CAST & CREATIVE TEAM | theglammothers

Antonio DiVerdis - Director

A multi-disciplined artist and entrepreneur, Antonio DiVerdis is not only a veteran of the music industry but also a highly regarded filmmaker. As a songwriter and producer his records have reached gold and platinum status resulting in his induction into the Canadian Dance Hall of Fame. Along with his numerous music videos Antonio has also written, directed and produced the award-winning feature film "South of the Moon". After having directed Tony Calabretta's hilarious plays, "Don't Blame it on the Stork" and "Damn Those Wedding Bells! at the Leonardo DaVinci Centre, he is looking forward to repeating that success this year with "The Glam Mothers".

Tony Calabretta - Playwright

Tony is thrilled to, once again, be collaborating on his newest play, "The Glam Mothers" with some of his favorite people in the business. As a playwright, Tony's first two plays, "Damn Those Wedding Bells!" and "Don't Blame it on the Stork" have garnered rave reviews from critics and audiences alike. The success of "Damn Those Wedding Bells!" caught the attention of legendary Canadian playwright, Michel Tremblay, who insisted on translating it into French, certain it would be an audience favourite in any language. The play was later produced in French and toured Quebec, and again, was met with sold-out performances and excellent reviews, proving that Tony’s comedic and unique style of writing transcends languages.

Tony Calabretta, Francesco Tony is ecstatic to be returning to the Leonardo DaVinci Centre stage for the third time. Since last appearing on the DaVinci stage in the smash hit, 'Damn Those Wedding Bells!', Tony has kept himself extremely busy. Tony has appeared notably on the small screen by working on projects such as 'Blood and Treasure' for CBS, 'District 31' and 'Faits Divers 2' for Radio Canada. Tony wishes to extend a special thanks to the Leonardo DaVinci Centre and production partner Totem Acoustic, for their support and sharing his enthusiasm for bringing professional live theatre to the centre. Tony would be remised if he didn’t thank and extend his gratitude for all of the hard work the amazing cast and crew has done on this production. Finally, Tony is grateful to have a great friend and partner in crime in Antonio DiVerdis who shares his vision.

Tony DeSantis, Peppe Born and raised in Montreal, Tony has worked on countless productions over the past 35 years. A two-time Dora Award winner, he has spent the last two years working tirelessly as the creator/producer and co-star of the award winning web series, 'BOOMBATS'. He is thrilled to be back in Montreal working with a talented cast of friends on such a wonderful production and is looking forward to the day he will qualify as a Glam Father.

Brittany Drisdelle, Vanessa Brittany has been acting since she was 10 years old. A native Montrealer, she is best known for her role as Fallon in Tales of The Never-Ending Story. She is a graduate of the esteemed Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre in New York City where she completed a two year conservatory under alumni's Eli Wallach, Robert Duvall and Diane Keaton. Brittany shares her time between Montreal and Toronto and can be seen in the highly anticipated series 'Barkskins' set to air on NatGeo in 2020. You can also catch her in the fourth season of 'The Bold Type' and CTV's 'Hudson and Rex'. Brittany feels incredibly fortunate and excited to be debuting in her first Pellegrini Production of 'The Glam Mothers' and feels honoured to be among such a formidable cast. She also thanks them for entrusting an Irishman to bring out the very best of an Italian Vanessa. Dedicated to our Anne.

Claudia Ferri, Luisa This multi-talented actor has traveled the globe entertaining TV and Film audiences alike, with such memorable performances as Judge France Charbonneau in 'Bad Blood', La Capitàna in 'Queen of the South' and Nicole Jackson in AMC's 'The Killing'. Her performances in 'A date with Miss Fortune' and 'Mambo Italiano' (the movie) earned her Best Actress nods for both a Jutras and ACTRA Award. In 2005, she garnered an ACTRA Award for Outstanding Female Performance as the series lead in the TV Comedy, 'Ciao Bella'. Most recently, Claudia was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for best leading actress in the drmatic mini-series, 'The Godmother'. Dubbed as one of Canada's busiest actors, she can be seen this spring in the feature, 'La Face Cachée du Baklava' and will begin shooting a new feature next month. Claudia is exceited to be back on stage at the Leonardo DaVinci Centre with 'The Glam Mothers'.

Natasha Gargiulo, Maria Natasha is a national TV & Radio host, who's travel assignments have led her to climb glaciers in Iceland with Brandan Fraser; cover the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show; and interview Oprah, Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez, George Clooney and Will Smith to name a few. She's hosted the Grammy Awards Red Carpet and reported from some of the most prestigious festivals like Cannes, Sundance and TIFF. The Montreal native began her career as a radio personality on Mix 96, and quickly worked her way up the ranks. She was first seen hosting a documentary on Italian culture called, 'La Dolce Vita', was hired as Global TV Montreal's weather specialist and covered the network's daily entertainment beat. She continued to expand her fan base as a National correspondent and host for Entertainment Tonight Canada, while winning over Montreal listeners every weekday with her relatable, down-to-earth on-air presence on Virgin Radio's Freeway and Natasha in the morning.

Creative

Tony Calabretta, Playwright

Antonio DiVerdis, Director

Rosina Bucci, Casting Director (Elite Casting)

Emily Soussana, Set & Costume Designer

Andrew Scriver, Lighting & Sound Designer

Patrick Peachy-Higdon, Design Assistant

Kate Hagemeyer, Stage Manager

Jamie Walker, Apprentice Stage Manager

Elisabeth Nyveen, Dresser

Birdie Gregor, Dresser

Producers

Tony Calabretta, Producer

Antonio DiVerdis, Producer

Rosina Bucci, Associate Producer

Kate Calabretta, Associate Producer

Team

Deborah Rankin, , Publicist & Program Ad Sales

Dario Santillo, Legal Counsel (Segal, Santillo)

Frank Bruzzese, Accountant (Di Giovanni, Bruzzese Inc)

Marco V. Giordano, Graphic Artist

Gino Calabretta, Public Relations

Emily Soussana, Technical Director

Natalie Demmon, Crew

Michael Tonus, Crew

Chris Wardell, Crew

Geri Weir, Crew

Leonardo DaVinci Centre

Pat Buttino, General Director

Frank Sorrentino, Director of Marketing

Francine Gravel, Associate Director, Cultural Events

Pat Franco, Director, Restaurant & Banquet

Robert Lamarre, Technical Director

Gabriel Payeur, Board Operator/Technician

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