The Rhapsody Players Sing For A Friend in Need

By Dan Guarino

On Saturday, September 13, the talented sounds of The Rhapsody Players will reach out from St. Patrick’s Church Auditorium in Brooklyn to help a Friend in Need in Rockaway. The musical group will be performing a special concert, aptly titled “You’ve Got A Friend,” filling the evening with good sounds and a good time for a good cause.

The show starts at 8 p.m. at the auditorium located at 9511 4th Avenue in Bay Ridge. Admission is $25, with all proceeds going to the friend in need. Tickets can be reserved by calling 646-335-2710 or emailing BroadwayJack@Earthlink.net. The group advises it’s best to reserve spots ahead of time. Coffee and cake are included, beer and wine will be sold and a 50/50 raffle will be held. Free parking is available in the church lot.

The Rhapsody Players’ John Heffern explains, “We were told that an old friend was in need” as they’ve more recently had several operations and have been unable to work. “The person is a Rockaway resident and a member of community theater for decades.”

Many of the Players and their onstage band have deep connections with numerous local theatre groups, including as part of the Rockaway Theatre Company, where the group has also often performed.

The group’s lineup includes Colleen O’Donnell, Kiernan Hamilton, Heffernan, Kevin Sweeney, Julia Dimant and newer addition Sarah McShane. Longtime members Juliette Mallon, and, most likely Samantha Caiati, will brighten the evening with guest spots.

“Our music is pop, rock, soul and standards of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s,” Heffernan says. Blending their distinctive voices for solos, duets, trios, medleys and ensemble numbers, they put on a show that entertains while drawing audiences in with their engaging stage personalities.

Often instead of taking a well-deserved mid-show break, group members have even been known to go out at intermission to meet, greet and mingle with their audience.

For the “You’ve Got A Friend” concert, Heffernan says they’ll be including songs from a long list of artists such as Aretha Franklin, Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, Todd Rundgren, Adele, The Marvelettes and Ronettes, Gloria Gaynor, Chicago, Marvin Gaye, The Turtles, Water Boys and Stylistics, Simon and Garfunkel, Hall and Oates, Motown and more.

The Players will be solidly backed by The Fabulous Band, featuring Steve Athanail on guitar, Tim Bayliss playing piano and keyboards, Peter Zaggare on bass, flute and saxophone by Matt Koza, Scott Kulick on trumpet, Howard Alper on drums, and possibly trumpeter Ryan King. The band will also be playing popular instrumental numbers to round out the show.

Through their talents as entertainers, The Rhapsody Players, as a registered non-profit 501c charitable organization, have raised money over the years for many good causes. In coming together as a group, Heffernan previously explained, “We decided to pool our talents and provide communities with top notch entertainment whilst raising funds for worthy causes such as schools, churches, pediatric cancer care, military postage, Caring Kind Alzheimer’s, the Boy Scouts of America and people in need,” and many others.

Currently, he says, “We are approaching (the) $900k (mark) in our 20th season.” They can frequently be found playing fundraising benefit shows, such as for St. Patrick Church and its Catholic Academy school, and Bay Ridge Cares, as well as doing a variety of indoor gigs, and outdoor shows at various parks, including as part of Brooklyn’s Shore Road Park’s Summer Concert series, and at the Rockaway Theatre Company’s (RTC) John Gilleece Theater. We “love the theater, the audience and the members of this wonderful company,” Heffernan said.

In fact, as Heffernan recalled last December before a holiday show at RTC, the group had its very beginnings in theatre. Founded in 2006, he explained, the original members had been singing together for years in community theater productions as part of the Narrows Community Theater, the Rockaway Theatre Company, Samaha, and Bay Ridge’s St Patrick’s Church theater group, among others. Heffernan noted he “started singing at age seven with member Kiernan Hamilton under the tutelage of Maestro Aldo Bruschi” and sang the lead in “Amahl and The Night Visitors” at age 11.

Many members, he noted, have been performing with the Rockaway Theatre Company for more than two decades. Heffernan himself starred in “La Cage Aux Folles” at RTC, Samantha Caiati’s performance graced “The Great Gatsby,” Kevin Sweeny has appeared in several shows and Juliette Mallon starred in last season’s sold-out run of “RENT.” McShane likewise appeared in “RENT” and played a starring role in the musical “Spamalot.” Each has brought their acting, singing and other talents to the RTC stage in numerous other productions there and other related shows at venues such as the Rockaway Hotel.

Musicians Matt Koza and Scott Kulick and others also have been part of RTC’s amazing band ensembles for many shows.

“We were all musical theater performers who had worked together in various plays and shows,” Heffernan said. “We decided to pool our talent and make a difference.”

As they take the stage for next week’s “You’ve Got A Friend” benefit concert, amid the music and audience applause, they will be making a difference once again and reaching out in song to help a friend and Rockaway neighbor in need.

Photo by Frank Caiati.