Nicolas Tabio Receives Bob Fitzsimmons Scholarship for Theatre

This year's recipient, of the Bob Fitzsimmons Scholarship is Nicolas Tabio, a senior at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, NY. It will be awarded to him on Stage at Westchester Broadway Theatre on Thursday, July 6, 2017.

Nicolas just graduated as valedictorian of his class and He's a member of the National Honor Society. He studied at Oxford University last summer to take the Politics and Economics course of the Oxford Tradition. His love for the dramatic arts led him to the stage and he starred in the Stepinac productions of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, and the lead role of President Lyndon B. Johnson in the production of All The Way, and directed the production of Amadeus. He co-founded Crusader Productions, an independent student run theatre company, which put on Death of a Salesman on last summer. He is now directing its second production, This Is Our Youth. He a member of the baseball team and has been a member of the varsity hockey team for four years and was a captain this season. He will be attending Yale University next fall.

The Scholarship is given annually to a college-bound senior who has excelled in the theatre arts programs while attending Stepinac High School. The prestigious Arts Scholarship is named after Bob Fitzsimmons, a graduate of Stepinac High School, who died suddenly at the age of 37 in March of 1992. He was the Public Relations Director of the Westchester Broadway Theatre, as well as a gifted actor, producer, writer and a director of shows at WBT and at numerous theatres throughout the County.

The scholarship was established in his name by the owners of Westchester Broadway Theatre, Bill Stutler and Bob Funking, the entire employee staff of WBT, and the many friends and relatives of Bob Fitzsimmons. Under the auspices of WBT, Allan Gruet, (former WBT Public Relations Director, who replaced Bobby Fitzsimmons) and George Puello spearheaded two fundraisers. The first & most successful fundraiser was held at WBT, the second was held at Stepinac High School.

Mr. Puello was responsible for directing & producing the entertainment portion of the events, while Mr. Gruet handled the ticketing for the fundraisers & the continuing administration of the self-sustaining scholarship. Over the years, along with the assistance of producer Bob Funking, Allan has continued to manage the scholarship, making it possible to present the award consistently each year. In recent years, Frank Portanova,Vice Principal of Stepinac High School, has been extremely helpful and cooperative, making some financial donations to the fund to help ensure the life of the scholarship.

He also is responsible for selecting the student winner for this highly competitive award. Since its inception, $25,000.00 in scholarships have been awarded. Unfortunately, due to the current financial climate, the Scholarship is no longer self-sustaining and monies need to be raised to ensure the continuation of this award. The annual scholarship in Bob's name is our collective way of keeping alive the memory of our dear friend, Bobby Fitzsimmons.

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