Long Island High School for the Arts to Host AN EVENING WITH CARA MENTZEL

Long Island's only public arts high school, Long Island High School for the Arts (LIHSA), is hosting its first-ever book event, An Evening With Cara Mentzel, Author of "Voice Lessons: A [Syosset] Sisters Story," on Thursday, February 1, 7 p.m., at the school's Syosset campus, 239 Cold Spring Road. Syosset native and author Cara Mentzel will discuss her book and growing up with older sister Idina Menzel. Admission is free and books will be sold at the event courtesy of The Book Revue.

"Voice Lessons" is the story of a younger sister growing up in the shadow of a larger-than-life older sister - looking up to her, wondering how they were alike and how they were different and, ultimately, learning how to live her own life and speak in her own voice on her own terms.

As Cara puts it, "My big sister is Tony-Award-Winning, Gravity-Defying, Let-It-Go-Singing Idina Menzel who has received top billing on Broadway marquees, and who has performed for Barbra Streisand and President Obama at the Super Bowl and at the Academy Awards. The world knows her as 'Idina Menzel', but I call her 'Dee'."

In the foreword of the book, Idina Menzel writes, "Sisterhood is a complicated relationship. Anytime you love someone so much you are not sure where you start and where they begin. When is the right time to bask in their glow and when do you need to separate yourself and find your own stage? Sometimes it was hard to hear about those moments when I hurt her or let her down. And I know it was no fun for Cara to turn the spotlight on herself magnifying her innermost fears and thoughts. But every moment is authentic and true and if we can't look at the mistakes we have made we never evolve. In our version of snowy Arendelle, there are no 'white ghosts' or ghostwriters, just siblings, each one deserving to be seen and heard."

About the Author

Cara Mentzel is a writer and a teacher. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with her Bachelor's in Psychology from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1996. She returned to UC Boulder in 2004 for her teaching certificate and Masters in Elementary Education with an emphasis in child literacy. She received her National Board certification as a reading teacher in 2011. Cara lives in Boulder, Colorado with the love of her life. She has two teenage boys who like to reprimand her for cursing too much, and an older stepson who is an aspiring musician. She also has two dogs with whom she has much in common, a border collie with OCD and a maltipoo with a weak bladder. Voice Lessons is her first book.

About LIHSA

Established in 1973, LIHSA is part of the public education system and is paid for by local school districts. It offers specialized training and instruction to students interested in pursuing careers in dance, drama, filmmaking, instrumental and vocal music, theatre technology, musical theatre and the visual arts. The half-day program enables students to complete their core academic classes in their home high school and receive two and a half hours of intensive training in their chosen field of artistic study. To learn more, visit www.nassauboces.org/LIHSA and like us at www.facebook.com/LIHSArts.

About Nassau BOCES

A vital regional resource, Nassau BOCES offers state-of-the-art programs for learners of all ages and abilities as well as cost-effective services for school districts and municipalities. We empower students to achieve their maximum potential in alternative, artistic, outdoor, special education, virtual, and career and technical environments. We offer adult education and a variety of programs that are vital to improving the Long Island regional economy. In addition, our technology services form the backbone of many school districts' infrastructures. As the county's educational leader in implementing the state's reform efforts, we are helping to shape the future of education. To learn more, visit www.nassauboces.org and like us at www.facebook.com/nassauboces.