As The Curtain Goes Up —Two Performers Remember “Phantom’s” Beloved Costume Dresser
Phantom of the Opera had its Broadway premiere in 1988, at the Majestic Theatre. Not long after its opening, Jennifer Arnold would become a permanent fixture on the crew, working as a costume dresser for over thirty years.
Jennifer Arnold, courtesy of Janet Saia.
Jen embodied the spirit of the theater world, with a quirky sense of style and an enigmatic spark. She was also known for creating intricate matchboxes with photos and glitter, giving them as gifts to members of the cast and crew. Each one, intentionally designed for the person.
Janet Saia’s collection of matchboxes gifted to her by Jennifer Arnold. Courtesy of Janet Saia.
When the COVID-19 Pandemic shut down Broadway, the theaters closed their doors. Within a matter of weeks, Jen would pass away.
Kelly Jeanne Grant and Janet Saia are two performers for the show. They came to StoryCorps as the show reopened in 2021 to remember their friend, and the impact she had on their lives.
Janet Saia and Kelly Grant in costume backstage at the Majestic Theatre in January of 2016. Courtesy of Janet Saia.
Top Photo: From left to right, Kelly Jeanne Grant, Jennifer Arnold, and Janet Saia in New York in 2016. Courtesy of Janet Saia.
Originally aired October 22nd, 2021 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Twenty Years Later, 9/11 Survivor Remembers His Identical Twin Brother Killed In The Attack
Born just minutes apart, Richie and Ronnie Palazzolo were twin brothers who shared everything. They both ran marathons, cheered for their favorite football team— the Minnesota Vikings— and even followed the same career path.
Ronald Palazzolo holding cousin Christina Della Pelle with his brother Richard, New Years Eve, 1994 Courtesy of the Palazzolo family.
They worked as brokers in the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Ronnie on the 26th floor at Garban-Intercapital, and Richie on the 105th floor for Cantor Fitzgerald. They were both there on the day of the attacks in New York City on September 11, 2001.
Ronnie survived, but Richie did not.
Ronnie, his older brother Michael, and Richie on Easter, 1967 in Queens, NY. Courtesy of the Palazzolo family.
In 2021, Ronnie came to StoryCorps to remember that day and reflect on the pain of losing his brother and best friend.
Top Photo: Richard Palazzolo outside their family’s home in upstate New York, in 2000. Courtesy of the Palazzolo family.
Originally aired September 10, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
This recording was made in partnership with the National September 11 Memorial & Museum as part of StoryCorps’ effort to collect one recording for each life lost that day.
“Never Say Goodbye”: Remembering The Love Between Danny And Annie
Danny Perasa proposed to Annie, his future wife, on their first date, and she accepted.
The two of them came to StoryCorps in 2004 to talk about that first date—and how their love for each other grew over their nearly 30 year relationship.
Annie and Danny at their StoryCorps Interview.
After their first interview, Danny and Annie instantly became part of the StoryCorps family. Danny came back to StoryCorps again and again to interview the characters he knew, and to talk about his love for Annie. Then, in 2006, Danny was diagnosed with a fast-spreading, terminal cancer. He wanted to record one last interview with Annie, so StoryCorps went to their home in Brooklyn. Danny Perasa died a week later.
After his passing, Annie received thousands of condolence letters from StoryCorps listeners and she read one every day until she died of COVID-19 in 2021. She was 79.
Top Photo: Danny and Annie on their wedding day (Courtesy of the participants).
Listen to an update from Annie in 2013, where she explained the philosophy that she shared with Danny, “Never Say Goodbye.”
Watch “Danny & Annie,” the StoryCorps animation of the Perasas’ interviews.
Originally aired August 11, 2004, on NPR’s Morning Edition, It was rebroadcast on August 20, 2021 on the same program.
Honoring the Penniless and Forgotten: A Man’s Reflection On Hart Island
It is estimated that more than one million people are buried in New York City’s Hart Island, the city’s public cemetery, and the final resting place for unclaimed, penniless or unidentified individuals.
For the better part of its 150-year history, the island was closed off to the public. The only visitors allowed to witness the burials were the gravediggers themselves. Because the Department of Correction managed the island, the burials have long been the job of incarcerated people.
Casimiro “Cas” Torres was one of them. In the late 1980s, he was arrested for robbery, and sent to Hart Island to bury and disinter bodies.
Almost three decades later, he came to StoryCorps to keep their memory alive.
Cas Torres in his late teens, around the same time he was imprisoned and transferred to Hart Island.
This story aired July of 2021, when jurisdiction of Hart Island transferred from New York City Department of Correction to the City’s Human Resources Administration and Parks and Recreation, formally ending the practice of using inmates to carry out the burials.
Top Photo: Cas Torres at their StoryCorps interview in New York City on January 30, 2015. By John White for StoryCorps.
Originally aired July 16, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Through Music, Father And Son DJs “Sow Love” And “Get Love Back”
Jo Vill first started DJing back in the 70s, eventually passing his passion on to his son, Chad.
Chad, at around 2 years old, reaching for his dad’s turntable. Photo courtesy of Chad Vill.
But they never imagined that their shared love for music would bring their Brooklyn, New York neighborhood together, as the COVID-19 pandemic was ripping families apart.
During lockdown, many New Yorkers, including Jo’s wife, Gail, would join in a daily ritual of cheering for first responders. Jo and Chad were then inspired to put some speakers in the street and start playing songs for their neighbors. This quickly morphed into a daily block party, with hundreds of people flocking to their Clinton Hill street, St. James Place, to dance and connect with others during a time of isolation. They named the parties St. James Joy.
Neighbors dancing at a Saint James Joy block party in August of 2020. Photo by Niikai Wells.
Jo and Chad came to StoryCorps in May of 2021 — more than a year after they first started St. James Joy — to remember how it all began.
Top Photo: Jo Vill and Chad Vill in Brooklyn, NY, in June of 2021. By Nathan West.
Originally aired June 18, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“You’re My Forever Love”: Reflections On Over 30 Years Of Friendship
In the late 1980s, Julaina Glass had moved from her childhood home in Washington Heights, NY, to a small studio in Harlem. Julaina was 19 and living alone, but she found a fast friend in her upstairs neighbor, Beau McCall.
Beau was an artist and older than Julaina by about 10 years. His apartment became like a second home to her and they soon became inseparable.
Nearly 35 years after they first met, Beau and Julaina came to StoryCorps to reminisce about some of their happiest memories together, and to look back on how it all began.
Top Photo: Beau McCall and Julaina Glass at their StoryCorps interview in New York, NY on June 3, 2017. By Jhaleh Akhavan for StoryCorps.
This interview was recorded in partnership with the I, Too Arts Collective. It is part of the Anwar Collection of Muslim Voices through StoryCorps’ American Pathways initiative. This initiative is made possible by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art and an Anonymous Foundation. Additional support is provided by the Stuart Family Foundation. It will be archived at the Library of Congress.
Originally aired May 14, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
For the Love of Books: One Librarian Makes All the Difference
As a young father in Brooklyn, NY, Rich Jean wasn’t always sure how to keep his three year old daughter, Abigail, busy and happy. He decided to start taking her to their local library. Abigail was soon enrolled in one of their programs for young learners. That is where they met an aspiring librarian, Hasina Islam. Hasina was still an intern at that time, but immediately did everything she could to encourage Abigail in her love of books.
Four years after that first encounter, Rich, Abigail and Hasina came to StoryCorps to talk about how that chance meeting set them on a path to friendship.
Hasina Islam and Abigail Jean after their StoryCorps recording on April 25, 2021. Courtesy of Hasina Islam and Rich Jean.
Five years later, while separated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Hasina and Abigail came back to StoryCorps to reconnect remotely with a second recording in 2021.
Top Photo: Rich Jean, Abigail Jean and Hasina Islam at their StoryCorps interview in Brooklyn, NY on November 5, 2016. By Jhaleh Akhavan for StoryCorps.
The 2016 interview was recorded in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and IMLS National Medal winner, Brooklyn Public Library.
This interview is part of the Anwar Collection of Muslim Voices through StoryCorps’ American Pathways initiative. This initiative is made possible by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art and an Anonymous Foundation. Additional support is provided by the Stuart Family Foundation. It will be archived at the Library of Congress.
Originally aired April 30, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
A Grandmother Gives Advice On Living Through “Crazy and Consequential Times”
As a young girl growing up during WWII, Jane Isay heard stories about how both of her grandparents had died during the 1918 influenza pandemic, leaving her mother an orphan from a young age.
Now, as the United States contends with the COVID-19 pandemic, Jane made time to sit with her grandson, Tobey Isay, 11, to impart some of her hard earned wisdom. They recorded this conversation using StoryCorps Connect, not long after Tobey had contracted and recovered from COVID himself.
Editor’s note: Jane Isay is the mother of Dave Isay, founder of StoryCorps. Tobey Isay is the son of Dave Isay.
Top Photo: Jane Isay and Tobey Isay at their StoryCorps interview in Brooklyn, New York on April 11, 2020.
Middle Photo: Tobey Isay and Jane Isay. Photo courtesy of Jane Isay.
‘Just the Two of Us’: A Grandfather’s Musical Legacy
William Salter, 84, helped write one of America’s most iconic love songs, ‘Just the Two of Us’ — made famous by Grover Washington Jr. in 1981. But before he became a renowned musician, William was “just another kid on the block,” trying to find himself. He grew up in New York City, the child of a single working mother, and learned that music would be his greatest companion.
Decades later, after building a successful music career, William became a proud grandfather. He and his eldest granddaughter Jada spent most of their summers together, bonding over music and playtime.
Photo: (R) William Salter, his granddaughter Jada and her father (L) Jamal Salter. Courtesy of Jada Salter.
In January of 2021, using StoryCorps Connect, Jada, 25, asked her grandfather how he first found his sound.
Top Photo: Young Jada Salter and her grandfather William in 2002. Courtesy of Jamal Salter.
Originally aired February 12, 2021 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“It’s Still Worth Celebrating” Two Friends Reflect on Finding Joy During Challenging Times
Jamie Olivieri and Yennie Neal-Achigbu have been by each other’s side since the fifth grade. As adults, Jamie was there for the birth of two of Yennie’s three children, and has acted as a surrogate parent for the kids. They fondly refer to her as “Auntie Pasta.”
They’ve shared many happy moments and have also stood by each other through the passing of Jamie’s mom and Yennie’s husband, Alexander Achigbu. They supported each other through the grief of both losses, and even created new traditions in the midst of the sadness.
Photo: (Left to right) Zuri, Xoan, and Lyon Achigbu. Christmas 2014, Bronx, NY. Courtesy of Jamie Olivieri.
“Auntie Pasta’s Annual Christmastime Sleepover,” a tradition that started after Alexander’s death, is an eagerly anticipated Christmas celebration for Jamie, Yennie, and Yennie’s three children, Zuri (aged 10), Lyon (age 8), and Xoan (age 6).
After a tough 2020, Jamie and Yennie had a conversation using StoryCorps Connect to reflect on almost 30 years of friendship, and how they continue to find joy even in the most challenging of times.
Top Photo: (L) Yennie Neal-Achigbu and Jamie Olivieri, 1998. (R) Yennie Neal-Achigbu and Jamie Olivieri, 2012, Yonkers, NY. Courtesy of Jamie Olivieri.
Originally aired December 25, 2020, on NPR’s Morning Edition.