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| Leading Ladies at CCHS, photo provided. Jack (Craig Franke) and Leo (Dante Giannetta) begin their scheme on the train. |
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| Leading Ladies at CCHS, photo provided.Meg (Hannah Fabiny), Jack (Craig Franke) in drag as Stephanie, Audrey (Taylor Wright) look on as Leo (Dante Giannetta) in drag as Maxine improvises. |
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| Leading Ladies at CCHS, photo provided. Duncan (James Gillick) makes a phone call as his fiancee, Meg (Hannah Fabiny) looks on. |
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| Leading Ladies at CCHS, photo provided.Meg (Hannah Fabiny), Butch (Gavin O'Gorman), Audrey (Taylor Wright), and Doc (John Hines) are relieved to discover that ailing Aunt Florence (Larissa Ross) is still alive and well. |
November 05, 2012
By Dante Giannetta
It’s a MAN, baby!” That’s right, don’t let Maxine and Stephanie’s gorgeous wigs and voluptuous figures fool you. Maxine and Stephanie are men, baby. In fact, they are two bumbling, down on their luck Shakespearean actors played by Dante Giannetta and Craig Franke in the hilarious comedy “Leading Ladies,” written by Ken Ludwig. When the play opens, the two actors, Leo Clark (Giannetta) and Jack Gable (Franke), are lamenting over their stalled acting careers when they come across a news article about a dying heiress, Florence Snider, who is desperately searching for her sister’s children, Max and Steve. According to the paper, Florence has not seen her beloved Max and Steve since they were children, but she insists on locating them before she dies to leave them the bulk of her fortune. Convinced that this could be their big chance to cash in and jumpstart their careers, Leo and Jack decide to impersonate Florence’s long lost relatives and swindle her out of her millions. Only after Jack and Leo commit to the scheme do they learn that Max and Steve are really Maxine and Stephanie, the heiress’s two nieces. Mayhem, cross dressing, and huge laughs ensue as Jack and Leo pursue Aunt Flo’s fortune by pretending to be Maxine and Stephanie. To complicate things further, Leo falls for Meg, Aunt Flo’s niece and the only other benefactor in her will (played by Hannah Fabiny & Brooke Garfinkel), and Jack becomes smitten with Audrey (played by Taylor Wright & Rhiannon Guilfoyle), a simple-minded but big-hearted small town girl. Really, she’s a woman, baby.
While Giannetta and Frank admit that they’re having a blast playing their double roles, they agree that it’s also been extremely challenging. Not only do they have to switch genders in the blink of an eye, but they have eight costume changes that must be executed in record time, too. The plot twists, hilarious dialogue, elaborate costumes, and the frenetic quick changes only add to the show’s zaniness. The wardrobe alone, particularly Maxine and Stephanie’s, is enough to make Mrs. Doubtfire and Tootsie green with envy.
You might think Giannetta and Franke, two varsity athletes, would be reluctant to have their friends see them in the show. But they are not the least bit shy about having their friends and teammates see them perform their multi-layered roles as leading mean (and ladies!). They encourage everyone to see the show, have some laughs, and escape the aftermath of last week’s hurricane. The show’s director, Rich Aufiero, agrees: “Being someone who constantly escapes to the world of comedy, it has been difficult finding my smile lately after witnessing all of the devastation and destruction Hurricane Sandy brought to the NY and NJ area. However, all of the marvelously gifted students and adults associated with this outrageously funny show have made it possible to push the images aside, if only for a little while. I strongly encourage everyone to visit us this weekend and take in a show. I absolutely guarantee that you won’t be sorry you did. It will be a much needed diversion to the harshness that surrounds us.”
Meet the “Leading Ladies” at Cornwall High School this weekend. See firsthand how Jack and Leo hilariously wriggle their way into eight eye-popping costumes, finagle their way into Aunt Flo’s fortune, and charm their way into Audrey and Meg’s hearts --- and yours.
“Leading Ladies” will be performed on Friday night at 7 PM and Saturday at 2 PM and 7 PM. Tickets are sold at the door. There is no reserved seating. For more information call 534-4166. “Leading Ladies” is directed by Rich Aufiero, with sets designed by Anthony Ravinsky, and costumes by Karen Eremin.
The cast:
Leo Clark Dante Giannetta
Jack Gable Craig Franke
Meg Hannah Fabiny (Friday and Saturday nights)
Brooke Garfinkel (Saturday afternoon)
Audrey Taylor Wright (Friday and Saturday nights)
Rhiannon Guilfoyle (Saturday afternoon)
Aunt Flo Larissa Ross (Friday night)
Rosie Canzoneri (Saturday afternoon)
Rebecca Nissen (Saturday night)
Reverend Wooley James Gillick (Friday and Saturday night)
Maxx MacRae (Saturday afternoon)
Doc John Hines (Friday & Saturday night)
Mike Donato (Saturday afternoon)
Butch Gavin O’Gorman (Friday night)
Matt Schomp (Saturday afternoon)
Stephen DeRosa (Saturday night)
Student directors: Marina Pandoliano and Dabney Brice
Student Stage Managers: Anna Frey and Lauren Berkery
Student costumers: Sophie Rice and Dharani Rao
Comments:
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Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students & seniors.
posted by Christine Garfinkel on 11/06/12 at 8:28 PM
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