Tag Archives: Andrew Wilk

Roundup: Mark Blake, Sue Pfister, Consignment Furniture …

Posted on September 28, 2022 | 6 comments

Bagpipes played, colleagues saluted, and hundreds of mourners grieved yesterday, as Mark Blake was laid to rest.

Mark Blake leaves St. Matthew Church for the last time …

The beloved Westport Emergency Medical Services crew chief and Weston EMS volunteer died last week, after a long battle with COVID. After a funeral at St. Matthew Church in Norwalk he was buried in Westport’s Willowbrook Cemetery.

“A servant on earth, now a servant in heaven,” one admirer said.

… as friends and colleagues pay tribute. (Photos/Andrew Colabella)

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As soon as Sue Pfister announced her retirement yesterday, after 35 years as director of Westport’s Senior Center, tributes began pouring in.

They’ll continue through the day she leaves the place she loves, on Imperial Avenue.

I was fortunate to interview Sue on my “06880” podcast at the Westport Library last February. To get a sense of what she means to Westport — and to enjoy her energy, wisdom, enormous commitment and lively sense of humor — click here, then scroll down to February 18.

Sue Pfister

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The saga of 233 Hillspoint Road — aka “The Blue House” — may be nearing an end.

For more than 2 years, construction of a large home to replace Positano restaurant has been halted, due to permit violations. The structure has been wrapped in blue construction material ever since.

This summer, the Zoning Board of Appeals reached a settlement with the owners.

This morning, lumber was delivered to the site.

Ah, progress! (Hat tip: Totney Benson)

Lumber at 233 Hillspoint Road (Photo/Totney Benson)

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Speaking of blight … a reader writes:

“The Furniture on Consignment outlet on the Post Road near Izzo’s  and Castle Wine is a junk heap, and a blight on the whole area.

“I believe that residents of Regents Park across the road have tried to do something, without success. I think the same may be  true of Castle Wine, which is next door.

“Surely the town must have regulations on the  books which enable it to address issues like this.”

Furniture on Consignment

Well … click here for a copy of Westport’s “anti-blight provisions.”

Is the consignment store simply showcasing its merchandise? Or is it “dilapidated”?

That’s above my pay grade.

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Positive Directions is taking its October 6 Open House & Wellness Fair in a very positive direction.

The event (3 to 6 p.m., 90 Post Road West) includes free behavioral health and blood pressure screenings, a “sensory café,” prevention awareness activities and more. For more information, click here.

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The next “Andrew Wilk Presents …” is a musical highlight.

The Emmy Award-winning TV, film, music and media producer (and longtime executive producer of Live From Lincoln Center) brings American String Quartet violinist Peter Winograd and celebrated pianist Rohan De Silva to the Westport Library on October 16 (2 p.m.).

They’ll perform — and also answer questions from Wilk. Click here for more information, and to register for a seat in the Trefz Forum.

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There’s something fishy about today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo.

Here it is: from the Ned Dimes Marina, at Compo Beach:

(Photo/Tracy Porosoff)

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And finally … speaking of today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo (above):

 

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Posted in Arts, Beach, Library, Local business, Media, Real estate

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Triple Threat Film Shoots In Westport

Posted on September 10, 2022 | 3 comments

“Hey kids, let’s put on a show!” Mickey Rooney said that so often to Judy Garland in Depression-era films, it became a cliché.

Kids today still put on shows. But — this being Westport, and the year being 2022 — they are, well, different.

“Lux Freer” is the latest movie to be made here. The plot: A middle-class non-binary teen feels like an outcast in their new town of rich jocks and beauty queens — until a wishing well and the most popular guy in school offer a view from the top of the social ladder.

See what I mean?

Cast and crew take a break, with a Joe’s Pizza lunch.

“Lux Freer” is a production of Triple Threat Academy. Each summer the Westport-based school for teen and adult actors, singers and dancers (“triple threats”), founded by “Fame” star/1981 Staples High School graduate) Cynthia Gibb, runs an independent film project.

Students learn acting in front of a camera, along with directing, shooting and producing.

With a professional crew, a cast of 23, and a heap of help from Westport residents and businesses, this is the biggest Triple Threat production yet.

Westporter Andrew Wilk (multi-Emmy-winning producer/director of “Live from Lincoln Center, former Sony Music COO), screenwriter Michael Jamin (“Beavis and Butthead”), makeup artist Kathleen Fillion and filmmaker Allie O’Brien all spoke with students. 

Jamie Mann’s makeup is done professionally by Kathleen Fillion.

The non-binary star is Echo Bodell, Other cast members include professional actors Jean Louisa Kelly (“Top Gun Maverick”), Jamie Mann (“Country Comfort”), Cameron Mann (“Mare of Easttown”) and Natalie Mann (“A California Christmas”). All except Kelly are, were or soon will be Staples High School students.

“Lux Freer” star Echo Bodell (black clothes) and Jasmita Mani Lorenzato prepare for a shot.

Shooting took place at Bedford Middle School. Principal Adam Rosen welcomed the cast (many of whom attended BMS).

The Porch @ Christie’s — whose mission of inclusion aligns with the film’s theme — was another location. They catered one lunch. Comped and/or discounted food was also courtesy of Joe’s Pizza and Gaetano’s. Planet Pizza provided a uniform, pizzas and catering.

The iconic Buick station wagon came courtesy of longtime Westporter Anne Westlake.

Many Westporters joined the filming as extras. You’ll see some familiar faces (including, ahem, my own.)

Cast members and extras wait for “Action!” in the Bedford Middle School auditorium.

Later this year – after editing and post-production — “Lux Freer” will hit the film festival circuit.

The entire cast and crew — I mean, we — can’t wait.

(For more information on Triple Threat’s fall acting and improv classes, and more,  click here.)

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Westport Playhouse Takes National Stage

Posted on December 6, 2021 | 6 comments

Andrew Wilk could have lived many places.

One reason he chose to move here in 2006 was the Westport Country Playhouse.

The beautiful theater — and the part it plays in our town’s artistic heritage — appealed to the arts and entertainment executive, who helped found the National Geographic Channel, then worked for Sony. (The great school system, and proximity to water, were other draws.)

The 90-year-old Westport Country Playhouse.

Wilk went on to earn 5 Emmys for his work as executive producer of PBS’ “Live at Lincoln Center.”

But the 4-hour-a-day commute got to be a bit much. When a man died on a Metro-North train near Wilk, he took it as an omen. He quit his Lincoln Center gig, while maintaining his ties with PBS (and his extensive Rolodex).

During morning coffee conversations with Westport friends, the Playhouse often came up. They noted how underutilized it was — and wondered how, besides dramas and musicals, its historic stage could be used for other forms of art.

Early in the pandemic, 1st Selectman Jim Marpe asked Wilk for entertainment ideas. Always thinking outside the box, Wilk wondered: Why not move Lincoln Center’s “Stars in Concert” here?

“Stars on Stage” was born.

Andrew Wilk and one of his Emmys, in his Lincoln Center office.

Playhouse managing director Michael Barker was on board. They donated the  theater itself, plus staff and crew support

But talent does not come cheap. Wilk worked his Rolodex to find available and willing entertainers — and generous donors.

He landed Gavin Creel (Tony Winner in “Hello, Dolly!”; “The Book of Mormon”), , Brandon Victor Dixon (Aaron Burr in “Hamilton,” Emmy nominee in “Jesus Christ Superstar”) and Shoanan Bean (Billboard artist; “Wicked,” “Waitress”).

Led by Bud and Roz Seigel, Westport donors came through too.

Wilk was determined to do this right. In early September, a control truck rolled into the Playhouse parking lot. A New York production crew with 8 cameras — including an 18-foot jib and a Steadicam — and first-class sound equipment went to work.

It was not easy. COVID made the daily rehearsal and production ritual with the stars, their bands and the entire technical and production staff arduous.

Everyone had to test 72 hours, then 48 hours and finally 24 hours before contact with anyone in the show could be made.

Wilk had to hire a COVID compliance officer to check everyone in, take everyone’s temperature, and send an online questionnaire every morning at 6. There was on-site testing too, if needed.

Performer had to rehearse in masks, up till the final performance. Everyone wore lanyards, showing where they were allowed to be (stage and wings only; audience and lobby only, etc.)

Those were the same procedures mandated for every television and movie set in the country, by theatrical unions.

Finally they filmed 2 shows a night, for 3 days. The intimate setting worked wonderfully. Creel, Bean and Dixon performed show-stoppers, classic and contemporary songs, and told stories.

Audience members were thrilled. For many, it was the first live, in-person entertainment since the pandemic began.

Yet Wilk’s work had just begun. He spent the last 3 months editing, and finalizing contracts with PBS.

Today, the network announces the shows. “Stars on Stage From Westport Country Playhouse” premieres on 3 consecutive Fridays — January 7, 14 and 21, 9 p.m.) on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS Video app.

PBS calls itself “America’s largest stage.” Now — thanks to a collaboration with a much smaller, but more historic — stage, audiences across the country can enjoy a theater we sometimes take too much for granted.

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Posted in Arts, Entertainment, Westport Country Playhouse

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Roundup: Chocolate Hearts, Art Craft Show, Playhouse Shows …

Posted on August 29, 2021 | 2 comments

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For the 2nd year in a row, Aarti Khosla of Le Rouge Chocolates is helping Westporters show love for teachers.

“They are the backbone of our society. In these unprecedented times, hey need our love more than ever,” says the owner of the popular shop at 190 Main Street.

“We came together as a community to salute them with our ‘Give a Little Love’ chocolate hearts campaign on the first day of school last year. It was humbling and heartwarming to hear so many teachers say how touched they were by this small gesture.”

The tradition continues — with a twist. For just $8, you can show you appreciation to the Westport Public Schools staff (including teachers, administrators, nurses, secretaries, paraprofessionals, custodians and others).

And 20% of each “Chocolate Heart” that goes to a teacher will be contribute to the Malala Fund, which helps educate women and girls in Afghanistan.

Click here to buy a chocolate heart, and for more information.

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Talented Westporter Jo Ann Miller-Swanson has her first Art Craft Show today Sunday, August 29, Christie’s Auto Service parking lot, 161 Cross Highway, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.).

Jo Ann is working with Amy Bruno, wife of Westport assistant superintendent of schools Anthony Bruno. They expect to make the show a Sunday Christie’s ritual.

Untitled work by Jo Ann Miller-Swanson.

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The Westport Country Playhouse’s star turn starts Tuesday.

On 3 consecutive nights (August 31, September 1 and 2), Broadway stars perform before a live audience. The concerts will be taped, edited, then broadcast nationally (with a “Westport-centric” opening). The show will be called “Stars on Stage from Westport Country Playhouse.”

Shoshana Bean (“Wicked,” “Waitress”) kicks things off. She’ll be followed by Gavin Creel (a Tony Winner in “Hello, Dolly!”; “The Book of Mormon”) on September 1. Brandon Victor Dixon (Aaron Burr in “Hamilton,” an Emmy nominee in “Jesus Christ Superstar”) completes the triple play on September 2.

There are 2 shows each night, at 7 and 9 p.m.

Westporter Andrew Wilk is the creator and executive producer of “Stars on Stage!” That means the production value will be high.

This is not his first rodeo. He was executive producer of PBS’ “Live from Lincoln Center” from 2012-19, and has won 5 Emmys for his production work.

A limited number of tickets ($75 and $20) are available to the public. Complimentary tickets are reserved for first responders, students, teachers, and groups and organizations.

For tickets or more information, click here, call 203-227-4177, or email boxoffice@westportplayhouse.org.

(From left): Shoshana Bean, Gavin Creel, Brandon Victor Dixon.

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“Gunsmoke” fired up the crowd last night, at the Levitt Pavilion. Tonight’s show — “Dr. K’s Motown Revue” — is already sold out.

(Photo/JC Martin)

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo is one any boat owner can relate to. Everyone wants a free ride!

(Photo/Judy Stone)

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And finally … today is the birthday of Dinah Washington, in 1924. The jazz-influenced singer and pianist died. She died at just 39, of a combination of insomnia and diet pills. She’s remembered for outstanding performances like:

 

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Posted in Arts, Entertainment, Local business, Westport Country Playhouse

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Lights! Camera! Playhouse Ready For National Stage

Posted on August 6, 2021 | 2 comments

Westporters know our Country Playhouse is special.

Soon, the rest of the nation will see why.

On 3 consecutive nights starting August 31, Broadway stars will perform before a live audience. The concerts will be taped, edited, then broadcast nationally. The show will be called “Stars on Stage From Westport Country Playhouse.”

Gavin Creel

Shoshana Bean (“Wicked,” “Waitress”) kicks things off. She’ll be followed by Gavin Creel (a Tony Winner in “Hello, Dolly!”; “The Book of Mormon”) on September 1. Brandon Victor Dixon (Aaron Burr in “Hamilton,” an Emmy nominee in “Jesus Christ Superstar”) completes the triple play on September 2.

There are 2 shows each night, at 7 and 9 p.m.

Westporter Andrew Wilk is the creator and executive producer of “Stars on Stage!”

This is not his first rodeo (or stage show). He was executive producer of PBS’ “Live from Lincoln Center” from 2012-19, and has won 5 Emmys for his production work.

A limited number of tickets ($75 and $20) are available to the public. Complimentary tickets are reserved for first responders, students, teachers, and groups and organizations.

For tickets or more information, click here, call 203-227-4177, or email boxoffice@westportplayhouse.org.

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Roundup: Real Estate, Good Deeds, More

Posted on November 19, 2020 | Comments Off on Roundup: Real Estate, Good Deeds, More

We all sense it. Now we have proof.

Jason Mudd of Cindy Raney & Co. realtors sends a Bloomberg statistic: This fall, Fairfield County had the fastest-rising real estate prices in the country.

Sales rose 80% in September county-wide from a year before. The median home price increased by 33%.

Westport saw a 72% rise in all sales, from January 1 through October 27, 2020, compared to the same time frame a year earlier. It was highest (135%) in the $2 million-plus price range.

Jason hears the same thing as realtors all over town: As quarantine cases increase, buyers (many from New York City) want more space — in their yards, and in their ability to work from home.

They want good schools for their children — and room for their kids to spread out, if they need to learn remotely.

Interestingly, open floor plans are not always the most popular. With families increasingly confined to their homes, “nooks and crannies” enable people to separate from family members for privacy.

Westport is attractive for many reasons, Jason says, beyond space and schools. There’s a vibrant restaurant scene. Plenty of shopping.

Another selling point: proximity to New York. Though the railroad station parking lot seems abandoned, the ease of hopping a train to the city is a big selling point for our town.

Plus it’s just a really pretty place, with tons of great people. But we already knew that.

Among the many people moving from New York to Westport (see above) is Maxx Crowley.

It’s a return home. His father Steve is the longtime owner of SCA Crowley Real Estate Services, and Maxx has joined the family business.

He’s also a new Westport Downtown Merchants Association board member. It did not take him long to help beautify Main Street and environs. He and his dad helped repurpose the summer barrels.

They’re also providing the holiday community tree. It goes up tomorrow, just outside Savvy + Grace.

Just in time for the holiday season: Good Deeds.

Westporter Bill Pecoriello launched the cashback app on Tuesday.

Good Deeds lets shoppers earn cash back while accessing their favorite brands and retailers, then automatically give some or all of those earnings as donations to the causes and nonprofits they care about.

Bill created the app after facing challenges raising funds for his nonprofit Sweet P Bakery, and The Porch to sell those baked goods. For more information, click here.

For 3 decades, ABC News correspondent and anchor Jay Schadler reported around the globe for “20/20,” “Good Morning America,” “Nightline” and “World News Tonight.”

He hitchhiked 20,000 miles across America.

On Tuesday, December 8 (7 p.m.) he lands in Westport.

Virtually, anyway. The Westport Library and “Live at Lincoln Center” producer Andrew Wilk team up for this online presentation.

“I come not as a teacher or a guide, but as a fellow traveler who’s still somewhere between being lost and finding his way home,” Schadler says.

Wilk adds, “I worked with Jay when he anchored the National Geographic Channel. I developed great admiration for his talent as a storyteller. Storytelling is at the heart of what we do in television. There aren’t many in Jay’s league.”

Click here to register for the free event.

Andrew Wilk (left) and Jay Schadler.

 

And finally … On this day in November 19, Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. In just 271 words — at a time when the nation’s very existence was in doubt — the president reminded listeners of our highest ideals.

He concluded by urging “that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

 

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Titanic Discoverer, Undersea Explorer Surfaces At Library

Posted on January 23, 2020 | 5 comments

The 2nd “Andrew Wilk Presents…” will be fascinating.

On Thursday, February 13 (7 p.m.), Dr. Robert Ballard speaks at the Westport Library.

I was excited to interview him, for a sneak peak. In 1985 he discovered the wreck of Titanic. He’s also found the Bismarck, the lost fleet of Guadalcanal, the aircraft carrier Yorktown (sunk in the Battle of Midway), and John F. Kennedy’s PT-109.

Dr. Robert Ballard

But when I started talking about those titanic discoveries, he basically said, “Who cares?”

Ballard has bigger fish to fry.

The National Geographic Society Explorer-at-Large says his most important discoveries were of hydrothermal vents — and the exotic life forms living miles below the surface.

Basically, Ballard found the origins of life on earth. These creatures have found ways to duplicate photosynthesis without sunlight. Thanks to Ballard, we now know that life can flourish all over the universe.

He’ll talk about all that in Westport. (And Titanic too. “It’s part of the story of human history,” he realizes.)

But wait! There’s more!

Ballard is also about to embark on “the 2nd Lewis & Clark Expedition.” Of course, there are a couple of differences between this, and the one 2 centuries ago that uncovered the wonders of our still-unexplored continent.

Dr. Robert Ballard, ready to explore

For one, Ballard is going underwater. The US owns waters 200 miles from our coastline — and we’ve got a lot of coast. Including Alaska, Hawaii and all our Pacific islands like Guam, Ballard says there is as much undersea as the entire surface of the United States.

And we have no idea what minerals and species are down there.

“I’ll tell you when I find it,” Ballard says confidently.

A second difference between the 1800s and 2000s: Half of the explorers this time will be female.

“I’m calling it the Lois and Clark Expedition,” Ballard says.

So he’s not only astonishingly smart, and superbly adventurous. Ballard is also quite funny.

“Andrew Wilk Presents…” — hosted by Westport’s Emmy-winning television executive producer and director/playwright/symphony conductor — brings remarkable men and women to the library. The series kicked off last month with Michael Davie, a filmmaker who has worked on major projects for Oprah Winfrey, National Geographic, Discovery and more.

Ballard will be a compelling guest. His sense of adventure is — clearly — profound.

So I wanted to know more about what he will discover, in his upcoming exploration of our planet’s vast oceans.

“What did Lewis and Clark expect when they got in their canoes?” Ballard asked rhetorically.

“I’ll tell you when I find it.”

(Tickets for Dr. Robert Ballard’s talk with Andrew Wilk are $50 for reserved seating; $150 for VIP reception and reserved seating. Click here for tickets and more information.)

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Andrew Wilk Presents …

Posted on November 8, 2019 | 4 comments

Like many Westporters, Andrew Wilk is very impressed by the recent transformation of the Westport Library.

But, he knows, a building that pulses with creativity is a lot more than “sticks and bricks.”

What really counts is the activity inside.

Andrew Wilk

Wilk is in a position to help make the library buzz even more than it does. An Emmy-winning television executive producer and director — as well as a playwright and symphony conductor — he has one of the most impressive Rolodexes* around.

Now he’s tapping his countless contacts — men and women he’s met through “Live at Lincoln Center,” as chief creative officer of Sony Music Entertainment, and vice president for the National Geographic Channel — to bring exciting, provocative pioneers in science, the arts and humanities to the interactive library stage.

“Andrew Wilk Presents…” debuts next month. Though he’s not crazy about the title — “I just find people, set them up for success and let ’em go,” he demurs — the library series looks like yet another Andrew Wilk smash.

The first guest (Thursday, December 12, 7 p.m.) is Michael Davie. A filmmaker who has worked on major projects for Oprah Winfrey, National Geographic, Discovery and many more, he’ll weave together hair-raising adventures from Kosovo to the Congo, adding personal reflections on travel, family and connecting with people all over the world.

Michael Davie in action.

Davie most recently co-created Oprah’s landmark 7-part series “Belief.” He began his video career by walking from Cape Town to Cairo (!) — alone (!!) — and recording that amazing journey.

Along the way Davie chronicled police brutality in Johannesburg, landmine victims in Mozambique, the sexual abuse of street children in Zimbabwe, and the disparity between rich and poor in Kenya.

He has also interviewed Nelson Mandela, and reported on terrorism, the persecution of gays in Iraq, the environmental cost of mining in Peru, and rescue climbing on Denali.

The second speaker is the celebrated oceanographer Dr. Robert Ballard. He found the Titanic, Bismarck, USS Yorktown and John F. Kennedy’s PT-109, and explored the Lusitania.

Dr. Robert Ballard

His next goal: discover Amelia Earhart’s plane. Wilk has no doubt Ballard will accomplish that too. “He’s an amazing person, with riveting stories,” Wilk says.

The third speaker is filmmaker Kevin Bachar. A 3-time Emmy Award-winning writer and cinematographer, he spent 10 years as a National Geographic producer. He also wrote specials for Discovery Channels’ Shark Week.

“There are so many great series at the library,” Wilk says. “I hope this is one more that will elevate the community.”

And — with speakers like Dr. Robert Ballard — take us to unimagined depths.

(General admission seats for Michael Davie are $20 each. VIP tickets cost $100, and include preferred seating, and pre-show food and drinks with Davie and Andrew Wilk. Click here for tickets.)

* The virtual kind, of course.

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Bernstein On Broadway — And The Westport Library

Posted on October 4, 2018 | 1 comment

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Leonard Bernstein’s birth. The legendary composer/conductor had a profound impact on Broadway, the Philharmonic, television, young people. You name it, he touched it.

He also had strong local ties. For much of his life he had a home in Fairfield, just over the Westport line. Area residents knew him well.

Leonard Bernstein

Andrew Wilk did not. But like many children of his era, he loved Bernstein’s “Young People’s Concerts” on CBS. They inspired his career in music and TV.

At New York University, Wilk was the only student who could read a full conductor’s score. When the CBS music coordinator was sick prior to a Lincoln Center show, Wilk’s professor got him to fill in.

The network paid him $50, and fired the other guy. At 19, Wilk won an Emmy for his work on the “Young People’s Concerts.”

He now has 4 more. And — in addition to his noted career as executive director of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts — the Westporter serves as a trustee of the Westport Library.

Last year he produced the organization’s Malloy Lecture in the Arts, one of the library’s signature annual events. Past programs have featured Arthur Miller, Christo, Joshua Bell, Joyce Carol Oates, Christopher Plummer and Salman Rushdie.

Andrew Wilk in the “Live From Lincoln Center” remote truck, during “Falsettos.”

Wilk had just produced the film version of “Falsettos” for PBS. He brought the director and cast to the library. It sold out the day it was announced.

So it’s only natural that this year he’s reprising his producing role for the Malloy Lecture — and focusing on Leonard Bernstein.

The event — set for Monday, October 22 (7:30 p.m., Quick Center at Fairfield University) has 2 parts.

The first focuses on Bernstein and Broadway. A panel discussion with his children Nina and Alexander will be moderated by conductor/composer/ producer George Steel. Rare family footage will be shown, including scenes from their life in Fairfield.

The second half of the evening features live musical performances of iconic shows like “West Side Story,” “On the Town” and “Wonderful Town.” Broadway soloists will be joined by the Staples High School Orphenians.

Musical director Michael Barrett will also perform a 4-hand piano arrangement of the “Candide Overture,” with Westport’s own internationally famed Frederic Chiu.

It will all be “a unique perspective on an amazing man,” Wilk promises.

Susan Malloy

It’s one more in the series named after a remarkable person herself. Artist and philanthropist Susan Malloy  died in 2015, age 91.

Thirteen years earlier, she had endowed the lecture series. It’s a free, public annual discussion by a person with significant cultural influence, and whose work has enhanced the understanding and appreciation of the arts.

(The Malloy Lecture in the Arts has already sold out. Call the Quick Center at 203-254-4010 or email boxoffice@quickcenter.com to be put on the wait list. For more information, click here.)

 

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Andrew Wilk Picks Up Pops’ Baton

Posted on June 8, 2017 | 2 comments

Most days, Andrew Wilk works behind the scenes. As executive director of PBS’ “Live from Lincoln Center,” the longtime Westport resident has brought the magic of Luciano Pavarotti, Leonard Bernstein, George Balanchine, Yo-Yo Ma, Renée Fleming, Nathan Lane and many others to viewers across the country. The show is noted for stretching technical and creative boundaries.

Last year Wilk advised the Staples TV production staff, as they aired the high school’s 1st-ever Pops Concert at the Levitt Pavilion.

The event returns this Friday. (Tickets sold out as soon as they were available.)

This time, Wilk takes center stage: literally.

One of his passions is conducting. So — at the invitation of orchestra director Adele Valovich — Wilk will wield the baton for Friday’s grand finale: the rousing “Stars and Stripes Forever.”

Andrew Wilk, rehearsing the orchestra at Staples.

“It’s a beautiful facility,” Wilk says of the Levitt. “It’s so picturesque, smack on the river. It will be packed with musicians, and the audience will be full. I’ll be happy to stand up there, as a proud Westporter.”

For once he won’t have to worry about camera angles or cutaway shots.

Making sure the brass and piccolos don’t miss a beat — that’s a snap.

The Live From Lincoln Center remote truck during television production of Lincoln Center Theater’s production of FALSETTOS which is now nominated for five Tony Awards

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