For Immediate Release:Contact: David Kuehn, Executive DirectorCotuit Center for the ArtsPhone: (508) 428-0669Email: David@cotuitcenterforthearts.orgWebsite: ArtsOnTheCape.org

CapeCodCAN! Brings “Scary Gary’s Graveyard of Golden Oldies Radio Show” to Cotuit Center for the Arts

Cape Cod Collaborative Arts Network (CapeCodCAN!) presents “Scary Gary’s Graveyard of Golden Oldies Radio Show,” May 15 to 17 at Cotuit Center for the Arts. Performances are 6 PM on Friday and Saturday and 2 PM on Sunday.

When the night is clear and the moon is full, Scary Gary and his troupe of talented performers rise to the occasion to bring back the blasts from the past—and even the ghosts of some of the stars that sang them.

“Scary Gary” features teens and adults with different levels and types of physical and developmental disabilities, including multiple disabilities, from eight service organizations on the Cape. The show is produced by CapeCodCAN!, which is dedicated to providing opportunities for people with disabilities to actively participate in the arts. This is CapeCodCAN!’s third annual musical revue show and promises, like previous shows, to be a sellout.

“It’s a wonderful journey through a collection of pop music’s greatest hits—songs by Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, and many more,” said James Newton, producer of the show.

“Scary Gary is the host of radio show that starts at midnight,” said Norma Atwood, performance director of the show. “He works in a dark, cavernous studio and doesn’t like the sunlight. He plays all the golden oldies from the 1950s to the 1980s, with the assistance of Dead Sullivan. His niece tries to bring sunshine into his life.”

As Dead Sullivan introduces the songs, the performers bring them to life. The Latham Players are performing Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” A group from LIFE is performing Whitney Houston’s “I Want to Dance with Somebody,” complete with do-wah singers and dancers. Another group is performing “Staying Alive,” “I Will Survive,” and “Play That Funky Music White Boy.”

Atwood has been coaching groups from individual service agencies on their performances before bringing them all together for full rehearsals. “It’s an amazing experience, a labor of love,” she said. “Your heart is so opened to the special world the performers are in. It’s beautiful.”

The participants are also excited about the show. Many have performed in the first two shows and are eagerly looking forward to being onstage again.

“The caliber of their performances get better and better each year,” said Atwood. “I teach them some basic theater skills too, like ‘making a window’ so they can see each other, utilization of the stage, and things like that. They are pretty quick to remind me that they know these things. They are so involved, and they are having fun doing it.”

Also involved in the production are professional musicians, support staff, and other performers, including actor Tom Crutchfield, who plays the part of Scary Gary and Kaitlyn Smith, a high school student, who plays his niece.

Jim Hurley, founder and managing director of CapCodCAN!, is a firm believer in the value of the arts for people with disabilities. “CapeCodCAN!’s previous performances of ‘Waiting for Oscar’ and ‘Broadway and Beyond,’ both also original musical revue shows, had tremendous benefits for both participants and the community,” he said. “We have had a marvelous response, both from the community and from the participants and their families.”

Organizations participating in “Scary Gary” are Palaemon House, a residential program for young adults with learning disabilities; CORD (Cape Organization for the Rights of the Disabled; Community Connections, which provides a wide range of support services; Latham House, which offers residential and independent living programs for people with complex special needs; LIFE (Living Independently Forever) which serves people with learning and intellectual disabilities; the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts, which offers support services to brain injury survivors and their families; CSA (Community Support Association), which provides a range of services for people with traumatic brain injuries and other disabilities; and Esprit Partnership for Independence, which provide support for adults with mild disabilities.

“Come for a night of fantastic music; leave with a heart full of inspiration,” said Newton.

Tickets are $20. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit artsonthecape.org or call 508-428-0669. Cotuit Center for the Arts is at 4404 Route 28 in Cotuit.

# # #

What: “Scary Gary’s Graveyard of Golden Oldies Radio Show,” presented by Cape Cod Collaborative Arts Network (CapeCodCAN!)

Where: Cotuit Center for the Arts, 4404 Route 28, Cotuit

When: Friday, May 15, and Saturday, May 16, 6 PM; Sunday, May 17, 2 PM

Admission:

$20

END