THE STAGE IS SET: (Clockwise from top left) An Irish step-dancing performance will kick
off On Stage at Kingsborough’s spring performance season. Mark G Meadows and The Movement
will perform Stevie Wonder songs with their own fresh spin. Ladies Sing the Blues
includes Grammy-winning artist Catherine Russell joined by Brianna Thomas and Ada Dyer.
Photos: courtesy of Producers, Inc; James Gardiner; courtesy On Stage at Kingsborough
COURIER LIFE, FEB. 18–24, 2022 35
OUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE BOROUGH OF KINGS
BY JESSICA PARKS
On Stage at Kingsborough is returning
live to the Manhattan Beach
stage with four in-person shows for its
spring season — and they’re already
seeing loads of interest from community
members eager for social activity.
“We are really happy to be coming
back and so excited by the calls we are
getting from our audience,” said Anna
Becker, On Stage at Kingsborough’s
executive director. “I honestly didn’t
know what to expect when we announced
but people are ... overjoyed.”
The organization selected the four
acts, which will be preforming between
March and May, and the honchos behind
the concerts hope the events will
get people excited about returning to
the community theater after two years
virtually during the pandemic.
“The one thing that we thought was
really important was that the spread
was going to include just some really
uplifting joyous shows,” Becker said,
“so that — people just being excited
to come back to life — we’ll be able to
come here and kind of celebrate that.”
Two of the shows — Rhythm of
Dance, and Lords of the 22nd Streets —
will be making a return to the Manhattan
Beach theater as Becker said their
previous performances were huge hits
and will fi t in perfectly with their theme.
“We did a combination of some true
audience favorites along with some
new exciting shows so that people will
have a range of choices, all of which
were very celebratory,” she said.
Rhythm of Dance, the national
dance company of Ireland, will open
up the season with their internationally
renowned Irish step dancing performance
on March 11, in time for St.
Patrick’s Day, taking viewers on a
journey through history. “It’s a big extravaganza
with 22 dancers, all worldchampion
Irish step dancers, three
tenors and a live band,” Becker said.
The Lords of 22nd Street, the original
behind New York’s own Billy Joel,
will perform some of the Piano Man’s
classic tunes they played alongside
him on his early tours on April 7.
Grammy-award winning Catherine
Russell will perform with Brianna
Thomas and Ada Dyer on May 7 as “Ladies
Sing the Blues” vocalizing renditions
of iconic female jazz singers.
Mark G. Meadows and The Movement
will vocalize popular Stevie Wonder
with his own spin on them in the
season’s fi nal show,“A Night of Wonder,”
on May 20, accompanied by his
smooth piano-playing and his sevenpiece
band at a special performance at
the campus’s lighthouse for a night of
wine and cheese (included in the ticket
price) and love songs. “It’s just a great
community evening,” Becker said.
The three other performances in
the spring show season will be held at
On Stage at Kingsborough’s theater,
with ticket prices starting at $34 for
standard seating in the theater. Meadow’s
performance at the lighthouse
will be priced slightly higher starting
at $42 for standard seating.
Becker said the organization kept
ticket prices the same as they were
prior to the pandemic to keep the
shows available to all New Yorkers.
In compliance with state and city
ordinances, On Stage at Kingsborough
will require proof of vaccination
for entry into all performances and
masks must be worn at all times.
Performance seasons usually begin
earlier and have more shows but
the theater group has decided to begin
their full return slowly to fi gure out
what’s safest for performers, the crew
and audience.
“We’re really putting an emphasis
on a safe reopening,” Becker said.
It’s showtime!
On Stage at Kingsborough to return
to in-person performances in March