Staten Island summer theater rises again for first time since COVID: ‘Emotional tie for all of us'
The borough's summer theater is operating again for the first time since COVID swept through the city half a decade ago — and the stars of the show are celebrating the return like a family reunion.
Ten families and countless friend connections make up the cast of this year's 'Fiddler on the Roof' production — relying on their close-knit links to bring the little Russian town of Anatevka to life on the CUNY College of Staten Island stage.
11 Lee Tennenbaum and BJ High rehearsing for their roles as Golde and Tevye in a production of 'Fiddler on the Roof' at the College of Staten Island on July 24, 2025.
N.Y.Post/Chad Rachman
11 High performing in a scene with Claire Scala (Fiddler) at rehearsal.
N.Y.Post/Chad Rachman
'It was really important for me to bring the connections that I had growing up so that it felt like an emotional tie for all of us,' said Bronwyn Fugate, the show's director and choreographer, to The Post.
'Myself and many of the cast members are community theater kids that grew up with our families doing theater,' Fugate said. 'We were the generation that would sit and watch our parents create lighting design or be the directors or be on the stage.
'It was a no-brainer that these were the people that I wanted to be the inhabitants of Anatevka because that is kind of the heartbeat, the pulse of Anatevka.'
More than 90 people auditioned for the inaugural community theater production show, with 46 people and an orchestra of 10 musicians making the final cut.
11 'Fiddler on the Roof' is the College of Staten Island's first summer theater production since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
N.Y.Post/Chad Rachman
11 The cast of 'Fiddler' rehearsing choreography for the show.
N.Y.Post/Chad Rachman
The cast and crew have been in intense rehearsals five days a week since the end of May — and have their eyes set on a July 31 opening night.
As grueling as the process has been, the players said they treat the experience like a homecoming and an excuse to spend time with one another — especially those who are sharing the stage with their own families.
BJ High, 46, said he is honored to play the leading man, the impoverished milkman Tevye, with his wife and son at his side.
11 BJ High, a retired NYPD officer, is performing alongside his wife Christie and son Liam.
N.Y.Post/Chad Rachman
11 The cast of 'Fiddler on the Roof' listening to notes from director Bronwyn Fugate during a rehearsal.
N.Y.Post/Chad Rachman
'We run lines at homes, in the kitchen, wherever we are, in the pool, in bed, and the basement, any room, we can,' said High, a retired NYPD officer, adding that he met wife, Christie, on stage during a 1998 performance of 'The Most Happy Fella.'
'If the kids aren't bothering us too much, I grab a script,' he said.
'We took a trip recently, and while I was driving, I'd have the two of them acting out scenes with me. It was great.'
11 High singing a song as Tevye with Amelia Gordon (Tzietel), left, and Adam Simancas (Motel the tailor).
N.Y.Post/Chad Rachman
The experience has been made even more special because of the message behind the play — which explores clinging to tradition during a time of political and social upheaval.
' 'The Fiddler' is about family, it's about tradition, and it's the perfect show for this cast with these people in this space, because it basically goes back to the ideas of the show,' said Peter Ascolese, 41, the play's costume designer.
'It's tradition, it's generations, it's being all together to do something special,' he said. 'Once I saw the cast list, I was like, how do I get involved?'
11 Katie Callahan, center poses with her daughter Claire, and father Ed during a rehearsal.
N.Y.Post/Chad Rachman
11 High in a scene with Katie Micha (Chava).
N.Y.Post/Chad Rachman
This year's show is dedicated to the memory of Jennifer Straniere, who ran the performing arts program at the College of Staten Island for 18 years before passing away in June 2021.
'Fiddler on the Roof' was chosen as this year's performance because Straniere fondly referred to it as her favorite — and one she, her husband and newborn daughter performed in together in 1984.
The father-daughter pair are back this summer to carry on Straniere's legacy on the stage, and this time with Strainiere's granddaughter in tow.
11 Judge Philip Staniere (Rabbi), left, poses with his daughter Amanda (Village Mama) and granddaughter Abby Hart (Bielke) during a rehearsal.
N.Y.Post/Chad Rachman
11 Katie Micha, right, poses with her aunt Lee Tennenbaum, second left, and cousins, Lucy Schnall, left, and Molly Schnall, second right, at a rehearsal for 'Fiddler on the Roof.'
N.Y.Post/Chad Rachman
Katie Micha, 30, who plays Chava, the youngest daughter of Tevye, also is taking the stage this year with her aunt and two cousins, a mission they call a 'family affair.'
'It's one of my favorite musicals ever. Besides the music being fabulous … it's just a really fabulous show, and I am so excited to be doing this,' Micha said.
'It's really cool to see the whole Staten Island theater community come together. It's very special. We all have known each other forever. All of our families know each other.'
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New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
Staten Island summer theater rises again for first time since COVID: ‘Emotional tie for all of us'
The lights are back up in Staten Island. The borough's summer theater is operating again for the first time since COVID swept through the city half a decade ago — and the stars of the show are celebrating the return like a family reunion. Ten families and countless friend connections make up the cast of this year's 'Fiddler on the Roof' production — relying on their close-knit links to bring the little Russian town of Anatevka to life on the CUNY College of Staten Island stage. 11 Lee Tennenbaum and BJ High rehearsing for their roles as Golde and Tevye in a production of 'Fiddler on the Roof' at the College of Staten Island on July 24, 2025. Rachman 11 High performing in a scene with Claire Scala (Fiddler) at rehearsal. Rachman 'It was really important for me to bring the connections that I had growing up so that it felt like an emotional tie for all of us,' said Bronwyn Fugate, the show's director and choreographer, to The Post. 'Myself and many of the cast members are community theater kids that grew up with our families doing theater,' Fugate said. 'We were the generation that would sit and watch our parents create lighting design or be the directors or be on the stage. 'It was a no-brainer that these were the people that I wanted to be the inhabitants of Anatevka because that is kind of the heartbeat, the pulse of Anatevka.' More than 90 people auditioned for the inaugural community theater production show, with 46 people and an orchestra of 10 musicians making the final cut. 11 'Fiddler on the Roof' is the College of Staten Island's first summer theater production since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Rachman 11 The cast of 'Fiddler' rehearsing choreography for the show. Rachman The cast and crew have been in intense rehearsals five days a week since the end of May — and have their eyes set on a July 31 opening night. As grueling as the process has been, the players said they treat the experience like a homecoming and an excuse to spend time with one another — especially those who are sharing the stage with their own families. BJ High, 46, said he is honored to play the leading man, the impoverished milkman Tevye, with his wife and son at his side. 11 BJ High, a retired NYPD officer, is performing alongside his wife Christie and son Liam. Rachman 11 The cast of 'Fiddler on the Roof' listening to notes from director Bronwyn Fugate during a rehearsal. Rachman 'We run lines at homes, in the kitchen, wherever we are, in the pool, in bed, and the basement, any room, we can,' said High, a retired NYPD officer, adding that he met wife, Christie, on stage during a 1998 performance of 'The Most Happy Fella.' 'If the kids aren't bothering us too much, I grab a script,' he said. 'We took a trip recently, and while I was driving, I'd have the two of them acting out scenes with me. It was great.' 11 High singing a song as Tevye with Amelia Gordon (Tzietel), left, and Adam Simancas (Motel the tailor). Rachman The experience has been made even more special because of the message behind the play — which explores clinging to tradition during a time of political and social upheaval. ' 'The Fiddler' is about family, it's about tradition, and it's the perfect show for this cast with these people in this space, because it basically goes back to the ideas of the show,' said Peter Ascolese, 41, the play's costume designer. 'It's tradition, it's generations, it's being all together to do something special,' he said. 'Once I saw the cast list, I was like, how do I get involved?' 11 Katie Callahan, center poses with her daughter Claire, and father Ed during a rehearsal. Rachman 11 High in a scene with Katie Micha (Chava). Rachman This year's show is dedicated to the memory of Jennifer Straniere, who ran the performing arts program at the College of Staten Island for 18 years before passing away in June 2021. 'Fiddler on the Roof' was chosen as this year's performance because Straniere fondly referred to it as her favorite — and one she, her husband and newborn daughter performed in together in 1984. The father-daughter pair are back this summer to carry on Straniere's legacy on the stage, and this time with Strainiere's granddaughter in tow. 11 Judge Philip Staniere (Rabbi), left, poses with his daughter Amanda (Village Mama) and granddaughter Abby Hart (Bielke) during a rehearsal. Rachman 11 Katie Micha, right, poses with her aunt Lee Tennenbaum, second left, and cousins, Lucy Schnall, left, and Molly Schnall, second right, at a rehearsal for 'Fiddler on the Roof.' Rachman Katie Micha, 30, who plays Chava, the youngest daughter of Tevye, also is taking the stage this year with her aunt and two cousins, a mission they call a 'family affair.' 'It's one of my favorite musicals ever. Besides the music being fabulous … it's just a really fabulous show, and I am so excited to be doing this,' Micha said. 'It's really cool to see the whole Staten Island theater community come together. It's very special. We all have known each other forever. All of our families know each other.'
Business Insider
10 hours ago
- Business Insider
She made a promise to her dying husband. Now, Chizuko Kimura is the first female sushi chef to earn a Michelin star.
Before he died, sushi chef Shunei Kimura had one last wish for his wife. Sushi Shunei, his namesake Paris restaurant, had just earned a Michelin star three months prior. He wanted its legacy to live on. Chizuko Kimura had only begun cooking a year before, helping her husband in the kitchen as he underwent cancer treatment. But she honored his dying wish. Three years later, Kimura became the first woman to receive a Michelin star as a sushi chef. Kimura told Business Insider she "couldn't believe it" when she first heard the news. Now, she's sharing her story in the hopes it will show women that anything is possible. Love with a side of sushi Kimura grew up in Odawara, about an hour from Tokyo. The ocean was nearby, so fresh seafood was always on her family's dinner table. "I still remember the smell of soy sauce that always filled the kitchen, so familiar and comforting," Kimura said. "I wasn't cooking yet, but those memories stayed with me — in my nose and on my tongue." "I grew up in an environment where food had an important place," she added. "Even though I never imagined I would work in that field one day." Kimura moved to Paris to begin working as a travel agent. One fateful day in 2004, she went to a sushi restaurant and met her future husband, who was working at the counter. A year later, they were married. Shunei Kimura spent three decades working at sushi restaurants before he decided to open his own at the age of 63. "He ended up fulfilling his two dreams: to open an edomae sushi restaurant under his name in Paris, and to earn a Michelin star," Kimura said about her husband. A new career Sushi Shunei was scheduled to open in 2020, but was delayed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kimura had been a tour guide but lost her job when much of the world went into lockdown, so she helped her husband open the restaurant. "He never said to me, 'Learn how to make sushi,'" Kimura recalled. "But he showed me everything, and I observed everything. I learned to prepare the fish, to cook the rice, to follow every detail." It was a crash course for a craft that typically takes a decade or more to perfect. But Kimura's husband had been diagnosed with liver cancer in 2015 and was getting sicker. "Normally, it takes many years to become a sushi chef, but I had to do it because Shunei couldn't use his hands sometimes," Kimura said. "Every day by his side was a learning experience. Even while sick, he never stopped teaching." Sushi Shunei opened on June 9, 2021, on Montmartre's hill in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. Nine months later, the traditional sushiya received its first Michelin star in the 2022 Michelin Guide. "He never complained, and no customer ever knew he was sick," Kimura said. "He received that star at the age of 65, three months before his passing." One last promise Kimura told BI that before her husband died, he asked her to keep his legacy alive with the restaurant. "He said to me, 'Could you keep this restaurant forever?'" Kimura recalled. "I have to continue. It's my duty." She even kept the restaurant open on the day he died. "I continued, because I knew that's what he wanted," Kimura said. "It wasn't a matter of strength. It was for him." However, it wasn't an easy transition, and Sushi Shunei lost its Michelin star in 2023. "It was a shock. I felt as if I had lost Shunei a second time," Kimura said. "I thought there might be no chance of getting the star back, but I didn't give up." "I turned that pain into obsession," she added. "I had to get it back. Not for me — for him." A star is born Kimura hired sushi chef Takeshi Morooka to help as she continued to hone her skills, even training at Michelin-starred restaurants in Japan. "Every morning, I got up to work. I continued day after day, without pause, I never stopped," Kimura said. "I told myself, 'I must give it my all. I must go all the way.' There was no alternative." "The customers were a great support," she added. "Some came several times just to encourage me. They told me they believed in me. Those words gave me courage." All that hard work paid off. When the 2025 Michelin Guide came out in March, the star was next to Sushi Shunei's name once again. Kimura was now not only a Michelin-starred chef but also the first female sushi chef in the world to earn such a distinction. "I thought of him, of Shunei," Kimura said. "I felt, deep inside, that I had not betrayed his memory. For me, this is not a new star — it's Shunei's star that I managed to win back. I only continued what we had started together." Kimura is committed to keeping that star next to Sushi Shunei's name. She hopes it will inspire women and anyone who has been told "that it was too late, or impossible." "Talent has no gender — only work and courage," Kimura said. "Maybe it seemed unthinkable that at age 50, I would begin a career as a sushi chef without ever having cooked before. But what Shunei passed on to me is faith in work and in determination." "If you hold on, if you believe in what you're doing, anything becomes possible," she added. "That is the greatest lesson."
New York Post
10 hours ago
- New York Post
Barbara Corcoran has facelifts every 10 years — and gets ear filler
There's only one question that the outspoken property guru Barbara Corcoran won't answer. Just how much does she spend on her plastic surgery? 'I'm not going to tell you,' she laughed. 'I know exactly how much, but I hesitate to say it out loud.' Advertisement The 76-year-old, who has amassed an estimated fortune of $100 million, recently regaled fans on social media with the full rundown of her cosmetic maintenance. 14 Barbara Corcoran admits she has had a facelift every 10 years since turning 50. Tamara Beckwith/ The 'Shark Tank' had her last facelift with Dr. Andrew Jacono five years ago — and reveals there are celebrity-favorite doctors in Manhattan who now charge more than $300,000 for a deep-plane face lift. Advertisement Corcoran who sold her real estate company, The Corcoran Group, in 2001 for $66 million, had her first facelift at 46. 'I do it every 10 years, that's my rhythm,' she told The Post. 'All of a sudden I noticed nobody was noticing me anymore on the street. I was invisible. 14 The real estate queen sent social media abuzz with her recent Instagram post about her various cosmetic procedures. @barbaracorcoran/Instagram 14 She detailed every treatment she's had — including three facelifts. @barbaracorcoran/Instagram Advertisement 'The guys weren't whistling, they weren't even turning their heads — nothing. [I was becoming] an invisible lady around town. And that really bothered me.' In June, Corcoran shared on Instagram that her list of procedures includes — among other things — 'three facelifts, lower eyelid skin pinch, filler four times a year, brow lift, professional teeth whitening, fractional 1550 laser once a year, and a clear and brilliant laser twice a year.' Also: 'an eye lift, neck lift, ear filler four times a year, fractional CO2 laser on face 1x a year and brow wax' once a month, along with at-home hair cut and color sessions every six weeks. 14 Corcoran said the one secret she won't reveal is how much she's spent on surgery and other procedures over the years. Tamara Beckwith/ Advertisement 14 Corcoran is moving into a new home on Fifth Avenue. Tamara Beckwith/ Corcoran made the bold decision to come forward in the wake of Kris Jenner confirming she had a $200,000 facelift with Dr. Steven Levine (who has also treated Brad Pitt), Kylie Jenner revealing details about her breast implants, and Khloé Kardashian opening up about various procedures. 'Heard the cool kids were sharing their plastic surgery secrets,' Corcoran said in her post. 'Well, the reason I put that post out was because there was so much hoopla about Kris Jenner — and it was kind of like a vote of support, like join the bandwagon,' she told The Post while sitting in her sleek Park Avenue apartment on a recent Thursday morning. 14 The 'Shark Tank' star says she wants to be open about her cosmetic work so people don't feel bad about themselves. @barbaracorcoran/Instagram 'The real reason I do it, and I'm being very upfront about my facelifts, is because I noticed that when you look better than your peers and they know how old you are, it makes them feel badly,' Corcoran added. 'So I did it mostly to come clean right away. I just didn't want people to think less of themselves, you know, because a lot of people don't have the money to keep up after that stuff.' She admits she hasn't always been so open about her cosmetic work. After having her first eye lift she fled to Greece for a vacation with her five sisters and young son, Tom Higgins, because she didn't want anyone in New York City to see her. Advertisement 'I gave up that shame factor on my full facelift that I got like five years later,' she said, 'And the pain was the worst of all the facelifts because I didn't know what to expect and I took the drugs for three days. 14 She has been married to husband Bill Gibbons for 36 years. Barbara Cocoran/ Instagram As for how much pain she is willing to endure to look good, Corcoran said, 'I'm very good with pain, so I didn't find any of the facelifts very painful. 'Now I don't even take the drugs — it's just like, 'Get over it.' But you know what was the most painful? I recently had laser treatment on my neck and I could hardly tolerate the pain for five days. I would never do it again just to make my skin better on my neck. I had the worst pain, much more so than facelifts.' Advertisement Ear filler — what even is that? 'It's so damn smart!' Corcoran exclaims. She uses her ears as a sort of canary in the coal mine: When her ear filler starts to disappear, she said, it's a sign that it's time to get her other fillers re-upped. 14 Corcoran is mom to Tom (far right, next to his wife Lia) and daughter Katie, far left. She also has three step-daughters, Shani, Sandi, and Lori, with husband Bill Gibbons. Barbara Cocoran/ Facebook 'Particularly if I have a season of 'Shark Tank' coming up, I want to know when I should go back in there,' she said. 'The minute my ear gets thin, I go, 'Uh-oh, time to go in.'' Advertisement And while being on TV is a big reason for her desire to keep up appearances, Corcoran said viewers might not even recognize her on the street. 'I don't really wear makeup when I'm not working. I walk down the street really looking vastly different. I like it because I wear a baseball cap. I don't wear sunglasses, but I dress in my most comfortable, oldest clothes I own … nobody recognizes me,' she said. 14 Corcoran and her beloved pup Max. Tamara Beckwith/ 'I go around town, I have no eyes, no eyebrows, no lips, because I'm very fair. So my face really disappears. I can really walk around that way and be very happy because nobody's bothering me.' Advertisement But even when she is going to a friend's house for dinner, she puts on her full face and plays it up. 'There's a different expectation for me,' Corcoran said. 'I don't want them saying behind my back when I leave, 'She's not looking good, Oh my god'!' 14 Corcoran said she once pondered running for mayor of New York. Tamara Beckwith/ Unsurprisingly, everyone she knows asks her about the next areas of smart real-estate investment in NYC. Right now, Corcoran is pointing them toward Two Bridges — the downtown, East Side neighborhood around the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges that she calls a 'phenomenal area' — as well as Queens, especially Breezy Point. Corcoran, who recently sold her beloved Upper East Side penthouse for $12 million, plans to spend her time between her home on Fire Island and a new apartment on Fifth Avenue, which she is about to move into with her husband, former FBI agent Bill Higgins, and their 19-year-old daughter, Katie. New York is in her 'veins,' and she is adamant she will never move — although there are quality of life issues that infuriate her, like how utilitarian products including toilet paper and toothpaste are kept under lock and key at pharmacies due to shoplifting: 'You'd think it was diamonds, for God's sakes.' 14 Corcoran has had a 'second act' with NBC's 'Shark Tank.' ABC 14 'Shark Tank' will return to NBC in September. The sharks are Kevin O'Leary, Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Peter Jones, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, and Daymond John. ABC via Getty Images And while she admits that Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani 'ran a wonderful social media campaign' ahead of the primary, 'I think that he's going to have a lot of opposition because the real estate community has piled up against him. 'He used word that are like the worst words in the real-estate language: rent freeze. That is a sure-shot way of getting people to pit against you … everybody who owns a building in New York knows if you can't raise the rent, you can't pay for the maintenance. You have to pay for the new boiler, the new lobby, everybody that you have to take care of if you're a landlord.' 14 Corcoran and Gibbons recently sold their NYC penthouse for more than $12 million. Barbara Cocoran/ Instagram Has the colorful, well-connected Corcoran ever considered running for Mayor? 'There was some committee like 20 years ago that asked me to run for mayor,' she revealed. Although she thought it might be 'fun,' her mother changed her mind by telling her that politics is 'such a filthy business, why would you want to get involved?' Still, Corcoran added, 'I'm sure I would win — because I'm a good salesman and I know how to market. It's just about marketing yourself. But … I would hate the job. I would be hate being political. And I have the worst mouth that gets me in trouble all the time because I always tell it like it is. That never goes over in politics very well.' 14 Her 'Shark Tank' career 'justifies my facelift money,' she said. Tamara Beckwith/ Besides, 'Shark Tank' keeps her busy. After selling her business, she missed her work 'terribly' and was thrilled when the show provided her a 'whole second career.' She returns for the 16th season of the NBC hit in September. 'I'm good at spotting talent,' she said of her TV gig. 'How really lucky am I? And that justifies my facelift money!'
