Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
Actress is thrilled to be singing God Bless America to open the American Stock Exchange on Sept. 11.
By WAVENEY ANN MOORE, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published September 8, 2002
ST. PETERSBURG -- Erika MacLeod Mandell, a Broadway actor with grade-school roots here, on Wednesday will sing God Bless America during a somber opening-bell ceremony at New York's American Stock Exchange. At the Westminster Shores retirement facility in Bahama Shores, the news prompted her grandmother to cry "tears of joy."
"There is no greater honor than singing on 9/11 God Bless America. ... It is not only to be so proud. I am honored," Ingrid E. Kaehler-Baughman, 78, said.
For Mrs. Mandell, 29, who was born at St. Anthony's Hospital and attended Wellington School here, being asked to sing during the brief memorial ceremony has her reaching for superlatives.
"It is the greatest honor of all," she said Friday during a telephone interview from her New York City apartment.
As an understudy in the role of Fantine in the Broadway production of Les Miserables, she has played the part more than 200 times. But singing God Bless America Wednesday represents an even greater achievement.
"It's better than any Broadway job I could be offered," said Mrs. Mandell, whose professional name is Erika MacLeod.
A colleague from Les Miserables, who had sung at a memorial service for the nine members of the American Stock Exchange floor who died in last year's terrorist attack, had been asked first.
She couldn't do it and suggested Mrs. Mandell, who will perform a cappella.
Kim Atwater, director of corporate communications for the American Stock Exchange, said: "All of the markets are opening at 11. We will start our opening bell ceremony at quarter to 11. It's fairly low key. We are only 100 yards from ground zero. We look right over at the site."
The north side of the exchange building was badly damaged in the attack.
The ceremony will include prayers by a priest from nearby St. Vincent's Hospital, where many victims were taken. After Mrs. Mandell sings, the bell will be rung nine times by trader Michael Pascuma, 93, who lost his son in the attack.
Ms. Atwater said the media has not been invited to the ceremony, though CNBC, which has an option to pick up the bell ringing ceremonies, might cover it.
"We want this to be a very respectful day here," she said.
The day will be especially poignant for Mrs. Mandell, whose husband, Daniel, works at Goldman Sachs in the ground zero area. The September attack happened weeks before their wedding.
"He called me when the first plane hit and told me what happened and we were on the phone when the second one hit. When the second one hit, he felt the building shake and he said, they're evacuating the building. I was so happy that I was talking to him, so I knew that he was okay," Mrs. Mandell said.
Daniel Mandell will be one of few outsiders present Wednesday.
His wife spent Thursday and Friday shopping for a suitable outfit.
"I want to be appropriate and elegant and not clash with the American flag behind me," she said. "I want it to be perfect."
For her grandmother, it already is.
"We are very excited," said Ms. Kaehler-Baughman, whose family includes Mrs. Mandell's mother Helen D. MacLeod-Brewer, four other children and four grandchildren.
"When my granddaughter was 9 years old, they discovered her voice. She has a wonderful voice. It's one of those golden voices," she said.
"She is very supportive of me," her granddaughter said. "No matter where I perform, she comes to see me."
Though she will not be at Wednesday's performance, Ms. Kaehler-Baughman will savor it nonetheless.
"Our family are very proud Americans," Ms. Kaehler-Baughman said.
Last Sept. 11, she hung a brand new American flag at her home.
"I will not take it down until Bin Laden gets his dues," she said this week.