Upper East Side Residents Shine in Nonprofit Blue Hill Troupe Performance of “City of Angels”

The Blue Hill Troupe, the only musical theater group in New York City to donate its net proceeds to charity, performs “City of Angels,” April 21 – April 29, at El Teatro of El Museo del Barrio (1230 Fifth Avenue at 104th Street). Several Upper East Side residents appear in the production. Sandy Kennedy plays Luther; Rebecca Grady appears as Angel City 4 Soprano; and Maria Plantilla and Ron Romaine are part of the ensemble. All proceeds from the Blue Hill Troupe’s production will benefit Rocking the Boat.

Sandy Kennedy is a retired Substance Abuse Counselor, former actor (he appeared on Broadway in the original cast of The King & I), Naval Officer and banker. He became involved as a volunteer with the Blue Hill Troupe in 1989 and was President of the nonprofit in 2001-2002. Sandy is excited to portray the role of Luther, as the role has physical restraints on his characterization which present him with an interesting challenge. “City of Angels” marks his 29th Blue Hill Troupe production.

Rebecca Grady is an Executive Assistant for an investment firm. This is her first year as a volunteer with the Blue Hill Troupe. In the part of Angel City 4 Soprano, Rebecca is a member of the character Jimmy Powers’ backup singers. Rebecca is looking forward to seeing how the world of cinema and theater collide on stage.

Maria Plantilla is the Vice President, Human Resources at Rakuten Marketing LLC, and Ron Romaine is a retired stock analyst. Maria became involved as a volunteer with the Blue Hill Troupe last Fall, and Ron has been a volunteer since 1966. Ron portrays background characters and Maria participates in the chorus.

“‘City of Angels’ is a show people really love, but it doesn’t get produced very often because it requires considerable production values,” says Jennifer Dorre, Blue Hill Troupe’s President. “We’re fortunate that we have those capabilities and are very excited to give New Yorkers a chance to see this rarely performed gem.”

Set in the glamorous, seductive Hollywood of the 40s, the world of film studios and flimsy negligees, “City of Angels” chronicles the misadventures of Stine, a young novelist, attempting to write a screenplay of one of his detective novels. Each scene he writes comes to life on stage, starring his hardboiled detective alter-ego, Stone. As Stone’s life in the film plot gets more complicated, so does Stine’s personal and professional life, until the point when the two plots intersect. The amazing double score and story do what all good movies should, eventually winding up with two happy endings.

Tickets to “City of Angels” are on sale now and range from $30.00 - $110.00, and can be purchased at http://bht.org/events/city-of-angels/. Performances are April 21, 28, and 29 at 7:30 PM, April 22 and 29 at 2:00 PM, and April 23 at 3:00 PM.

Every year since 1924, the Blue Hill Troupe has come together for a season of revelry celebrating its three great passions: Theater, Charity and Community. The Troupe’s efforts are rooted in a tradition of performing a Gilbert & Sullivan operetta, and the group also presents a musical theater production as well as a concert series. Since its inception in 1924, adjusted for inflation, the Blue Hill Troupe has donated over $7 million to New York City charities. For more information about the Blue Hill Troupe, please visit www.bht.org, Facebook.com/BHT.org and @BlueHillTroupe.