26 The QUEE NS Courier • JULY 23, 2015 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com MEET THE JUDGE: JUDGE JOSEPH ESPOSITO ‘Oklahoma!’ at Maggie’s Little Theater is very OK! Rousing songs, creative choreography, folksy dialogue and a smart script have made Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” a national treasure for close to 80 years. This tradition continues at Maggie’s Little Theater, where a talented group of entertainers offers an energetic interpretation for enthusiastic crowds. On opening night, the show’s success was guaranteed by Nic Anthony Calabro. His multifaceted efforts as director, choreographer and lead cowboy Curly McLain, brought a crisp, clever edge to the performance. An unmistakable stamp of excellence was added by musical director Frank Auriemma and his sixpiece orchestra. Additional choreography by Lindsay Levy along with bright costumes and multileveled sets put the finishing touches on this musical glimpse into the fiery, fabled Oklahoma territory of 1906. The story itself follows a pair of romantic triangles existing between strongminded cowhands, proud farmers and their girlfriends. Lovely Laurey (Emily Mathis), clad in coveralls, wins the hearts of swaggering Curly and sinister Jud Fry (Frank Radice). Meanwhile, funny, flirtatious Ado Annie (Annice Auriemma) finds irresistible charm in clueless Will Parker (Anthony Faubion) and slick salesman Ali Hakim (Joe Paciullo). Luckily, level-headed Aunt Eller (Ellen Armet) assures us that everyone’s heads and hearts will remain where they belong. Supporting cast including Gertie (Angel Vail), Mr. Carnes (Mark York), Ike (Jim Gillespie) and a dozen more very capable players maintain the show’s goodnatured exuberance. Bravo! The entire theater is filled with energy as the actors sing, swagger, dance and shout along the aisles. Of course, the unforgettable music and lyrics are magical. “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” and “People Will Say We’re In Love” are still popular favorites. Yes, Will is convinced that everything’s up to date in “Kansas City” and Ado Annie confesses that she’s just a gal who “Cain’t Say No!” Don’t forget a carefree ride on “The Surrey with the Fringe on the Top!” The powerful finale, including the title song “Oklahoma!” can still bring the crowd to its feet. Overall, it is an evening not to be missed. Maggie’s Little Theater is located at 66-05 79th Pl. (St. Margaret Parish Hall) in Middle Village. For information on this and future productions, call 917-579-5389, surf to their website www. maggieslittletheater.org or like them on Facebook. As always, save me a seat on the aisle. A VIEW FROM THE CLIFF BY CLIFF KASDEN Photo courtesy of Jorge Corona BY KIRSTEN E. PAULSON What do you do as supervising judge of the lower Queens Civil Court? I handle a jury part for Supreme Court cases. Typical negligence or accident cases: dog bite, trip in a supermarket, motor vehicle accidents. Your average, everyday disputes that there are too many of. These are cases that are initially brought to the Supreme Court but are transferred to the civil courts. I’m also an acting Supreme Court justice. You can’t be a civil court judge and be the supervising judge unless you’ve been appointed as an acting Supreme Court justice. What led you to become a judge? I worked in the criminal term of the Supreme Court for about 20 years before I was finally elected to the civil court. ... I kept active in my community affairs in Astoria, got involved in politics, which of course you have to do because we get elected, not appointed. You have to be politically and civically active so you can get on the ballot to run as a judge. It didn’t happen overnight, getting onto the civil court. It was a dream. I enjoy every minute of it. I care about the community, the law, the justice system. What was a highlight of a case you heard? One of the most interesting cases that I’ve heard, that I think got the most money, involved a T-Mobile sign that weighed about 500 to 600 pounds that fell and crashed onto a sidewalk. An older woman was wheeling a baby carriage underneath it, and she wheeled it out of the way, but the sign fell and injured her severely. We couldn’t settle it, and it went to trial, and I tried it. The plaintiff sued T-Mobile, sued the landlord of the building, sued the management company that leased the business to T-Mobile, sued the maker of the sign, sued the company that installed the sign, and sued the building architect. We spent two or three days trying to settle the case. I think the plaintiff got something like $650,000. The lawyers were very, very good. I enjoyed it. What is the most rewarding thing about your job? The most satisfaction I get from this job is getting results for the public, either by settling or resolving the case by trial. The most rewarding thing about this job is working with the attorneys who work with clients who have cases that might not be important to me but are very important to the person involved. I tell juries, “This case might not be important to you or important to me, but it’s important to them.” These are disputes between people, so it’s not as serious as criminal cases. What is the most difficult thing about your job? The dwindling number of judges makes it very difficult. When I was elected to the civil court in 2005 I was one of 16, and now I’m one of 11. I had half a dozen cases with jury demands, and if I don’t have a judge to assign the jury to it gets adjourned or settled down the road. It takes two or three years for some cases to be brought to trial, for various reasons. What is your life outside of work? Family. My life outside of work revolves around my family, my wife and my three boys. None of my sons wanted to follow my footsteps, but my oldest is now an attorney and my middle one is studying at St. John’s Law School. My youngest is about to start college and is telling me the same thing they did. When I leave here, I go home, and whatever I have to do to make my life at home work, I do it. I cook, clean up, go shopping for groceries. I like to be with my family. We vacation together. We eat together. I’m involved in my church. I take care of my elderly father, I’m involved in Democratic politics.
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