Art Show | written by: CAROLE CLAPS with PAMELA DEY VOSSLER
SDY alum James Lapine (center) in SDY’s The Music Man. He would go on to become a Theatre Hall of Fame director, playwright, screenwriter and librettist, frequently collaborating with Stephen Sondheim / / photo courtesy of SDY Reunion Committee
Scratch the surface of most anything—a wall, a canvas …a person—and you’re bound to find layers of what you might least expect—surprising, delightful, sometimes shocking …but nearly always interesting.
Scratch the surface of longtime Darien resident Carole Claps, a talented actress, dancer, singer and prolific past volunteer for more than 20 years at the Darien Arts Center (DAC) and you’ll discover an incredible story of shared beginnings, forever friends and the many types of success they found on stage—and off. It centers on Stage Door for Youth (SDY), a local theatre group started by two 16-year-olds in 1963. Carole joined in 1965. It was just a bunch of local kids doing what they loved years before the world knew them …locals like award-winning actor Treat Williams, Tony Award-winning director & playwright James Lapine, multi-talented Broadway choreographer Wayne Cilento, and the first male supermodel Carmine “Tony” Spinelli, among others.
Such a collection of talent. All locally born and raised. You never can tell where young passions may lead, and the impact the connections made while pursuing them can have on a life. As the former members of SDY gather for a reunion on Saturday, May 13th in Stamford, here’s Carole’s story.
Carole as Dolly Levi in the 2010 Curtain Call Kweskin Theatre production of Hello, Dolly! / / photo courtesy of Carole Claps
The year was 1963 and the event that changed the lives of so many young people in Fairfield County, including me, was the formation of Stage Door for Youth (SDY). Founded by 16-year-old visionaries Tana Sibilio and Charlie Clute, it became an oasis for everyone who signed up to “put on a show.” For me, SDY meant summers of fun and dedication that sealed my love for the performing arts.
Thousands of stage struck youngsters between the ages of 14 and 21 would spend their entire summers on stage and backstage during the 12 years SDY existed—learning what it meant to be part of a dedicated theater company, whether acting, singing, dancing, playing in the pit or designing and building sets, hanging lights or discovering the importance that sound plays in a musical.
Our director, the late Joe Catalinotto, was tough. He yelled. He was demanding. He gave us discipline. We gave him shows the newspapers said were worthy of Broadway. We loved him. What we learned from him on the stage during those magical summer nights could never be taught in a classroom.
Most of my closest friendships date back to that time at SDY, including Toni DeCarlo who, at age 15, already was choreographing. DeCarlo was a preliminary judge for Darien’s Got Talent; she choreographed musical productions for the DAC; and was production manager for Darien’s Bicentennial.
Tony Spinelli went from playing Bernardo in SDY’s 1968 production of West Side Story to becoming one of the most successful male models of all time.
Treat Williams, who got his start at SDY, and Wayne Cilento were also part of the West Side Story cast and, along with Spinelli, have remained close friends.
Cilento became one of Broadway’s most creative choreographers and was in the original cast of A Chorus Line. He is currently directing Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ on Broadway.
Left: Treat Williams as Danny Suko in Grease on Broadway, right: The early days. (from left) Treat Williams who said, “Some of my closest friends are from SDY,” with Tony Spinelli and Wayne Cilento / / photos courtesy of Treat Williams and Tony Spinelli
SDY Co-Founder Clute, who also designed the sets, won Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design for the soap opera All My Children.
Not everyone from SDY made careers in the arts. Many others became doctors, lawyers, business people and more. I moved on to a career in public relations but my love affair with theatre, especially musical theater, remains ever-present in my life.
But it goes even deeper than that for me.
SDY alum Tony Spinelli, the first male super model, with actress/model Rene Russo / /
photo courtesy of Tony Spinelli/Iconic Focus
The only Broadway-type show my Dad ever saw me in was the 1965 SDY production of Guys and Dolls. I was part of the dancing and singing chorus. He died the next year at the age of 42, just before I graduated from high school. I remember feeling really guilty about auditioning for that summer’s SDY show, The Music Man. I felt I hadn’t given myself time to really grieve his death. But my Mom told me I needed to audition and to live the life he would have wanted for me, to be with my friends who were there to support me and my family during this very challenging time. I had gained a little weight from stress eating and I didn’t want to try out for the dancing chorus. Joe Catalinotto said, “Go downstairs and audition for one of the pick-a-little-ladies.” I didn’t know who they were, but I went and was cast as Ethel Toffelmier, one of the semi-leads, who not only had very funny comic moments, but led off the dancing chorus in one of the most exciting musical numbers in the show, “Shipoopi.”
The director knew what he was doing and why he was doing it. That summer saved my life. Stage Door for Youth saved my life. My dad would have been proud. The next year I was back to my dancing weight and was, once again, part of the dancing and singing chorus in Showboat.
Many years later, I was honored to direct many DAC musicals during my years volunteering there. I’m especially proud of the work I did as director of Darien’s Got Talent, a major DAC fundraiser. Working with some of the most hard-working Darien volunteers was a major highlight for me. Directing Darien’s Bicentennial in 2021 was another.
All of this takes a lot of work and an enormous number of hours and people always ask me, “What do you get out of all of it?” Besides feeding my creative soul, I’ve gotten to know so many wonderful people. They are my forever friendships, my soulmates, my thespian angels.
…the mark of true success on any stage.
For more information about the Stage Door for Youth reunion, email: stagedoorforyouth60@gmail.com
CAROLE CLAPS is a long time Darien resident and former Darien Arts Center (DAC) board member where she served as volunteer VP/Arts and directed many DAC musicals including, notably, The Most Happy Fella and Man of La Mancha. A public relations consultant, she continues to act, sing and direct as time permits.
