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 April 16, 2005 |
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An Appreciation: Through the Years by Marty Brill Back in the mid-eighties, Roosevelt Island was just concluding its first decade as a small experimental community in the middle of the East River. By this time, The Main Street Theatre, under the direction of Worth and Nancy Howe, was already going strong, producing a series of outstanding children's shows and professional productions. Then, one fine spring day in 1984, fate took a hand: At a volley-ball party in Octagon Park, Barry Puritz came up with the original idea of putting on a musical benefit with Worth and Nancy directing and doing costumes, and Diana Brill handling the choreography and musical staging. The professionals would teach the aspiring performers how to get it done on the "boards." It was straight out of the old cliché - "Hey kids, we have a barn, let's put on a show!" We saw the concept of a re-created Broadway show as a chance to raise much-needed funds for the Main Street Theatre, have some fun, and bring the community closer together. Someone at the party suggested we do Guys and Dolls, and just like that we went into rehearsals (as Miss Adelaide might say) "the following fall." I played Sky Masterson, a free-loving gambler who was about to have his world turned upside down by Sergeant Sara Brown (played by Madeline Schiering), who operated a run-down Broadway Salvation Army mission. Many famous Damon Runyon characters appeared, including Nathan Detroit (Jack Resnick), who runs "the oldest established permanent floating crap-game in New York," and his fiancée of fourteen years, Miss Adelaide (Karen Mann). Big Julie (Ron Schuppert) and Brother Arvide (Mark Ewald) had the Island audiences laughing and cheering all night. Performances by Jinny Ewald, Terri Dancik, Ronnye Halpern, Barry Puritz, Joel and Barbara Packer, and Michelle and Ken Glassberg were especially memorable. (For those performers not mentioned here, please forgive me, but it's been over 20 years and I claim my senior-citizen status.) Fortunately, luck was a lady that night in 1984: The show opened to great reviews and received positive "word of mouth." The success of Guys and Dolls then spawned a series of other great productions in subsequent years: Fiddler On The Roof, Bye-Bye Birdie, The Pajama Game, Sweet Charity, Follies, How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Anything Goes, Li'l Abner, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, We're Not Doing a Show, and A Christmas Carol. Through The Years, with Worth, Nancy, and Diana still at the controls, will recreate some of the best numbers from these "blockbusters," with many of the original cast members giving their all one more time. There will be three performances: Tonight (Saturday) at 8:00, Sunday at 2:00, Monday at 7:30. The show is a valentine to Worth and Nancy Howe who, in Runyon's words, are "headed for points west." The talented duo who, along with Diana Brill, started the Main Street Theatre, brought music, drama, dance, joy, and laughter to the residents of Roosevelt Island for many wonderful years. Finally, if Sky Masterson really did exist, my guess is he would be meeting, at this very moment, with some very important people to "offer them this very logical proposition": How about preserving Roosevelt Island's history for future generations, by re-naming the generic Main Street Theatre to The Howe Main Street Theatre? Just how Sky would make his point, I can't say for sure, but "it's a probable twelve to seven" that he'd "roll them" for it. See you at the show!
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