Village of New Hyde Park cultural commissioner Lisa Miranda pronounced the village’s free summer concert series a success on Monday.
“This year I think with all the shows, we’ve had more people. It was really nice to see,” Miranda said.
She said a combination of word of mouth and village publicity helped raise attendance this year for the three concerts and one musical presented in Memorial Park between June and August.
“People are more aware. They look on our website to see the shows that are coming out,” Miranda said, adding they’re also promoted in the monthly village newsletter.
Village Trustee Donald Barbieri said he was pleased with the turnout of more than 100 residents at the final concert of the year on Aug. 21, which featured the band Sweetwater performing ‘70s hits.
“This is great. Look at this crowd. A lot of people have come out for the concerts and we’ve had good weather,” Barbieri said.
He also noted that an audience of more than 200 people came out to see a production of “Beauty and the Beast” performed by Lynbrook-based Plaza Theatrical on Aug. 14.
Barbieri credited Miranda, who has been serving in the volunteer position as cultural commissioner for the past 12 years, for the success of the concert series on a limited budget for in hiring performers.
“You want to pick out the best for the community and the one that’s going to be best pricewise,” Miranda said. “We like to have different performers.”
She said receives a steady stream of emails and phone calls to Village Hall from performers who want to participate each season.
Often the bands have their own fans who attend the concerts but she said the groups are typically seeking exposure.
“Sometimes you get inundated,” Miranda said.
She said costs for the plays are approximately $900 per show and the bands are paid as much as $1,800 apiece for their performances.
Miranda said Maspeth Bank helps finance the series by sponsoring the first show of the season, which this year was a tribute band group called Jimmy Kesney and the Pirate Beach Band. They played songs by Jimmy Buffet and Kenny Chesney.
Miranda said Brothers Management in New Jersey assists the village in selecting tribute bands. Among them have been bands covering Elton John, Rod Stewart, Abba, the Four Seasons and Elvis Presley.
“I have good contacts and I have a great rapport with them,” she said.
Miranda said the process of lining up the groups for the summer season begins in February.
A 20-year resident of the village, she inherited the job from a friend, former village Trustee Florence Lisanti, who had been the longtime cultural commissioner before her.
Miranda added a new wrinkle to this season’s performances by scheduling a concert in the William Gill Theatre for 15 Below, a local group of musicians that included students and alumni from Sewanhaka High School.
She said she is seeking to expand the use of the Village Hall theater with more events this fall and winter.
The Gotham Paranomal Society will make a presentation in the theater on haunted places in New York City this fall and local director Marilyn McClean will likely put on a children’s play, Miranda said.
“We just love to give back to the community and this is a way of doing that,” she said.
Miranda’s husband, Frank, is also involved in community service as a member of the village planning board and the New Hyde Park-Garden City Park school board.
