Senate Resolution No. 2102

BY: Senator LITTLE

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.