In Port Washington, putting on the annual summer show is a community affair.
With the 53rd Port Summer Show quickly approaching, parents, community members and North Hempstead Council Member Mariann Dalimonte joined the high school performers, cast and crew to fundraise for the annual theatre performance, this year “Bye Bye Birdie,” by washing cars at St. Stephen’s Church.
“The Port Summer Show is entirely driven by volunteers,” said Michael Siskin, the co-president of the show’s board. “There are no paid people, and the only way we make money is to raise it from corporate donors or through fundraisers like this. So, this is very important in keeping the show going.”
“The costs are much larger than most people have any idea,” Siskin continued. “We pay insurance, we pay a lot for facilities. We pay each one of our directors. We pay a lot to create our sets. We pay for props. If people don’t continue to support the show, we could probably make it in another year or two, and that would be it.”
Siskin, his co-president, Tracey Taylor-Babaian and other members of the show’s board said the show is important to the community because it gives aspiring actors and artistic kids a chance to perform in a more professional setting and brings the community together during the family-friendly annual August performance, which typically sells out.
The show employs professional directors, choreographers, and costume and wardrobe coordinators, enabling kids to learn from those who direct Broadway and off-Broadway productions.
Council Member Dalimonte said she joined the cast and crew’s car wash because she happened to stop by and a kid told her more people were needed to wash cars.
“I was just here and a child walked in and said, ‘We need help washing.’ So here I am,” Dalimonte said. “You have to be there from your community.”
“If you can’t make it to Broadway in Manhattan, you can make it to Schreiber High School in Port Washington,” Dalimonte continued, referring to the show’s performance venue. “You’re gonna get an exceptional show.”
Dalimonte’s willingness to jump in demonstrates the all-in community feel of the summer show, something Taylor-Babaian emphasized was critical to keep the show going.
“We look for and have sponsors in the community, businesses that have supported us for decades who come out, whether it’s through grants, buying ads, buying tickets, donating lunches, their time, supplies or printing. It’s really important,” she said. “We value so much the communities, businesses and individuals in Port who support our cause. We’re constantly looking for more. If anybody’s interested in getting involved in any way, whether it’s through time, donations, money, funds, grants, etc, we welcome it.”
She said the fundraiser works to pivot to respond to community needs and interests. This year the summer show team put on a kids’ carnival with a $10 entrance fee alongside the car wash, complete with story time readings of children’s books from the show’s cast.
“We started off with a car wash and a tag sale. There are times we’ve added bake sales to it,” Taylor-Babaian said. “We added the carnival this year because we did ‘Beauty and the Beast’ last year as our show. We had so many little kids that came because it was a show that invited all ages.”
“We saw that all these younger children in the community were really interested,” Taylor-Babaian said. “So we pivoted this year. As opposed to doing a tag sale, we did a carnival for the littles in the community to get them interested in the show and us.”
Kids played with temporary tattoos, colored sand projects, candy pong, giant coloring pages and balloon animals throughout the day.
Taylor-Babaian said the summer show was part of what makes Port Washington Port Washington.
“Keeping the arts alive is something I strongly believe in, and I think it makes our community diverse, welcoming, engaging,” she said. “The skills and ability that the kids develop, whether it’s working in the crew, whether it’s being brave and standing on stage in front of your town singing a solo, or if it’s the kids in the pit, it is an opportunity to develop responsibility and accountability and courage and bravery.”
“The community comes out in droves,” Taylor-Babaian said. “We sold out last year, all four shows. The community shows up to enjoy the kids, to enjoy art, performance, dance and song. It’s really special, and I think it’s part of what makes Port so special.”
The Port Summer Show will run at Schreiber High School on Aug.1 and Aug. 2 at 7:30 p.m. and Aug. 2 and Aug. 3 at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for $25 for adults, $20 for students and $15 for children 10 years old and under.
