‘Phantom of the Opera’ Concertmaster Steals Show at the WESTY Awards

Posted by West Side Spirit

For over a decade, The West Side Spirit has hosted the WESTY Awards, shining a spotlight on those working to make the Upper West Side a great place to live and work. A dozen honorees were celebrated at the event April 25.

“You can’t give an award to a musician and expect them to speak,” said Joyce Hammann, the concertmaster for “Phantom of the Opera” as she took to the podium at the WESTY awards on April 25.

With that, she reached behind the stage platform for her violin that she had stashed there earlier and began playing a solo from “Phantom of the Opera,” which had ended its record setting 35 year run on Broadway only days earlier. “And let the music set you free,” she said. Hammann had been with the show for 33 of its 35 years.

The performance brought the house down. The event’s emcee, NY1 Anchor Pat Kiernan, used her performance as a segment on his April 26 show.

You can’t give an award to a musician and expect them to speak,” said Joyce Hammann, the concertmaster for “Phantom of the Opera” as she took to the podium at the WESTY awards on April 25.

With that, she reached behind the stage platform for her violin that she had stashed there earlier and began playing a solo from “Phantom of the Opera,” which had ended its record setting 35 year run on Broadway only days earlier. “And let the music set you free,” she said. Hammann had been with the show for 33 of its 35 years.

The performance brought the house down. The event’s emcee, NY1 Anchor Pat Kiernan, used her performance as a segment on his April 26 show.

“You can’t give an award to a musician and expect them to speak,” said Joyce Hammann, the concertmaster for “Phantom of the Opera” as she took to the podium at the WESTY awards on April 25.

With that, she reached behind the stage platform for her violin that she had stashed there earlier and began playing a solo from “Phantom of the Opera,” which had ended its record setting 35 year run on Broadway only days earlier. “And let the music set you free,” she said. Hammann had been with the show for 33 of its 35 years.

The performance brought the house down. The event’s emcee, NY1 Anchor Pat Kiernan, used her performance as a segment on his April 26 show.

Erik Bottcher, the city councilman from Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen, in introducing Concertmaster Hammann for her award, made it a point to thank Gale Brewer, a city council veteran from the upper west side who was in attendance “for allowing me to come north of 59th Street.”

During his acceptance speech, Dr. Calvin W. Roberts, an ophthalmologist for 40 years who heads the Lighthouse Guild, which services the blind and sight challenged individuals, recalled working with former Assembly Member Richard Gottfried to get reading glasses available over the counter earlier in his career. Gottfried, who also received a WESTY that evening, looked back on a record-setting 50 year career in the lower chamber representing the upper west side.

Neil Zuber, the crime-busting commanding officer of the 20th Precinct, was there to accept his award, accompanied his wife, Leiddy, who is also on the job as a detective in the special victims unit investigating sex crimes in the Bronx.

Jeanne Straus, publisher of the West Side Spirit said, “The WESTYs express the entire community’s gratitude to the people who work tirelessly, selflessly and too often thanklessly to improve our neighborhood.”

The other awardees who received a WESTY last week included:

• Jason T. Busch, who oversaw the renovation of the Folk Art Museum that he heads as CEO;

• Dr. Brendan Carr, who joined Mount Sinai right before COVID-19 ravaged the country and helped the hospital get through the pandemic;

• Stephanie Garry of Plaza Jewish Community Chapel, who brings compassion to the end of life discussions with neighborhood families;

• Tangela Richter, an executive vice president at Wells Fargo who serves on the board of God’s Love We Deliver and the Dance Theatre of Harlem;

• Ilze Thielmann, the tireless head of the refugee aid organization Team TLC NYC;

• Lucy Wallace Eustice and Monica Zwirner, who grew up on the upper west side, and joined forces to form the critically acclaimed handbag design outfit MZ Wallace.