Vanderbilt hosts family-friendly concert in Planetarium

Vanderbilt hosts family-friendly  concert in the Planetarium
 

The Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium (180 Littleneck Rd., Centerport, 631-854-5579, vanderbiltmuseum.org, $10 in advance, $15 at the door) is hosting “Songs in the Key of Earth,” a family-friendly voyage through the stars disguised as a concert. The event, at 6 p.m. July 10, will feature vocalist Patricia Shih accompanied by Cool Daddy members Stephen Fricker on guitars and bass and and Jim Mansfield on drums and percussion. This space fantasy also will include audience participation, laser accompaniment and stories.
 

“This is the first time we’re using the special effects of the Planetarium and mixing them with live music for a family audience,” Dave Bush, technical and production coordinator for he Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium. “This is live performance with audience participation. We’ll also use video and surround sound.”
 

Shih is captain of ship returning from a space voyage. During the voyage, she and her two crewmates/band members see how beautiful the planet is and sing about how they enjoy it and how they should take care of it.
 

“It wraps together the space part of it with the eco part, with the audience and the technos,” says Bush, who runs planetarium shows and also is an educator, says this is his first time with a show of this type. “The audience will actually make thunder by clapping and making other sounds, and we’ll provide the lightning.”