Page 16 Thursday, November 28, 2019 The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION Y Men’s Club Christmas Tree Sale A True Westfield Tradition • Est. 1947 • Christmas Trees & Wreaths • Roping & Stands Starts Saturday, November 30th • Elm Street Athletic Field Weekdays Monday to Friday 5PM - 9PM • Saturdays & Sundays 9AM - 6PM All Proceeds Donated To Local Charities & Non-Profits Fanwood’s Famous Christmas House Spreads Joy to Disabled By CHRISTINA M. HINKE Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times SPFHS Reinvents Genius ’60s Twist FANWOOD – The day after Thanks- giving, Greg Roser will light up what has become known as “Fanwood’s Fa- mous Christmas House” at 83 Paterson To A Midsummer Night’s Dream Road. There are some 20,000 lights with myriad decorations from a candy- cane lane leading up to the front door, a family of polar bears, a nativity scene to antique carolers and more that bring the spirit of Christmas to the community. The spectacular display Mr. Roser assembles began as a way to bring joy to others, and has transcended to spread- ing that joy to children with disabilities. When neighbors first offered to help with his electric bill, he said he’d rather begin a collection for a charity. So, he set up a collection bin, and 100 HERE COMES SANTA...People line up during last year’s Santa visit to Fanwood’s percent of all donations go to help Famous Christmas House. children who have severe disabilities at speech,” Venus Majeski, director of “I like this charity because it is local,” the New Jersey Institute for Disabilities development and community relations Mr. Roser said. “I have seen the chil- (NJID), which runs the not-for-profit for NJID, said. There is an array of dren progress and improve.” Lakeview School, located in Edison, medical specialists on site. The school “The smiles on their faces—when that serves over 1,500 children, from has a new aquatic center designed to they make what we think is miniscule Union County and 11 other New Jersey help students regain skills such as walk- accomplishments are tremendous ac- counties. It is a comprehensive early ing, balance, and pain management. complishments for them,” Mr. Roser intervention special services school. The school also offers student-specific said of the children at Lakeview School. “Most of our students are not ambu- supports, such as computers that recog- On Saturday, December 7, Santa latory, they cannot walk, and most of nize eye movement, “to reach their Claus will visit “Fanwood’s Famous our students don’t have functional highest potential,” Ms. Majeski said. Christmas House” and area children “When you have are invited to visit with Santa from 4:30 community activities to 6:30 p.m. or until the last child is seen such as this it is very by Santa, Mr. Roser said. Each child dynamic. So many who visits Santa will receive a gift. people don’t know About 80 percent of the gifts he hands about the Lakeview out are donated, and 20 percent he A DREAM PRODUCTION...Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School sets Shakespeare’s most famous comedy A Midsummer School because they buys, Mr. Roser said. There is no charge Night’s Dream in the 1960’s for its fall play held last weekend. didn’t need to know for this event, but donations are ac- us… No one ever cepted for NJID. Donations are also By SUSAN MYRILL DOUGHERTY ing scene, not to expect the expected. regal stature?) and her husband-to-be plans for their child to accepted during the season from now Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times It’s a party atmosphere from the first Theseus (Tucker Rose). They are plan- go to Lakeview until January 8—the last day the house SCOTCH PLAINS — On Friday, parting of the curtains with the Athe- ning their wedding, but before theirs School,” Ms. Majeski will be lit up this season. The house is November 22, I scratched my head as nians doing hand jive to the song “I takes place, a young Athenian gal said. illuminated from dusk to 10 p.m. each I sat in the auditorium of the Scotch Want Candy.” No traditional garb here, named Hermia (Ally Vlkovic) is being In the last four years night. People can drop a check made Plains-Fanwood High School. Were but the opening scene has everyone forced into marrying Demetrius (Alex over each Christmas out to NJID or cash in a locked box by high school kids really tackling decked out in white 1960s apparel. So, Halpin). She tells her father that she’d season Mr. Roser has his door, go online to make a donation Shakespeare? How will the teen au- we start with a blank canvas, a stark rather die than not be with her true raised about $10,000, (njid.org, type in notes section Roser), dience members follow the very com- stage that is only accented by a chicken love, Lysander (Owen Donahue). Ah, Photo by Christina Hinke for The Leader/Times with last year alone or mail a check to 83 Paterson Road, plex plot? Whose crazy idea was it to wire type of plastic screen covering teenage angst and romance–our inter- JOY TO ALL...Greg Roser at his Fanwood home last week. raising $7,000. Fanwood, N.J. 07023. produce A Midsummer Night’s Dream the front bottom of the stage stuffed est is piqued. There aren’t any body in high school, anyway? with greenery and flowers to signify mics in this production, but floor mics Credit the crazy genius of director we’re in a forest. Upstage is a two- amplify the actors’ voices quite well. The Three Holiday Tenors are Back Morgan Knight and producer Jan Allen tiered cave-like area with a second- Lysander and Hermia are desperate to whose reinvention of the classic set floor area featuring a large boulder marry, so they go off to the woods to Shakespeare’s most famous comedy and bed area. Hang on. That party feel plan their rebellion. The song “Bad in the 1960s. It proved to be a brilliant is just the beginning. Moon Rising” plays in the background In Town, Come and Sing Along choice with music from the period Hippolyta (Olivia Robertiello) en- while Lysander mutters the well-known WESTFIELD — On Saturday, such as “O Sole Mio,” “Torna a addition to his concert debut with the between scenes that helped propel the ters (is there any doubt she’s about to phrase, “The course of true love never December 7, New Jersey Festival Surriento,” and many, many more.” NJFO, his recent performances in- action. I learned, right from the open- become royalty with her crown and did run smooth.” Orchestra (NJFO) under the baton of “The program always has an Italian clude a return to Union Avenue Opera Meanwhile, Helena (Megan David Wroe, kicks off the holiday element—those Neapolitan folk songs as Rodolfo (La bohème), and a return Sheehy), in a cool ivory pants suit and season with The Three Holiday Ten- are the perfect idiom for our soaring to the Louisville Orchestra as the wide brimmed hat, is privy to their ors, a family festival of traditional tenor voices,” continued Wroe. “It also tenor soloist in Verdi’s Requiem and plan. She pines for the love of and contemporary Holiday songs and includes wonderful symphonic inter- Handel’s Messiah. Demetrius and when shenanigans by music, sing-a-longs and more guar- pretations of seasonal favorites— Continued Mr. Wroe, “These gifted Puck go wrong, she has both Lysander anteed to make the season merry. ”Sleigh Ride,” “O Holy Night,” “Si- tenors will help us celebrate the Holi- and Demetrius fighting over her. But The concert features three interna- lent Night,” “Jingle Bells” and many day season in style. The program is that’s much later. tionally acclaimed guest tenor soloists more. This year we also tip our hat to festive and upbeat, with more ‘top The tune “It’s My Party” blasts and set to dazzle and captivate with a selec- the Irish in us with “Toora Loora,” Cs’ than you can shake a stick at! We the Mechanicals, a group of amateur tion of renowned tenor favorites to wel- “Danny Boy,” and other surprises.” are also thrilled to welcome a chorus actors, descends onto the stage to come in the holidays. Their interpreta- Metropolitan Opera’s internationally of students from Franklin Elemen- prepare a play for the duke’s wed- tions of traditional carols and wintertime acclaimed tenor Barry Banks and award- tary School who are set to charm us ding. Their colorful costumes (de- curiosities are also sure to delight. winning tenors Jesse Donner and Matthew all with their own Holiday favorites.” signed by Joanne Sprague) include a Maestro Wroe said, “These mag- Vickers will be the guest performers. The Three Holiday Tenors concert MET Opera’s gal on roller skates, a mailman, Billy nificent tenors, each more talented Mr. Banks is an English lyric tenor has become a Westfield institution,” Barry Banks and Kasper playing Bottom, and a hard than the next and drawn from New who, after a long association with The said NJFO Board President Keith S. hat construction worker, Antoinette York’s Metropolitan Opera and be- Metropolitan Opera and English Na- Hertell. “There is a festive atmosphere friends join CONTINUED ON PAGE 15 yond, provide ‘Pavarotti style’ fare tional Opera, has achieved acclaim as from the moment the doors open at the NJFO to present one of the finest interpreters of the beautifully decorated Presbyterian dazzling tenor Begin the Holidays at CDC Theatre Italian bel canto repertoire. His per- Church. It’s the perfect community classics and formances of starring roles have taken holiday gathering for the entire family wintertime favorites him to the world’s leading opera houses to hear a world-class professional or- to including The Metropolitan Opera, chestra and star performers from Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, NYC’s Met. Opera and beyond, right welcome in Teatre del Liceu, Opera Philadelphia, here on our doorstep here in Westfield.” the Holiday season. Dallas Opera and Los Angeles Opera. This seasonal stroll of timeless clas- Recent concert highlights, in addition sics and sentimental favorites, sure to to his performance with NJFO, in- bring joy, smiles, and distinctive holi- Saturday, December 7 at 7pm clude Lulu with the Cleveland Orches- day memories to one and all, has been THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, WESTFIELD tra under Franz Welser-Möst. Mr. made possible in part by support from Sunday December 8 at 3pm Banks is also a prolific recording art- The New Jersey State council on the THE CONCERT HALL, DREW UNIV. MADISON ist. His recent recordings include a Arts, the Westfield Foundation and a disc of bel canto arias for Chandos, Union County H.E.A.R.T grant. and Berlioz’s Grande Messe des morts The concert takes place on Saturday, BROADWAY THROUGH for London Symphony Orchestra. December 7, at 7 p.m. at the Presbyte- American tenor Mr. Vickers has been rian Church in Westfield and will be THE AGES praised for his “brilliant and golden repeated the next day in Madison at 3 Broadway vocalists and dancers from Dance voice” (Die Kleine Zeitung), his “bur- p.m. Tickets start at $30 for adults and Theatre of Harlem join NJFO to swing to nished sound and confident acting” there is a special discount price of only America’s Great Songbook. (National Post), and hailed as “a gutsy $15 for students under 21. Tuesday, December 31 from 7pm-9pm performer whose glowing tenor voice Tickets are also available for NJFO’s has interestingly dark, baritonal under- annual New Year’s musical celebra- WHS AUDITORIUM, WESTFIELD tones” (Opera Now). Mr. Vickers re- tion. This year’s performance, The cently performed the roles of Pinkerton Golden Age of Broadway, promises a in Madama Butterfly with Opera Mem- superb revue of American musical the- phis, Cavaradossi in Tosca with Vir- ater classics from the Golden Age of ginia Opera, Rodolfo in La bohème Broadway to Mamma Mia, Book of with Dayton Opera, debuted with the Mormon and even more. The cabaret Macerata Festival as Don José in style concert, featuring renowned guest Carmen, and sang Canio in Pagliacci vocalists direct from the Broadway at the Savannah Music Festival. stage and dancers from Dance Theatre A former resident artist at Lyric of Harlem, takes place in Westfield on Opera of Chicago, rising tenor Mr. New Year’s Eve at Westfield High Donner has already distinguished School Auditorium at 7 p.m. TICKETS $30 - $76 | UNDER 21 only $15 himself on the operatic and concert Tickets for all concerts are avail- 78 Winans Ave. in Cranford/ cdctheatre.org stage with his “vibrant” (Chicago able online at BUY TICKETS ONLINE AT WWW.NJFESTIVALORCHESTRA.ORG OR CALL (908) 232-9400 Classical Review) and “fresh and www.njfestivalorchestra.org. or by juicy” (Chicago Tribune) voice. In calling (908) 232-9400. Go Green! Save the Trees! Help the Environment! 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