South Orange Performing Arts Center Opens in New Jersey
BUENA PARK, Calif. A stunning centerpiece of the planned revitalization of the village of South Orange, N.J. is now complete: after ten years of planning and fundraising, the new 415-seat South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) opened its doors in November. In addition to a beautiful, technologically-advanced theater designed to present innovative artistic and cultural experiences for a diverse constituency, SOPAC is home to five cinemas run by Clearview Cinemas.
Jim Lazarus, member of the Board of Governors for SOPAC, knows his way around a piano and volunteered to select a piano for the new theater. He chose a Yamaha C6 conservatory grand for SOPAC from Rockaway Music. "I was in a successful band when I was younger, and over the years, I stayed in concert production, which has given me a lot of experience with instruments," he says. "Yamaha pianos always have a nice feel, a nice touch and a nice sound. Our theater is intimate and we needed a full, warm sound."
On October 29, a special, invitation-only "Hard Hat/Thank You Concert" was the first event held at SOPAC, giving the Yamaha C6 a real workout. The concert opened with The Stein Brothers, a jazz piano quintet featuring Harlem pianist, Mferghu: "He was the first pianist to play it and he loved it," says Lazarus. As the evening of music unfolded, performances were also offered by G-FY-G Gospel Choir; a six-piece world music group, Grupo Yuri; a classical duo, featuring pianist Shuang Guo and soprano Maureen Francis; and The Chuck Lambert Band, a five-piece powerhouse blues band.
"Three of us created the concert," says Lazarus. "We'll probably never produce a show with five different set-ups and at least 50 bodies on stage, but we wanted to test everything." In addition to the brand new Yamaha piano, SOPAC installed a state-of-the-art lighting and sound system and "everything worked and sounded great. I've produced a lot of shows in a lot of places, and this piano really suits our needs. We made a good buy."
The SOPAC season officially opened on the weekend of November 3-5 with performances by comedian Paula Poundstone and legendary guitarist Richie Havens. Other artists scheduled for the 2006-2007 season include pianists Bill Charlap, Yamaha artist Eddie Palmieri, Leon Redbone, Benny Green; actor/musician Jeff Daniels; drummer T.S. Monk; violinist Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul; sitarist Anoushka Shankar; John Pizzarelli & The New York All-Star Big Band; vocalists Jeffrey Gaines, Nancy Wilson; and much more from the worlds of dance, literature, comedy, film and theater.
An eclectic "music of two worlds" line-up of jazz and classical musicians Paquito D'Rivera, Yo-Yo Ma, Imani Winds Quintet, Alon Yavnai and Brenda Feliciano shared the stage for SOPAC's Inaugural Grand Opening Gala Fundraiser on November 16.
For more information, visit www.sopacnow.org.
For more information, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Piano Division, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622, telephone (714) 522-9011, or e-mail infostation@yamaha.com.
 L - R: Jim Lazarus, Patrick Cruz (seated), Lawrence Branch, all Board of Governors of SOPAC (South Orange Performing Arts Center)
Photo: EJ Carr |
On October 29, a special, invitation-only "Hard Hat/Thank You Concert" was the first event held at SOPAC, giving the Yamaha C6 a real workout. The concert opened with The Stein Brothers, a jazz piano quintet featuring Harlem pianist, Mferghu: "He was the first pianist to play it and he loved it," says Lazarus. As the evening of music unfolded, performances were also offered by G-FY-G Gospel Choir; a six-piece world music group, Grupo Yuri; a classical duo, featuring pianist Shuang Guo and soprano Maureen Francis; and The Chuck Lambert Band, a five-piece powerhouse blues band.
 The Yamaha C6 onstage at SOPAC
Photo: EJ Carr |
The SOPAC season officially opened on the weekend of November 3-5 with performances by comedian Paula Poundstone and legendary guitarist Richie Havens. Other artists scheduled for the 2006-2007 season include pianists Bill Charlap, Yamaha artist Eddie Palmieri, Leon Redbone, Benny Green; actor/musician Jeff Daniels; drummer T.S. Monk; violinist Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul; sitarist Anoushka Shankar; John Pizzarelli & The New York All-Star Big Band; vocalists Jeffrey Gaines, Nancy Wilson; and much more from the worlds of dance, literature, comedy, film and theater.
An eclectic "music of two worlds" line-up of jazz and classical musicians Paquito D'Rivera, Yo-Yo Ma, Imani Winds Quintet, Alon Yavnai and Brenda Feliciano shared the stage for SOPAC's Inaugural Grand Opening Gala Fundraiser on November 16.
For more information, visit www.sopacnow.org.
For more information, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Piano Division, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622, telephone (714) 522-9011, or e-mail infostation@yamaha.com.