"White Christmas" made into a dinner-theater production to benefit The Center for Women and Families

The
songs and story of Irving Berlin’s classic, “White Christmas,” will come alive
at a dinner-theater presentation to benefit The Center for Women and Families.
The event takes place Dec. 21 and 22 at Vazzano’s Four Seasons, 377 Kenyon St.,
Stratford.

The
show is being produced and directed by Nancy Lessard of Shelton, and Scott
Sisbarro. Lessard explains that all the music is what we expect from “White
Christmas,” but the pair has transformed the general in the movie into the
show’s narrator. The cast is composed of area local talent, many of them
musical theater majors at colleges throughout the United States.

“It is
an absolutely magical story,” Lessard says. “It is the story of friendship and
of loyalty. There are so many great messages in the story, showing what is
truly important in life. If exudes the message of Christmas. And if this year
is a success, we would like to make this an annual event.”

“We are
thankful to Nancy Lessard and Scott Sisbarro, and the wonderful cast they have
put together for this event,” says Debra Greenwood, CEO and President of The
Center. “They all embody the true spirit of the holiday season. It is people
like them that help us in our mission, to turn victims of domestic and sexual
violence into survivors. Without supporters, our mission would fail.”

Bill
D’Andrea is the show’s musical director. Lead cast members include: Tyler
Angotto of Fairfield, a junior at Wagner College;  Steve Autore of Fairfield, a junior at Elon
University; Rachel Barlaam of Fairfield, a senior at the University of
Maryland; Emily Lessard of Shelton, a senior at Elon University;  Jennifer Nivison of Monroe, a student at
Jockey Hollow Middle School; and Peter Pulaski, Sr., the Yale Golf Pro; and Sabrina
Toole of Westport, a senior, at St. Joseph High School.

The
ensemble includes Noreen Butala of Monroe, a sophomore at St Joseph High
School;

Evan Byron
of Trumbull, a chemistry teacher at Norwalk High School; Alec Ciambriello
of Shelton, a freshman at Manhattanville College; Sarah Guiaquinto of Trumbull,
a student at Madison Middle School; Stacey Hazen of Greenwich, a student at
Greenwich High School; Ali Julian or Stratford,  a graduate student at
Southern University; Marissa Lindquist of Monroe, a senior at Southern
University; Nicolette Massaro of Monroe, a freshman at Endicott College; Olivia
Massaro of Monroe, a freshman at Masuk High School; Marcelle Morrisey of
Trumbull, a sophomore at Southern University; and Carson Stewart of Darien, a
sophomore at Darien High School.

About The Center for
Women and Families

The
Center for Women and Families of Eastern Fairfield County Inc. has been helping
those in crisis for 116 years, providing free, confidential, bilingual services
to victims of domestic violence, child abuse and sexual assault who live in
Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford and Trumbull. Additionally,
each year, The Center teaches more than 7,000 children and teens about how to
build healthy relationships, the dangers of bullying and how to prevent dating
violence; answers more than 2,000 calls on its 24-hour crisis hotline; assists
with the civil and criminal court processes for more than 3,000 survivors of
domestic violence; responds to more than 300 survivors of sexual assault and
their families; provides a safe home for more than 100 women and children
fleeing domestic abuse; and coordinates the investigations of more than 100
cases of child sexual and severe physical abuse, developing service plans for
the young survivors and their families. For more information, visit www.cwfefc.org.