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The Miracle on Easy Street returns

Joy to the Mahoning valley

The Easy Street Dancers will perform Rockettes-style musical numbers as part of “Miracle on Easy Street.” After two years as a television special, Easy Street Productions’ holiday show “Miracle on Easy Street” returns to the stage with three public performances at Powers Auditorium.

By ANDY GRAY

Staff writer

It might not qualify as a “Miracle,” but Easy Street Productions’ holiday tradition returns to live performances this weekend.

After COVID-19 turned “Miracle on Easy Street” into a television special for the last two years, about 125 performers will fill the stage at Powers Auditorium this weekend for three public shows.

“It’s been surreal,” Easy Street co-founder Maureen Collins said. “I can’t believe it.”

The show will include many of the familiar elements that have entertained Mahoning Valley audiences for more than 30 years.

Collins and Easy Street co-founder Todd Hancock will host the festivities, and, for Hancock, it’s been an even longer absence from the stage. Health issues kept him for participating in the 2019 production.

“We’re delighted to have Todd back in the cast and just so grateful he’s here to share in 2022,” Collins said.

Featured performers James McClellan, Colleen Chance and Candace Campana are returning along with “Miracle” alumni soloists Katy Collins, Natalie Kovacs and Courtney MacKay.

“Candace Campana is doing Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Underneath the Tree,'” Collins said. “That’s one we’ve always wanted to do. We gave her that, and she’s dynamite.”

The performers will be backed by the Easy Street Little Big Band led by musical director Don Yallech.

The response to the televised version of “Miracle” influenced some of the song selections this year. Collins’ rendition of “Somewhere in My Memory,” which was accompanied by vintage photos of Youngstown, was such a hit that they’ve incorporated it into the stage show. “Sleigh Ride” is another number that owes its presence to the response it got on television

“We’d taken that out of the show years ago, but people really enjoyed it on the TV show, so we brought it back,” she said

But it’s also a year of transition, both behind the scenes and on stage. Since the last live “Miracle,” Stambaugh Auditorium took over management of DeYor Performing Arts Center, which includes Powers Auditorium.

“That was a scary thing because we’ve been doing it the same for so long, but they’ve been amazing,” Collins said. “They couldn’t have been more supportive and helpful for us.”

On stage was tougher. Collins did classes online during the pandemic, but the younger performers, known as the Little Rascals, missed out on two years of working in front of a live audience.

“It’s such a rebuilding year,” Collins said. “All our Rascals grew up. The dancers grew up, so it was a relearning process. We let the old group carry them until they were ready. It’s been like welcoming a new family.”

The Easy Street Dancers, choreographed by Megan Cleland, are Lexie Alexander, Lauren Armes, Ellason Aspenleiter, Gabriella Barbone, Hannah Bishop, Breyelle Brown, Brooklyn Brown, Julianna Brubank, Reghan Buie, Candace Campana, Ava Carbon, Elyse Castle, Gianna Castle, Tori Collins, Alaynna D’Angelo, Colleen Davis, Maggie Dunlap, Ella Economos, Alyssa Frank, Kaitlyn Frenger, Kiley Frenger, Olivia Groscost, Macey Guerra, Alex Hagood-Derthick, Delaney Harrison, Kaycee Hyde, Alexia Little, Danielle Little, Jillian Malish, Matilda Mausteller, Christine Marenkovic, Kailey Meehan, Aubrey Middlestead, Madelyn Miller, Madison Nickels, Ayleesh O’Connell, Alexis Pomponio, Katherine Pomponio, Carmela Ragozzino, Mia Sciola, Lilly Scriber, Brittany Sellers, Brooklyn Sellers, Ava Semenovich, Madelyn Sipusic, Caitlin Slattery, Larkin Standford, Kaylee Trolio, Kamillie Truslow, Alayna Valley and Reese Ward.

To bridge the transition, Collins created a troupe of alumni Rascals who will be a part of this year’s shows — Zoe Anderson, Madeline Devlin, Hannah Harnutovsky, Elizabeth Jadue, Caleb MacKay, Aubry Middlestead, Finn O’Hara, AnnaSophia Viccari and George Zordich.

“These are the best singers from their schools, the best actors,” Collins said. “They’re doing a version of ‘Joy to the Mountain’ by Hanson that is amazing. I think it’s going to steal the first act.”

This year’s show will feature two groups of Little Rascals –one group doing opening night on Friday and the other group doing both Saturday evening and the Sunday matinee — and three different groups of the youngest performers, the Mini Rascals, with a different group for each show.

The Little Rascals include Lydia Andres, Huxley Boyle, Erin Brindle, Katie Bugzavich, Henry Buzzacco, Brynn Cappelli, Alexandra Cook, Mira Greenwalt, Lizzie Handel, Brynley Ihnat, Coraline Inglis, Devin Joy, Maevyn Komives, Melody Larson, Cylina Lively, Melody Lowery, Jillian Malish, Juliana Malish, Tabitha Mentzer, Julianna Moore, Ainsley Neil, Eliza Primous, Ellah Primous, Jakob Primous, Rylen Primous, Addison Visa Ratliff, Nora Russo, Walker Shales, Amaya Slipski, Makenna Slipski, Sawyer Sorvillo, Sully Sorvillo, Emmy Vivo, Macey Vivo, Coraline Wakefield, Elena Wakefield, Meredith Wakefield and Charlotte Ward; Mia Acevedo, Zoey Aspenleiter, Bella Barber, Carlina Carbon, Scarlett Carbon, Catie Catcott, Ella Creed, Mya Crockett, Annabeth Davidson, Giada DeSantis, Carly Frommelt, Aleah Hall, Avery Hall, Emma Hall, Carmella Hurdley, George Pilatos, Nikola Pilatos, Leah Kovacs, Mason Kunkel, Riley LaRocca, Madison Liguore, Rosie Manning, Chloe Moison, Gabriella Moran, Hannah Peterson, Lily Rogers, Samantha Schellhorn, Liam Shodd, Emilia Superak, Ella Vernal, Maddie Wilson and Lilyana Young.

The Mini Rascals are Harrison Boyle, Charles Detec, Evelyn Eddy, Michelena Medina, Adrianna Osso, Callum Rodemoyer, Addison Teneyck, Gigi Hershfeldt, Adalyn Ghizzoni, Caterina Ghizzonim, Angelo Herman, Charlotte Miller, Daniel Moison, Hayley Reed, Brynlee Schellhorn, Annie Zuzik, Mason Berdis, Aviana Carpenter, Olivia Ciapalo, Nolan Giudici, Francesca Hurdley, Cameron Moore, Liliana Narducci, Macy Padurean, Anastasios Pilatos and Panteli Pilatos.

If you go …

WHAT: Easy Street Productions — “Miracle on Easy Street”

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: Powers Auditorium, 260 W. Federal St., Youngstown

HOW MUCH: Tickets range from $19 to $35 and are available at the DeYor Performing Arts Center box office, online at deyorpac.org and by calling 330-259-9651.

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