A window on the Gayborhood

American Caponata: It's A Philly Thing

Center City, the series, is well worth the effort. It is based in Philadelphia. The Greater Philadelphia Film Office, a non-profit economic development agency committed to the growth of the regional film and video production industry, can " provide the producer free assistance with parking, permits, labor, and locations, and generally act as the liaison between the production and the local community, cutting red tape as we go." It is unique and adaptable to any premium outlet.

In the first chapter of A Sweet and Sour Romance (Gay Men's Press 1982) the narrator articulates a recipe for deconstructed caponata. Caponata is a classic Sicilian dish often describe as a relish. The secret is to cook each ingredient separately as to retain the integrity of its taste. A deconstructed caponata is a tapestry of color and taste. It is an exceptional salad, an agrodolce, meaning bittersweet or sweet and sour. A delicious metaphor for life.

The story of Center City is all about diversity. The narrator is a Latino former call boy who introduces the parts of this caponata with aplomb. He is someone who has been there and done that. His soft spot, if not an Achilles heel, is his love for Italian American Marc, an ex-priest. the son maternal, formidable, and yet sexy Anna. Tommy introduces us to Anna and her family who sit in Church at a memorial service for her fraternal twin brother Gaetano who has not been seen or  heard from for 7 years, “Anna. I can't say enough about this woman. Except to say that if this memorial is important to her, it's important to me. I loved her brother. I love her.”

The story telling is initiated through the eyes of sous chef Tommy, a reformed rent boy who has a connection to almost every character.

This story sheds a light on the Church and what its ministers are, with an emphasis on their relationships to and with each other. We have something to say about the fluidity of sexuality, mature women, single motherhood, MUSIC, FOOD, non-stereotypical Italians and subtle humor. Well, there may be something stereotypical here and there. Stereotypes do exist.

The gay men here are an integral part of the story telling. Center City, Philadelphia is home to the Gayborhood. 

Italian Americans are an important part of the American world view. In Philadelphia. Italian Americans and Black Americans are inextricably connected here emphasizing the beauty of interracial relationships. The characters in this ensemble have a colorful history. It is a passionate universe. There is nothing like it in television land.

I am selling a well marinated caponata.

Giovanni Vitacolonna

text: 646.246.6346

 

 

Pitching Center City

In the long history of the development of Center City there existed the idea of pitching it to ABC and SoapNet with Frank Valentini as the Executive Producer. Agnes Nixon's creations, All My Children and One Life to Live were based in a fictional suburban Philadelphia where the inhabitants were often going to Center City, which is what Philadelphians call their downtown area.

The critical success of General Hospital's Nightshift was the inspiration. In an earlier incarnation Center City was called Between Two Rivers. We decided to draw on that history and that of the wonderful characters in Pine Valley and Llanview and have them crossover to interact with the Fontana-De Marcos and other core families who live in a fictional Philadelphia.

It's unfortunate that iAgnes Nixon's "stories" are no more. SoapNet, too, disapeared. There is  still a strong, solid market for storytelling with a long story arc. While Center City is not precisely a Soap Opera in the sense of Daytime TV's "stories" it is a serial drama with a long story arc and rich back story. We're convinced there is a place for it and we continue to pitch it where we think appropriate. The biggest hurdles are to get the right people to look at the solid pilot script and the unique story behind it as well as attaching the right people.

It could be a mini-series or a series extending for ten episodes every season. The Bible is and we know exactly where this story is going. The back story is very clear and rich.

The center of the action is an Italian restaurant in Philly's Rittenhouse Square. A divorced Sicilian American mother of two grown sons struggles with the disappearance/death of her fraternal twin and a partner in the restaurant she now runs to keep the family legacy alive. There is an ensemble cast of characters depicting the tapestry of the Philadelphia ethnic landscape. In addition to the Italian matriarch, Anna--the most central of the matriarchs, there are matriarchal characters like Marlena, Rita, Norina and Annunziata,

Our stage readings have been memorable. General Hospital's Lisa LoCicero brought Anna to life at West Hollywood's Celebration Theatre.

Actors tend to love it: "I just finished Center City and I’m really impressed. Your dialogue is real and witty and often moving– it rolls off an actor's tongue. On a personal level, its so refreshing to a read an authentic story about a piece of my beloved hometown … you have juicy, interesting, three dimensional characters living in a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing this wonderful story with me." ~ actor/playwright Mark Borkowski (Boardwalk Empire)

Contact: Giovanni papag@center-city.net

Cassatelle di Catania

 My grandmother who was from Mineo (CT) Sicily and lived in Catania prior to sailing to America made these delectable sweets which we the American born called sweet ravioli. Referring to them as such made the search for the actual recipe almost impossible until I discovered the true name, cassatelle -- little cassattas.

Cassatelle Siciliane (Cassateddi)

500 gr di farina grano duro.

zucchero, 50 gr

strutto, 40 gr

Vino Bianco 250.ml.

Buccia di limone (o arancia)

Ingredienti per la crema di ricotta:

ricotta di pecora ben scolata, 500 gr

zucchero a velo o zucchero semolato macinato finemente, 150 gr

cannella, 1 pizzico

Per decorare: zucchero

Preparazione:
1. Per preparare l’impasto iniziamo a formare una fontana e mettere strutto zucchero e vino. Continuiamo a  lavorare  e formiamo un impasto  mettiamolo in una pellicola trasparente  e lo lasciamo in frigo  x 2 ore.
2. Intanto procediamo con la preparazione della crema mescolando gli ingredienti tutti insieme per riporla poi in frigo.
3.  Prendiamo il nostro impasto dal frigo e formiamo diverse palline da 90 grammi. Stendiamole e farciamole e ricordiamo di chiudere a forma di mezzaluna.

4. A questo punto friggiamole in abbondante olio bollente e appena risulteranno dorate scoliamole e passiamole nello zucchero

 .

 

Lisa LoCicero Comes to Center City

Lisa LoCicero comes to CENTER CITY

The formidable actress is set to interpret a major role!

[Philadelphia, PA, June 18, 2018] We are thrilled to announce that Lisa LoCicero has agreed to join this exciting TV project set in Philadelphia. Lisa is no stranger to this exciting new pilot,  helping us a few years back at West Hollywood's Celebration Theater for a staged reading. Lisa led the other actors in bringing all our wonderful characters to life. If there is anyone who can carry off the ominous character of Olivia Falconeri on General Hospital it is this formidable actress. The natural beauty has been on screens big and small for more than a few years. She has been on three ABC Daytime Serials. Seems the Alphabet Network is taking advantage of a good thing.

Beautiful, sexy, but tough, Lisa LoCicero started 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. 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 on General Hospital. She has proven to be immensely popular with the fans.

We are thrilled to have the formidable Lisa LoCicero as part of the CENTER CITY team.

Center City: The Pitch

CENTER CITY

Giovanni Vitacolonna

Logline: A woman now finds herself in charge of a bustling downtown restaurant with her two sons as she struggles to keep her legacy alive while overcoming the dramas of her past.

Tag: “If secrets be the food of love, there’s a feast in Center City. Come hungry.”

Anna and her two handsome sons run a successful Italian restaurant on Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia. This is a passionate world full of warmth, food, music and a lot of history that will start to unravel and reveal the truth. Each character is a vivid piece of the puzzle. We are at a buffet table of emotions, good, bad and everything in between.


The pilot was written by Giovanni Vitacolonna and edited by David A Gregory.

  

THE CHARACTERS:

Anna Fontana De Marco: 50. Attractive, Sicilian American restaurant owner of Gaetano's. Feminine, yet formidable. A matriarch who loves her two sons more than anything. Opinionated and controlling yet caring at the same time. She yearns to love again. 

Marc De Marco: 30. Tall, athletic and hauntingly attractive. Appears calm and in control to the world but beneath the surface lies a tortured soul. Struggles with his homosexuality, his decision to leave the priesthood and his specific sexual proclivity. It is through the telling of Marc’s story that the Church is taken to task. Possible gay sexual nudity.

   

Domenic De Marco: 25. Italian-American. Strikingly good looking. Confident, cocky and flirtatious, but very much in love with his fiancée. Both street and book smart, he keeps his educated life under wraps so as not to distance himself too much from "the neighborhood" where his family is from, South Philly. Possible sexual nudity. 

Valerie Festa: 25. Strikingly beautiful Afro-Italian, Single mother. Very much in love with her fiancé, Domenic De Marco. Her singing can mesmerize you. Positive and forward thinking despite the hardships that she has faced in life.  An activist and advocate for HIV/AIDS causes. Possible sexual nudity

Thomas "Tommy" Avalon (Alvarez): mid to late 20's. Handsome and athletic but the weight of his struggles are worn on his face. The sous-chef at Gaetano's but eager for more responsibility. Secretly in love with Marc. Not an alcoholic, but when we first meet him he has a reliance upon alcohol to soothe his demons. Puerto Rican. A former male prostitute. Possible gay sexual nudity. 

Nicola “Nick” De Marco (50) is a charming rapscallion once married to Anna and father to Domenic and Marc. He has a reputation for being a womanizer and an absentee father. His goal is to redeem himself to a certain extent with his family. He “sits” on many solutions to the puzzle.

Mike Sheehan: (38). Ruggedly handsome, Irish American. A charming rogue that may or may not be connected to the mob. He is a bartender at the restaurant and a former cop. His personable demeanor should not be cause to underestimate him. He has the ability to go from charming to deadly in the blink of an eye.

Marlena Hightower Festa:  50s. Majestic, African American woman. A doctor specializing in infectious diseases. Intelligent and outspoken, she isn't afraid of anyone...not even Anna De Marco. Her daughter, Valerie, is the pride and joy of her life. 

Gianni Festa 50s is a gentle soul and a musician. It is through him that Valerie gets her love of music. He adores his daughter and is a very protective father and adoring husband. He plays the guitar and used to tour as a folk-rock musician

Agato Terranova (55-60) is the most enigmatic of the bunch, very inscrutable and may very well be part of the mob. It behooves him to let Eleanora, his “Norina” to take center stage—that way less attention is paid to him.

Rita Avalon (Alvarez) (50s) is from the old neighborhood. She has a history Mike. She is very devoted to her surviving son Tommy and wants to help him “rise up.” She wants Mike back and is, therefore, something of a foil for Anna. She is Puerto Rican with Sephardic heritage and loves the occult.

Gaetano Fontana (43-50) Anna’s fraternal twin and Nick’s best friend is an artistic soul who is also an executive chef. He almost has celebrity status as the original “star” of the restaurant his disappearance and/or possible death is the trigger for the plot.

Eleanora “Norina” De Marco Terranova (47) is a generally happy and caring person, more devoted to her former sister-in-law than her own brother. She loves a good time, she is also caring and wise. Her catch phrase is ‘una calatt’ i.e. tutto in una calata  (down the hatch). Her secret: she fears her husband may have mob ties.

Enrico “Harry” Terranova: 25. Italian-American. Recently deployed to the Middle East and now back home. He is his mother’s pride and joy and confounds his father, Agato. Heis brooding but best friend to his more expansive cousin, Domenic.

Filomena DeMarco: 75. Old school South Philly matron, somewhat demented. She drinks and smokes. Something of a Greek chorus. A bit of comic relief now and then.

Jacob Scaletta (45) is for all intents and purposes a good priest who teaches at the local high school. He is a powerful, athletic man with a wrestling obsession and an erotic asphyxiation fetish. He is in love with Marc. The combination of all of the above does him in.

Joe “Jungle Joe” Avalon (deceased) is a contemporary of Marc’s. He was brought up by Rita. He worked for Agato. He is a swarthy tough guy, whose life and death touch more than one character.

Lorenzo Festa (6) is Valerie’s son, curly headed tyke who, like his mother, is Italian and Black. He is smart and something of a handful. The revelation of his paternity is pivotal for this character driven story.


Italians are the spice of life and while not everyone in Center City is Italian, it is Anna and family who are the nucleus and set the stage. The history of the Fontana-De Marcos and their network of friends and family is at the center of the story. It will provide ample opportunity for back story. Where in the world is Gaetano Fontana? Is he really dead? The answer to that question and other unresolved secrets provide a backdrop for the ensuing character driven story. “A bottle of red, a bottle of white, it all depends upon your appetite. I’ll meet you any time you want in our Italian restaurant.” (Billy Joel). The tapestry of the diversity of Philadelphia culture is the backdrop for our story.

This passionate world will draw you into a complex yet endearing group of identifiable people dealing with such issues as interpersonal relationships, the hypocrisy of organized religion, gay story lines and a touch of the mob.  Anna Fontana is a South Philly girl moved uptown to Center City and Rittenhouse Square. She wants to maintain the upward mobility of her family.  Anna wants to maintain control over events and things, even those over which she has no control. While she likes to run the show, she loves her family, even those who are no longer around.

Giovanni Vitacolonna

12th & Latona Productions                                                       Telephone:  646.246.6346

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.