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NINE: 3 Weeks to See WBT’s Saucy Toast to Icons and Ladies Who Love Them
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WPCNR ON THE AISLE. Theatre Review By John F. Bailey. April 2, 2010 Complete with Pictures!: Cue the glamour, cue the high-maintenance beauties, light the flattering lights, cue the enigmatic, emotional, charismatic dashing star, Westchester Broadway Theatre’s spring show, Nine (the 5-Tony Award-winning toast of Broadway in 1982) revives evocably a bold musical of the Broadway that was then and the movie world of the 1960s and, ironically today.. Nine is all about women and the man they love even though they never quite really have him, and their irresistible attraction to the artist.
Guido and the Women in his Life:
Robert Cuccioli with the high maintenance women on stage at Westchester Broadway Theatre until April 24: Front to back Emily Zacharias as his mother; Julie Tolivar as his mistress; Dana Moore as his producer; Glory Crampton as his wife, Luisa; Lauren Blackman as his actress; Jesmille Darbouze; Erin O’Neill.
Photos by John Vecchiolla, Courtesy, WBT
The women peforming the Follies Bergere spectacular in Act One
Robert Cuccioli “The First Leading Man of Westchester Theatre” is the great Guido Contini a director-in-demand, whose mere association with a film sends producers to writing checks and starlets slipping out of their sheaths (in the most irresistible way) for him, which he is only too glad to succumb to in a musical of two levels, the emotional and the rational.
It is a glam show with nine beautiful, leggy, tempestuous and high maintenance women reminiscent of the Cardinales, Ekbergs, Lorens, and Lolobridgidas of a once and seductive time–the not-so-innocent mid- twentieth century. The ladies are great for the men to look at.
Guido conducts his women, Act One.
Men in front row seats should be warned to exercise self-control to keep from climbing on stage during the performance of Guido’s mistress, the stage-dominating redhead for the ages, Julie Tolivar, above, singing Call from the Vatican, where Guido talks on the phone in front of his wife, pretending he is talking to the Vatican, when he is talking to Ms. Tolivar. This number should have been titled “Ode to the Leotard,” and is one of the highlights of the first Act.
Nine is a string of clever introspective ballads,laments, and lampoon blockbuster production numbers portraying the emotional highs and pitfalls an entertainment icon faces when everyone wants a piece of you. You want to please them all and you’ve made your life a giant ponzi scheme taking, giving, borrowing, and deluding, not necessarily in that order.
Cuccioli (as Guido), a representation of a great director, finds himself at the pinnacle of his career. He has had a creative crisis and he has tucked himself away at a spa to recharge. The setting recreates the dream sequence in Federico Fellini’s movie, 8 ½ where Guido dreams about his relationships with the women in his life: He still wants them all.
Here are the actresses and poseurettes and entouragettes of
Ahhh, those were the days, so simple, so scripted, so according to plan, when mental cruelty and incredulity and suspension of belief was, oh, so acceptable and easy. Guido deals with all the ladies, and through the ladies’ songs and his reactions, each character explains away their behaviors and flaws that link them together always.
For the ladies in the WBT house, the ultimate leading Italian man, the quintessential heartthrob, The Great Cuccioli emotes with controlled style. He invites “all-too-willing-to-console” feelings. He is the man women want to be needed by. He has the cache, the sophistication, the enigma that fascinates a woman, more than any mortal man especially whoever you’re married to at any one time. At least the movies would have you think so. Fellini’s anyway.
The women in the audience shake their heads in disapproval while they admire Mr. Cuccioli’s dominating conflicted personna.
“Ahhh, they would save him, I can change him because he loves me.”
Cuccioli has that effect and emobies the rationalization of the man who is committed, but not really. He cannot consider other commitments from those who also want him. He is conflicted.
The musical strength and conceit is it sends a message wrapped in a sheath dress, one of those “Moralicals with a
Nine, as 8 ½ the film did, exposes in a self-indulgent, titillating and ultimately forgiving conclusion, tinseltown and spagettiwood preoccupation with the glamour and commerce of lies, incompetence and self-delusion in the world of movies and life itself.
This musical does not roll rollickingly along, but has long pauses, reflection, like an art movie – think long,lingering fades,for example–to belabor its point.
The musical portrays, (as Fellini’s film), the roles people live destined to make them perpetually unfulfilled (except, perhaps in the bedroom, but maybe that is enough for moviedom and the characters in this award-winner).
Theirs is a world where there is no integrity, no self-respect that can’t be suppressed for the right reason. The only thing that matters between its players is what you can do for me.
The motivation that drives them is cleverly exposed in this movie “musicaled” is: what do you want me to do so you will do what I want you to do for me.
But, you forgive them. They look so good doing it.
Glory Crampton as Luisa with her straying leading man.
Guido’s elegant wife, is played with amused tolerance, statuesque class, and patrician charm by Glory Crampton whose comic nuance on My Husband Makes Movies, is performed with stylized tolerance, self-sarcasm, humor, and a “well, that’s my little Guido” apology. She fits the part, as do most of the carefully pulled-together cast.
This sure-fire plot line favorite of countless chroniclers of rich seductive harpies and sharpies in celluloid city (F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nathanial West, Dashiell Hammett, Elia Kazan, to name just a few who pushed this genre) of the “shame and pretence of show business” is spun out cleverly, loosely based on Federico Fellini’s 8-1/2(1963) This black and whiter when color was the rage, was the breakthrough art film of the time, paving the way for a genre of films that seeing them let you acquire cocktail party prestige when you brought them up.
Nine the musical is a satire with bite, pathos, and understanding painting the false glamour, glitter and twitter of mid-twentieth century love affair with sophistication and intellectualizing the art film genre. Nine says what needs saying today: it’s great to admire creative geniuses in entertainment, but you cannot take them too seriously,and don’t marry one. They are not the most admirable of characters.
An aside, if I may?
Art film is the sobriquet that when used (even today) means you are going to see dialogue you cannot understand, with no direction, a plot with a crisis that every character talks about, does little about, and winds up drifting into doom and “unique, interesting, real” characters. Too qualify as an art film, a film is immediately considered good and critics point out its value, no matter how bad it is. Art films are characterized by “creative” camera shots, with meandering plot line that goes nowhere, enigmatic, short dialogue. A recent example of this type of film is Lost In Translation, one of the worst films of all-time that is still looking for one member in its “cult following.”(Sorry, I hate that movie.) There can be great art films, make no mistake.
Now back to the review.
Robert Cuccioli, “The First Leading Man of Westchester Theatre,” is the heart of this homage to the director as artist, not just entertainer. The revival of the Broadway Hit Nine at WBT delights with its modern villa set that through the masterful lighting of Andrew Gmoser reflects moods, the chronic “cliché” of emptiness that pervades any art film.
More a Sunset Boulevard than
There are no toe-tapping, sing-along songs to take home, but numbers cut with a double-edge close to the emotional truths of the women who adore, explore and eagerly revel in the emotions of entitlement, rationalization of behavior and redemption — delivered in clever ways that deliver an awaking of awareness, and hopefully no self-recognition. The pathos, and erratic pace is seasoned with excellent comic timing, soften the musically rendered hypocrisies of the relationships in the sycophant side of town.
This is one of Cuccioli’s toughest performances as Guido (but nice work if you can get it with the beauties of NINE), easily misunderstood if you are expecting what you remember from his roles as The Phantom on the WBT stage, and Don Quixote at White Plains Performing Arts Center.
As Guido, the legendary producer who has signed for a film that he has no idea what he is going to do in and has no script idea in mind, he draws a fine line between enthusiasm in the part and the ennui that Guido, finally running out of razzle dazzle, having promised too much to too many for too long, who is too tired is reaching for his old razzle dazzle,and it’s just not there.He’s in a panic. This is not a good thing for a creative person or writer to see because the panic is palpable.
The musical explores the self-delusion, isolation and self-pity the megalomaniacal creative type uses to rationalize his behavior when he is consistently insecure. To avoid the demand, he looks for distraction, an idea or a mistress. For years he has been able to convince so many how wonderful his art is, and suddenly it’s no longer going so well.
When things do not go right, and his new shrew of a producer with her dominating wonderfully comic dominitrix of an assistant puts the pressure on, he snaps. He has in the past, always been able to convince the critics, his (or her, after all today there are female Glorias, as well as Guidos, how far we have come in entertainment—but that’s another column), his backers, his talent he hires and exploits in more ways than one.
Not this time. Here is what happens when ego, stature, and reputation no longer will save you.
The musical finds the Great Guido on the eve of shooting his new movie in a panic, and to avoid grappling with the problem he retreats to a spa, where he remembers the women in his life, his mother, his wife, his mistress, an actress, while dealing with the demands of a female backer highly suspicious of him, and trying to juggle all the women, dead and alive, who accepted him and loved him, but as it turns out they only wanted something from him.
After a complex first act, confronting you with the dysfunctional, the hilarious, and the outrageous, where you do not know quite how to take this (Nine is not your 42nd Street cliché show biz musical) the second act turns up the entertainment with the fabulous Grand Canal .
Nine is not staged too often. It’s a musical with a message, that comments, observes, exposes, in a pleasant and clever way, the foibles, follies, and faiths that determine destinies. It’s a little Sunset Boulevard, a little like Company, it’s a cut above and requires your full attention: a boldly staged by the maestros of subtle effects and up-close-and-personal production, Lighting Designer Andrew Gosmer, and Director and Choreographer Jonathan Stahland sophisticatedly glamorous revival. But, the audience has to concentrate as much as the cast.
It plays the next three weeks at the WBT. For tickets to mingle with the sophisticated ladies of Nine and a real Man of La Mancha, the man women’s dreams are made of, Guido Contini. Call (914) 592-2222. They serve you dinner, too!
Cuccioli is in a role that requires virtually non-stop performing pulls it together splendidly and is given a thunderous ovation at the close
All the lovely ladies want something for themselves from the beleagured larger than life Guido, whom Mr. C., with baritone, dynamic presence and cat-like movements have captivated
Like Guido, in a make-believe world where nothing and no one is as they seem, he is forever young.
Domestic Violence Defense Attorney Analyzes State of Bradley Case.
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WPCNR WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL Commentary by Charles O. Lederman, Esq., Attorney at Law:
Dear White Plains citizens,
I write this as a career criminal defense attorney to offer some insight and expectations as to the Domestic Violence process we are all watching unfold before us, (involving the Mayor of White Plains).
First off, I must explain that the Domestic Violence (DV) unit of the District Attorney’s office have enjoyed their reputation as pit bulls who do not easily (if ever) let go of the charges and defendants they are assigned. Many defense attorneys dread hearing a local criminal court assistant DA’s statement that a case is being referred to the DV unit, because we know that the case will drag on for a while, and there will not likely be a lenient plea offer.
It is not uncommon for the abused to later assert that they will not support the prosecution. This is understandable, as a minor tiff like a thrown cup of tea does not often justify the overbearing and intrusive demands of the prosecutors (ie expensive counselling programs, admission of criminal conduct, and various types of sentences).
One common way out of this process is when a criminal court schedules a preliminary non-jury trial/hearing. This often occurs when an abused/victim has stated that they do not wish to proceed.
A date is chosen for “trial.” When the abused/victim does not appear on that date, the defense has a right to petition the court for dismissal, and the court is usually right to grant such an application. After all, if the prosecution is not able to proceed without its witness/victim, the matter should rightly be dismissed.
Another common path for these DV cases is the plea bargain path. Initially charged with a misdemeanor (up to one year in jail), many defendants opt to enroll in counselling with hope that the charges will be downgraded to a violation (not a criminal offense) upon completion of the counselling program.
My defendants mostly volunteer for such counselling, while many judges will order an evaluation anyway. Temporary Orders of Protection are often modified during the legal process so as to accomodate parental care of mutual children, or possible reconciliation between spouses . . . however, many defendants have spent months away from home and children because an order requires such. Violating such orders of protection often leads to serious consequences (such as new and independent contempt charges).
In watching Mayor Bradley’s matter unfold, it is interesting to see that the DA’s DV unit introduced new charges of a violation on a date earlier than the spat that brought all of this publicity. By bringing such charges, they have opened a new (and uncommon) possibility that Mayor Bradley might end up taking responsibility for this earlier and less egregious conduct (only a violation, not a crime) in lieu of the later alleged criminal conduct.
If he is allowed to plead to these violations and have the misdemeanor charges dropped, Mayor Bradley will rightly be able to claim he has been vindicated. I note, however, that the Mayor has refused to enroll in any counselling.
To me, this implies that his attorney is confident enough with the circumstances to proceed to a “trial.” Remember that this does not necessarily mean that the public should expect a real trial to proceed on the date next assigned by the court.
There is invariably motion practice among many other procedural requisites to be completed before the jury is selected and the evidence is presented like in all of those lawyer shows you watch on TV.
What it might imply, however, is the common course I described above, and that the defense is confident that Mrs. Bradley will not appear for the hearing/trial to which she will be subpoenaed.
I have never seen any repurcussions against those victims/abused who do not abide by such subpoenas . . . their complaints and charges are simply dismissed.
Nor have I ever seen a complainant/abused subsequently charged with filing a false statement, as all of us know in the criminal justice system that it would inhibit all victims from reporting violent offenses.
What I do know is that such a procedure allows all of the professionals to claim that they did their job. The DA will be able to say “hey, we tried. We even brought additional charges, but our witness left us hanging.”
The defense will be able to say “my client is vindicated, as all charges have been dropped.”
The court will be able to say that its hands were tied, and that it could not proceed if the prosecutor did not have a case to present (no witness).
And finally, the victim/complainant will have some hope of getting back to a normal (or as close as possible) spousal relationship without the animus of a pending criminal action and related orders of protection.
I predict the trial – dismissal course, because our Mayor cannot afford to plead culpability even to a violation when it comes to domestic violence. He knows he would be forced from his position if he admits anything, and will only retain his political position and credibility if the case is dismissed.
I do not know Mrs. Bradley, but can only assume that she is facing the same pressure (if not greater) as many complainants I have seen, and will seek what appears to be the easy way out . . . just not show up and hope it all goes away.
Sometimes that actually works, and families work out their problems and avoid further violent conflict. Sometimes it works in that they go their own ways without the stigma of a criminal record and collateral consequences. On occasion, we have all heard of cases where an abuser escalates their abuse to terrifying result.
All we can do is hope for the safety and well being of our neighbor Mrs Bradley and her children, and learn not to expect any real “justice” from our criminal justice system.
It hasn’t really been developed with that end in mind.
City Water Main Breaks. 3 lanes North on Bank St. Shut. Service Restored
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WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. April 2, 2010: A 20 foot city water main under Main Street at the Bank Street and Main intersection cracked horizontally approximately midnight, causing a drop in fire hydrant water pressure which alerted the city that the break had occurred according to City Department of Public Works Commissioner, Joseph Bud Nicoletti this after. The water break undermined Bank Street collapsing the pavement. Water collected under the Main Street rail trestle.
Commissioner Nicoletti told WPCNR about a dozen DPW employees worked replacing the pipe all night, and have restored service to the area as of 11 A.M. Three lanes northbound are still closed due to the construction, and “undermining” of the street, the commissioner said. Nicoletti expects Bank Street to be closed all week and be repaved by Friday. Repair to the street will begin Tuesday after Con Edison has inspected their electrical conduit shed also located below the street nearby the water man break.
Nicoletti said the pipe was replaced with a 20-foot piece of 12-inch water main, and that fortunately the city had replacement pipe and valves on hand to effect the replace, “because we stock such things.”
Motorists needing to cross Main Street to take Hamilton Avenue out of the city westbound, should avoid traveling down Martine and Quaroppas Streets to Bank Street, because Bank Street northbound to Main is down to one lane, creating what is expected to be a very slow four lanes into one merge. The traffic situation is expected to last one week.
Nicoletti described the pipe as being 1974 vintage, and the breakage not as a result of the age of the pipe. “It isn’t like it was 200 years old,” he said. He said the breaks like this occur from time to time, and it did not mean the city water infrastructure needed wholescale replacement.
Mayor Welcomes Avalon Bay/Jonathan Rose as Winbrook Developer of Choice.
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WPCNR WEST SIDE STORY. From the Mayor’s Office. April 1, 2010: Mayor Adam Bradley today issued this statement to WPCNR, confirming that Avalon Bay Communities of Washington, D.C. and Jonathan Rose Associates, the New York based contractor known for its dedication and pioneering of green building initiatives will be developing the massive Winbrook revitalization project. WPCNR first reported Avalon Bay’s selection Tuesday.
Mr. Bradley issued this statement, Thursday afternoon:
“I am pleased with the selection of Avalon Bay as the choice to undertake the largest White Plains development since Urban Renewal in the 1970’s. Avalon has an excellent reputation and has already developed successful housing in White Plains, New Rochelle and other communities, in addition to having a national reputation.
This selection of Avalon Bay and Jonathan Rose should position this project very well since they are both prestigious and accomplished companies.
I’m sure they’ll take into account as will the White Plains Housing Authority the legitimate community concerns prior to commencement of construction.”
Mayor Will Fight Assault charges and new charges in Court. Date to be Determined
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WPCNR LAW JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. April 1, 2010: Mayor Adam Bradley appeared in Judge Susan Capeci’s domestic violence court today to answer charges of Assault in the third degree for allegedly slamming his wife’s finger in a door at their home February 28.
In a pre-trial conference,Chief of the District Attorney’s Special Prosecutions Unit, Audrey Stone introduced two new charges against Mr. Bradley for alleged assault in the third degree, and harrassment, classified as violations stemming from an alleged tea throwing incident on January 11, in addition to assault in the third degree and three other counts stemming from February 28 when the Mayor was charged for alledgedly slamming his wife, Fumiko Bradley’s finger in the door.
Ms. Stone informed the court that the District Attorney was willing to settle the case without going to trial if the Mayor pled guilty to the lesser charges introduced today and would agree to attending a counseling program. The specifics of the plea bargain were not made clear.
After an hour, Mr. Bradley and his attorey, Louis Penichet, were recalled before the judge. Mr. Penichet said his client, Mr. Bradley rejected the plea bargain and was prepared to go to trial. The Judge, after hearing Mr. Penichet had conflicts with other cases, and noting she had scheduling problems as well, ordered the parties to reconvene Monday morning, when a trial date would most likely be set.
The court house experienced a small protest of less than ten persons from the state National Organization for Women who held signs protesting domestic violence.
Fumiko Bradley did not attend the Trial Conference, but WPCNR was informed this was not unusual in cases such as this.
White Plainsians: Return Your Census Form Today.
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WPCNR PEOPLE TO PEOPLE. From Don Hughes. (Edited) April 1,2010: WPCNR is pleased to welcome back Don Hughes, who sends along this reminder. WPCNR also reminds residents of the White Plains metro area, it is important that downtown residents particularly return census forms because of the new influx of population into the new apartments (8 new complexes by WPCNR) that have increased White Plains by at least 4,000 persons since 2000. You need to be counted so White Plains can receive its maximum Community Development Funds, Commissioner of Planning Susan Habel reminds you.
April 1st is census day. If you have not returned your census form,
please do so. If you have not received a form, call (914) 705-5290
to request one, and to insure that your address has not been
overlooked.
The Census Bureau must get a census form to – and a completed form
back from – every residence in the United States. That´s more than
130 million addresses. From April to July 2010, the Census Bureau
will knock on the door of every household that does not mail back a
completed 2010 Census form. It will cost about $25 of your tax money
for each household that they have to visit.
Census information determines the number of seats New York occupies
in the U.S. House of Representatives, the amount of money that White
Plains receives from Albany and Washington, and an accurate count of
the U.S. population forms the basis for many other important, but
often overlooked political, economic, and social decisions that
affect our daily lives.
Census information is protected by Title 13 of the U.S. Code. None
of your personal information can be accessed by any government agency
or court for any purpose. Period. The information is not subject to
Freedom of Information requests, and cannot by obtained by court
order. Census workers cannot pass on any information that they obtain
about any person or activity that they observe to anyone for any
reason. If they do, they will be fined and imprisioned.
Many of us received an e-mail about the 2010 Census, which falsely
claimed to be from the Better Business Bureau. It was inaccurate,
and the Census Bureau, in partnership with the BBB, is advising the
public to get the facts.
Following are the questions that appear on the form and the reasons
for asking them. It was taken directly from the United States
Census 2010 website.
How many people were living or staying in this house, apartment, or
mobile home on April 1, 2010?
We ask this question to help get an accurate count of the number of
people in the household on Census Day, April 1, 2010. The answer
should be based on the guidelines in the ‘Start here’ section. We use
the information to ensure response accuracy and completeness and to
contact respondents whose forms have incomplete or missing
information.
Were there any additional people staying here April 1, 2010 that you
did not include in Question 1?
Asked since 1880. We ask this question to help identify people who
may have been excluded in the count provided in Question 1. We use
the information to ensure response accuracy and completeness and to
contact respondents whose forms have incomplete or missing
information.
Is this house, apartment, or mobile home: owned with mortgage, owned
without mortgage, rented, occupied without rent?
Asked since 1890. Homeownership rates serve as an indicator of the
nation’s economy. The data are also used to administer housing
programs and to inform planning decisions.
What is your telephone number?
We ask for a phone number in case we need to contact a respondent
when a form is returned with incomplete or missing information.
Please provide information for each person living here. Start with a
person here who owns or rents this house, apartment, or mobile home.
If the owner or renter lives somewhere else, start with any adult
living here. This will be Person 1. What is Person 1’s name?
Listing the name of each person in the household helps the respondent
to include all members, particularly in large households where a
respondent may forget who was counted and who was not. Also, names
are needed if additional information about an individual must be
obtained to complete the census form. Federal law protects the
confidentiality of personal information, including names.
What is Person 1’s sex?
Asked since 1790. Census data about sex are important because many
federal programs must differentiate between males and females for
funding, implementing and evaluating their programs. For instance,
laws promoting equal employment opportunity for women require census
data on sex. Also, sociologists, economists, and other researchers
who analyze social and economic trends use the data.
What is Person 1’s age and Date of Birth?
Asked since 1800. Federal, state, and local governments need data
about age to interpret most social and economic characteristics, such
as forecasting the number of people eligible for Social Security or
Medicare benefits. The data are widely used in planning and
evaluating government programs and policies that provide funds or
services for children, working-age adults, women of childbearing age,
or the older population.
Is Person 1 of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin?
Asked since 1970. The data collected in this question are needed by
federal agencies to monitor compliance with anti-discrimination
provisions, such as under the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights
Act. State and local governments may use the data to help plan and
administer bilingual programs for people of Hispanic origin.
What is Person 1’s race?
Asked since 1790. Race is key to implementing many federal laws and
is needed to monitor compliance with the Voting Rights Act and the
Civil Rights Act. State governments use the data to determine
congressional, state and local voting districts. Race data are also
used to assess fairness of employment practices, to monitor racial
disparities in characteristics such as health and education and to
plan and obtain funds for public services.
Does Person 1 sometimes live or stay somewhere else?
This is another question we ask in order to ensure response accuracy
and completeness and to contact respondents whose forms have
incomplete or missing information.
AVALON BAY, JONATHAN ROSE ASSOCIATES TAPPED TO REBUILD WINBROOK,WEST SIDE
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WPCNR WEST SIDE STORY. By John F. Bailey. Special to the CitizeNetReporter. March 30, 2010 UPDATED 5 P.M. E.D.T. UPDATED MARCH 31, 2010 5 P.M. E.D.T.: Angela Tucciarone, A spokesperson for Avalon Bay Communities, when asked by WPCNR when she expected the agreement between the White Plains Housing Authority and Avalon Bay/Jonathan Rose Associates was expected to be completed and whether plans to replace buildings one at a time, allowing residents to stay until new building is completed (the original plan for the Winbrook “Revitalization,”) would be observed, today told WPCNR, “We can’t confirm any dates or details as this is still in negotiation. Of course, Avalon Bay is sensitive to displacement issues. However, construction plans have not yet been finalized.”
The Mayor’s Office informed by WPCNR of the Avalon Bay Selection yesterday, and asked for a statement, has not issued a reaction as of this hour. The development encompassing about 10 to 15 acres of city property most likely would be at least a $3 to $4 Billion undertaking and the largest single project ever undertaken in White Plains.
Avalon Bay Communities of Washington, D.C., confirmed exclusively to WPCNR yesterday that they and Jonathan Rose Associates, a New York-based developer specializing in green technology building, have been selected by the White Plains Housing Authority to negotiate a final agreement with the Authority to develop the Windbrook site, rebuilding the post World War II housing one building at a time, in addition to building a mixed-use development of office, housing, and retail on both sides of South Lexington Avenue.
WPCNR first learned Avalon Bay was the front-runner from property owners familiar with the negotiations, who also pointed out that no would-be developers had spoken with them about the project. The White Plains Housing Authority has kept secret the four companies they had been considering for the massive rebuild and gentrification of the city’s west side.
Ms. Tucciarone of Avalon Bay Communities confirmed to WPCNR that Avalon Bay is the Authority “choice” to undertake the largest White Plains development since urban renewal took place in the 1970s.
Avalon Bay is the builder of the 14-story residential and town house complex on Church and Barker which broke ground in Summer, 2007, and is now renting. It has been one of the most trouble-free and smoothly absorbed projects in downtown White Plains in the last ten years of development.
Avalon Bay Communities is a key Housing and Urban Development selectee for such projects nationwide. It owns and manages 23 apartment complexes across the United States, predominantly in California, comprising nearly 7,000 rental units (as of 2005). Locally, Avalon Bay owns The Avalon Bedford, a 368-unit complex in Stamford, Connecticut and the 22-unit Avalon Glen, also in Stamford, and The Prudential Center in Boston where the company manages 781 units.
Jonathan Rose Associates, the builder, is a subsidiary of Jonathan Rose Companies of New York City. Rose, the founder is described by HUD Secretary, Shaun Donovan as “a leading innovator, advocate and practitioner of green building, particularly of green affordable housing.”
Jonathan Rose Companies recently received a HUD grant of $3.6 Million to retrofit the West 135th St. Apartments in Harlem, a 10-building, 198-unit Section 8 Assisted property in January of this year. As part of that renovation, money coming from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, 10 high efficiency boilers will be installed, with rooftop solar photovoltaic panels, and other fixtures.
Police Seek Suspect in Armed Hold-up at The Jefferson
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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. March 29,2010: Police Chief James Bradley confirmed to WPCNR that a citizen was held up at gunpoint, reportedly in the garage of The Jefferson, the condominium on Mamaroneck Avenue Friday afternoon. Name of the victim was not released, and what was taken was not disclosed.
Chief Bradley reports: The suspect is described a an African American male of medium height and build, wearing a royal blue hooded sweatshirt. Anyone with information is urged to call White Plains Detectives at 422-6200.
Susan Katz Night: Using Her Powers for Good.
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WPCNR STAGE DOOR. March 28, 2010: Assemblyperson Amy Paulin whose daughter performed with Westco Productions called White Plains’ Susan Katz, “the person who makes every one a star;” County Legislator James Maisano declaring Susan Katz Day in Westchester County called her organization one that the county has been supporting for years because of Westco’s unique contribution to Westchester families: White Plains Mayor Adam Bradley presented a plaque declaring Saturday Susan Katz Day in White Plains saying he looked forward to her company Westco Productions serving White Plains for many years to come.
Westco Productions “Magic to Do Players” Perform for over 140 Guests at the local Westco’s 30th Anniversary Celebration Saturday evening. Master of Ceremonies Jason Summers on stage (background) a performer with Westco since the age of 7, and now a professional choreographer, director and actor, leads the very special group of performers that Westco has nurtured the last two years. They were the stars of the evening and had a wonderful time– and were easily the best dancers on the floor.
White Plains Mayor Adam Bradley Presented Susan Katz, “The First Lady of Westchester Theatre,” Founder of Westco, with a Proclamation Declaring Susan Katz Day in the City. Bradley said he had known Ms. Katz for many years and looked forward to her giving White Plains another 30 years of Westco Productions to come.
Serena Russell, President of the Westco Productions Board of Directors saluted Ms. Katz for creating an organization that has entertained over 700,000 persons over the last 30 Years.
Assemblywoman Amy Paulin reminisced about her own daughter’s Westco career.
County Legisalator James Maisano recognized Ms. Katz’s Westco is unique and an important resource in Westchester County also declaring Saturday Susan Katz Day in Westchester.
Jason Summers and the Westco staff entertained the friends of Westco with a medley of Westco’s Greatest Hits…from 30 Years of unique, “Flop-proof” productions because the people who produce them — produce them with love — that produces hit after hit — from Frosty the Snowman to Annie to “Resuse,Recycle.”
The Katzes — “First Lady of Westchester Theatre,” Susan Katz and her husband, Peter Katz…dance on Susan Katz Night. Mrs. Katz graciously thanked Mr. Katz for all his contributions to Westco’s success. Surrounded by family and friends, Ms.Katz remembered her father, Sonny Katz, long-time City Marshall for his encouragement and belief in the Westco Dream when she first thought of starting a youth theatre in the city.
The occasion was Westco Productions 30th Anniversary Gala Celebration held at the Womens Club of White Plains where 150 persons gathered to salute Suan Katz for founding Westco Productions — the county’s most successful and enduring non-profit theatre company that for thirty years has introduced theatre to youngsters, entertained youthful patients in county hospitals, and most recently created a theatre group for developmentally disabled youths.