For the members of The Sparrows, theater is as much about friendship and experimentation as it is about performing.
The musical and acting troupe, founded by Locust Valley native Brooke Di Spirito, has grown from a small group of friends working on creative projects into a rotating ensemble of musicians, actors, singers and dancers performing original productions across Long Island and New York City.
The Sparrows officially formed in 2022, although Di Spirito said the group began taking shape in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted its plans. Since then, the group has performed at venues including Old Westbury Gardens and the Landmark Theater in Port Washington, while also taking its productions Off-Broadway.
Its most recent major production was “The Opening,” a musical written by Di Spirito that ran for five weeks off Broadway. Di Spirito wrote the book and lyrics, while members of The Sparrows served as musicians and performers.
For guitarist Nino Speros, the experience demonstrated how the group’s collaborative approach could translate to a larger stage.
“Every show that we do is original,” Speros explained, “and we kind of make it and cater it for the performance that we’re doing, so they all kind of stand out.”
The troupe’s productions frequently combine live music, acting, dancing and audience interaction. The group has also experimented with immersive theater, including a production based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Beautiful and Damned” that was staged in a New York City speakeasy.
The Sparrows currently includes a rotating group of roughly 15 to 20 people, although individual productions generally feature fewer performers. Di Spirito said the upcoming show will include nine members.
The troupe’s musicians include guitar, drums, piano, bass, saxophone and other instruments, while performers also sing, act and dance. The group embraces unusual combinations and incorporates multiple instruments into its productions.
Beatrix Postley, a vocalist from Locust Valley, has known Di Spirito since high school. The two met while performing in “12 Angry Jurors” when Postley was a freshman and Di Spirito was a junior.
Postley said The Sparrows have provided her with an opportunity to expand beyond her classical singing background. She is beginning a master’s degree in opera and has used her work with the group to explore jazz.
That sense of experimentation extends to the group’s creative process. Di Spirito writes the productions, but said the other members regularly contribute ideas and help develop scenes and performances.
“We are legitimately all best friends in real life,” Di Spirito emphasized. “We’re all really grateful that things have been progressing and working out, and that we’ve all been able to keep doing this.”
Speros described the collaboration as “the most chaotic yet functional way,” with members frequently pitching ideas, jokes and practical solutions.
The group’s upcoming season will include four new productions. The September show, “Heist,” is a comedy inspired by films such as “Ocean’s 11,” while future productions include a Christmas show, a production commissioned by the F. Scott Fitzgerald Society and another show planned for next summer.
The troupe is also expanding its musical palette. While jazz and swing remain important influences, Speros said upcoming performances will incorporate music inspired by the 1950s and 1960s, including spy music and surf rock.
For Postley, the unpredictability is part of the appeal.
“I think generally the thing I love about the Sparrows is that anything could happen,” Postley explained, “and sometimes we don’t even know what’s going to happen.”
For more information on The Sparrows and their upcoming shows, visit TheSparrows.MyPixieSet.com.
