The Rockaway Theater Group are thankful to have been welcomed by the parish of Our Lady of Grace in Howard Beach after losing their home to the storm. Proceeds form the performances will be used in relief efforts. Forum Newsgroup Photo by Patricia Adams.
Despite being severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy, the Rockaway Theatre is moving forward with its planned production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Only now, the show will be hosted by Our Lady of Grace Church in Howard Beach.
The 15-year-old Rockaway Theatre Group’s building in Breezy Point had suffered more than $70,000 in damages as a result of Hurricane Sandy, recalled the group’s producer, Susan Jasper.
Jasper said that as a result of the damage, the group was forced to shelve indefinitely their production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which had been scheduled for just before Thanksgiving last year.
“They must’ve thought, we have to go somewhere, so why not try Our Lady of Grace,” said Father Anthony Rucando of Our Lady of Grace Church in Howard Beach.
“The coming together of us both was more providence, as opposed to planning,” Rucando said.
He added, “I think the community could use something uplifting, after all we’ve gone through.”
Matt Zinser, organist and music coordinator for the parish, was responsible for originally bringing the plight of the Rockaway Theatre Group to Father Rucando’s attention.
Zinser said that the merging of both the theater group and the church was plain good timing.
“Our parish was looking to reactivate our own dormant theater group and we thought that a good way to get things back in motion would be to host the opening of Joseph,” Zinser said.
He added that the church had also suffered its own damage and as a result they were holding mass in the gym of the Ave Maria Catholic Academy.
“Everybody is limping along in this part of Queens,” said Rucando, referring to the slow pace of the Sandy recovery.
Jasper said that the parish’s school gym had a small stage and the church agreed to allow the theatre group to use the gym for the Joseph show with proceeds going to help repair and renovate both the parish and the theatre in Breezy Point.
However, Jasper said that not only did they have to downsize the production to fit their new, much smaller space but they also had to start auditioning people again since most of the previous cast members were no longer available.
Further, she said that much of Rockaway’s production equipment had been damaged and they were now forced to rent equipment for such essential elements as lights and sound.
“It’s been challenging to get all this together in a short time,” she said.
Jasper says the group hopes to be back in their own theatre building at Fort Tilden in Breezy Point by July.
“We’re very thankful the church gave us this chance to put the show on and bring Howard Beach and the Rockaway community together. They could both use some entertainment.”
Performances of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will be held on Fridays and Saturdays, March 1st, 2nd, 8th and 9th at 8:00PM and matinees on March 3rd and 10th at 3PM. Proceeds from these performances will be used for hurricane relief expenses.
Prices for this show only are $25.00-Adults and $17.00-Seniors and Children.
For more information on the show or to purchase tickets, call the box office hotline at 718.374.6400 or visit http://rockawaytheatrecompany.org.
By Alan Krawitz
