"The Christmas I Saved Macy's"

Summary:

This is a true story that happened to me Christmas of 1964 at Bamberger's in Newark, NJ, when I was three!

Website:

http://www.joebev.com

Additional Credits and Funding:

Please read the following after playing this piece:

For more unique radio stories by Joe Bevilacqua, go to: www.joebev.com.

Timely on:

December: A True Christmas Story

Tones:

Engaging, Light-hearted, Sweet

Language:

English

Description:

"The Christmas I Saved Macy's" -- a true CHRISTMAS story written & read by Joe Bevilacqua - with original music composed by Joe Bevilacqua and performed by Paul Salomone (Sala-moan-y) on piano, Edward Fuqua (Foo-qway) on bass and Jim Mason on drums.

You may choose to edit my introduction and start with just the music.

This piece runs 4 minutes and 18 seconds.

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Check out these great reviews of 'The Christmas I Saved Macy's':

http://www.prx.org/pieces/22168/reviews

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If you would like to broadcast my half-hour Christmas Special, go to:

http://www.prx.org/pieces/21906

or

A Rockabilly Christmas at:

http://www.prx.org/pieces/22410


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lorie Kellogg 845-647-9475 press@waterlogg.com

Three Year Old Boy Saves Macy's
Public Radio Veteran Recalls Stamping Out a Fire in 1964


This holiday season is a special one for Joe Bevilacqua (or Joe Bev as he often known). The veteran, award-winning writer, cartoonist, radio producer and actor has not one, but FOUR different Christmas Specials being broadcast on public radio stations across the country, over the next few days.

In one of them, "The Christmas I Saved Macy?s," Bevilacqua recalls the time he stamped out a fire at Bambergers Department Store in Newark, New Jersey in 1964 when he was three years.

The story was published in the December-January issue of Orange Magazine, reprinted in December 6 issue of The Ellenville Journal, and Joe Bevilacqua will be reading it on Public Radio International's "Here and Now," XM Satellite Radio and public radio stations nationwide, now through December 25.

Bamberger?s department store was founded in 1893 by Louis Bamberger,and the building, which was erected in 1912, had a big clock on it. Unlike the sprawling malls of today, Bamberger?s took up the entire building and sold everything from ladies underwear to model homes. In 1929, Bamberger?s was purchased by R.H. Macy Co. of New York City, but it wasn?t until 1986 that the name was changed to Macy?s when they went national. Today, there are Macy?s across the country.

"And you can thank me for it," says Bevilacqua. "The same year ?The Beatles? invaded America, I saved Bamberger?s, so if it were not for me, the Macy?s we know today may not have existed."
 
Bevilacqua's mother, Joan, brought her some to downtown Newark to shop for Christmas and so he could see his father, Joe, Sr., who was a policeman, directing traffic at the intersection of Market and Halsey Streets, where Bamberger?s was located.
 
After a visit with Santa, his mother took the boy into Bamberger's ladies lounge.

Bevilacqua recalls, "It was a handsome place with real wood paneling, glass ashtrays on ornate brass stands and leather chairs in which sat seven or eight Jackie Kennedy look-alikes, wearing pillbox hats, half-jackets and white gloves. They had all kicked off their spiked healed shoes and were rubbing their stockinged feet in between puffs of their cigarettes."

A woman screamed and Bevilacqua saw flames coming out of one of the ashtray stands. The woman kicked over the stand and jumped up onto her leather chair, and the carpet was on fire. The woman screamed and jumped up.
  
?Somebody put it out!? urged one woman.

"I can?t! I don?t have my shoes on!? replied another.

?Me either!? added a third.

The last suggested, ?Get that kid to do it! He?s got shoes on!?
  
Bevilacqua says he "quickly stamped out the fire" and the women lifted him up and "hugged and kissed" him.
  
What does the 35-year public radio veteran remember most about that day?
  
"The woman who had suggested my act of heroism picked me up, kissed my cheek and smiled. Her makeup smelled just like a delicious cotton candy.
  
Bevilacqua has edited and written several books, including Daws Butler: Characters Actor, the authorized biography of the voice of Yogi Bear. A frequent contributor to National Public Radio, He has won many awards, including a Silver Reel from the National Federation of Community Broadcasters for A Guy Named Joe Bevilacqua. His radio documentary Lady Bird Johnson: Legacy of a First Lady won best radio documentary at the 2001 New York Festivals. Most recently, Bevilacqua won a New York Festivals for his 2006 All Things Considered tribute to cartoon legend Joe Barbera. Bevilacqua has also written, directed and acting in hundreds of radio dramas for NPR and XM Satellite Radio. In addition, he writes three to five articles per week for The Ellenville Journal in Ellenville, NY. He also contributed a number of articles, essays and cartoons to the premiere issue of Orange Magazine. ?Joe Bev? and his wife and co-creator, Lorie Kellogg, live in their uniquely cartoonish home in the woods of Napanoch, NY, with their three dogs, George, Gracie and Zasu, and their two cats, Offica Pup and Krazy Kat. You can hear over 30 hours of his audio work, much of it for National Public Radio, at: www.joebev.com.

A current "Joe Bevilacqua Holiday Specials" radio station carriage list follows:

"The Christmas I Saved Macy's"
Licensed by Public Radio International's "Here and Now" - Airing on:
* KJZZ 91.5 FM -- Phoenix, Arizona ? 11am - Noon (MT/PT)
* KUAZ 1550 AM -- Tucson, Arizona ? 11am - Noon (MT/PT)
* KUAZ 89.1 FM -- Tucson, Arizona ? 11am - Noon (MT/PT)
* KNHM 91.5 FM -- Bayside, California ? 11am - Noon (PT)
* KPMO 1300 AM -- Mendocino, California ? 10 - 11am (PT)
* KMJC 620 AM -- Mt. Shasta, California ? 10 - 11am (PT)
* KAZU 90.3 FM -- Pacific Grove, California ? 10 - 11am (PT)
* KCLU 102.3 FM -- Santa Barbara, California ? 2 - 3pm (PT)
* KCLU 88.3 FM -- Thousand Oaks, California ? 2 - 3pm (PT)
* KSYC 1490 AM -- Yreka, California ? 10 - 11am (PT)
* WSHU 1260 AM -- Westport, Connecticut ? 1 - 2pm (ET)
* KBSU 730 AM -- Boise, Idaho ? 11am - Noon (MT)
* KBSK 89.9 FM -- McCall, Idaho ? 11am - Noon (MT)
* KEZJ 1450 AM -- Twin Falls, Idaho ? 11am - Noon (MT)
* WKCC 91.1 FM -- Kankakee, Illinois ? Noon - 1pm (CT)
* WBUR 90.9 FM -- Boston, Massachusetts ? Noon - 1pm (ET)
* WBUR 1240 AM -- Cape Cod and the Islands, Massachusetts ? Noon - 1pm (ET)
* WCCT 90.3 FM -- Harwich, Massachusetts ? Noon - 1pm (ET)
* WSDH 91.5 FM -- Sandwich, Massachusetts ? Noon - 1pm (ET)
* WDET 101.9 FM -- Detroit, Michigan ? Noon - 1pm (ET)
* WKAR 870 AM -- East Lansing, Michigan ? Noon - 1pm (ET)
* WSGR 91.3 FM -- Port Huron, Michigan ? Noon - 1pm (ET)
* KBIA2 KBIA2 HD -- Columbia, Missouri ? 11am - Noon (CT)
* KEMC 91.7 FM -- Billings, Montana ? Noon - 1pm (MT)
* KBMC 102.1 FM -- Bozeman, Montana ? Noon - 1pm (MT)
* KECC 90.7 FM -- Miles City, Montana ? Noon - 1pm (MT)
* WEVC 107.1 FM -- Berlin, New Hampshire ? 1 - 2pm (ET)
* WEVO 89.1 FM -- Concord, New Hampshire ? 1 - 2pm (ET)
* WEVH 91.3 FM -- Hanover, New Hampshire ? 1 - 2pm (ET)
* WEVJ 99.5 FM -- Jackson, New Hampshire ? 1 - 2pm (ET)
* WEVN 90.7 FM -- Keene, New Hampshire ? 1 - 2pm (ET)
* KSFR 101.1 FM -- Santa Fe, New Mexico ? 5 - 6pm (MT)
* WSUF 89.9 FM -- Greenport, New York ? 1 - 2pm (ET)
* WSUF 105.7 FM -- Selden, New York ? 1 - 2pm (ET)
* WFAE 90.7 FM -- Charlotte, North Carolina ? 1 - 2pm (ET)
* Public Rad 88.1 FM -- Greenville, North Carolina ? Noon - 1pm (ET)
* WFHE 90.3 FM -- Hickory, North Carolina ? 1 - 2pm (ET)
* WKNS 90.3 FM -- Kinston, North Carolina ? Noon - 1pm (ET)
* WBJD 91.5 FM -- Morehead City, North Carolina ? Noon - 1pm (ET)
* WZNB 88.5 FM -- New Bern, North Carolina ? Noon - 1pm (ET)
* WFDD 88.5 FM -- Winston-Salem, North Carolina ? Noon - 1pm (ET)
* KOAB 91.3 FM -- Bend, Oregon ? 9 - 10am (PT)
* KOAC 550 AM -- Corvallis, Oregon ? 9 - 10am (PT)
* KRVM 1280 AM -- Eugene, Oregon ? 10 - 11am (PT)
* KAGI 930 AM -- Grants Pass, Oregon ? 10 - 11am (PT)
* KTVR 90.3 FM -- La Grande, Oregon ? 9 - 10am (PT)
* KOAP 88.7 FM -- Lakeview, Oregon ? 9 - 10am (PT)
* KRBM 90.9 FM -- Pendleton, Oregon ? 9 - 10am (PT)
* KOPB 91.5 FM -- Portland, Oregon ? 9 - 10am (PT)
* KTBR 950 AM -- Roseburg, Oregon ? 10 - 11am (PT)
* KSJK 1230 AM -- Talent, Oregon ? 10 - 11am (PT)
* KTMK 91.1 FM -- Tillamook, Oregon ? 9 - 10am (PT)
* WHYY 90.9 FM -- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ? Noon - 1pm (ET)
* WRNI 1290 AM -- Providence, Rhode Island ? Noon - 1pm (ET)
* WXNI 1230 AM -- Westerly, Rhode Island ? Noon - 1pm (ET)
* WPLN HD2 -- Nashville, Tennessee ? 11am - Noon (CT)
* KAMU 2 HD -- College Station, Texas ? 11am - Noon (CT)
* WXPR 2 HD -- Rhinelander, Wisconsin ? Noon - 1pm (CT)
* KYPR 88.9 FM -- Gillette, Wyoming ? Noon - 1pm (MT)


?The Christmas I Saved Macy's?
Licensed by WAMC, Albany, NY - Air date: 12/21/07 at noon during ?Midday
Magazine,?
Contact: Kate Briton kbritton@wamc.org
Frequencies: WAMC, 90.3 FM, Albany NY; WAMC, 1400AM, Albany NY; WAMK,
90.9 FM, Kingston NY; WOSR, 91.7 FM, Middletown NY, WCEL, 91.9 FM,
Plattsburgh NY; WCAN, 93.3 FM, Canajoharie NY; WANC, 103.9 FM,
Ticonderoga NY; WRUN 1150 AM, Utica, NY; WAMQ, 105.1 FM, Great Barrington MA

"The Christmas I Saved Macy's"
Licensed by WJFF, Jeffersonville, NY - Air date: 12/23/07, 9:00 pm
Frequency: 90.5 FM
Contact: Mike D'Antonio 845-482-4141

"The Christmas I Saved Macy's"
Licensed by WGUC, Cincinnati, OH, 12/5/07 - No carriage reporting has
been submitted.
Frequency: 90.9 FM

"The Christmas I Saved Macy's"
Licensed by KUT, Austin, TX - Air date: 12/20/08 (central time), during
NPR's ?Morning Edition?
Frequency: KUT 90.5 FM
Contact: Emily Donahue, edonahue@kut.org

"The Christmas I Saved Macy's"
Licensed by WILL Urbana, Illinois - Air date: 12/1/07, 5pm (central time)
Frequency: AM580
Contact: Jason Croft "Sidetrack" Host/Producer WILL-AM 580 Campbell Hall
for Public Telecommunication 300 N. Goodwin Ave. Urbana, IL 61801 (217)
333-0850 j-croft@uiuc.edu http://will.uiuc.edu

?The Misadventures of Sherlock Holmes, Christmas Special?
Licensed by KWIT, Sioux City, Iowa 12/12/07 - No carriage reporting has
been submitted.
Frequency: 90.3, Sioux City, 90.3 Okoboji, Iowa

?The Misadventures of Sherlock Holmes, Christmas Special?
Licensed by WJFF, Jeffersonville, NY - Air date: 12/23/07, 9:00 pm
Frequency: 90.5 FM
Contact: Mike D'Antonio 845-482-4141

?The Misadventures of Sherlock Holmes, Christmas Special?
Licensed by KDUR - Air date: 12/25/07
Frequency: 91.9/93.9 FM
Contact: Bryant Liggett, KDUR PROGRAM DIRECTOR 970.247.7628

"The Joe Bev Holiday Treat"
Licensed by KPIE, Dallas, OR - No carriage reporting has been submitted.
Contact: Fred Compton, General Manager
Frequency: 94.7 FM

"The Joe Bev Holiday Treat"
Licensed by WGBH Radio Boston - Air date: 12/23/08, 11:00 pm
Frequency: 89.7 FM
Contact: Andrea Smardon andrea_smardon@wgbh.org

"The Joe Bev Holiday Treat"
Licensed by WKNH, Keene, NH - Air date: 12/16/08, 9:00 pm
Frequency: 91.3 FM
Contact: Janine ?Ginger? Marr wknhradiotheatre@yahoo.com

"A Comedy-O-Rama Christmas"
Licensed by XM Satellite Radio
Frequency: Sonic Theater Channel 163- No carriage reporting has
been submitted.
Contact: Josephine Reed Josephine.Reed@xmradio.com

For an updated list, please e-mail joebev@joebev.com.

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