A Little Night of Music

3rd Annual Benefit Gala, June 15, 2019

Please join us for our 3rd Annual Benefit Gala, A Little Night of Music, as we end our 71st Season and ready for the 72nd.

The event this year will be held on the grounds of the historic Mouquin family home. PJ Mouquin, book and lyrics writer of the new musical “Hunchback” adapted from Victor Hugo’s “Novel Notre Dame de Paris” has generously offered her home in Sparkill.

The Mouquin Victorian family home in Sparkill has quite a history, as does the family who lived there for generations. The home, according to PJ, “sheltered the Mouquin family for 100 years—a silent witness to the joys and sorrows of four generations of family history. Henri Fredrick Mouquin purchased the house in 1902. Orangetown Tax Assessor’s records indicate that the house was built about 1800. Yet, the Second Empire, Victorian style architecture, with its Mansard roof, reflects a later period of around 1870. On close examination, the fieldstone windows under the porch still sport the original shutters from the 18th century.” PJ’s husband, a long time Wall Street figure Charles, died in 2008. He and PJ were the third generation of his family to live in his large Victorian house in Sparkill.

The Mouquin family was once involved in some of Manhattan’s finest and most famous restaurants. Henri Mouquin (PJ’s husband’s great-grandfather) owned Mouquin’s, one of New York City’s first fine French dining establishments. Hugely popular with the Bohemian set, Mouquin’s gave generations of adventurous New Yorkers their first taste of top-quality French food and wine at bargain prices. Only Prohibition could kill it off.

Keeping in line with the time period of the home, the event will have a Victorian garden party feel. Performing melodies will be the Elmwood Harmony Collective (Larry Gabbard, Daniele Hager, Jon Huston, Wendy Portney, David Sanders, Lisa Spielman, Steve Taylor, Edward van Saders, Julie Wendholt & special guests) and the Heartfelt Barbershop Quartet.

An entertaining live auctioneer will be offering opportunities to bid on items such as glamping on your own private Island, orchestra seats to the Met Opera of your choice and dinner, tickets to a Broadway show, and a weeks stay in the Berkshires.

A fabulous buffet will be catered by Uncle Giuseppe’s and organized by Jimmy Guarasci. Wine, beer and bubbly will be available along with seltzer and lemonade.

A special pre-show VIP hour will occur between 5-6 pm that includes a 3-story tour of the historic home, special guests, appetizers and wine tasting.

As a nonprofit organization, Elmwood’s fundraising efforts allow it to provide the community with quality, affordable live theatre. If you are unable to attend we hope you will consider a donation or sponsorship.

Tickets and additional information can be found on Elmwood’s website. We hope to see you there!