“Sweet Charity” at Tappan Zee High School

BY GEORGE J. DACRE

Four Stars!! Katie Leenig stars in her final TZ show

Katie Lennig started performing at age two and on Sunday afternoon she concluded her high school acting career with the title role in Tappan Zee High School’s production of “Sweet Charity”.

Playing the role of Charity Hope Valentine, Leenig was showered with love and applause together with her fellow cast members. It was a super production and a performance that Shirley McClain would have been proud of.

Lennig wowed the packed house with her performance of classic “Sweet Charity” songs including “If My Friends Could See Me Now,” “I’m A Brass Band,” “Where Am I Going” and more. Leenig was just great.

There was a lot of talent on stage in this show and more in the orchestra, led by Janice Tocco. Leenig’s co-stars, Erik Herskowitz as Oscar, Charity’s lover who can’t marry her because of his fixation on purity. Charity is a dance hall hostess and admittedly not a virgin.

Helene (Madison Schindele) and Nickie (Olivia Konstantinidis) are Charity’s friends and co-dance hall hostesses. Vittorio Vidal (Ryan Mulholland) is another Charity suitor who gives her only an autographed picture, a top hat and a cane. Herman (Henry Crane) is terrific in leading “I Love to Cry at Weddings” and rounds out a great supporting cast along with the wonderful Ensemble of singers and dancers.

The costuming, set design and choreography under direction of show director Edward Clinton was topflight, very professional. Vocal director Russell Wagoner got top performances from the entire cast. The production followed the book by Neil Simon all the way.

I enjoyed all of “Sweet Charity”, was very impressed with the talent and I rate it Four Stars Out of Four!!!!

  high school, rockland county, sweet charity, tappan zee, theatre