Several very talented, young, local actors are appearing in NINE! Read on to find out about their experiences in the Acting game!

Serraghina (Cari Chrisostomou) with (Clockwise from left: Zach Rand, Adrian Nobile, Troy Tripicchio, John Carlos Lefkowitz, Ryan Jones, Travis Ramirez)  & Robert Cuccioli Perform "Be Italian".

Ryan Jones is 10 years old and is from Darien, CT. He started training at the ACT school on Long Island.  He was recognized immediately as a stand out performer.  While living abroad in London, one of his teachers announced that Ryan would either be a politician or an actor.  Ryan is following the latter.  He has been in several student films and has learned a lot about the craft.  Live theatre has been a new experience for Ryan and he is loving it!  He feels that the cast is "one BIG family" and he can’t wait to do more.  Outside of acting, Ryan’s undefeated basketball team is the final round of the playoffs.  His other interests include competitive sailing, tennis, lacrosse and baseball.  He loves school and is looking forward to going to the Middle School next year. Ryan is basically a well rounded, All American boy.                                                                                                                    

John Carlos Lefkowitz  is the youngest of  7 siblings, so he’s had an audience all his life. When he was 4 he sat backstage while his mom was working on the crew for the Rockland Youth Dance Ensemble’s (RYDE) Nutcracker. John Carlos watched the Mouse King from the wings and asked, "What do I have to do to be the Mouse King?" His Mom told him he had to study ballet and get much bigger. He started ballet lessons at Coupe Theater Studio in Nanuet immediately, and has added jazz and tap classes as well. He has been Fritz in RYDE’s production of the Nutcracker for the past three years, and is very much looking forward to dancing in the Spring Demo this June. He is still waiting to get big. In addition to dance, John Carlos studies piano at Rockland Conservatory and also takes Aikido lessons. He enjoys reading, drawing, skiing, and math. He’s not sure what he wants to be when he grows up, but he thinks he’s narrowed it down to artist, dancer, or scientist.  John Carlos is loving his time with the cast of Nine. He loves the music, being on stage, and the people he’s met. He said, "I’ve made so many new friends! "He is a third grade student at the Blue Rock School in West Nyack.

Adrian Nobile has a hard act to follow considering he has 18 year old TRIPLET brothers!  But, Adrian never lacked for personality and has carved out a niche for himself.  At 10 years old, having never stepped foot on a stage before, he decided to join a summer theater program. He landed the lead in "Pippin".  He commanded the stage with an ease and comfort that actually startled his parents! He was genuinely having a ball!  He finds all facets of putting on a show intriguing and is soaking in this experience at WBT. Being in Nine has been a blast for Adrian and he has made some great new friends. He’s very much a people person and enjoys learning and being around all ages.  He has learned a great deal by watching Robert (Cuccioli) practice and admires his professionalism, skill and character.  In fact, all the actors in Nine have inspired Adrian too reach higher and make it his own.  He is appreciative that Jonathan (Stahl) gave him a chance to do so.  Adrian has been on the honor roll at Highland’s Middle School, in White Plains, every semester.  He has participated in his school plays and Honor Choir, plays the piano and drums. Adrian loves to snowboard and water ski, shares a love of cars and riding in his Dad’s ‘71 Camaro muscle car.  He is very family oriented and loves spending time with his grandparents, just playing cards and talking.  His love of music is eclectic to say the least, with Led Zeppelin being his favorite band along with The Beatles and Michael Jackson.  His love of musicals was inspired by Mom who would move the furniture and blast the music so he could dance and sing with her; seeing Chicago, West Side Story, and Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, sealed the deal.

Travis Ramirez (Young Guido) is 11 years old and is from Croton On Hudson. Though he had no "professional" training, he auditioned for the part of Young Guido in Nine at the suggestion of his middle school music teacher. He is having the time of his life in the show and if you asked him about the experience he would simply say he’s "enjoying the experience, happy to be in the company of such talented people and overall, just having fun." It’s all new to him. He loves the cast & crew and credits them in helping him feel comfortable and confident in his role, from the very first day of rehearsals. When not at the theater or in school, Travis enjoys playing video games, watching baseball, football, and movies, and basically just hanging out with his family and friends. He has been taking piano lessons for a couple of years and his favorite subject in school is English. He loves to go on family vacations, particularly cities rich in American history. During such a trip to our nation’s capitol, which included a tour of the White House when he was 5 years old,  Travis decided he would like to be President someday. 

Zach Rand (Young Guido) got his start in theatre when his big sister Olivia first started performing at Yorktown Stage. It was there that Zach learned about the loving family of the theatre. An avid "watcher" it was two years before he asked to give the stage a try. He began as a lollipop kid in The Wizard of Oz and never turned back. After performing locally in many shows, he landed the role of Gavroche in the revival of Les Miserables on Broadway where life changed forever. Just 9 months before, Zach’s oldest sister, Chloe, died and at a time when the family was in deep mourning, Zach’s entrance on Broadway brought new life to the entire family. Just weeks after being the last Gavroche to ever perform on a Broadway stage, Zach was cast in Mary Poppins on Broadway where he spent 14 months performing as Michael Banks. He went on to the National Tour of Mary Poppins which was his first experience with seeing and living in other parts of the country. He lived in Kansas City for two months where he originated his role in A Chirstmas Story, The Musical, which is headed to Seattle for the Christmas season this year.Zach has carried the spirit and love of his sister Chloe with him. He often "feels" her with him when he is auditioning and when he is performing. He believes that it is her spirit that carries him through. Zach started Mildred E Strang Middle School in January after being on the road. He absolutely loves being a "normal" student and is thrilled that his tutor on the road accelerated him in math. Now instead of it being his worst it is his best subject!  Performing in Nine at WBT affords Zach the opportunity to share the stage with many wonderful and talented actors, remain close to home so he can spend much needed time with his brother and sisters, and he gets to perform a role which is both pivotal to the piece and spectacular for a young boy. How lucky is he?

Troy Tripicchio is a 13 year old 7th grader currently attending LMK Middle School in Harrison. He loves being on stage, whether it be acting, singing or dancing. He also loves to read, write and hang out with his friends. He fell in love with theatre at the young age of 3. Troy has done several wonderful plays including High School Musical as Troy, Singin’ in the Rain as Young Cosmo at Archbishop Stepinac High School, which earned him a Helen Hayes nomination for best child actor in a High School play, and WBT’s  A Christmas Carol as Tiny Tim. Troy is having a great time doing Nine with his wonderful cast and crew at WBT. He says, "Each performance may technically be the same show, but they are all different and fun experiences." He really gets alot out of working with such talented adults, as they teach him so much. 

Maury Yeston, in a recent interview in the Scarsdale Inquirer, explains a few things and sheds light on the Themes in NINE!

“The last thing I expected was for it to become a film musical,” Yeston said. There was a long period of time between the film musicals of the ’60s and Rob Marshall’s “Chicago.” “Nine” was his second splashy film musical. “I could not have predicted it and am thrilled by it,” Yeston said.

“As a kid I fell in love with the movie ‘8 ½.’ When I was young I was inspired to write a work of fiction based on it. It’s an homage to the film that so inspired me. I couldn’t have predicted its fantastic debut on Broadway. The film [“Nine”] was a wonderful experience. The theater and the film are so different. What I said to Rob was, ‘the show will always be the show, but film is a director’s art. You need the freedom to make it cinematic. I’m sure things will change. I trust you. I will change anything you want.’ Marshall wanted to add new songs. He had perfectly rational reasons for it. A song that Sophia Loren’s character sings is for a soprano. It would be irresponsible of me to take music written for flute and give it to a bassoon. I created a new song for her, to play to her strengths.”

Yeston wrote three new songs for the film. “What I love most about composing is to create new things, inspired by the performance gifts of people I’m working with. The payoff is to see Marion Cotillard nominated for an Oscar. The job of the writer is not to be an old fogey, but to be alive.”

Yeston is in no way a fogey, taking creative risks, like finding the optimistic side of a shipping disaster in the 1997 musical “Titanic.”

“It wasn’t hard to get back into the music of ‘Nine,’” Yeston said. “I obsessively loved this piece so it’s given me an endless amount of inspiration to write on the theme of a man who lives like so many Italian princes, Jewish princes, it doesn’t matter what ethnic group you’re from, surrounded by the unconditional love of mothers, aunts, emotionally stunted to think women are still going to treat him like that for the rest of his life. Guido is like that, a serial monogamist. He wants everything. He believes he’s in love with the woman he’s with. He needs to grow up. The issues he has are universal. I found room to express myself in fleshing out the emotional reactions of women who are victimized by him.”

“I’m learning how different theater is from film. I spent my life in the theater,” Yeston said. “Each medium has its own magic. You see the dream on the screen. In the theater, it’s a magic box. The imagination of the audience harpooned. We provide our own details of reality. That’s why live theater is so exciting.

“The film can be film, the show can be a show. It’s a separate entity.”

“WBT raises the bar so high for regional theater,” Yeston said. “That’s the great secret of regional theater. American theater isn’t Broadway. Now, a high percentage of Broadway shows are very safe, revivals. Regional theaters are cutting edge. WBT combines both worlds. They have the innovation of a true regional theater and they can draw top flight talent from New York City. It has given them a wonderful edge.”

Tom Galantich as Julian Marsh, the driven Director who makes Peggy Sawyer a star!

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    I grew up primarily on Long Island. But I also lived in Ohio and Maine. It was a pretty typical upbringing. Nothing unusual or earth shattering. I grew up at a time when TV was becoming mainstream in homes so I watched the old movies that were being shown and that may have gotten me thinking about acting. I’m a huge fan of Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant, and Jack Lemmon. Their styles were ones that I identified with.  

    I had a mentor of sorts when I started out in Chicago by the name of Jim Sudik. A brilliant actor. I don’t know where he is now, but he had a huge affect on me.

     I like intelligent shows like CITY OF ANGELS and 1776. I like to be challenged as a performer and theater goer. I don’t know if I have a dream role. I usually enjoy what ever role I’m playing at the time.

    My favorite moment in 42^Nd Street is my last when I sing the reprise of 42ND ST and get to express the feelings that Julian has about it and what it means to him. It’s the release of all that stress leading up to the opening of the fictional PRETTY LADY. All the hard work and pain being rewarded with a hit show. It’s what he lives for. He’s back on top and flying high. My favorite moment to watch in the show is the number GO INTO YOUR DANCE because the tapping is so wonderful and Shannon, Jenna, Jennifer, Ashley and Derek, who do it, are amazing to watch.

    I’m a sports fan, so I watch a lot of that. I’m a Mets fan, so I’ve been in a lot of pain this year. I also like the Giants, Knicks and Rangers. However, that doesn’t mean I dislike the Yankees, Jets, Nets and Devils. I root for all the local teams. My favorite activity is golfing. I also enjoy working on my house.

    I Pod?  I only have a shuffle. I haven’t invested in a bigger one. It seems to hold all the music I need so far. On it I have classic easy listening mostly. Billy Joel, The Beatles, Sinatra, The Beach Boys, mixed with lots of 70’s standards. But lately, I’m becoming more interested in newer artists.

Shannon M. O’Bryan                                            I grew up in Louisville, KY. Started dancing at a very young age and fell in love! I have an unbelievably supportive family. My parents, Bill and Linda, my brother, Jeramie and his wife, Melinda and their amazing children, Conor and Riley along with my fiance, Brian, are my rocks.

          I attended the Youth Performing Arts School in Louisville for High School. Danced several hours every day and thought that I would one day become a company dancer. My mentor, Gail Benedict, was a very successful Broadway actress and a Peggy Sawyer in the original version of ‘42nd Street‘ and nudged me towards musical theatre. She encouraged me to go to college for musical theatre and work more on singing and acting. Singing still makes me nervous to this day, but I love creating these amazing roles onstage. I grew up obsessed with the old movie musicals and by switching to theatre, I felt like I was getting a taste of what it was like to be Ginger Rogers, Eleanor Powell, Debbie Reynolds, Doris Day, Cyd Charisse, or even Judy Garland. Gail had such a huge influence on me though and I couldn’t thank her enough…for my very first audition in New York was for ‘42nd Street‘ and I got the job. That’s when I began my own Peggy journey.
       ‘42nd Street‘ definitely holds a huge spot in my heart. Peggy was always my dream role and remains a dream to perform every night. I also love ‘White Christmas’ (Judy Haynes). ‘West Side Story’ is such a dream to dance and be a part of. I am still hoping to one day do ‘Crazy For You’ (Polly Baker) and ‘Singin’ In The Rain’ (Kathy Seldon). 

         I love hanging out and hoofing with the girls and Andy Lee in ‘Go Into Your Dance’. It’s such a perfect little number. I also love all of the simple scenes between Peggy and Julian. They are so honest and surprisingly potent for this particular style of musical. In our world it is so easy to become bitter and angry, but Peggy breathes life back into Julian and is a charming, simple little reminder of what a beautiful thing we are a part of. In the toughest of times (like today) we have the power of bringing a glimpse of happiness to thousands of people’s lives. We can actually make people happy and forget about everything else for a couple of hours every day. That’s a power that’s worth remembering and fighting for. Peggy saves him by reminding him of why he has spent his life doing what he does.

              I am a tomboy at heart and a huge lover of the great outdoors. I play and watch any sport I possibly can, I love camping and traveling with my fiance. Right now, my favorite thing to do is plan my upcoming wedding and scream and yell at my T.V. for the Yankees.

 What’s on your Ipod? That’s a pretty loaded question! I have a bit of everything on my ipod… from Rock, to Jazz, to oldies, to classical, to musicals, to alternative, to old country and everything in between. Brian (my fiance) is a rock drummer and I’m a very different kind of musician, so we have a huge respect for almost every type of music. It’s the most amazing way to express yourself. Check out Brian’s band, ‘Voice of the Population’ and a couple of our friends ‘Mr. North’, Michael Brunnock, and Toby Lightman.

With Todd Lattimore in 42ND STREET

Ann-Ngaire Martin, who lives in Chappaqua, is one of our favorite Actresses! She has graced our stage several times as very different characters……She can do it all….we asked her to let us in on a few things!

       as Maggie Jones  in "Shuffle off to Buffalo "      as Maggie with co-star Jonathan Tomaselli.

I grew up in California and was studying to be a pianist which led to singing then dancing and the rest is history. I’m the youngest of 4 and had a wonderful childhood of 4th of July croquet games,camping trips and capture the flag with the entire neighborhood. I moved to New York to study acting when I was 18 with $200 in my pocket. Good thing I was young and didn’t know any better.

          I’d have to say one of my biggest influences/mentors was my high school boyfriend (as crazy as that sounds). He was an extremely talented musician at a young age and became a well known film composer.  His whole family was in the arts and their house was full of music. His love for music was contagious and he set very high standards for being an artist.

As a young performer my favorite role was Charity in ‘Sweet Charity’. I think one of my favorite shows is ‘Sweeney Todd’. I would have to say my dream roles would be Edie in ‘Grey Gardens‘ and Nellie Lovet in ‘Sweeney Todd’. Here’s hoping I get the opportunity someday!

          I would have to say one of the most memorable moments I had on stage was with Martha Raye in ‘Annie’. She was playing Hannigan and I was playing Lily St. Regis. We were in Los Angeles on tour and there was a stage hand strike. The substitute stage hands were doing their best but a piece of our set which was a huge hanging sign of smiling teeth fell loose on one end. It started to swing precariously to and fro and was difficult to ignore. Martha took out her false teeth, threw them into the set desk drawer and continued the scene. The audience loved it, of course.

          Favorite moment in ‘42nd Street‘? I’d have to say when the ensemble is tapping in the closing number and the band drops out for a few moments. Just the pounding of feet in time together.So pure. It goes right through ya. Wow, gets me every night.

          When I’m not on stage I love going to the theatre with my husband and children. They’re all in the arts in one form or another, so it makes for good discussions afterward. When we can’t afford to go to the theatre I like fixing things in my very old house and taking naps on the couch with my dog is pretty great too.

           My Ipod has mostly Musicals(surprise, surprise), John Mayer, Joni Mitchell, Betty Hutton, Gershwin and Judy Garland. 

I spoke with the fabulous Dorothy Stanley who plays Broadway diva, Dorothy Brock in 42ND STREET…..

"I was raised in West Hartford, CT and went to school at Ithaca College and Carnegie-Mellon U (my parents’ Alma Mater) where I got my BFA and MFA in Viola Performance and minored in Drama. While in Pittsburgh I auditioned for the Civic Light Opera and was cast in the chorus. After two summers (five shows each) I had my Equity card. I then moved to NYC to continue studying the Viola at Julliard, but also started auditioning for shows. I started playing in area orchestras, but got my first theatrical job 2 months after moving to NY. I juggled both orchestra gigs and shows for about a year, but I got more and more theatre offers. Since performing was what I really my dream, I put the viola on hold."

   Dorothy with Todd Lattimore (as Billy)                                  Dottie & co-star Millie the dog!

Yes the Dancing in 42ND STREET will be Fantastic! Randy Skinner, Director/Choreographer extrordinaire, will see to that! The cast is Incredible! The costumes are fabulous!  We’re ready for "The Lullabye of Broadway!"

But our newest little star is MILLIE the dog! See her live starting September 24TH!   Millie is a six year-old Havanese. She just had a birthday on September 16th. She divides her time between her NYC apartment and her country home in Vermont. She travels to theatres far  and wide with Actress, Dorothy Stanley (our Dorothy Brock in 42ND STREET), who adopted her from "Broadway Barks".  Millie is no stranger to the stage and even has a fan club!  Her breed is a cousin to the Maltese and was brought to Cuba to be a companion dog to the wealthy!  You can see Millie & her Human cast mates  on the WBT stage in our terrific production of 42ND STREET!  Woof!

Brian Myers Cooper who brilliantly transforms into many diverse characters in ILYYPNC!  

I grew up on a farm in southeastern Ohio (the part of Ohio without a major city). It was a pretty idyllic setting – safe, secure and loving, with parents (now married 45 years) who instilled in me

a sense of self esteem, a sense of responsibility for my words, thoughts and deeds, and a great work ethic. I couldn’t have asked for a better preparation for life.

I was bitten early on in performances at church and school, so by the time I got to high school, I was fairly bursting at the seams to be a part of the spring musical. My freshman year came and they didn’t have one - seems the director had moved away and the music teacher retired leaving no one willing to take up the reins of corralling 30-40 teenagers to put on a musical comedy. I was devastated, but the next year, the new music teacher stepped up to direct, and I was picked to play the lead in Bells Are Ringing, the alcoholic, ascerbic, urbane and witty down-and-out writer character made famous in the movie version by Dean Martin. I was fifteen years old. I didn’t understand ANY of it, but I was onstage and for the first time in my life, I knew what I wanted to do. 
 

Some of my favorite shows: I have fond memories of the National Tour of Miss Saigon and the wonderful family that company created out there on the road, and I’ve been fortunate to originate a couple of roles Off-Broadway as well as an American premier of a wonderful play, The Cavalcaders by Irish playwright Bill Roche at Florida Stage, which stand out as  particularly proud accomplishments. But I’m still waiting to play Whizzer in Falsettos by William Finn - it’s a great role that I’m just now growing into, type-wise.

Developing the multitude of characters for Man#2 in I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change! began several years ago when I did the role in a different production. I worked then to really ground these characters in their given situations and then let them live. Each scene is it’s own world with it’s own over-arching rule or theme, and it’s our job to create believable people to live in that world - people the audience will recognize from their life, or family, or maybe themselves - and then the fun begins as we unspool the story of the scene. The work I did before came in handy as I joined this production just as the company was preparing for Opening Night, so my challenge was to adapt my characters to fit into the slightly different worlds that director Charles Repole had already created with this cast, and to do it from the sidelines as Travis (the male standby) rehearsed and performed the role with the cast. It was a wonderful challenge, and I have to thank Charlie, Victor Lukas (our stage manager), Christine DiTota (the ladies’ standby) and especially Travis for helping me prepare to go on.
 

My favorite moment in I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change! is hands down the final scene, “Funerals are for Dating”. I love these characters, and my own character (Arthur Beasley) is really an amalgam of amazing men from my family and beyond who inspired me the first instant I read the scene. I took traits from all of them to create my Arthur, and I think of them all fondly every night as I play him. 

I have done a number of other creative endeavors between acting jobs, including authoring CD-ROM multi-media content for a reading program and supervising the staffs of about a hundred weddings. When I’m not on stage, you will most often find me at the Actors Equity building in NY serving the membership as an elected Councillor and Board member, coaching other actors, running through Central Park (just two blocks south of my apartment), or cooking anything and everything - I rarely eat out unless it’s an occasion, and I love to create in the kitchen.

When you see me with my ipod earbuds in, I’m most likely listening to either an NPR podcast or a recorded book. I have loads of music and I love it, but I’m not big on having sounds around me all the time - the TV or radio - just as atmosphere.  So if I’m listening, I’m usually just catching up on the news or preparing for my next audition.

Joe DiPietro & Jimmy Roberts, Writer & Composer of I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE!

In 1989 Joe DiPietro, then in his early 30’s began writing sketches about how he and friends dated in their 20s. In 1990, he says, “they were presented in a basement theatre over a weekend. As fate would have it, a producer saw it and said, “This is a musical revue.” To me, a musical revue was something like Ain’t Misbehavin’.  I was still unsure when a friend introduced me to composer, Jimmy Roberts. He saw a video of the sketches and said. “Don’t change it, it’s funny, you don’t need music.”  Impressed with his honesty, DiPietro said, "I want you."  Roberts, in his early 40’s was unsure “I was tired of revues with five actors on stools wearing cutesy sweaters.” However, He liked the material, “It was funny and sharp. It rang true-to-life. With music, however, I worried it would soften it. It turned out just the opposite.”  Roberts had written other things (including A..My Name is Still Alice) and took DiPietro under his wing. "Any collaboration is a marriage," says DiPietro. The show evolved, says Roberts, “with the message that, dating or married, it’s worth connecting.”  They were warned that the title was too long and it wouldn’t fit on a marquee and it wasn’t marketable.  “We didn’t listen,” says DiPietro, and the title went on to become a catch phrase everywhere from religion to politics. “I hoped for a modest run. Never did I imagine we’d have thousands of productions in the US and worldwide!” Lyricist and composer agree their show strikes a chord with male and female, young and old. "It’s about love and maerriage," says Dipietro. Adds Roberts, "Every culture has relationship rituals, so our show is easy to identify with in any language."

The team also collaborated on the Off Broadway musical, The Thing About Men. and a children’s musical based on "The Velveteen Rabbit." Di Pietro also wrote Off broadway’s current musical hit, The Toxic Avenger, based on the ’80’s cult sci-fi  film. His other show, Memphis will hit Broadway in the Fall.