The late Gary LaVigne was a New York native. His love of theatre had taken him from Off-Broadway to the Dallas Theatre Center, to The Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival, and to many summer stock companies. His theatrical career included hundreds of performances in the U.S. and Europe, appearing on stage, television and in films, encompassing plays, musicals, soap operas, cabaret and even playing with marionettes at Lincoln Center. With degrees in theater, he had taught speech and drama from the elementary grades to the college level, and had directed plays and musicals at the University of Dallas, the Naples Players, the Children’s Academy and at the Community School of Naples. When he was not writing and composing, you would find him appearing as MC and vocalist with the Music Makers Big Show Band, or touring with his solo act, featuring a repertoire of more than 3,000 songs.