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Long Island Music Hall of Fame downsizes its gala

Rafer Guzmán | WITH THE BAND

February 21, 2008

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Remember the Long Island Music Hall of Fame's inaugural induction gala in 2006? Remember the red carpet and camera crews that briefly turned the Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts into a version of Manhattan's Waldorf- Astoria Hotel, where the "real" Rock and Roll Hall of Fame holds its televised ceremony each year? Remember appearances from Billy Joel, Joan Jett, Peter Criss, Leslie West and others? The catering from Pace's Steakhouse? The $495 VIP tickets?

Say goodbye to all, or at least most, of that.

As you might remember, the fledgling Long Island hall tried to repeat its success last year, announcing that stars from LL Cool J to Blue Öyster Cult would show up for another ceremony. But barely two weeks before the event, it was axed due to slow ticket sales and last-minute cancellations. That caused the hall to do some soul-searching.

What followed was a change at the top. Earlier this month, the hall reshuffled its executive board, replacing chairman and founder Richard L'Hommedieu with Allan Varela, 59, who has served as executive director of the Greater Port Jefferson-Northern Brookhaven Arts Council since 2000. (L'Hommedieu, who could not be reached for comment, now has the lifetime title of founding chair.)

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In an interview this week, Varela said there's no connection between the failed gala and the new board, noting that elections were due to take place, anyway. Still, it's hard not to read between the lines: Last year, there was talk of shifting the hall's focus away from the gala and toward educational programs, which Varela now says is the right direction. The next gala, he said, will likely be a semiprivate function to honor inductees among mostly family and friends with little public fanfare.

"Certainly the happy face to the world, the sexy face, is the gala," Varela explained. "It's fun to have the big party, but that's not the primary mission."