About...
What started out as a means to keep teenagers off the streets by having them perform in original musical productions has now resulted in a group of wonderfully talented and generous adult men and women who want to enhance and improve the lives of individuals in the greater Rochester area.
Their story begins in the 1970s and early ‘80s when The UPSTAIRS Agency served the youth of the 19th, 3rd and 11th wards with leisure time, art and cultural activities. One of the agency’s major programs involved the original musicals produced by Sheila Walsh. They contained songs by local songwriter, Tony Falzano, and were shows written especially for these teenagers to perform. They not only gave them the ‘theatre experience’ but also provided a sense of purpose, direction and accomplishment.
Fast forward to 2009, when some of those same teenagers, now adults, reunite with Tony and Sheila with ambitions to be on stage again and to volunteer their time and talent to benefit local not-for-profit organizations. They came together under the name of The Second Time Around Players.
Our name changed in 2012 when Tony Falzano founded The Caring Music Group, a name more descriptive of the group's purpose. The objective remained the same: continue performing musical endeavors as a channel for his music and continue raising money and awareness for local charitable groups.
New cast and staff members have since joined the “group”. All share a vision for an uplifting, spirited and enjoyable evening of entertainment with Tony’s music that has audiences leaving the theatre humming the ‘song in their hearts'. Local beneficiaries will have ‘money in their pockets’ for their greatly needed programs.
Since inception, the first musical performances have raised tens of thousands of dollars for local groups that include GEVA’s Educational Children’s Programs, the two remaining city parish schools, Holy Cross and St. John Neumann (St. Ambrose), along with Hope Hall, Moonshadow’s Spirit, Hearts For ALS NY, Begin Again Horse Rescue, St. Joseph's Neighborhood Center, and The Clover Center for Arts and Spirituality.
House concerts have been added as another venue to share Tony’s music and serve smaller not-for-profit groups in the same way that cabarets do. Recent beneficiaries of the concert series have included St. Peter’s Soup Kitchen, Hearts For ALS, NY, and The Clover Center.
Currently, upcoming cabarets and concerts can be found on the Shows page, and on Facebook.
In the meantime, the staff is working diligently to secure partners for future endeavors.
You are invited to visit us regularly.
If you would like to get involved with The Caring Music Group, send us a note on our Contact Us page. Tell us about you!
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