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Gotta Have Arts

Jacob Burns Center Film & Community Celebration Honored Entertainment Community Fund, Janet Maslin and Joe Carlucci; Featured Cast of How to Dance in Ohio

September 24, 2023 by Inside Press

Joe Benincasa, President and CEO of the Entertainment Community Fund, and Dori Berinstein, JBFC Board Member    JBFC Photos by Lynda Shenkman
Honoree Janet Maslin, JBFC Board President, with her daughter in law Jennifer Reese and son John Cheever
Lynn Sobel, JBFC Board Chair, and Honoree Joe Carlucci
How to Dance in Ohio team: Top L-R: Sammy Lopez (Producer), Liam Pierce (Cast), Desmond Edwards (Cast), Conor Tague (Cast), Ben Holtzman, Fiona Rudin, Bottom L-R: Sammi Cannold (Director), Amelia Fei (Cast), Imani Russell (Cast), Ashley Wool (Cast)
Stephen Apkon, JBFC founder
L-R: Mary Jo Ziesel, Ginny Gold, JBFC Board Member, and Laureen Barber, JBFC Board Vice Chair

 

Pleasantville, NY — A September 18 event at the Jacob Burns Film Center included the presentation of the Vision Award to the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund); the David Swope Leadership Award to Joseph P. Carlucci, JBFC Founding Board Member; a special tribute to Janet Maslin, JBFC Founding Board Member and President; and performances from the cast of the new Broadway musical, How to Dance in Ohio.

The Entertainment Community Fund received the Vision Award in recognition of its unparalleled role in supporting a life in the arts. The Fund, a national human services organization, addresses the unique needs of people who work in performing arts and entertainment with services focused on health and wellness, career and life, and housing. President and CEO Joe Benincasa accepted the award on behalf of the Entertainment Community Fund. Dori Berinstein, JBFC Board Member, Broadway producer, documentary filmmaker presented the award.

 

The evening included a special tribute to Janet Maslin, a JBFC Founding Board Member and President. Since 2001, Janet has welcomed hundreds of icons from the worlds of film, music, and literature to the JBFC. The tribute will underscore Janet’s profound impact on fostering connections between the JBFC and some of the most influential and dynamic figures in the entertainment world.

 

A founding board member, Joe Carlucci has served the JBFC tirelessly and passionately over the years. A partner at Cuddy & Feder, Joe’s community involvement spans numerous nonprofit organizations, including Mercy College and Westchester Community College. 

The cast of How to Dance in Ohio performed two numbers from the heart-filled musical, which begins preview performances on Broadway on November 15. Based on the award-winning HBO documentary, the show is about seven autistic young adults preparing for a spring formal dance at a group counseling center in Columbus, Ohi0 – on the cusp of the next phase of their lives, facing their hopes and fears, ready to make a very big first move… and dance. 

Inside Press story presented in partnership with the Jacob Burns Film Center.

 

Filed Under: Gotta Have Arts, Happenings Tagged With: Entertainment Community Fund, How to Dance in Ohio, Jacob Burns Film Center, Janet Maslin, Joe Carlucci

Interview with the Soulful Couple Behind the Much Anticipated 2023 Phoenix Theater Festival – Live Arts in Nyack

August 18, 2023 by Nolan Thornton

Phoenix Theater Festival’s founding and creative directors, husband/wife team Craig Smith and Elise Stone

“I’m a crazy idealist, so I think that synchronicity happens in good theater where the performers and the audience are all living and breathing together,” said Elise Stone, Artistic Director of the Phoenix Theatre Ensemble.

One could argue that we’re all idealists when it comes to a good story. What adult can say they never smiled at a happily-ever-after bedtime story, or lost sleep over a creepy campfire story as a kid? Part of the job of Stone, and her spouse, Phoenix Executive Director Craig Smith, is to communicate with that kid inside all of us to create performances that truly resonate with audiences. And judging by the reviews and feedback from last year’s inaugural Phoenix Festival Smith and Stone do their jobs quite well.

The second annual Phoenix Festival in Nyack will take place over four weeks, starting September 28th, with the final performances set for October 21st. The shows include old favorites, as well as original productions developed by Phoenix Theatre Ensemble in NYC, as well as dance and music performances. “Put it on the calendar now, because you’ll blink and miss it,” said Smith. One of the performances of Pan, a dance piece presented by Emotions Physical Theatre is already sold out.

“Even when we’re doing something just plain fun, like a comedy, it’s never fluff. We bring all the heft of our love for language, literature, and human beings – and the desire to create connections – that’s why we’re storytellers,” said Stone. As Artistic Director, she has been working hard to develop many different works for many different audiences. “What can we do to adapt to the times and draw people in for something they can’t get at home?” asked Elise Stone.

One of the new and exciting plays to come out of Phoenix’s PlayCoop incubator series addresses this question head-on. The new work – Scandalton – is an interactive 90-minute piece structured like a Jane Austen novel and inspired by the hit show Bridgerton. The play’s program reads, “No romantic drama is complete without the judgment of genteel society, which is why at Scandalton, the audience will supply the rumors… You bring the tea. We spill it.”

Smith notes that the beauty of a show like Scandalton is that it appeals to younger people who want to participate in the fun, as well as the older crowd – of which he laughingly counts himself a member – who can just sit back and enjoy it.

The dance piece Pan, “set to hip-hop and more,” explores American boyhood and masculinity through the lens of the classic character Peter Pan. Emotions Physical Theatre grapples with the harsh reality that young Black men die before their time in disproportionate numbers  “for reasons we all know but refuse to fix,” according to the program. “Pan will deliver an experience that highlights the question ‘what are the reasons a Black boy might not want to grow up?’ through a carefully crafted interdisciplinary theatrical experience focused on movement and dance.”

Another exciting performance coming to Phoenix Festival is Drinks with Dead Poets, Phoenix Playwright in Residence Glyn Maxwell’s adaptation of his acclaimed novel, in which he also stars. The adaptation sets the play right in Nyack, NY, in the very space where the performance will be held: the upstairs bar at the iconic Hudson House restaurant on Main Street. Smith says this piece will have strong appeal for those who don’t enjoy a typical theater environment. “You come in and get a drink, and this incredible play will unfold right in front of you,” said Smith.

Other plays featured at the Phoenix Festival include their adaptation of the children’s classic, The Wind in the Willows created to be enjoyed by all ages, the critically acclaimed adaptation by Marilyn Campbell and Curt Columbus of the Dostoyevsky classic, Crime and Punishment, the original comedy Reflections from the Shallow End of the Dating Pool, and much more. Another exciting addition to the Festival this year is their brand new augmented reality walking tour Digital Dreaming, which is free to the public, and takes you via smartphone on a guided tour of Nyack’s history.

“I have a dream of audience members walking through the village as you do at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland to see an amazing performance in one-of-a-kind, non-traditional venues all over the city,” said Smith. It’s a dream that’s quickly becoming a reality, as the Festival approaches its second year. Stone mentioned a comment made by co-founder and artistic director of the famed Repertorio Espanol, Rene Buch, who said, “Theater has become something that’s seen as cake for the elite, but it really has always been and should always be bread for everyone.”

Filed Under: Cover Stories, Gotta Have Arts Tagged With: Craig Smith, Crime and Punishment, Digital Dreaming, Drinks with Dead Poets, Elise Stone, Live Arts in Nyack, Pan, Phoenix Festival Live Arts Nyack, Reflections from the Shallow End of the Dating Pool, Scandalton, Soulful, The Wind in the Willows

Caramoor Fall ‘23 – Spring ‘24 Highlights: A Preview of the Adventurous Programming!

August 18, 2023 by The Inside Press

The Pacifica Quartet performing April 14th Photo by Lisa-Marie Mazzucco

Caramoor’s longstanding commitment to adventurous programming – encompassing an expansive range of genres and outstanding artists – continues indoors all year round in the intimate setting of the Rosen House Music Room. Fall 2023 – Spring 2024 season tickets are on sale now. Highlights include the Emmet Cohen Trio with special guest Lucy Yeghiazaryan presented in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center (Sept 29), genre-bending South African cellist Abel Selaocoe (Oct 22); a benefit concert with Juno Award-winning and Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Allison Russell (Dec 2); superlative period-instrument ensemble The English Concert led by Harry Bicket (Dec 8); Grammy-winning baritone Will Liverman (March 24); dynamic saxophonist and bandleader Lakecia Benjamin with her quartet (April 19); and Chopin International Competition-winning pianist Seong-Jin Cho (May 15).

Allison Russell performing December 2nd
Photo courtesy of Caramoor

Also highly anticipated: the multi-Grammy winning Pacifica Quartet (April 14); a holiday program featuring TENET Vocal Artists (Dec 10); two programs from this season’s Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence, the Abeo Quartet (Nov 12 & May 5); American Roots music from Alisa Amador (Nov 3) and Jake Blount (May 11); jazz from the Emmet Cohen Trio with special guest Lucy Yeghiazaryan (Sep 29); cabaret singer Carole J. Bufford (Oct 20); performances by young artists from Caramoor’s Evnin Rising Stars and Schwab Vocal Rising Stars programs, and more.

Caramoor will also present a lively celebration of Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, for the third year as a free outdoor community event. Expect traditional music, dance, arts & crafts, and storytelling at this event in which loved ones are honored. Featured artists include the Calpulli Mexican Dance Company (Oct 15).

Emmet Cohen performing September 29th Photo courtesy of Caramoor

December will mark the return of Caramoor’s series of Holiday Tea Musicales, featuring holiday music followed by tea service. As always, Caramoor’s grounds are open to explore and enjoy for free, from Thursday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Info and tickets at caramoor.org.

Information Presented in Partnership with Caramoor

Filed Under: Gotta Have Arts Tagged With: Caramoor, Fall and Spring Highlights

Pleasantville Music Festival: A Great Family Experience

August 18, 2023 by Adrianna Cmiel-Walsh

When given the opportunity to visit the 17th annual Pleasantville Music Festival on behalf of the Inside Press, I had to take it! For years, my family has been invited but scheduling issues always arise, and bummer after bummer, for one reason or another, it just didn’t work out! So that I was excited is an understatement given what I already knew about the Festival’s diverse offerings. When I entered, I noted the three performance stages, countless food tents where friends and families gathered for both shade (yes, it was a hot summer’s day) and a really good meal, in coolers from home or purchased. The total picture for me shouted “great family experience”!

But let’s face it, first and foremost, the Festival is about appreciating and enjoying the musical artists, of local, regional and even national significance. You can be certain I sprinted to the main performing stage for the first live performance of the day! It was hard to miss not only because of the sound of the instruments but also on account of the audible anticipation I picked up in comments among festival goers. It was the first show* and the musicians set the tone for a great day!

I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a special shoutout to the food and beverage vendors, who offered something for almost everyone. For kids, there were many inflatable games and attractions! Even if you do not have children don’t fret, the 21+ beer and wine corner is a great time for any adult. Prepare to be carded! I heard about the downpour later in the day and wondered how everyone fared. I was relieved to hear that everyone recouped, and the shows did go on!

Bottom line: The Pleasantville Music Festival will always be a superb opportunity to enjoy live music alongside favorite festival foods and activities! And you will be anything but bored!

*For a full lineup of who played, and to anticipate what you might expect next year, visit pleasantvillemusicfestival.com

Filed Under: Gotta Have Arts Tagged With: Family Fun, Pleasantville, pleasantville music festival, Summer Festival

A Barbie World Goes Local

August 18, 2023 by Grace Bennett

The Barbie Block party outside the Jacob Burns Film Center Media Arts Lab in July will be one for the memory books – with residents and visitors of all ages decked out in their best Barbie (and Ken!) pink and other eye-popping attire – enjoying a photo with the event’s very own Barbie or imbibing on ‘Barbie Beer’ offered by Soul Food.

Any ‘eye rolling’ over a movie about Barbie came to a quick halt as the word hit the streets in Pleasantville and beyond that “THIS” Barbie was no superficial plastic experience, but a living testament to how a doll and society can evolve. The #Barbie movie succeeded at being both a fabulous feast for the eyes and a deep dive into the soul.

Yes, gorgeous Margot Robbie plays a Sensitive, Soulful Barbie! I also didn’t expect to see a movie that offers our best answer to the patriarchy to date – helping men get in touch with their emotions. It’s actually very empathetic to men in case anyone is hearing the opposite. In a sidebar, Barbie’s travails also softened a tense mother/daughter relationship that would strike a chord for anyone in that boat. I laughed a lot but also cried a couple times during this delightful, smart movie. Whether you agree or not, I know so many who feel grateful to the Burns for also always making movie night feel special!

Filed Under: Gotta Have Arts Tagged With: Barbie Movie, Barbie Party, Jacob Burns Film Center, Jacob Burns Media Arts Lab

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