Classic Cabaret and Jazz
With songs by Freddie Hubbard, Cole Porter, Stephen Sondheim, Burt Bacharach, Michel Legrand, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty and Andrew Lloyd Webber among others
Saturday, May 11, 5 pm
Suggested Donation: $10 at the door
First United Methodist Church of Hillsdale
State Highway 23 and State Route 22, Hillsdale, NY 12529
Ilana Meredith (vocals) is a graduate of N.Y.U., Tisch School of the Arts’ BFA Drama Program. Her acting credits include Grease (Frenchy) at The Shawnee Playhouse, Pippin (Fastrada) at the New London Barn Playhouse, and Cabaret (Sally Bowles) at the Florida Stage Door Theatre. She also appeared in the national tours of Clifford The Big Red Dog – Live! and If This Hat Could Talk – The Story of Dorothy Height. Ilana has also done several professional voice-overs and appeared in the indie film Let Them Chirp Awhile. She received her master’s degree in Theatre Education from City College of NY and now teaches drama and directs the mainstage shows at Great Neck North High School. When not teaching, Ilana continues to study theatre in NYC and most recently appeared in the short film “Golden Brown” and a commercial for the Pena & Kahn law firm.
Joe Rutkowski (piano) has entertained audiences in the metro area for over 50 years. Performing his first gig on accordion at the age of 10, he has expanded his repertoire of styles to include classical Mozart and Beethoven to Jazz Classics, from Polish and Ukrainian dances to bebop jazz and Jewish Klezmer. As a combo player and soloist, Joseph Rutkowski is a 44-year veteran member of Local 802 (American Federation of Musicians). He has performed dozens of jazz programs with his two sons, Ben and Daniel. As a young musician, he performed hundreds of club dates with his brother Andrew and their father, Joe, Sr. This pattern of a father and two sons goes back 5 generations in Joe’s family to the 1880s in Poland.
Jay Bradley (drums) has been ‘covering all the bases’ from R&B, Small and Big Band Jazz and Musical Theater in the Berkshire, Litchfield, and Dutchess County area for 20-plus years. Have drum kit will travel. Speaking of which, Jay plays Premier and Modern Drum Shop Drums as well as Istanbul Cymbals.
Joe Salamone (bass) is originally from NYC and now resides in Northwest Connecticut. He also plays guitar. Joe was raised on Doo Wop, Pop, Rock n Roll, Disco, Progressive Rock, Funk, Fusion, Swing, Jazz, Jump, New Country and Traditional Country Music. Joe has performed in Churches, Clubs, Concerts, Weddings, Restaurants, Cruise Lines, Rodeos, Dance halls, Funerals, Birthday Parties, Benefits, Studios, Pizzerias, Garages, Basements and played with too many groups to list. It’s all Good!
This program is made possible in part by a grant from the Rheinstrom Hill Community Foundation.