The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Chappaqua Performing Arts Center

A Rousing Gala Offered Poignant Messages and New Support to Friends of Buttonhook Forest

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Walkabout Clearwater Chorus and Bethany Yarrow performing at the Friends of Buttonhook Forest fundraiser at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center    Photos by Alexander Harris

Chappaqua, NY– Responding to the evening’s ultimate goal–to save the beleaguered Buttonhook Forest which belongs to the Chappaqua Central School District; its ancient history and precious wildlife is being threatened with ultimate destruction by developers–hundreds gathered with great intention on April 18, 20230 for a first time fundraiser on behalf of saving Buttonhook and to participate in a most colorful program at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center.

For a few hours, everyone had a chance to enjoy, to truly revel in, a most unique and ultimately gorgeous compilation of traditional music and remarks offered by leaders both from within the both the Native American community and from Friends of Buttonhook Forest.

Stephen Leonardo, an adopted member of the an adopted member of the Ramapough Tribe, set the anticipatory mood with the exquisite sound of the Native American Flute he played. Chief Dwayne Perry of the Ramapough Lunape Nation and Jessica Ryan, vice chair of the Tribal Council of the Brothertown Indian Nation, delivered poignant messages surrounding the sacredness of the Buttonhook site after Friends’ member Victoria Alzapiedi greeted both the honorary guests and the community’s attendees. 

Stephen Leonardo
Grandmother Nancy Andry, middle, prior to the evening fundraiser on behalf of saving Buttonhook Forest

There was a special screening of the extraordinary ‘Sing the Water Song’, a masterful video depicting the sheer joy and vitality and sense of community that water brings. Grandmother Nancy Andry’s remarks followed the screening, re-enforcing the concept of water’s sacredness. She also conveyed her profound appreciation to those working to save Buttonhook.

Award winning area musicians Jon Cobert and Tom Chapin performed Earth Day themed songs, including Happy Earth Day, and engaged the audience in harmonizing This Pretty Planet. Attendees were also treated to powerful songs by the Walkabout Clearwater Chorus, Bethany Yarrow, and Patrick Stanfield Jones on Acoutic Guitar.

Jon Cobert (left) and Tom Chapin performing at a fundraiser to save Buttonhook Forest

Included in the program as well, conveying the urgency of the situation: a screening of a Buttonhook Forest PSA which was followed with remarks by Tyler Chase, documentary filmmaker, L’ORAGE Productions.

 

        

With the Fiddler Cast: A Celebration of Life at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center

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Photo by Lisa Wohl

It was an incredible end of winter treat to watch a dozen cast members of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish, including the Fiddler HERself, take the stage of the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center (ChappPac) to share their remarkable journey through and since Broadway’s blockbuster production.

Merete Muenter, associate director and associate choreographer of the show, moderated. Each of the 12 cast members in attendance had a chance to speak from the heart, answering a series of Muenter’s wide ranging, food-for-thought questions–including ‘Do we still need Fiddler today?”

One cast member somberly reminded about today’s antisemitism while another addressed the plight of refuges from Ukraine–and so, the collective answer to us very (in agreement) fortunate theater goers was, yes, of course we do! The consensus: We need lots more Fiddler.

In lighter moments of ‘the Conversation,” with a slide show illustrating memorable cast moments on and off set, many of us romantics were tickled to learn of cast member romances, and even a marriage, with the hand-holding actors in attendance.

Photo by Lisa Wohl

If I were taking notes, I’d relate more and ‘who’ said ‘what’. But I confess I was there to kick back and enjoy–to capture all the personal feelings the timeless music Fiddler evokes, and right near home!

The unforgettable melodies have become a way to revisit my Jewishness, and I’m sure this is true for millions: part of the experience of being Jewish mirrors Fiddler’s celebration of Jewish faith and culture while never forgetting the struggles of the Jewish people through the ages… their production on Broadway will stay with me forever!

And these big-hearted, long time cast members–who have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Broadway Cares–didn’t disappoint.

Immediately, we were treated to hearing ‘Tradition,’ which amply set the mood!

We heard Tevye’s ‘If I Were a Rich Man’, The Daughters’ and Yenta’s ‘Matchmaker’, ‘The Sabbath Prayer’, and ‘Anitekva’.

We even got a short lesson in ‘Yinglish’ as the audience received a quick tutorial to singing along with ‘Sunrise, Sunset.’ Fun! We weren’t half bad. And what, in these times, could have been a better finale to the evening than ‘To Life’? Gornisht! (i.e., nothin!)

This review is dedicated to the memory of Chaim Topol.  September 9, 1935 – March 8, 2023. Topol is best known as the Israeli-born actor who portrayed Tevye the longest in Broadway’s iconic Shalom Aleicheem musical Fiddler on the Roof, and in the Hollywood movie adaptation.

Don’t Resist JUST DESSERTS at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center April 28-30

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Just Between Us: Dessert comes first, the playful among us like to say!  And now, an irresistibly delicious new Broadway-style musical, Just Desserts is coming to the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center! The whole family is invited to enjoy what its producers are calling “a charming, professionally performed musical (performers are Actor’s Equity Association artists) about a baking contest, and six strangers coming together, and after much mystery and drama, becoming friends and supporting each other!”

 Oh, and this: 100 percent of Just Desserts proceeds are being earmarked toward the wonderful San Miguel Academy in Newburgh!

As a collaboration between two area music powerhouses–Frank Shiner, producer and Brad Ross, composer–Just Desserts bills itself as “a charming show about a baking contest and the interaction between the contestants. “The music has a traditional Broadway sound, and it is VERY family friendly!” relays Shiner.  Read on for more, direct from Shiner, below.   — Grace

JUST DESSERTS: A Musical Bake-Off

Book and Lyrics by Barbara Campbell

Music by Brad Ross

Directed by Tom Wallace

It’s sweet. It’s savory. It’s five strangers putting their hearts, reputations, and baking skills on the line to become the crème de la crème of bakers at a county fair. The heat is on to create three different types of desserts during the finals. A determined young woman dreaming of opening her own bakery. A sexy nail technician who wants to fit in. A shy school nurse who doesn’t want to be there at all. A mysterious man from Brooklyn who arouses suspicion about his past.  And the reigning champion who is confident she’ll garner yet another victory this year. They’ll all get their just desserts at the Jefferson County Bake-Off! There’s a little mystery, a little romance, some potential cheating, and some back-stabbing – exactly what you expect when the competition is fierce – and the results are deliciously satisfying!

100% of your ticket purchase goes to San Miguel Academy of Newburgh… helping to break the cycle of poverty. Anyone attending can buy tickets and / or sponsor tickets so that those less fortunate can attend. “I would like to the children from the school and their families be able to attend,” noted Shiner, who explained that the San Miguel Academy takes Children from abject poverty and puts them through a 12-year, tuition free program. “This is truly a miracle in our own backyard… These kids had no chance in life, and they are becoming business leaders, working in politics, teachers, and wonderful family people. As of last year, it is a coed program.

The cast of Just Desserts will perform on Friday April 28Th, (7:30 p.m.) Saturday April 29th (7:30 p.m.) and Sunday April 30 (3 p.m. matinee)

A Frank Shiner music production, tickets can be reserved here: https://frankshiner.com/

“Fiddler on The Roof in Yiddish” Cast Members in Special Concert & Conversation at ChappPac on March 4, 2023

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On March 4th, at 8 p.m., the non-profit Friends of Chappaqua Performing Arts Center (ChappPAC) will be presenting a concert and conversation with members of the cast of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish. There is also an opportunity to participate in a meet and greet with the cast after the performance!

A portion of the proceeds from this performance will be donated to UJA’s efforts to help Ukrainian refugees. Tickets can be purchased through the ChappPAC website: chappaquaPAC.org. ChappPAC is located at 480 Bedford Road in Chappaqua.

The 90-minute show will share the story of the how  Yiddish “Fiddler” came to be, featuring Zalmen Mlotek, the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene’s artistic director and the production’s musical director, who conceived the New York production, along with Merete Muenter, the associate director of the show, and Lauren Jeanne Thomas, the infamous fiddler. The concert will also have several songs and screens with English subtitles.

Cast member Bruce Sabath, was integral in casting this concert along with Michele Gregson, Chair of ChappPAC. “We tried to do this concert two years ago and everything was set and then Covid came along so we put it on hold,” said Bruce Sabath who played Lazar Wolf in the production. “Our shtetl of Anatevka, which is in the Ukraine, has become a real family after all the years we’ve been together with this production. Putting this concert on in Westchester County is really special for us and donating some of the proceeds to help Ukranian refugees gives the performance even more meaning to the cast.”

“ I saw the production this past December and hoped we could resurrect the concert at ChappPAC,” said Michele Gregson. “We are thrilled to be able to bring this incredible version of Fiddler to Northern Westchester, along with many stories shared by the cast of how a small theater production at the Jewish Museum downtown, which was supposed to have a very limited engagement, became such a crowd favorite and played for 18 months and then again for seven weeks in 2022.”

The cast members who are scheduled to appear are:  Abby Goldfarb, Ben Liebert, Rosie Jo Neddie, Raquel Nobile, Bruce Sabath, Adam Shapiro, Drew Seigla, Stephanie Seigla, Jodi Snyder, James Monroe Števko, Lauren Jeanne Thomas, Bobby Underwood and Mikhl Yashinsky.

News Courtesy of the Friends of Chappaqua Performing Arts Center. Photo courtesy of “Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish”

‘Choices: A Rock Opera’ Coming to the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center November 11, 12 & 13

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Following three OVERSOLD premiere performances at Whippoorwill Hall in Westchester County, NY, the creative team of Choices: A Rock Opera went back to the drawing board to improve the show wherever necessary. After meeting with several focus groups that included dozens of people with mixed theatrical backgrounds, ranging from casual theatergoers to Tony-Award winning producers and directors, it was determined by Choices creator John Krupa to “go deeper” with the show’s next performances at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center on November 11, 12 and 13.

“The goal of the new shows is to explore the storyline, characters, emotions, reactions, and all interpersonal relationships to a deeper degree,” states Krupa.  To help achieve this, there is a new focus on acting, with a concentration on character motivation. In the prior performances, acting was secondary to singing and blocking. 

The storyline has been given greater depth by adding six brand new songs that provides more backstory and better explains certain elements of the storyline.  The show has even been working with a licensed therapist to help better understand why the characters might do what they do.

“In the first shows, we purposely left a lot to the interpretation of the viewer. In response, viewers suggested that we provide them a little more information about the characters and the storyline, to help them see things more clearly.  We were happy to oblige.” Krupa says the changes made “give more clarity to important elements of the plot, illuminating reasons why a character acts a certain way or interacts with another character in a certain way.  These changes do not change the storyline at all, but merely enhance it.”

Choices: A Rock Opera tells the story of a journey through life of a lead singer in a 1980’s “hair band”.  His journey is universal in the way that with each twist and turn he must make choices as to which path to take, knowing that all paths lead forward, and you can’t do-over your past.  With the changes made for the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center shows on November 11 & 12, viewers will have a deeper understanding of who this person is and why he makes the choices he does.  Choices is Broadway bound, and these Westchester shows (Westchester County, NY is home to the show’s creative team) are critical to the development of the story, and the show overall.

Tickets are on sale now for the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center November 11 & 12 shows at www.choicesarockopera.com. Check out that site for additional information on the show and to buy show merchandise.  See you at the next shows!