Performer, composer, and author John T. LaBarbera performs his original score for Charlie Chaplin’s The Immigrant at the Puffin Cultural Forum in Teaneck on October 28 at 4:00pm. LaBarbera’s score creates an emotional atmosphere through the melodic themes that are reminiscent of the Italian immigrant music published during the early 20th century. Chaplin’s 1917 comedy about his own experiences as an immigrant draws on parallels of the popular songs of Tin Pan Alley which inform LaBarbera’s composition, highlighting the comedic and romantic aspects of the film through ragtime style, slapstick references, and melodic leitmotif that adorn the film’s narrative.

The live performance of the score and screening of The Immigrant will be followed by a lecture by LaBarbera entitled Echoes of Mulberry Street which utilizes artifacts, original sheet music and several musical examples to explore the rise of ethnic publishing in America. A pioneer in transcribing southern Italian folk music, LaBarbera conducted extensive research in Siena and Florence, where he toured with the SSMA early music ensemble and gained firsthand experience as principal guitarist of the folk music and theater company Pupi e Fressede.