on 04-10-2009 03:24

During the filming of an upcoming ABC television pilot, ‘Empire State,' at Doherty's East Avenue Irish Pub in Pawtucket, on Monday afternoon, two crew members discuss set-up, as another crew member walks out the front door with the sign ‘Topping Off Bar & Grill' hanging over it. Times photos/Butch Adams 

City pub serves as a set for the ‘Empire State' TV pilot.

By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET - The Topping Off Bar & Grill on East Avenue? While the name has a certain ring to it, the sign affixed to the outside of Doherty's East Avenue Irish Pub earlier this week was a temporary one. It was all part of a TV pilot being filmed at the local watering hole, as well as in other locations throughout the state.

According to Steven Feinberg, director of the Rhode Island Film and Television Office, the pilot is an ABC TV production of a drama called "Empire State." Set in what is supposed to be Manhattan, the show tells the story of two male characters, one a Donald Trump-like figure who is a wealthy and powerful real estate developer and the other, a blue-collar iron worker. As an added dynamic, the children of the two men are involved in a "Romeo & Juliet" relationship, said Feinberg.

The pilot stars actors Michael Nouri and David Morse, fresh from playing the role of George Washington in the John Adams mini-series.

The film crew has been in several other locations throughout Rhode Island, including Providence, western Cranston and Newport, said Feinberg. The intent is to create the look and feel of Manhattan via Rhode Island, with the state's tax credits program and other costs making it less expensive to film here. Three days of the 11-day film shoot were spent in Pawtucket.

"This is very positive economically for Rhode Island," said Feinberg. "They have about 175 people working and are spending about $6 million that is coming directly into our state." He added that, in addition to the local production crews and the talent base, numerous small businesses connected to, or located near the filming location also benefit from increased traffic.

Feinberg also noted the importance of having state residents employed by such outside ventures, considering the state's current high unemployment rate. The more people working, the greater the tax benefit to the state and the less burden on unemployment benefits and other related resources.

Herb Weiss, Pawtucket's Economic and Cultural Affairs Officer, also spoke of the positive income that such TV and movie productions generate for the city and the state as a whole. "In excess of $10,000 went to local businesses for location fees," stated Weiss.

Weiss said that the owner of Doherty's East Avenue Irish Pub was paid for the use of his establishment, which served as the backdrop for a scenes in the bar area and outside in the parking lot. The owner of the Modern Diner and an office building on the other side of the pub were also paid for the use of their parking lots and to offset other expenses.

Weiss also said that Stretch Products, Inc., a company on Pine Street, was being used to stage a scene involving a crane accident, and the dining room of the International Charter School on Pleasant Street was utilized to feed those associated with the production. In addition, he noted that the people associated with the filming would also likely spend money in local stores when they need food, beverages, or supplies. "In these hard economic times, it's extra money that's coming in. It just makes for good business," said Weiss.

Jack Doherty, the owner of Doherty's East Avenue Irish Pub, said the experience was generally a fun one, although it also required some work on his part. He had to be there for the entire time of the filming, in case things like the lights, heat or other mechanical detail had to be dealt with or adjusted.

"The way that Hollywood sees it is a little different from how you normally run a restaurant," chuckled Doherty. "It was basically two 18-hour days," he said. "And a lot of it is monotonous ... a lot of waiting," he added.

Doherty, who was back behind the counter on Wednesday,  said that he had advertised to his customers in advance about the days that the restaurant was going to be closed for the filming. "We still had a couple of people come by," he said. He added that being chosen for the TV show is "good for publicity, and good for the city."

When asked if he would be open to lending his bar to future scenes should "Empire State" get picked up as a regular series, Doherty said it was more likely that the studio would recreate a similar stage set somewhere.

Doherty added that this was alright with him. He noted that another local bar featured in a TV show, Providence's Green Bar that was used for scenes in "The Brotherhood," had to shut down on a frequent basis. He said he wouldn't want to inconvenience his regular customers. "We've got to serve our peeps," he joked.