HASC’S Backstage Secrets     

For the audience, it was about enjoying a great show and supporting their favorite cause. For the performers, it was about adding a bit more light and inspiration to a challenged world

The winter storm that slammed the Tristate area this past Sunday evening might have blanketed the roads with slushy snow, but it couldn’t put a damper on the fiery enthusiasm that fueled this year’s 38th annual HASC Concert. The New Jersey Performing Arts Center was as crowded as any other year, with the endless lines of cars bottlenecking their way into the parking garages for the first performance of the night: The familiar melody of Brooklyn and Lakewood honking (along with some of the more polite beeps that were presumably from those who traveled in from out of town).

The entrance to the auditorium was jam-packed with Yidden of all ages and affiliations, but tonight, I was more interested in what was brewing in the inner chambers backstage. Within the maze of rooms behind the stage, it was a scene to behold: Fresh off their final rehearsal, musicians, singers, and producers were scattered all around, some hurrying off to their private rooms to do some last-minute prep, while others were relaxing in the large rec room, enjoying some hot food while awaiting their respective queues.

It’s almost impossible to miss the towering figure of Nachum Segal among the crowd, straightening his bowtie as he prepares to emcee yet another HASC Concert. I ask him if he’s nervous moments before going on stage. “Well, it’s like I always tell my kids — if I ever felt that I wasn’t nervous before the concert, then I’d be nervous,” he says with a chuckle over that familiar deep voice. “But really, once you’ve spent any time up in Camp HASC, you feel a drive to give something back, so we all do whatever it takes to make this show a success. HASC has long exceeded the tipping point in society — everyone knows that they really deliver for the community, and we all want to be a part of that.”

At this year’s show, an ensemble of violinists was to do a performance from the aisles in the seating area. And you couldn’t miss them backstage: They were all wearing bright-blue suspenders, discussing their moves before the show began. And there were lighting and sound specialists strategizing about each step to the second. But then, in the midst of all the hubbub, someone hushed the crowd: “Hey, everyone!”