“As a schooled pianist and seeing so much since the age of three when I started formal lessons, I have always thought that when someone has a setback with Autism or something similar, that somewhere they are rewarded with a special talent that I’ll never have,” said Stormin’ Norman Seldin, a Jersey Shore musical legend.
Seldin will be part of a special concert on Saturday, May 5th at Monmouth University’s Pollak Theatre. It’s an event to benefit Autism Awareness that also includes three young piano prodigies, Tim McLoone, and the amazing Steinway & Sons “Spirio” Grand Piano.
Stormin’ Norman will take the bench at the Steinway and Sons Model D (furnished for the occasion by Jacobs Music of Lawrenceville) for a soulful set of originals and classic covers drawn from his decades-spanning career and encyclopedic musical memory. As a special treat, he’ll be joined by a fellow Shore area favorite entertainer — pianist, vocalist and ace accompanist Vance Villastrigo — for a set-within-a-set that could only be called “Dueling Pianos.”
The three young piano prodigies include Elizabeth Williams and Andy Milsten (both 14 years old) and 9-year-old Taksh Gupta. Williams has performed at Carnegie Hall, and was accepted into The Julliard School’s Music Advancement Program when she was 9.
Even though he’s only nine, Gupta has been participating in piano competitions for four years and is a two-time first prize winner at NJMTA Spring Audition. He’s performed at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York, Rutgers University, Rider University and Stockton University.
As for Milsten, this is a special concert for him. He was diagnosed as being on the Autism Spectrum at age three. He began playing the trumpet in the 4th grade and progressed well with learning the instrument. His parents were pleasantly surprised to see how focused and socially appropriate Andy was during a school’s Spring Concert. He was even able to hold things together in the evening after his medication had worn off.
In the 7th grade, Andy became interested in the music of John Williams. He listened to all of Williams’ movie themes on YouTube, and tried to play the themes on his trumpet. His parents had purchased an electronic keyboard for Andy’s sister who expressed an interest in taking piano lessons. Andy started to try to play John Williams’ music on the keyboard and figured out the melodies fairly quickly. His father took him to the York Symphony Orchestra who was performing the works of John Williams in concert. It was there that his love for the symphony was born and he now regularly attends classical music concerts every month.
Seldin has known the three young performers for many years and has watched them progress as musicians. When he thinks of Milsten, it reminds him both of his early days at the piano and the power of music itself.
“Andy plays because he loves what he has found and has no fear when he is at the piano like many others would have,” said Seldin. “I have no doubt that somewhere in his mind he is connecting with much more of the world when he plays music. And when someone feels that there is no stopping them.”
The concert will be a treat for pianists and piano lovers to see and hear the Steinway & Songs “Spirio” Grand Piano. This is an American handcrafted piano that takes between 10-14 months to build. The Spirio is the world’s finest high-resolution player piano. Attendees will hear pieces from Vladimir Horowitz, Lang Lang, and George Gershwin played live on this masterpiece of artistry and engineering.
“I am an official Steinway Spirio recording artist and when I did my recordings, it haunted me to hear ‘exactly what I played’ coming out of an acoustic grand,” said Seldin. “If time allows, I might let the Spirio play one of my recordings and I’ll do the second part on another grand piano on stage. Each note has over 1,100 variations of touch on it. It’s amazing!”
Tickets for the concert range from $25 to $35 for adults and $10 for students. The concert takes place in the Pollak Theatre on the campus of Monmouth University in West Long Branch.
For an event designed to raise awareness of Autism, seeing Andy Milsten perform will bring it all into focus and his parents sum it up best.
“Andy has truly found his home in music. Music makes him happy, gives him purpose, and an enormous sense of worth and accomplishment. His demeanor has changed dramatically in the past year in direct correlation with his musical advancement. For the first time since Andy’s autism diagnosis in 2007, we are excited about all that his future may hold.”
Join us for McCarter at the Museum - renowned performing artists in one-night only events at the Princeton University Art Museum.
Jason Robert Brown is a four-time Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist of The Last Five Years, Parade, Songs for a New World, 13, The Bridges of Madison County, Honeymoon In Vegas and The Connector, has performed as a soloist or with his band in venues around the world, including sold-out shows at the London Palladium and Carnegie Hall. His albums as a singer-songwriter include Wearing Someone Else’s Clothes and How We React and How We Recover on Ghostlight, and Coming From Inside the House and Live In Concert with Stephen Sondheim on Concord.
With Special Guest Tony nominee Betsy Wolfe. Tony Award-nominated actress Betsy Wolfe is currently starring as Audrey in the acclaimed Off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors, following her recent Broadway run as Madeline Ashton in the hit musical Death Becomes Her. She previously originated the title role in Joy, the new musical inspired by inventor Joy Mangano, and earned a 2023 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her celebrated performance as Anne Hathaway in & Juliet. Other Broadway credits include starring as Jenna in Waitress, Cordelia in the acclaimed revival of Falsettos, Bullets Over Broadway, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Everyday Rapture, and 110 in the Shade, as well as her critically acclaimed performance as Cathy in the Off-Broadway revival of The Last Five Years. Wolfe made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Die Fledermaus and has appeared as a guest artist with more than 65 symphony, pops, and philharmonic orchestras worldwide, including the New York Philharmonic and BBC Symphony Orchestra, with performances at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Her screen credits include First One In, Estella Scrooge, CBS’s Instinct, and the film adaptation of The Last Five Years. Wolfe is also the co-founder of BroadwayEvolved, the acclaimed musical theatre training program she launched in 2018 to train and mentor the next generation of theatre artists.
A limited number of early access tickets for McCarter Director’s Circle members and members of the Museum’s Partner Circle are available, on sale Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 12:00 PM. General public on sale begins Friday, September 18, 2026 at 12:00 PM.
Please be aware there is no public drop-off or parking at the Museum. For visitors with mobility needs, please contact the Museum at least three business days in advance of your visit to request special access to the Museum via Elm Drive. Call 609-258-3788 and select option 1 to speak to a visitor services staff member, or email Louise Barrett at [email protected].
