Experience live local theater at the Penguin, starting on October 30 with Neil Berg’s Broadway’s Back! Other highlights of the fall season include tributes to Tony Bennett and Carole King.
ROCKLAND, NY (October 26, 2021) — Celebrate the reopening of Broadway—without leaving your own backyard—with The Penguin Rep Theatre. We’re pleased to announce our Fall 2021 lineup of musical events, returning to the live stage at the Penguin Rep Theatre, 7 Crickettown Road, in Stony Point, New York.
First up is Neil Berg’s Broadway’s Back!, on Saturday, October 30, at 7 p.m. “There is no better time to salute Broadway—the source of so many of America’s most memorable and beautiful songs—than now, and no better messenger than Neil Berg and company!” says Joe Brancato, Artistic Director for the Penguin Rep Theatre. Join Rockland’s own superstar composer and performer Neil Berg, as well as Broadway singer and actress Rita Harvey, star of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera and Fiddler on the Roof; and Craig Schulman, who played the title roles in both The Phantom of the Opera and Jekyll and Hyde, and starred asJean Valjean in Les Misérables, as they light up the Penguin stage with songs from Broadway classics and its newest hit shows.
Also showing this fall are the following concerts:
Taking the stage on Saturday, November 20 at 3 pm is Eddie Bruce’s Tribute to Two Tonys. Following his sold-out show this summer, crooner Eddie Bruce and his band are back with a salute to two musical greats: Tony Bennett and Anthony Newley. “We’re thrilled to welcome back Eddie Bruce, who kicked off our ‘One Step Closer’ concert series this summer, with his salute to two Tonys who made such an indelible mark on the American songbook,” Brancato says. Bennett—the prolific 95-year-old singer who most recently shared the stage with Lady Gaga—is known for hits such as “Rags to Riches” and “(I Left My Heart in) San Francisco,” among many others. Actor, singer, and songwriter Anthony Newley teamed up with the late Leslie Bricusse to produce the Academy Award-nominated film score of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Together, they also created two hit Broadway shows, Stop the World – I Want to Get Off!, and The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd. “Roar of the Greasepaint is especially dear to my heart,” says Brancato, “as it was the first show Penguin ever produced, more than 40 years ago!”
Experience the Yacouba Sissoko Trio on Saturday, November 27 at 2 pm. “It is a thrill to present Yacouba Sissoko, a master player of the magical string instrument, the kora, and his trio,” says Brancato, “as they bring alive the vibrant music of West Africa.” Descended from generations of djelys, the traditional musicians and storytellers of Mali, Sissoko incorporates a variety of musical influences into his repertoire and, according to Brancato, “opens to the door to a unique musical experience.”
Broadway singer Carter Calvert provides an unforgettable evening of music by the legendary Carole King in Natural Woman: A Carole King Celebration on Saturday, November 27, at 7 pm. King’s songs have been part of the soundtrack of our lives since her LP Tapestry was released in 1971 and went on to became one of the best-selling albums of all time. “The incredibly talented Calvertreturns to the Penguin stage following her sold-out Patsy Cline tribute this summer, bringing her own powerful and warm interpretations of the music of the legendary singer/songwriter,” Brancato notes.
To close out the season, be sure to catch A Very Cocomama Holiday Celebration on Saturday, December 4, at 7 pm. “After the past year, we are ready to celebrate a joyous holiday season and the Cocomama band will have you dancing in the aisles with their irresistible renditions of holiday favorites in their incomparable style,” says Brancato. Expect traditional holiday songs with an irresistible Latin twist.
Penguin’s fall season is made possible with support from Bernard and Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust, GMG Public Relations, New York State Council on the Arts, Orange and Rockland Utilities, Rockland County Tourism, The Shubert Foundation, Town of Stony Point, and Wright Bros. Real Estate.
For tickets, contact the Box Office at 845-786-2873 or visit us online at www.penguinrep.org.
PLEASE NOTE: Penguin Rep Theatre is committed to the health and safety of our staff and guests. We require all those entering the theatre to provide proof of vaccination at the door. (Proof of vaccination can be your actual vaccination card, a photo of your card, the Excelsior Pass, or proof provided by a foreign government.) In keeping with the CDC’s updated guidance, we require all patrons and staff to wear masks inside the theatre.