A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES Thursday, January 31, 2008 Page 19

The Wedding Singer to PlayNJPAC in Early February

Tony-Nominated Score ComposedBy Former Westfield Student, Sklar

By CHRISTIE STORMSSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

WESTFIELD — Two decades ago,Matthew Sklar was an Edison Interme-diate School (EIS) student composingone of his first songs for a year-endprogram. Now, he’s the Tony-nomi-nated composer of the Broadway musi-cal The Wedding Singer, which willbegin its week-long run at the NewJersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)in Newark next week.

Mr. Sklar recalled his EIS musicteacher, Kristine Smith-Morasso, en-couraging him to compose the afore-mentioned song in eighth grade. Soonafter, he submitted it to Walt DisneyProductions, which accepted and re-corded it for the “Mickey Mouse Club”and additionally in-vited Mr. Sklar to ap-pear on the show atage 14.

He was equallyappreciative of mu-sic director WilliamMathews atWestfield HighSchool (WHS), whoallowed him to com-pose two morepieces during histime there.

“When you’re ateenager, it’s reallyimportant to get yourmusic heard in frontof an audience,” Mr.Sklar said. “Youlearn so much fromthat.”

While attending WHS, Mr. Sklarspent his Saturdays at the JuilliardSchool as a Composition Major in thePre-College Division, where he gradu-ated with honors in 1991.

“It was really intense, and they gaveus a lot of homework, so I definitelysacrificed some social time,” Mr. Sklarsaid. “But it was the greatest education,really incredible.”

As an undergraduate at New YorkUniversity, he was the music director ofthe school’s Godspell production.

A manager from Musical TheaterWorks, developers of new musicals,approached him after seeing the showand asked if he’d consider writing one.He introduced Mr. Sklar to another up-and-coming young composer, ChadBeguelin.

“We just hit it off and started writingimmediately,” Mr. Sklar said.

The pair continues to write togethertoday and most notably composed theTony-nominated score for The Wed-ding Singer.

The Wedding Singer was originally apopular movie starring Adam Sandlerand Drew Barrymore, and thesoundtrack is known for its assortmentof popular music from the 1980s.

However, for the Broadway musical,the producers sought original songs.

“In the movie, most of the music is inthe background as a way to evoke anera,” Mr. Sklar explained. “In the musi-cal, it’s used more to tell the story.”

While two of the movie’s originalsongs, “Somebody Kill Me” and “GrowOld with You,” remain in the musical,Mr. Sklar and Mr. Beguelin had to

recreate the 1980’s sound for the oth-ers.

“I had a lot of specific synthesizersounds, guitar and drum licks inmind…things that were very specificto the decade,” Mr. Sklar said.

He was inspired by Van Halen’s“Jump,” Bryan Adams’ “Summer of’69” and Rick Springfield’s “Jesse’sGirl.”

“I think fans of the movie will reallyenjoy it because we capture the spirit ofthe movie, but we have more time onstage to explore the characters better,”Mr. Sklar said, adding that they alsothrew in some surprises.

This exploration of characters led tocountless changes – even after the showwas already being previewed on Broad-

way.Mr. Sklar spoke

about one song thatwas scrapped andrewritten brand-new because heand the rest of thecreative teamwanted to make thecharacter soundhappier. They onlyhad four days tocomplete the task.

The WeddingSinger was nomi-nated for a TonyAward in 2006 forBest OriginalScore, along withfour other majornominations.

Mr. Sklar saidattending the Tony Awards was defi-nitely a high point in his career thus far.

“Since I was 11, I always dreamed ofdoing Broadway,” Mr. Sklar said. “So,to sit in Radio City Music Hall with thecameras near our faces and watch ouropening number, ‘It’s Your WeddingDay,’ be performed at the Tony’s….Itwas pretty thrilling.”

In addition to composing, Mr. Sklar,34, has worked as an associate conduc-tor, rehearsal pianist and pit pianist onsuch Broadway shows as 42nd Street,Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, Nine andCaroline, or Change.

He is also grateful for the opportuni-ties he has had to work with composershe admires, such as Stephen Sondheim,Maury Yeston and Marvin Hamlisch.

Mr. Sklar is currently writing twonew musicals and recently composedmusic for children’s television program“Wonder Pets” on Nickelodeon.

He said he’s excited about The Wed-ding Singer coming to New Jersey thisweek. While he resides in New YorkCity, he has family in New Jersey, in-cluding his parents, who still reside inWestfield.

“I had the best time doing this injunior-high and high school, and I justthought, ‘This is what I always want todo,’” Mr. Sklar said. “That’s why I’vedevoted my career to kind of recaptur-ing those days.”

Tickets for The Wedding Singer maybe purchased by telephone at 1-888-GO-NJPAC (1-888-466-5722), at theNJPAC Box Office at 1 Center Street indowntown Newark or by visitingnjpac.org.

Photo Credit: Phil Martin“IT’S YOUR WEDDING DAY”...The Wedding Singer, featuring the Tony-nominated score created by former Westfield student Matthew Sklar (picturedbelow), will come to the NJPAC in early February. Merritt David Janes (RobbieHart) and the cast of the The Wedding Singer are featured above.

Westfield Jr. Musical ClubWelcomes 3 New Members

WESTFIELD – At its Novemberauditions, the Westfield Junior Musi-cal Club, a performing group of high-school instrumentalists, vocalists andpianists from Westfield and nearbycommunities, welcomed the three newmembers – Tim Ko,James Chu, and SiyuXiao.

Tim, a violinist, isa junior at WestfieldHigh School (WHS)and is a member ofthe Central JerseyMusic Educators As-sociation RegionalOrchestra. He hasbeen playing violinfor seven years andstudies with StevenWolosonovic.

James, also a junior at WHS, is aclarinetist and a pianist. He has beenplaying clarinet for 12 years and pianofor eight. James studies clarinet withAndrew Lamy.

Siyu, a sophomore at WHS, hasbeen playing the piano for 10 years

and studies with Steve Shevlino. Inaddition, she plays clarinet in theWestfield High School Wind En-semble.

The Westfield Junior Musical Clubwill hold its next auditions on Wednes-

day, February 6,at 7 p.m. at thehome of EllenScariati, locatedat 840 CranfordAvenue inWestfield.

Auditions formembership areopen to musicstudents in theeighth through12th grades fromWestfield and the

surrounding area.Two pieces must be performed for

the audition committee – one from theperiod up to and including Beethovenand the other piece from the Romanticor Modern period. To audition, con-tact Ben Baron, vice-president of au-ditions, at (908) 233-4136.

NEWEST MEMBERS… Pictured,from left to right, are Tim Ko, JamesChu and Siyu Xiao, who recently joinedthe Westfield Junior Musical Club.

The band’s musical influences in-clude The Allman Brothers Band, Par-liament/Funkadelic, The Red Hot ChiliPeppers and Pink Floyd, among manyothers.

Three of the four members of theband have played together since middleschool.

The members’ camaraderie hasturned Southern Fried Funk into a trulycohesive unit.

“There is great communication be-tween band members,” Julian said.

“We can be playing at a live show,and one of us will start to spontane-ously improvise the music. The rest ofus can also make things up freestyleand go along with it.”

Quinn Boyes, a WHS junior, hasbeen a Southern Fried Funk fan forabout a year.

“I saw them perform both at theFestifall and at their recent venue inSayreville at the Starland Ballroom.Both times, I was impressed by the rawenergy and skill that the band pos-sessed,” he said.

“Southern Fried Funk’s latest perfor-mance is hopefully just a sign of thingsto come because these guys clearlyhave the talent to spread the funk allover the world.”

Corey Wisler, also a WHS junior, isequally captivated by the group.

“Southern Fried Funk is a group ofextremely genuine guys; the band is areflection of hard work and commit-ment to music,” he said.

“[The members of the band] playwith a lot of energy. They are definitelya band for the music world to keep theireyes on.”

According to band leader DanZavaro, the Internet played a part in theband’s booking at the Starland Ball-room.

“I’d heard that Starland Ballroomfrequently books local acts, so I checkedtheir website and noticed they werelooking for one to play at the Mountainshow,” he explained.

“I sent them an e-mail, and the book-ing agent said he was very impressedwith our sound and that it would fit thebill perfectly. Two-and-a-half weekslater, we were booked.”

The members of Southern Fried Funkare hoping that their Starland Ballroomappearance is just the start of things tocome.

“Now that we’ve played our first bigshow, we’re looking forward to playingon a professional level so that morepeople can hear our music,” Julian said.

Southern Fried Funk’s self-titled CDis available at Sound Station, from any ofthe band members or by contacting Julianat julian_applebaum@comcast.net.

WESTFIELD FOOD 4 WESTFIELD FOOD 4 WESTFIELD FOOD 4 WESTFIELD FOOD 4 WESTFIELD FOOD 4 THOUGHTTHOUGHTTHOUGHTTHOUGHTTHOUGHTGiant Fun – ‘Super’ Recipes

WESTFIELD FOOD 4 WESTFIELD FOOD 4 WESTFIELD FOOD 4 WESTFIELD FOOD 4 WESTFIELD FOOD 4 THOUGHTTHOUGHTTHOUGHTTHOUGHTTHOUGHT

By JAYNE SALOMONSpecially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

How happy are we local footballfans? The Giants made it to the SuperBowl! This hasn’t happened since 2000.The only thing that will make us evenhappier is when the Giants win. Andeven though they are the underdogs,they actually have a good shot at win-ning this year. After all, they did comeclose to beating the Patriots when theywere pitted against them during theseason.

The Super Bowl is always great, andthe parties that accompany this majorAmerican event are always fun. How-ever, when your team is playing, it addsa whole new dimension to the excite-ment. This year’s parties are bound tobe super special.

No Super Bowl gathering would becomplete without a large pot of chili.This chili is a celebratory, smart versionof the traditional kind – celebratorybecause it involves a couple of shots oftequila and smart because it is madewith ground chicken, instead of groundbeef, so it has fewer calories even withthe addition of the alcohol.

The tequila just gives it a little zip,and since the alcohol cooks off, it issuitable for all to eat. These avocadocorn muffins make a nice accompani-ment to the chili. Serve them warm, ifpossible.

The recipe for these delicious sweetand tangy meatballs can be doubled,tripled or quadrupled, if necessary.Somehow, there never seems to beenough of these to go around.

AVOCADO MUFFINSINGREDIENTS

2 ripe avocados*1 teaspoon chili powder¼ teaspoon kosher salt¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper1 cup shredded 4 cheese Mexican or shreddedMonterey Jack1 small container (6 ounces) lemon yogurt1 cup corn meal2 teaspoons baking powderCooking spray

PROCEDUREPreheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mash the avoca-dos in a large mixing bowl. Add the chili powder,salt and red pepper and blend. Add the cheese,yogurt, corn meal and baking powder and mixuntil well blended. Lightly spray a 12-countmuffin tin with canola or any vegetable spray. Filleach cup halfway. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes on

the middle rack. Serve warm.

*To choose very ripe avocados, make sure theyare very dark in color and soft but not mushy tothe touch.

Yield: 12 muffins

SWEET ANDTANGY EATBALLS

*Sesame oil adds to the oriental flavor of this dishbut can be substituted with another type of oil.Canola, Peanut or any vegetable oil are all suit-able alternatives.

INGREDIENTS1 onion, diced1 red bell pepper, diced5 garlic cloves, whole*3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil1 pound ground beef½ cup Japanese Panko bread crumbs1 egg¼ cup + ¼ cup ketchupSalt & pepper to taste 1 teaspoon fresh chopped parsley or ¼ teaspoonground parsley½ cup white vinegar1 jar (18 ounces) apricot preserves1 teaspoon soy sauce

PROCEDUREIn a large skillet, sauté the onion, red pepper

and garlic cloves in the oil until they are browned.Turn the heat off. In a large bowl, mash thechopped meat. Pour enough water over thebreadcrumbs to cover and let soak for one minute.Add the soaked breadcrumbs to the beef. Add theegg and ¼ cup ketchup, salt, pepper and parsley.Add half the sautéed diced onion and red peppermixture, reserving the remainder for the sauceand maintaining the garlic cloves in the pan.Combine until smooth. Roll mixture into smallcocktail size meatballs and place in a baking pan.Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 30minutes.

While the meatballs are baking, turn the heaton the skillet and add the vinegar, apricot pre-serves, remaining ¼ cup ketchup and soy sauce.Stir constantly until a smooth texture is achieved.When the meatballs are cooked, add them to thesauce, cover and simmer for at least 10 minutes.Serve as an appetizer or as a main dish with rice.

Yield: approximately 15 to 20miniature meatballs

TEQUILACHICKEN CHILI

INGREDIENTS2 red peppers, diced2 green peppers, diced1 large onion, diced2 to 3 tablespoons canola oil3 pounds ground chicken2 cans (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes1 can (15 ½ ounces) light red kidney beans2 shots tequila3 cloves garlic, crushed1 ½ teaspoons salt1 teaspoon crushed red pepper1 tablespoon ground cumin3 bay leaves

PROCEDUREIn a large pan, sauté the peppers and onion in

the oil for 2 to 3 minutes or until browned.Remove from the heat and spoon into a large pot.In the same pan, sauté the chicken, choppingfinely as it cooks until it is cooked through.Remove and add to the pot. Add the crushedtomatoes, kidney beans, tequila, garlic, salt,crushed red pepper, cumin and bay leaves. Coverand simmer for 1 hour or longer stirring occasion-ally. Remove the bay leaves before serving.

Yield: 10 – 12 servings

Community Players HoldAuditions for Forever Plaid

WESTFIELD – Director LindaCorrell of Westfield Community Play-ers (WCP) is holding open auditionsfor the Stuart Ross musical comedyForever Plaid on Sunday, February10, between 1 to 5 p.m. and Monday,February 11, between 7 and 10 p.m.in the WCP theater at 1000 NorthAvenue, West. Callbacks will be Sun-day, February 17, between 1 and 5p.m. at the theater.

Play rehearsals will start in Febru-ary for performances on April 26,May 2, 3, 9, 10, 16 and 17 at 8 p.m.

In this parody of harmonizing “guygroups of the 1950s,” the Plaids prom-ising career is cut short by a busloadof Catholic schoolgirls on their wayto the Ed Sullivan show to see theBeatles. When fate intervenes, thePlaids are given one last shot at star-dom, singing “Three Coins in theFountain,” “Love is a Many-Splendored Thing,” “Shangri La” andother hits.

The cast requirements are as fol-lows:

Four male singers – age range 20 to30. Each of the parts calls for excel-lent singing skills and strong acting

ability. Singing four-part harmony andthe ability to blend and sell a song isrequired.

Francis: Second Tenor/Lyric Bari-tone – Confident but not cocky, ro-mantic crooner and all-around goodguy.

Sparky: Baritone – Class clownand cutup with tons of enthusiasmand a heart of gold. Loves to perform.Jinx’s stepbrother.

Jinx: High Tenor – Shy and terri-fied at first, he grows in confidencethroughout the show and shines onthe high notes. Sparky’s stepbrother.

Smudge: Bass – The worrier with“coulda, woulda, shoulda” syndrome.By the end of the show, he lets go andtakes the stage.

All performers should bring sheetmusic and be prepared to perform asong from the 1950s or early 60s.Songs from the show are encouraged.Sides will be provided for the actingportion of the audition. Music will betaught at the audition to determinethe actor/singer’s ability to harmo-nize.

For more information, contact pro-ducer Kay Macrae at (908) 232-9568.

By MICHAEL S. GOLDBERGER3 popcorns

A new Woody Allen film, good, bad ormediocre, is occasion for labeling andslotting into place the latest part of thecinematic legacy the filmmaker has con-structed over the past 40 years.

Cassandra’s Dream, a tight little delveinto the realm of right and wrong, iteratesa continuing infatuation with the prepara-tion and consequences of murder.

Placing this intriguing contemplationin moral struggle behind Crimes andMisdemeanors (1989) and Match Point(2005) is less a criticism than a testamentto Mr. Allen’s body of work. However,the obsessive interest in this dark cornersuggests a mystery as curious as the se-cret only Jimmy Durante and Mrs. Cala-bash shared.

Perhaps it’s the dividing line betweenanimal and human that so engages Woody:the notion of a conscience. He is pro-found. Watching this absorbing tale abouttwo British brothers who, in one’s ownwords, “cross the line” for quick financialgain, it’s apparent that if Allen had livedbefore movies were invented, he’d prob-ably be a major novelist.

He builds his scenario with deft know-how. Calling on an inspirational holytrinity consisting of Greek tragedy, theBible and film noir (with a slight nod toHitchcock), Mr. Allen places his troubledsiblings right at the precipice of free will.All they need decide is whether they’ll beable to live with their crime.

Neither doubts that a quick windfallwill solve his problems. For EwanMcGregor’s Ian, who has fallen hope-lessly in love with a flighty actress (HayleyAtwell), a hotel venture in California willmean escape from his working class roots.For Colin Farrell’s Terry, mechanic byday, luckless gambler by night, the moti-vation is less ambitious.

Their respective plights framed withinthe context of a humble background, bothcharacters achieve terrific texture whilehelping establish the milieu. Dutifullybut begrudgingly, Ian works at dad’s res-taurant. And while mildly agonizing forthe boys, they regularly visit Mum andDad.

This is not the landscape of killers.Always one payment away from bank-ruptcy, Dad (John Benfield) lives the lifeof quiet desperation; Mom (ClareHiggins), chain-smoking and beratinghim out of habit, derives consolation fromthe storied success of her physicianbrother, Howard (Tom Wilkinson).

Nope, these are people who shalt notkill. They read about it in the tabloids anddiscuss it over the back fence. And whiletheir sons in search of an easier route mayfantasize about helping rich uncle Howard

One Popcorn, Poor • Two Popcorns, Fair • Three Popcorns, Good • Four Popcorns, Excellent

POPCORN™

Cassandra’s Dream: ReturnsTo the Scene of the Crime

out of an illicit jam and becoming thebeneficiaries of his gratitude, that’s justfor bad people. That is, unless they canrationalize otherwise.

Tom Wilkinson is his usually superbself as the legendary uncle…positive proofthat it may indeed be possible to break outof one’s assigned class. OK, so, he’s a bitcorrupt. Maybe it’s the only way, theyjustify.

Recalling the brotherly apologias Biffand Happy countenanced in “Death of aSalesman,” the interplay is sublimelydesperate. Vouching that the dire angst tosucceed is not solely an American pathol-ogy, it also says a lot about the influencethat blood can wield.

While an old yarn, in Mr. Allen’s handsit’s dissected for all its guilt-ridden rami-fications, brought into such high defini-tion that we suspect the protagonists arerunning fevers. Surely Terry is. Farrell isintense in his uncharacteristic depictionof vulnerability, his Cockney “We’vecrossed the line” the film’s unofficialcatchphrase.

Less affected on first blush is IanMcGregor’s upwardly mobile poseur.Like Dreiser’s Clyde Griffiths in AnAmerican Tragedy (1931), it’s the yearn-ing for a seemingly unobtainable sirenand wishing to shake off the perceivedshabbiness of his caste that’s at the heartof his conceit. But whether blind ambi-tion or evil, the deed is done.

Meanwhile, upping his daily boozeand pill regimen, Terry talks about re-crimination from G-d. Abashed, the pre-viously calm Ian angrily asks, “What G-d?” So add that to the philosophical mix.Push has come to shove. We’re at seat’sedge. And like the fare at a good deli,there’s plenty to digest, plus lots to takehome and chew on, too.

Again Allen solemnly reaffirms thedeparture he parodied in Stardust Memo-ries (1980) when aliens informed hischaracter, “We enjoy your films. Particu-larly the early funny ones.” There’s nohumor here; just dead serious irony. Thething is, Woody can revisit his frivolousroots, flit back and forth across the line ifhe wishes.

Not so for Ian and Terry. The pur-chase of a boat they can’t afford at thebeginning of the movie ominously sig-nals their disconcerting grandiosity.Little did they know when they namedit Cassandra’s Dream that it would sailthem into the filmmaker’s stormy night-mare.

* * *Cassandra’s Dream, rated PG-13, is a

Weinstein Company release directed byWoody Allen and stars Colin Farrell,Ewan McGregor and Hayley Atwell.Running time: 108 minutes.

Horn and Greenstein LeadNew Summer Stage TheaterWESTFIELD – Two new directors,

both Westfield educators and profes-sional artists, will guide young per-formers this year for the initial produc-tion of the 2008 Westfield SummerWorkshop (WSW) Summer Stage The-ater.

Kenneth Horn has been named stagedirector and Karen Greenstein musicaldirector of the new musical-theater-performance program, which willpresent the funk-rock production ofThe Wiz, a contemporary tale based on“The Wonderful Wizard of OZ,” byFrank Baum.

A Tony Award-winning show, knownfor its upbeat musical score, The Wiz,with book by William Brown and mu-sic and lyrics by Charlie Smalls, isnoted for its catchy tune “Ease on Downthe Road.”

Mr. Horn is a member of the fine-artsstaff at Edison Intermediate School(EIS), where he co-directs the Broad-way Singers and acts as musical direc-tor for the Edison Spring Musical.

He is noted in Westfield for his elec-tive course in opera at EIS. In this class,he guides students in script writing,composing original music, acting andall aspects of producing an opera.

A vocalist and keyboardist who hasappeared in various venues in the tri-state area, Mr. Horn has been involvedwith the stage for more than 25 years inschools as well as in community the-aters, among them in the Summit Play-house production of Fiorello.

Ms. Greenstein, a vocal-music in-structor at Roosevelt IntermediateSchool (RIS), has performed in re-gional theater and New York City show-cases, in addition to being a teachingartist for the New Jersey PerformingArts Center (NJPAC) and the JohnHarms Performing Arts Center.

Ms. Greenstein is a vocal instructorat the Kreative Kids Theatrical Work-shop; her students have been acceptedinto national music and musical theaterprograms. They have performed in pro-ductions on and off Broadway, at theNJPAC, Radio City and Lincoln Cen-ter.

Ted Schlosberg, founder and execu-tive director of the non-profit New Jer-sey Workshop for the Arts, parent com-pany of the WSW, said, “Their rich,theatrical backgrounds in regional andcommunity theater, combined with their

training and experience in education,have given our new directors the skillsnecessary to work with young peoplewho have an interest in the stage.”

The Summer Stage Theater, for stu-dents in grade 6 to 10, will be held dailyat Edison Intermediate School, locatedat Rahway Avenue in Westfield, fromJune 30 until July 31, from 8:30 a.m.until 12:30 p.m.

No audition is necessary to be a castmember. Rehearsals for The Wiz will beheld on Friday, July 25, and Monday,July 28. Performances will take placethe afternoons and evenings of Tuesdayand Wednesday, July 29 and 30.

For more information on the Sum-mer Stage Theater, call the WSW num-ber at (908) 518-1551 or visit the NJWAstudios at 150-152 East Broad Street inWestfield. A complete Westfield Sum-mer Workshop brochure will be avail-able in February.

Log on to njworkshopforthearts forinformation on any NJWA program.

Arts Center Celebrates75 Years on April 4

Editor’s Note: In last week’s Leader/Times, the January 23 kick-off partyfor the April gala was misconstrued asthe gala itself. The January eventserved as a way to rally everyone toget excited for the upcoming fundraiserin April. We regret the error.

SUMMIT – The public can join theVisual Arts Center of New Jersey(VACNJ) in celebrating 75 years ofsuccess in “bringing art and peopletogether” in April.

On April 4, the arts center willcome together for Viva Art!, the artcenter’s 75th Anniversary Gala. VivaArt! will take place at the Park Av-enue Club in Florham Park and willhonor and celebrate those who haveplayed a significant role in the devel-opment of the arts center, as well asraise funds to support the art center’sCommunity Outreach Programs.

The gala will include awards forcorporate and individual supporters,a silent auction, tribute journal andlive entertainment.

“This is a very special occasion forthe arts center and an opportunity forus to bring into the limelight ourcommunity outreach programs,” saidVACNJ President Eric Pryor.

SOUTHERN FRIED FUNKCONTINUED from Pg. 20CONTINUED from Pg. 20CONTINUED from Pg. 20CONTINUED from Pg. 20CONTINUED from Pg. 20

Southern Fried Funk – From left to right, Seth Applebaum, Keyboard; JulianApplebaum, Bass; Dan Zavaro, Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica;Andrew Gialanella, Guitar; Alex Bubnov, Drums

TequilaChickenChili

Matthew Sklar