Theatre Review - 'The Wizard of Oz'

‘The Wizard of Oz’ - Produced by Theatre Three, Port Jefferson - reviewed by Jeb Ladouceur 

When iconic composer Harold Arlen teamed up with lyricist ‘Yip’ Harburg to create the songs for‘The Wizard of Oz,’ the pair unwittingly contributed to what has become one of the most enduring stories in the show business trivia canon. 

 

In 1932 Harburg had provided the lovely lyrics for, among other classic numbers, ‘April In Paris.’Accordingly, when in the early forties a French newspaper reporter was on assignment interviewing theater celebrities in this country, the journalist sought out the famed lyricist and asked him what he assumed was a simple question: “What is your favorite memory of your time in Paris?” 

 

To the interviewer’s complete surprise, Harburg answered that he had never been to Paris. “What?” The reporter was absolutely stunned. “You created one of the most memorable songs ever written about ‘The City of Lights’ … you captured the very essence of Paris … and you say you were never there? Impossible!”

 

With characteristic aplomb ‘Yip’ Harburg merely shrugged and said, “Well, I’ve never been ‘Over the Rainbow,’ either.”

 

Those of us who had yet to witness a live performance of the stage production, ‘The Wizard of Oz,’adapted from one of the greatest motion pictures ever filmed … in any genre … made up for lost time when we attended the show’s Long Island debut at Theatre Three this past Saturday. And, what an entertaining experience it was!

 

Not only were we treated to a production that perfectly illustrated the sure-footed genius of director Jeffrey Sanzel, and the breathtaking scenic design of Randall Parsons, but we saw a musical that within fifteen minutes bowed in with a surprising and incredibly acrobatic dance routine. Furthermore, the showstopper was served up by a dozen sub-teen ‘Munchkins,’ some of whom were making their stage debuts … though you’d never guess it. Can you say impressive? The prediction here is that all of these kids are going places should they decide to stick with the theater. And they’ll owe a lot to their mentor, Jean P. Sorbera, who has choreographed more than sixty productions.

 

The starring roles in this most memorable of all children’s stories (based on the novella by L. Frank Baum) are almost too numerous to expect in one theatrical adaptation. Indeed, virtually all of the play’s headliners, including Dorothy’s indispensable dog, Toto, act, sing, and dance their way (well maybe not Toto) into our hearts without missing a beat. And it is essential that they do so consistently, because much of the musical’s magic stems from the universality of its message … that differing appearances and human frailties notwithstanding, nothing trumps love and friendship. And of course, “There’s no place like home.”

 

It would be foolish to grade the actors in this production according to their perceived talent … all are equally in command of their lines and inflections … all demonstrate brilliant stage presence … and (wonder of wonders) all sing and dance beautifully, while playing off one another at the same appropriate pace. Two or three key actors might be expected to achieve that kind of synchronization, but for thirty to attain it, is a significant rarity.

 

That said, there is one performance which (possibly because of the nature and complexity of the character portrayed) deserves to be labeled exceptional. It is that of ‘The Wicked Witch of the West’ as interpreted by the magnificent Theatre Three actress, Linda May. Even an audience composed largely of six, seven, and eight-year-olds was compelled to rise up and cheer Ms. May’s enactment of protagonist Dorothy’s nemesis during the curtain call.

 

If there was a sprinkling of boos, they undoubtedly represented a testimonial to the convincing nature of Linda May’s presentation, and the entire cast surely recognized the catcalls as tribute … not brickbat.

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 Award-winning writer, Jeb Ladouceur is the author of a dozen novels, and his theater and book reviews appear in several major L.I. publications. His recent hit, THE GHOSTWRITERS, explores the bizarre relationship between the late Harper Lee and Truman Capote. Ladouceur’s newest thriller, THE SOUTHWICK INCIDENT, was introduced to a standing room crowd at the Smithtown Library on May 21st. The book involves a radicalized Yale student and his CIA pursuers. Mr. Ladouceur’s revealing website is www.JebsBooks.com

St. James Celebrates Designation As Cultural Arts District

Community Gathers to Mark the Celebration of an Official Cultural Arts District Along Lake Avenue in St. James

“There has always been something about St. James that has fostered community pride. It was and is a place where people have come together in the past and still do… it is a place where, no matter who we are or what we think, we always share one commonality – we love our hometown.” - Natalie Weinstein

Ribbon cutting celebrating Cultural Arts District in St. James (photo by Nancy Vallarella)On Sunday May 19th, Celebrate St James hosted State, County and Town Officials as well as local residents at the Lake Avenue Gazebo to commemorateits designation as an official Cultural Arts District.  The ceremony included a custom artwork unveiling by local artist Arline Goldstein and a ceremonial toast and ribbon cutting. The ceremony was led by Natalie Weinstein of Celebrate St. James.

“An artist looks at life around him or her and sees something that most of us can not… They see colors on a blank canvas, they see the finished product looking at a blueprint. They hear a song in their heads reading sheet music… They see potential. They see an extraordinary future. As we cut this ribbon today, I ask that you take a moment, find your inner artist… And Imagine the Potential.” - Supervisor Ed Wehrheim

Celebrating the arts was NYS Assemblyman Mike Fitzpatrick (seated) The Town Board voted unanimously on April 25th to declare an overlay cultural arts district along Lake Avenue in St James. The district encompasses Lake Avenue from Route 25A (at the St. James Firehouse) on the north end down to Woodlawn Avenue on the south end. The next steps will involve the appointing of a Cultural Arts committee, to work within the community to foster and attract local artists, musicians, cultural and entertainment businesses.

The Cultural Arts District is intended to highlight the arts, cultureDance Magic Ballroom Dancers (655 Middle Country Rd, St James) Lexi Andrea, Marianne López, Yelena Mirsakova, Tricia Toback, Gregg Toback, Saket Kashettiwar, Steve Bennett, James Tase, Carolyn Brooks and entertainment for residents and visitors alike, creating much needed attractions, tourism and foot traffic along the St James small business district.  

Junior Fishing Tournament At Caleb Smith Preserve

Junior Fishing Tourney at Caleb Smith Preserve

The 17th Annual Junior Angler Fishing Tournament, sponsored by the Friends of Caleb Smith Preserve, will take place on Saturday, June 8 at Caleb Smith State Park Preserve, West Jericho Turnpike (Route 25) in Smithtown. There will be two groups fishing: ages 5 - 8 from 9 - 10:30 a.m.; and ages 9 -12 from 1-3 p.m. at the catch-and-release event. Trophies will be awarded in three categories at each session. 

udge Peter Paquette measures one of the 17 fish that Ryan Green caught to win a prize for most fish caught in the morning session last year. For the second year, a special presentation of a new fishing rod and tackle box will be awarded in honor of the late Tom Troccoli of Smithtown, who enjoyed fishing and accompanied his young grandson Joseph at several junior angler tournaments.The presentation will be awarded at the close of the tournament through a drawing of names of those registered in the afternoon session.

Anthony Giambone, 9, with his dad Will at last year’s tournament.Those interested in participating in the tournament must register by Saturday, June 1. Anglers under age 10 must be accompanied by an adult. The fee is $10 per entry for anglers of Friends members; $15 for anglers of non-members. The entry fee includes bait, tackle, junior angler tee shirts and refreshments. There will also be goody bags for all participants.Fishing rods are available if required. 

For more information call the Preserve office at (631) 265-1054, Wednesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; or Tom Tokosh at (631) 979-3371. 2019 Flier-JrAnglerTournmt-2_ (1).pdf

Visit www.friendsofcalebsmith.org for information about Friends activities, and events.

Suffolk Closeup - Jerry Nadler Great Intellect And Presidential Nemesis

SUFFOLK CLOSEUP

By Karl Grossman 

Having been a journalist for 57 years now, I’ve gotten to know many public officials. The smartest person in politics I’ve ever known—and I’ve told this to folks for years—is U.S. Representative Jerry Nadler. In Jerry Nadler, chairman of the key panel now investigating President Donald Trump and his administration, Mr. Trump has a quite an adversary. 

“Jerry Nadler Was Born to Battle Trump,” was the headline of an article this month in The New Republic. It concluded speaking about his “mandate to counter the momentum toward autocracy and to shore up democratic institutions and practices under siege.”

“We’re now in a Constitutional crisis,” Mr. Nadler declared last week, accusing Mr. Trump with his claims of executive privilege of an attack on the “essence of our democracy.”

Mr. Nadler has been in Congress since 1992. He represents much of Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn. From 1977 to 1992 he was a member of the New York State Assembly. 

I got to know Congressman Nadler in the 1990s when I authored books, wrote articles and presented TV documentaries on the use of nuclear power in space by the U.S. and also the Soviet Union and then Russia. A decade earlier, in 1986, I broke the story in The Nation after Challenger space shuttle disaster about how its next mission was to loft a space probe containing plutonium fuel. If the Challenger exploded on that launch, in May 1986, and the plutonium was dispersed, far more people than the seven brave astronauts who died in the January 1986 catastrophe would have perished.

This was not a “sky-is-falling” issue, I found. There had been accidents and dispersal of radioactive material in accidents in both the U.S. and the Soviet/Russian space nuclear programs. 

(In addition to investigating the issue in the U.S., I received an invitation from Dr. Alexey Yablokov, environmental advisor to Russian presidents and leading opponent of Soviet/Russian space nuclear missions, to go to Russia to speak at conferences and at the Russian Academy of Sciences. I made repeated visits.)

The biggest nuclear shot ever—NASA’s Cassini’s mission to Saturn—was scheduled for 1997. Some 72.3 pounds of deadly plutonium, more than ever used on a space mission, was involved. 

There was the threat of a launch pad explosion—one in 100 rockets blow up or otherwise malfunction disastrously on launch. And also, there was the threat of a repeat of an earlier space nuclear disaster—the spacecraft not achieving orbit and falling back to Earth, disintegrating in the atmosphere and spreading plutonium. Further, on the Cassini shot, a “slingshot maneuver” involving the Earth was planned. The rocket was to be sent hurtling back at the Earth, coming in at 42,300 miles an hour just a few hundred miles overhead, to use the Earth’s gravity to increase its velocity so it could reach its final destination of Saturn.

If there was what NASA called an “inadvertent reentry” into the Earth’s atmosphere on the “slingshot maneuver” causing disintegration and release of the plutonium, the NASA Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Cassini Mission estimated that “5 billion…of the world population…could receive 99 percent or more of the radiation exposure.”

Also, a solar power alternative—eliminating the use of plutonium to generate a modest 745 watts for onboard electricity for instruments—was available.

It was then that I got to know Jerry Nadler. His brother, Eric, is a good friend. Eric is an investigative reporter who has written and appeared on TV programs for Frontline on PBS, Globalvision, and written articles in Rolling Stone, Mother Jones and other investigative media.

I sent Congressman Nadler a book I had just written on the space nuclear issue focusing on Cassini, The Wrong Stuff, along with one of my TV documentaries, Nukes In Space: The Nuclearization and Weaponization of the Heavens. 

We met and discussed the situation. Mr. Nadler has a brilliant mind. He fully understood the enormous perils of using nuclear power overhead. Further, when the subjects turned to politics and government, his knowledge was encyclopedic. He organized a group of members of Congress calling for a cancellation of the Cassini mission. He and the other members held a press conference on the steps of the Capital in Washington detailing the lethal dangers of the mission. NASA, however, refused to cancel it. Fortunately, this time there was no disaster in this game of nuclear Russian Roulette in space. Subsequently, underlining how plutonium power on the Cassini mission was unnecessary, in 2016 NASA’s Juno space probe arrived at Jupiter—with solar power substituting for plutonium. (Still, NASA is now planning more space nuclear shots.)

Stated the New Republic piece: “Nadler might seem like an unusual political leader to take on the role of presidential nemesis; he is thoughtful, thorough, and cerebral, a man of ideas—the opposite of Trump.”

Karl Grossman is a veteran investigative reporter and columnist, the winner of numerous awards for his work and a member of the L.I. Journalism Hall of Fame. He is a professor of journalism at SUNY/College at Old Westbury and the author of six books. 

Hydrangea Home – A Smithtown Mother’s Dream Comes True

Hydrangea Home – A Mother’s Dream Comes True

By Nancy Vallarella

Mohrmann familyDawn Mohrmann’s desire to be a stay-at-home mom turned into reality with an “aha” moment 24 years ago. While admiring the rich bounty of hydrangeas blooming throughout the property of her Smithtown home, she said good-bye to a career in insurance and hello to her home-based business aptly named, Hydrangea Home.

Long before Joanna Gaines (DIY media goddess and the queen of the Magnolia dynasty), Dawn began creating and curating home décor and lifestyle goods in 1995.  Husband Fred’s woodworking and carpentry talents led to Hydrangea Home’s first workshop/showroom. “Our garage had big barn doors. Fred converted the space giving me an area to create and showcase floral arrangements, painted furniture, artwork, and his wood creations.  Through word of mouth, customers would stop by and enjoy browsing while their children played on our playground surrounded by the blue, pink, and purple hydrangeas. It was wonderful.” recalls Mohrmann. 

Those fairytale moments were accompanied by road travel weekends. From the tines of Long Island’s twin forks to western Nassau County the Mohrmann’s participated in craft events toting babies and toddlers along.  By 2006, Hydrangea Home had an online presence with its website www.HydrangeaHome.com and Etsy. Soon packages had to be shipped throughout the U.S. 

The family grew along with the business.  A second, larger home in Smithtown was purchased. With four children to attend to Dawn had Hydrangea Home’s handcrafted items selling in lifestyle stores in Cape Cod, Mass., Port Jefferson and Greenport, NY.  In 2010, Fred Mohrmann’s wood planting boxes and trays became Hydrangea Home’s best sellers.

Inspiration StationHydrangea Home and the Mohrmann family thrive on nurtured creativity.  March 11, 2017, Hydrangea Home became its own brick and mortar actuality complete with its most important feature – the creativity corner. This corner of the store is a vibing “Inspiration Station.”  Six days a week you can find owner Dawn Mohrmann painting, arranging, creating among various seasonal flora, paint pallets, and inspirational books.   Often joining her are her children Sophia (illustrator), Jake (jewelry designer - Mohr Beads), Max (photography artist), Taylor (macramé designs). The families’ creations are for sale along with 32 other small business lifestyle product providers from the United States.  Monthly macramé classes are offered and instructed by Smithtown High School East graduate Meagan Dowling.

Hydrangea Home’s door (side entrance, 146 Main Street, Suite 3, Northport, NY) is open on Sunday & Monday 11am – 5pm. Tuesdays – Closed, Wednesday through Saturday 10am – 5pm.  Browse the carefully curated gift items, have a cup coffee and celebrate the store’s 2^nd Anniversary!