Gina Ferranti is an American actress and producer best known for her role as Cheryl Yale in the 2007 Charles Messina play Merging.
Charles Messina is an American playwright, screenwriter, director, and co-founder of NahNotOutsideMyHouse! Productions. He is of Italian-American descent. He attended Xavier High School and then later, New York University.
Merging is a one-act play written by Charles Messina.
Ferranti is an Italian-American and a native of Staten Island. She is an alumna of the State University of New York at Albany. She is also a graduate of the Neighborhood Playhouse
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, coterminous with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the southwest portion of the city, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull and from the rest of New York by New York Bay. With an estimated population of 479,458 in 2017, Staten Island is the least populated of the boroughs but is the third-largest in land area at 58.5 sq mi (152 km2). The borough also contains the southern-most point in the state, South Point.
The State University of New York at Albany, commonly referred to as University at Albany, SUNY Albany or UAlbany, is a public research university with campuses in the New York cities of Albany and Rensselaer and the Town of Guilderland, United States. Founded in 1844, it is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system.
Ferranti originated the role of Cheryl Yale in the debut stage production of Merging, alongside The Sopranos alumnus Jason Cerbone, and Ernest Mingione. The play was directed by Messina and won Best Play at the Players Theatre's Shortened Attention Span Horror Festival in Greenwich Village, New York City. [1] In 2009, Ferranti reprised her role in the film version, again alongside Cerbone and Mingione. [2] + The play was directed by Messina and won Best Play at the Players Theatre's Shortened Attention Span Horror Festival in Greenwich Village, New York City. [1] In 2009, Ferranti reprised her role in the film version, again alongside Cerbone and Mingione. [3]
The Sopranos is an American crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano, a New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster, portraying the difficulties that he faces as he tries to balance his family life with his role as the leader of a criminal organization. These are explored during his therapy sessions with psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi. The series features Tony's family members, mafia colleagues, and rivals in prominent roles—most notably his wife Carmela and his protégé/distant cousin Christopher Moltisanti.
Jason Cerbone is an American actor. He is most notable for the role of Jackie Aprile, Jr. on the hit HBO series The Sopranos.
Ernest Mingione is an American actor mainly known for portraying police officers. He made many appearances in Third Watch between 1999 and 2000. He has appeared in shows such as Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Beginning in March 2010, he began a recurring role as Rocco Ciccone on the CBS soap As the World Turns.
On September 20, 2010, Ferranti starred with Johnny Tammaro, Ralph Macchio, Mario Cantone, and Lynne Koplitz in a staged reading of the Messina scripted and directed play A Room of My Own, at the Theater at 45 Bleecker Street, also in New York City. [4]
Johnny Tammaro is an Italian-American actor and singer best known for his role as Bruno in Kenny Rogers' Christmas From The Heart-The Toy Shoppe at The Beacon Theatre.
Ralph George Macchio Jr. is an American actor, known for his roles as Daniel LaRusso in The Karate Kid and Cobra Kai, Eugene Martone in Crossroads, Bill Gambini in My Cousin Vinny, and Johnny Cade in The Outsiders. Additionally, he competed on the twelfth season of Dancing with the Stars.
Mario Cantone is an American comedian, writer and actor, with numerous appearances on Comedy Central including Chappelle's Show. He also played Anthony Marentino on Sex and the City. His style is fast-paced and energetic, with much of his humor coming from his impersonations of various characters ranging from his family members, to celebrities, to stereotypes.
In 2011, Ferranti appeared with former Sopranos Vincent Pastore and Frank Vincent in the action suspense feature Spy. Later that year, Ferranti appeared in the dramatic film Choose, which co-starred Michael J. Burg. [5]
Vincent Pastore is an Italian-American actor. Often cast as a mafioso, he is best known for his portrayal of Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero on the HBO series The Sopranos.
Frank Vincent Gattuso Jr., known professionally as Frank Vincent, was an American actor, musician, and author. He played prominent roles in the HBO series The Sopranos and in several films for director Martin Scorsese: Raging Bull (1980), Goodfellas (1990), and Casino (1995).
Michael James Burg is an American actor. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri.
On October 13, 2011, at the Triad Theater in New York City, Ferranti again teamed up with Charles Messina and Johnny Tammaro in a staged reading of Messina's play about the life of singer Dion called The Wanderer - the Life and Music of Dion. [6]
Dion Francis DiMucci, better known mononymously as Dion, is an American singer and songwriter whose work has incorporated elements of doo-wop, rock and R&B styles—and, most recently, straight blues. Initially as lead singer of Dion and the Belmonts and then in his solo career, he was one of the most popular American rock and roll performers of the pre-British Invasion era. He had 39 Top 40 hits in the late 1950s and early 1960s as a solo performer, with the Belmonts or with the Del Satins. He is best remembered for the singles "Runaround Sue", "The Wanderer", "Ruby Baby" and "Lovers Who Wander", among his other hits.
Ferranti made her directorial debut on March 29, 2012 as director of the Charles Messina play Fugazy at the 13th St Repertory Theater. The play, along with two other of Messina's one acts - Merging and Sick Bastids - were presented as a trilogy titled The Tenement Plays. The performances ran until April 1, 2012. [7]
Ferranti appeared at a fundraiser for the Abingdon Square Theatre on September 22, 2013. She was part of a group of actors including (in alphabetical order): Michael Barbieri, Anthony DeSando, Alfredo Diaz, Nick Fondulis, Khalid Gonçalves, Steven LaChioma, Tom Alan Robbins, Scott Seidman, and Johnny Tammaro, who read from three plays by writer/director Charles Messina. [8]
Ferranti was co-producer of the play Mercury: The Afterlife and Times of a Rock God [9]
Gina L. Gershon is an American actress, singer, and author. She had roles in the films Cocktail (1988), Showgirls (1995), Bound (1996), Face/Off (1997), The Insider (1999), Demonlover (2002), P.S. I Love You (2007), Five Minarets in New York (2010), Killer Joe (2011) and House of Versace (2013). She has also had supporting roles in FX's Rescue Me and HBO's How to Make It in America. She currently portrays the role of Gladys Jones on The CW teen drama series Riverdale.
Michael Cerveris is an American actor, singer, and guitarist. He has performed in many stage musicals and plays, including several Stephen Sondheim musicals: Assassins, Sweeney Todd, Road Show, and Passion. In 2004, Cerveris won the Tony Award as Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Assassins as John Wilkes Booth. In 2015, he won his second Tony Award as Best Actor in a Musical for Fun Home as Bruce Bechdel.
Lynne Koplitz is an American stand-up comedian and actress. Koplitz was host of Telepictures' nationally syndicated dating show Change of Heart, guest host on NBC's Later, co-host of the Food Network's How to Boil Water, and co-host of Sony Pictures syndicated talk show Life and Style. Her stand-up has appeared on a number of Comedy Central specials, including Premium Blend and Comedy Central Presents. She performed at the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal.
Christopher Messina is an American actor and film director. He has appeared in supporting roles in films such as Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Argo, Julie & Julia, Ruby Sparks, Celeste and Jesse Forever, and You've Got Mail. He starred in the film The Giant Mechanical Man. On television, he appeared in roles as Chris Sanchez in Damages, Reese Lansing in The Newsroom and as Danny Castellano in The Mindy Project, the latter of which earned him two nominations for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series.
The Triad Theatre, formerly known as Palsson's Supper Club, Steve McGraw's, and Stage 72, is a performing arts venue located on West 72nd Street on New York's Upper West Side. The theatre has been the original home to some of the longest running Off-Broadway shows including Forever Plaid, Forbidden Broadway, Boobs! The Musical and Secrets Every Smart Traveler Should Know
Desperate Measures is a musical comedy with music by David Friedman and book and lyrics by Peter Kellogg. The show won acclaim with Drama Desk Awards for Best Music and Best Lyrics, and Outer Critics Circle and Off-Broadway Alliance Awards for Best Musical from its run at the York Theatre in 2017.
Juliet Rylance is an English actress and producer, known for her roles in The Knick and McMafia.
Mercury: The Afterlife and Times of a Rock God is a monodrama written by Charles Messina about the life and death of Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury. It presents Mercury in the moments just after his death, during which he is confronted with self-examination as he "seeks redemption before a God unimpressed by his celebrity."
Khalid Gonçalves is a Portuguese American Muslim actor and musician who is best known for his portrayal of British rock icon Freddie Mercury in the Off Broadway play Mercury: The Afterlife and Times of a Rock God. He is also the co-founder of NahNotOutsideMyHouse! Productions.
Ted Kurdyla is an American film, television and stage producer.
Amir Darvish is an American actor who is best known for his portrayal of rock icon Freddie Mercury in the Off Broadway play Mercury: The Afterlife and Times of a Rock God.
Lost Cat Corona is a 2017 American comedy film written and directed by Anthony Tarsitano. The film stars Ralph Macchio, Gina Gershon, Paul Sorvino and Sean Young with David Zayas, Summer Crockett Moore and Anthony Ruivivar in supporting roles. A play-it-safe guy must search for his wife's missing cat, bringing him face-to-face with the colorful, wacky, and sometimes, the more dangerous element of his neighborhood, forcing him to confront his fears and rethink his M.O.
Mary Dimino is an American actress, comedian, author, solo show writer and performer.