Bill Text: NY K00599 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Commending the Seagle Music Colony upon the occasion of hosting its 25th Annual Gala, and paying tribute to this year's honorees on July 13, 2019
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2019-06-17 - adopted [K00599 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-K00599-Introduced.html
Assembly Resolution No. 599 BY: M. of A. Stec COMMENDING the Seagle Music Colony upon the occasion of hosting its 25th Annual Gala, and paying tribute to this year's honorees on July 13, 2019 WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to call attention to individuals and organizations that devote their time and energies to the cultural enrichment of the Empire State; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend the Seagle Music Colony upon the occasion of hosting its 25th Annual Gala, and to pay tribute to this year's honorees; and WHEREAS, This auspicious occasion, initiated with the late Broadway and Metropolitan star Patrice Munsel as honorary chair, will be celebrated in a giant tent by the theater on Saturday, July 13, 2019; and WHEREAS, This year's honorees from 1995-2018 are: Janet Misch, Charles and Deborah Treger, William (Bob) Wright, Helen Boatwright, Jerome Hines, Arlene Dahl, Beverly Reed Hay, Dorothy (Speed) Kelly, Howard Daniel, Jane Powell, Louise McClelland Urban, Celeste Holm, Phyrne Collie Pitkin, Lisa Reid, Rosemarie and John Trainer, Javier Abreu, Janet Friedman, Pete and Dodie Seagle, Sean Panikkar, Walt and Yvonne Fredericks, Joseph Bishop, Ed Moore, Chris Temporelli, Ava Pine, Richard Kagey, Seth Carico, Ann Breen Metcalfe, Ryan Bowie, Ann Durney, Peter Oberdorf, Phyllis and Marty Korn, Holli Harrison, Ken, Michael and Jacqueline Posner, Andrea Carroll, Joan and Dick Lomnitzer, Reginald Smith, Jr., Darren Woods and Steven Bryant, Jim and Eileen Carnahan, Hailey Clark, Laurence (Laurie) Meltzer, Jonathan Blalock, Tony Kostecki, Vanessa Becerra, and John Seagle who is also celebrating his 90th Birthday, and the Town of Schroon Lake which is commemorating its 200th Anniversary; and WHEREAS, The 2019 alumna honoree is Eryn LeCroy, who is currently starring as Christine in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera on Broadway; and WHEREAS, In addition, the four founders of the Seagle Music Colony Gala will be recognized: Irma Fisher, Tom Grogan, Sharon Harder, and Dodie Seagle; and WHEREAS, Since its inception, Seagle Music Colony has strived to identify, train and develop gifted singers and to present quality opera and musical theatre performances to the public; and WHEREAS, As a not-for-profit organization with a rich 104-year history, Seagle Music Colony is the oldest and one of the most prestigious summer vocal training programs in the United States; its excellent program is run by a skilled administration and executed by professional artists and faculty gathered from universities and professional opera and musical theatre programs across the country; and WHEREAS, Seagle Music Colony was founded in 1915, by world renowned baritone, Oscar Seagle, who made several concert tours in the United States and Europe, and recorded albums for Columbia, including the popular World War I hit "Dear Old Pal of Mine"; and WHEREAS, In 1922, Oscar Seagle bought the property where the Colony currently stands, and it was nicknamed "Olowan," an Indian name meaning "Hill of Song"; during the 1920s, up to 125 students would come each summer, and in the winter many would follow him to Nice, France for further study at the de Reszke-Seagle School; and WHEREAS, Oscar Seagle's son, John, was one of his most prominent pupils; he made recordings for Decca and RCA-Victor, and sang with a number of weekly network radio programs, he began singing with the Cavaliers Quartet in the 1920s, and recorded over 500 hymns with them for an NBC program called "The Church in the Wildwood," which was broadcast in many countries; and WHEREAS, The Seagle Music Colony Singers were one of the first groups to perform before television cameras; the Colony Opera Guild was formed in 1941, and performed for several years at the Wikiosko Barn Theatre on Lake George; and WHEREAS, After Oscar Seagle's death in 1945, John Seagle directed and taught voice at the Seagle Music Colony from 1945-1985; John died in 1997, and the John and Helen Seagle Scholarship was established in memory of John and his wife, who gave many years of devoted service to Seagle Music Colony; and WHEREAS, Under the stewardship of John Seagle's son Peter, his wife Dodie and their three sons, the Colony carried on many of the same traditions over the years; in 1996, Darren K. Woods was hired as General Director; under his luminous leadership, and with a core staff consisting of Richard Kagey and Tony Kostecki, the Colony has grown to become the "Best Summer Vocal Training Program in the United States" (Classical Singer Magazine, 2000); and WHEREAS, Today, hundreds of applicants vie for the opportunity to attend the Colony; in the past 20 years, it has grown from two productions and eight performances per summer to six full productions and over thirty-five performances; this growth mandated the need in 2008 for Tony Kostecki to move to full-time resident General Director and Darren Woods to transition to part-time summer Artistic Director; in 2017, Darren returned to the Colony full-time and added to his duties, leadership of the Colony's fundraising efforts; and WHEREAS, It is most fitting that we take time to celebrate the arts of our Nation, to honor our artists, and to express our appreciation to everyone who patronizes the arts; and as we celebrate the arts, we celebrate and give thanks to our American freedom, the only atmosphere in which artists can truly create and in which art is truly the expression of the soul; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commend the Seagle Music Colony upon the occasion of hosting its 25th Annual Gala, and to pay tribute to this year's honorees on July 13, 2019; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to the Seagle Music Colony and the aforementioned honorees.