When the Franklin Performing Arts Company (FPAC) presents the beloved, family musical Annie this October 17-26 at THE BLACK BOX in Franklin, MA, young local actor Colette Lelievre will star opposite Bailey, a dog from Berloni Theatrical Animals who has years of professional acting credits. Bailey’s appearance as Sandy is brought to FPAC by the Parkman Family Foundation.
Bill Berloni was a 20-year-old apprentice at the Goodspeed Opera House when a producer offered him his big break: a chance to act professionally and gain his Equity Card. In return, all he had to do was find and train a dog to play Sandy in the original production of Annie. What Berloni didn’t know was that this was a bigger challenge than it seemed.
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Animal performances in movies or television can be stitched together using different takes, different camera angles, even different animals. To perform in a featured role, an animal actor would have to be trained to ignore the distraction of the audience and respond to the same cues the same way night-after-night, just like his human counterparts.
It had never been done before. Berloni found his dog at a local animal shelter – beginning his career-long commitment to using rescued animals. Through a combination of persistence, patience and trial-and-error, he developed his revolutionary humane training techniques – learning how to teach actors and animals alike to create a successful performance. Annie became a huge hit and Sandy became “the longest running dog on Broadway,” never missing a performance in more than seven years.
Since then, Berloni and his handlers have provided animals of all species and sizes, found in shelters, humane societies or rescue leagues, for Broadway, off-Broadway, national tours, regional theatres, special events, the New York City Ballet, motion pictures, television and commercials. When their careers are over, the animals return to Berloni’s Connecticut farm.
He is widely recognized as an expert in animal behavior and for his dedication to rescue work. In addition to his work as a trainer, Bill is currently behavior consultant to the Humane Society of New York. He has a BFA in theatre, and is a published author and actor.
Bailey, who will perform as Sandy with FPAC, was rescued by Bill Berloni from Puppy Love Rescue in Louisiana. He is a Poodle mixed with something large. His theater credits include Finding Neverland, the national tour of Peter Pan, Because of Winn Dixie at Goodspeed Musicals, and Annie at theaters all over the U.S. Joining Bailey for FPAC’s production is Berloni Animal Handler John Grimsley. Grimsley has been a dedicated member of the William Berloni Theatrical Animals team since 1979. His credits with Theatrical Animals include numerous Broadway and Off-Broadway productions such as Camelot, Alice in Wonderland, Annie Warbucks, Paper Doll, Whistle Down the Wind, and The Wizard of Oz, as well as 37 productions of Annie. He has also handled animals for television, film, commercials, and the Tony Awards.
FPAC is an Actors’ Equity Small Professional Theater company based at THE BLACK BOX in downtown Franklin, MA. Each season, FPAC produces musicals, plays, ballets, and more featuring Broadway stars, professional actors, local performers, and emerging artists. Tickets for Annie are available at FPAConline.com or by calling the box office at 508-528-3370.
