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WPCNR STAGE DOOR. By John F. Bailey. November 8, 2003, UPDATED WITH MORE FOTOS, 9 P.M. E.S.T: White Plains finally got its community theatre Saturday afternoon, some sixty-five years since vaudeville faded from the old RKO Keiths, as Mayor Joseph Delfino and Commissioner of Planning Susan Habel, Impresarios Jeffrey Rosenstock and Tony Stimac proudly welcomed children of all ages to the opening performance of The Flying Karamazovs. Overnight, HRH Construction, under the supervision of Steve Feinstein performed a miracle and presented White Plains with a perfect little jewel in its City Center crown.

LIGHT THE LIGHTS! WE GOT NOTHING TO DO BUT HIT THE HEIGHTS! INTRODUCING THE WHITE PLAINS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER: The classy little theatre on City Place takes a bow! The stage of the White Plains Performing Arts Center as it awaited the Flying Karamazov Brothers at 10 minutes before festivities got under way Saturday afternoon. Photo by WPCNR StageCam.
A crowd very close to capacity saw the first performance in an immaculate venue that was luxurious, stylish, inviting, and intimate all-at-once. Its elegant rake of seating gives a perspective of the stage giving you the feel of a theatre, the intimacy of theatre-in-the round, and there is no bad seat. Even from the top row, you have a great view of the doings on stage. It will be a venue performers will want to play, a house people will want to go to.

“THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR COMING:” Mayor Joseph Delfino of White Plains personally thanked opening matinee theatre-goers for supporting the theatre as each came in to be escorted to the plush dark blue seats. The Mayor, a salesperson in his early career, personally demonstrated to WPCNR the softness of the seats installed in the theatre, the legroom, and the luxury features of a high headrest and the added advantage that each of the seats recline. The Mayor was ebullient as the theatre passed its smoke purge test Friday evening. Construction officially ended about 2:30 A.M Saturday morning. Cleaners finished their job about noon on Saturday. Photo by WPCNR StageCam.

VIEW OF THE INTERIOR OF THE 417-Seat Theatre: All Views are virtually straight-on. Seats are separated nicely. The only glitch on opening afternoon was that the restrooms were not working, due to a blockage, but that was expected to be fixed midway through the performance. Photo by WPCNR StageCam.

PLUSH CARPET, THICK, PADDED AND TREADSTEADY WITH FOOTLIGHTS: The classy touch of footlights in the aisles invites you to your seat. The carpet you walk on is very thick, enveloping you in a feeling of poshnessity, elevating the viewer, and inviting them, no matter how old into a growing sense of awe of the magic that a real theater evokes, informing them they have entered a new realm where magic happens, belief is suspended and where the possibilities and achievements of the human condition are celebrated. Photo by WPCNR StageCam.

IMPRESARIO Jeffrey Rosenstock takes the stage and welcomes all to the historic matinee, he is standing in front of the Brothers Karamazov set. Rosenstock thanked all who came for being a part of history, said the Arts Center would strive to be a home to local performing groups, and introduced Mayor Joseph Delfino. The sound system Mr. Rosenstock was using was crisp, in perfect reproduction, with a very mellow, state-of-sound feel to it. It sounded as if Mr. Rosenstock was at your side speaking directly to you. Though WPCNR could not judge the acoustics of the theatre, the reverbs of the sound baffles on the walls (the bronzish-yellow squares) seem to “wrap” the sound around you. I believe performers will like using it. They can speak or sing right to the audience with every inflection and articulation reproduced with all the effect with which they deliver it. Photo by WPCNR StageCam

HERE’S JOE: Mayor Joseph Delfino, speaking extemporaneously in his naturally welcoming and sincere style, thanked HRH Construction’s Steve Feinstein “for a tremendous job” in completing the theatre, Mr. Stimac and Mr. Rosenstock, and theatre and city staff for making the dream real, and National Amusements for donating the 417 seats. He welcomed the audience and noted the gift of the Terrence McCormack family of White Plains who donated antique theatre seats that once stood silent audience in the old White Plains RKO Keith’s on Main Street. The Mayor noted these seats had viewed thousands of great acts of the past and the movies from Hollywood’s golden age when they were in the old RKO Keith’s theatre. The seats are red burgundy leather with blue velvet backs with gold etching on the borders and now hold a place of honor in the foyer of the theatre. They were restored beautifully, Kathy Davisson said, by the Planning Department personality, Ray Frederick. Photo by WPCNR StageCam.

COMING UP THE ESCALATOR TO THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER. Photo by WPCNR StageCam.

A LITTLE HOLLYWOOD IN WHITE PLAINS: Crowd meets Rugrats personalities at entrance to the theatre Saturday afternoon. Massive lobby will hold overflow crowds. The management of the Performing Arts Center had been worried about possible union picketing, as it is not yet a union house, however Actors Equity and the International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees have amicably agreed not to picket the opening, giving the new theatre time to build a following, capitalize, and organize WPCNR has learned. I.A.T.S.E. Local One, the theatrical stage employees union, is reported by sources to be willing to have White Plains Performing Arts Center pilot an apprentice program in which the union would provide employees at rates lower than prevailing wages as a means to help the community theatre, while helping new workers acquire their union membership. The unions reportedly will attempt to work out a mutually workable agreement with the theatre management in April. Photo by WPCNR StageCam.

A BRIGHT AND WELCOMING LOBBY: Not overly ornate, muted, tasteful and ready to be garnished with art, statuary or what have you. Tony Stimac, in suit is just to the right of the open door in the extreme right of this picture. Kathy Davisson, Theatre Manger is third from left, in dark suit, white turtleneck, as crowd mills in the cozy lobby. The vast rotunda of the City Center balcony will easily handle overflow crowds. Photo by WPCNR StageCam.

Jeffrey Rosenstock at entrance to the proscenium. Melody Hockley, at right takes tickets. Photo by WPCNR StageCam

THE GALLERY: Slightly to the left of Mr. Rosenstock is the gallery area which will be used for receptions and art exhibitions. Photo by WPCNR StageCam.

CONCIERGE DESK welcomes the crowd, which came early. Seating was orderly, crowd well-behaved and they seemed truly awestruck by the height of the theatre and its majestic sweep. Kathy Davisson noted to WPCNR early Saturday evening that the crowd really enjoyed the Flying Karamazov Brothers show, whom Ms. Davisson described as putting a terrific effort into the show that enthralled the audience. Photo by WPCNR StageCam.

LEADING MAN: Steve Feinstein, Project Superintendent for HRH Construction, the mastro of the 24 hour a day 7 days a week effort that got the theatre done in time for Saturday’s opening. Mr. Feinstein oversaw the construction of the theatre, that was finally complete in the wee hours Saturday morning. Photo by WPCNR StageCam.

SUBSCRIPTIONS NOW BEING SOLD: The Performing Arts Center first patrons this afternoon were provided with full-color brochures offering “subscriptions” two for the price of 1 to the WPPAC’s first play series which will produce Ambassador Satch, December 6 to 21; Fashion, an original musical comedy by Tony Stimac, WPPAC’s Producing Director, from March 20 to April 4, 2004, My Cousin’s Wedding, a comedy from May 1 to 16, 2004. Purchasing a subscription prior to November 16, will earn patrons a 15% discount off the Special Events coming up, Valerier Harper’s one-woman show, All Under Heaven, November 16-19, and Renee Taylor and Joe Bologna in It Had to Be Your, March 9 to 14. For information, call 1-888-977-2250. Photo by WPCNR StageCam.

MAYOR DELFINO & COMMISSIONER OF PLANNING, SUSAN HABEL welcomed the patrons. Ms. Habel is wearing a scarf made for her by her daughter two years ago. The scarf IS silk-screened in a show business motif. Ms. Habel told WPCNR her daughter said, “You can wear it at the opening.” And on Saturday matinee, Ms. Habel did just that. Ms. Habel said there were some color changes she felt might be made to the theatre, but she was all smiles. Photo by WPCNR StageCam.

AND NOW, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN THE WHITE PLAINS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER: The Theatre from midway up the aisle. Photo by WPCNR StageCam











