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WPCNR ON THE AISLE. Theatrical Review by John F. Bailey. July 7,2012:

 

 You’re watching the ingeniously-conceived  Rock Island passenger car  rattle and chug, carrying fast-talking traveling salesmen jittering with every clack across old-time turn-of-the-century America to River City on the Westchester Broadway Theatre stage.

 

Scott Bierko as The Music Man.

Photos by Eli Silverman, Courtesy The Family Theatre Company

 

It’s the Family Theatre Company’s traditional non-Equity production of Meredith Willson’s 1957 MUSIC MAN, as the fantastic living rail car “sshhhhes, hisses, and huffs” to a rollicking start with fast-talking Charlie Cowell and his salesmen conversation matching railcar rhythm you know it’s going to be a great night:

 

Never heard of any salesman Hill
Now he dosen’t know the territory
Dosen’t know the territory?!?
What’s the fellow’s line?
Never worries bout his line
Never worries bout his line?!?
Or a doggone thing. He’s just a bang beat, bell ringing,
Big haul, great go, neck or nothin, rip roarin,
every time a bull’s eye salesman. Thats Professor Harold Hill, Harold Hill
What’s the fellows line?
Whats his line?
He’s a fake, and he doesn’t know the territory!

 

The full-house on opening night Friday shifted into high spirits by the signature song of the overture, 76 Trombones, then knew they were in for a rollicking evening. They reconnected with an America long gone. Harold Hill played by Yorktown Heights music teacher, Scott Bierko, is coming to River City to start up a band. Winner of 5 Tonys in 1957, including Best Musical, and a Grammy for Best Original Cast Album, The Music Man is pulling into the WBT for a run through August 29.

 

 

Victoria Lauzun, (far right) American Musical and Dramatical Academy graduate, wins admirers at first-sung words, casting her spell, her glittering luxurious soprano singing  Goodnight My Someone.  When she sings, everyone in the audience listens, transported. To borrow from  Byron, to describe this ingenue’s voice, “she sings in beauty like the night.” Left to right, the “Board of Education Quartet,”: FaTye, Martin Bonventre, Jimmy Tate, Brian Conlin; Brandon Singel as Winthrop,Lexi Staub as Amaryllis, Bierko and Victoria Lauzun.

 

Lauzun plays librarian Marion with engaging primness, intelligence and propriety, suspicioning the charming Hill (Bierko) is not what he claims to be. Will she turn him in? Will she spoil her dreams, her townspeople’s hopes, the stuff dreams are made of? Not in this musical! At the very end, theatre lovers, the heart of  this old-time America saves the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ms. Lauzun’s My White Knight, stirs women and men to dream again with a voice of unique emotional connection singing ”My white knight, not a Lancelot, nor an angel with wings Just someone to love me, who is not ashamed of a few nice things.
My white knight who knew what my heart would say if it only knew how.
Please, dear Venus, show me now.”

 

Mr. Bierko, in sporty patent leather shoes,flashy suit with gift of glib, bluster and blab, paints a community-pride picture of 76 trombones leading a big parade. He wins instrument purchasers by the score. He’s selling community spirit, pride, everything we are all suckers for.

 

He convinces River City residents Ya Got Trouble (In River City) with the enterprising Mayor Shin is opening a pool hall that will, Hill says, corrupt youth.  His pitch – the citizens need to keep their  youth out of the pool den by starting a community band, buying instruments and uniforms, and he, Hill will teach their children to play with his “Think Method.”

 

Star turns” step up this American musical morality tale of Midwestern values and  good old hucksterism.

 

Peter Ackerman playing the Mayor, his pool hall threatened, asks the Board of Education to investigate Hill’s “credentials.” Hill charms the Board of Education by recognizing the potential of their voices, and creates a Board of Education quartet.

 

The Board of Ed interludes are  a “Greek Chorus of harmony” guiding us through the melodrama going on. The four (FaTye, Jimmy Tate,Brian Conklin, and Martin Bonventre)  stop the audience who hang on their every harmony from Ice Cream and Sincere in Act I and come back for Goodnight Ladies in Act One, and charm us some more Board of Ed Harmony in Act II  even dueting with Ms. Lauzun on It’s You and Lyda Rose and Will I Ever Tell You

 

Not to be outdone in another recurring show favorite, are the ladies of the ensemble: White Plains own University of Mississippi Fine Arts grad, Christina Tompkins  as Mayor Shin’s wife (delivering high chuckles, leading her town dance group in a hilarious Greek Fountain dance—she is a comic in the making),Rene O’Neal, Molly Brown, Jeana Foreman, and Jill Twiss (think I have them all)  tell us all we need to know about spinsterish Marion the Librarian, (Ms. Lauzun) and small town gossip with the tongue-clucking, “Pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, talk a little,
cheep cheep cheep, talk a lot, pick a little more

 

Mr. Hill wins over the citizens with the exception of Ms. Marion, flirting with her in the library doing his very coy and amusing Marion the Librarian. Ms.  Lauzun, executing a coy piece of pantomimed “can’t stand you – can’t you see that-ism”  fights her attraction for the charmer. In a solo lament, Bierko laments he cannot get Marion to fall for him, singing of The Sadder But Wiser Girl.  Mr. Bierko demonstrates convincing male frustration. The chemistry between the two grows in Act Two.

 

Act II, we find Marion growing fonder of the con-man, Harold Hill, because her non-communitive brother, Wintrop brother of Marion, played with aplomb masterfully  by 10 year old Brandon Singel, literally stops the show after he delivers  Gary Indiana, precociously with flare so you hear every word.

 

The show had to stop for a good minute the audience giving Brandon the loudest most sustained cheers this reviewer has heard in a decade of reviewing these shows. Well, done kid…see you on Broadway! His mom, Regina Singel is a comedienne considerable as Marion’s mother, lamenting her daughter’s aloofness with pointed barbs and observations that brought the laughs

 

And all this before you even get to hear Ms.Lauzun deliver a spectacular performance of Till There Was You. Now I have never liked this song, but her voice, her style, her sincerity put it over. She decides not to betray Harold Hill, declaring her love. But wait, salesman Charlie Cowell spills the beans. The townspeople are outraged.

 

As Hill is brought before the town court, what can save their love and the spirit…perhaps the band that can’t play? I’m not telling.

 

You’ll have to see the show to see how it all comes out!

 

John Fanelli directed the worthy hard-working company superbly. Timing was good. Set changes smooth, and the railroad car scene is a must-see, Ms.  Lauzun is a must-hear

 

A good part of the cast is comprised of actors who are professional in the sense that they are paid and make their living performing. The only distinction is that they are non union actors.  This company blends those “professional” adult actors with young aspiring actors. And those adults act as their mentors. Judging what this observer saw Friday night it works splendidly!

Costumes by Maria Castaldo and George Croom were colorful and made you feel if you were looking in on turn-of-the-century America. The orchestra under Kurt Kelley delivered enough of the big brass band sound to carry that 76 Trombones standard.

 

Come on home, Americans to the America that used to be!

 

Paul Harvey would have loved it!

 

The Family Theatre Company production of The Music Man plays through August 29 and is a 2 and a half hour show with 30-minute intermission, very entertaining for kids and adults alike. The Box Office may be reached at (914)592-2268, extension 804, or check in at www.BroadwayTheatre.com.

 

 

 

 

WPCNR FOR THE RECORD. Courtesy, White Plains Department of Public Safety. July3, 2012:

This morning Commissioner of Public Safety of the City of White Plains,  David Chong delivered the following eulogy of Deputy Fire Chief Donald Keinz at the service for Mr. Keinz at Our Lady of Sorrows church White  Plains. WPCNR is proud to print it for our readers.

“Thank You Keinz Family, most specifically to his wife Ann-Marie, his Daughter Emily and his son Bryan for allowing me to have the honor and privilege of saying a few words about the Department of Public Safety’s Donald Keinz, our Donald Keinz, our Deputy Fire Chief, our brother in arms and most importantly, our friend.

 

First of all, Ann-Marie, Emily, Bryan and the entire extended Keinz family, on behalf of our Mayor, Thomas Roach, all of our Common Council members, every official in this City, elected and appointed, every employee in this city, and the thousands of people who throughout the County and the region that have been lucky enough to be touched over the years by Donald, we extend to you, our deepest condolences and you have our heartfelt prayers.

 

  As Donald was a member of our family for 34 years, you will also forever, be a member of the Public Safety family.

 

Deputy Fire Chief Donald Keinz, a man dedicated to a profession he loved, a man dedicated to a city he loved, and a man who committed his professional lifetime, 34 years, to the service and protection of the people he loved. How can we ever thank him enough? Certainly words can never do enough justice. I have heard so many stories about the professional side of Donald, the man, the firefighter, the trainer, the mentor, the friend.

 

 I could stand here for days speaking about all the lives that Donald has touched, there are so many stories.  The amazing thing is that, I don’t think anyone would mind.

 

 That’s how special Donald was to all of us packed into this church and standing outside.

 

 Donald started in the fire department in 1978! He worked on the line and was promoted in 1991 to Lieutenant.  During his time as a lieutenant he worked in fire prevention, and training.  He brought his very high standards with him and would often say to me, “let them make their mistakes in the academy, there’s no room for error in the real world.” Donald was as tough as nails and as bright and full of energy as the sun.  He could light up a room and was never afraid to voice his opinion.  In 2008 he was promoted to Deputy Chief, one of the highest ranking members in the White Plains Fire Department.

 

As a Deputy Chief, Donald was tasked along with then Police Lieutenant John Fuerst to fine tune the joint response of both Fire and Police and insure that the City had good solid working plans to engage any possible disaster.  They both did a miraculous job and our city will always be better for their efforts.

 

As his fellow firefighters will say, “there was a comfort level just knowing that Deputy Chief Keinz was around.  He made us all better by his presence.  At the scene of many an emergency, he was the steady hand, always prepared, always knowing what to do.

 

Whether it be working Fires, wicked storms, horrible accidents, black-outs, any type of emergency, it was comforting knowing that Deputy Chief Keinz was around.  His fellow brothers on the Fire Department, his Chief, Richard Lyman, his fellow Deputy Chiefs, Deputy Chiefs Houlihan, Ciocca, Griffin, Farrell, and Delanoy, the Lieutenants and the firefighters all have said it best,

 

“When the heat was on, there was no one better to have around than Don.”

  

The department will miss you Deputy Chief Keinz, the city that you made a better place will miss you; certainly your family and friends will miss you.  

 

Donald you left us too suddenly and too soon, but your accomplishments will be here for a long time. So rest and know that your legacy continues to protect this city and the ones you love.

 

Dear Ann-Marie, Emily, Bryan and the entire Keinz family, when you leave this church today, take a look at the sea of uniforms that will be outside to salute your Husband, father, friend, and hero. Besides the first responders, take a look at all the other people that are here today, from all walks of life and all professions.  They are here because of the respect, gratitude and admiration of the entire City and the profession of firefighting. They are there in honor of your beloved Donald, and our beloved Deputy Fire Chief.

 

Deputy Chief Keinz, (Donald), used to salute me every time I saw him! Even in the office, he would salute, and I, Would find myself instinctively saluting back?  One day I said to him, Don, you know you don’t have to salute me in the office?  In his dry witty sense of humor, he just said, “That’s ok, I salute everyone?!”

 

 Well my friend, today; I and a grateful City salute you. Rest in peace Deputy Chief, rest in peace, my friend.