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AWESOME.
WE'LL FINISH THIS DISH WHEN WE
COME BACK.
Will: IN THE SPOTLIGHT THIS
MORNING, IT IS A STORY THAT
TAKES US BACK TO THE 1960s IN
RHODE ISLAND A *B A WAR BETWEEN
FAITH AND FEDERAL HILL MAFIA.
JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT THE
PLAY, SIMPLY TITLED
"PROVIDENCE," GOOD MORNING,
GENTLEMEN.
GOOD MORNING.
Will: NICE TO HAVE YOU HERE.
ANYONE OUT THERE WATCHING, THEY
PROBABLY HAVE A LOT OF MEMORIES
OF PROVIDENCE, OF FEDERAL HILL
DURING THAT TIME.
SO, THIS IS GOING TO HIT CLOSE
TO HOME FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
RIGHT?
ABSOLUTELY.
WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW IS THAT
YEARS AGO, THERE IS A STORY
THAT THERE WAS AN AFRICAN
AMERICAN PASTOR ON FEDERAL HILL
DURING THE TIME WHEN ALL THE
BLACK BUSINESSES WERE RUN OUT
OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THE FRIENDSHIP THAT HE
FORMED WITH THAT MOB BOSS
ALLOWED HIM TO STAY ON FEDERAL
HILL FOR 30 YEARS AND THIS PLAY
IS LOOSELY BASED ON THE
FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THE MOB BOSS
AND AFRICAN AMERICAN PASTOR.
Will: IT WILL BE DONE AT THE
ODIUM THEATER.
A BEAUTIFUL PLACE IN RHODE
ISLAND THAT PEOPLE NEED TO
CHECK OUT A SHOW.
OUR LAST PRODUCTION WE HAD
1,000 PEOPLE.
WE DID THE LAST PRODUCTION TWO
YEARS AGO.
WHAT'S DIFFERENT THIS TIME IS A
FORMER MEMBER OF ORGANIZED
CRIME LED THE COLUMBO CRIME
FAMILY IN 1985, WROTE A BOOK
ABOUT HIS LIFE.
HE WILL BE HOSTING THE EVENT ON
NOVEMBER 19.
HE IS THERE TO SHARE THE STORY.
Will: PEOPLE USED TO CALL
HIM THE YUPPIE DON.
HE WAS INVOLVED WITH THE CRIME
FAMILY.
YOU'RE ALSO DOING SOMETHING,
TOO.
ANYONE WHO BUYS TICKETS TO THE
EVENT.
YES.
WE WILL BE GIVING AWAY A MEAL
WITH EVERY TICKET.
WE'RE SUPPORTING -- WE FOUND A
COMMONALITY WITH THE PLAY AND
ITALIAN RESTAURANT AND LOOKING
FORWARD TO HAVING MICHAEL
FRANCESE IN WITH THE CAST.
Will: WHEN YOU SPONSOR AN
EVENT LIKE THIS AND LOOKING AT
THE HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE,
WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES YOU THINK
OH, MY GOD, I CAN'T BELIEVE
THIS HAPPENED AND WE NEED NIT
OUR PRODUCTION.
JUST THE IDEA OF THIS
CULTURAL CLARK BETWEEN THIS
PENTECOSTAL AFRICAN AMERICAN
CHURCH AND THE ITALIAN MOB GUYS.
IT IS SUCH A HUMOROUS CONFLICT
WITH A POWERFUL STORYLINE.
THESE TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS
COLLIDING TOGETHER.
Michaela: AND YOU WERE A
PASTOR.
IT'S NOT TOO PREACHY.
IT IS NOT A CHURCH DRAMA THAT'S
A LOT VELVEETA CHEESE.
[LAUGHTER]
IT'S CUTTING EDGE, FUNNY AND
HILARIOUS.
IT HAS A GREAT STORYLINE AND
GREAT CAST.
Will: A LOT OF PEOPLE MAY
NOT THINK A PASTOR LIKE
YOURSELF PUTTING ON A PLAY
ABOUT THE MAFIA IN 1960.
HAS IT BEEN A WEIRD TRANSITION.
LIKE I LOVE THIS STUFF AND I
WANT PEOPLE TO CHECK IT OUT.
I GREW UP ITALIAN.
AND MY GRANDFATHER WROTE A BOOK
ABOUT THE MAFIA BACK IN THE
1980s, CALLED "MAKING OF A DON
".
HE WAS AN AUTHOR WRITING
STORIES ABOUT THE MOB.
AND IT JUST KIND OF GOT IN ME
AS A KID --
Will: I THINK YOU HAVE TO IF
YOU LIVE IN RHODE ISLAND.
WITH THE LAST NAME THAT ENDS
WITH A VOWEL.
Will: WAS IT DIFFICULT TO
CONVINCE YOU TO BE A PART OF
THE THIS EVENT?
WE'VE ALSO HAD A LONG
HISTORY IN PROVE DENT WITH
RESTAURANTS MANY, MANY YEARS
AGO WHEN MY DAD CAME OVER FROM
ITALY AND MY COUSINS OPEN HAD
THE UP.
WE'VE BEEN CLOSE TO THE
HEARTBEAT OF THE STORY AND WHAT
WE'VE DONE AND WE'RE EXCITED
ABOUT BEING BACK IN PROVIDENCE
WITH NIKO BELLO.
AND KNOWING THE PASTOR AND THE
PLAYWRIGHT AND HIS SKILLS WE'RE
HAPPY TO A PART OF IT.
Will: I'M GLAD YOU CAME IN.
ODIUM THEATER A GREAT PLACE.
BUY THEIR TICKETS AT
SACREDEXCHANGE.COM.
Will: SOUNDS GOOD TO ME.
YOU CAN CHECK IT OUT AT THE
GRENWICH ODIUM THEATER NOVEMBER