A line in “Happy Talk,” penned by Oscar Hammerstein II for “South Pacific,” advises: “You gotta have a dream; if you don’t have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true?”
Dreams do come true, according to playwrights Katherine Planker and Tara Giovannone, a grandmother and granddaughter team who are equal parts beauty, brains and a splash of Broadway. The dynamic duo are reveling in delight that the musical they’ve written together will soon be playing at the Vero Beach Theatre Guild.
“I’ve always dreamed of being on Broadway!” Giovannone says with enthusiasm. “Having our original play, ‘The 28th Street Boarding House,’ performed at the Vero Beach Theatre Guild is a major step toward this dream.”
Planker, a lithe and beautiful nonagenarian of some 90-plus years, has been involved in the arts for decades. Giovannone, a delightful combination of glamour and intellect, grew up in Vero Beach, performing on stage from grammar school through high school.
The relationship between grandmother and granddaughter is inspiring. Their deep yet easy, loving exchanges have been developed over a lifetime of mutual admiration and influences. When the two put their talents together, they saw the potential for a legitimate theatrical collaboration and “The 28th Street Boarding House” was born.
Originally from North Bergen, N.J., Planker moved to Florida in 2001. While in New Jersey, she composed albums for children’s dancing school and was an oil painter. She has also worked in interior decorating, fashion design and millinery.
“I’m a visual artist in all genres and mediums. The combination of these experiences led me to theater. So, when I moved to Florida, I started writing plays for our senior population and word got around that other senior communities wanted me to put on shows,” Planker explains.
Planker purchased the inventory from Miami Florida Follies Costumes and added a vibrant theatrical touch to her plays, which she wrote and directed for the Cascades at St. Lucie West and King’s Isle in Port St. Lucie.
From comedies and murder mysteries to drama and teaching senior dancing, she was having an exciting new life, one that continued for 16 years.
“But something was missing in the routines. In a single word what was missing were MEN,” says Planker, causing grandmother and granddaughter to laugh heartily about the observation.
After putting out a BOLO for senior men, she quickly assembled a group she dubbed the Broadway Boys. When they were bad, Planker says she called them the Broadway Bad Boys.
Giovannone’s first taste of community theater was, coincidentally, at the Vero Beach Theatre Guild as the Artful Dodger in “Oliver!”
“Growing up, my mom and grandmother were my coaches; they brought me to auditions,” she recalls.
She also trained in ballet, tap and jazz, and was chosen among numerous applicants to train at the Radio City Rockette Summer Intensive in New York City.
While earning a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of South Florida, she continued to perform. She has since launched Orange Blossom Productions, a theatrical production company, and is in the process of building a catalog of original scripts.
“It is difficult to break into theater catalogs and theaters in general. Orange Blossom Productions is an opportunity for emerging playwrights to have their original plays available for production anywhere in the country,” Giovannone explains.
Planker had early exposure to vaudeville shows and Tin Pan Alley, located on West 28th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in Manhattan, which was the seed to co-write the upcoming play with her granddaughter.
Tin Pan Alley was more than just a location. It was a musical era in a district that dominated American popular music in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, launching music successes for notables such as Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin and George M. Cohan.
It was also the inspiration for Trixie, the heroine in “The 28th Street Boarding House.” A young songwriter from New Jersey, Trixie dreams of having her songs played on the radio.
“My grandmother brought so much joy to the people who lived in the senior communities. I wanted to facilitate both our dreams by producing the play with younger actors and taking it to a wider audience,” says Giovannone.
“This is my first experience with having an original play produced in a theater, and it’s something we wrote together. This play has been our passion project for the past five years,” Giovannone adds.
Planker and Giovannone are grateful that their family and friends have encouraged them in their efforts, and especially thank the “middle generation,” Katherine Giovannone – Planker’s daughter and Giovannone’s mother.
With her hand on her heart, Giovannone also offers thanks to the many others who have provided the support and assistance needed to bring the musical to life, including Michael Naffziger, VBTG dean of education and her former director; Dee Rose, VBTG board president and her former drama teacher at Vero Beach High School; all the other VBTG board members – Julia Glunt, music director; Angel Young, choreographer; Lisa Keeler, stage manager; and the entire cast of their musical.
“Most of all we want to bring nostalgia in our musical, while entertaining and educating younger audiences,” she adds.
“We’re having fun!” Planker and Giovannone shout together.
The “28th Street Boarding House” recalls the golden age of Tin Pan Alley with Broadway dance numbers, original songs, vaudeville acts, drama, and romance. The production runs May 2-18. For more information, visit VeroBeachTheatreGuild.org.
Photos by Joshua Kodis
