64 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • JULY 5, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
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‘Man of La Mancha’ at Maggie’s Little Theater
A VIEW FROM
THE CLIFF
BY CLIFF KASDEN
In his musical vow, “To dream the
impossible dream, to fi ght the unbeatable
foe…” the immortal optimist Don
Quixote breathes life into the beloved
Tony winning musical “Man of La
Mancha.” Th is latest version of the
Cervantes masterpiece with magnifi cent
lyrics and compelling storyline is now
on stage at Maggie’s Little Th eater (at St.
Margaret’s Parish) in Middle Village.
On opening night, the audience revisits
the tale of three luckless travelers. Th e
men and women they encounter are the
perpetual faces of good versus evil. Th e
hardened and world-weary Aldonza is
renamed by Quixote as the regal lady,
“Dulcinea.” Portrayed by Jenna Kantor,
her powerful voice and tormented rage
combine in the second act. Th e result
is the unforgettable condemnation
of humankind’s cruelty in “Aldonza.”
Th e bumbling but aff able squire, forever
remembered as Sancho Panza, is very
well played by community theater veteran
Joe Paciullo. Th e title role is confi dently
delivered by Mark Dunn. In voice and
appearance he is undoubtedly Cervantes’
Man of La Mancha. In his fi nal scene we
witness an almost spiritual moment as he
rises above the stage while his face shines
with a celestial glow.
Director Bill Logan, musical director
Paul L. Johnson and choreographer
Jonathan Mora provide a seamless evening.
Th ere is a large orchestra with
close to a dozen musicians. Also noted
are the well-conceived sets. At one point
a staircase appears from a prison wall.
Meanwhile, the producers Joe Annese,
Jim Gillespie and Alan Perkins have provided
a strong supporting cast. Most
of the actors play multiple roles. David
Friedman as the Padre, Rich Feldman,
Ellen Armet, Nydia Blackshear, Jillian
Smith, Lori Ann Santopetro, John
DiBono and more than a dozen performers
play prisoners and other characters.
Behind the scenes a very capable
production staff is anchored by Ed Voyer
(technical director), Amy Ellis (costume
design), Michael Tierney (master carpenter)
and Jess Ronzo (stage manager).
Th e performance crew includes
Amanda Rose Gillespie (lighting operator)
and the backstage crew. Th e house
staff is supported by Miriam P. Denu,
AnnMarie Gillespie, Mary Pascale and
many others who maintain the consistency
expected of this troupe. Kudos to
one and all, too numerous to acknowledge
individually.
For information on this and future productions,
call 917-579-5389, surf to www.
maggieslittletheater.org or “Like” them
on Facebook. As always, save me a seat
on the aisle.
Whitestone teen collects supplies for U.S. troops for Eagle Scout project
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
A 15-year-old Whitestone resident will
receive the Boy Scouts’ highest honor
aft er leading a community project that
will impact countless U.S. soldiers stationed
overseas.
Peter Zirillo collected hundreds of
supplies for active duty troops actively
serving in the Middle East. Th e bulk
of the items were various toiletries, as
well as socks, gum and candy and writing
supplies.
Th e community service project was
Zirillo’s fi nal requirement to become an
Eagle Scout, the Boy Scouts of America’s
highest rank. Since the Eagle Scout award
was established in 1912, just 2.01 percent
of eligible Scouts have earned the honor,
according to Scouting Magazine.
Zirillo, who belongs to local Troop
235, organized a drive in coordination
with St. Mel Parish and spread the word
by posting fl yers in his community. Th e
teen then collected hundreds of supplies
at the church on 154th Street in June
and, with the help of his family, spent
days packing up the supplies in boxes.
Mom Felicia Zirillo said the teen also
raised about $1,300, which he used to
shop for additional supplies at local
wholesale stores.
“I’m really proud of him,” Felicia
Zirillo said. “He’s a very hard worker
and very organized and he really wanted
to do something to give back.”
On June 29, Zirillo and his family
handed the supplies over to representatives
from the 361st Public Aff airs
Operations Center in Fort Totten.
Assemblymen Ed Braunstein and Ron
Kim off ered a helping hand during the
process.
Zirillo, who will be a sophomore at
Archbishop Molloy High School in the
fall, said he started out as a Cub Scout
with the organization at age 8. He said
he will be offi cially instated as an Eagle
Scout by the end of the summer.
Photos by Suzanne Monteverdi/The Courier
“It’s the highest rank in the Boy Scouts,
so basically it’s been my end goal,” Zirillo
said. “To me, that’s what I wanted to do
from a young age. It shows people that
you have leadership skills and that you’re
able to get things done.”
Zirillo stands alongside hundreds of packaged supplies prior to delivery to the U.S. Army
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