Music at Asbury presents \”Shakespeare Sings on Broadway\”

Music at Asbury Presents “Shakespeare Sings on Broadway”

Asbury-Crestwood United Methodist Church is delighted to present “Shakespeare Sings on Broadway,” a musical revue featuring excerpts from Broadway shows based on plays by William Shakespeare: The Boys From Syracuse (The Comedy of Errors), Kiss Me, Kate (The Taming of the Shrew), and West Side Story (Romeo and Juliet). The show will include commentary that allows audiences to enjoy classics from the American songbook while learning about these songs’ place in historical and cultural context. Admission is FREE.

Directed by John Orefice with Donna Cribari as music director, “Shakespeare Sings on Broadway” is written and produced by Lu Gmoser. The cast includes well-known Westchester theater performers Miguel Acevedo, Robin Aleman, Janice Orefice Dehn, Catherine Gmoser, Laura Donaldson-Inzeo, John Orefice, and Steve Taylor; Mauro Contrastano will serve as narrator.

John Orefice, director, was the founder and director of the acclaimed theater arts at Pelham Memorial High School for 32 years and has appeared frequently as both actor and director in community theater productions throughout Westchester County.  For the past four years, Orefice has served as the Stage Production Director for both TedXAsbury Park, the largest and highest-rated TEDx conference on the east coast, and for an outgrowth of TedX, 1act.1idea, a laboratory for new short plays.

Donna Cribari, music director / pianist has worked as musical director, conductor and accompanist for countless productions with Off-Broadway, Regional Theater, community, and college groups both here and abroad. A recipient of the Westchester Broadway Theater’s Cab Calloway Lifetime Achievement Award, Donna has conducted, accompanied or directed over 75 different musicals, operas and operettas. She is a founding member of the Port Chester Arts Council.

Lu Gmoser, creator and writer, was the founding producer of Asbury Summer Theatre, an acclaimed community theatre in Yonkers that presented 30 sold-out shows over 32 years, as well as the founder of Three for the Show, a group that presents songs alongside commentary to place the music in historical and cultural context.  Mrs. Gmoser is a recipient of the Cab Calloway Lifetime Achievement Award and the Untermyer Performing Arts Council’s Griffon Award, both for her contribution and commitment to the performing arts in Westchester.

Music at Asbury was launched in November of 2014 by Lu Gmoser, founding producer of Asbury Summer Theatre, and renowned music educator, the late Dr. Earl F. Groner.  As a program of Asbury-Crestwood United Methodist Church, Music at Asbury is designed to serve as a social service to the community, offering free performances by some of New York City and the Hudson Valley’s finest musical artists.

Concerts are held in the sanctuary at Asbury United Methodist Church, 167 Scarsdale Rd, Tuckahoe, NY; ample parking is available. Admission is free of charge but reservations are strongly recommended; please visit www.MusicAtAsbury.com or call 914-779-3722 to reserve a general admission seat.

“Shakespeare Sings on Broadway” is made possible in part by a 2022 Arts Alive Grant from ArtsWestchester.

The Rev. Jason Radmacher is pastor of Asbury Church and Mary Thombs is Minister of Music and Chair of Music at Asbury.

For more information, contact:

Mary Thombs, Chair, Music at Asbury

Maryet1@verizon.net; 917-533-5747