LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending Rita Harvey upon the occasion of her
designation for special recognition by the Rockland Family Shelter on
May 2, 2010

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize that the
quality and character of life in the communities across New York State
are reflective of the concerned and dedicated efforts of those individ-
uals who devote themselves to the welfare of the community and its citi-
zenry; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
Rita Harvey upon the occasion of her designation for special recognition
by the Rockland Family Shelter at its 11th Annual Distinguished Citizen
Award Dinner to be held at The Clubhouse at Patriot Hills on Sunday, May
2, 2010; and
WHEREAS, A woman of singular distinction, Rita Harvey has continually
demonstrated extreme competence, extraordinary intelligence, and dili-
gent leadership in her unwavering service to both her profession and
community; and
WHEREAS, Anyone who has seen Rita Harvey perform is mesmerized by her
beautiful voice and sparkling performance; seeing her in her other roles
as wife, mother, friend, mentor and volunteer, reveals that her sparkle
is not limited to the stage; she is modest and unassuming about her
talent and accomplishments and charmingly unaware of her own personal
magnetism; and
WHEREAS, Rita Harvey was born in Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri in 1968;
the first child of an Army physical therapist who was stationed state-
side, she was followed by three sisters making her the oldest of four
daughters; her family soon moved to Albion, Pennsylvania, then to
Bridgeport, Michigan, Indianapolis, Indiana and finally settled in
Dubuque, Iowa, where her parents still reside; and
WHEREAS, Throughout their travels, Rita Harvey's parents instilled in
their daughters a sense of social responsibility and generosity; the
family worked many weekends in soup kitchens and joined groups that
protested the escalation of nuclear arms; and
WHEREAS, From an early age, Rita Harvey was interested in singing,
dancing and acting; the summer her family moved from Indianapolis to
Dubuque, she auditioned for a local production of "Carnival", and got
the lead role of Lilly; she stayed behind while the rest of the family
got settled in the new city; she joined them in Iowa her senior year and
graduated from Hempstead High School in 1986; and
WHEREAS, Her undergraduate years were spent at Simpson College in
Indianola, Iowa, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Opera Performance;
while there, she co-founded a campus Amnesty International group that
still exists today; as a student counselor, she helped freshmen get
their footing; she was also a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority; and
WHEREAS, After graduating from Simpson, Rita Harvey went to Northwest-
ern University and received her Master's and Certificate degrees in
Opera Performance; while finishing at Northwestern and working at the
Verdi and Puccini Opera Cafe as a singing waitress, she started audi-
tioning for regional musical theater and opera companies; after a few
nice roles she landed the role of Christine Daae in the nation tour of
"The Phantom of the Opera"; she toured for almost three years before
leaving the show and moving to New York City; and
WHEREAS, During her first year in New York, between auditions, Rita
did not forget her civic upbringing, volunteering for the Gay Men's

Health Crisis and working on Aids Walk NY; she soon got a call to do
"The Phantom of the Opera" on Broadway; and
WHEREAS, During her tenure at "Phantom", Rita Harvey played on a soft-
ball team in Central Park and it was there, in the Broadway Softball
League, that she met her future husband, Neil Berg; they were married in
1999, and that same year they formed Leftfield Productions, Inc., a
company that produces Broadway concerts for benefits, charity, and
corporate and public events; through Leftfield they have produced and
performed in hundreds of fundraising events for many different organiza-
tions including the Rockland Family Shelter; and
WHEREAS, In 2005, Rita Harvey starred as Hodel in the recent Broadway
revival of "Fiddler on the Roof" and she also received a distinguished
Alumni award from Simpson College; and
WHEREAS, Today, Rita and Neil travel the country with the number one
touring concert "Neil Berg's 100 Years of Broadway"; they are also
extremely involved in the Covenant House, a Catholic organization that
helps runaway teens; furthermore, she maintains an active teaching sche-
dule as a private voice teacher and acting coach, inspiring young people
to reach for their dreams; and
WHEREAS, Throughout the entire period of her community service, a
period of constructive involvement, Rita Harvey has stood constant in
dignity, good grace and humor; and
WHEREAS, With her throughout have been her husband, Neil, and their
son, Lucas, both of whom feel privileged to be a part of her life and
rejoice in her achievements; and
WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the impressive dedication shown by an individ-
ual for the benefit of others which Rita Harvey has displayed throughout
her life; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that those who
enhance the well-being and vitality of their community and have shown a
long and sustained commitment to excellence certainly have earned the
recognition and applause of all the citizens of this great Empire State;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend Rita Harvey upon the occasion of her designation for special
recognition by the Rockland Family Shelter on May 2, 2010; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Rita Harvey.