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WPCNR STAGE DOOR. By John F. Bailey June 10, 2007: Violinest Helen Hess and the divine soprano, Kirsten Smayda, seniors of White Plains Class of 2007 were presented with Westco Productions first Annual Sonny Katz Scholarships of $1,000 each Sunday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in the name of longtime City Marshall, raconteur and entertainer, Sonny Katz. The occasion attracted over 50 persons whose support today has funded next year’s award, said Susan Katz, “The First Lady of White Plains Theater,” and founder of Westco Productions. The ceremony awarded the first Sonny Katz Scholarships on the eve of Mr. Katz’s 86th birthday.
State Senator Suzi Oppenheimer, State Assemblyman Adam Bradley were on hand to present the Scholarship Checks of $1,000 each to the girls and declare the need for government to support arts programs in the schools. Councilman Glen Hockley, in his remarks spoke of the need to support the arts and community appreciation of them. A Who’s Who of White Plains attended, including Robert Ruger, Judges JoAnn Friia and Eric Press, Paul Bergens, the noted attorney, Jim Benerofe, the respected journalist, the Westco Board of Directors, and Mr. Katz’s family and friends. In the photo op above, Left to right, Susan Katz, Assemblyman Adam Bradley, Helen Hess, Kirsten Smayda, State Senator Suzi Oppenheimer, and the White Plains original, Sonny Katz.
Former city corporation council, Tony Grant was Master of Ceremonies, and he began the festivities with two wonderful stories of his own 24 year-old daughter’s budding career in her first film role, in which he watched her in her first ever movie scene. When the director challenged him as to what he was doing on the set. Mr. Grant said he replied, “I’m her father and I’m watching my daughter on the set.” He said, the director said, “You’re doing fine. Keep doing what you’re doing.” Mr. Grant’s story was just the right way to start the afternoon of hope that the Sonny Katz Scholarships were established to encourage students to make careers in the arts. Westco is the first community theater organization to introduce a scholarship program for the performing arts, Mr. Grant said.
Kirsten Smayda, the divine soprano with the dazzling smile, of White Plains High School, star of 5 WPHS musical productions, member of the school Symphony Orchestra, Choir, Mixed Ensemble and Honors String Ensemble, receives her $1,000 check from State Senator Suzi Oppenheimer as Sarina Russell, Scholarship Fund Co-Chair looks on with pride.
Suzi Oppenheimer, the State Senator, presenting the award to Kirsten Smayda, a classical singer who will be attending the Boston University to study opera, told a similar story of performing arts success in her family. She told of her very own niece who is deaf, and who told the family she was going to become a film actress. Senator Oppenheimer beamed with pride telling how her niece has landed a key role in the television series, Jericho, which she proudly said had just been renewed. It was living proof that a career in the arts is hard but you can do it if you believe in yourself.
Adam Bradley presenting to Ms. Hess said the state needs to fund arts in the schools to a greater extent to assure the continued emergence of young artists like Ms. Smayda and Ms. Hess. Ms. Hess is Concertmistress of the WPHS Symphony Orchestra and performs wit the musical pit orchestra and the Honors String Ensemble. A member of the Greater Westchester Youth Orchestras, and Area –All State Orchestras and the chamber music group YNOS, will be attending Boston Conservatory of Music in the fall, pursuing a degree in viola performance.
Ms. Smayda said what an honor it was to audition for the scholarship, and thanked the organization for splitting the $2,000 for the award between Ms. Hess and herself. Ms. Smayda and Ms. Hess are close friends who perform together. Most recently the previous evening at Trinity Methodist Church, 75 persons watched them and their friends perform an hour and a half concert. A person who saw that concert said the ladies were “superterrific.”
The supporters of the Scholarship in attendance heard that evidence firsthand when Ms. Smayda performed a operatic piece, Bocci Bocci, a multi tempoed piece in which she articulated her marvelous clear voice up and down the register in staccato in adagios, holding the audience and causing even the servers to stop their work and listen to her clear, striking voice.
Then Ms. Hess opened up her violin case and performed First Fantasy 1 by Pleman, the first movement. Her violin’s authority, her mellow precise blending tone in live performance hushed the restaurant, playing the heart and senses of the audience as only a violin solo can.
The scholarships were chosen by audition, with both girls playing before the Scholarship Committee of Sarina Russell and Bill Van Vlack.
Ms. Hess told WPCNR she is attending the Boston Conservatory of Music next fall: “I’m studying viola performance. What I love about Boston is they have a music theater program, and I’m really excited about playing in the (orchestra) pits there, because that’s what I love to do with music.” For an ambition, she hopes to play in pit orchestras on Broadway, or join a professional orchestra, professional quartet, or “something with a group.”
Ms. Hess told how she got her start: “I started violin when I was seven, mostly because my uncle had played it, and I thought he was the coolest person in the world. I said I wanted to play too. When I was ten, I picked up the viola for an audition for an orchestra. My teacher, was like, try it out see how it works. If you like it you can continue. I loved it, so I just continued with both of them since. People always ask me which one do you like better. I really can’t decide. It’s like deciding between two kids, you can’t pick which one you like better. They’re both different and they’re both great in their own way.”
Ms. Hess has a one-hour professional lesson each week, with Rebecca Eckfeld. Ms. Hess splits the hour between violin and viola. When she was practicing for auditions, she had two one-hour lessons a week on each instrument. She said she plays one to two hours a day between all the orchestras and groups she is in.
WPCNR asked her about the White Plains High School music program. She gave it high marks:
“White Plains has an exceptionally good music program, a lot of really good teachers, qualified people. We’re fortunate that we have a pit orchestra for our music. Not a lot of high schools have a good enough music program to do that.”
She said William Eckfeld, of White Plains High School, the husband of her private teacher, was a great influence on her: “He helps me. He accompanies me in my solo recitals when I perform. He has been a really big help.”
Helen Hess, lower left, with sister Mariane and her mother, Debra
She comes from a musical family: “Both my parents went into college as musicians. They didn’t finish as musicians they changed. They’re both very supportive. They love music. They’re always helping. Sometimes I’ll be practicing and my Dad will be walking through, and he’ll say, that’s very good you’re getting a lot better at that. Sometimes when I’m preparing an audition, sometimes he’ll be helping me on how to get more of a feeling out of something. My mom drove me to every single college audition. She was with me every step of the way.”
The Divine Soprano, Kirsten Smayda, whose voice has highlighted White Plains “High School Musicals” for the last four years.
Ms. Smayda, whom WPCNR had the pleasure of viewing in the White Plains High School production of Kiss Me, Kate, this spring echoed her friend’s praise of the high school music department:
“It definitely is special. You get such a wide variety of people with completely different interests from you. But, there’s always that one connection to music and performing. It’s great. You get to meet a lot of people you wouldn’t normally meet. It’s such a supporting and loving community.”
WPCNR asked what her typical week was like: “It’s sort of been more relaxed since we’re coming to the end of the school year. I take violin lessons on Thursday. Voice lessons on Wednesday. I try and practice each at least an hour a day, give or take. I always have to vocalize every day to keep it up. Just like very other muscle you have to keep it in shape.”
Ms. Smayda had five college auditions, and also sent in tapes of performances, from No, No Nanette and recordings of two classical pieces. “I didn’t realize until the end of the audition process that I realized I wanted to concentrate on opera and classical training. It’s interesting, if I hadn’t done that sort of musical theatre and opera preparation for the auditions, who knows?”
“I plan to attend Boston University and double major in vocal performance and psychology. I wanted to keep the academics, but knew I couldn’t let go of vocal performance. Whatever I do, I’ll keep up the vocal.
Ms. Smayda said she was originally trained with classical “basic training.” “From there, you can really take it however you want. I started dabbling in musical theater to prepare for the shows at school. But I think my voice has sort of come full circle and it came back to classical. It feels a lot more comfortable.”
The Supporting Cast: Ms. Smayda, with her father, Greg Smayda and her mother, Beth, whom she credits with developing her interest in the singing.
Ms. Smayda credits her mother with stirring her interest in voice performance: “My mom has played a humongous part in it. She used to take voice lessons since high school, continuing through college and graduate school. I used to go into the city with her when I was young for her voice lessons every once in awhile. It seemed like such a thrill going into the city, you know, going into someone’s apartment, and just singing. I guess I got some of the genetics, because I’ve been able to carry out. It’s crazy. At church we’ll sing duets and you can hear it’s sort of the same voice. I hope one day I hope I can reach where she’s gotten so far.”
The beloved Mr. Katz, who has helped so many people in his life in White Plains, on the eve of his 86th birthday, a big band singer and entertainer in the 30s, and an actor himself, reminisced about his own days on the stage, and encouraged the audience “to get the autographs of these young ladies today, because they’re going to go far.”
Susan Katz at podium salutes her father, the one and only Sonny Katz, as “The Wind Beneath My Wings,” Mr. Katz is just below the television monitor in the left of the picture. Mr. Katz has helped so many in White Plains, has done so much good in his life, that he is an example to the Scholarship Winners as to what the arts, interest in them, and in people can do.
