Save Birdland! Benefit Concert

Posted on January 24, 2021 by Karen Nowosad

Save Birdland Concert Jan. 24

A special virtual concert will be held tonight, Jan. 24 at 7:00 p.m. to benefit the legendary Birdland jazz club. The club, which has operated in New York City since December of 1949 hosts many greats of the music world. One only has to visit the Club on W. 44th Street to experience an extraordinary show along with the ambiance that only Birdland provides.

Save Birdland! is being presented to help the club survive the financial set backs due to the CoVid Pandemic. A GoFundMe account was set up the past few weeks to help in the efforts. This concert is part of those fundraising efforts.

Remarks from Producer Tom D’Angora

“Three weeks ago, thousands of us came together to save a beloved neighborhood café and theater. In what felt like a Christmas miracle, we did it! Together we raised enough awareness and money to save our beloved West Bank Café.  It was not saved  by some millionaire or the government, but by scores people who gave what they could… 5 dollars here… ten dollars there – proving the indomitable spirit of the arts community and exemplifying the extraordinary power of our unity.

Shortly after the community pulled off the West Bank miracle, my longtime friends, Jim Caruso and Susie Mosher, reached out and let me know that Birdland, was also in danger of closing its doors for good in just a few weeks if something isn’t done.

I thought about a New York without Birdland and I knew right away that we couldn’t let that happen.  Live music is imperative to the spirit and energy of this city.  I immediately told Michael D’Angora and Tim Guinee about the situation and they both agreed, that we need to launch a campaign to Save Birdland!

So here we are again asking the community to get onboard, by donating to and/or sharing this campaign. We can make sure Birdland stays open so we, as a community, can enjoy the greatest musicians in the world, doing what they do best, in one of the most iconic clubs in the world, right here in our beloved city.

We are so overwhelmed and proud to be a part of this generous and loving community. When we come together we can achieve anything! Let’s keep it going!”

Featured Appearances and Performances

As this article is published, this is the list of Featured Appearances and Performances:

Monty Alexander, Lucie Arnaz, Iain Armitage, Jacqueline Arnold, Kenneth Ascher, Colleen Ballinger, Erich Bergen, John Bucchino, Stephanie J. Block, Matthew Broderick, Scott Bradlee, Brenda Braxton, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ken Burns, Gunhild Carling & Her Darlings, Ron Carter, Jim Caruso, Desmond Child, Peter Cincotti, The Emmett Cohen Trio, George Coleman, Ravi Coltrane, Elvis Costello, Tom D’Angora, Michael D’Angora, Jeff Daniels, Django Festival Allstars, Clive Davis, Diana DeGarmo, Aisha De Haas, Natalie Douglas, Michelle Dowdy, Christine Ebersole, Kurt Elling, Kevin Eubanks, Giancarlo Esposito, Morgan Fairchild, Whoopi Goldberg, Mandy Gonzalez, Deidre Goodwin, Tim Guinee, Amanda Green, Julie Halston, John Heginbotham, Stephen Henderson, Sara Hickman, Perez Hilton, Clint Holmes, Sunny Holiday, Demetia Hopkins-Greene, Joe Iconis and Family, Sheila Jordan, Hilary Kole, Stacey Kent, Tory Kittles, Amy Hillner Larsen, Warren Leight, Amanda Lopez, Melissa Leo, Norm Lewis, Tzi Ma, The Manhattan Transfer, Wynton Marsalis, Lauren Marcus, Karen Mason, Marilyn Maye, Audra McDonald, Jane Monheit, Susie Mosher, Anson Mount, Bebe Neuwirth, Leslie Odom, Jr., Arturo O’Farrill Quintet, Mandy Patinkin, Christine Pedi, Wendell Pierce, John Pizzarelli, Martha Plimpton, Randy Rainbow, Chita Rivera, Justin “Squigs” Robertson, Mercedes Ruehl, Catherine Russell, Tom Seals, Victoria Shaw, Steve Smith, Dee Snider, Sting, NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer, Billy Stritch, Veronica Swift, Mary Testa, Steve Tyrell, Lillias White, Frank Wildhorn, Steve Wilson, Amra-Faye Wright, Ace Young, Karen Ziemba, Glenn Zaleski, along with Gianni Valenti, and remarks from President Bill Clinton.  

*Subject to Change

How to Find the Concert

The website for this event is www.savebirdland.com Be sure to stop there to make your donation. The button for Click Here to Donate is easy to find as it is right on the top of the page. It will lead you to the GoFundMe page for the event.

The actual concert will broadcast on YouTube.com. A video link is also on the event page.

Let’s do this! Let’s Save Birdland!

 

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The Doo Wop Project – Kean Stage – A Live Concert Review

Posted on October 23, 2020 by Karen Nowosad
The Doo Wop Project in concert at Kean Stage, Oct. 22, 2020 – Photo – K. Nowosad

The Doo Wop Project in Live Concert – Background

Yes, that’s right. Your eyes are not deceiving you. This article is about a live concert held a few nights ago, Thursday, Oct. 22 to be exact. It featured The Doo Wop Project and it was held outdoors at Kean Alumni Stadium in Union, New Jersey. The concert was a part of Kean Stage’s Fall 2020 programs. Kean Stage is finding ways to keep live theater and shows going during this time of the CoVid pandemic.

How are they able to do these shows? The answer is they follow guidelines for safety and they stick to what they need to do to keep their performers and audiences as safe as possible.

This was my second experience in a week attending a live event through Kean Stage. Being honest about it, I’m very careful to follow protocols and guidelines because I’m in a potentially higher risk group. The proper administration and adherence to these protocols by Kean Stage allows me to feel comfortable to go to their shows. After 8 months of no live theater, it was grand for me to have these opportunities.

What happens when you sign up for an event? After you purchase a ticket, you get an email confirmation and you need to send back some basic information like your name and address and the same for people attending with you. When you arrive, you are greeted by the nicest people helping you through the process. The police officers helped me find the right parking lot where I had a temperature check which took maybe 5 seconds! Again I got the Voting sticker to show I was ready to enter the venue.

All people attending and working are required to wear masks the entire time they are there. And great care is taken to allow plenty of social distancing with seating.

Now let’s proceed on with the review of the show.

The Doo Wop Project in Live Concert – A Review

The Doo Wop Project is a group of performers whose love of Doo Wop style music brought them together. Their desire to preserve this sound and share it with audiences of all ages guides the development of their shows. The group is made up of five outstanding performers, all of whom have extensive performance experience and all have appeared in Broadway shows. They are:

  • Dominic Nolfi (The Bronx Tale – The Musical, Jersey Boys, and Motown: The Musical)
  • Charl Brown (Motown: The Musical, Jersey Boys and Sister Act)
  • Dominic Scaglion (Jersey Boys)
  • Russell Fischer ( Jersey Boys)
  • Dwayne Cooper (Motown: The Musical and Hairspray)

There was a band who played under the direction of The Doo Wop Project’s Musical Director Santino Paladino. Mr. Paladino recently was the Musical Director for Broadway’s Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812.

All of this group’s training and performance experience comes through in grand way because the sound that the group produces is smooth listening. I dare say there is not one note out of place. They move around their stage with great expertise. They make the dance moves look easy and yet we know in reality that is not the case for those of us who are not trained.

But one thing stands out above all else and that is the pure joy that comes from their performance to the audience. There is no doubt that this group loves performing and they do all they can to entertain their audience. No doubt that they love the genre and are great caretakers of all that makes it so special.

It was a special moment in the night when the group announced that because of the CoVid pandemic, this concert was the first one they have done for a live audience in eight months. They said this audience would always be one they would remember because of this.

This also marked the first concert for Kean Stage in 8 months. The Manager of Kean Stage, Steve Cochran, opened the evening by welcoming everyone and saying how encouraging it was to see people out. It seemed to me that the audience enjoyed the outing as well judging by the enthusiastic applause throughout the evening and the people bopping along in time the music.

A Fun Evening

The original Doo Wop songs from the 50’s and and early 60’s are remnants of a more innocent time in America. There is no real message that comes from these songs like the folk and protest songs of the mid and later 60’s So to hear them now is a chance to listen to light music that is good fun to hear.

The show provides a type of walk though the history of the genre with sidelines that demonstrate how it affected later music. So it is appropriate that the first song was “Remember Then” made famous by the group called The Earls. A group of classic Doo Woop style songs followed including “That’s My Desire”(described as a rite of passage for any doo wop group), “Baby Come Back to Me,” and “Little Bitty Pretty One.”

The Doo Wop Project singing to the crowd – Photo – K. Nowosad

One of my favorite sections was a tribute to the legendary Smokey Robinson and The Miracles. A favorite “make out” song from the movie The Bronx Tale, “I Only Have Eyes for You” was beautifully performed. And a tribute to the Four Seasons included songs from their catalog including “Sherry” and “Walk Like a Man.”

One of the unique features of this group is that they take songs from modern day and transform them into a Doo Wop format. They include songs from groups like Maroon Five and even a country song. But one of the big highlights of the night was their remarkable rendition of “The Impossible Dream” from the show Man of La Mancha.

The final song was the Four Seasons’ hit “Oh What a Night.” The Doo Wop Project opens and closes with songs that fit the story line so well.

Yes indeed – oh what it a night it was!

The Doo Wop Project Live Streaming Show

If you want to see this group for yourself, there is an opportunity this weekend on Sunday, Oct. 25 at 7:00 p.m. They are streaming a live show from a studio in Times Square. Go to their website for more information. www.thedoowopproject.com.

Final Thoughts

A big virtual pat on the back goes out to Kean Stage for all their work and dedication to theater and live performances that they are doing. This organization is working hard to keep theater accessible through this difficult time.

I don’t know if it was a coincidence but driving to Kean and upon my arrival, it was a cloudy evening. I felt good when I saw the very bright lighting on the field and in the Stadium. When the show began, most of the lights went out. As the live music poured over me, I looked up and lo and behold, the clouds had separated and the stars were visible. Oddly, the cloud cover was back as I left after the show ended. What made that happen like it did? I like to think it was the power of live theater and live performance. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

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“Fannie Lou Hamer, Speak on It!” – Audience are Cheering

Posted on October 17, 2020 by Karen Nowosad
Rema Webb as Fannie Lou Hamer Photo by Ian Alfano

Fannie Lou Hamer, Speak on It! Overview

Premiere Stages at Kean brings life back to the live theater community with their production of Fannie Lou Hamer, Speak on It! The show is an opportunity to once again experience live theater but do it in a CoVid safe environment. It was thrilling to go out to the grounds of the Liberty Hall Museum which is on the other side of Morris Avenue from where Premiere Stages usually performs. The transformation to outdoor theater was thoughtfully done with remarkable results.

The show demonstrates the dedication Premiere Stages has towards presenting works that address issues which are important in contemporary society. But they also have a dedication to examining historic moments. Fannie Lou Hamer, Speak on It! allows the audience to experience both of these.

It should also be noted that this production was approved by the Actor’s Equity Association.

Experiencing a New Form of Outdoor Theater

Premier Stages put together a venue that serves the audience and the production very well. From the time patrons enter the parking lot until the end of the show, safeguards to adhere to concerns for social distancing and safety in this age of CoVid are visibility in place. There is creativity that is evident as well as a warm and welcoming atmosphere from the many volunteers on hand to help out.

Upon entering the parking area, the first stop is to have a temperature check.

Temperature taking group – Photo K. Nowosad

A volunteer comes to the car window to take the temperature. Another confirms that you are on the attending list. After that was completed, attendees receive a little sticker and are asked to place it somewhere visible on on their clothing. The sticker ties in to the theme of the show and is a nice souvenir.

Parking in the lot is plentiful and well lighted. It is also easy to locate the main entrance where volunteers handle the listing of attendees for the performance.

Welcoming volunteers – Photo K. Nowosad

When you leave the check in areas, you walk up a winding path, past another volunteer who points out the rest room area. After a brief walk, you approach the actual theater area. The view was absolutely beautiful seeing the well lighted seating tent just ahead. There is a variety of lights that shine brightly giving a welcoming glow to the area.

Seating is divided into three main areas allowing social distancing at every spot. The main center seating is inside a large tent. Seats are arranged by groups who purchase tickets together.

Main tent seating – Photo – K. Nowosad

Several side areas are available for twos and singles. As shown in these photos below, the variety in these areas is fun to see. There is no problem seeing the show from this side areas. The positioning of the stage allows for good viewing for all.

Side seating – Photo – K Nowosad
A nice bench for two – Photo – K. Nowosad

There are a number of volunteers who are friendly and very willing to help. Their enthusiasm is catchy as was Premiere Stage’s Producing Artistic Director, John J. Wooten. His remarks were welcoming and warmly presented. Yes, theater is back and so the show went on!

Artistic Director John Wooton

Fannie Lou Hamer – A Strong Figure in the Fight for Voter’s Rights

Music plays before the show begins. The final selection before the show starts is a recording of Nina Simone’s extraordinary “Mississippi Goddam.” It provides a perfect bridge to introduce Fannie Lou Hamer since she was from Mississippi and she had to fight for the right to vote there. That fight, the eventual victory, and her continuing work with Voters’ Rights campaigns provide the basis of what takes place during the 60 minute production.

Rema Webb as Fannie Lou Hamer – Photo by K Nowosad

Rema Webb turns in a powerful performance as Fannie Lou Hamer. Ms. Webb takes charge from the minute she enters the stage area until the final moment of the production. Her performance leaves no doubt in the audience’s mind that Hamer was a force to be reckoned with.

The production comes from Cheryl L. West who adapts it from her play of the same name. Direction is by Marshall Jones III. This production is made possible in part by funds from
the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.

The play cleverly links the early 60’s to modern day making it feel like one is attending a get out the vote rally. There are no political commercials; no candidates’ names are mentioned. Early in the production, Hamer says, “I would have thought things would have changed by now.” The audience applauded. She further says she is “sick and tired of being sick and tired” which also drew applauds. A memorable moment occurs when she says most dangerous are men who want to zip your lip. Amen! and the audience responded.

But the message of the play is clear: all citizens have the right and the obligation to vote. All one has to do is listen to what Fannie Lou Hamer had to endure in order to get her right to vote. It was a struggle in early 60’s Mississippi for a black woman to register to vote. The character explains how she had to go to her county courthouse to do this only to be told that she had to pass a test. As a child, she had to leave school at 12 to go to work. She talks about several questions she was required to answer and they far exceeded the knowledge most average Americas would have. Despite her limited education, she studied and eventually passed the test and got registered to vote.

From there the story goes on to tell how Hamer crusaded to help others register. As she went out to do public speaking, she faced tremendous obstacles. One of the most horrific moments of her life is when she is put in jail and beaten within an inch of her life. Somehow, she survived and continued her crusade.

The play shows moments of victory but moments of tremendous struggle and disappointment. And yet, through it all, Fannie Lou Hamer continued to believe in all that the United States stands for. Her dedication to help spread the word about getting registered to vote and going to vote is a message for now and the future as well.

Music Adds Depth to the Production

Kena Anae as Music Man –
Photo by K Nowosad

The story of Fannie Lou Hamer is fascinating enough in itself to just listen to Rema Webb deliver it with her exciting presentation. But this production takes it a step further by adding music. Playing the role of the Music Man is Kena Anae in a separate small booth/stage on the side of the main stage. He plays a guitar but there is also some background music that is coordinated into the production. Credit for Arrangement and Music Direction goes to Felton Offard.

What an outstanding addition to the play this music is. Fannie Lou Hamer speaks and then sings songs that tie into the episodes being described. Classics like “This Little Light of Mine,” “I Know I’ve Been Changed,” and the fervent “We Will Not Be Moved” and more are played throughout the show.

The inclusion of music not only provides additional commentary on the episodes of her life, but it also adds a energetic spark to the show. At the show I attended, the audience clapped along with the songs. There was an air of festivity that made going to this show a joy.

Learn More About Fannie Lou Hamer, Speak on It!

Tickets

All tickets are $20. Tickets will not be available for sale at the door on the day of the performance.

Seating

Tickets are General Admission but patrons are required to sit in assigned seats. All seating is arranged according to social distancing restrictions. Groups that purchased tickets together or arrived in one vehicle will be seated together.

All seating will be sanitized between performances by Event Staff.

Performance Dates and Times

Thursday, October 15 at 7 p.m.

Friday, October 16 at 7 p.m.

Saturday, October 17 at 3 p.m.* and 6 p.m.

Sunday, October 18 at 3 p.m.*

* There will be a Q&A following the matinee performances on Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18.

Fannie Lou Hamer, Speak On It! is 60 minutes without intermission.

For Further Information or Purchases

Check Premier Stages official website for more information or to buy tickets: http://www.premierestagesatkean.com/

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