OGDENSBURG – The two final shows of the Ogdensburg Command Performances 2019-20 season will be “Songs and Stories of Neil Diamond” on June 5, followed by “Forever Young” on June 16. Both performances will take place at 7:45 p.m. at the George Hall Auditorium at Ogdensburg Free Academy.

Firming up the dates has not been easy, said OCP Administrator Sally F. Palao. After holding multiple virtual meetings with board members, and gleaning input from the public, Palao said she was only recently able to pencil in the dates to close out the current season.

“We’ve had to juggle performance dates this year on more than one occasion because of Covid-19,” Palao said. “This week we just received approval for these final show dates. From here we’ll keep our fingers crossed.”

The last two shows of the season are being offered at a COVID-19 ticket discount of 19 percent, according to Palao.

“We thought offering a 19 percent discount on all ticket sales would be a fun way to sell tickets,” she said. “I’m hoping that by the beginning and middle of June people are going to want to get out and do something fun together.”

For tickets call 315-393-2625, email ocp@ogdensburgk12.org or visit Ogdensburg Command Performances at https://ilovetheatre.org/index.php.

In addition to ticket sales, charitable donations of any size can also be made by visiting the OCP website or by calling, according to Palao. She said donations, ticket sales and other fund-raising activities are going to be more important than ever in the coming weeks and months heading into the next season.

“We will be announcing the 2020-21 season line up at Forever Young on June 16,” she said. “In the world of performing arts this pandemic shut down has affected every aspect of the business, from agents, to producers, the performers and us at the local level. Because we don’t qualify for relief funds we will be asking the community for as much support as possible.”

Ogdensburg Command Performances traces its roots to 1963 when the Ogdensburg Community Players was formed by Frank Schwartz. Palao became administrator of the organization in the early 1990s.

“We’ve weathered a lot over the years to keep going, but never anything like this,” she said. “I’m a believer that a leader should be positive and sail the boat into calmer waters but there are some tough seas to navigate this year. I do believe this year will be pivotal if we are to continue bringing professional performing arts to the North Country.”

About the shows

June 5 – Songs and Stories of Neil Diamond, 7:45 p.m., OFA auditorium.

Jack Wright gives his audiences a sophisticated, authentic performance of the hit songs that have kept Neil Diamond in the hearts of his fans for more than five decades. He captures Neil’s poetic expressions of wide-ranging emotions, and the eclectic mix of his varied musical styles. And it goes beyond the music with the sharing of stories about Neil’s life, and explanations of his sometimes complex and complicated lyrics. He interprets the songs the way Neil must have felt when he wrote them; he connects with his audiences the way Neil always has, while making the songs his own.

June 16 – Forever Young, 7:45 p.m., OFA auditorium.

The stage performance of Forever Young revolves around an “unforgettable group of friends” as they individually and jointly discover the greatest music hits of all time. The show is set in a suburban basement in the Midwest and takes it’s audiences back to a day when music was new, life was full of possibilities, and happiness was just a song away. Forever Young features a troupe of five powerhouse singers and performers, who relive the music of their lives with energetic dance moves and laughs on the sentimental journey of a lifetime. The performance will feature songs by Billy Joel, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Huey Lewis & The News, Styx, Queen, Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Brooks & Dunn, The Black Crows, Bon Jovi, and others.

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