Music

From left, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds and Gene Kelly sing 'Good Mornin' in a scene from 'Singin' In the Rain'

In honor of its 70th anniversary, Singin in the Rain will be screened at the Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington on Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. with new digital restoration. The film will be introduced by film historian and NYS librarian Philip Harwood, who will explore the importance of the classic movie to the history of cinema.

Gene Kelly in ‘Singin’ In the Rain’

On a short list of the greatest screen musicals ever made, Singin’ in the Rain began with legendary MGM producer Arthur Freed giving screenwriters Betty Comden and Adolph Green a stack of songs he’d written early in his career (with partner Nacio Herb Brown) – including “Broadway Melody,” “You Are My Lucky Star” and the title song – with the simple request to weave a story around the numbers.

What emerged was a sublime marriage of song and dance, innocence and nostalgia, heart-tugging romance and surreal comedy (especially in co-star Donald O’Connor’s show-stopping “Make ’Em Laugh” routine). Co-director Gene Kelly shines as silent-movie idol Don Lockwood, whose career (and leading lady, hilariously played by Jean Hagen) is imperiled by the coming of sound – until he hooks up with lovely ingenue Debbie Reynolds. The brilliant supporting cast includes Millard Mitchell, Douglas Fowley and the great Cyd Charisse, whose long-legged “Broadway Melody” ballet with Kelly nearly steals the show!

Tickets are $15 per person at: https://bit.ly/SinginintherainCAC

For more information, call 631-423-7610.

The Whaling Museum and Education Center is announcing a first-time end of year fundraising event celebrating the rowdy history of Cold Spring Harbor’s Main Street through food, drink, and other activities in the lively event, Bedlam Street Bash. 

Calling back to the 1850s when Main Street (Route 25a) was nicknamed “Bedlam Street,” this event will take place on Thursday, December 1, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Museum at 301 Main Street and is for adults age 21+. Inspired by the rambunctious spirit of the village during its whaling heyday, guests will travel through the museum to enjoy delicious bites from local restaurants, rum tastings, historic then & now presentations, craft-making, and live music. 

 “A whaleship arriving home to our coastal village could generate a commotion, and was cause for a community celebration,” says Nomi Dayan, Executive Director of the museum. “The blast of a cannon would first alert locals, who would watch Main Street fill with whalers who had not been home for 2-4 years. Local merchants would prepare to serve men who dreamed of a good meal. Cold Spring Harbor was, for a time, a rowdy place! We invite locals today to fall into this story and enjoy the evening with us in support of our museum.”

The museum is collaborating with Cold Spring Harbor Village eateries to offer guests delicious tastings throughout the evening. Participating eateries include Sandbar, Harbor Mist, Sweetie Pies on Main, Cold Spring Harbor Plaza Deli and Grasso’s Restaurant. In addition, guests will enjoy live music, activities, a folk-art craft, raffles, and special “Then & Now” presentations.  

Special guest and Town Historian, Robert Hughes, will transport visitors back to the waterside village in the 1800’s with his “Then & Now” presentations of Main Street, Cold Spring Harbor. He will focus on the history of the locations for the five eateries that are offering tasting for this event; Sandbar, Harbor Mist, Sweetie Pies on Main, Cold Spring Harbor Plaza Deli and Grasso’s Restaurant.

Special guest Dr. Jennifer Anderson will present a session about the history of rum during her informational and fascinating chat, “Get Your Grog On.” Tastings of different island-style rums, the “true sailor’s drink,” will also be served courtesy of Bottles and Cases in Huntington. 

Participants can gather details about historic Main Street in a special scavenger hunt, which culminates in cracking a code to receive a prize from our treasure chest. 

Guests will get creative when trying their hands at the signature craft of whalers, scrimshaw, also known as one of America’s first folk art crafts.  Guests will sketch and carve their designs into scrimshaw-style keepsake boxes.

Throughout the night, guests will hear live sea shanties, high-spirited and bawdy work-songs of sailors performed by Scuttlebutt Stu. Guests can join in these repetitious renditions.

The Whaling Museum & Education Center is selling advance tickets to the event at cshwhalingmuseum.org/bedlamstreetbash. Advance tickets are $40 per person, $20 for museum members. A limited number of advance tickets will be offered. At the door tickets will be $50 per person, $25 for museum members. Tickets are offered first come, first served. All evening activities are included in admission.    

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About The Whaling Museum & Education Center

The Whaling Museum & Education Center is the only museum in the world open year-round which explores the whaling history of the Long Island region. The Museum engages the community in exploring the diversity of our whaling heritage and its impacts to enrich and inform our lives. The museum is located at 301 Main Street, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724. Visit cshwhalingmuseum.org and follow The Whaling Museum on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @cshwhalingmuseum

The Jazz Loft

The following are events scheduled at The Jazz Loft for December 2022:

Thurs. 12/1, Friday, 12/2 and Saturday 12/3:    Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker at 7 p.m.                              For three evenings the 17 member Jazz Loft Big Band will present Duke Ellington’s Jazz Nutcracker. Vocalist Danny Bacher accompanies the band. Tickets: $35 adults, $30 seniors, $25 students, $20 children, children 5 and under free

Monday 12/5  Marty Isenberg, bassist , performs a recital for his Doctor of Music Degree from Stony Brook University at 7 p.m. Tickets: $10 Adults, $5 Seniors ,Children and Students, Free for Stony Brook Students, Staff and Faculty with ID.

Wed. 12/7: Young at Heart: It’s The Holiday Season at 1 p.m. The Jazz Loft Trio performs music of the season. Young at Heart is a monthly jazz themed concert series for those that like their jazz in the afternoon. Tickets: $10

Wed. 12/7:  Jazz Loft Trio and Jam at 7 p.m. The Jazz Loft Trio performs at 7 p.m. followed a jam at 8 p.m. Tickets: $10 at 7 p.m., $5 at 8 p.m.

Thurs. 12/8:  Jazz Dispatch at Madiran Wine Bar in Setauket at 7 p.m.  Jazz Loft regulars, Tom Manuel, trumpet and Steve Salerno, guitar, take their performance to Madiran Wine Bar.

Thurs. 12/8: Bad Little Big Band Holiday Show  at 7 p.m. Pianist Rich Iacona leads his 12 member band in performing music of the season. Tickets: $35 adults, $30 seniors, $25 students, $20 children, children 5 and under free

Fri. 12/9: Ray Anderson’s Seasonal Solstice Party at 7 p.m. Trombonist Ray Anderson brings on the holiday spirit with Tommy Campbell on drums and Mark Helias on bass. Tickets: $35 adults, $30 seniors, $25 students, $20 children, children 5 and under free

Sat. 12/10: Interplay Jazz Orchestra Family Show at 1 p.m. The 17 member jazz big band co led by Joe Devassy, trombone and Gary Henderson trumpet perform their annual family holiday concert. Tickets:$ 35 adults, $30 seniors, $25 students, $20 children, children under 5 free

Sat. 12/10:  Tom Manuel’s Eggnog Romp at 7 p.m. Trumpeter and Jazz Loft founder, Tom Manuel performs seasonal music with his quintet. Tickets: $35 adults, $30 seniors, $25 students, $20 children, children 5 and under free

Mon. 12/12: Stony Brook University Jazz Combos Concert at 7 p.m. Combos of graduate music students perform under the direction of trombonist Ray Anderson and trumpeter Tom Manuel. Tickets: $10 adults, $5 seniors & students, Free for SBU faculty,staff & students with ID

Tuesday 12/13 Moshe Elmakias, pianist, performs a recital for his Doctor of Music Degree from Stony Brook University at 7 p.m. Tickets: $10 Adults, $5 Seniors ,Children and Students, Free for Stony Brook Students, Staff and Faculty with ID.

Wed. 12/14:  Jazz Loft Trio and Jam at 7 p.m.  The Jazz Loft Trio performs at 7 PM followed by a jam at 8 p.m. Tickets: $10 at 7 PM, $5 at 8 PM

Thurs. 12/15, Friday, 12/16, Saturday, 12/17: Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker at 7 p.m.  For three nights the 17 member Jazz Loft Big Band will perform Duke Ellington’s jazz Nutcracker. Trumpeter Tom Manuel directs and narrates and vocalist Danny Bacher accompanies the band. Tickets: $35 adults, $30 seniors, $25 students, $20 children, children 5 and under free

Sun. 12/18:  Jazz Nativity  at 6 p.m. The candlelight jazz nativity featuring the Biblical Christmas story is performed by a jazz sextet. Tickets: $35 adults, $30 seniors, $25 students, $20 children, children 5 and under free

Wed. 12/21: Jazz Loft Trio and Jam at 7 p.m. The Jazz Loft Trio performs at 7 p.m. followed by a jam at 8 p.m. Tickets: $10 at 7 p.m., $5 at 8 p.m.

Thurs. 12/22:  Nicole Zuraitis Jazz Christmas Party at 7 p.m. Grammy nominated vocalist, pianist and composer, Nicole Zuraitis, appears backed by a big band ensemble to present holiday favorites. Tickets: $35 adults, $30 seniors, $25 students, $20 children, children 5 and under free

The Jazz Loft is located at 275 Christian Ave in Stony Brook Village. Tickets are available at www.thejazzloft.org and if available, in person prior to events. For more information, call 631-751-1895.

The Jazz Loft
Grant will help fund more concerts, more music and community outreach

The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Avenue in Stony Brook, is a recipient of $10,000 in New York State Council on the Arts grant funding, part of $32 million that has been awarded state-wide to more than 1,000 groups. The funding will assist arts, music and cultural organizations to make a strong comeback from the pandemic.

Tom Manuel, founder and president of the Jazz Loft, said the funding will allow the music venue to program three to five additional shows during the upcoming 2023 season.

“This grant funding will allow the Jazz Loft to present some innovative and diverse performances during our 2023 season which I’m quite excited for,” said Manuel.  “Funding like this enables us to stay true to our mission and to continue to advocate for Jazz; be it by employing young, up and coming artists, honoring our elder statesmen and stateswomen in Jazz, or presenting to our community factions of Jazz that might not be so well known such as influences from Cuba, China, Brazil or other parts of the world.”

The Jazz Loft is located just 90 minutes from New York City and is the only music venue on Long Island that features exclusively Jazz music. For more information about The Jazz Loft, visit their website.

The Homegrown String Band

The Port Jefferson Free Library, 100 Thompson St., Port Jefferson presents The Homegrown String Band in concert Sunday, Nov. 6 at 2 p.m.

The Homegrown String Band™ celebrates the American tradition of families making music together. This family band’s repertoire includes a healthy portion of early country music classics by the likes of The Carter Family and Delmore Brothers, along with a tasty sprinkling of original material inspired by the rural American string band and folk traditions of the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries. Comprised of husband and wife plus daughter, this dynamic trio adds their own musical DNA to an American tradition, taking you on a musical journey from ancient ballads of the British Isles to blues and bluegrass of the twentieth century.

The family has been performing together for twenty-five years, playing such venues as The National Theatre in Washington DC to the Festival of American Music in Branson Missouri.

Open to all. Pre-registration is necessary to keep the music flowing. Sign up at portjefflibrary.org, or call 631-473-0022 to reserve a seat.

Two bastions of commerce and culture joined forces on Saturday, Oct. 22, for a night of fright and fun at Port Jefferson Station’s Train Car Park.

The Spooktacular Music Festival was a three-hour production co-hosted by the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce and the local affiliate of the School of Rock, the largest music school franchise nationwide. The event showcased the talents of local student musicians while bringing community members together for a night out.

Tracie and Jaime Smith have owned the Port Jefferson-based franchise of the School of Rock for 12 years. They described the music school as a place connecting like-minded youth with a shared passion for music.

“A lot of the kids that come to the School of Rock don’t quite fit in in public school,” Jaime Smith said. “When they come to our school, they are exactly who they are, and they’re accepted for that, regardless of age, race, it doesn’t matter.” He added, “They all share that common goal of art, and they do a heck of a job expressing that on stage.”

This sentiment held on Saturday night as the student performers entertained hundreds of spectators on the Train Car Park’s main lawn, playing songs across various genres, such as classic rock and punk rock. 

Tracie Smith offered her perspective on the evening, saying that the event closely aligned with the music school’s organizational principles.

“We pride ourselves on getting the kids on stage,” she said. “It’s not just taking a guitar lesson in your basement and never doing anything with it. We get the kids on stage multiple times per year, and they get to rock out,” adding, “It helps them build their confidence and meet other like-minded kids.”

While the School of Rock has held the event in years past, this marked the first year the performance was held at the Train Car Park. Jennifer Dzvonar, president of PJSTCC, was also present during the event and discussed how it all came together. 

“We’re trying to get some more community events over here at the Train Car Park, so together we said, ‘Bring it here, and we’ll do it in collaboration with the chamber,’” she said. “We have some chamber members here setting up some tables. It’s open to the community, free admission, and with live music and fun.”

For Dzvonar, this event marks just the next chapter in a string of recent positive developments for the Greater Comsewogue area. According to her, boosting recreational use at the Train Car Park has been the chamber’s priority for years. 

Now, with the availability of public funds and political will, those plans are bearing fruit. “We have always been trying to get this up and running,” she said. “Phase one is trying to get the park usable for the community, so they’re going to be making a walking path in here, we’re getting a parking lot and we’re going to get a playground.” She added, “Hopefully, that should be completed by the end of this year. If not, then the beginning of next year.”

After these improvements are executed, the chamber plans to use the historic train car on-site for community tourism. In addition, plans are in place to repurpose some of it as office space, providing chamber members with new headquarters.

“Our vision is coming to fruition finally,” Dzvonar said. “This is exactly what we wanted for the community — a place to come, a place for kids and adults, a place for anybody. Basically, the motto of the chamber is to bring local businesses and the community together. This is a hub for that.”

Jaime and Tracie Smith have observed a gradual shift in the area throughout their time running the music school. For them, the arts will continue to play a central role in the area’s burgeoning cultural renaissance.

“What we’ve seen in the over a decade that we’ve been here is a movement toward families and the arts and a dedication to the community,” Jaime Smith said. “There has been a real movement forward toward creating something different here … and music always brings people together.”

Tracie Smith added to this perspective, touching upon how the COVID-19 pandemic has brought more families from New York City onto Long Island. Given these trends, she sees reason for optimism.

“We’ve seen such a nice bump in our enrollment post-COVID,” she said. “We’ve seen a lot of new families, a lot of resurgences, a lot of people moving from the city to come here, so we’re looking forward to the future for sure.”

— Photos by Raymond Janis

Townes Van Zandt and Nanci Griffith

WUSB’s Sunday Street series returns to the Long Island Museum’s Gillespie Room in the Carriage Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook on Sunday, Oct. 23 with a concert titled Nanci & Townes: Remembering Two Texas Troubadours at 5 p.m.

WUSB’S Sunday Series returns to live performances  by continuing its tradition of honoring seminal singer-songwriters with an evening devoted to the songs of Nanci Griffith and Townes Van Zandt, two Texas-based artists.

Participating are Gene Casey, Delaney Hafener (of the Belle Curves), Caroline Doctorow, Bryan Gallo, Ray Lambiase, Mary Lamont w/ Jim Marchese, Pete Mancini, Gerry McKeveny, and Quarter Horse.

Pete Mancini will emcee the evening which will benefit the Sunday Street Series and WUSB.

The event is co-produced by Pete and Charlie Backfish and a collaboration of WUSB’s Sunday Street Series, The Long Island Museum, and The Greater Port Jefferson Art’s Council.

Nanci Griffith’s passing on August 13, 2021 was universally mourned in the music world. This Austin native received critical acclaim for a career that included sixteen original studio albums as well as two ‘covers’ collections, paying homage to songwriters who influenced her own writing. On the first of those two collections, ‘Other Voices, Other Rooms, she included her version of Townes Van Zandt’s ‘Tecumseh Valley.’ Her song, ‘Up Against the Rain’ is about Van Zandt.

Townes Van Zandt, from Fort Worth, has been considered influential not only by Nanci Griffith but by countless artists cutting across several musical genres. Many of his songs are regarded as masterpieces of songwriting with Steve Earle recently recording an entire album of them. Van Zandt passed away on New Year’s Day, 1997, at age 52. In the 2000’s, extensive interest in him resulted in two books and a documentary film.

                                            Tickets are $ 20.00 at www.sundaystreet.org

Artoberfest

Save the date! Join Preservation Long Island and the Long Island Museum for an Artoberfest, an afternoon of food, beer, music by Buddy Merriam & Backroads, arts and crafts, and games at the Sherwood-Jayne Farm, 55 Old Post Road, East Setauket on Saturday, Oct. 22 from noon to 5 p.m. The event is a celebration of the art of Edward Lange (1846-1912), whose works are currently on view at the Long Island Museum through Dec. 18.  Rain date is Oct. 23. Tickets are $20/over 21, $10/under 21, free for ages 5 and under. To order tickets, visit www.preservationlongisland.org. For more information, call 631-692-4664.

By Heidi Sutton

Written almost 300 years ago, Beauty and the Beast is a tale as old as time. 

A classic story of love and sacrifice, a girl by the name of Belle searches to find her place among the townspeople in her village, all while dodging the advances of a self-loving brute named Gaston. When her father is taken prisoner by a monstrous beast in an enchanted castle, Belle chooses to take his place. 

The Beast is really a young prince who is trapped under the spell of an enchantress. If he can learn to love and in return find someone who will love him before all the petals on an enchanted rose wither, the curse will end. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his castle staff will be doomed for all eternity. Will Belle be the one to break the spell? 

Now the  enchanting fairy tale heads to the John W. Engeman Theater in Northport to bring joy to yet another young generation in the form of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Jr. with book by Linda Woolverton. Although an abbreviated version of the original with a running time of one and a half hours, it features all of the wonderful songs we’ve come to love by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice including “Belle,” “Gaston,” “Be Our Guest,” “The Mob Song,” and everyone’s favorite, “Beauty and the Beast” sung by Mrs. Potts.

Directed by Danny Meglio with musical direction by Gina Salvia, the 15-member cast transports the audience to a French provincial town full of action, adventure, singing and dancing and does a wonderful job with special mention to Nancy Rose Fallon as the beautiful Belle and Adam Brett as the Beast who can’t control his temper. Brett really gets into character all the way down to the snarl, but is never scary. The musical touches often on Belle’s love of books and, in one of the sweetest moments in the show, she reads the story of King Arthur to her captor during their duet “Something There.” 

Terrence Bryce Sheldon as the creep Gaston and Daniel Saulle as his sidekick Lefou have the most fun roles and pull them off with ease. Michael Fasciano gives a passionate performance as Belle’s father, Maurice. 

An audience favorite, the enchanted castle staff — Jae Hughes as the candelabra Lumiere in a perfect French accent; Daniel Bishop as Cogsworth the talking clock; Suzanne Mason as Mrs. Potts the teapot; Jillian Sharpe as Babette the feather duster; Lacey Cornell as Madame de la Grande Bouche the wardrobe; and the adorable teacup Chip (a dual role played by Sophie Achee and London Delvecchio) — are visually stunning thanks to costume designer Laura McGauley who also produces the iconic yellow gown for Belle.

As choreographer, Danielle Alliotta also deserves kudos for the big dance numbers including “Gaston” and “Be Our Guest.”

A screen in the back of the stage is used to depict the different scenes of the show including the different rooms in the Beast’s castle — a nice touch — and the actors walk through the aisles often, keeping the children at the edge of their seats.

The Engeman has gone all out on this production and it shows. Catch a performance before the last petal falls.

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Jr. through Oct. 30. Light-up roses may be purchased before the show and during intermission and costumes are encouraged. All seats are $20. For more information or to order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engeman theater.com.

 

Photo by Aidan Johnson
By Aidan Johnson

Sea shanty singers from around the globe were called from the briny deep to perform at the 2nd annual Port Jefferson Sea Shanty & Maritime Music Festival on Saturday, Oct. 1. 

Performer Monti Babson of “Pirates at Large”

While the event was due to be held outside at Harborfront Park, it was moved to inside the Village Center due to inclement weather. Yet this was no issue for the singers, as they still gave delightful and entertaining performances.

Amy Tuttle, program director for the Greater Port Jefferson-Northern Brookhaven Arts Council and creator of the festival, wanted to give sea shanty singers a place to share their talent. 

“Last year, there were some sea shanty singers from Mystic Seaport [Connecticut], and Mystic had discontinued their sea shanty [festival], so those shanty singers were distressed and sad that they had no place to play,” Tuttle shared. “And I said Port Jefferson has a very rich and interesting shipbuilding history — come here.”

Over a matter of a couple of months, GPJAC was able to put together the inaugural Port Jeff sea shanty festival. After seeing that the event was successful, the arts council decided to hold it annually.

Performers Bob Conroy and Bill Grau of “Stout”

Shanty singers came from afar to participate in the festival, including Connecticut, New Jersey and England. “They’ve come from all over to perform in this festival,” Tuttle said.

The performers aren’t the only ones excited about sea shanties. TikTok has thrown the genre into the spotlight amongst the youth, especially with the song “The Wellerman.” 

“I know during the pandemic it was a thing on TikTok, and a lot of the kids were experimenting with different things and writing their own music, which was fabulous,” Tuttle said. “We thought, how fun would it be to get some of the [original] singers to come and do sea shanties here.”

Many of the performers have had several decades of experience with sea shanties under their belt. Maria Fairchild started off playing the piano as a child before moving on to the guitar and eventually the banjo. She also has performed in multiple bands for more than 30 years. Adam Becherer, with whom Fairchild performed, grew up with the bluegrass scene in South Street Seaport in Manhattan thanks to his father being in a bluegrass band. 

Performers Adam Becherer and Maria Fairchild

Both Fairchild and Becherer feel an attraction toward folk music. “I like the history of it,” Fairchild said. “I also like that the melodies are … different from modern music, and there’s something really ancient that I’m attracted to.” Becherer added, “I love the collaborative nature of it. I love getting together with people who you don’t necessarily know, but there’s like a common language of tunes that people can get together and play.”

Despite the weather, the music festival went off without a hitch. Tuttle, along with GPJAC, is planning on having a tavern setting next year, in which people can learn how to sing and play the songs. 

Currently, the arts council is presenting its Port Jefferson Documentary Series, with screenings taking place throughout the fall. For more information, visit www.gpjac.org.

— Photos by Aidan Johnson