Wordplay: Thanks for an evening of Tomfoolery By the People at the Morristown EcoCenter

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Mix American Idol with vaudeville and The Ed Sullivan Show and you have a pretty good sense of Tuesday’s MG Wordplay: Fun With Words at the Morristown EcoCenter.

Where else could you see performers from 8 to 96, with hip hop in the middle and high school Tomfoolery at the end?

When third-grader Ariya Blow led off with a show-stopping recitation of President Obama’s Of Thee I Sing, A Letter to My Daughters, it was hard to imagine anyone else measuring up.

Little did we know that the Seniors Division from the Lester Senior Housing Community in Whippany would more than hold its own.

In fact, a true poetry slam threatened to break out when one of the senior poets insisted on equal time and grabbed the microphone for an encore performance!

Photos by Hal Crosthwaite; please click icon below for captions

The poetry was punctuated by an inspirational hip hop performance by Morristown teens J-Rock and J-Rage, who have been mentored by playwright Gus Gauntlett of ARTS! By the People. That innovative nonprofit group, created by Paul Rabinowitz, also mentors the senior poets.

Three generations of Paul’s family participated in Wordplay. Sons Darren and Jordan showed off their improv chops with the Tomfoolery troupe from Morristown High School. Kellie Savage, Tomfoolery’s president, has plenty to be proud of and so do we– MG contributor Vicki Birmingham had the EcoCenter rocking with laughter during her comedy set.

Our webcast had some technical issues, but fear not. We will post video of the show over the next couple of days.

You will be in for a real treat. From start to finish, the artists delivered memorable performances. Humorous, poignant, provocative… you name it, they delivered. Can’t wait to view these performances again!

Photos by Sharon Sheridan; please click icon below for captions

Many thank you’s are in order. If anyone gets overlooked, chalk it up to blood loss from a shaving accident. (Any errors of omission will be corrected promptly; the shaving can’t be helped.)

First, sincere thanks to the audience who cheered for the artists. Your warmth made everyone– from first-timers to seasoned pros– feel comfortable at the microphone.

Thank you to the artists for sharing your gifts with us. In order of appearance:

Ariya Blow, Bimpe Fageyinbo, Jane Rawlings, Sharon Sheridan, Melissa Hall, Margaret Noonan, Diego Ortiz, Anjali Blow, Lorraine Rabinowitz, Nellie Morris, Bea Freiheiter, J-Rock and J-Rage, Kristin Ace, Gustav Gauntlett and Tomfoolery: Kellie Savage, Vicki Birmingham, Alexis Bates, Miles Rodgers, Darren Rabinowitz, Meghan Kelly, Adan Keefer, Mike Maulbeck, Cole Stukane, Alice Feldman, Jordan Rabinowitz, Stephen Ferm, Max Rifon and David Birmingham.

Thank you to Paul Rabinowitz and Gus Gauntlett of ARTS! By the People for your help with the talent roster.

It takes many unsung heroes behind the scenes to pull off a production like this.

Paul Miller of Sustainable Morristown, our co-sponsor for the event, continues to be the Indispensable Man. Our thanks also to Jonathan Cloud and his team at the proposed EcoCenter for their hospitality. Ben Cutler once again answered the bell as our ace videographer. Grover Kemble came to our rescue with the sound system. (Don’t miss his reunion concert with Za Zu Zaz at The Minstrel on May 27!) Hal Crosthwaite and Sharon Sheridan provided lovely photo coverage; the reporting side was in very good hands with Barbara Snyder and Alyse Jefferson. And Danielle Merzatta was there with a hug when it was needed.

This was MorristownGreen.com’s fourth show at the EcoCenter. We have one more that you won’t want to miss: MG Kids Art. It’s on May 25 from 2:30 pm to 7 pm., at 55 Bank St. (The former Mini Cooper dealership.) Admission is free.

Enjoy art works by Greater Morristown’s most talented youths. The afternoon also will feature presentations on Kids Green Cooking by Chef Melody of the Main Event, and an on-site art project led by Jody Marcus of the Community Children’s Museum.  There’s still time to submit your art work–but hurry! The deadline for entries is May 20, at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 70 Maple Ave. For more details, contact: MGKids@sharonsheridan.com.

And we’ll be helping Sustainable Morristown with Festival Earth this weekend. Please stop by the EcoCenter and say hello.

VIDEO: WATCH WORDPLAY, FIRST HALF

VIDEO: WATCH WORDPLAY, SECOND HALF

READ MORE ABOUT WORDPLAY

READ MORE ABOUT THE MORRISTOWN ECOCENTER

wordplay
Ariya Blow, 8, leads off 'MG Wordplay: Fun With Words' at the Morristown EcoCenter. Photo by Hal Crosthwaite

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