Join the Northport Chorale for their annual fundraiser, “A Night at the Line Dancing!” at Christ Lutheran Church, 189 Burr Road, East Northport on Saturday, March 15 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
By Rita J. Egan
Music lovers will experience two distinctive sounds during the Sunday Street Concert on March 9 at The Long Island Museum.
Local singers Gene Casey; Caroline Doctorow; Andrew, Andie Juliette and Cole Fortier; Bryan Gallo; Ray Lambiase; Russ Seeger; and Hank Stone will come together to commemorate the music of two legends — Lou Reed and Paul Simon. Both are inductees in the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame.
Andrew Fortier said he finds Simon and Reed to be polar opposites.
“I also think they’re both geniuses and brilliant and really that’s the fun discovery of it all,” he said.
Producer Charlie Backfish said during the concert, titled Lou Reed & Paul Simon: Two Songwriters from Long Island, the artists will each perform one song from Simon’s catalog and one of Reed’s songs. Simon, 83, and Reed, who passed away in 2013 at the age of 71, both have ties to Long Island.
Born in Brooklyn, Reed graduated from Freeport High School in 1959 while Simon graduated from Forest Hills High School in Queens in 1958.
Reed played guitar and was a member of a doo-wop group in his younger days, while Simon, along with classmate Art Garfunkel, joined forces first as the group Tom and Jerry. The duo would go on to record simply as Simon and Garfunkel and recorded hits such as “I Am a Rock” and “Scarborough Fair” before Simon pursued a solo career. Reed also embarked on a solo path after being a member of the rock group Velvet Underground for five years.
The artistic paths of both accomplished singers and songwriters would cross in 1980 when Simon wrote and starred in One Trick Pony. Reed played a record executive in the same film.
Backfish said he chose the two artists for this show because of their ties to Long Island as well as their musical genres, which are “rather different, although they share some common roots.”
He added that the two, in addition to graduating from Long Island high schools and appearing in a movie together, both had an interest in Doo Wop. According to Backfish, their interests in the genre continued throughout their careers.
“Obviously not every recording, but there are elements of it in their music, and especially in their early years that kind of intrigued me,” he said.
Ray Lambiase, who chose Reed’s “Pale Blue Eyes” to perform, said as he was deciding on a song from the singer’s catalog, especially from Velvet Underground, “I was struck by how — as quirky as his recordings were — you can still pick up an acoustic guitar, and they still have the fundamental elements of a well-written song.”
Lambiase said finding a Simon song is as challenging as picking a Reed song. He added that many of Simon’s songs can be musically challenging.
“Paul Simon is such a terrific guitar player that a lot of his songs are difficult to play,” he said.
“There are some songs that are simpler than others, but he was a very sophisticated guitar player, and also his chord patterns were much more sophisticated than what we would think of as traditional folk singers.”
Lambiase will perform “Paranoia Blues” from Simon’s first solo album, which he feels will be a fun song compared to some of his more serious pieces.
“It might be a good idea to break things up and show that he had a humorous side, too,” the performer said.
Caroline Doctorow, who will sing Simon’s “The Dangling Conversation,” which she recorded on her “Dreaming in Vinyl” album, and Reed’s “Sunday Morning,” said it’s important for performers to try to sound different than the original artists.
“You want to add something to your interpretation,” Doctorow said, adding it can be “challenging in a really wonderful way.”
“I’m so happy that Charlie does these shows,” she said. “It’s a nice opportunity to just spread your wings a little bit in a way that you might not otherwise.
Andrew Fortier agreed that the concert series and Backfish’s WUSB-FM radio program “Sunday Street” take performers and listeners on a journey, introducing them to singers they may have never considered.
He added he feels the audience will enjoy hearing both artists’ music and that fans of one will find the other songwriter’s work fresh and new. Fortier and his children, Cole and Andie Juliette, were on a road trip listening to some of Simon’s and Reed’s work to look for songs that resonated with them.
“The truth of it is that it is really fun when you dive into an artist that you really aren’t that familiar with, because you really can dig deep, and you really get an appreciation for what they do,” Fortier said.
Andie Juliette Fortier added, “It’s always interesting. It gives you a chance to get to know each artist a little bit more and really explore parts of their catalog you maybe wouldn’t normally listen to.”
After listening to Simon’s and Reed’s work, Andrew Fortier decided to sing Simon’s “Still Crazy After All These Years” and Reed’s “Satellite of Love.” Andie Juliette Fortier will perform “Kathy’s Song” by Simon and “I’ll Be Your Mirror” by Reed. Cole Fortier has chosen Simon’s “Hearts and Bones” and “Going Down” by Reed.
The Fortiers are looking forward to hearing the other performers’ interpretations, too.
“There’s always surprises,” Andie Juliette Fortier said. “It’s always nice to hear how people interpret different songs and put their own style on it.
Lambiase said he enjoys the “insights from the different steps of the journey of their personal growth and journeys” when he performs an artist’s work at a Sunday Street concert.
“I think that’s a really big part of the show to humanize the artists by taking their songs and reducing them to their core essentials, and keeping some insight into their journey, because every musician, especially people with careers as long as Paul Simon and Lou Reed, there’s a beginning, a middle and the later part.”
Doctorow said older songs usually stir up a sense of nostalgia, and she hopes audience members will remember the music, and the songs will bring back memories while they connect with them in a new way.
“It’s like that Hugh Prestwood song — called ‘The Song Remembers When,’” she said. “You hear these songs from your youth, and you remember things that you might not normally remember. It just sort of washes over you, and in difficult times like we’re in now, the songs comfort people.”
Sunday Street Concert Lou Reed & Paul Simon: Two Songwriters from Long Island is produced by Charlie Backfish and is a not-for-profit collaboration with WUSB-FM, The Greater Port Jefferson Arts Council and The Long Island Museum.
The show takes place on Sunday, March 9 at 5 p.m. in The Gillespie Room at The Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook. Advance sale tickets are $25, plus a service fee, through March 7. Tickets at the door are $30, cash only. For more information, visit www.sundaystreet.org.
Jean Prysock, who passed away on June 28, 2024 at the age of 97 in North Carolina, leaves behind an extraordinary legacy and The Jazz Loft in Stony Brook is a big part of that story. Prysock, who was married to jazz great Arthur Prysock, was never one to take a back seat and embodied the old adage that if “you want something done, give it to a busy person.”
Her life was full with volunteer work and helping others. In her later years she became a key spark in establishing The Jazz Loft (TJL). As a founding board member, Prysock worked with founder and president Tom Manuel, attending initial meetings with The Ward Melville Heritage Organization board and their President, Gloria Rocchio, as the idea of TJL became a reality.
“Jean tirelessly worked public relations for The Jazz Loft when we first opened in 2014,” Manuel said. “She donated her husband’s archives and that was a big addition to our collections. It opened the door for others that followed. She was an incredible mentor to me, and a real pioneer in so many shapes and forms, and more importantly, one of my dearest friends.”
Born and raised in the Bedford Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn, Prysock graduated from Franklin K. Lane High School, receiving awards for her dedication to others and her athletic abilities.
Prysock was married to Arthur for 49 years. The couple met at the Savoy nightclub, where Arthur was performing with the Buddy Johnson Band.
“My dad thought my mom would be an easy pickup, but she wasn’t,” laughed daughter Jeanartta. But Prysock’s best friend Gloria was dating Arthur’s brother and that made for an introduction.
They were married on June 6, 1948.
They bought their first home in Jamaica, N.Y. Arthur and Prysock loved to entertain and their home was known for great parties, good food and the best BBQ around. Christmas Eve parties were Prysock’s specialty and people came from far and wide, which eventually required her to transform the party into a ticketed dinner-dance.
Following Arthur’s death in 1997, Prysock did not slow down, filling her days with a variety of volunteer opportunities and positions on advisory boards.
Prysock volunteered at the Veterans Hospital in St. Albans, Goldwater Hospital and Harlem Hospital. Prysock organized shows for the patients at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, featuring her talented husband. She was active in the PTA at P.S. 140 in Queens. She eventually received a position on the P.S. 140 Board of Education, and headed the Higher Horizons program.
In addition to her school and community work, the sport of bowling called. For 22 years Prysock volunteered at Cardinal Lanes, and had a league of young bowlers known as the Prysock Junior Bowlers. Bowling became a big part of her life. Through communication with Charlie Venable, a pro bowler, she got involved with the pro bowlers at Paramus Lanes, becoming a sponsor of the team The Prysock Five. Jean was the first female recipient of an award for dedication to the world of bowling.
“You couldn’t tell my mom ‘no’ to anything,” remembers Jeanartta. “That just made her more determined. She would find a way.”
When a local Portuguese family suffered a house fire resulting in the death of several children, Jean organized a fundraising effort to raise money so that the family could relocate to a new home.
Even though the community was divided by race, income and ethnicity, Jean brought everyone together and not only raised enough money for the family to buy a new home, but she also organized an interracial-interfaith group hoping to bring better understanding between all people.
The National Conference of Christians and Jews presented her the Ambassador of Good Will award and she was also recognized by local professional business groups and was named to the Nassau County Advisory Board of Volunteers Services.
Prysock leaves behind two daughters, Jeanartta and Jeanine; grandchildren Jara, Arthur, and Jeanisha; and great grandchildren Kiya, Kaily, and Hibiki..
Prysock’s motto was “Respect yourself and others will do the same. And remember no one owes you anything. Learn to love, learn to be better and the world will become a better place to live. When you help someone else up the hill, you help yourself.
JEAN
Jean
Am I just dreaming
Or is it so
You are an angel
A glow
If I should awaken would you be there?
Queen of my castle
In the air
You’re my inspiration and to hold you near
When I need consolation
You count every fear
Then
Jean, you make my life seem
Just like a dream
Please say you will always be my Jean
Please say you will always be my Jean
Please say you will always Be my Jean
Just my Jean
– By Arthur Prysock
At the February 13 Town of Brookhaven Board Meeting, Councilwoman Jane Bonner recognized Rocky Point School District music teacher, Craig Knapp, for being named 2024 ‘Educator of Note’ by the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF).
Mr. Knapp is the 18th music teacher to be recognized by LIMEHOF. The ‘Educator of Note’ award recognizes exceptional teachers who demonstrate a commitment to music education, play an active role in the community, and have a significant influence on the lives of music students of all backgrounds and abilities.
The ceremony took place at LIMEHOF’s museum location in Stony Brook and featured musical performances by current and former students, live and video-recorded speeches from colleagues, and a video presentation about Mr. Knapp’s career.
The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) in Stony Brook hosted LIMHOF inductee Albert Bouchard on Feb. 22. The former Blue Öyster Cult member who played the cowbell on the recording “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” reflected on the impact this Long Island band had on pop culture.
Bouchard spoke about the writing of the song, the famous Saturday Night Live skit “More Cowbell” which aired on April 8th, 2000 starring Christopher Walken and Will Ferrell, and how the expression “I’ve got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell” remains iconic!
“I love being a part of this organization (LIMEHOF),” Bouchard said. “Everyone’s like “How come you’re not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? I don’t really care about that. To me, you look at what’s going on there it’s not all Rock and Roll and that’s a subjective classification anyway. This, you’re talking about music and entertainment. It’s exactly what it is. It’s properly named, and you have the real people. It’s not just a popularity cult contest. It’s people who really made a difference from Long Island so I think this is a fantastic organization to belong to and I’m really delighted to be part of it.”
Norm Prusslin, co-founder LIMEHOF and current board member organized and hosted the event. He said it’s an important part of the organization’s mission to host inductees and local artists to share insights and stories most people might not know about historical events they lived through and the ups, downs and pressures of the music industry.
“Albert has been a good partner of LIMEHOF since we started,” said Prusslin. “Clearly all the hoopla about the Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary year and the fact that the ‘More Cowbell’ skit has been one of the top skits ever in their 50-year history I thought it might be fun to see if Albert was available to come out and talk about the recording of the song and about the skit and the impact that the skit has had to the band and to him and to pop culture itself. I knew that since Albert was a former member of Blue Öyster Cult, and that band was formed in Stony Brook, there’d be a lot of interest for people to come out and to share some stories that people may not know.”
Bouchard said he didn’t know SNL was planning on running a skit about the recording of the song at the time it aired, so it came as a surprise to him when he heard about it. He originally thought it was going to be terrible but after seeing it his reaction was one of delight.
“Oh my God this is so funny!” Bouchard recounted. “This is like just what happened… then I thought, how did he even hear the cowbell? To this day I cannot watch it without smiling. There’s always some little bit that makes me go ‘oh my God’ that was it.”
One major error that the skit made that Bouchard corrected was the producer. The SNL skit had Christopher Walken playing the famous music producer Bruce Dickinson. The original credits list three producers of the song — David Lucas, Murray Krugman and LIMEHOF inductee Sandy Pearlman. Of the three it was David Lucas who had the idea to add in the cowbell.
The back story about the producer mix up is that the writers of the skit saw a credit for Bruce Dickinson from a compilation album, not the original record of the song, which lead to the confusion.
Bouchard went on to explain how it happened in real life and that there were similar debates about including the cowbell at the time. At one point Bouchard wanted to play a triangle instead, but that was changed to a cowbell.
“David wanted to hear the cowbell in it,” Bouchard explained. “I never quite understood why he wanted it and then a couple of years ago he said … ‘I wanted some pulse, some quarter note pulse like a metronome but not a metronome to balance off all those eighth notes. Everything was eighth notes the whole song if you listen to it’… The cowbell balances that with a quarter note pulse. A brilliant idea when you think about it.”
“If it was up to me, it wouldn’t be on the song,” Bouchard continued. “I never would have thought to put a cowbell on it. It was David Lucas’s idea, and I just happened to be his tool to make that happen since I happened to be in the studio at the time…. It worked, that’s the bottom line. The cowbell riff worked, the cowbell skit worked, the song worked. It’s all about making people feel good.”
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. To date, the organization has inducted more than 130 musicians and music industry executives, and offers education programs, scholarships, and awards to Long Island students and educators.
To find out more about upcoming LIMEHOF events, check out https://www.limusichalloffame.org/events/
By Melissa Arnold
Think about your favorite song. What about it lifts your spirit? Maybe it’s the lyrics that feel so relatable, or the catchy melody that gets stuck in your head for days. For many people, though, good music is all about rhythm — a driving beat that makes you bob your head and want to dance.
The Stony Brook University Orchestra is tuning up to celebrate the power of rhythm at their annual Family Orchestra Concert on Tuesday, Feb. 25. The hour-long performance is meant to expose listeners of all ages to classical music in a relaxed, lighthearted atmosphere.
The orchestra is comprised of more than 70 Stony Brook students from all backgrounds. Some are music majors or minors, while others are studying in STEM fields and race from the lab to rehearsals. Conductor Susan Deaver scours the university’s music collection each year to find pieces that work well together and create a unique theme.
“I tried to highlight a variety of different rhythms with this concert, not just from piece to piece but also varying rhythms within the pieces as well,” said Deaver of this year’s selections. “And as always, we’ll teach people about all the different sounds an orchestra can make — the strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion — along with different dynamics and moods they can create. It’s going to be like a kaleidoscope.”
The concert’s lineup includes Alfred Reed’s “A Festival Prelude,” with sweeping and march-like elements; Jerry Brubaker’s “That Gershwin Rhythm,” a medley of hits from the famous American composer behind “I Got Rhythm”; and a rollicking section called “Hoe-Down” from Aaron Copland’s “Rodeo,” among others.
This year’s featured soloist is 21-year-old music major Alicja Paruch, the 2024 winner of the Undergraduate Concerto Competition. The majority of previous winners played either the piano or violin, but Paruch is playing an instrument that you don’t often see in the spotlight — the marimba. Paruch will perform selections from Ney Rosauro’s Marimba Concerto.
“I started by playing piano when I was young, and when I came [back to the United States] I looked for opportunities to continue but they were hard to come by,” said Paruch, who was born in the U.S. but primarily raised in Poland. “My high school teacher suggested I try the bells.”
The marimba is a percussion instrument in the bells family, and is played using mallets like a xylophone. The layout is similar to a piano, and Paruch made the transition comfortably. She was eventually skilled enough to play with many mallets simultaneously, holding several in each hand.
Paruch admitted she entered the concerto competition just for extra practice. The results shocked her.
“I was hoping to get some extra feedback and improve my playing. I didn’t think that I would win,” she laughed. “I was so surprised!”
A short composition by LeRoy Anderson, “The Typewriter,” will be another highlight. The fast-moving piece puts an actual typewriter in the spotlight, weaving the clacking of the keys and the “ding!” that precedes the carriage return with the orchestral sounds.
As Deaver was developing the concert list, she was delighted when freshman Maximo Flores approached her with some unexpected news: Flores collects typewriters. In fact, he owns five of them.
“I’m fascinated by antiques, and I love the idea of preserving parts of the past,” said Flores, a biology and music major whose main instrument is clarinet. “I got my first typewriter on Craigslist, and now I try to find them wherever I can.”
Deaver naturally asked Flores if he’d like to learn the typewriter solo for the piece.
“I’m an introvert, so this isn’t something I would usually seek out, but I’m a curious person and I love a challenge,” he said.
All told, the concert will be an exciting mix of selections that anyone can appreciate.
“When we say it’s a family concert, we truly mean the whole family can come and enjoy it, even the littlest ones. Some songs may be recognizable, and others will be a brand new experience,” Deaver explained. “Getting to hear an orchestra live and in person is also about getting to see the different instruments, learn how they work and the different sounds they can create. There’s a misconception that the orchestra is very serious, but the whole point is to enjoy the music. And maybe your feet won’t be able to stay still!”
————————————————–
The SBU Family Orchestra Concert will be held on the Main Stage of Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Rd., Stony Brook on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 631-632-7330 or visit www.stonybrook.edu/music.
It is still early in 2025, but the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society (HLPS) is already working on its list of projects and events for the coming season, including a refocus on renovation projects, additional lighthouse tours, and the end of its annual Musicfest, according to a press release on Feb. 19.
“After 15 successful years, we will not be hosting the Lighthouse Musicfest in 2025,” said Pam Setchell, HLPS President. “This decision was not made lightly, and we want to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who has supported and participated over the years. We deeply appreciate the enthusiasm shown for this event, and also want to thank the Town of Huntington for its support of this event.”
“Musicfest is a massive and monthslong undertaking for a very small group of volunteers who set aside business and personal activities for extended periods of time to make it happen,” continued Setchell. “With limited resources at our disposal, we have decided to refocus this year on important construction and renovation projects to ensure the continuation of the Huntington Light for another 113 plus years. In addition, we are working to meet the increasing demand for visitor tours and grow and train our volunteer staff to align with the needs of the lighthouse.”
Renovation focus
The ongoing restoration of a historical structure is never easy, and the unique location of the Huntington Light–it’s literally surrounded by water and has no means of access by land–amplifies the challenges. Since the inception of the Save Huntington’s Lighthouse group in 1985, and then the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society, the preservation and restoration of the lighthouse has remained a top priority.
Through a combination of public and private grants, private donations, seasonal tours, special events, and merchandise sales, HLPS has raised approximately $3.5 million in its 40-year history for improvements and restoration projects.
In 2025, new, custom-fabricated windows will replace the original windows, made possible by a generous grant from the Gardiner Foundation and a matching private donation. Additional projects include roof repairs and protective matting, wrought iron railings, repairing cracks in the building’s exterior masonry, and painting and repairing the cupola. A new custom watch deck door is also going to be installed. Each project requires careful planning to ensure that the building’s history and design are maintained. Everything that’s needed, including supplies, tools, and crew must be transported by water and can only be accomplished during a limited season.
Additionally, HLPS is reevaluating its fundraising raising efforts, strengthening its volunteer program, and overhauling the current HLPS website to provide additional functionality.
Lighthouse Tours
Offering access and sharing the story of the lighthouse are core to the HLPS’s mission. Last summer saw an increase in public tour participation, and HLPS anticipates another year that may be even busier. The team is working to add more tour dates, including dinner tours, to the schedule; 2025 dates will be announced soon!
HLPS also makes the lighthouse available for group tours by school groups and others wanting to learn more about maritime history, and visit a working lighthouse.
“We are incredibly proud of the community we’ve built together and the positive impact our collective efforts have had for the lighthouse,” said Setchell. “We are looking forward to seeing the luster restored to this treasured structure and believe you will, too. We stay committed to preserving the lighthouse for future generations as a welcoming beacon to the entrance of Huntington and Lloyd Harbors.”
Follow the Huntington Lighthouse on Facebook, and Instagram.
###
About the Huntington Lighthouse:
The Huntington Harbor Lighthouse was built in 1912 and proudly stands guard at the entrance to Huntington and Lloyd Harbors. It rises 42 feet above the water, marking dangerous rocks and helping to navigate boat traffic. It is unique in both design and construction and the first concrete lighthouse structure on the east coast. The Venetian Renaissance (Beaux Art) style of the lighthouse gives it the appearance of a small castle. The lighthouse was added to the National Register for Historic Buildings in 1989 and was placed on Notice of Availability by the National Parks Service on July 2, 2010. The HLPS was granted ownership of the Lighthouse in 2012.
About HLPS:
The Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society, Inc. is a volunteer non-profit, tax-exempt, 501(c) (3) organization. Its mission is to restore, preserve and provide public access to the Huntington Harbor Lighthouse (formerly Lloyd Harbor Lighthouse); to achieve the safe keeping of the building, artifacts, and records; to enhance public awareness and education on lighthouse history; to make the HHL a premier tourist attraction on Long Island; and to serve as a prototype of a restored offshore lighthouse.
For additional information, visit: https://www.huntingtonlighthouse.org/
The Bad Little Big Band, a staple at The Jazz Loft in Stony Brook, has announced that in 2025, the band will be performing on the third Thursday every other month with themed shows, featuring the 12-piece band, directed by composer, arranger and pianist Rich Iacona, and featuring vocalist Madeline Kole.
The band’s first performance of 2025 will be “Our Kind Of Broadway” on Thursday, February 20 at 7 p.m. The BLBB will perform the classic Broadway repertoire done in the BLBB swinging fashion, with all music arranged and conducted by Iacona. Other themes for the coming year’s schedule include: Movie Songs We Get to Hear”; “The Music of Harold Arlen”; “The Music of George Gershwin”; “Slightly Latin” ( Bossas, Rhumbas and Jobim); “Pop Goes the Jazz Tunes” (great pop favorites done in jazz style).
Kole a vocalist, bassist and bandleader, recently completed her latest recording, DON’CHA GO ‘WAY MAD… which is a collection of 14 of her favorite standards.
The Bad Little Big Band was started in 1979 by Iacona, who arranged and composed the band’s repertoire. The group made two recordings in the 1980’s- “Painter of Dreams” and “A Long Way to Go,” which received much airplay and notoriety over the years. Many of the original musicians are still with the group and Iacona has added to the repertoire with many new and fresh compositions. The Bad Little Big Band has featured many great soloists, with Kole being one of the band’s favorites. Fans can look forward to a new collection this year from Iacona.
The Jazz Loft is home to not one, but THREE big bands in residence that perform monthly. The Bad Little Big Band appears on the third Thursday every other month throughout 2025.
Tickets for the Jazz Loft Bad Little Big Band performance are $30, $25, $20 $15. The Jazz Loft is located at 275 Christian Avenue in Stony Brook.
The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) in Stony Brook has announced that Judi Lach Veeck, from Hampton Bays, has joined the organization as Executive Director.
“It’s an honor to lead an organization that celebrates Long Island’s rich musical heritage,” said Lach Veeck. “I’m thrilled to contribute to the growth and outreach of our mission, alongside our dedicated board and volunteers! My goals are to diversify funding and to increase awareness of our mission and outreach programs.”
Lach Veeck is a highly accomplished nonprofit executive with proven expertise in fundraising, marketing, image enhancement, and government relations. Her responsibilities for LIMEHOF will include overseeing operations and fundraising activities, organizing and applying for grants, and working with the board of directors to identify prospects.
“We are thrilled to have Judi on our team” said Ernie Canadeo, Chairman of LIMEHOF. “Her experience and expertise will create tremendous opportunities as we continue to grow and fulfill our mission of supporting education and preserving Long Island’s music heritage for future generations.”
A long-time board member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals of LI (AFPLI), Lach Veeck has over thirty years of experience in working with nonprofits and fundraising. She also has a strong track record of identifying organizational needs and developing specific campaigns and initiatives.
Prior to joining LIMEHOF, she served as Administrator for the Education Foundation for Suffolk County Extension, Inc., and as Director, Development & Public Affairs for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County.
For more information about the leadership at LIMEHOF, please visit: https://www.limusichalloffame.org/board-of-directors/
By Rita J. Egan
Ninety years after Elvis’s birth, his music still resonates with rock ‘n’ roll fans. Currently, at the John W. Engeman Theater in Northport, the cast of the biographical musical Heartbreak Hotel are presenting a production overflowing with talent to celebrate the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s legacy and music.
With book by Sean Cercone and David Abbinanti, Heartbreak Hotel is based on a concept by Floyd Mutrux, one of the co-writers of Million Dollar Quartet. The musical shares Elvis’s journey from his younger days to the singer’s comeback television special in 1968. The production offers nostalgia for older fans and a bit of rock ‘n’ roll history for younger audiences.
The fast-paced production, which has been performed in regional theaters across the United States but never on Broadway, encompasses more than 40 of the singer’s hits, including “That’s All Right,” “All Shook Up,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Hound Dog,” “Love Me Tender,” “Jailhouse Rock” and “Blue Suede Shoes.” For the Northport stage, Engeman’s director and choreographer, Paul Stancato, has created an energetic and engaging show.
As the musical opens, we see Elvis Presley mentally preparing for The Comeback Special in 1968. He receives a visit from his younger self, who advises that maybe the answers aren’t in the future but in the past. Throughout the musical, the audience witnesses the singer’s rise to fame and flashbacks to his younger days and humble beginnings. His love for Gospel music and the sounds of Beale Street in Memphis, where his family moved to from Tupelo, Mississippi, when he was a young teen, are beautifully commemorated.
When touching on the singer’s setbacks, the production handles it gracefully by giving enough details but not diving too deep, keeping the musical as upbeat as possible despite some of the downsides of his career.
Joe Caskey, as Elvis, understands the assignment. He embraces the confidence, moves and voice of the King without coming across as a campy impersonator. His vocals are strong, whether belting out “Jailhouse Rock” or serenading baby daughter Lisa Marie with a tearjerking “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” Caskey’s acting abilities are center stage during Act II, especially earlier in the act when it’s apparent that the weight of Elvis’s career and the responsibilities that come with it — including keeping his staff employed — are weighing heavily on him.
Spencer Chase is impressive as a young Elvis Presley. Like Caskey, the teenager has a confidence that one can imagine even young Elvis having. At the same time, he possesses the enthusiasm of a boy falling in love with music.
Pamela Bob, as Gladys Presley, is ideal as the loving mother, and her and Chase’s singing of “Peace in the Valley” is heartwarming.
Michel Vasquez plays Priscilla Presley and seamlessly transitions from the young woman exuding enthusiasm for her new love to the frustrated wife vying for his attention as he is distracted by other women.
Sara Rose is delightful as Elvis’s first girlfriend, Dixie. The actress shines even more later in the musical when she plays actress, singer and dancer Ann-Margaret. Rose’s powerful dance moves also take center stage during other numbers.
William Thomas Evans, as Col. Tom Parker, captures the sleaziness of Elvis’s manager. Matthew Schatz is perfect as Sam Phillips, demonstrating the record producer’s stress earlier in the musical and later his enthusiasm in promoting Elvis’s music to DJs. Playing another Phillips is Jeff Gallup, who as DJ Dewy Phillips captures the era’s energy. Hailey Aviva, as Sam Philips’ secretary, Marion Keisker, also adds to the vibrancy of the production. Matt Allen plays both Vernon Presley and Frank Sinatra and is fun to watch playing Sinatra, emulating the crooner’s mannerisms and accent.
Audiences should be prepared for toe-tapping even before the Elvis hits begin with “Welcome to Beale St.” sung by Troy Valjean Rucker, Tarik Ziegler, Lena Richard, Danielle McKnight, Chase and the ensemble. A few scenes later, Ziegler is a scene stealer as Reverend Brewster during the number “This Train is Bound for Glory.”
What makes this musical so unique is the actors playing instruments right on stage instead of an orchestra. The technique makes one feel as if they are actually at a live performance, especially during the closing act, when Caskey is in full concert mode. While several of the actors play instruments, Noah Berry, Chris Coffey and Luke Surretsky, as Elvis’s band members, are on stage most of the show and easily juggle acting and playing instruments.
The show’s cast and crew have gone above and beyond to produce a show that honors the musical legacy that Elvis left behind. During the cold, dark winter months, the Engeman’s Heartbreak Hotel is a shining star, just like the legend the musical honors.
The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main Street, Northport, presents Heartbreak Hotel through March 2. Tickets start at $82. For more information, call 631-261-2900 or visit engemantheater.com.
Prev
