About the Dr.
Dr. Oppenwider - Entertainment For Baby Showers
My name is Wendy Pellegrino. I have lived on Staten Island for 24 years. I have always loved dressing up in costumes and creating characters and started performing just for my friends and family. I have been a nun, a nurse, a 350lb fat lady (have a fat suit), a shopping bag lady, an old high school gym teacher and a variety of Halloween characters.
In 1997 my sister-in-law became pregnant and I decided to create a character for her baby shower which I called Dr. Oppenwider. The shower was in a restaurant and when I finished the routine, customers dining in the restaurant came rushing over and asked for my business card for their baby showers. Hence, Dr. Oppenwider was born!
I have been performing the routine for 13 years now and loving every minute of it. But, what I am mostly known for is Angels’ Circle, a memorial that I created in 2001 dedicated to those who died on 9/11.
I am very involved in my community. Since 9/11 I have received the 2001 Conservative Party of Richmond County Award, the World of Women 2003 Award, the Rabbi Marcus Kramer Award, the Borough President Humanitarian Award, the Woman of Achievement 2003 Award given by Hillary Clinton, the St. John’s Villa Founder Award, the Honor Legion FDNY Award, and in 2007 the Albert V. Maniscalco Award, which got my name carved into the walls of Borough Hall.
If you look up Angels’ Circle memorial in Staten Island, New York, you will read all about it. It’s a little piece of heaven honoring all those who perished on that dreadful day. During the time of creating the memorial, it was a very sad, emotional time for me. I met many of the families who lost loved ones and found myself consoling them and creating a place for them to mourn.
I then became known as the “Angel Lady.” It was all very surreal for me; during the week sad, emotional talking to the families and then on the weekends performing Dr. Oppenwider, making people laugh. At the time I called my life a “dramedy.”
I have come to find that laughter really is the best medicine and every weekend you will find me doing just that. What better enjoyment could one have than having babies being born and providing joy and laughter to their families?
The Act - Purchase for $14.99
I live in Staten Island, New York and perform a live act for baby showers. I have been doing it for 13 years. Through the internet and through “word of mouth” I would get calls from all over the United States, however, I do not travel. Also, since my fee is rather high for the live act that I do, a lot of families that have their baby showers at home found it expensive and sometimes the baby showers were just a few people.
The Poem - Purchase for $9.99
The Poem is what I recite at the end of my live routine. I have made it into an email sort of like an e-card. It can be sent to anyone who is having a baby. It is a live video of Dr. Oppenwider with sound effects. It begins “A few weeks of morning sickness (you hear sound effects) and after that it’s a breeze,” and continues into a very funny poem all about being pregnant and having the baby.