What do picnics, the music of Elvis Presley, and a park all have in common? Together, they make up the elements of this Sunday night’s Music in the Park.
On July 16, the Port Chester Council for the Arts’ cast of All Shook Up will present a sneak preview of their upcoming area production. Audience members are invited to join the cast at Rye Brook’s Pine Ridge Park for this free performance. Additionally, picnicking and the use of lawn chairs are highly encouraged.
All Shook Up is a jukebox musical based on the legendary music of Elvis Presley. The story, which is based off of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, follows characters on a journey of mistaken identity and unrequited love after rockabilly heartthrob Chad comes to town.
Sunday night’s performance at Pine Ridge Park comes just a week before the cast debuts their hard work when their show officially opens. Their production of All Shook Up will be performed on July 21 and 22, at 7:30 p.m., at the School of the Holy Child in Rye. The show even features a cameo from local Journal News writer Peter Kramer. Tickets can be purchased in advance or bought at the door.
Cast members, who hail from towns throughout Westchester, make up some of the county’s most talented up-and-coming young performers. The complete cast of the Port Chester Council for the Arts production will be in attendance and performing in the July 16 show.
“We are going to try to sing through all of our songs,” director Julie Colangelo says of the Sunday show. “People are going to be able to hear nearly everything. [The performers] are not going to dance or do anything like that, but they are going to do pretty much all of the music.”
Rye Brook began hosting Music in the Park evenings at Pine Ridge Park in 2015 as way of creating a sense of community within the village. “The goal [of Music in the Park] is to have residents come together and picnic with neighbors,” village trustee Susan Epstein says.
It is no wonder that the format of the evening is reminiscent of the free concerts that take place in several New York City parks. Epstein drew this inspiration from her days living in the Big Apple, when she would attend free musical performances to get ideas for Rye Brook’s annual summer evening gatherings.
“Sunday is going to be a lot of fun,” Colangelo says. “It’s very casual, very laid back. In the past, people have brought their chairs and picnic baskets, sat on the grass, and hung out while they watched the evening’s performance.”