“Rondinella had submitted her headshot prior to auditions and when Marchand saw it, he held it up and said ‘Look at this girl, I’m telling you here and now she’s gonna be our leading lady, she’s gonna be Tracy Turnblad’.”

“Not everyone knows what they want to be when they grow up. College of Communication and the Arts alum Laura Rondinella, however, knew at a young age that the stage was her calling, and she pursued her dreams with passion.”

“I have had the pleasure of working with Scott for the past 11 years. When I met him as a sophomore in college, I came in as an alto chorus girl. He quickly recognized my sleeping talents and unlocked the doors to reveal the mezzo soprano belter that I never even knew I was! Scott has given me the confidence and tools to walk to the center of the stage and dominate with a strong presence. He is always there when I need him, helping me put my best self forward.”

“New Bedford Festival Theatre's 27th season's musical is "Grease." It opened off Broadway on February 14, 1972 and ran for 128 performances before moving to Broadway to run for a record breaking 3,388 performances, closing April 11, 1980. It was made into a very successful 1978 movie version starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton John. The audience is welcomed back to 1959 at Rydell High School to celebrate the high spirited days of gum chewing, hub cap stealing, hot rod loving boys with their D.A.'s and their wise cracking girls in their bobby socks and pedal pushers and enjoy the adventures of bad boy Danny Zuko and good girl Sandy Dumbrowski.”

“Given all that Baltimore has been going through, we may need "Hairspray" more than ever. This feel-good musical, based on the 1988 John Waters film, manages to address the sobering issue of discrimination — racial, economic, social, you name it — and give it a swift kick with each infectious, dance-fueling song.”

"Right from the outset, 'Good Morning Baltimore' sets the bar high for energy, and the cast delivers. As Tracy Turnblad, the irrepressible teen with the large-than-life personality to match her frame, Laura Marie Rondinella is the beating heart of this production, whether singing the endearing 'I Can Hear The Bells,' the darling duet with love interest Link, 'It Takes Two,' or the triumphant 'You Can't Stop The Beat'...Don't miss the opportunity to enjoy another of New Bedford Festival Theatre's highly polished productions."

"Leading the charge was Laura Marie Rondinella, who played the plus-sized protagonist Tracy Turnblad. Rondinella had waited her entire acting career to play Turnblad, and traveled from New Jersey to join the festival theatre. Before the play had begun, Fall River native Tyler Indyck, who played leading male Link Larkin, pointed out that Rondinella has a 'smile that makes you want to smile and a voice that leaves you speechless.' Indyck wasn’t exaggerating.”

“New Bedford Festival Theatre's summer production at the Zeiterion Theatre is "Hairspray" and is dedicated to the memory of the late Dick Clark. The show is a 1960's musical based on the 1988 John Waters movie which starred Ricki Lake and Divine. The original Broadway show won 8 Tony Awards, opened on August 15, 2002, ran over six years and 2,642 performances, closing on January 4, 2009. "Hairspray" is set in Baltimore in 1962 and is about teenager Tracy Turnblad, a large girl with big dreams and even bigger hair who has an abundant joie de vivre and rhythm in every inch of her body.”

“We have an ensemble of 16 ‘kids,’ none of whom are teenagers, but who play them. They all have degrees in music theater and are proud of be American teenagers in the show. I taught teenagers for 35 years and I’m working with ‘teenagers’, again,” Marchand adds. “They are truly ‘the nicest kids in town’ (a sentiment borrowed from the musical score) who auditioned for us and were cast from all across the country. I am very fortunate.”

“She’s an Italian girl from Jersey City, New Jersey, and she’s perfect for the show. She’s five feet tall and has a smile that lights up the entire room. When she sings, ‘Good Morning, Baltimore,’ your day is 10 times better. I was so glad when she accepted the contract because she’s adorable and has a great personality. She’s just like Tracy and wins everyone over in the show.”

“That's certainly the hallmark of a good actress to be able to play the role of a selfish bird and the role of a teenaged daughter in central Europe equally as well. Ms. Rondinella has a fabulous voice and her delivery both this year and last was 'dead on’”

“For the last seven years, it has been the tradition of the Livingston Community Players to share their talents in wonderful musicals. This year was no exception. "Fiddler on the Roof" had all of the perfect elements to create one of LCP's best musicals. The bar was set very high, as last year's performance won six coveted Perry Awards for Amateur Community Theater.”