John W. Engeman Theater cancels evening show after Smokey Joe’s Cafe performer reports being harassed on Main Street
A racist incident on the sidewalks of Northport Village caused officials at the Engeman Theater to cancel yesterday’s showing of Smokey Joe’s Cafe shortly before it was scheduled to begin. Online reports and statements from both the theater and Northport Village Police confirm the incident, in which a cast member was allegedly called a racial slur while outside the theater before the show.
“Words cannot begin to express the deep sadness and disappointment we felt in learning of a racist incident outside our own theater today,” read the official statement from Engeman Theater, posted shortly before the 7pm showing of Smokey Joe’s Cafe. “We are disgusted that this happened and stand in strong support of all our cast, crew and staff. In light of the heartache felt by our entire organization, we are canceling tonight’s performance.”
The Journal was able to speak with theater co-owner Kevin O’Neill, who said what occurred was devastating. He explained that after the matinee performance yesterday, an actor was walking by St. Paul’s Methodist Church on Main Street when someone made a hateful, racist comment using a word that Kevin wouldn’t repeat. The actor reported the incident to management. “The cast was very, very impacted by it,” Kevin said. He said that they were reflective and mindful of how this affected the cast, a very tight knit group, and knew that it would be difficult for them to go on with the show, so it was cancelled, which is not something they do lightly, according to Kevin. “We support our cast and crew 100%,” he said.
Kevin explained that he has always thought of Northport as an embracing community and those sentiments have not changed. “I believe very strongly that this is a beautiful and safe place,” he said. These kinds of incidents are not reflective of the community as a whole, but will not be tolerated in any form. He also noted that within an hour of posting about the cancellation on social media, Village Police Chief Chris Hughes, Trustee Dave Weber and Trustee Tom Kehoe reached out to him, offering support. The actor who was harassed chose not to file a report with the Northport Village Police Department.
The show, which debuted on September 16 and is scheduled to run through October 31, features a cast that is made up of mostly people of color. It is not uncommon to see performers walking on Main Street before a performance, grabbing a cup of coffee or window shopping.
The Grammy-winning and Tony-nominated show, which made history as the longest running musical on Broadway, features 40 of the greatest songs of the past century. It celebrates the music of legendary songwriting duo Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller, and their generation-defining songs performed by icons like The Drifters, Elvis Presley, Ben E. King and The Coasters.
A few hours after the theater announced the show cancellation, the Northport Police Department posted a public statement that read, “The Northport Police Department has been made aware of an incident that occurred today involving a cast member of the John W. Engeman Theater. The cast member reported to theater staff that they were subjected to racist comments. Upon being notified about the alleged incident, Northport Police Department officials immediately reached out to the theater requesting further information. It was relayed to NPD that the victim did not wish to file a police report. The NPD will conduct its own investigation into this incident. The Northport Police Department condemns any use of racially motivated speech or behavior.”
The NPD asks that if anyone has any information involving the alleged incident, to contact the department at (631) 261-7500.
