The Grove Gang
Volume 49, Issue 7
By Susan Freedner

I am writing and submitting this column Monday, July 18, to be published Thursday, July 21. No one knows what the weather will be when you are reading this… I do know the weather the previous two weekends went to extremes. On Friday, July 8, we arrived at the Sayville Ferry wearing foul-weather gear shivering in a cold rain. They ran the all-season ferry and the regulars appreciated the heat as we were able to dry out and restore our normal body temperature on the trip to the Grove.

Level Orange

Due to the atrocious bombings in London and the resulting heightened level of alert for the entire country, there were signs posted for random luggage and personal searches at the ferry… NYC has been at Level Orange since 9/11 and I personally deal with the resulting circumstances on a regular basis, attending Lincoln Center, driving through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, etc., etc. It did seem odd to have the Coast Guard searching the luggage of people traveling to Cherry Grove… one overheard conversation… ‘What is that?” … “25 wigs”…

My identical twin, Ruth and I attended the APCG (Arts Project of Cherry Grove) produced double bill performance of Tom Wilson Weinberg and Le Cabaret Melange at the CH (Community House) Sat., 7/9. It was an entertaining, eclectic evening of musical performance and we were very glad we opted to attend, although we had never heard of the second group on the bill. Trivia games were played with the audience and prizes awarded. I correctly answered a question regarding the year 1973 and won sheet music to a song written by Tom Wilson Weinberg titled Lesbian Seagull, recorded by Engelbert Humperdinck… did anyone know that?

The four members of Le Cabaret Melange are very musically talented and the lead singer, Jeffrey Marsh is also incredibly personable and charismatic… I may not go to Philadelphia, where they perform on a regular basis, however I look forward to their possible return engagement to Cherry Grove. I correctly answered a trivia question regarding the Golden Girls and won their DVD devoted to an evening of Kurt Weill.

This past weekend couldn’t have been more oppressive, typical summer weather, for… August… hot, hazy, humid… downright steamy… a tee shirt and shorts seemed way too overdressed… I truly appreciate Fire Island when I am reasonably cool sitting under a ceiling fan instead of having to run my A.C. 24/7 in Brooklyn and I really appreciate the A.C. in the CH especially while being entertained.

The community of Cherry Grove applauds Meryl Factorman and Lois McIntosh, who along with the APCG, again presented the always highly anticipated Doctor’s Fund benefit which played to two sold out audiences last Saturday. We were not disappointed as Donald LaBohn once again created and directed a Grove style musical revue of exemplary style and wit, this time taking us back to the wonderful ‘50s. Special kudos to Gary Greene and Luis Valentin for their inventive set creations as well as Gary’s new high level of performance as Bobby Darin and the consistently fabulous standard achieved by Luisa Verde.

Gefil Tefish (Jeffrey Wallach) ingeniously dubbed a tape and hilariously performed a song not originally written about ticks while being embraced by a giant, mutant tick… gender bending favorites of mine were Joanne Tavis, Bobbi Green, and Doreen Rallo all as hip-swiveling guitar playing Elvis and especially the excellent energetic piano playing Jerry Lee Lewis of Doreen…

My own personal favorites were Blanche DuBois played to full-tilt by Fluffy and the not easily achieved droll delivery of Shirley Shapiro (Evan Kane) in the duet with Sylvia Shapiro (Donald LaBohn)… seven, eight, nine, sing it… 14, 15, 16, bring it home… hysterically funny and fabulous…

Another special note of appreciation for Richard Cooley whose hairstyle creations of the 50s undeniably helped to attain and sustain the mood… remember those 25 wigs… see above.

The entire cast and crew are to be commended for their time and energy expended for this very worthy cause. The Doctor’s Fund is in need of our monetary support in order to provide full coverage for the entire season, please be generous and make your own personal contributions.

On Sunday we… Ruth, Cathy and me… attended the, yes it truly was a surprise, 60th B-D party for Elaine Lucash, given by her partner Carol Goldstein with the very ‘warm’ hospitality of their friends Alison Brackman and Francine Sardone… CGVFD Chief Jill Navarra saluted fellow firefighter Elaine… some participants were Toni Cesta and Jane Haber, Joyce Yaeger, Bud Hendrickson, Lois Fisher and Barbara Dowd, Audrey Hartman, Geri Losquadro and Lynne Moyer, Maggie MacCorkle, et al.

Best wishes to the other cancer birthdays… Barbara Hirsch, Francine Sardone, and Cathy Eckdahl…

Events

This weekend the APCG will present the always-anticipated favorite event Casino… the theme is Pirates of the Great South Bay… envision the CH as a marauding vessel on the high seas, think men and women as wenches, women and men as buccaneers… games of chance and blackjack Saturday from 8 p.m. —2 a.m. and Sunday from 6 p.m.— Midnight, there is a $5.00 donation for admission.

We are looking forward to a visit from our friends Jayne and Elisa from the Pines… we encourage all of our friends to come and lose their money… oops, make a donation… while being entertained by the costumes, décor, and banter of the volunteers… I may not be a good blackjack dealer but I am entertaining… and I’d rather be lucky than good…

Cathy, my VSO (Very Significant Other) the artist known as Eckdahl, has stayed home on some recent weekends preparing for the APCG Art Show and Sale, to be held at the CH the weekend of 7/30 and 7/31. The show is open to the general public on Sat. from 2 – 5 p.m., and 7 – 10 p.m., and again on Sun., from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. There is an APCG members only special opening and reception on Saturday from Noon – 2 p.m.

Mark your calendars for Sat. 8/6, as the CWOG (Concerned Women of the Grove) present the 10th Annual Breast Cancer Benefit from 3 – 7 p.m. This is a very worthy cause and there will be food, beverages, music and entertainment… the fabulous Bella will be hostess… there will be raffle prizes as well as many one of a kind items offered by silent auction… this has become another very well attended favorite Grove event…

That Saturda. evening the APCG presents Stand-Up Cherry Grove in the CH, hosted by the inimitable Panzi with many of your favorite jokes and story telling neighbors… this is a low-dough event and a very good entertainment value…

The usual suspects were rounded up at the CH this past weekend for the first get together of the cast /crew of the final APCG entertainment of the season… the clever and creative Sal Piro has written and will direct a musical comedy mystery titled Way Overboard… think Love Boat mates with City of Angels… two performances each Saturday, 8/27 and Saurday. and Sunday of Labor Day weekend, 9/3 and 9/4.

Tickets for all APCG events at the CH are on sale at the kiosk from Noon – 2 p.m. several weeks in advance as well as the same day of the event and 1/2 hour before each performance.