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 Born on August 19th in
the town of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, a small suburb just outside of
Pittsburgh— the original home of that brilliant composer— the late Henry
Mancini— Bridget Petrella (pictured to the right of her mom) a self-proclaimed "human plate spinner" has literally run the gamut in the entertainment industry, as far as jobs
go— she has certainly "done it all" and has probably even "said it all". A nationally published
cartoonist, illustrator, graphic designer, political and
editorial cartoonist, magazine publisher, web designer, radio talk show host,
producer and personal publicist to numerous daytime television actresses and one professional wrestler, who shall remain
nameless— (currently she is handling an exclusive celebrity clientele which includes Daytime Emmy Nominee Fiona Hutchison,
Television and Film Actress Adrienne Wilkinson and Film Actress Sonia Satra), Petrella remains quite engaged within each and every aspect of their rather extensive careers. Over the years as both a personal publicist and manager, Petrella has developed an extended array of major entertainment industry contacts. Her work within the daytime industry is highly revered. In 1997, she began publishing UPBEAT Entertainment News, a witty celebrity-driven entertainment publication with a philosophical twist. The magazine was distributed in Pittsburgh and eventually branched out to include much smaller distributions in New York, Los Angeles and Cleveland. UPBEAT Entertainment News is currently being published and syndicated
online (via iSyndicate, YellowBrix, GlobalVision, NewsCom and Comtex News Service) and has since expanded it’s
readership to well over 13 million subscribers both daily and
weekly. "Fiona once asked me how UPBEAT has changed my life. ‘It’s been an unbelievable ride,’ I said to her. ‘It’s like savoring the taste of that first home run. You know, almost instinctively, by the sound of the crack in the
bat— that this one is headed for the parking lot." There's a small plaque on the
bulletin board next to my usually cluttered desk— a quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes. It
reads— 'The mind once expanded to the dimensions of larger ideas, never returns to its original
size.' That is precisely what UPBEAT Entertainment News has come to symbolize for me. It's about larger ideas, taking the thought process back to a lighter, philosophical
wit— but enhancing it all with real emotion, the stuff you can only get from the soul. There's a devout sense of passion present in the columns of this
publication— it's deeply rooted within the synergy that we all seem to share. UPBEAT has allowed an extraordinary group of writers the distinct opportunity to create something that redefines the entertainment
industry— with a multitude of fascinating layers. I recently thought about all of the deadlines and
layouts— and then I paused. I reflected on all of the people I've met over the past
five years— some of which have become very dear friends to me. It's difficult for many of us to convey our innermost thoughts, fears, grueling life experiences, dating mishaps, family
secrets— and all of the gooey emotional stuff in between— and somehow manage to find the humor in it all. I'm happy that we get to do just that." Petrella,
along with her business partner and friend, Sonia Satra recently
founded
Nite Owl Productions, Ltd., an innovative independent
film and television production company with a deeply committed
foresight to the future of both the film and television
industry.
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Publisher-At-Large
