Chappaqua Drama Group returns with “An Evening of Music”
December 4, 2009
by Susie Pender
Ten years ago, the Chappaqua Drama Group, housed in the red barn nestled up again the Metro-North train tracks at Exit 32 Northbound on the Saw Mill River Parkway, was among Westchester’s elite community theatres. But membership declined, the group disbanded, the red barn was sold, and then torn down. For new-comers to town, it stood where the staging area is now for the Route 120 bridge project.
But like a phoenix, the group has risen from the ashes, and will celebrate its reincarnation this Saturday, December 5, at the Chappaqua Library theatre with “Open Doors: An Evening of Music,” featuring Broadway and television actors including Jason Tam, Danny Vaccaro, Ann Shankman, David Perlow and Arnie Toback. Student and alumni actors from Pleasantville’s youth theatre company, Little Village Playhouse, will also perform.
The party starts at 7:00 p.m. with drinks and hors d’ouevres, and is totally family-friendly. Tickets are $20 for adults; $15 for students and seniors and can be ordered through Smart Tix, 212-868-4444, or purchased at the door. Go to http://www.chappaquadramagroup.org for more information on tickets.
Merger of Little Village Playhouse with Chappaqua Drama Group
The other cause for celebration is the form of this reincarnation. The Chappaqua Drama Group will become an organizational umbrella for three theatre companies, The Mainstage, Little Village Playhouse and The Spark.
The Mainstage will offer the best in contemporary and classic musicals and dramas. From Rogers and Hammerstein to Sondheim. From Shakespeare to Shepard, the Mainstage will continue the tradition of the original beloved Chappaqua Drama Group. Their premier performance this spring will be “The Light in the Piazza,” book by Craig Lucus, music and lyrics by Adam Guettal.
The Little Village Playhouse, Pleasantville’s youth theatre company, founded and run by the husband-and-wife team of Adam Cohen and Stephanie Kovacs, will continue to provide students, ages 4-18, a place where they can gain self-esteem while exploring the world of theatre through a professional rehearsal process, master classes, outreach and intensive ensemble work.
The Spark will indulge audiences looking for more avant-garde, edgy material as well as new works, cabaret, workshops and readings. This theatre’s premier performance next fall will be “See What I Wanna See,” by Michael John LaChiusa.
“Together with LVP, we will strive to better serve a wider community and its artistic needs,’’ said Ann Shankman, president of the Chappaqua Drama Group. “The “Open Door” performance is dedicated to the ability of a community theater to transcend time through the generations.” Case in point: Shankman’s daughter Hannah studied at LVP and is now on Broadway in “Hair.”
The ultimate goal of this new theatre organization is to have their own performance space.
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