Page 20 Thursday, July 19, 2001 The Westfield Leader and THE TIMES of Scotch Plains – Fanwood A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION Take the Stage SiemensSiemens ChoosesChooses WWestfieldestfield WITH KERRIANNE SPELLMAN CORT ForFor LatestLatest CommerCommercialcial By MICHELLE H. LePOIDEVIN crashing down around him because walking down Elm Street with The Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The UnstoppableUnstoppable Times he did not have Siemens’ product. Leader/The Times, “And, Westfield WESTFIELD – Senior Pro- The majority of the plummeting ob- had it.” ducer Thomas Buchbinder of jects, Mr. Buchbinder reported, Chase Wilson Organization in would be animated or “drawn into” WYWYAACTCT TTeameam Montvale rapped with crew mem- the commercial. bers on Elm Street in Westfield Speaking of disruptive sounds, Mr. early Tuesday morning, while an Buchbinder said the only hitch to unknown actor had his face touched their filming on Elm Street has been Artist of up outside of a van on Quimby the construction going on simulta- WWoowsws WWitithh IslandIsland neously inside of Ferraro’s. He said Street. that the construction workers were By KERRIANNE SPELLMAN CORT Moune’s adoptive parents and have One camera, a modestly sized crew the Week Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times and a small table of pastries rivaled not notified about the filming, caus- some of the most touching moments ing the two crews to do-si-do around WESTFIELD / NEWARK — If in the play, and Lindsay-Rose Sinclair what Westfield is used to seeing dur- you are a Union County resident and ing the filming of a commercial or each other. is elegant and ethereal as Erzulie, Mr. Buchbinder said the commer- at all familiar with the wonderful arts The Goddess of Love. television episode – giant trailers, and arts programming that we have hordes of celebrities and sealed off cial, which was originally slated for Also turning in great work are a sound stage, was switched to access to here, chances are you have Rene Martinez, Lauren Linder, Jo- streets. heard of the Westfield Young Artists’ Mr. Buchbinder told The Westfield Westfield at the last minute. He said seph Harrington, Alistair Williams he was grateful to the town for coop- Cooperative Theater, Inc. (WYACT). and Justin Restivo. But again, the Leader and The Times of Scotch If you have had the opportunity to Plains-Fanwood that, for one day erating with the production crew’s entire cast is exceptional. Everyone needs. attend a WYACT production, undoubt- involved with this production de- only, the production company edly you understand the importance would be filming a commercial Montclair was also considered for serves accolades. the commercial, as it has been eyed of an organization such as this. Musically directed by Ilene for a hearing aide, developed by This exceptional company is a non- Siemens. The closest branch of in the past by Viacom Productions Greenbaum and choreographed by for NBC’s “Ed” and by other film- profit association that aims to edu- Sherry Alban, Once on This Island is a Siemens, an electrical engineering cate and inspire local young talent in and electronics giant, is located in makers and producers. beautiful production. Do not miss it! “We sent people out to drive around the areas of performing and the per- Once on This Island continues its run Iselin. forming arts. While walking down Elm Street, and find the type of street that repre- at Victoria Theater at NJPAC through sented the average street in everyday I had the pleasure of attending two Sunday, July 22. in front of Ferraro’s Restaurant, the of WYACT’s productions last year, actor would be unable to hear objects America,” said Mr. Buchbinder, while Brigadoon and The Gay Divorce, and Courtesy of the NJPAC Alexis Slade as Ti Moune captures I was thoroughly knocked clear out of the souls of audience members in Francis Ford Coppola my seat both times. The level of pro- Once on This Island. fessionalism that this company is ca- pable of is truly breathtaking. Eclectic Arts, Crafts Come (1939- ) At the helm of WYACT is Westfield (1939- ) resident and Broadway veteran By MICHELLE H. LePOIDEVIN Cynthia Meryl. The amount of love To Annual Outdoor Show Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times that goes into a WYACT production In his ninth year, the son of re- is visible on every level. By CAROL F. DAVIS Faux Metal, dubbed by several art- nowned Italian-American composer PenPen && InkInk Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times Currently staging the heartwarming ists in adjoining booths at a previous Carmine Coppola was confined to and educational Caribbean fairytale, PLAINFIELD – Saturday’s crafts fair. Ms. Bennett got her start his bed, paralyzed with polio. Keep- Once on This Island at the New Jersey Twenty Years of MTV Rocks Station weather was perfect, sunny and not after a very, very short haircut. It left ing his imagination fertile with pup- Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Twenty Years of MTV Rocks Station too hot, for an outdoor art show, her trying to figure out what to do petry, television and comic books, Newark, this production made me wish coupled with the fact that this year’s with all that new found space around Francis Ford Coppola delved into that WYACT could present not one or Down to All TV and Less Videos artists were amongst the best seen at her face. She started with a few film during his youngest years. He two, but 20 productions a year. the Annual Plainfield Outdoor Festi- By MICHELLE H. LePOIDEVIN Continued on Page 19 edited home movies in an 8-millime- Based on the book, “My Love, My Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times ter format, giving them clever titles Love,” by Rosa Guy and in some Not long after MTV launched in 1981, Starship’s video “Nothings and making them family treasures. ways akin to Hans Christian The Detroit native was always in- Anderson’s, “The Little Mermaid,” Gonna Stop Us Now” from Mannequin came on the screen. Westfield terested in the arts, leading him to Once on This Island is a sweet and native Andrew McCarthy’s dancing around with a fake woman, morphing master the tuba and to garner a often thought provoking musical tale. into a real one, was mind-boggling as a concept, let alone a music video. musical scholarship to the New York Written by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen “Leave on whatever you want,” my grandfather said, surrendering the Military Academy. Music became Flaherty, the team who brought us remote control and slumping down into the recliner nearby. Not even three second fiddle for Coppola (pardon Ragtime and Seussical, the original the pun) when he opted to major in production of Once on This Island on seconds went by, my grandfather’s face scowling with fury at the “crazy theater at Hofstra University, where Broadway did extremely well. images” in front of him. “Turn this junk off! What is this supposed to mean, held leadership positions in theater On a dark and stormy night, a vil- this weird video stuff?” and music clubs. He went onto lage of Caribbean peasants act out a This reaction, one of the most common to the anti-MTV Generation, is UCLA, graduating with a Master in legendary story to entertain and soothe what the music television channel has been banking on for 20 years. Fine Arts in Film. a frightened child. Through music In 1962, Coppola progressed from and dance, the lovable peasants tell Celebrating two decades as the dialogue director to associate pro- the tale of Ti Moune, an orphaned single most powerful public rela- ducer. A short seven years later, he young girl and her passionate, selfless tions giant in music history, when already had his first encounter with love for Daniel, a rich heir from the people think of MTV, they think of Eleanor Neil. She took the role as his House of Beauxhomme. This Romeo music first. Recently, however, view- wife, a part Coppola has compared and Juliet-style tale uses class to sepa- to that of Kay Corleone (Diane rate the star-crossed lovers, and, as ers have been weaned off of the Keaton) in his cinematic Godfather always, their earnest affair comes to buffet-style diet of music videos. series. Another harmonious union an unfortunate end. The media mogul has placed the occurred for Coppola, when he Expertly directed by Ms. Meryl, “M” on the back burner and fired up joined forces with filmmaker George and in conjunction with NJPAC’s the “TV” format instead. Courtesy of Michael Jessie and Carol F. Davis Lucas to establish independent film Summer Musical Theater Production OUTDOOR ODYSSEY...Designer/illustrator Richard Berardino exhibits his company American Zoetrope. program, this version of Once on This In fact, MTV’s “Total Request prize piece during the Annual Plainfield Outdoor Festival of Art on Saturday. Shortly after these personal and Island is every bit as wonderful as I Live” or “TRL” is the only real pro- professional marriages, Coppola knew it would be. The tale moves val of Art. It was a pleasure to walk gram featuring the original program- Continued on Page 19 cinematically from start to finish and ming of airing music videos. The around and chat with the creators, the energetic, talented young cast and others. members are all extremely gifted. channel has almost entirely turned This year, the juried show was As Ti Moune, Alexis Slade is a star itself into a network of cartoons, well-organized and separated into in the making. This lovely young per- awards programs, reality television sections, with the artists on one side former wins your heart immediately.