SOMERS POINT — A local mother and daughter are playing their familiar roles on stage in Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” from Sept. 25 to Oct. 5 at the Gateway Playhouse.
Toni Ann Gisondi, a Holy Spirit High School graduate from nearby Egg Harbor Township, portrayed orphan Molly in the 1982 film adaptation of “Annie” starring Carol Burnett, Bernadette Peters, Aileen Quinn as Annie and Albert Finney as Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks.
She and her older daughter, Molly Pugliese, an accomplished singer and actress who recently crowned her successor as Miss South Jersey in Miss America Opportunity, will perform as Cinderella’s mother and Cinderella, respectively, in the production.
Gisondi started dancing when she was 3, singing when she was 4 and landed her role in the movie at age 6.
“I remember my mom said that before I was even like 1 year old I would be up in the crib dancing to Donnie and Marie (Osmond) and I’d be swaying,” Gisondi said. “So, she said she knew that I had it in me, you know, the music was in me from a very young age.”
Gisondi was in Hollywood for most of the filming, but some was done in New York while Daddy Warbucks’ mansion was at Monmouth College.
In addition to her role in “Annie,” Gisondi appeared in commercials as a child and was in the afterschool special “The Children’s Story.”
“And then, you know, I went back to school and became a regular kid,” she said.
Gisondi attended Egg Harbor Township public schools until high school, when she went to Holy Spirit in Absecon. She continued to act in local theater throughout her life, and was eventually joined by daughters Molly, 24, and Melody Pugliese, 23, through the Margate Players, Jewish Community Center and other venues.
Melody moved toward sports while Molly continued to sing, act and compete in scholarship pageants.
While Gisondi and Pugliese have performed together multiple times, this will be the first time they have played a mother and daughter on stage.
“This is nice because I’m playing her mom in it, so this was really cool,” Gisondi said.
“It’s really neat, of course, and my mom is a huge reason why I got involved in community theater and singing to begin with,” Pugliese said, noting she “really got a lot of inspiration from the character that she played and I grew up watching.”
She said her mother is a tough act to follow.
“So I just remember that not only am I stepping into a spotlight, I’m kind of stepping into a legacy and it’s amazing to think that even long after my mom is gone, she’s left her mark in the performing arts and it’s really such an honor to stand up here with her and be related on the stage and in real life,” Pugliese said.
Following her year as Miss South Jersey, Pugliese needed a break from the pageant world.
“This show arose and I was so happy to get back to doing what I love to do, because performing is really what led me to pageants in the first place. I had another chance to sing on stage.”
She now is trying to decide whether she wants to compete for the title of Miss New Jersey.
“I have a couple months to decide but for now, I’m just going to hone my craft,” Pugliese said.
Gisondi continues to make appearances as Molly, along with Rosanne Sorrentino of New York City who played Pepper. She has events coming up in December in Maryland and in January in Hollywood.
The “Annie” actresses also appear in the movie “Called to Duty” on Prime Video, which Gisondi called a female version of “Top Gun.”
In addition to the appearances, Gisondi receives a quarterly check from her role as Molly.
“It’s a nice little reminder of something that was a big part of my life and I’m grateful for that,” she said.
Director Phil Pallitto is pleased to have the mother-daughter duo in the production.
“Getting to work with Molly and Toni Ann Pugliese has been such a special part of this production,” Pallitto said. “There’s something magical about seeing a real mother and daughter bring their own connection to the relationships in ‘Into the Woods,’ and knowing that Toni Ann was the original Molly in ‘Annie’ alongside Bernadette Peters, who created the Witch on Broadway in ‘Into the Woods,’ makes it feel like we’ve come full circle. It’s a beautiful reminder of how theater connects generations and keeps these stories alive.”
Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Sept. 25-27 and Oct. 2-4, 2 p.m. Sept. 28 and Oct. 5. Tickets are $25 at gatewaybythebay.org and at the Karen S. Sutherland Box Office. Gateway Playhouse is located at 738 Bay Ave. in Somers Point. The production is double cast, and Gisondi and Pugliese will be performing on the even dates.
– STORY and PHOTO by CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff