MULBERRY STREET at Kweskin Theatre

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85 YEARS OF MULBERRY STREET

In 1939, MOON OVER MULBERRY STREET was presented in Stamford for the first time, just two years after its original Broadway run of more than 300 performances. Next month, the adaptation by Kweskin Theatre founding artistic director, Albert Pia, simply titled MULBERRY STREET, returns on November 1 for a three-week run in Curtain Call’s Dressing Room Theatre, Stamford.

“After all these years, I have no idea how many thousands of patrons have enjoyed this wonderful romantic comedy,” said Curtain Call executive director, Lou Ursone, who also appears in the show.
“I first saw the show sometime in the late 60’s /early 70’s,” Ursone said, “but started playing the patriarch, Piccino, in 2002, when another actor became ill two weeks before the show’s opening.”

The story revolves around an Italian immigrant family, living in a basement apartment on Mulberry Street, Little Italy, New York, in the late 1930s and features a son trying to woo a “Park Avenue” girl, a daughter looking for a husband, a bunch of crazy neighbors and a mother and father trying to hold it all together in their own dysfunctional way! Full of laughs and a several poignant moments as well, MULBERRY STREET is great for the whole family. Friendly rivalry between neighbors, unrequited love, parental meddling and more, are all part of the universal themes that have made this show popular for so long.

Author Albert Pia often said “Generations of area residents have enjoyed this play because of its universal themes. You don’t have to be Italian to enjoy it.” And now we're looking at generations of actors involved. Above all, MULBERRY STREET is about family!

When MOON OVER MULBERRY STREET played in Stamford in 1939, the patriarch of the family, Piccino Morello, was played by Mede Sementini, (Ursone’s great uncle) And Louis Ursone, Sr., played George Bowman, a role the younger Ursone played several years ago. The last time MULBERRY STREET played at Curtain Call in 2018, Lou Ursone’s nephew Marc stepped into the Bowman role marking the fourth generation of the family connected to the show.

Besides the Ursone family heritage, director, Frank Petrilli and assistant director Ramona Spinelli, have been part of “the family” since appearing in the show for many years, while Spinelli also directed the show with her future father-in-law! Janice Pasqua, who plays Lucia Morello, has played the role since 2006 and had the pleasure of appearing with her daughters a few years back, and Samantha Frattallone, (Giovanna) appeared with her grandfather as Tony Spumonzi in 2018. Ursone said “It's terrific to have these family connections.”

Ursone has now played the role of Piccino close to 200 times and said, “It's a terrific role, an Italian Tevye (referring to the patriarch of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF). He has great comic moments along with the dramatic and he has the same kind of relationship with his wife Lucia that Tevye has with Golde. It's an absolute joy to play.”

Randy Bucknoff (who has been part of the cast for 22 years), Victoria Clougher, Elayne Gordon, Cara Kramer, Chris Nardi and Alex Scatamacchia are all returning to their roles, while Jessie Latorraca and Greg Suss are newcomers to the family! The production team includes production stage manager, John Zimmerman, and assistant stage managers Martha Dombroski, Martha Kramer and Nancy Siciglimpaglia. The set design is by Peter Barbieri, Jr., lighting design by Jamie Lajoie and costumes by Emory Ciocci. Technical director is Wayne Yeager and production assistant is Meghan Connolly. Barbieri said,  “I’ve included pictures of my Italian immigrant ancestors in the set design as a way of paying homage to their sacrifices at coming to America.” Photos of ancestors of other cast members are also included in the set.

Petrilli, Spinelli and Ursone were all students of Pia’s over the years. Ursone noted, “Many times through the rehearsal process we’ve had moments of feeling Al watching over us. We’ve reminisced about the dozens of actors who’ve been associated with the show – and gladly and proudly incorporated bits of business created by those who went before us.”

Performances will be held November 1 through 17, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30PM and Sunday afternoons at 2PM. Seating is cabaret-style with a Bring Your Own Everything dinner theatre format. Doors open one hour before show time in The Dressing Room Theatre, at The Sterling Farms Theatre Complex, 1349 Newfield Avenue, Stamford, CT. Tickets are $41 for adults, $31 for senior citizens and $23 for children under 21. Box Office: 203-461-6358 or on the web at www.curtaincallinc.com.

Curtain Call was voted Fairfield County's BEST LOCAL THEATRE GROUP ten years running in the Annual Readers' Poll of the Fairfield County Weekly and has received similar “BEST OF” awards from Stamford Magazine and StamfordPlus magazine for 2008 through 2023. Curtain Call received The Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2011 and the ACE Award for Excellence in Arts & Culture from the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County in 2016.