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WPCNR STAGE DOOR. Review by John F. Bailey. December 15, 2005 UPDATED with ShowPix:  America’s Favorite Family Musical opened this morning at The Rochambeau School in White Plains, playing for this weekend only.  

 

Westco’s production  features perhaps the most distinguished canine actor since Lassie and Rin-Tin-Tin, Buster the Broadway Dog as Sandy.

 

This Annie brings us a new Annie, introducing  the endearing, lovable Kelsey Berro, a precocious feisty little belter of a diminutive songstress with a commedienne’s timing far beyond her years, who steals the show without upstaging.

Kelsey Berro as Annie Inspires FDR (Bill Curry) and Daddy Warbucks (John Anderson) at the White House with “Tommorrow”. Photo, WPCNR StageCam

 

 She’s complimented by her foil, John Anderson as the soft-shoed lovable billionaire with a heart  Daddy Warbucks,  and the bespectacled “presidential” Bill Corry (a member of the cast of the original production of  Inherit The Wind) who brings Franklin Delano Roosevelt back to life just when the country needs him most.  

Kelsey and John as Annie and Daddy Warbucks softshoe on I Don’t Need Anything But You. Photo, WPCNR StageCam

 

Annie charmed the audience of over 350 persons this morning at  the “Old Roch,”  bringing laughs from child and adult alike. She  will charm child, parent and all in a revival that turns Rochambeau Auditorium, for 2 hours and 40 minutes into the stuff Broadway is made of.

There’s the complex set ingeniously worked around the severe limitations of the Roch’s small stage. Set designer Eric Zoback used creative imagination evoking the grandeur of New York City with elegant  tall buildings that actually make this narrow short stage look bigger. Zoback shows us the Hooverville of the thirties, and the spaciousness of Daddy Warbucks mansion.  

Live, crisp music under the direction of  Cindy Moore sprightly segues scene changes and lays a bed for the tunes without overpowering the cast who are impeccably miked with no glitches as they bring back the tunes of Annie we love: Tomorrow (I love ya Tomorrow), It’s the Hard-knock-life, Easy Street,  and You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile,  as this masterful book and libretto is brought back by a cast that works seamlessly.

 

Kelsey Berro and Buster the Dog as Sandy. Photo, WPCNR StageCam

 

I start with the “backup” first, because the professional ensemble featuring Kelsey Berro in her Westco debut in the star role delivers Annie with the just the right spunk, style and believability, belting out the kid-showstoppers, not overplaying, and not swallowing punchlines. A star is born right here, and you saw her first, Mr. and Mrs. White Plains.

 

 

 

Nancy Jane Blake as the conniving villainess, Miss Hannigan, recreates the Carol Burnett role here with a meanness that is funny, without being evil, and she and Stephen Sporer as Rooster Hannigan and Kaitlyn St. Pierre as Lily St. Regis, the conspirators who impersonate Annie’s parents conspire with compatibility and congeniality in the delightfully nasty boogie, Easy Street. Photo, WPCNR StageCam

 

Stephen Sporer as Rooster, Ms. Blake as Ms. Hannigan and Kaitlyn St. Pierre as Lily, singing Easy Street. Photo, WPCNR StageCam

 

The acting ensemble assembled romps and interchanges roles without flaw, switching from hobos in Hooverville (where they introduce the children of the audience to The Depression with their spirited, We’d Like to Thank You, Herbert Hoover) to White House staff (where Marc Wager does a great comic turn as a diplomat attempting to sing Tomorrow), to changing into  Daddy Warbucks servants with ease. Michael Pasieka, Cynthia Topps, Marc Wager, Steven Sasso, B.J. Marcus Brenda Mileo, and if I’ve left any one out – they acted like they’d been doing this show for years.

 

Those Irrepressible Orphans:  Micaela Jen Silver, Barrie Tovar, Georgina Simon, Sophia Carpinello, Katie Ring, Sarah Beth Ackerman, Kristina Koller, Lindsey Pasieka, Olivia Rand, Kaylan Gersten, Danielle Winchester,  Kalina Lyn Teller. Photo, WPCNR StageCAM

 

The cast delivers entertaining choreography conceived by Director Jason Summers – choreography that by using all the stage, makes the use of the small stage – making it seem bigger. And they use all of it. When the  diminutive orphans, playing Annie’s comrades at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage, perform their mop number, It’s the Hard-Knock Life, they nearly tumble to the edge of the stage, watch out in the front row!

 

 

 Kelsey Berro’s Annie steals the evening with all of her solos from her first big solo on St. Mark’s Place  of Tomorrow to her reprise of  Tomorrow before Franklin Delenao Roosevelt and his cabinet, inspiring FDR to create “The New Deal.” I have to commend Bill Curry for his presidential performance. He uses an original FDR wheelchair donated for use by a member of the company, that FDR actually sat in.  

Bill Curry in an original “FDR” wheelchair, getting into character. Backstage Photo, WPCNR StageCAM

 

Few Americans today realize, that FDR was the first disabled American President, and he did a pretty good job! It’s this reviewer’s opinion that the spirit of  “That Man” was in Mr. Corry as he performed. His manner and decorum was presidential, entertaining, and compassionate. (But then, this is a musical.) Mr. Corry’s utter believability as FDR sold the preposterous premise of the scene so you really believe it.

 

The Ensemble performing NYC in “Times Square”. Photo, WPCNR StageCam

 

Ms. Berro’s foil, John Anderson, as Daddy Warbucks cuts a mean stage with his two stepwith his spunky co-star on I Don’t Need Anything But You. His tenor delivered the Daddy Warbucks signature songs with pathos and sensitivity on Something Was Missing and his duet with Annie on I Don’t Need Anything But You. These are such gosh darn happy songs that it puts even a nasty old reporter dog into the holiday spirit.  Mixing a little Kelsey Grammar with George Clooney and a trademark Daddy Warbucks dome, Mr. Anderson is the Warbucks of legend. He could be a tad more brusque in the part, but that is a minor quibble. He and Ms. Berro’s chemistry grows during the show.

 

The Boylan Sisters Performing with Bert Healey on The Oxydent Hour of Smiles. A sendup of 1930s radio. Photo,WPCNR StageCam

 

 

Katherine Brooks as Warbucks Secretary, Grace Farrell, is appropriately Fifth Avenue as a Girl Friday – who solves the mystery of Annie’s parents by her suspicions. Her sense of timing, expressions and body language deliver a lot of the messages in this show so the younger audiences can understand. Brooks is very attractive, classy, and virtuous a model of reason and repressed emotion.

 

Buster the Broadway Dog – the Spencer Tracy of canine actors – trained by Bill Berloni, of William Berloni Theatrical Animals, Inc., will steal your heart. Buster, recently interviewed on White Plains Week, has one incredible moment on the stage. At the close of the First Act, When Annie is taken back to the orphanage, the scene closes and on a dark desolate stage, Buster enters stage left alone, nose in the air. He walks slowly to center stage, and then ambles off the stage, unattended looking for Annie. He gets it absolutely right and the scene will delight the youngsters.

 

Buster the Broadway Dog, a show business icon who has played Sandy for ten years, relaxes prior to showtime in his private dressing room with trainer, Bill Berloni. Buster is the only actor in the show with his own private dressing room. Photo, WPCNR StageCAM

 

 

 

Annie has returned, and has been paid her homage by the Westco team. There are performances Friday morning at 10:30, Friday evening at 7:30, and Saturday evening at 7:30. Saturday Matinee is sold out. For information, call 914-761-7463.

 

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WPCNR Post Road Reporter. From White Plains Hospital Center. December 12, 2005:

White Plains Hospital Center (WPHC) has named its newest Emergency Department treatment facility in honor of benefactor Donald J. Trump, who made a personal contribution of $100,000 to the Hospital at the recent Grand Opening Benefit Gala for Trump Tower at City Center in September.

 

Jon B. Schandler, President & CEO, White Plains Hospital Center   presents the “Donald J. Trump Trauma and Critical Care Treatment Area”  naming certificate to Mr.Trump, at his Manhattan office. Photo, Courtesy. White Plains Hospital Center.

 

 

 

 

The new “Donald J. Trump Trauma and Critical Care Treatment Area” is part of the Hospital’s Health Care for Life Campaign, which is dedicated to the expansion of the Hospital’s Emergency Department, the busiest in Westchester County, as well as other critical areas of the Hospital.

 

“We are truly grateful to Mr. Trump for his generous contribution,” said Jon B. Schandler, President and CEO of White Plains Hospital Center.  “This new Trauma and Critical Care Treatment Area will help to make an enormous difference in the lives of our patients.”

 

White Plains Hospital Center is working diligently to enlarge its Emergency Department to meet the demands incurred by the closing of St. Agnes Hospital in White Plains and United Hospital in Port Chester.

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WPCNR WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL. From Asseblywoman Amy Paulin, 88th Assembly District. (EDITED) December 12, 2005: Testifiers at a hearing in White Plains last week called for all unexplained child fatalities – not just children who are already in the system – to go through a fatality review.  Those testifying said law enforcement officers, public health officials and child protective caseworkers must thoroughly investigate every unexplained death in order to identify failures in a system that is designed to protect children.

 

State Assemblywoman Amy  Paulin noted at the hearing  that  few fatal reviews are submitted on-time within the six month period currently required. Also, most of the testifiers at the hearing at Pace University,  stated that the six month review period is too long. A faster turn around time is needed to enable officials to correct the system before another child is at risk. Lauren Perrotto, the Child Fatality Review Team Coordinator of Rensselaer County, agreed and also recommended that the state create a database of all reviews so that each county can learn from one another. 

 

 

The conclusions were reached a public hearing that Assemblywoman Amy Paulin and members of the Assembly Standing Committee on Children and Families held on the effectiveness of the child fatality review process in New York State.  The hearing was held at Pace University – White Plains Campus.  She was joined by Assemblymembers Adam Bradley, Michele Titus, William Scarborough, who is the Chair of the Children and Families Committee, and twelve expert testifiers. 

 

    Other issues that still need to be addressed are: the need for more Child Advocacy Centers around the state; developing uniform protocols in hospitals when a child fatality occurs; adding public health experts and domestic violence advocates to existing fatality review teams; and, what can be done about chronic child neglect.

 

The hearing’s schedule and location were intentional.   On July 29, 2005, two boys who were under the watch of Westchester’s Child Protective Services were scalded to death in their parents’ home.  The parents were immediately charged with the deaths and the caseworker was fired. “Tragedies like this compel us to review the current child protection system and make needed improvements,” Assemblywoman Amy Paulin replied when asked about the purpose of the hearing.

 

  Assemblywoman Paulin will be working on legislation to broaden the child fatality review process to include all children.   Paulin stated at the closing of the hearing, “With the recent deaths in Westchester County and New York City, it is apparent that current practices are insufficient, the status quo is not good enough.  This public hearing has been an enormous help in making me better understand what needs to be changed if we are serious about protecting children.”

 

     Assemblywoman Paulin said that the Assembly Standing Committee on Children and Families is continuing to accept written input into the effectiveness of New York’s child fatality review process and will hold additional hearings around the state.   

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WPCNR WHITE PLAINS ART NEWS. By John F. Bailey. December 8, 2005: White Plains good old Westco Productions introduced its second “Healing Walls” creation at a major medical center in White Plains this morning, and new sponsorship was announced for the Children’s Rehabilation Center (originally built by Thomas and Agnes Carvel on the White Plains St. Agnes Hospital Campus).

 

 “Healing Walls” is the charming mural creation project program created by Westco Producer Susan Katz who introduced Westco’s original colorful murals at White Plains Hospital Center Pediatric Ward last Spring.

 

 

 

Robert Ruger. “Mr. White Plains,” the conscience of White Plains and a philanthropist of the heart for about the last 100 years, was one of the first to step up and donate the cost of the wall.  Ruger said it was a wonderful concept, and asked rhetorically, “who wouldn’t want to do this for kids. I just had to donate a wall.”Photo, WPCNR Art News

 

Today the second unveiling of new  “Healing Walls” was showcased with a Breakfast Reception for the “donors with a heart”  who made the Children’s Rehabilitation Center Healing Walls possible by donating the cost of creating the murals painted by White Plains artist Ann Ferencz at the Center on the former St. Agnes Hospital grounds.

 

 

Ann and Peter Vinci beside the Mural they dedicated as a memorial to their two sons who were treated at CRC. Photo, WPCNR Arts

 

 

 

Muralist Ann Ferencz beside her favorite mural at CRC, The Tree House. Photo, WPCNR Arts

 

Ms. Ferencz painted to doctors’ and therapists’ tastes, decorating the halls and offices with gala colorful children’s scenes exploring the whimsy and wonder of life with bursts of colors and engaging animal characters. One doctor wanted a barnyard scene painted. Another family, memorialzing their two sons who were treated at CRC, requested a hallway mural featuring bears and wolves. The effect of “Healing Walls” is to take a place of fear and uncertainty and turn it (a hospital) into a wonderland of “enchantment” that melts away the trauma of therapeutic treatement, and even, doctors say, plays a role in treatment every day.

 

Pat Turci, right, Executive Director of Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center in New York, announced the CRC was to become an affiliate of Elizabeth Seton in the Spring. With her is Maoureen Tomkiel, Executive Director of CRC, and Dr. Maria Picci, Medical Director. Photo, WPCNR Arts

 

At the reception where the media was given a tour of the center, it was announced  by Pat Turci, Executive Director of the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center in New York, that the Children’s Rehabilitation Center was going to become an affiliate of the Seton Center in the spring, “depending on the state reimbursement. Everything’s going to stay the same. It’s just a change in sponsorship. The Archdiocese of New York asked the Sisters of Charity, would  they be interested (in running CRC), because we run the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center in Manhattan and it’s a similar population of children. We felt CRC matched our mission and that we could help out and financially get the center in the right direction.”

 

Ms. Turci said the Sisters would “stabilize” the Center’s funding.

 

 

Susan Katz  (Center) welcomed the gathering of donors, saying, “I want to thank the CRC for working with us on this, and I hope this fulfills some of the needs that you had.” Photo, WPCNR ARTS

 

She thanked some of the donors that were present who included Brian and Beth Wallach, The White Plains Rotary Club, Jim and Robin Benerofe, Councilman Robert Ruger,  Jeff and Molly Werner,  and the Vinci Family,  who donated the monetary gifts  to create the Healing Walls.

 

Speaking on the unusual effects of Healing Walls,  Maureen Tomkiel, Executive Director of CRC said, “The therapists here are very creative, very caring and very loving and are able to incorporate the art not only as art but as motivation for the children to walk to the next part of the wall, to touch the wall or to pick something up. We thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

 

Dr. Maria Picci, Susan Katz, (Center), and Artist Ann Ferencz. Photo by WPCNR Arts

 

Katz said she came up with the idea for creating walls that tell a story and engage when she experienced surgery herself 18 months ago and found herself staring at “mustard colored walls with $1 paintings. I thought there’s got to be a better way to speed up the recuperation process and to help patients with healing. Healing Walls came about. We started at White Plains Hospital last spring. We’re just about moving in here. We’ve got a lot to do, there’s still a lot of walls who need sponsors, so if anyone would like to sponsor a wall or an examination room or an office wall, it’s $600.

 

A Barnyard  on a Healing Wall Turns a Doctor’s Office into an Enchanted, not-so-frightening-place. Photo by WPCNR ARTS.

 

Ms. Ferencz, the muralist, speaking to the gathering, said seeing her work in interaction with the children is fascinating: “The kids are fabulous. They’re the best part. Even though the staff is excellent, you have to see what the kids are like  when they’re walking in here. This is their home. This is where they really feel comfortable. I want to encourage you all to reassess your feelings about little children with braces. They are not fragile.  These are some of the strongest people I’ve ever met.”

 

Ferencz has painted 8 walls so far at CRC, some of which she said took two days, some a day, and every time she comes in she adds to them. “The nice thing about painting here when you have a long time assignment, it just flows. You have all your paints out, and once you’ve established a theme, there weren’t any pencils after the first. The kids each one has some kind of special difference about them, and when they come here  they’re not different here. This is their domain.”

 

Asked by WPCNR what her next project was, Ms. Ferencz said she hoped to do more Healing Walls: “I’d like to keep this Healing Walls going. It enables local establishments to spruce up their walls. Sue is right. When you have little postage stamp dollar store posters it sends a message that this isn’t an important place.”

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. By John F. Bailey. December 7, 2005: David Chong, the Number 2 man in White Plains law enforcement,  Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety of the City of White Plains  has abruptly  left his position, and is on a paid “administrative leave,” after which he will seek “other opportunities,” according to Martin Gleeson, Special Counsel, Office of the Commissioner.

David Chong. Former Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety, Number 2 Man in White Plains law, shown in May 2005. Peerless Leader, well-liked, the man who told WPCNR, “In White Plains, we lead from the front,” on a recent security assignment heading security for the White Plains Hospital Center gala,  has left the Department for family reasons. Photo, WPCNR News Archive

As of this hour the Commissioner of Public Safety has issued no statement on Mr. Chong’s departure and there has been no announcement  from the Mayor’s Office about this city personnel situation.

Mr. Gleeson reported exclusively to WPCNR that Mr. Chong has recently adopted a child, and has decided to take time with his family. Asked how long this period of paid administrative leave would last, Gleeson said he did not know at this time. Asked if Mr. Chong would return, Mr. Gleeson said no, that at the end of the administrative leave  that Mr. Chong would ” pursue other opportunities.”.

WPCNR asked Mr. Gleeson to relay to Mr. Chong that WPCNR would like to interview Mr.Chong about his new child, whom, WPCNR understands was adopted from China, and that Mr. Chong personally traveled to China a number of weeks ago to bring the child back to America.