St. George Theater or Broadway?

The St. George Theater is located in the center of the St. George District of Staten Island. It has about 2,800 seats and broke ground back in 1929. There have been numerous renovations over the years and it has become very popular not only for Staten Islanders but for people from other boroughs as well. The theater could be considered a landmark to our humble abode. Not only do they put on their own performances, but it can be rented out to other companies looking for a venue to host their shows. In addition, the St. George Theater is a "hot spot" for school trips. They offer shows that are suited for Pre-K through High School students. The class trips not only include the performance itself, but an exclusive back stage tour where the students can also learn the history of the theater. Upcoming shows that would be suited for schools to consider include, "Nobody's Perfect" on May 6, "Pinocchio"on May 17, "Imaginary Beings From Japan" on May 18, "The Magic of Ben Franklin" on May 24th, and "Charlotte's Web"on June 4.


Tickets are going on sale this Saturday (April 24th) to see Liza Minnelli who will be performing at the theater on November 20, 2010. To purchase tickets you can visit or call the box office that is open weekdays from 9:30 AM- 2:00 PM and Sundays from 12:00 PM- 5:00 PM. It is closed on Saturdays unless a show is going on (the box office is always opened when shows are in session.) If interested in any of the upcoming performances the box office number is (718) 442-2900 or tickets are available through www.ticketmaster.com. 


Some of the past reviews are posted on the St. George Theater website (most of which have been write ups in the Staten Island Advance.) 


If you are looking for a "night out on the town," in more of an upscale atmosphere that is not being offered through a local theater group, the St. George Theater would be the place to go. One must expect though, that the tickets prices are fairly high. To see a show at this theater the prices range from $40 - $120 per ticket. Don't let the price fool you though. Some might say "If I'm paying this much I might as well head to Broadway where I might even be able to see a show cheaper than that." While there might be some truth to that comment one must keep in mind that the performances are of very high quality. It is not in a school gym or auditorium,  the shows are held in this venue that is newly renovated and strongly recommended by critics. 


Take a look at the shows being offered this season and take a trip down to St. George! 

Opening Up This Weekend....

 If you're looking something to do this weekend (April 21, 22, 23, 24) check out these shows opening up on the island!

Wagner College
Disney's Beauty and the Beast 
April 21, 22, 23, 24
        28, 29, 30
May 1, 2
All shows are at 8:00 PM
Special performances that have 2PM shows are:
April 23, May 1, May 2
To purchase tickets in advance call the Box Office at:
(718) 390-3259


Wagner College puts on about four high quality performances a year. This is the last of their season so don't miss out!

St. Joseph By the Sea High School

Thoroughly Modern Millie
April 23, 24, 25, 30

May 1, 2

Friday and Saturday performances are at 8:00 PM

Sunday performances are at 2:00 PM

Tickets will be available at the door.

Monsignor Farrell's 7th Annual 

Rock & Roll Oldies Show
April 24th
6:30 - 11:00 PM
$65 per ticket
To purchase tickets call: (718) 987- 2900 ext. 230


A night of great "Oldies" filled with Leslie Gore, Jay Siegel songs/performances and much much more!

 

St. John Villa Academy

Once on This Island

April 22, 23, 24

Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 at the door

To purchase tickets call (718) 447-4150

This is also the last weekend for A Midsummer Night's Dream at the College of Staten Island!

We All Want to be Heard

This year the Academy of St. Dorothy's drama club production of "Oliver" featured live sound production from First Class Sound Productions, under the ownership of Alfred Ragone (former alumni- class of 2002 and a member of four ASD productions as a "Can-Do Kid".)

The sound system was designed to provide excellent live sound to the audience, and allow the actors and actresses to be heard at the furthest point of the auditorium. The design featured the main four characters: (Oliver, the Artful Dodger, Fagan, and Nancy) having live microphones throughout the entire show, being the four characters with the most dialogue. There were also four other headset microphones used that were alternated between various characters throughout the different scenes. A combined 12 different characters shared the other 4 microphones.

The microphones used were SHURE PGX-14 Wireless Headsets that are connected to PGX1 receivers. The 8 microphones were connected (wireless) to 8 receivers that the engineer controlled from the sound booth in the rear of the auditorium. The 8 receivers were then connected to a SoundCraft MFXi sound board. The sound engineer controlled which performers would have their microphones on and also controlled the overall volume balance to make sure the louder actors were lower than the softer volume actors to provide a good balance.

The sound engineer also provided two Audio Technica AT8035 "Shotgun Microphones" that were both angled at 45 degrees to the center of the stage. This would allow the actors and actresses that were not wearing microphones to be heard, and also helped increase the volume of the performers during group musical numbers.

Finally, the SoundCraft sound board was fed via microphone snake to the front of the auditorium to a QSC RMX-2450 Powered Amplifier which powered the two main satellite speakers in the auditorium. The two main speakers were JBL SoundFactor-15 PA Speakers. This system was one that peaks at 2,000 Watts, which was more than sufficient for the amount of people watching the show. The snake also fed a Yamaha STAGEPAS-150M powered mixer, which fed a Yamaha speaker in the dressing room of the theater so the performers could hear the show as it was being performed.

I was fortunate enough to retrieve this information from Mr. Ragone himself. Having started his own DJ company and his own show on WSJU Radio (St. John's University's radio station) "DJ Derf" is available to host any of your parties and use his top notch products to do so. Since I attended St. Dorothy's performance of "Oliver" I am here to tell you that the sound quality that emanated from the microphones were amazing. 

It's Creepy and It's Kooky, The Addams Family

Just a week ago (April 8th) the Addams Family opened on Broadway. With names like Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth the musical was greatly anticipated by theater goers and critics everywhere. I had the opportunity to view the show in previews on April 3rd. Needless to say I walked out of the Lunt-Fontanne theater just as disappointed as I did "Come Fly Away." Once again, with such "big names" up there on the marquis, I guess my sites were set a tad bit too high. However, as far as I was concerned, there was nothing in the musical to separate it from anything else out there right now. While the storyline is clever (and funny), the music is entertaining, and the set appealing, there is nothing that really stood out to me as imaginative.


After seeing "Come Fly Away" and "The Addams Family," the only thing I can come up with is that these shows have nothing original about them. The classics that are currently running and have been for years such as "Wicked," "Jersey Boys," and "The Lion King," are still my picks to see over anything new that has recently opened.


For those interested in purchasing tickets or reading some more information about the show can visit:
http://www.theaddamsfamilymusical.com/





Also, take a look at a blogs I follow, "On The Boards" that writes updates on Broadway shows and the sort!
This one post in particular focuses on "The Addams Family" and a review posted in the New York Times about it. Check it out!
http://ontheboards.tumblr.com/post/508239556/looks-like-ben-brantley-wont-be-joining-the-addams

"Sit Down You're Rockin' The Stage"

St. John's University Stagers Soicety perfomed "Guys and Dolls" for one weekend only on April 8, 9, and 10th at the Staten Island Campus Center Gymnasium. Students from the university were granted free admission, while outsiders were asked to pay a small fee of $5 per ticket. Held in a fairly small auditorium/gym the stagers put on an excellent show. Having been part of Guys and Dolls once before, as well as having seen it performed in many different venues (including local and Broadway productions) the cast had a great show to work with.


The cast was a small group of about twenty-five students, all from St. John's, and ranged and from freshmen to seniors. They were accompianed by a five piece orchestra (piano, percussion, bass, flute, and alto saxophone.) The stagers usually put on two shows a year (a Fall and Sping production.) Some of their past shows include: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, The Crucible, Father of the Bride, and Jekyll & Hyde. As you can see the stagers' shows are not limited to musicals, but they frequently perform dramas as well. Miranda Fluhrer holds the position of President as part of the "Stagers Society Executive Board." When talking about the organization Ms. Fluhrer (a current senior) says: "The Stagers Society is a remarkable organization. Our members come from many majors and backgrounds. The endless hours and dedication displayed by all of you is worthy of much more than single applause."

Bruce Biggins directed the show, worked with choreographer Elise Di Simone, and musical director Daniel Braz. Some of the lead roles were played by John Herron (Nathan Detroit), Alyssa Brullo (Miss Adelaide), Faith Ndifornyen (Sarah Brown), Kevin James (Sky Masterson), Alphonse Caputo (Benny Southstreet), and Donald Manzo (Nicely-Nicely Johnson). With the help of a very talented supporting cast the show definitely proved to be a success. Some of the most recognizable songs from the show include: "Luck Be a Lady," "Adelaide's Lament," and "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat." Some may be more familiar with the movie version of "Guys and Dolls" which starred Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, and Jean Simmons.

Impressed by the talent of the cast as a whole, the other thing that truly stuck out to me was the set. The construction and design of it was done by Rick Ostrowski. Having been in the show previously, I remember the many different set/scene changes that had to occur. I performed "Guys and Dolls" at Monsignor Farrell High School back in 2006 as well as St. Dorothy in 2001. Luckily there was much room for us to set up almost a three-part stage at Farrell. With the amount of room the Stagers had to work with I think they did a fantastic job.


Overall, the show proved to be very entertaining. It was a true college performance. Many high school productions on the island can be said to be up to par with the college level, however it must be said that the St. John's University Stagers Society certainly did hold their own this Spring. Keep a look out for a possible upcoming productions in the Fall.

For some more information please see the Stagers website:

http://www.stjstagers.com/

E-mail: info@stjstagers.com

Phone: (718) 390-4004

A Midsummer Night's Dream Opens This Week at the College of Staten Island

Opening this week is a Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare at the College of Staten Island.


Tickets are $10 and $5 for Students and Seniors
Building 1P- The Black Box Theater

April 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24

  @ 8:00 PM

"Come Fly Away" To La La Land

On March 30, 2010 I attended a performance of "Come Fly Away" at the Marquis Theater in New York City. There has been much talk about the upcoming broadway show that includes music by Frank Sinatra and choreography by Twyla Tharp. As a former dancer and theater lover, the name Twyla Tharp struck my interest immediately. Personally a huge fan of one of her many former shows "Movin' Out" I was determined to attend a performance. "Come Fly Away" officially opened on March 25th after running through weeks of previews. I went into this show with some expectations as I do every braodway show. However, with a name like Twyla Tharp on the marquis, one could say I set the bar pretty high.


I expected the show to take on the form of "Movin' Out"- where the main characters dance to music of Sinatra (sung by an excellent impersonator.) In these songs the lyrics will tell the stories of the dancers. However, when I took my seat in row M of the orchestra it was nothing what I anticipated. I became frustrated by the third song that there was no storyline for me to follow. The dancing seemed repetitive and there was nothing that truly "Wowed" me. I began to think that I could've just listened to a"Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits" on my iPod at home. My experience was further compromised by a lady yelling and making a scene at the end of the row. I thought to myself: "At a Broadway show, seriously?"


As "New York, New York" played and only half of the audience gave a standing ovation at the curtain call I looked at the ticket I paid $69 (plus fees) for and shook my head.


For Tickets, Reviews and more about the show, Click Here:
http://www.comeflyaway.com/?gclid=CN6Uu--t96ACFctx5Qod6D5EwA


There are also discount tickets available. 


Here is a little video of "Come Fly Away" for those of you who would like to know a little more about the show!






Since I walked out of the theater a tad disappointed and surprised I found myself looking foward too the performance of "Guys and Dolls" I would be attending in a few weeks at St. John's University.
April 8, 9, 10th