Little Firehouse Theatre
298 Kinderkamack Road
Oradell, NJ 07649

  PRESS RELEASE

BERGEN COUNTY PLAYERS PRESENTS RAPUNZARELLA WHITE
A CLEVER MUSICAL COMEDY FOR CHILDREN ABOUT
RAPUNZEL, CINDERELLA, AND SNOW WHITE

Written by June Rachelson-Ospa and Daniel Neiden
Direction by Frank Avellino

Oradell, NJ, November 11, 2009

The Bergen County Players (BCP) presents Rapunzarella White, a musical comedy for children by June Rachelson-Ospa and Daniel Neiden. Under the direction of Frank Avellino, Rapunzarella White will be performed at the Little Firehouse Theatre in Oradell from November 28 through December 20, 2009, with performances on Fridays at 8pm and Saturdays and Sundays at 1pm and 3:30pm.  Tickets can be purchased online at www.bcplayers.org, by calling 201-261-4200 or by visiting the box office at 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell during regular box office hours.

Rapunzarella White is a brand new musical tale spun from the familiar threads of Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Snow White, in which they are actually triplets cast off into their own separate stories by a very angry witch.  Herschel, an adorable Fairy Tailor, weaves together their sad plights before our favorite fairy tale princesses reunite as sisters, when each finds her true Prince Charming...and true love. “Happily Ever After” may never have seemed so far off, but fear not...as in all fairy tales, happiness and love prevail..

This revamped fairy tale is directed by Frank Avellino of Hackensack, a life member who has directed Bergen County Players productions such as Sweeney Todd, Oliver!, Moon Over Buffalo, and most recently, Doubt. When not working at BCP, Frank, co-founder of Boz and the Bard Productions, Inc., is a playwright and directed the critically acclaimed play, Miss Lizzie A. Borden Invites You to Tea, by Marjorie Conn.

The three Princesses are played by Leigh Adel-Arnold of Teaneck (Rapunzel), Emily Nelson of Westwood (Snow White), and Alanna Smith of Montvale (Cinderella).  Leigh recently portrayed Sister James in the BCP production of Doubt.  Emily graduated from NYU’s Educational Theatre program and is completing her Masters Degree in Elementary Education at Montclair State University.  Alanna has had theater experience with Onstage Inc. in Philadelphia and with the Pascack Hills High School.  She is a member of Bergen County Region1 and All State choirs. You may also remember her as Cinderella from last year’s BCP production of Cinderella.

The three Prince Charmings are portrayed by Christopher Nelson of Westwood (Prince Barry).  Chris, who is the real life Price Charming to his wife, Emily, currently is an art director for MgMGold Communications in Manhattan.  He graduated from The Hartford Art School, where he majored in Visual Communication Design. Ken Douglass of Garfield (Prince Burly Bob) has a long list of theatrical credits with BCP along with other theaters.  In his spare time, he is a singer with the band Flat Earth Society.  Our princely trio is completed by BCP newcomer Luis Tirado of Elizabeth (Prince Beau).

Filling out this large musical cast are Bill Macchio of Dumont who doubles as the lovable dwarf, a Yiddish garment district tailor who weaves together the story from scraps of fairy tales, and King Rosenbutter, a royal Dad.  His wife, Queen Rhoda, is performed by Paula O’Brien of Park Ridge, recently seen as the Stepmother in last year’s version of Cinderella.

Two rather unpleasant Stepsisters round out Cinderella’s family through the talents of Ruth Morley of Ridgewood and Jessica Milne of New Milford.

Another twist in Rapunzarella White is the replacement of the traditional Fairy Godmother with Syd, the Fairy Godbrother, performed by Jordan Zaretsky of South Amboy.  Jordan is a firefighter, EMT, pilot and flight instructor.  This musical work would not be complete without the talents of Helen Boyadjian of Saddle River, whose Witch Winifred is responsible for entangling all of the threads at the beginning of our story.

The team behind the scenes of this fun musical fairy tale includes Frank Avellino (Director); Steven Bell (Musical Director); Steve Mintz (Producer); Joanne Misha (Assistant Producer); Dorothy Zdanowicz (Assistant to the Director); Linda Macchio (Stage Manager); Eric Zoback (Set Design/Construction); Lauren Zenreich (Décor); Cara Vannelli (Asst. Décor); Peter Colletto and Allan Seward (Lighting Design); Mary Upham (Sound Design); Pat Bain, Paula O'Brien, Valerie Dolan, Shirley Spector, Stephanie Quinn, and Marisa Dolkart (Costumes); Elaine Davis (Wardrobe Mistress); Lucy Chua, Allison Gennaro, and Nancy Gennaro (Properties); Ron Siclari (Crew Chief); Gloria Bumbaco (Crew); Howard Kerner and Jack Linefsky (Lighting Operator); Anita Esteve (Sound Operator); Richard Szot (Hair and Wigs); Edie Orlando (Make-Up); Jim Dolan (Publicity); Barbara Schwartz and Margie Druss Fodor (Photography); Bill Wetzel (Photography Associate); Stephanie Bazzanella and Shari Buchwald (Programs); Stephanie Buckley (Program Notes); and Joanna Bell (Member-at-Large).

TICKET AND SCHEDULE INFORMATION

• All performances take place at The Little Firehouse Theatre at 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell, NJ.  The show will run from November 28 through December 20, 2009, with performances on Fridays at 8pm and Saturdays and Sundays at 1pm and 3:30pm. Tickets for all performances of Rapunzarella White are $13.00 and can be purchased online at www.bcplayers.org, by calling 201-261-4200 or by visiting the box office during regular box office hours.  Visa, Master Card, and American Express are accepted.
• Those interested in schedules, discount offers and buying tickets for the 2009-10 season, can log onto BCP’s website at: www.bcplayers.org, visit the box office at 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell or call (201) 261-4200.  Visa, Master Card, and American Express accepted.
• Those interested in Group Sales or benefit theater parties can call (201) 262-0515.
• Parking is free for our patrons at the Park Avenue municipal lot, across the street, one-half block north of the theater.

The Bergen County Players has grown tremendously from its roots as a small community theater when it was founded in 1932; today, nearly 300 volunteer members, working on and off stage, make possible the eight productions presented each season.  The company's professional alumni include Tony Award-nominated actress Beth Fowler (The Boy From Oz, Sweeney Todd), Tony Award-winning actor Robert Sean Leonard (FOX’s House, The Invention of Love), Tony Award-nominated director Robert Jess Roth (Beauty and the Beast, Lestat), and international best-selling suspense author Mary Higgins Clark, just to name a few.  In May 2001, Tony Award-winning playwright and composer Rupert Holmes (Curtains, The Mystery of Edwin Drood) collaborated with the Bergen County Players to premier his new play at the Little Firehouse Theatre, a comic mystery called Thumbs.

Information on the remaining shows in the 2009-2010 season can be found at www.bcplayers.org.

The Bergen County Players, Inc., is a non-Equity, non-profit community theatre company dedicated to presenting quality productions for the enrichment of the community.