DRAWN TO LIFE
‘Charlie Brown Christmas’ jingles into Bklyn
Snoop, there it is! This “Charlie Brown” aims to stay as true to the animated
original as possible, according to its producer. Dan Norman
COURIER LIFE, N 50 OVEMBER 15-21, 2019
Sad songs say so much: David Roche will release his new folk album, “Griefcase,”
on Nov. 21 at Freddy’s Bar and Backroom. Photo by Derrick Watterson
Grief moment
Brooklyn singer-songwriter
releases album about loss
HBy Rose Adams e’s unpacking his
emotional baggage.
A Brooklyn Heights
singer-songwriter will launch
a jaunty, upbeat folk album
about death and despair with a
concert at Freddy’s Bar on Nov.
21. The tunes on “Griefcase,”
deal with personal loss and
political turmoil, but their
cheery melodies make them
less painful to perform, said
the artist.
“For what it’s talking about
and what it’s dealing with, it
doesn’t feel like a down record,”
said David Roche. “It’s helpful
for it to be that way.”
The pop-infused folk record
grew out of several losses that
Roche and his family suffered
through in 2017, including the
death of his sister, his mother,
his brother-in-law, and his
wife’s best friend.
The personal tragedies
prompted Roche to turn to
music, and he worked with
his wife, Mary Mullally,
and daughter, Oona Roche,
to craft the album. Mullaly
co-wrote one song, Oona
sang another, and all three
family members contributed
to the album’s opening tune,
“Grief,” whose lyrics contain
the album’s title: “All the
baggage to deal with, the
griefcase is a heavy lift.”
Working with his family is
a familiar endeavor for Roche,
who comes from a musical
background.
“It’s always been in the
family,” Roche said. He sang
background vocals for his
sisters’ famous folk trio, the
Roches, who performed with
Paul Simon and released more
than a dozen albums over their
decades-long career. Roche has
released two albums prior to
“Griefcase” — the first in 1985,
and a second in 2008, which
also featured songs written by
Mullally.
The songs on “Griefcase”
blend tragedy and heartache
with political commentary,
mentioning gun violence,
global warming, and the
broken immigration system.
Roche said that he is not trying
to deliver a policy statement
through his songs — instead,
he is ref lecting the polarizing
political atmosphere we all
live in.
“It wasn’t really a conscious
decision, but I think people in
this country are experiencing
grief in a way that we haven’t
before,” he said.
Despite the serious themes
of the album, collaborating
with his family and with
accomplished producers David
Kumin and Stewart Lerman
helped to relieve some of
Roche’s suffering.
“Being able to make the
record and work with such
high-level people, it was like
a dream,” he said. “I’m just
grateful for the chance to be
able to do it after such a hard
time.”
David Roche at Freddy’s Bar
and Backroom 627 Fifth Ave.
between 17th and 18th streets in
Greenwood Heights, (718) 768-
0131, www.freddysbar.com.
Nov. 21 at 8 pm. Free.
Big brew
By Bill Roundy It’s no longer pint-sized!
The Coney Island Brewery
finally opened its vastly
expanded taproom last week. The
opening came about six months after
it was originally planned, but the
lengthy approvals process was worth
it for the fantastic final result, said
the spot’s head brewer.
“Some of it was hair-pullingly
frustrating, but we’re really excited
to have it finished,” said Matt
McCall.
The brewery, located at the base
of MCU Park baseball stadium,
has taken over the next-door space
formerly occupied by the bar
Steeplechase, quadrupling its size.
The original nano-location could
only hold 50 customers — and that
was a tight fit, said McCall. The
new space can hold 270 inside, plus
plenty more outside during good
weather.
The renovated space has two
bars, with 12 taps at one and 10 taps
at the other. There are plenty of tables
for seating, a drinking rail that wraps
along the walls, multiple televisions,
and — during the opening party on
Nov. 7 — enough empty space for a
game of cornhole.
Most importantly, said McCall,
the expanded space has both men
and women’s restrooms, instead of
the single toilet it had before, which
could get a lengthy line during
special events.
The seaside beer barons have
not expanded their brewing capacity
to match the seating, but the extra
space will allow for a more extensive
barrel-aging program, said McCall.
The brewery still has some
unfinished business — a full
kitchen should be ready by the end
of the winter, and it plans to have
a dedicated space for live music.
Winter is the slowest time of the year
in Coney Island, noted McCall, but
that will give the brewery a chance
to work out the kinks before the
summer crowds arrive. And once
everything is in place, he thinks that
customers will find the bar, even
during cold weather.
“I think people will come,” said
McCall. “We offer something that
no one else in the neighborhood has.”
Visit the Coney Island Brewery
1904 Surf Ave. at W. 17th Street
in Coney Island, (718) 996–0019,
www.coneyislandbeer.com. Open
Sun–Thu; noon–10 p.m.; Fri, Sat,
noon–midnight.
IBy Ben Verde t’s a Christmas miracle, Charlie
Brown!
A live performance of
the beloved holiday classic “A
Charlie Brown Christmas” will
warm hearts in Brooklyn this
weekend. The show, at On Stage
at Kingsborough in Manhattan
Beach on Nov. 17, stays true to
the spirit of the animated 1965
special, said its producer, even
while adding a few short scenes
and a holiday concert performed
by the characters.
“Watching ‘A Charlie Brown
Christmas’ was a tradition in my
household,” said Todd Gershwin.
“It seems like one of those unique,
iconic parts of American culture.”
Gershwin, a nephew of
legendary American composers
George and Ira Gershwin, has
produced the show for three years,
and he said that each year has been
better than the last. This year’s
performance will feature video
projections for the first time, which
will bring the performance even
closer to its source material, and
immerses the audience in the world
of Charlie Brown, said Gershwin.
The show also features a
live jazz trio playing the iconic
Vince Guaraldi score, along with
recognizable set pieces from the
original show, including Lucy’s
therapy stand, Schroeder’s piano,
and Snoopy’s dog house — with an
actor in a dog costume playing the
eccentric pooch.
The show will launch a
national tour in December,
but Brooklynites will get the
first peek at the production.
Kingsborough Community
College provided space for the
production to build its set pieces
and to rehearse there for 10 days,
making the show a homegrown
effort, said Gershwin, who used
to live in the borough.
“The school and the community
have been amazing helping us build
and launch this show,” Gershwin
said. “It really is a Brooklyn-made
and -launched production.”
Gershwin sang the praises of
Charlie Brown’s ability to appeal
to viewers from across the age
spectrum.
“It’s a really fun show for
grandparents and parents and
children and families to experience
together, and we encourage folks to
take a little time to have a special
experience together,” he said.
“A Charlie Brown Christmas”
at On Stage at Kingsborough 2001
Oriental Blvd. at Oxford Street in
Manhattan Beach, (718) 368–5596,
www.onstageatkingsborough.org.
Nov. 17 at 2 pm. $13.
Scaled up: Employees Katie O’Donald and
Michael Cassavella stand behind one of the
two new bars at the Coney Island Brewery.
Photo by Caroline Ourso
Coney Island’s giant new taproom
/www.freddysbar.com
/www.coneyislandbeer.com
/www.onstageatkingsborough.org
/www.freddysbar.com
/www.coneyislandbeer.com
/www.onstageatkingsborough.org
