Memo from the RTC: Newsies
News, Franky and Johnny The Nothing Podcast
By Norm Scott
With the set 90% complete, the Newsies (incredibly youthful) cast and crew finally got to rehearse
at the theater. As a newly added incredibly non-youthful member to the cast, I
attended my first rehearsal on Saturday, joining a few more old fogies. I was
offered a small roll apparently because they were running out of old men to
cast.
RTC is over two decades old and is continuously renewing itself with many of the productions being directed by former teenage performers now grown up, taking on increasingly major roles. Frank Caiati who is now in his mid-thirties and began at the RTC when in high school, was the first to break out into directing years ago and has been a major force at the RTC for many years and will be directing The Great Gatsby in September (auditions are July 7 and 9). Catherine Leib, another star actor, dancer and singer at RTC will be directing The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee for the final show of the year.
RTC is over two decades old and is continuously renewing itself with many of the productions being directed by former teenage performers now grown up, taking on increasingly major roles. Frank Caiati who is now in his mid-thirties and began at the RTC when in high school, was the first to break out into directing years ago and has been a major force at the RTC for many years and will be directing The Great Gatsby in September (auditions are July 7 and 9). Catherine Leib, another star actor, dancer and singer at RTC will be directing The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee for the final show of the year.
What is so impressive about this Newsies production is another key RTC 2nd generation
member, Director/choreographer Gabrielle
Mangano, who has wowed us with her choreography and dancing for over 15 years,
is firmly in charge. James Dalid, another 2nd or even 3rd
generation, is assisting. Some of the kids in the production look to be 10
years old – in 20 years they will be 4th and 5th
generation directors.
I knew nothing about the play until Saturday and was
pleasantly surprised, as a progressive activist, to see how relevant it is to
today’s times despite being set in 1899. Exploited newsboys go on strike and
many social issues are raised. So this should be fun.
Performances: July 19, 20, 26, 27/Aug 2, 3 at 8PM. Matinees July 21, 28, Aug. 4 t 2 PM. Tickets – Adults $25, Seniors/children $20. www.rockawaytheatre.org.
Franky and Johnny at
the Clair de Bensonhurst
Speaking of key RTC people, John Panepinto, who has had leading
and support roles in many productions over the past 8 years and will be joining
Frank Caiati as the assistant director of Gatsby, has begun a partnership with
Frank in a new podcast along with other RTC vets. They are funny and astute. I
will be attending one of their podcasts soon and will be back with some photos.
Here are the fundamentals from John.
The Nothing Podcast
Hosts: John Panepinto and Frank Caiati
With: Danielle Rose Fisher, Matt Hunt, Joseph Hagopian and
Tom Zaccheo
What makes somebody "Important"? Each week, two
self-proclaimed “nobodies”, John
Panepinto and Frank Caiati and their equally lost production team will
interview a regular every day person to learn what it is about them and their
career that makes them a “somebody.” The conceit lies in the idea that anybody
and everybody is interesting. From the highest paid doctor to the lowest paid
street cleaner, everybody has a story to tell and we want to hear it. Do you
know what it takes to be a garbage man? Or a priest? Or a politician? Neither
do we. But we’re going to find out.
Hear us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher and GooglePlay
Or right on our homepage at www.Nothing-Podcast.com
Social: Instagram and Twitter: @TheNothingPod
Facebook: The Nothing Podcast With Nobody Important
About us: We are a group of Brooklyn natives (and one
Queens) who
Norm’s other WAVE column is School Scope and he blogs daily
at ednotesonline. com
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