Coming up on March 12, the Westchester Jazz Orchestra will have their debut performance at the Emelin. We are extremely excited to have the WJO join the Emelin family and bring their lively, captivating music to our stage. Over the years, the WJO has garnered much critical acclaim, "has built a reputation for deeply researched, strikingly executed performances" (The New York Times, 9/19/10) and was recently described as "operating in the jazz stratosphere, earning a reputation as one of the top jazz big bands now in business" (The Gazette, Jan 20-24, 2011).

WJO's artistic director, noted pianist and composer Mike Holober, will lead the band from the piano. Also featured will be bassist John Patitucci, trumpeter Marvin Stamm, tenor saxophonist Jason Rigby, drummer John Riley and alto saxophonist Jay Brandford. The tunes will be an eclectic mix of Miles Davis (Freddie Freeloader), John Coltrane (Lonnie's Lament), Horace Silver (Peace), Gershwin (Summertime) and others. The band will also perform a song or two from their Maiden Voyage Suite inspired by Herbie Hancock's remarkable 1965 album.

We hope you will take advantage of the opportunity to see this extraordinary group in their first big band appearance on this side of the County in over 5 years.

Emelin Friends and Supporters,

I have the great pleasure of announcing that the Arts Award Committee of ArtsWestchester has chosen the Emelin Theatre to receive the 2011 Arts Award in the Arts Organization category! ArtsWestchester's most prestigious award is bestowed each year on individuals and organizations that have made extraordinary contributions to the arts and the community. ArtsWestchester is the principal arts organization in the County and is an important source of support to the Emelin and the myriad of arts organizations in the County.

This award is a great compliment to Lisa Reilly and her incredible staff. The programming and professional presenting of performing arts at the Emelin under Lisa's leadership has been very impressive. So, hats off to Lisa and the Emelin staff. This award is also a testament to the dedication to the wonderful Board of the Emelin without whose efforts and support it could not have achieved this level of success.

And a special thanks to all of you for your continued support of the Emelin!

Mark D. Ettenger
President, Emelin Theatre Board of Trustees

We recently had some spectacular performances by Christine Lavin (1/15) and Beppe Gambetta (1/29) and we wanted to share a bit of that with you! Hope you enjoy these videos!

Check out the More Sugar article on John Treacy Egan and catch him at the Emelin this Saturday night!

A little over a year ago I received a fellowship from an organization in New York City called The National Laboratory for New Jewish Culture(LABA). I was to get together once a month, with about 20 other artists from various disciplines, to study an ancient Talmudic tale-- The Story of the PARDES: in which four sages(in the second century) enter a mystical garden seeking enlightenment...with varied results.

In the middle of that year I was cast in a beautiful play called Animals Out of Paper by Rajiv Joseph, to go up at a theater in San Francisco . While there, my father had a stroke.

When I got back, toward the end of the year, and was asked by LABA to make a final presentation....I decided to link together the ancient story of these men searching for spiritual meaning....and my own search...spurred by what happened to my dad.

Also, in the years of doing work as a teaching artist in NY, I happened to have videos of people, of every age and color, looking into the camera to say a few words.....to their father.

The piece has been quite helpful for me to search for faith and meaning, using a hefty dose of humor and engaging in an activity my dad has been unabashedly in love with for his entire life: to play.

-David Deblinger

ps
Back in the 90s, a few years after I Co-Founded a theater company called LAByrinth. I was blessed to have a new member of our company see a solo piece I was working on at that time called Shmoo, and decide to produce if for our company. That was the brilliant actor/director Philip Seymour Hoffman. Here is a five minute clip from that piece, which also used video---youth from the NYC community exploring violence both in their lives and their dreams...It starts with a video of a teen who experienced a loss and then me treating the audience as if they are all Junior High School students...

Clip from Shmoo 5min17