62 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • DECEMBER 15, 2016 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM buzz Photo Courtesy Michael Dekker Retelling a classic ‘Christmas Carol’ Titan’s traditions are Dickens’ delight For the third consecutive December, the Titan Th eatre company brings Dickens’ immortal “A Christmas Carol” to appreciative audiences at the Queens Th eatre. Th e brightly lit Unisphere is challenged by the bright smiles and warm hearts of the performers and families attending the show at Flushing Meadows/Corona Park. It’s opening night. Th e studio theater is completely fi lled. Artistic director Lenny Banovez addresses the crowd. His words now and at the aft er party remind us why this troupe is special. Th ey strenuously sponsor several charities and do readings at area locations for kids with serious illnesses. The miserly curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge is reprised by Michael Selkirk. He introduces a sense of anguish, far beyond loneliness into Scrooge’s emotions. But it is an almost palpable likability that ultimately triumphs. He truly brings the very essence of Dickens’ immortal character to the stage. Bravo! Dressed in 18th-century costumes (Lorraine Smyth/Grae Greer) you can al most feel the winter chill. Scenes that could be frightening remain friendly. Th e cast is ever mindful of the many children in the crowd. Eternally chained Marley (Brad Makarowski), the ghosts of Christmas past (Kate Semmens), present and future all deliver their warnings with amazing warmth. Despite the pitfalls of retelling an exhaustively retold tale, the actors provide genuine energy that reinvigorates this centuries old novella. Mr. Fezziwig’s (R. Scott Williams) infectiously upbeat laughter is only surpassed by the hilarious hijinks of Laura Frye. She plays his wife and also morphs into long suff ering Mrs. Cratchit. Clearly, Ms. Frye continues to earn her reputation as one of the fi nest performers in our borough. Good natured Bob Cratchit (Michael Thatcher), Young Scrooge (Braden Spear), lovely Belle (Erika Toderic), fragile Fan (Samantha Burkard), Peter (Ian O’Boyle) and a large young company and youth cast all breathe charm and vigor into this mustsee seasonal saga. Th e creative team not limited to Kevin Beebee, Emily Trask, Sean McCain, Jestin Pieper (Music), Michael Sabourin (scenic design), Nicholas Sotack, Katy Atwell, Austin Chason, Kris Murphy, Alyssa van Gorder and Weston G. Wetzel off er solid support for a troupe that is clearly on its way upward. Yes, bring your kids, grandkids and everyone young at heart to this joyous rendering. Bah humbug? Not at all! For information on this and future Titan productions, visit www.TITANTheatreCompany. com, or call the box offi ce at 347-738-5602 or 718-760-0064. As always, save me a seat on the aisle! A Christmas Carol. Star of Syfy’s newest sci-fi drama has plenty of Queens roots BY ANGELA MATUA amatua@qns.com/@ AngelaMatua Eddie Ramos knew that he wanted to be an actor at 9 years old. He quickly made that dream a reality when he joined the City Lights Youth Th eatre and acted in his fi rst off -Broadway play, “Rags,” one year later. Now, Ramos is a main character on “Incorporated,” a new series that premiered on the Syfy Channel on Nov. 30. Ramos, 25, grew up in the LeFrak City apartments in Corona and then moved to Rego Park where he attended the Kew Forest School in Forest Hills. He acted in productions throughout middle school and high school, getting cast in plays and musicals such as “Th e Music Man,” and eventually attended Syracuse University to get his degree in acting. “My mom and I would take the train into Times Square through the 59th Street Bridge,” Ramos said. “I remember being so excited to go into the city to act.” Growing up in the 90s, Ramos said movies such as “Th e Mask” starring Jim Carrey inspired him to pursue acting. “I watched that move in the ’90s over and over and over again,” he said. “I think what was cool about the ’90s was that so many movies were about kids and them growing up in their neighborhoods so it defi nitely helped me imagine myself on the screen.” Th e HBO show “Entourage” was a large part of the reason why Ramos decided to move to Los Angeles aft er graduation. Th e show follows aspiring actor Vince Chase, played by Adrian Grenier, and his friends who are all Queens natives as they try to make it in the movie business in Los Angeles. “Queens has such a rich history in the movie world,” he said. “It’s such a cool borough to come from.” Ramos began booking small parts in popular shows like MTV’s “Teen Wolf” and NBC’s “Parenthood” after college. Casting director Wendy O’Brien, who cast him on “Teen Wolf,” brought Ramos to call backs for “Incorporated.” “I auditioned in front of a big, large number of people, 20, 30, 40 people,” he said. “It’s just you in front of CBS executives in this big audition and you just gotta go.” Queens resident Eddie Ramos stars in “Incorporated,” a new show on the Syfy channel. Th e show, produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affl eck, takes place in 2074. In this version of the world, climate change has wreaked havoc on the planet and corporations have eff ectively taken the place of the government. Th ose who work for large corporations live in the Green Zone, which is fi lled with self-driving cars and the latest technology. Ramos, who plays a scrappy character named Th eo, lives in the Red Zone. Most inhabitants in the Red Zone struggle to survive and corporations have little infl uence there. Th eo is left to fend for himself aft er he loses his family, especially his sister Elana, who has gone missing. In the fi rst episode, the main character Ben Larson who is played by Sean Teale, locates her using face-recognition soft ware. Th is leads Larson and Th eo on a quest to fi nd her. Larson, who lives in the Green Zone and works for one of the most powerful corporations SPIGA, tries to locate her by getting a promotion at work to get access to classifi ed documents. Th eo, who uses his fi ghting skills to work and make money through cage fi ghts, begins working for a fi ght organizer to try to gain access into the Green Zone to fi nd Elena. Ramos said he had some training when he played a boxer in a Tennessee Williams play adaptation in college. But training to play Th eo was very diff erent. “I was training with one of the best fi ghters in Canada for six hours, two to three times a week,” he said. “Th e creators and fi ght coordinators and me all wanted to make sure that Th eo looked like a fi ghter. Th at meant that he ate like a fi ghter and Photo courtesy of Jeremiah Wilson trained like a fi ghter and lived like a fi ghter.” Th e show was shot from May through September in Toronto and Ramos said he has gotten close with the cast, which includes Sean Teale, Allison Miller, Julia Ormond, Ian Tracey and Dennis Haysbert. “Sean Teale has become a brother to me. We’ve gotten so close,” he said. “He really took the lead position with such grace and authority and he makes everyone around him feel so much better.” Ramos, who is the oldest of four brothers, said his family and friends are excited to see his hard work pay off . His mother, Michelle, even hosted a premiere party at EXO Café in Forest Hills. “Coming from Queens, there’s not another place with people so genuine and so real and so many people to cheer you on,” he said. “You know that saying, ‘It takes a village?’ It defi nitely takes a borough.” His younger brother, who attends Th e Garden School in Jackson Heights, even started selling Ramos’ autograph to his middle school friends. “I have a huge thank you and a huge special place in my heart for Queens,” he said. “I hope that I continue the work and I get a project about Queens soon. It’s defi nitely where my heart belongs and I can’t wait to go back for Christmas.” Ramos said his character will be “going down a path that I don’t think even he was ready for.” “It’s defi nitely going to be a bumpy ride,” he added. “Incorporated” airs on the Syfy Channel every Wednesday at 10 p.m. A VIEW FROM THE CLIFF BY CLIFF KASDEN
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