82 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • MARCH 6, 2014 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com Send us your announcements & pictures to: The Queens Courier c/o making a buzz: 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361 • editorial@queenscourier.com subject: making a buzz s people making a buzz COMPILED BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO DONATION Resorts World Casino New York City presented City Harvest with a $100,000 donation at the Mid-Winter Taste event on Wednesday, February 26. CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY Borough President Melinda Katz hosted the annual African American Heritage Celebration on Tuesday, February 25. This year’s honorees were former Borough President Helen M. Marshall, John Crow Alexander, Dr. André McKenzie and John Watusi Branch (posthumous). “Hairspray” Shines in Douglaston Welcome to Baltimore, 1962. The teens are rockin’ and rollin’ on Corny Collins’ TV show. But trouble is in the air. It’ll take some stiff strategies to stand up and shine. That’s right. You’ll need “Hairspray!” On opening night, dozens of exuberant performers play to a standing room only crowd. Their energy and sincerity are boundless and wonderfully contagious. The story itself is a musical expression of teen age resilience and a battle against prejudice. It will require a combination of onstage excellence and offstage leadership to successfully deliver this simple but powerful message. Offstage, Director Barbara Auriemma continues her very positive infl uence on local stages. She is complemented by extremely skillful performances including her husband Frank Auriemma (Edna Turnblad) and son Austin Auriemma (Link Larkin). Producers Sandi Plotkin and Sharon Cohen bring their many years of experience as well. Choreographer Jenifer Badamo, well known throughout the region for her dancing and writing expertise, joins highly respected Musical Director Rhea Arkin to complete this list of valuable theatrical assets. Onstage, Tanya Fiebert plays Tracy Turnblad, the star struck teen with a social conscience. Her performance is consistent, charming and wonderfully unfl inching. Shuga Henry as Motor Mouth Maybelle delivers the show’s climactic song “I Know Where I’ve Been” with power, conviction and a beautiful sparkle in her eyes. Zach Bravo as Corny Collins convincingly combines his disarming smile and nice guy image while confronting 1960s hypocrisy. Meanwhile, it takes plenty of hairspray for his conniving boss Velma Von Tussel (Jill Ameri) and her superfi - cial daughter Amber (Jennifer Silverman) to hold their hairstyles in place. In spite of the musical’s very fast pace, there’s always time for romance. Kate Brady as awkward Penny Pingleton blossoms beautifully thanks to her worldly wise and easy going boyfriend Seaweed J. Stubbs (Keven Campbell). Tracy and Link offer their mutual affection in “It Takes Two.” But the biggest scene stealers are Mark York as Wilbur Turnblad and his “needs-a-shave” wife Edna (Frank Auriemma). Their song, “You’re Timeless to Me” earns riotous laughter and applause. Bravo to all the happy, hilarious couples. The Marathon Little Theatre Group is onstage at 245-37 60th Avenue (Marathon Jewish Community Center) in Douglaston. Call (718) 229-4644 or email mtgproducer@gmail.com for information. Always check the Queens Courier for this and future productions. As always, save me a seat on the aisle. “Punk” Shakespeare at Secret Theatre Single Line! ID’s ready! You’re time traveling to 1980s England. The smoke fi lled basement at the fi ctional club, Roxy sets the stage for a battle of the bands. It’s Shakespeare’s “Richard III” with an incredibly new “punk” interpretation by the Secret Theatre’s Queens Players. Director Alberto Bonilla invites young and old to this bold presentation; “Everyone has a punk, a rebel or a rockstar hidden in themselves… So if you ever had a part of yourself that wished you could punch that jerk in the offi ce, get back at that lover who scarred you, or just play sick mad guitar…this ‘Richard’ is for you.” The troupe also balances the playwright’s humor with its sense of fi erce historical tragedy. It helps if you brush up on your Shakespeare before attending, but attend you must. It is arguably one of the strongest performances by Richard Mazda, the troupe’s founding executive producer, in the title role. His confrontation with Deanna Gibson as Queen Elizabeth in the second act is a well played emotional roller coaster and absolutely riveting. On opening night, the versatility of the troupe is eminently clear. The talented band members (Christopher Coffey, Peter Collier, Ryan Halsaver, R. Alex Murray, Andrew Justin Smith), are also actors in the drama. Assassins clad in British “Bobby” uniforms (Samantha Maurice, Benjamin Russell) juggle their sinister purposes with physical comedy. Haunting costumes and terrifying make-up help combine Brittany Brook’s (Lady Anne) and Emily Kowaleski’s (Lady Rivers) fifteenth century power struggle with 1980s passion. Sandra Karas as Richard’s furiously embittered mother and Ralph Petrarca as Richard’s deceived cousin offer extremely strong support as well. In fact, the entire cast and behind the scenes experts have once again provided a consistent and extremely high quality performance. Currently onstage at 4402 23rd Street in Long Island City, this production is another of the troupe’s well crafted introductions to Shakespeare’s genius. Call (718) 392-0722 or surf to www.secrettheatre.com. The Secret Theatre is home to some of the finest creativity in the city with more productions just weeks away. As always, save me a seat on the aisle. Photo Courtesy Dominick Totino From left to right: Matthew Reich, Vice President, Operations at City Harvest; Ming Tsai, Celebrity Chef; Erin Brady, Miss USA; Chris Santos, Celebrity Chef; Todd English, Celebrity Chef; Edward Farrell, President of Resorts World Casino New York City. THE COURIER/Photos by Mike DiBartolomeo Arts and Cultural Award recipient John Crow Alexander; Borough President Melinda Katz; Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and former Borough President Helen M. Marshall; Education Award recipient Dr. André McKenzie; Deputy Queens Borough President Leroy Comrie; Sophia Branch, wife of John Watusi Branch, accepting his posthumous award for recognition of her husband’s work in the community. Moira Jack, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Chapter President; Scholarship Award recipients: Fabien Paul, Ayisha Jackson, Julia Hackel, Reya Adams; Director of Public Affairs, Con Edison N.Y., Carol Conslato; Deputy Queens Borough President Leroy Comrie, V.P. community Development Citibank, Edward Odom Jr.; Borough President Melinda Katz; Scholarship Award recipients Ebone Andrea Blake, Aasata E. Hendricks and Garfi eld Maitlind Jr. A VIEW FROM THE CLIFF BY CLIFF KASDEN
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