Story by Laura Brennan
Photos by Amy Mortensen
On a sprinkly October Sunday, Broadway came to Shelton. Vibrant yellow, orange, red and summer green leaves were still holding onto the trees as St. Joseph Parish welcomed parishioners and friends to its October concert.
Greeters with programs and warm welcomes stood at every door. Floral arrangements on the pews, before the Blessed Mother, and wreaths on the altar brought the spectacular beauty of the fall inside for the show. A man wore a piano key tie for the occasion.
The theme was A Broadway Melody.
“At its heart, Broadway is all about storytelling,” Daniel Horstmann, artistic director, told the audience, “So, I hope you’re in the mood for a few good stories.”
The show was a journey arranged in three movements. First, the birth and the golden age of Broadway, including familiar favorites from “Oklahoma!,” “My Fair Lady” and “West Side Story.” Next came Broadway reinvented with bigger, bolder and more adventurous storylines, including selections from “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Chicago” and “Les Misérables.” Lastly came Broadway of today, celebrating music and stories that bring Broadway to life before new generations, including songs from “Wicked,” “The Lion King” and “Hamilton.”
The children’s choir performed two familiar pieces for their sing-along. The children carried their oversized music folders to the stage, but the audience didn’t need lyric sheets to add their voices to the children as they sang “Do-Re-Mi” from “The Sound of Music” and “Tomorrow” from “Annie.”
Musical concerts have a long and treasured history at St. Joseph Parish, said Pastor Michael Dogali, who has been at St. Joseph for its annual concerts for more than a decade.
“We have different musicians at every Mass, and here, in a concert like this, everybody comes together, every choir, every instrumentalist, every cantor, all of the organists,” he said.
The adult choir from the Saturday 4 pm Mass, the children’s choir from the Sunday 9 am Mass and all the musicians from all the Masses took the stage.
“They are family to us, whether they are violinists, pianists, flutists,” said Father Dogali. “Each and every one of them add to the beauty and majesty of our liturgies here at St. Joseph.”
He said music is a charism at St. Joseph’s.
“There are so many musically talented people in the parish,” he said, adding that Darwin Shen, a violinist in the orchestra pit, plays at Carnegie Hall, and his little boy, who is 6, made his debut at Carnegie Hall in the spring. “He’s up there with his little custom violin.”
Current director of music, Allison Fay, was joined by the two previous music directors, Daniel Horstmann and Nicholas Stampone, as part of the musical family at St. Joseph that transported the audience to Broadway. Kaitlyn Genovese, children’s choir director, as well as cantors from St. Joseph Parish and guest singers and instrumentalists, performed 18 Broadway tunes.
Broadway-themed mini-cupcakes and coffee were prepared by the Women’s Devotional Group for after the show. This group of women was a principal sponsor of the concert, along with Nuovo Pasta Productions, Ltd.
The Women’s Devotional Group provided financial support and served as the hands of Christ to prepare the church and the reception. “The Women’s Devotional Group is very active in this parish,” said Marie Meresko, president of the group. “It’s the heart and soul.”
Bingo nights, cookie walks and fundraisers throughout the year hosted by the Women’s Devotional Group make this concert possible, said Mary Jane Paris, one of the group’s founding members and a lay member of the Parish Corporation Trustees for St. Joseph Parish. The group fuels its service to the concert and many other initiatives at the parish through its mission of spiritual wellness, which is the focus of its monthly meetings, said Paris. “Our group is nourished every month by something very spiritual.”
Guest artist and soloist Nicholas Stampone said his parish will always be like family to him. Stampone served as music director at St. Joseph Parish from 2023 to 2025 while he was a student at Fairfield University. Following graduation, he returned to his hometown in New Jersey.
When the invitation to participate in this concert came, Stampone accepted the chance to perform and the opportunity for a reunion. He said that the concerts were a highlight of his years as music director, adding, “It’s a good way to bring people together, elevate the music of our parish and put a spotlight on it.”
“Looking out into the audience, I saw people from every generation, and it felt like there was truly a song for everyone,” said Horstmann. A guest shared with him afterward that she knew the words to every single song.
“From the opening notes through the final song, the concert became more than a performance,” said Horstmann, “it was an opportunity for people to remember, celebrate and experience music together.”
