Bridge Street Theatre to Welcome Pianist Roy Eaton in I REMEMBER MAMA

Acclaimed classical pianist Roy Eaton brings his artistry to Catskill's intimate Bridge Street Theatre Speakeasy on Sunday afternoon May 8th in a program designed especially for Mother's Day called "I Remember Mama".

Just about anyone who watches TV knows the music of Roy Eaton. His ad jingles (for clients like Beefaroni and Texaco) are classics of the genre and can still be heard in reruns on nostalgia networks like TV Land. The son of Jamaican immigrants, Eaton grew up during jazz's glory years in the Harlem Community of Sugar Hill. He took up classical piano when he was six, played at Carnegie Hall in 1937, won the first Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Award in 1950, made his American concert debut with the Chicago Symphony in 1951, and his New York Town Hall debut in 1952. His career was "temporarily" interrupted by two years' service in the US Army during the Korean conflict, then by approximately 30 years in the world of advertising. He returned to concert performance in 1986 with a unique recital called "The Meditative Chopin" at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall. He has since recorded on numerous occasions and his Scott Joplin CD on Sony Classical has been a notable international best seller.His latest album "I Play for Peace" will be available for purchase after the recital, and at www.CDBaby.com/artist/Royeaton.

For this special Mother's Day performance in Catskill, Mr. Eaton has chosen a family-friendly program of classical compositions which explore the bond between mother and child, including the Bach Prelude in C Major (the "Ave Maria" Prelude) and Mozart's variations on "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star". It promises to be an unforgettable afternoon for Mom (and the rest of the family) with an internationally renowned artist, an intimate setting, and an affordable price.

Roy Eaton performs "I Remember Mama" in the Bridge Street Theatre Speakeasy, 44 West Bridge Street in Catskill, at 3:00pm on Mother's Day, Sunday May 8th. Tickets are $15, $10 for patrons age 21 and under, and go on sale at the door one half hour prior to the performance. For more information, visit BridgeSt.org or call 518-943-3818.

IF YOU GO:

Bridge Street Theatre presents
PIANIST ROY EATON "I REMEMBER MAMA"
A Selection of Classical Favorites for Mother's Day
Bridge Street Theatre "Speakeasy"
44 W. Bridge Street, Catskill, NY 12414
Sunday May 8 @ 3:00pm

Tickets: General Admission $15, $10 for patrons age 21 and under. Tickets go on sale at the door one half-hour prior to the performance.

Program:

Bach
Prelude and Fugue in C Major
from Well-Tempered Clavier Book 1

Mozart
Ah! Vous Dirai -Je, Maman
Theme and 12 Variations based on "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"

THE MEDITATIVE CHOPIN
Prelude Opus 28# 20 in C minor
Nocturne Opus 9 #2 in Ep Major
"Harp" Etude Opus 25 #1 in Ab Major
Berceuse in Db Major

Bill Evans
Peace Piece

Scott Joplin
The Entertainer
Maple Leaf Rag

Roy Eaton, winner of the first Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Award in June 1950, made his American debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performing Chopin's F Minor Concerto under George Schick in 1951. He was re-engaged to perform Beethoven's 4th Concerto the following season, and also made his New York Town Hall debut in 1952. His career was "temporarily" interrupted by two years of service in the United States Army during the Korean conflict, then by approximately 30 years in advertising at Young & Rubicam, then as V.P. Music Director of Benton & Bowles, then running his own production company. He returned to concert performance in 1986. In addition to Chopin, his performances of the music of Scott Joplin have been particularly noteworthy. Roy has been a practitioner of Transcendental Meditation for over 40 years and currently serves on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music. His recordings can be purchased at www.cdbaby.com/all/Royeaton. And visit purehistory.org/roy-eaton.

Bridge Street Theatre. Bridge Street Theatre, Inc. is a non-profit corporation which purchased the old factory building at 44 West Bridge Street in Catskill, NY in late 2013. We are now in the final stages of converting the building into a fully-functioning year­-round arts complex which will house our own theatre productions, will be available to other theatres and performing arts groups, and, because of its location adjacent to Catskill High School, will be able to provide theatrical opportunities for high school and middle school students. We recently received a grant from New York State's Homes and Community Renewal to convert our black-box "Raw Space" into an 84-seat proscenium theatre. We've also transformed the lobby of the theatre into our "Speakeasy" where we've already presented over 40 events -- theatre, music, magic and more - and turned our "Big Room" into an exhibition space where we've showcased a monumental balloon sculpture called "AVIARY (reimagined)" and an exhibit of large scale sculptures by local artists called "Big Works in the Big Room". For more information on who we are, what we've done, and what we have planned, please visit our website at BridgeStreetTheatre.org.

Photo by Robert Ullman

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