Stephen Kaczorowski, 57, played 'Jesus' in high school play
Musician's death stirs memories of first 'Jesus Christ Superstar'
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Greenport musician Steve Kaczorowski as a young man in the early 1970s, when the popularity of the rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar" was at its height.
"Without him being there, we would have never done 'Superstar' in a million years," said former classmate Mark Volinski, who played Judas Iscariot in the production. "I certainly value my experience with Steve. It was neat being around someone so involved and creative."
After a lifelong battle with hemophilia, Mr. Kaczorowski died in the presence of family members at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park on Tuesday, March 17. He was 57.
Though his disease prevented him from working most of his life, he was an avid guitarist, piano player, songwriter, and rampant music fan. He loved obscure British bands of the late 1960s and early 1970s, the same era during which he made a splash playing the role of Jesus in the Southold High School musical.
That production is widely known as the first American stage adaptation of material written by legendary British musical team, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Before it was a play, "Jesus Christ Superstar" existed only as a double LP released in 1970, popular among kids and on the radio waves.
Without a musical score, stage directions or permission from the record company, the senior class, pushed by Mr. Kaczorowski, decided to bring "Jesus Christ Superstar" to life.
Mr. Volinski, a 55-year-old Mattituck resident who sings in the local band, Jazz Alive, recalled those two weekends when they beat Mr. Webber and Mr. Rice to the punch.
"The first weekend, we didn't know if it'd be a bust or a hit," he said. "It was a hit. The place was packed."
The play stirred up the local religious community with its notions that Jesus could be sexual and that Judas could be a friend instead of a traitor.
That is until Maureen Burns, wife of the Rev. Ben Burns, then of Southold's Methodist Church, got involved in the production. The former opera singer helped the small community accept a play that not even New York City had seen yet.
"With me being a minister's wife, I thought maybe it would soften the blow of any kind of controversy," she said. "It certainly attracted people."
Mr. Kaczorowski had claimed it also attracted Paul McCartney and even Andrew Lloyd Webber to Southold High School. Mr. Volinski said his friend had everyone convinced that he had persuaded the famous playwright not to shut the production down -- and to come to the show.
"So the story goes," said Mr. Volinski.
By all accounts, Mr. Kaczorowski was a practical joker through and through, and this carried over into his music career as an adult. Self-taught on guitar and piano, he would play from time to time with The Steve Drake Band, a group named for one of his many stage names.
His first release, 1970s trippy "What Time Are You?" is still known amongst local DJs and collectors of obscure vinyl albums world-wide. It's been described as "totally bizarre ... psychy rock with introspective moments."
His daughter, Teresa Kaczorowski, 22, described her father's music simply as "interesting."
"He had a very good sense of humor," she said. "And that translated into his music."
But to his nephew Andrew Matalone, Mr. Kaczorowski was never the "rock star" he tried to show to the rest of the world.
"He used to say he sold a lot of his stuff overseas," he said. "But music was a hobby to him."
Mr. Matalone said he'll always remember cruising around the North Fork with his cool uncle, listening to The Beatles, Queen and Electric Light Orchestra. Mr. Volinski said he'll never forget the incredible performances from his soft-spoken, almost bashful classmate.
And though many will remember Mr. Kaczorowski for a stage production that scooped the real thing on Broadway, to his sister Jane Matalone, 64, her younger brother will always be a superstar for enduring a painful life.
"He was ill and in an extreme amount of pain most of the time," she said. "I can't get out of bed if I have a headache ... but he chose to get out of bed and live. He was my hero."
Mr. Kaczorowski is survived by his wife of 25 years, Patsy (Taylor), daughters Christine Chenal and Teresa Kaczorowski, grandchildren Catherine and Estuardo Chenal, and sister Jane Matalone.
The family received friends last Thursday at Cecere-Pensa Funeral Home in Baldwin. Funeral Mass took place last Friday morning at St. Christopher's R.C. Church in Baldwin.
eschultz@timesreview.com
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