Broadway Tails: Heartfelt Stories of Rescued Dogs Who Became Showbiz Superstars
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Bill Berloni was a nineteen-year-old theater apprentice when he was offered his big break: the chance to act professionally if he could find and train a dog to appear in the original production of the Broadway hit Annie. Defying the odds, Bill rescued a dog from a local shelter and, together, they redefined what animal performers could do.In Broadway Tails, Bill tells the true stories of “throw-away” animals who came back to co-star with some of entertainment’s biggest names, from Richard Burton to Sarah Jessica Parker. Here you’ll meet:The original Sandy, who starred for seven years in Annie“St. Vito,” the deaf bull terrier, who saved the showPi, the first dog to dance with the New York City BalletChico, the Chihuahua with attitude who became the face of one of Broadway’s newest hitsOften funny, and always touching, these and other stories demonstrate the extraordinary things rescued animals can do. Publishers Weekly Animal stage trainer Berloni has been rescuing animals and putting them on the boards for more than 30 years, and his career memoir brings with it some expected charms-lovable, heartbreaking animal stories; giddy tales of Broadway success; and showbiz backbiting. His story begins compellingly when, as a 19-year-old intern on the set of the original 1975 production of Annie, he was charged with finding and coaching the dog that would play Sandy; miraculously, "the dog nobody wanted... that had been run over by a truck just twelve days earlier" played Sandy for seven years. Berloni's at his best when describing his methods or recounting theatre gossip; the chapter about the 1995 Annie revival, and the abrupt dismissal of 11-year-old star Joanna Pacitti (who won a contest), is related with real ire (Berloni was friends with Pacitti and her family). Unfortunately, much else is dully dutiful; neither Berloni nor his co-writer Hanrahan bring a particularly strong voice to the typical business of memoir. Since it focuses on his remarkable craft, it should interest animal lovers and fans of Broadway. B&w photos. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
