The Minty Organization

Carl William Lesch Memorial Award for Educator of the Arts

A graduate of Msgr. Farrell High School, Andrew “Monte” Monteleone has been impacting students’ lives in the Staten Island high school theatre community for the last quarter century.

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Upon graduating from Stevens Institute of Technology, he returned to Msgr. Farrell as assistant musical director beginning with the school’s acclaimed 1994 production of “West Side Story.” The following year, he began a seven-year stint at St. John Villa Academy, serving as musical director for shows including “42nd Street,” “Crazy for You,” and “Grease.” While at St. John Villa, he also served as director and musical director for Staten Island Technical High School from 1997 through 1999.

Beginning in 2001 and lasting through 2015, Andrew was the director and musical director of the Farrell Players. The shows produced under his direction include “Damn Yankees,” “1776,” “South Pacific,” “Lil’ Abner”, “How to Succeed . . . Trying,” and “A Funny Thing . . . Forum.” His productions of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” and “The Drowsy Chaperone” were awarded the St. Genesius Award for Outstanding Musical in 2011 and 2013, respectively.

He is the current musical director at Moore Catholic High School, a position he assumed in 2018 with the school’s production of “The Drowsy Chaperone.”

Outside of the classroom, Andrew has been a ubiquitous presence in the Staten Island theatre community. He has musically directed for various theater organizations including Sundog Theatre (“The Last Five Years”), Holy Child Players (“Jesus Christ Superstar”), the St. John Stagers (“Jekyll and Hyde”), Hemlock Theatre (“The Hunchback of Notre Dame”), Standing Ovation Players (“Chicago”), Ghostlight Productions (“1776”), and In the Wings (“Les Miserables”). In 2006 he founded Subset Players, a group that presented annual summer productions through 2012 including “Assassins,” “Lucky Stiff,” and “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown.”

“Andrew is an educator, friend, and a mentor in the truest sense of the word,” said Michael J. Pinto, founding Executive Director of the Minty Organization. “He has inspired and touched the lives of countless students. As part of our tenth anniversary festivities, I am so excited to honor Andrew and celebrate the lasting impact he has had on a generation of Staten Island youth."

Distinguished Alumni Award

Peggy Lee Brennan was raised on Staten Island and graduated from St. Joseph Hill Academy in 1972. At St. Joseph Hill HS. she performed such leading roles as Kim in Bye, Bye, Birdie, Ella Peterson in Bells are Ringing, and Eileen in Wonderful Town at Msgr. Farrell HS, and The Pajama Game. She received her BFA from Wagner College in Speech and Theatre and an MFA from the New School University in Dramatic Arts and Directing. At Wagner College Theatre, Peggy performed in A Funny Thing...Forum, The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-Moon-Marigolds, Man of La Mancha, Jacques Brel and Cabaret. Peg’s acting career took her from Broadway to Hollywood to Branson, MO.

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Peg is a Lifetime member of the Actors Studio, SAG and AEA member. She performed with Patrick Swayze in the original production of Grease on Broadway as Frenchy and played Radars Girlfriend “Lt. Linda Nugent” in the Emmy award winning episode “Hot Lips is Back in Town” in the hit TV show M*A*S*H. She co-starred with Vic Morrow in Japan’s answer to Star Wars as Princess Meia in Message from Space. Peg starred in the hit Off-Broadway show as Ginger Rogers in “the musical valentine to Fred and Ginger called Up in the Air Boys to rave reviews from The New York Times.

Peg performed as Peggy Sawyer with her husband Geoffrey Hastings Haberer in 42nd Street everywhere including Staten Island Civic Theatre. Peg’s performed in Caesar’s Palace/Las Vegas with Cab Calloway and the Nicholas Brothers and numerous shows in Atlantic City and Branson, MO. Peg has a one woman show she performs as well as a show with her husband of duets throughout the country. Peg is featured in the new M*A*S*H Matters Podcast. Peg and her husband co-wrote and starred with Mickey Rooney in the TV pilot “ Peg of My Hart” (his last TV appearance). Peg is a Motivational Speaker and in 2016 won Ms. Senior America where she speaks/performs and shares her philosophy “It’s Never Too Late!” Her daughter Heleena is 18 years old and is a pre-Med major at University of Alabama.

Community Enrichment Award

Charlie Siedenburg has been a staple of the Staten Island theater community since he was a student at Moore Catholic High School (’82) and worked with the legendary Carl William Lesch on 5 school productions, returning to direct the annual musical from 1991-93.

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Recently, Charlie was a recipient of Moore’s Distinguished Performing Arts Alumni Award (2017) and currently serves as the school's Director of Alumni Relations, where he ensures portions of the funds raised get allocated to the arts program. Charlie began his longstanding relationship with the Theatre Department at Wagner College when he was a student of Arts Administration (’95) while also performing in such shows as Hello, Dolly!; Chicago; No, No, Nanette and She Loves Me. He has since returned to his beloved alma mater as the Press/Social Media Rep as well as a faculty member for the Theatre Department, teaching Theatre Appreciation since 2014. In 2019, Wagner College awarded Charlie with the Kevin Sheehy Alumni Leadership Medal.

Additional Staten Island credits include directing Follies, Chicago, Annie Get Your Gun and The 1940’s Radio Hour (Staten Island Civic Theatre); starring as Florenz Zigfield in Funny Girl (Hemlock Theatre Company) and Harry Bright in Mamma Mia! (Spotlight Theatre Rep; Gratitude Award recipient); as well as representing acclaimed SI theater organizations like The Minty Awards, In The Wings Theatre (both since 2014) and Ghostlight Productions (for which he is the founding press rep); and serving on the Board of Center Stage Productions. Professionally, outside of the Island, Charlie has represented countless new plays and musicals as well as revivals on and off Broadway and regionally, notably acting as Press Director of Barrington Stage Company since 2005, representing over 130 productions including Follies, Freud’s Last Session, On The Town and Company.

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Charlie is grateful to his family, friends, his beloved Michael, Michael Pinto and the rest of the Minty Organization for this honor.