The Vantage Voice - Page 1 - Musicality '98 A Success





Page 1	Volume II, Issue I	February, 1999

The idea began from a family. A talented family wanted to raise money for Vantage Group by putting on a musical variety show. Emma Cuzzocreo, board member and family member, brought the idea to the table at a monthly Fund Raising meeting. The Skinner family, along with friends and members of their community, had most of the legwork done for the show. The Fund raising committee was very excited about the idea. Executive Director, Pat Heaven, suggested the show include the singing group comprised of people supported by Vantage Group. Everyone was excited about the idea, and plans took off. With only eight weeks to plan, practice, and coordinate, everyone did their part. The fundraising committee, chaired by Fran Giffin, was in charge of obtaining sponsors, concession duties during the show, and publicity. Paid supporters employed by Vantage Group were on hand to assist and provide support. One supporter in particular, Barbara Cairone, became a performer in the show. Her dedication, spirit and expertise were major factors in the success of the show. Musicality ‘98 was held for three performances at the Little Theater in New Haven in August, 1998. The theater was rented for the entire week prior to performances to aid the actors in developing a comfort on the stage and in the theater. Mike Skinner, the man who wrote, directed and performed in the show, entertained the audience with comedy, dance and music. Due to a multi-media publicity campaign, word of mouth, and a featured article in the Friday Weekend Edition of The New Haven Register, two out of the three shows were sold out. Each performance concluded with a standing ovation. For those unable to attend the performances, video recordings were made available for a small fee. Commemorative t-shirts were worn by those who performed in the show. Vantage Group, Inc. along with the talent and leadership of the Skinners plan on continuing their efforts in unfied performing arts with a more ambitious show, Musicality ‘99, scheduled for the summer. Proceeds will directly impact those served by Vantage Group. Anyone interested in sponsoring this event should call Robin Carlson, Community Connections Coordinator at 239-4930.

In this Issue

Musicality '98 A Success	1	Upcoming Events	3
From the Desk of the Executive Director	2	With Heartfelt Thanks	4
House Call	2	Self Advocacy Group	5
		About VantageGroupInc.org	5