Noah Casner

Danny Melnick is no stranger to producing live music events. He began producing concerts, tours, and festivals in the late 1980s and hasn't even begun to slow down. In addition to producing the Freihofer's Saratoga Jazz Festival, he also serves as the Artistic Director of Carnegie Hall's 'The Shape of Jazz' series, and was personally selected by the founder of the Newport Jazz Festival, George Wein, to serve first as the Associate Producer and ultimately the Producer of this festival. In all, Melnick has produced over 100 festivals in the U.S., Europe, and Japan.

I’ll be the first to admit that when it came time for me to see Three Mothers, I was a bit worried what the experience would be. Watching three women grieve the loss of their sons didn’t sound like the kind of activity I would generally choose to subject myself to for entertainment— it frankly seemed like a bit of a downer.

What did our critic think of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR: 50TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR AT PROCTORS at Proctors?

From the moment Mandy Patinkin stepped on stage, it was clear that this show was going to be something incredibly special. Met with thunderous entrance applause, Patinkin took a moment to absorb the audience response before promptly turning the applause around and clapping for us, the patrons who were simply excited to be there.

As I settled into my seat at Proctors to watch the new touring production of HAIRSPRAY, I wasn’t expecting anything particularly revolutionary. Instead, I was met with a production that embodies the show’s themes of love and solidarity so effectively that I’m convinced this show is more timely now than it was when it was conceived two decades ago.