Three Dog Night A Simple But Great Band

By, Robert M. Massimi

Starting out in Los Angeles California, Three Dog Night is considered to be one of the real great pop bands. Starting at Whiskey A Go-Go, Three Dog Night hit it big with the song “One”. The band, which started in 1967 with three original members (only one remains in the band today), had many hits and has an album coming out later this year.

The band last night at the beautiful Morristown Performing Arts Center was surprisingly excellent. When you factor in age (most in their mid 70’s), they had great energy, great rhythm blends and were in synche all evening. Opening with “The Family of Man”, you got the sense that the band was there to make a statement about their accomplishments; as well as show off their talents as musicians.

The second song was “Black and White”, a fan favorite. Like so many songs, Three Dog Night produced so many commercially successful songs. All were sung tonight and the packed, sold out audience ate them up!

After the third and forth songs “Never Been to Spain” and “Shambala”, you are reminded just how great this band really was, especially in its song writing. A simple but efficient band, Three Dog Night delivered an hour and a half of entertainment.

In its fifth song “Easy to Be Hard” was a once considered a psychedelic song, a funky soulful song. This song was played consistently on radio in the early 70’s and was one of the bands best. It was at this time that Three Dog Night was considered one of the most formidable bands. It was also at this time that Rock and Roll was in full swing with many great bands that still play today.

Under tremendous lighting all evening with the purples, blues and multi colors, Three Dog Night at times seemed larger than life. A tribute to their accomplishments, the audience loved reminiscing with them going down memory lane.

In the evenings eith song, “One”, the band hit home how this song was the bands signature song. Not as famous as “Joy to the World” ( the evenings last song), this song introduced them to the world and it made them an international success. Out of all the great songs that they wrote and played, people identify Three Dog Night with the song “One”.

“I Will Serenade You” came after “One”. A great follow through song and was played both strong and deeply, it hit a melodic range that really showed the musicians talents. “Liar” was not their best but was still entertaining and fun.

The band brought the evening home with four great

Three Dog Night

songs and a perfect end to a great evening. Another funky soulful song (much like “Easy to Be Hard”) “Mama Told Me Not to Come” was performed brilliantly, kept steadfast to the original release, it was raspy, bohemian and captured the 60’s spirit in depth. “Celebrate” was ended with an organ solo, innovative and provocative, this “Celebrate” had a different take on how the song was sung at first and commercially.

The evenings second to last song “Prayer of the Children” brought a standing ovation. Sung as a choir, the five musicians (sans the organist) stood and sung this song about the children who are victims to adults who bring their countries to war. As the band stated before the song, they are not a political band but that they wanted to write this because of the alarming rates of war in the world. Rightfully stated, the children are the ones who suffer in war, more than anyone else.

“Joy to the World”, the bands most popular song comercially had the crowd still standing as we bid farewell to a staple in the Rock and Roll world.

It’s Poppin’ Balloon Boutique held their grand opening on June 4th. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held and attended by Mayor David Kohle, the Economic Development Committee and the Chamber of Commerce. The boutique, located at 574 Newark Pompton Turnpike (in the Clock Tower Shopping Center) offers Balloon Decor for events, a Grab & Go Balloon bar and speciality gifts. To order balloons visit www.itspoppinnj. com or visit them in person. Hours vary and are posted on their social media page @itspoppinnj

Defying Gravitea Launches Delivery, Chilton Medical Center Discount

Defying Gravitea features a lifestyle-friendly breakfast and lunch menu incorporating local, farm-freshingredients. Gluten-free bread, brioche buns, scones, and other treats are baked in-house daily, and youcan be sure to find favorites like avocado toast, pancakes, soups, sandwiches, and flatbreads to satisfyyour cravings.

Owner Gina Cassese, a Pequannock resident and fifth-generation chef, says, “I have been gluten- anddairy-free since 1993. I know it is challenging to find allergy-friendly food when eating out. I wanted tocreate a space in an underserved area and bring lifestyle-friendly food to the table. I am so excited andhumbled by our warm reception, and I am so happy that I am able to now bring that food directly to yourdoor, whether at home or the office.” Cassese plans to expand delivery based on demand.

As part of the delivery launch, Defying Gravitea is happy to extend 10% off all delivery orders to ChiltonMedical Center employees. “Chilton is a great facility serving our community, and we are happy to offerdelivery at a discount to this very essential team,” says Cassese. Chilton Medical Center is a non-profitcommunity hospital in Pompton Plains, NJ, and employs over 1,300 people.

Defying Gravitea, a newly opened gluten- and dairy-free bakeshop, is bringingallergy-friendly fare to Morris County. Since opening on May 16, 2023, Defying Gravitea has servedthousands of orders, garnering lines out the door and filling seats around the tables. To keep up withpopularity and demand, Defying Gravitea launched online ordering for pick-up and is now deliveringlocally to 07440 and 07444.

In addition to breakfast, lunch, and delivery, Defying Gravitea also hosts events and business meetings intheir ‘Home Away from Home’ event space. Cassese invites you to “use our home so you don’t have to useyours.” A community table by day and a dinner table by night, the event space offers a unique and warmenvironment to gather with friends, coworkers, family, and the community. Catering packages from smallto large are available, and if you don’t see what you’re looking for, the Defying Gravitea team will work withyou to create your custom experience.

Area residents can try Defying Gravitea firsthand at their Newark Pompton Turnpike location or via delivery.

For more information on Defying Gravitea, visit defyinggravitea.com or call (862)226-9692.

Once Upon A One More Time

“ Once Upon A One More Time” at the Marquis Theatre is much like “Bad Cinderella” and “&Juliet”; they are all juke box musicals. Out of the three, “Once Upon” will probably fair better as a show than the other two (Bad Cinderella closed already). While “& Juliet” had some really good songs to it, “Once upon” has songs written by Britney Spears, a huge star that has sold over 70 million albums worldwide. It also has two really big stars in it: Adam Godley and Jennifer Simard.

The shows premise is the princesses from children’s books... Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Little Mermaid, Princess Pea, Esmeralda and Belle. Little Red Riding Hood, Gretel and Goldilocks too make an appearance in this potpourri of a plot. The Narrator (Adam Godley) tries to steer the story of Cinderella but he gets push back from the princesses because OFG, a very good (Brooke Dillman) tells the girls that they have a right to think for themselves, it goes against the “Scroll Club” that all in fairy land attend. While the plot is questionable at best, songs like “Baby One More Time”, “Work Bitch”, “Circus”, “Oops!... I Did It Again”, “Cinderella”, “Crazy”, “Toxic” (the evenings best) and “Til the World Ends” will make you forget this cheesy of a story.

The direction and choreography by both Keone and Mari Madrid were well done in that they keep the action moving throughout the two hours and fifteen minute show. Anna Fleischle’s scenic design too is outstanding throughout the evening. From make believe to the realism, Fleischle has us marveling at her incredible staging. What is not so great is Jon Hartmere’s book and Loren Elstein’s costumes. Hartmere gets lost in the “woke” and he goes deeper and deeper as the show goes on, it leaves the audience just focusing on the singing and dancing by the night’s end. Elstein goes from garish to the absurd in the costuming. She uses to many bright colors that not only don’t match, but are painful to look at. In Kenneth Posner’s lighting you get a suburb compliment to the evening. A multitude of colors make the stage pop; it works nicely with the sets.

Why I think that this musical will thrive is that in spite of the bad story, it has great songs and very good acting going for it. Godley and Simmard are right now some of the best actors on Broadway, Godley (The Lehman Trilogy), Simmard, (a two-time Tony Winner). Also strong in the show are: Justin Guarini (Prince Charming),a very good singer as well as actor, Brooke Dillman, funny and charismatic Briga Heelan ( as Cinderella marking her Broadway debut); Aisha Jackson (Snow White) and Ryann Redmond (Belinda).

“Once Upon A One More Time” wavers from really good too really awful, I’m betting that the good points of this show will carry it on Broadway for a while to come.

1972 High School Class Ring Washes Up on Point Pleasant Beach

by Jeff Garrett

At some point in everyone’s lives just about, a person can lay claim to having found something on the ground of worth. It could be $20 bill, an earring or a winning lottery ticket (yes, it’s happened). But finding class rings that wash up on shore – now that is something. It’s akin to finding the proverbial “diamond in the rough” In early June this summer, that’s what occurred to Anthony DiMaria Sadorski, a 21-year-old from Point Pleasant Borough who was outside leisurely taking pictures of a sunset near Beaver Dam Creek. Looking up with the camera, he decided to look down to catch a sparkling something getting his attention. Dimaria-Sadorski was obviously surprised, examined the ring and thought this ring had an owner. Maybe the person was living, had a home nearby and could claim the ring.

He created a Facebook post soon thereafter and not long after the ring caught a buzz from members of the Wachtung Hills regional High School Alumni group. Turns out it belongs to 1972 Wachtung graduate, Jim Keelen. Keelen went to the shore after graduation 51 years ago for some fun and promptly lost his ring in the ocean. “I thought it was lost,” he told media sources in June upon the discovery and re-connection to the ring. Keelen surmised that some strong currents probably brough the ring back to the beach after bouncing and floating from points in the ocean for decades.The ring stood up well but was noticeably scuffed in spots. He had it re-sized and made to look better.Keelen was just thrilled at this development, awe-stricken even, that something he thought was lost forever, and never thought about anymore, was back in his life thanks to the efforts of a young stranger. Keelen is wearing the ring again, maybe not at the beach so much, but it will be on his finger in the days to come.

The Cottage

“The Cottage” by Sandy Rustin is a warm, fun play. Set in the countryside village of Moreton-in- March, England (the year 1923), the six actors are embroiled in one caststrophy after another. It seems that each sibling can’t keep their hands off of each others wife. Beau (Eric McCormack) not only has his brothers wife Sylvia (Laura Bell Bundy), but even another mistress, Dierdre (Dana Steingold). Beau’s brother, Clarke (Alex Moffat) loves Beau’s wife, Marjorie who is pregnant with Clarke’s baby!

As a period piece, the costume design by Sydney Maresca is outstanding and the lighting by Jiyoun Chang captures the very heart of the play. Under the glam lighting it brings great attention to the excellent scenic design by Paul Tate dePoo lll. Between the three, the cottage is really a lovable place, and the lunatics inside of it make it a must see!

For the most part Jerome Butler as dialect coach does a particularly good job as most of the actors capture the accents, the cadence of this British play. The only two problems that I saw with this play was the casting of Lili Cooper as Marjorie. I thought Cooper’s accent, her movements and her “business” was not sufficient in her role. Whereas the other five actors were spot on in their roles, I thought Cooper was an anchor around the rest of the cast. Jason Alexander (Seinfeld) too, as the director tried too hard for to many laughs. The play on its face is very funny, however, Alexander tries to be overly ridiculous when he doesn’t need to be. Sandy Rustin in her Broadway debut has a winner, the laughs are aplenty! The plot is very creative and keeps the audience fixated on the next shoe to drop. For two hours, evenly spread out over two acts, we are fully entertained with this creative play.

What to Know About Sharing a Bed with Pets

Pets provide companionship for thousands of people around the world, so it is understandable that pet owners want to be around their companion animals as much as possible - with many even welcoming them into their beds.

According to PetMd, an online animal healthcare resource, around 80 percent of pet owners allow pets to share beds with human family members. Data from the American Pet Products Association has found at least half of all pet parents allow pets to sleep with them every night. Whether this is safe, healthy, or wise is a matter of debate. There are pros and cons to sharing a bed with pets. Understanding those pros and cons can help pet owners make more informed decisions.

Pro: Get into a relaxed state. Companion animals can help relieve stress, which may translate into better sleep for their owners. Some people find that the rhythmic breathing of dogs or cats can help lull them to sleep.

Con: Possible transmission of illness or zoonotic agents. Snuggling so close to a pet may put people at risk of acquiring illnesses that are transmitted from animal to human. In the past, MRSA skin infections and H1N1 influenza have been transferred from pets to people.

Pro: Pets are warm. If the goal is to get cozy under the covers, animals can provide a little extra warmth, as their body temperatures run a few degrees warmer than their owners’.

Con: An extra body in bed can disturb sleep. Just as individuals may have trouble with a spouse or a child being in the bed next to them, pets can bring about the same disturbances. In a study from the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Center, 53% of pet owners surveyed said their pets disturbed their sleep in some way each night. Dogs that snore and cats that chase “prey” around the room can disturb their owners’ sleep.

Pro: A deeper connection forms between pet and owner. Many pets like to be around their owners because it gives them reassurance and comfort that they are loved. Animals that were rescued or are anxiety