The curtain call for The Taming of the Shrew was an additional scene to the raucous comedy in the play proper. Calla had directed Petruchio (Nicky) to chase Katherine (Norma) up the stage-right aisle and down the left until he caught her; she had the rest of the cast pair off and chase one another. Tony Coppolella chased Josie Ciletti in the mezzanine aisle while the remainder of the cast fanned out onstage. The audience went wild; the play earned the first standing ovation that any play directed by Calla Borelli had ever received.
The set was an exuberant Elizabethan wedding village painted in cotton candy colors, bright shades of yellow, green, and pink with a bright blue muslin sky; modernist papier-maché clouds swayed beneath the canopy of blue. Tonight it would also serve as the setting for Calla and Nicky’s belated wedding reception. Every cousin, friend, and neighbor had been invited to the celebration. Gloria Monty and her husband, Robert F. O’Byrne, had driven down from New York City. Ralph Stampone and Mary and Mark Silverberg drove in too, not wanting to miss a moment of the launch of Nicky and Calla’s new chapter.
As the curtain fell, the family made the party onstage.
The cousin-in-laws along with Calla’s sisters Helen and Portia flew into action with the crack efficiency of a good prop team as they set up the party. Nonna was wheeled center stage in her chair as guests lined up to greet her. Mabel threw the lace tablecloth on the work table while Lena centered the flower arrangement and the candles. Tony rolled in coolers of A-treat soda and beer. Josie handed the cast members baskets of fresh-wrapped sandwiches to disburse. Nino brought the punch bowl in from the wings, Elsa followed with the cookie tray, and Gio pushed the wedding cake in on a cart. Soon, the guests filled the stage and the rest of the cast filtered in from the wings.
Hortense Mooney climbed up the steps to the stage, leading the ladies from her church auxiliary. Her favorite thing to do with her money, after spoiling her daughters, was to treat her friends from the church to bus trips and cultural events. The ladies enjoyed The Taming of the Shrew, but mostly, like everyone else, they were thrilled to see Nicky, who was on television.
Backstage, Gloria and Robert knocked on Nicky’s dressing room door.
“Open up!” Gloria banged on the door.
Nicky threw the door open and embraced them. “Gloria! You made it! Robert!”
“We decided we’re not taking a train every time we want to see you. You have to come up and do the show again.”
“And give up all this?”
“We’d love to have you back,” Robert said. “Lux soap is insisting on it.”
“Please consider it,” Gloria said. “The play was magnificent, and so were you! The theater was packed.”
“My wife put my face on the poster with the subtitle ‘Star of CBS Television’s Love of Life.’ She figured she could sell out the house, and she did.”
“So business is good?”
“We’re getting there, breaking even, which is better than bleeding red.”
“Let’s get you back on our show. You can do both.”
“You got it, Gloria.”
“Great. We’re on it.” Gloria gave Nick a big hug. “I think I need you to come back on and kill off a few people. Or not. I just miss you.”
“You know she means it.” Robert embraced him too.
“We’re going to have to drive back tonight, but we had to see you.”
“I can never thank you enough, both of you.”
“Don’t thank us. You’re just plain old-fashioned good, my friend,” Gloria assured him.
Nicky watched Gloria and Robert go, and thought how lucky he was to have met them, and how once you meet your angels, they never really leave you, even when you leave them.
“Hey Nick.” Tony poked his head out of his dressing room. “Hambone brought you a gift.”
Hambone Mason emerged from the dressing room in a smoking jacket, carrying a bottle of vodka. “The wedding punch needs a kick, I understand.”
“What are you waiting for, Hambone?” Nicky laughed. “Spike it!”
Nicky followed Hambone up to the stage where he found Calla directing the guests to the buffet table. Nicky swept Calla into his arms.
“Do you like my dress?” she asked. Calla twirled in the bright yellow taffeta gown. “It’s the only yellow gown I could find. I look like a lemon.”
“No, you’re Beatrice.” Nicky kissed his wife. He whistled to get the revelers’ attention as Josie went through the crowd with the traditional white satin bag, collecting wedding gifts of cash. The sack, La Boost, was filling up fast. Josie encouraged the guests to contribute with both her words and her cleavage.
As the cast, their friends, and the family gathered around, Nicky saw Hortense and her church ladies, standing in the wings. He went to Hortense, took her by the hand, and brought her center stage. Leaving her with Calla, he went back to the wings, gathered the church ladies, and brought them into the spotlight too.
“I have to thank Mrs. Hortense Mooney. Please raise a glass. I lost my mother, and my Aunt Jo became my second mother, but God didn’t think one mother was enough, so he gave me a third mother, Mrs. Mooney. No woman ever looked out for anyone like she looked out for me.”
“Cent’Anni.” Hortense raised her glass, and the guests followed suit. “It means a hundred years of health and happiness,” she explained to her church group.
“Best dispatcher. Irreplaceable,” Dom grumbled. “Had to go and make gravy and get rich.”
“The American dream, honey,” Jo said softly. “Enough to go around.”
“I’d like to toast my wife, Calla.” Nicky raised his glass.
“A fine director,” Tony shouted.
“Relentless but kind,” Hambone chimed in.
“To Calla!” the Palazzinis toasted.
“Who would like the floor?” Nicky raised his glass. “We have a lot of actors here—this could go all night. And we have enough punch to take us to the matinee.” The company cheered.
Mike Palazzini edged through the crowd, excusing himself, until he made it to the center of the stage. Aunt Nancy, her sons Micky and Tricky, followed him.
Silence fell over the crowd as Mike stood across the stage from his brother.
“What are you doing here?” Dom asked Mike.
“We were invited.” Mike stood with his feet about six inches apart. He twisted the gold ring on his hand.
Dom and Mike stood facing one another, their wives beside them and their families behind them. Nicky and Calla looked at each other. The guests knew the story of the feud, but it was rare to see one dramatized on this stage that had not been written by Shakespeare.
“I invited them,” Nicky admitted.
“But I was the messenger. I went over to Fitzwater to deliver the invitation.”
“You too, Mrs. Mooney?” Dom felt betrayed.
Hortense shrugged. “I knew Mr. Mike wouldn’t throw me out.”
“We want the families to be together again, Uncle Dom,” Calla said.
“I think it’s a good idea, Dominic,” Jo said quietly.
“Did I ask you, Joanna?”
“You did not. But I’ll say it again.”
“You don’t have to. I think it’s a good idea too, Dominic,” Mike said.
“Did you see the play?” Dom asked Mike gingerly.
“We sat up in the nosebleeds with the colored folks,” Mike admitted.
“Hey,” Hortense said. “We liked our view.”
“It’s not bad, Mrs. Mooney,” Mike agreed.