The General Manager of North Shore Music Theatre, Karen Nascembeni, awakened yesterday and is breathing on her own after being on a ventilator for 31 days. Karen was admitted to the hospital with coronavirus on St. Patrick's Day.
A beloved member of the North Shore Music Theatre and Theatre by the Sea communities since the time Owner Bill Hanney bought the theatres, she is part of the incredible team that has brought NSMT and TBTS so much success this past decade.
Although her survival is miraculous, she has a tough road ahead. Her husband and another member of the North Shore community, photographer Steven Richards, was admitted to the hospital with coronavirus the same day, and died a week later. Her father-in-law succumbed from the virus shortly after that, followed by one of her and Steven's best friends.
Members of the theatre community far and wide have rallied to show her their love and support, sending thousands of postcards set up by set designer Nate Bertone with the hashtag #postcardsforkaren. T-shirts with Karen's fabulous phrase "Hello Darling" have gone on sale, which will help create a scholarship in Steven's memory for rising photographers.
According to her sister Sandra Nascembeni McCarthur's Facebook, Karen's asked her to relay the following two things to everyone: "No one is promised tomorrow, and please know that I feel it. I feel all of the love around me."
To help offset the enormous financial costs, and for her to be able to take the proper time Karen needs for recovery- artistic director of North Shore Music Theatre Kevin Hill has set up a GoFundMe page. Visit the page here. Any donation is greatly appreciated. No amount is too small.
North Shore alums created a video for Karen, which can be viewed below:
Videos