SAVE THE DATE!!!

Friday, September 13, 7:30pm

Rahway Senior Citizen’s Center

Join us as we uncover the captivating David and Goliath story surrounding Radio City Music Hall in the late 1970s — a battle that pitted a small group from the Radio City Music Hall community against the Rockefeller establishment to save one of the world’s premier theaters from the wrecking ball.

In Saving Radio City Music Hall, published by TurningPointPress, Rosemary Novellino-Mearns reveals how Radio City Music Hall, Art Deco masterpiece and New York City’s premiere tourist attraction for generations, was saved from demolition. After years of struggling with intense, sometimes painful memories, “Rosie” tells the honest, fact-filled, emotionally charged, and often humorous story of how she organized the gargantuan effort to save Radio City Music Hall in the Spring of 1978. Against all odds, and in only four months, she succeeded. Readers will be shocked by the “no good deed goes unpunished” climax of the story in which Rosie reveals her reward for spearheading the movement to save “The Showplace of the Nation.”

A modest but determined young dancer from Glen Rock, New Jersey, Rosemary Novellino joined the Radio City Music Hall Ballet Company, the classical dance counterpart to the world-famous Rockettes, in 1966. After a shaky beginning, she danced with the group for twelve years, eventually becoming its Dance Captain and Assistant to the legendary choreographer Peter Gennaro. In the mid-1970s, questionable behind-the-scenes changes in Music Hall management alarmed hundreds of employees, but no one was prepared for the official announcement in early 1978, that Radio City Music Hall was slated to close that April and be demolished.

Drawing upon formerly untapped inner strengths, Rosemary refused to let this happen. She became President of “The Showpeople’s Committee to Save Radio City Music Hall” and motivated fellow workers, friends, thousands of Radio City fans around the world, New York and national media, cultural leaders and politicians to support the cause. As a result of these efforts, the Art Deco palace was declared a National Historic Landmark. saving not only the building but the jobs and livelihoods of thousands of Music Hall employees on stage and behind the scenes who have entertained millions to this day. This “heartfelt and very personal account of that effort,” says Booklist, “provides a backstage glimpse of the drama that ensued and features a cast of characters that includes performers, politicians, the media, and some very heavy hitters in the world of New York real estate that will delight readers interested in the performing arts and their history in the U.S.”

April 3, 2:00 p.m.  

Rahway Senior Center
‘It was 60 Years Ago Today: The Hits of 1964’ 

Ed Alstrom will saddle up the Rainbow Room ‘Mighty Wurlitzer’ organ and take it for a spin through a wonderland of popular songs from the year 1964. It is a wonderfully diverse range of music, and chock full of all-time hits. To give you an example of this, the Beatles made their entrance onto the world stage that year, but they were knocked out of the Number 1 spot on the charts at one point by… Louis Armstrong singing ‘Hello Dolly’! 

Come out and hear this marvelous classic theater organ, built in 1934 for the Rainbow Room in NYC, and lovingly restored and cared for by the Garden State Theater Organ Society (GSTOS), as it renders these fabulous songs we all know and love!

Ed has done many concerts on this organ, and gave its inaugural recital in 2012. He is a church organist/music director by trade, and also the organist at Yankee Stadium.

Luke Staisiunas earned his Master’s Degree in Organ Performance under Dr. Adam Pajan and Dr. Damin Spritzer. He also earned his Bachelor’s from OU under Dr. John Schwandt and Dr. Pajan. During his time at OU, he performed with the Symphony Band, OU Chorale, OU Percussion Ensemble, as well as playing continuo for the Vitam Musica Foundation’s orchestra. In addition, he is active as a transcriber of orchestral works for organ, as well as compiling scores for silent film accompaniment.  He is active as both a classical recitalist, theatre organist, and church musician. Highlighted concert appointments include the ATOS national convention (2019), Spreckels Rising Stars concert (2019), Guthrie Oklahoma Scottish Rite Cathedral Christmas Concert (2019),  and numerous other performances both in the Midwest and East Coast since then.

As a technician, he has most recently worked for the Red River Pipe Organ Company and the former American Organ Institute shop, in Norman Oklahoma. During his time at the Red River firm, he was active as both a shop and field technician. During his time at the AOI, he oversaw the design and installation of a control system for the Schlicker studio organ as part of his Organ Technology coursework. 

He is quite versatile as a church musician, equally at home with traditional liturgy and more contemporary styles of worship as needed.  He is also an experienced substitute, serving a variety of denomination

Directions:  From the south: Take the Garden State Parkway to exit 135 (Clark and Rahway), stay right and turn onto Brandt Avenue. Follow directions below from *. From the north: Take the Garden State Parkway to exit 135 (Clark and Rahway), turn left under the Parkway, and exit at the first right onto Brant Avenue. *Continue on Brant until it ends and turn left at the traffic light onto Westfield Ave. Follow Westfield for three traffic lights. (The road changes name at St. Georges Ave. to West Grand Ave.) At the third light, turn right onto Irving Street. Go two blocks and turn right onto Central Avenue. (You will see the Union County Arts Center on the left corner as you turn.) Go two blocks on Central and turn left onto Esterbrook, The Senior Center is two blocks ahead on your right. Park in the free lot behind the center, or on the street.

@ Union County Arts Center

One of our members and staff organist for Union County Performing Arts Center, Eric Fahner, was called on recently to play the Wurlitzer for a television show. Montel Williams has a Lifetime show called “The Balancing Act.” The cable program features unique people and places. They were recording an upcoming segment at the Arts Center with Eric playing while an interview and taping took place