MoCA Westport roams far beyond our town’s borders.
The museum-and-more features artists — visual and musical — from around the world.
But one of the biggest draws ever was last night: Westport’s own Michelle Pauker.
The 2013 Staples High School graduate — and actress/singer/songwriter — wowed the overflow crowd with her “Broadway Through the Ages” repertoire. She was both graceful and great, leading the audience through a history of musical theater, from “Showboat” to Sondheim.
One of her songs was an original by Jake Landau, who served as her pianist and music director. A Staples classmate — and Juilliard and Oxford graduate — he’s now a quickly rising composer and conductor.
Michelle’s small band included fellow Stapleite Lucas de Valdivia, on cello.
It was a magical Westport evening, in the worldly MoCA space.
Michelle Pauker at MoCA. (Photo/Dan Woog)
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Aspetuck Land Trust is removing the Bulkley Pond dam. It’s off the Post Road by Shake Shack, right on the Westport/Southport border.
The dam was a barrier to upstream fish passage for alewife and blueback herring, and the freshwater habitat these migratory fish require for spawning.
The project is funded by a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection.
Bulkley Pond dam removal …
… and after. (PhotosDave Lowrie)
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The Fresh Market ospreys get most of Westport’s love. At least, they’re the most visible.
But let”s give it up for the Longshore birds. Molly Alger provides today’s “Westport … Naturally” raptor family:
(Photo/Molly Alger)
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And finally … the Bulkley Pond story (above) reminded me of this great song, which never got the recognition it deserved.
Over 50 years later, the message still resonates.
Michelle Pauker’s performance was magical.
There’s a Great documentary I saw a few years back about damns appropriately named “Damnation” focused on the sone of the challenges wildlife face because of them.
Give a Damn: Tragically a song with words that’s never get old.
Thanks for this one music man.
All these years late, a new song in my catalog from Spanky & the Gang, “Give a Damn”. Thanks for posting this today, Dan, when it’s needed more than ever.