BrooklynONE Productions celebrates 10-year anniversary with fundraiser at St. Patrick Catholic Academy

‘And Away We Go’ Honors Vince Mazza and Tom Kane Award Winners

November 15, 2016 By John Alexander Brooklyn Daily Eagle

From top left: Liz Townley, Anthony Marino, Jackie Samaha, Daniel Velez, Samantha Sottile, Adriane Cole. Bottom from left: Samantha Braga and Cristamarie DeVito. Eagle photos by Arthur De Gaeta

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On Saturday, Nov. 12, BrooklynONE (bkONE) hosted “And Away We Go — A 10-Year Anniversary Fundraiser,” at St. Patrick Catholic Academy in Bay Ridge. The event celebrated a decade of bkONE and honored 10 community leaders who had previously received the Vince Mazza Award. The event was sponsored by Investor’s Bank and the cocktail hour by Tommy Casatelli, Ho’brah Taco Joint, Pipin’s Pup and Barrows Intense Ginger Liqueur.

The concert was produced and directed by bkONE founder and Artistic Director Anthony Marino.

Marino told the Brooklyn Eagle, “This last decade has been one of incredible creativity and artistry. We were thrilled to bring old friends together for this fundraiser. We had some incredible performances by a group of incredibly talented vocalists. The cocktail hour was a lot of fun, too. We are grateful for the support over the years and look forward to what’s next.”

Production Manager Nicole Ferguson-Rodriguez, who served as co-producer of the event, said, “We’ve had a lot of fun producing some great events over the years, but putting together the 10-year anniversary was really something special.

“Presenting an awards-show-style fundraiser was so much fun, and the raffles and entertainment made for a hugely successful night!”

State Sen. Marty Golden attended the event, and the concert featured performances by Marino, Anton Koval, Liz Townley, Jackie Samaha, Daniel Velez, Stephanie Sottile, Adriane Cole, Samantha Braga, Dana DiAngelo, Matt Hunt, John Panepinto and Cristamarie DeVito.

Marino and the late Tom Kane founded bkONE as a haven for emerging artists to hone their craft in a theatrical environment. The goal was to bring original, experimental, off-Broadway-style theatre to their home community in Bay Ridge. Marino, a real estate salesperson with Dorsa Group Realty, an art director, actor and member of The Rhapsody Players, oversees bkONE.

Since its formation, bkONE has produced hundreds of original works. This fundraiser served as a salute to the past and a preview of the future.

Vince Mazza Award winners over the years have been Michael John Coluccio, Jeff Samaha, Marino, Arlene Keating, Dawn Barry Hansen, John Heffernan, Fred Grieco, Koval and Ferguson-Rodriguez. This year’s two new award recipients were Cole and Joe Appel. Mazza was a talented playwright from Bensonhurst who died in 2006.

In addition, Camille Orrichio Loccisano, Andrew Gerardi and Lauren Kelly received the Tom Kane Legacy Award. Kane was a beloved civic leader, journalist, actor and playwright. Kane wrote the popular “Citizen Kane” column for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. “Tom Kane Way,” on 88th Street and Colonial Road in Bay Ridge, was recently named in his honor.

Cole added, “Not only did I get to perform with my [favorite] bkONE productions people, but I was honored with the Vince Mazza award. It means a lot to me and I am grateful for all the endless theatre opportunities bkONE and Anthony Marino offer myself and the community. Tom Kane would have loved our anniversary bash and we’ll keep making him proud.”