Westport may not be the center of the musical universe.
But last night, it sure came close.
Darlene Love’s first live performance in 2 years thrilled a sold-out Levitt Pavilion crowd.
The Levitt Pavilion was packed, on a beautiful evening. (Photo/JC Martin)
The singer — who turns 80 this month — gave one of the most memorable performances in the outdoor venue’s 47-year history.
Mixing her Phil Spector hits with gospel and more recent Stevie Van Zandt songs, she owned the stage with a powerful, wide-ranging voice and engaging banter.
Darlene Love in action. (Photo/JC Martin)
As befitting a former backup singer — if you haven’t seen “20 Feet From Stardom,” why not?! — she gave extended solos to a pair of future stars.
Darlene Love’s backup singers got their own star turns. (Photo/JC Martin)
Darlene Love was clearly delighted to be back on stage. And — because there are always Westport connections beyond the obvious — one of the key members of her rock-the-house band was our neighbor, saxophonist Crispin Cioe.
Saxophonist Crispin Cioe (left) is a huge Darlene Love fan. (Photo/Dan Woog)
He once called Darlene Love his “soul and inspiration.” He’s played with her for over 30 years.
And yes, they both gave a rousing rendition of that Righteous Brothers/Phil Spector song of the same name last night.
A pre-show announcement warned concert-goers that, because of COVID, there would be no dancing in front of the stage. So these fans — all probably born years after Darlene Love sang with the Crystals — danced in their own pod. (Photo/JC Martin)
======================================================
Meanwhile, an hour or so earlier and a couple of miles away, Soundview Drive was the stage for a concert of a different kind.
More than half a dozen Broadway stars sang from the front lawn of Karen Elizaga and her husband, Jay Ptashek.
Broadway stars on Soundview Drive. (Photo/Lauri Weiser)
Mixing familiar show tunes with humor — it’s not every day that cars and trucks pass between singers and audience — the singers wowed a crowd arranged in beach chairs, across the street on Compo Beach.
6-year old Chloe Silverstein, and a small part of the large crowd on Compo Beach. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Among the performers: Staples High School graduate Mia Gentile (“Kinky Boots”) and Karen and Jay’s own daughter, Sloane Ptashek.
Mia Gentile, a proud Staples Players alum. (Photo/Lauri Weiser)
Admission was free. But anyone could make (and still can!) donations to Broadway for Arts Education. The non-profit provides arts education to underserved youth in New York, Haiti and India.
Host Karen Elizaga and her husband, Jay Ptashek. (Photo/Lauri Weiser)