Oh, What a Night

It was as if a time machine had opened a portal to the early 1960s.

Some of the era's best music resonated throughout Burns Park in Massapequa Tuesday night to the delight of thousands. The Town of Oyster Bay's Music Under the Stars was underway, welcoming The Cast of Beatlemania and The Boys In Concert to energize the summer air with an outdoor performance starting at dusk.

The Cast of Beatlemania formed in 1980 for the Broadway spectacle "Beatlemania," celebrating the music of the Fab Four. They were made up to look like John, Paul, George and Ringo and performed hits that spanned the band's career.

Once the show ended, they decided to take their act on the road, and have  been playing all over the world ever since.

Wearing matching "mop top" wigs, The Cast of Beatlemania opened their show with a rousing rendition of "Twist And Shout." Other great hits performed by the Beatles tribute band included "All My Lovin'," "A Hard Day's Night," and the show's closer, "Day Tripper."

Alan Burkowitz, along with his wife and two children, was among the estimated crowd of over 6,000 at Burns Park. He expressed his love of the Beatles' music and his desire to share that love with his kids.

"I may not be up on a lot of modern artists like Beyonce," Burkowitz said, "but I just wanted my kids to know that I wasn't always so square."

Lenie Colacino, who plays the part of Paul McCartney in The Cast of Beatlemania, was overjoyed at having done the show. "It was a great night in Massapequa...we were really happy to be here," he said. "I just wish we could have played longer."

"We enjoy doing these shows. It's a lot of fun," said Jim Filgate, George Harrison's double. "There's obviously a bit of acting involved, but if I'm not believing who I am up there, no one else will, either."

Next up was the headliner: The Boys In Concert. The original cast members of Broadway's hit musical "Jersey Boys" took to the stage, radiating class and debonair. Their popularity with Massapequa residents quite evident from the intense cheers of the crowd, they took the microphone and informed them as to what to expect from the evening's festivities.

"Tonight, we're going to take you on a musical journey through the greatest era of music...the 60's!"

The Boys In Concert opened with a medley of 60's classics that included "Let's Hang On," by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, "Working My Way Back To You" by The Spinners, and "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" by Neil Sedaka. The quartet sang and danced in perfect harmony, adorned in stylish ties and jackets ill-suited to the evening's strong humidity.

"It's like wearing an air conditioner, let me tell ya," they joked in-between numbers.

Minnie Hatcher, a die-hard Jersey Boys fan, had made the trip to Burns Park all the way from the Hamptons.

"There's NO WAY I was missing this!" Hatcher said. "I would have driven to Central Park if I had to."

Richard Sinnott of Farmingdale was also on hand to take in The Boys' act. "What can I say?" he said. "I'm a fan of the play and a child of the 60's...I had to come!"

Other songs covered by The Boys In Concert during their hour-long set included "Can't Buy Me Love" by The Beatles, "Happy Together" by The Turtles, and "California Dreamin'" by The Mamas and The Papas. The Boys sustained an incredible level of energy that kept the audience glued to their seats for the duration of the show.

Before going into their closing medley, The Boys informed the crowd how motivating doing something you love can be.

"We're still together because of the great music of the 60's, and the personal twist we can put on these iconic songs."