Memo from the RTC: Tenors in Duplex and RTC Gets to See Andrew in Evan Hansen

Memo from the RTC: Tenors in Duplex and RTC Gets to See Andrew in Evan Hansen

This is the final weekend to see Rockaway Theatre Company’s hilarious production of “A Comedy of Tenors.” I went back for the second time last Saturday night and laughed harder than I did at the opening weekend matinee performance. I expect I will bust my gut at the closing performance at this Sunday’s matinee where we expect an almost full house. Given the word of mouth and editor Mark Healey’s superb review in last week’s WAVE I was surprised at the small size of the audience Saturday night, as the theater was less than half full. But the laugher of the 80 attendees more than filled the house. Funny but the next day’s matinee had a full house. There must have been something going on last Saturday. I hadn’t known Mark was a professional actor in his prior life. As a former insider he was wowed by the RTC at this his first show. He pointed out just how difficult a play this is to perform and how without perfect timing it would be a disaster.



Last week I talked about all the superb actors except for the beautiful young couple played by Adele Wendt (Mimi) and Nathan Reder (Carlo). Adele came to the RTC as an intern on the 2016 Frank Caiati directed “Toxic Avenger” when she was in her senior year in college. She never left and has played backstage roles in a number of areas, including costume, sound, lighting and of course performing. Many consider Adele as the RTC’s most valuable player and she received our own Tony award, handed out by Tony Homsey, at the RTC gala in March. After taking on small roles early in her RTC career, Adele played a principal dancer in Pippin and The Producers. In last year’s “Lovers and Other Strangers” Adele took on a heavier dramatic role and this time she gets the biggest part yet. I’ve been in acting classes with Adele and she is just as impressive.

Nathan, a senior at Midwood HS, first came to the RTC with his three sisters a little over a year ago in the children’s workshop in his first exposure to acting and he was such a hit with the kids and adults, he’s been in almost every production since then. Everyone agrees that this kid has acting chops and if he wanted to go further he could. He loves doing this and it will be interesting to see if goes beyond community theater as he enters college next year. Nathan also plays a starring role in our house as Bernie and Penny’s cat sitter when we are away. And his mom is one of my favorite teachers at Rockaway Hot Yoga on Beach 116th St.

Which reminds me of our other young man who is a superstar. Over 30 of us went to see the amazing 16 year old high school junior Andrew Barth Feldman star on Broadway in “Dear Evan Hansen.” Look, I know you think I am prejudiced, but I thought Andrew’s performance was one of the best I’ve ever seen on Broadway. I dare you to go and say I’m wrong.

I also dare all Rockawayites and beyond who have not raced over to Fort Tilden to see “A Comedy of Tenors” to get their butts over there this weekend – your best chance is Friday and Saturday nights but if Sunday is the only day you can make it there’s always a chance.

Performance Dates:
April 12, 13, 14
Fridays & Saturday @ 8:00 PM, Sundays @ 2:00 PM
visit www.rockawaytheatrecompany.org to reserve your seats.