58 The Queens Courier • buzz • december 10, 2015 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com Titan’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ is season’s success Wide-eyed children cling to the edge of their seats. Teary-eyed grown-ups smile with nostalgia. It’s opening night at the Queens Theatre. The glistening s buzz Unisphere, just yards away, greets the season. A sold-out crowd basks in the glow of Titan Theatre Company’s newest and finest tradition: their annual retelling of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” Artistic director Lenny Banovez welcomes the audience. We’ll be traveling back in time to 1800s London. We’ll meet hard-hearted Ebenezer Scrooge and ... well, you know the rest. This year’s Scrooge is played with humor and affection by Michael Selkirk. He aptly responds to the three spirits’ warnings. Of course he snorts an occasional “bah humbug” before he awakens to his flawed lifestyle. His ever-forgiving assistant Bob Cratchit is very well played by Titan Theatre veteran Marc LeVasseur. His character’s warmth and understanding is deep and honest. He protects his always optimistic son, Tiny Tim (Silas Wade), his practical, hard-working wife (Laura Frye) and his children (Quinn Theobald, Ian O’Boyle, Layla Moon Blatt, Emily Hellmann, Sophia Scarpa, Skya Theobald and Melissa Joiner Vogt). A clever sense of humor underscores the entire performance. Even the most eerie scenes and most uncomfortable confrontations are defused with a twinkle of an eye. Bravo to the entire cast and crew! Each characterization reflects a wonderfully paradoxical vulnerability and strength. How can we doubt lovely Belle (Bailey Seeker) when she breaks her engagement with the wealth-obsessed Scrooge? Don’t we burst into laughter when big-hearted Fezziwig (Brad Makarowski) and his equally lightheaded wife (Annie Keris) bring music and dance to the storyline? Is old Marley (Marcus Denard Johnson) uniquely avaricious or just a victim of his own financial skills? Every performer skillfully fills more than one role, including Jonathan Hicks, Andrew Patrick Mazer, Tom Morin, Kate Semmens, Sophia Fiallo and Moore Theobald. A strong staff behind the scenes not limited to producer Kevin Beebee, co-adapter Emily Trask and general manager Alyssa Van Gorder maintain the highest quality. Stage management by Chris Flores, impeccable costuming (Becky Willett, Lorraine Smyth), outstanding sets (Michael Sabourin), crisp choreography (Nicholas Sotack), well-timed music (Wiley DeWeese), among others, bring the 19th century to 2015. For information on “A Christmas Carol” and future productions, visit www.TITANTheatreCompany. com or call 347-738-5602. As always, save me a seat on the aisle! A VIEW FROM THE CLIFF BY CLIFF KASDEN NEW MEMBERS JOIN THE RANKS AT FIRST CENTRAL SAVINGS The First Central Savings Bank of Glen Cove has added 11 new faces to its staff: Anita Florek, executive vice president and chief financial officer; Brian Handler, senior vice president and residential loan officer; Conrad Gunther, executive vice president and chief lending officer; Denise Ruggiero, senior vice president and real estate lending team leader; Esther Chinapen-Grullon, first vice president of operations; John Governale, senior vice president and team leader for commercial loans; John Grasso, senior vice president and director of retail banking; Kevin Haughton, vice president of training and development; Maria Bernard, vice president of loan processing; Maureen Mougios, senior vice president and chief compliance officer; and Nancy Costa, senior vice president and human resources director. Anita Florek Brian Handler Conrad Gunther Denise Ruggiero Esther Chinapen-Grullon John Governale John Grasso Kevin Haughton Maria Bernard Maureen Mougios Nancy Costa
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