‘Songs from the Golden Age’ at museum

Local singer Joe Stroppel will perform Broadway hits and songs from the Great American Songbook at a special fundraising concert at the North Shore Historical Museum on April 29.

The Glen Cove tenor is currently a student at Hunter College studying classical voice, and has been performing around the North Shore for several years. This will be his second performance at the museum. A year and a half ago, he sang there, fittingly, to mark the 25th anniversary of the closing of Stroppel’s Tavern, a mainstay in Glen Cove.

This time he will perform a personally curated list of Broadway hits and classic jazz and show tunes. A Broadway and classical music enthusiast as well as a vocalist, Stroppel, 20, attributed his love for music to his parents. His father, Fred, is a playwright and his mother, Liz, was a music teacher who instilled in him an early passion for singing.

“I’ve always loved Broadway, both Golden Age and more modern stuff,” Stroppel said, “but I didn’t really realize I loved singing until I was 14 or 15 years old, when I went to theater camp.”

Stroppel said that after singing in the camp’s talent show, he realized that he en-joyed performing in front of a crowd, which helped give him the confidence to try out for a production of “Les Misérables” at the Cultural Arts Playhouse in Syosset. He was cast as Gavroche, the lovable orphan boy who is tragically killed by the royal forces. 

He has continued to act and sing ever since.

He also credits his growth in music to his early tutelage with the Sea Cliff-based Moore Music, owned and operated by local couple James and Janis Moore. Janis said when Stroppel first came to them as a little boy, he showed great promise, but initially struggled. 

His transformation over the years has been staggering, she said, as Stroppel has blossomed into one of the finest singers she or her husband has ever seen come through their doors.

“Jimmy just got out of his way, and rather than tell him what to do he nurtured Joe’s natural curiosity for singing,” Moore said. “One of my daughters would always say she had to stop whatever she was doing whenever she heard Joe singing in the house just to listen.”

Stroppel had many teachers and voice coaches since then, but he credits the Moore’s with helping him find his footing as a vocalist. In the years since he first started practicing with them, he has sung at porchfests, been in local theater productions, and did a memorable performance of King George III’s song “You’ll Be Back” from the musical “Hamilton” at Sea Cliff’s last July Fourth celebration, which he will perform again at the April 29 concert.

Stroppel said he’s looks forward to  treating attendees to a first-rate performance while also raising money for the museum.

“It’s a really amazing opportunity,” he added. “We’ll be singing music by a lot of the great American composers, like Rodgers and Hammerstein and George Gershwin, as well as a lot of Golden Age Broadway tunes -— and some more modern ones.”

Tess Luca, Stroppel’s friend, will accompany him on piano. The two have performed together many times. They share a love of classical Broadway and Americana music, he said, and are excited to perform together in front of what they hope will be their largest crowd yet.

Amy Driscoll, the museum’s director, expressed her enthusiasm for the upcoming performance, describing Stroppel’s voice as “amazing.” She added that events like these are essential for the museum, which is privately funded and receives no money from local municipalities. The money the performance raises will go to the building’s general upkeep as well as finishing its facade. 

“It’s great that we’re able to use our space to showcase local growing talent,” Driscoll said. “Being able to host someone like Joe really fits in our mission.”