, and friends, show Parker’s struggle to stay clean and work. Parker struggled with a heroin addiction and died at the age of 34.

The items were purchased at a Christie’s of London auction which showcased a vast collection of music memorabilia belonging to the late Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts. Watts, who had been a beloved member of the Stones since 1963, passed away in August 2021.

Ticket prices for all events are $40 for adults; $35 for seniors; $30 for students and $25 for children.

For more information and tickets to The Jazz Loft or The Staller Center shows, visit https://www.thejazzloft.org/tickets or call 631-751-1895.

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