Anna Fontana De Marco

My parents were from a small town in Sicily and migrated to South Philly where I was born, along with my fraternal twin, Gaetano. The restaurant they opened downtown in the Italian Market area was named after my brother and it did so well we were able to re-locate uptown to Rittenhouse Square. Now, I am the only one left of the four of us. God knows what happened to Guy. One day he walked out the door to go to the market. That was it. Gone. My sons Marc and Domenic are with me now. My former husband Nick rarely comes around and sometimes stays away for months. I used to think that when I was older, I’d know everything, I’d have all the answers. I thought when my sons would ask me, “What should I do, Ma?” I’d know exactly what to say. But nobody ever told me all the answers. They act as if they know everything, but you know how much they don’t know, because you know how much you don’t know.

On April 29, 2013 We had the good fortune of having the very talented Lisa LoCicero reading the part of Anna and showcasing CENTER CITY in West Hollywood at Celebration Theatre. It speaks well of her talent that she was able to interpret the part of an older woman. She did bring elan and panache to the reading, showcasing Anna as she ought to be.

The Passion of Marc

One of the compelling storylines in the “bible” of Center City is that of former prfiest Marc De Marco. Marc left the friary where lived in common with other priests and brothers, among whom is his mentor and sometime lover Father Jacob Scaletta. His relationship with the older cleric propelled him to leave religious life and re-examine his identity as a professional Christian and a gayman. His story examines much of the hypocrisy that exists within the Church regarding sexuality.

Marc De Marco was well liked and much admired for the brief time he taught at Ascension High School run by the Ascensionist Friars. That he was a faculty advisor for the athletic department made him even more sought after by students. However, his placement on that pedestal did not make his struggles any easier. The handsome young cleric was tortured by things present and past. His personal gods showed him no mercy. In fact there didn’t seem to be much difference between the gods and demons within him.

He comes off as strong and calming, but the demeanor belies his inner turmoil.
Jacob is not about to let him go, and there is always Tommy Avalon waiting in the wings.

It is our fond hope to involve scenes with landmark Philadelphia venue the Bike Stop, a place with a rich history. It would be great to tell the story of this triangle and these three men using Philly’s well known leather/sports bar.

Pictured: David Moretti as Marc and Brian Gaskill as Father Jacob for the staged reading of Center City at Celebration Theatre 29 April 2013 in west Hollywood. David Moretti was attached to this project as Marc and Brian Gaskill was a revelation as Father Jacob

Soaps In Depth Comes to Center City

Thank you to all the fine talent and the wonderful Chris Eades.

Lisa LoCicero Comes to Center City

If there is anyone who can carry off the ominous character of Olivia Falconeri it is the formidable actress Lisa LoCicero. The natural beauty has been on screens big and small for the last fifteen years. She has been on three ABC Daytime Serials. Seems at least in this case the Alphabet Network is taking advantage of a good thing. 

About.com has this to say: Beautiful, sexy, but tough, Lisa LoCicero started in daytime as Jocelyn Roberts Brown on Loving in its final season, and then stayed with the character when the show was spun off as The City. When The City ended in 1997, she moved into film (The Family Man, Rush Hour 2) and television roles... In 2001, after [the birth of her son] she took a small break, doing voice overs. From 2004-2007, she played the role of Maria Storm in the series Reno 911! In 2004, she also appeared on One Life to Live as Sonia Toledo Santi. In the fall of 2008, LoCicero again entered daytime as Olivia Falconeri, Kate Howard's cousin, on General Hospital, and has proven to be immensely popular with the fans.

We are proud to announce that the very talented Lisa LoCicero will read the part of Anna Fontana DeMarco for the staged reading of the Center City pilot.


CENTER CITY COMES TO WEST HOLLYWOOD MONDAY APRIL 29 7:00-9:00 PM



New York, New York (April 17, 2013) --12th & Latona Productions in conjunction with John Colella and Giovanni Vitacolonna are pleased to announce a staged table reading for the pilot for CENTER CITY, a television series created by Mr Vitacolonna. Actors attached to the series who will be participating are: Lisa LoCicero (General Hospital, Reno 911), Don Jeffcoat (Eagle Eye, One Life to Live), Colton Ford (Naked Fame, The Lair), David Moretti (Scrooge and Marley, The Lair), Richie Nuzzolese (Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night", Voodoo Academy 2), Danny Donnelly (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen) and Daphne Di Cinto (Gente di Mare).

The acting communities in Philadelphia and New York have lent overwhelming support to CENTER CITY. Now it's a great opportunity to stage our pilot in Los Angeles. This is a rich and complex story taking place in the heart of Philadelphia. The script is especially well received across the board. The reading in California will provide a focus group experience and an opportunity for potential supporters to have a first hand experience of this great character driven story. 

 - CONTACT: Giovanni Vitacolonna (papag@center-city.net 646.246.6346) John Colella (jc@johncolella.com)

Gay South Philly Life in Spotlight

L-R Colton Ford, Daphne Di Cinto, Richie Nuzzolese, David Moretti

Gay, S. Philly life in spotlight: South Philly native Giovanni Vitacolonna is on the path to realizing his dream of creating TV series “Center City” — about an Italian family in Philadelphia. The project, which began as a satire ...

Danny Donnelly Comes to Center City

 Danny Donnelly is an actor, writer, artist, and voice over artist from the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia, PA. Donnelly has worked hard to establish himself as a serious and versatile actor. He has appeared in over 25 independent short and feature length films playing leading, supporting, and minor roles. In the summer of 2009 he worked as the double for “Dennis’” in the hit show, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. In September of 2010, he made his stage debut playing “K.B.”, the depressed, bullied, and suicidal teenager, in the award winning stage play, When The Smoke Cleared. Danny also reprised this role when the play was brought back to the stage for the IChoose2Live anti-bullying campaign based on his character “KB” in February of 2011. Since then, Danny has been involved in five other theater productions. On his free time Danny enjoys, writing, drawing, painting, and photography. We are proud to announce that Danny is now attached to CENTER CITY, the television series created by Giovanni Vitacolonna in the role of Tommy Avalon.

The Table Read In Philly

Richie Nuzzolese (Domenic De Marco) Daphne Di Cinto (Valerie Festa)

Center City Sizzles

Center City: The Pilot

Three magnificent men joining the table read on February 17, 2013 in Philadelphia!

Colton Ford, David Moretti, Richie Nuzzolese

Making It Happen

                                               

 We are looking forward to our table reading which will take place in Philadelphia on Sunday February 17, 2013 at the United Republican Club 3156 Frankford Ave. We are hoping to bring out current cast members from the West Coast. Attendance is free. Take a moment to check out the project on Indiegogo and also share it with your friends.  All the tools are there.  Get perks, make a contribution, or simply follow updates, If enough of us get behind it, we can make 'CENTER CITY: The Pilot' happen. Giovanni Vitacolonna papag@center-city.net