It's 'All For Ukraine' At Suffolk Theater

Like all of us, Gary Hygom, the general and artistic director at Riverhead’s Suffolk Theater, has been distressed by the news and imagery coming out of Ukraine since Russia launched an all-out unprovoked attack on the country last month.

And like all of us, he wanted to figure out a way he could help. So he turned to what he knows best — putting on a show.

“Literally, it was two Sundays ago and I had just had it,” Hygom explained in a recent phone interview. “I was watching the news and I said to my wife, ‘I’ve got to do something.’ I’m going to call the troops and see what we can do.”

By troops, Hygom, who worked as a producing director at Bay Street Theater for 20 years and is the former executive director of the Patchogue Theater, meant musicians. So he got on the phone with some of the best-known names in the area — including Joe Lauro, Gene Casey, G.E. Smith and Bryan Gallo — and asked if they might be willing to come together for a night of music to benefit the people of Ukraine.

“As always, everyone said, ‘Absolutely. What can we do?’” said Hygom. “Then I told everybody in the building, no one is getting paid. We’re ‘All For Ukraine,’ that means we’re really all in for Ukraine, this is a volunteer thing. Everyone said, ‘Don’t be ridiculous, we’re thrilled to be involved.’”

“All For Ukraine” will be held at the Suffolk Theater on Sunday, March 27, and the music begins at 6 p.m., with all the proceeds going to three different non-profit organizations now conducting relief efforts in the country. While pulling together a multi-act concert in a couple of weeks may seem daunting, for Hygom, it’s totally in his wheelhouse.

“I used to do these all the time at Bay Street Theater,” Hygom explained. “For victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the typhoon and floods in the Philippines. I love being involved with projects that can make us feel good about what we do.

“I’ve also done enough of these, so I know that once you have it all in place and the bands, everything comes together pretty quickly,” Hygom added. “And they’re just pure fun. One of the things I love about these kinds of events, because of the sheer number of performers that we have, you lose the pretense of things an audience shouldn’t see going on — resetting drum kits, putting out mics. This is down and dirty, fun and entertaining, people are running around stage, setting up keyboards while someone else is down center playing their song.

“It’s a level of chaos I find fun and exhilarating.”

To date, the “All For Ukraine” lineup includes Joe Lauro and The HooDoo Loungers, Corky Laing, Cassandra House, Kerry Kearney Band, G.E. Smith & Taylor Barton Smith, Gene Casey and The Lone Sharks, Bryan Gallo and Amber Ferrari. Tickets for the concert are $50 and the eight acts will split the bill, with each band performing a 20-minute set and each singer/songwriter taking the stage for 10 to 15 minutes. Hygom estimates the evening will run about three hours and in addition to the main entertainment, the theater will also hold a silent auction with gift baskets and artwork from East End Arts, as well as a 50/50 raffle to benefit the cause.

The bar will also be open and flowing and in addition to the café tables spread throughout the theater, there will also be standing room areas, and Hygom is looking for a capacity of 500 people at the show. If an audience member has to leave early, he’s hoping to let new people in to take their place in order to raise as much money as possible.

“It’s our goal to hit $40,000 plus,” he said. “What this does is introduce these musicians on a more personal level. We’re all here for a good cause. It’s the community we live in. It’s going to be great.”

When purchasing online tickets for “All For Ukraine,” audience members will be asked to select which organization they would like their money to go to.

“We did research to find out what charities were specifically targeted for giving to Ukraine —we selected UNICEF, Doctors without Borders, and the United Ukrainian American Relief Committee,” said Hygom, explaining that people from the Ukrainian church located behind the theater recommended the third group. “We looked to them and that’s how we discovered this organization, so people can select where they want their money to go.”

The proceeds from the raffles and the bar will be divided equally among the three organizations explained Hygom, who is optimistic that the fundraiser will reach its goal.

“It’s selling like hot cakes,” he said.

Now, he just has to figure out what the last song of the evening will be.

“With all the bands, I love to do the monster jam at the end. I was talking with Gene Casey, he said, ‘You mean your Bangladesh moment?’” said Hygom, referring to the Concert for Bangladesh which was organized by George Harrison in 1971 to help those suffering from a humanitarian crisis in that country.

“It needs to be an anthem that all the bands know and the audience can get up and sing at the top of their lungs,” added Hygom, who is soliciting suggestions from the musicians as to what the song should be. “I like ‘Give Peace A Chance,’ but I’m getting lots of submissions.

“We’ll see what comes in.”

“All For Ukraine,” Sunday, March 27, Suffolk Theater, 118 East Main Street, Riverhead. Doors open 5 p.m. music begins 6 p.m. Tickets $50 at suffolktheater.com with money going to three organizations: UNICEF to ensure Ukraine’s children have access to safe water, nutrition, health care, education and protection; Doctors Without Borders to provide medical attention in Ukraine and neighboring countries where people have fled; United Ukrainian American Relief Committee to purchase medical supplies and equipment to send to their contacts and volunteer network in Ukraine. Upon checkout, concert goers choose which organization they would like the cost of their ticket to support.