With Halloween horrors in the air, local performers are busy setting the mood. Beari Productions in Middle Village is offering “Poe-Pourri,” an eerie presentation of Edgar Allan Poe’s poems and short stories, adapted for the stage. Also, Theatre Time Productions in Whitestone is running Neil Simon’s mystery/comedy “Rumors.” Finally, Queens Theatre in the Park’s own Sam Rossi is in another one man show at Don’t Tell Mama, just off Broadway, with a tribute to Simon and Garfunkel. It has been my pleasure to attend all three showings.
On opening night, producer Debbie Bendana offered her interpretation of Poe’s classic “The Raven.” Popular “everyman” Michael Wolf led a group of strange dinner guests in Poe’s less well known but just as bizarre “The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether.” The tin-tin-a-bu-lation of the bells, bells, bells rang true to Poe’s intentions as Jamie Farino, Shana Aborn and Greg Johnson offered their version of the poem “The Bells.” The terrifying tale of “The Tell-Tale Heart” was appropriately gruesome, thanks to Cameron Hughes as the guilt ridden killer, with Ian McDonald, Paul Robilotto, Jonathan Applebaum and perennial community favorite, Rich Weyhausen. Disconcerting visual and auditory effects weave through the audience as “The Cask of Amontillado” unfolds with Ian McDonald as the plotting assassin, and Johnny Young as his unwitting victim. It is well directed by Malini Singh McDonald. Located at 63-70 Dry Harbor Road in Middle Village (Trinity Lutheran Church), call (718) 736-1263 for tix.
Teresa Zugger as tipsy Chris Gorman and co-producer/director Kevin C. Vincent as hapless Lenny Ganz keep the audience laughing along with the cast of crazy characters who create chaos in a quiet countryside. Co-producer Judy Vincent has brought young and old alike onstage to carry off the clever cover-up (Tom Williams, Lisa DiCarlo, Johnny Dee Damato, Suzanne Hachnel, Marty Edelstein, Loraine Navales, Al Carbuto, Dawn Pagliaro). It’s a very easy evening of entertainment at 15-43 149 Street (First Presbyterian Church of Whitestone). Call (718) 391-8697 for info.
Most of Queens Theatre in the Park is staffed by talented performers who routinely break out of the daily office grind to appear on stage. Sam Rossi has worked with Queens Theatre in the Park for more than a dozen years. He is also a talented singer. His current salute to superstars of the sixties, Simon and Garfunkel, is a high intensity, well planned performance in the new room at Don’t Tell Mama, 343 W. 46th St., in Manhattan. Directed by Rob Urbinati and arranged by Wells Hanley, there is still one more show remaining in this series. This past weekend, his renditions of “Sounds of Silence,” “Bookends,” “The Boxer” and others give the audience a healthy dose of first rate memories. Call (212) 757-0788 for advanced reservations (strongly recommended).
