MISS SAIGON Premiere "ascends" by helicopter & ascendant voices

With great risks come even greater rewards. This has been the mantra for the last year at New Candlelight. “Miss Saigon” had never been staged by a local production company, mostly attributed to that pesky- but iconic – descending helicopter scene in Act 2. Design and engineering such a feat separates soldiers from civilians in the world of regional theatre. The show was penned by the duo of “Les Miserables” (you may have heard of it). The plot is nearly as epic; the characters equally flawed; the emotions stirred similarly heart wrenching; the music and lyrics bear resemblance in power and majesty. The duo of Sonny Leo (Director and Choreographer) and Chris Alberts (Producer and Lighting Design) have teamed once again to create transcendent musical theatre. Leads were two newcomers Kim (Dana Kreitz) and Chris (Anthony Connell). Cast aside any notions of musical comedy; this is a serious show. (Vietnam never contributed a lot of yucks). These two characters must not only have soaring voices but must sell the pain, pity and pathos and of their relationship. They are superb. Two locals that Aisle Say has seen in tens of productions give their finest performances. Engineer (Paul Goodman) who has been type cast historically as a 'nice guy', 'you can lean on my shoulder type”, sheds that golly gee image in this slimy, predatory, obsequious role. His “American Dream” was a come-to-Jesus show stopper. For Ellen (Sharon Brown Ruegsegger), the tragic but noble figure is this sorrowful triangle, Aisle Say always has admired her voice. She rose to another plateau above the clouds in this role. Thuy (Rick Fountas) was strong of voice but his cartoonish and over the top stridency of evil incarnate was way out of balance of the naturalistic portrayals of the characters around him. Staging is choreography, especially under Leo's direction. The fluidity of the fall of Saigon scene was ballet unto itself. Hours must have been spent in rehearsal to not only keep the masses flowing but to create the frenetic energy of the moment. This may have been the impetus for Leo's program book comment, “I've learned patience.” The awe-inspiring highlight of the production was the opener of Act 2, “Bui Doi”. In Vietnamese it means 'the dust of life', the brand burned into the mixed race children spawned by American soldiers and Vietnamese women; those left behind. It's a horrific appellation but an incredible song. John (Dave Snyder) along with a men's chorus, OWNS that song. If there had been live action replay, I would have been there 4 more times. In a drama this tense, there must be comic release. Peter Briccotto and Adam McLean ? (oh, I get it) were hysterical as American sex tourists. Their costumes, by Linda Reilly, were right on....as testimony, I still have a few memorabilia in my closet from the very plaid and brightly pallet-ed '70's. Jonny Carroll (Tam) the offspring of the two weeks between Chris and Kim, was deemed 'adorable' by not one but two Elizabeth's at my table. Now, back to the helicopter. Alberts pulls it off. It descends in the chaos of evacuation. His dramatic lighting (especially the spot lights searching the audience) give a strong sense of the abject fear in the hearts of the evacuees. During that time Chris screams out, “all I made a mess”, which to those who lived through this era, is a metaphor for the US involvement in Nam. Thru March 11. NCTstage.org 302.475.23 NCT is staging their annual fund raiser on February 11. Call the box office for details.

NCT creates a new Christmas tradition

Dear sister Liz and I introduced ourselves to our table mates. My first question is always... “have you been to Candlelight before?” In three years of attending opening weekends we've sat with only one couple who were returning vets. A promising sign.
The couple was from Downingtown. That's a hike. Dinner theatres in their area had closed years ago and, being good shoppers, they knew the inherent value in this combo for $55.00 per.
Perusing the program, the gentleman leaned over to me. “Don't actors get bored being in the same show for 6 weeks?”
“OMG! Shirley you jest! Theatre people are not like you and me, my son. They love performing. They love being different. They love the bond of their compadres. It's a new audience every night; responding in as many ways to them as there are snowflake designs. Being on stage is a rush.
'A Very Candlelight Christmas' was NCT's first in-house show, written by two of the most gifted performing arts talents in the Delaware Valley, Chris Alberts and Sonny Leo.
Chris and Sonny come by their talents honestly. Chris's Dad was Al Alberts of The Four Aces. Sonny's Mom is the local living legend of dance, Anna Marie. Sonny appeared on Al Alberts' tv show as a teenybopper (way back in the day, as they say).
NCT took a great risk with this show. This is commendable. The project was outside the boundaries of their normal programming. The margin of error is slim. (think Rick Perry's numbers' plummet after his brain freeze).
But is there not a greater risk in the arts than to perform live? Players put themselves at risk each time they walk on stage. Will I sing a sour note, will I trip during a choreo routine, will I lose focus with my character, will I burp or stutter or sneeze or go up in lines?
Half way through the opening number I rolled my eyes, sighed and muttered, “two hours to go with this mediocrity?” Alan (Tim Moudy) was portraying an over the top Pat Sajak-type announcer with delusions of adequacy.
Then....the reveal. Devlin (Patrick O'Hara) strides in from the audience and pulls the plug. Now here's a guy with skeletons (literally) in his closet! I do suggest toning down his vitriol a tad for the holiday audience.
This is a play within a play. The even greater conceit was that the plot was a takeoff of Dickens' “Scrooge' with a very very Christmasy Candlelight version. Clever. And, with each scene, the imagination continued its upward path.
Alberts and Leo wrote an inventive piece “We Three Kings of Broadway” featuring 'King of Siam' (Andre Dion Wills), Don Quixote (Paul Goodman) and Tevye (Dave Snyder). The trios' signature Broadway tunes were interspersed with the Xmas anthem. Difficult to conjure, but it worked.
Peter Pan made an appearance...on land...and on roller skates... in the charming personage of Peter Briccotto, an ice skating medalist and coach in real life.
Bob Fosse (David McConney) had The Master's pelvic thrusts down in yet another inventive number, chained (as in Marley's chains) to two 'Fosse' girls.
Costume Child (Zoe McLane), age 9, exhibits stage presence and pulls off her running gag with aplomb. She is outfitted by amusing costumes by Linda Reilly and Carol Brindley.
I imagine this will become an NCT tradition. Aisle Say considers there was a bit too much “Auld Lang Syne” and, with all the hoopla around Cassie's ( Kaylan Wetzel Acon) show-stopping talent, there was no fitting production number befitting her prodigious versatility.
Thru December 23. NCTonstage.org 302.475.2313

Over the past 2 seasons New Candlelight Theatre had been in a groove like the Phillies pitching staff. Their Doc Halladay was “Cats” and “Footloose”; Cliff Lee was “Oklahoma” and “Joseph” and Cole Hamels was “Little Shop” and “Evita”.
“Annie” was a minor league choice. True, the tunes 'Tomorrow' and 'Maybe' stick in your brain like oil to a pelican in the Gulf disaster, but “Annie” should be sent to Old Timers Hall of Overdone Musicals.
Production qualities were not commensurate with what we have come to expect at NCT. The set was one dimensional; cartoon-ish in both design and application and in no fashion integrated with the heartstrings-pulling drama of the little orphan girl.
Annie (Jamieson O'Brien) is a good actor and has quite a resume for her age. Her two aforementioned show stoppers were sung without the degree of desolation, yearning and hope the lyrics speak to. Her voice was shrill rather than melodic and a voice instructor should suggest letting the air come over the pallet from her diaphragm rather than straight from her chest.
Molly (Nicole Hemphill) is simply too cute. There is no doubt in my mind she will be the title character in some future production of this show.
Warbucks (Patrick O'Hara) is a fine actor and even better all around trouper. In the “Full Monty” his body was bare; in this one he bares his hair! His scene explaining to Annie his growing up in Hell's Kitchen was the most dramatic of the evening.
Miss Hannigan (Gerri Weagraff) plays comic drunk well, a homegrown version of Carol Burnett. Her grifters-in-crime Rooster (Dewey Oriente) and Lily (Lindsay Mauck) are strong in their portrayals. Potential was lost in their own show stopper 'Easy Street'. More rehearsal could make that the number it should be.
What little choreography there was (Shauna Goodman) could have been enhanced in 'Hooverville', generally a major production number. Goodman left it to the dancers to create their own little prances.
F.D.R/Cop (David Snyder) channeled our most patrician of Presidents as the former and delivered an authentic Irish brogue as the latter.
Grace (Megan Pisors) is an attractive stage presence with a clear voice. The server at the table for my dear sister Liz and me, I wondered why she needed a wig (Freda Carson) on stage. While Pisors' was acceptable, the hairpiece given to Annie was a bit large for her head and reminded me of the style preferred by my grandmother. Why not give her the red-haired Afro we are all familiar with and be done with it?
Next season opens with the formidable “Miss Saigon” Music by les messieurs who brought you “Les Mis”.
Through August 21. Next up is 'Damn Yankees”. NCTstage.org 302.475.2313
NCT is still the greatest value in live theatre.

FLOTSAM & JETSAM
NBA star Ron Artest has retained counsel to change his name to Metta World Peace. Metta is a Buddhist term meaning 'kindness'. I have informed my esteemed editor that henceforth my nom de plume will be Metta Omniscient Aisle Say. Please direct future complaints to him referencing this name, especially serviceable when child actors are criticized
I was at DMV last week and surveyed the packed house. I got scared. Please, can Google start producing their self-driving cars any quicker?
The new design for the intersection of Rts 95 and 1 is a flyover. The Tyler McConnell bridge then becomes the next impassable bottleneck if Stoltz's plan for Barley Mill Plaza is realized. Solution: have the developer foot the bill for a flyover to link at the top of the hill at Alapocas Woods.
As we leave the subject of “Annie”, Delawareans must feel orphaned as well when their one and only daily newspaper leaves them without a performing arts reviewer.

NCT bares ALL in Full Monty

In the Americanized stage version adapted from the British film of the same name, 6 unemployed Buffalo steel workers, low on both cash and prospects, decide to present a strip act at a local club after seeing their wives' enthusiasm for a touring company of Chippendales. One of them, Jerry, declares that their show will be better than the Chippendales dancers because they'll go 'the full monty" - strip all the way.
As they prepare for the show, working through their fears, self-consciousness, and anxieties, they overcome their inner demons and find strength in their camaraderie.
From last month's fully clothed “Cats” to half naked men, NCT continues to stretch both boundaries and – in “Monty” – waistlines.
Performing this show in your hometown takes prodigious chutzpah. Some of the actors might benefit from a Y membership. To quote Cary Grant in the classic Rudyard Kipling movie, “You're a braver man than me, Gunga Din”
David Yazbek created both music and lyrics. The latter especially was clever by two, reminiscent of the wit and playfulness of the wittiest and most playful composer ever, Cole Porter. (The Brandywiners is staging his most famous...”Kiss Me Kate”...this summer.)
Double entendres are dispatched as speedily as shirts are stripped. The strong ensemble is led by NCT veteran Paul Goodman as Jerry. His singing voice evokes the pathos and despair that comes from a husband's and father's inability to provide for his family. I do wish that Director Chris Alberts and he would discuss the poignant scene in which Jerry's young son gives his Dad the money to rent the hall. It was all over too quick in relation to the heartstrings that could have been pulled and the eyes that could have moistened.
Doffing one's clothes does bond a cast. This carries over to the mellifluous harmonies as well in “The Mill”. Peter Briccotto (Malcolm), Andre Dion Willis (Horse...please, please don't ask me why) and Patrick O'Hara (Harold), Method actors all, created defined characterizations of those who would risk all to do what they felt was the right thing.
The Full Monty lasted on Broadway for 770 shows not only because it was a truly outrageous idea, but also because it spoke directly to our insecurities. NCT translates that for us in a triumphant manner.
And, ladies, not to fret. Even dear sister Liz, her program at the ready to shield her cute baby blues, never had to look away!
Running to May 22. NewCandlelightTheatre.com 475.2313

Great Ideas for Delaware. Our first initiative
Jayne Armstrong, District Director of the SBA
Small businesses are the big winners in the recent passage of the federal Small Business Jobs Act. The landmark economic recovery legislation supports a number of new initiatives designed to expand access to capital and export markets.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) launched its Community Advantage and Small Loan Advantage loan programs to help undeserved markets access loans under $250,000. Small Loan Advantage loans are offered through SBA preferred lenders and feature a two-page application and approvals in a matter of minutes through the agency’s electronic E-Tran system.  Community Advantage loans expand SBA’s lending network by targeting Community Development Financial Institutions, SBA’s Certified Development Companies and SBA non-profit micro lenders.
Companies impacted by maturing mortgages and balloon notes can now refinance their commercial real estate under SBA’s 504 Refinance Program. The SBA also introduced dealer floor plan financing up to $5 million for dealers servicing the auto, boat, recreational vehicle, motorcycle and manufactured housing industries.
The legislation also expands export opportunities for small businesses. The SBA’s State Trade and Export Promotion grant program provides $90 million over three years to fund state export initiatives.
For more information, contact the SBA Delaware District Office at (302) 573-6294 or visit www.sba.gov
If you have a Great Idea for Delaware, firestone@delaware.net

NCT "Cats" close to purrfect

Poetry-wise, I'll say Aisle Say is strictly a simple iambic pentameter type of fellow; “listening to the loons croon under the moon in June”, that type of thing. Pick up a book of poetry? There are reruns of 'Jersey Shore' to titillate my senses, thank you very much.
T.S. Eliot wrote 'Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats” in the '30's with the premise being feline psychology and feline sociology. Eliot's nom de plume was 'Old Possum'. It was Andrew Lloyd Webber's favorite book of poetry as a child. The songs in the production are Eliot's verse set to music.
I would hazard a guess that most who witness 'Cats' for the first time are like me; with nary a clue as to theme or plot. What made this the second longest running show in Broadway history was the total preposterousness of the assumption; dozens of actors on all fours posturing and preening as do our beloved pets, outrageous costumes giving similitude to the characters, the inventive makeup, the dazzling dance and finally, Lloyd Webber's melodies which cannot be shaken from your brain unless you were hit by linebacker James Harrison of the Steelers.
Why it took decades to premiere in Delaware is a question. But, in 'cat'aclysmic understatement, the wait was worth it. Considering their budget restraints, Aisle Say does not know how they did it. But they did it! This is the finest show my dear sister Liz and I have ever seen at Candlelight in 43 years (the exception, Liz reminded me, being 'Pal Joey', in which I starred in 1970). By best I mean fully integrated; all the necessary talent demands coalesced into a fulfilling and spectacular theatrical experience. (The polar opposite being the $65 million boondoogle now on Broadway entitled “Spider-Man” and suffering from a tsunami of withering reviews. Turning that production around from the national joke it has become will be truly Sisyphean.)
The kudos begin with Director/Choreographer Dann Dunn who spent a year on the Broadway tour playing the majority of the 'cat'avating characters throughout the run. He hit the ground running the first day of rehearsal like a cheetah chasing lunch. He cast a few NCT dance stalwarts and brought in a large number of dancers who are making their NCT debut. In this show one must be a real triple threat, with the emphasis on the singing and dancing.
Scenic Designer Jeff Reim's junk yard was reminiscent of similar sets I have seen in the traveling productions of 'Cats'. Lighting Designer Chris Alberts does his normal distinguished work. Costumer Timothy Lamont Cannon doubled as Old Deuteronomy and excelled in both roles.
Here is where Aisle Say admittedly will fall short. It has been a long while since I last saw a production. With an over abundance of striped faces, fuzzy fur and painted spandex on stage, some of the cats looked alike. I was so transfixed with the delightful delirium I was witnessing, I will admit to some confusion matching actor to his part. I was looking forward to connecting feline face to name after the show but for the first time there was no 'meet and greet'.
We all know Grizabella, the Glamour Cat (Erica Scanlon Harr) and her the iconic “Memories”. Hers was a stirring rendition. Mr. Mistoffelees (Ryan Blackson), Rum Tum Tugger (Cory Wade Hindroff), Jennyandydots (Lindsay Mauck), Mungojerrie (Ricky Rotandi), Rumpleteazer (Alexis DeDonato), Gus/Bustopher Jones (David T. Snyder) and Skimbleshanks (Michael Angelini) and the entire cast was so talented and so enthusiastic I am scanning my thesaurus for platitudes as we speak.
On March 4 children under 14 are priced at $15.00
Til March 20. Some shows are sold out...deservedly so. NCTstage.org 302.475.2313

John & Lena O'Toole receive Lifetime Standing O's

While attending Wilmington Drama League's “Chicago” two weeks ago, John and Lena O'Toole, co-founders of Arden's Candlelight Dinner Theatre walked in. Son Grant and I walked over to say hello.

“Oh, you're reviewing tonight, Greer?” asked Lena.

John smiled and lamented...“too bad I never had a chance to play Billy Flynn (Richard Gere in the movie). I would have been perfect.

“Oh, John”, replied Lena, “you won't be getting reviewed again.”

That comment was my cue for this ode to the O'Toole's. Neither John nor Lena had ever been reviewed for the profound impact their life's work had on community theatre in Delaware and, equally important, the lives of the hundreds of actors they touched.

John O'Toole and Julian Borris had attended high school together in Wilmington. In early 1969 they came up with the idea to renovate the Robin Hood Dell and transform it into the state's first dinner theatre. They did not share the secret with wives Lena and Annabelle until the day they opened the creaky doors of that Arden landmark.

“The place was a complete disaster,” recalls Lena. “Dust and cob webs everywhere, peeling paint, ivy growing through the walls, muck on the floors and 200 seats in complete disrepair that were bolted to the floor. It had been a barn before Robin Hood Dell and aside from the absence of farm animals, looked that way that day.”

Julian was to be artistic director; Lena was given bookkeeping; John was to be production manager, press aid and a very literal chief cook and bottle washer. Annabelle Borris was assigned to be Annabelle.

The bank account opened with $7.20. The partners came up with the idea of selling $50 shares. That accumulated roughly $10,000; not a lot to begin a business. John was in real estate and Julian was in radio sales. Each family had 4 kids. There was no way they could quit their full-time jobs.

But eventually word got out in the community about this new dinner theatre. Lena recalls that people came by to say they loved the idea and wanted to volunteer.

“Cathy, our daughter brought several girls from Ursuline Academy to help paint,” she said.

John gives credit to Julian for the idea of the first show, “Forum."

“I had never heard of the show," he said. "It was the first time it would be performed in the state.”

Opening was to be September of 1969. Due to an ever increasing number of problems, however, the date was pushed back to Thanksgiving.

“A very, very cold Thanksgiving,” chimes in John. “We had no heat backstage. If you know 'Forum,' the girls (courtesans) run around with hardly anything on. They would dash offstage and crowd in front of a commercial construction heater we borrowed, reduce their goose bumps for a split second and prance back on stage.”

The ticket price for dinner and theatre that night was $7.50. (Liquor was BYO and was to remain that way until 1981.) 'Forum' was a boffo success. Many cast members became stalwarts for years at Candlelight. One in particular, Don Parkhill, played Senex, the discombobulated father searching for his son and instructed by Pseudolis (Borris) to walk seven times around Rome. Parkhill's hilarity became a mainstay for the next decade. I personally saw the show about eight times and still chuckle to this day.

Through Facebook I reached out to many actors over the 31 years of John and Lena's grand experiment. Overwhelmingly, the comment was “family." Julian was a mite intimidating. The O'Tooles created a loving, nurturing environment where everyone was respected. For many, it was their initial foray into the magical world of live theatre.

From Claudia Carlson (Aisle Say states one of the most beautiful voices ever to grace the stage): My husband Joe and I were just talking wistfully about our Saturday nights at Candlelight. John would set out bread and cold cuts and potato salad for the cast. He always spoiled Joe with extra pickles and Joe's favorite cheese. Such a simple pleasure but it brought such joy to us all. Those touches made us feel a part of the family. That doesn't happen anywhere else.

On the acting front, John and Lena were always my biggest fans and gave me the courage to take risks. I knew I was doing a good job if I got a glimpse of Lena at the office door. She would always stop what she was doing to catch her favorite parts of the show. She told me she never missed me singing "Rose's Turn." "Gypsy" was my final show with John and Lena. They will always have a special spot in this Mama's heart.

From Tom Marshall, presently directing all Concord High shows: I'll never forget working with Julian on "Mame." He never knew his lines and would make them up on stage. You never knew what was going to come out and he got mad at you if you looked like a deer in headlights. After a tirade from Julian, John and Lena were always there to boost you up. It became a second home to me and it was because of the two of them.

From Sue Hornung, lead in several shows through the decades: John and Lena created a theatre family at Candlelight...a family that provided training for future professionals such as Sue Stroman (whose had a so-so career on Broadway...Ha!). Some of the best Delaware actors were part of Candlelight – Jean Bovard, Luanne Sereduke, Terry Johnson, to name a few.

My best friend Ted Meyermann was playing the Paul Lynde (father) role in "Bye Bye Birdie" in 1998. The kid playing the son, Randolph, dropped out two weeks before opening. Ted made a bee line to my house to ask if then 10-year-old Grant could do the role. It was a no-brainer for me, but convincing his mother was another issue. Ted launched into a passionate argument. After ten minutes Grant's Mom relented.

“Okay, okay, Ted. Please stop crying!”

As they did Saturday evenings after every show for 31 years, John and Lena laid out sandwiches and cokes for the cast. The first couple of Saturdays I would come right after the show to schmooze with everyone. This infuriated Grant.

“These are my friends. This is my cast. You are not allowed to come pick me up until midnight!" he implored. "And another thing. Don't come in. Stay in the car!”

I was stunned by the emotion of this normally sweet and mild mannered kid. Then, aha!. Grant, like all the kids who ever performed at Candlelight, felt territorial of these new friends and this new found world of off-center "theatre people."

Oddball remembrances from Aisle Say:

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John's handwritten programs in the '70s. (Many times he would misspell an actor's name from one show to the next. If you were Polish, good luck on getting your name correct!)
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The bathrooms through the '70s! Oh, boy!
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Waiting tables for tips
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John and Julian's "Abbott and Costello" act during intermission
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The rubber chicken that had to make an appearance in every show
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In each role John played, there was a touch of his favorite character Luther Billis from "South Pacific." (I say that with great affection.) As Billis, though, no one ever wore his coconut breastplates with greater pride.

Well, Lena, so you were wrong. John was in fact reviewed once again...along with what is probably your first review. Aisle Say humbly speaks for all Candlelight alum over 31 years: The O'Tooles deserve a lifetime standing ovation.

The collective love for your "theatre family" is the grand legacy you leave. As La Merman (the woman who could hold a note longer than the Chase Manhattan bank) sang: “Who could ask for anything more!”

Characters are Footloosical in "Suessical, the Musical"

Quotes Dr. Suess, “So the writer who breeds more than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads.”
Therefore, says I, ...“the words I pen in my column Aisle Say... will be nifty and utmost thrifty. In fact, I'll cut by fifty-fifty!”
In this first ever production of “Suessical, the Musical” at New Candlelight, the actors, with an age range beginning at 6 and going skyward, are given the opportunity to which all thespians aspire; i.e. playing over-the-top, fantastical cartoon characters.
In the music and frivolity is both simple charm and moral lessons, perfect for your children and grandchildren. This is both an ideal bonding experience for the kids and you and also a memorable holiday treat. And, for only $5.00, you can treat your child to a very cool Dr. Suess hat!
At our preview night dining with my dear (and most assuredly non-grinch) sister Liz, perhaps 25% of the house were kids, squealing at the antics of the characters, the dazzling colors and originality of Timothy Lamont Cannon's costumes and the star light special effects of Director and Lighting Designer Chris Alberts.
Gentle readers, this is not some kiddified production. The excellent music is by Ahrens and Flaherty, the duo who gave you the Broadway blockbuster “Ragtime.” Standing out is a lilting and inspirational ballad 'Solia Sollew' that is hypnotically harmonized by the ensemble. You have never heard it for it cannot be extrapolated from the show. It has character references and too integrated in the rather non-nonsensical plot. (This IS Dr. Suess, remember. And the show was co-conceived by Monty Python Eric Idle...enough said!)
The Master of Ceremonies/Ringmaster is The Cat in the Hat (Paul Goodman). A new father himself, this role has given the veteran actor even more a sensitivity of the joy and innocence of childhood and he plays the part with a sparkle in his eye, urging the young JoJo (Zachary Pennington) “On the Thinks You Can Think.” Pennington is an eighth grader at Springer. Many of the kids attend Cab Calloway School for the Arts.
Horton (David Snyder) is making his NCT debut as an elephant. He has a sweet and endearing voice, this loyal character to his friends, “...I meant what I say and I say what I meant. An elephant's faithful, one hundred per cent.”
Gertrude McFuzz (Erica Scanlon Harr) is a delight to watch in her ever expanding and contracting bird costume (yet another bravo to Costumer Cannon). We have heard her clear soprano as Dorothy in “Oz” and Laurey in “Oklahoma”. Harr exemplifies, along with Mrs. Mayor (Lindsay Mauck), Sour Kangaroo (Erienne Poole) and Mayzie (Kaylan Wetzel), the talented core of performers that Chris Alberts has assembled over the past two years or so. Aisle Say is waiting for “Dreamgirls” for Poole and “Guys and Dolls' for Wetzel, two shows perfect for their rich voices.
For the half dozen or so kid performers, they will remember this adventure with Dr. Suess the remainder of their lives. Zoe McLane (age 6?), playing 'ill Roo (think Mini Me), to Sour Kangaroo. Zoe started at NCT Summer Camp and now has progressed to a main stage production. In her credits she writes, “I want to thank my Mom and Dad for listening to me rehearse and rehearse over and over and over again.! OKAY! FINE, and to Zach, my brother – there I said his name!
Due to money, NCT is no longer has an Equity relationship. However, under Alberts' tutelage, they have regressed nary a scintilla in production quality. It has been and remains the best value in live entertainment – dinner AND theatre for the price of a theatre ticket.
Will Candlelight succeed? Yes indeed. Yes indeed. 98 and three quarters per cent guaranteed!
Through December 22. 302.475.2313 NewCandlelightTheatre.com

"Little Shop" at New Candlelight Dinner Theatre

From 1989 to '95 Alan Menkin was the wunderkind of the Disney Renaissance, composing music for 'Beauty and The Beast', 'Aladdin', 'Pocahontas' and 'The Little Mermaid'.
Seven years before his impressive run with animated characters, Menkin wrote “Little Shop”. The music is a blend of rock 'n roll, do wop and early Motown. When it closed it was then the longest running off-Broadway show ever.
The farcical story involves a flower shop employee who finds a plant whose sustenance is blood; from a tiny drop to the eventual go for broke engorging of live people. And, along the way, rockin' music and, sigh, a love story.
The mark of a true professional is the sublimation of their personal talent to the honesty of the character. That integrity – allied with consistency – is exemplified by Audrey (Kaylan Wetzel). She has been in several recent NCT shows and Aisle Say has heard the power and grandiloquence of her natural voice. The character Audrey is from somewhere near the depths of downtown Brooklyn and is encumbered by a very, very annoying nasality. Wetzel realizes this role.
Artistic Director Chris Alberts was additionally blessed by the perfect casting of Peter Briccotto as Seymour, the quintessential nebbish. Briccoti is an amusing dead center concoction east of Woody Allen and west of Rick Moranis. He plays his character such that the audience is preparing a giggle even before he opens his mouth. I would suggest Seymour be mindful of the spotlights in which the director has him placed. He missed a few on the night that my dear sister Liz and I were in attendance.
There is no denying the Motown trio of Crystal (Erienne Poole), Ronnette (Erica Scanlon Harr) and Chiffon (Lindsay Mauck) have both the pipes and the presence. Their costuming was drab. One would think if they had been dressed similarly throughout, possibly in outrageous costumes, it would have added more theatricality. The three work well together and they set the stage with the opening “Skid Row (Downtown)”.
Actor Michael Delaney, who is a dead ringer for House Manager Paul Goodman, played so many roles that one ran out of digits counting them. Yet, with each, (most emphatically the sadistic motor cycle riding, misogynistic dentist Orin), he brought life and credibility to them all. (Dentists take a major blow to the incisors in this show. Think “Marathon Man”.) Aisle Say emphatically agrees with Seymour's admonition to the audence,...“there's always time for dental hygiene.”
Director Alberts convinced Patrick Ahearn, owner of Hob Hollow Studios, to design, create and perform the role of Audrey II, the man-eating plant. His precious work was last seen at NCT as 'The Wizard' in Oz. Ahearn's gift is a great asset to the production. I would ask that he hold off for five minutes after the final curtain to have his technicians 'dismember' Audrey II. As long as one can sustain the illusion of the production, you should go for it.
Chris Alberts pays homage to Music Director Jim Weber, who is relocating to Florida. For 30 years Weber and his partner Gary Prianti were producers for Three Little Bakers Dinner Theatre. During the salad decades of the '70's and '80's, Bakers was a theatrical money mill, churning out classic Broadway shows to bus groups pouring in from seven states.
But Bakers was a 900 seat elephant needing to be fed 8 shows weekly. Tastes changed. Entertainment avenues increased. The economy happened.
Both gentlemen are professionals and they are friends of mine. Godspeed.
Gentle readers, from seven dinner theatres in the '70's in our state – now to NCT, the last man standing.
Til October 30. NewCandlelighttheatre.org 302.475.2313 nctboxoffice@gmail.com

Upcoming Theatre Season in DE

Aisle Say recently commented on the upcoming seasons of The REP Ensemble of the UD and The Media Theatre. Local houses have some entertaining surprises.

WILMINGTON DRAMA LEAGUE
Wilmington Drama League opens September 17 with a classic penned by Lillian Hellman's “The Children's Hour”. The drama is set at an all girls boarding school. An angry student runs away and to prevent being returned fabricates a lie about the two headmistresses and a lesbian affair; destroying the women's careers, their relationship and their lives.
Following in October is one of the great dance musicals of all time, “Chicago”. Original Broadway Director/Choreographer Bob Fosse created – next to Russian ballet legend Petipa - the most celebrated and imitated dance movements of all time. New Candlelight Theatre co-founder Jody Anderson, an extremely talented choreo, is on board. One can expect multitudinous thrusting of pelvises.
764.1172 WilmingtonDramaLeague.org

NEW CANDLELIGHT DINNER THEATRE
New Candlelight commences the fall with “Little Shop of Horrors”, certainly one of the quirkiest plots of any successful Broadway show in history. It's a rock musical, but the rock is from the '60's with Motown and doo wop. A nebbish florist shop employee, Seymour, raises a man eating plant. Aisle Say suggested to the stage Director that his first wife could play the plant. Little Shop opens September 11. The show has some great tunes. 'Suddenly Seymour' is a classic.
Dr. Suess's immortal characters are front and center beginning November 6 with “Suessical The Musical”. The plot follows the adventures of Horton the elephant. Playing until December 22, this would be great family holiday entertainment.
475.2313 NewCandlelightTheatre.org

DELAWARE THEATRE COMPANY
Delaware Theatre Company starts a bit late this season with the opening of “Sylvia” on October 20. Last season DTC staged at least one show if not two with actors playing multiple parts. (saves money!) This plan is revisited with their second production, “Around The World In Eighty Days”, wherein 5 actors portray 39 characters. The pressure is on to have a boffo season.
594.1100 DelawareTheatre.org

GRAND OPERA HOUSE
In this relatively small environment, Aisle Say consistently preaches performing arts collaboration. The 2010 Annual Grand Gala on Saturday, December 4, 2010 will feature a sizzling performance by legendary progressive rock band Procol Harum and the Delaware Symphony Orchestra.
From the first time I heard the ethereal “Whiter Shade of Pale” in 1967, I considered it simply otherworldly. It transcended the hard rock of that era brought to us by Led Zepplin, The Who or The Stones. It provoked me, as a 20 year old, to find out just what a 'vestal virgin' was....and equally challenging, in this year of sexual revolution...to find one.
The tune has been judged the most played recording in UK history.
On November 18, 1971, Procol Harum created a seminal moment in pop-rock history by performing with The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Da Camera Singers at Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Widely credited as the first band to bridge the gap between modern pop-rock and the classical music world, the recording of that concert went on to sell millions of albums and opened the door for the marriage of pop music to symphony programs all over the world.
Steve Bailey, Executive Director of The Grand says “both The Grand and the Delaware Symphony Orchestra (DSO) have been seeking to present a joint event of this magnitude for the past few years. When you have the region’s best and biggest house band, you naturally want to show them off, and there could be no better vehicle than the re-creation of the music from that legendary concert by Procol Harum and The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.”
The after party at The Gold Ball Room will return local favorite Club Phred, an 8 member '60's-'70's cover band whose great show last year made the feature act, The Brian Setzer Band, appear robotic in comparison. Setzer dialed that one in. Club Phred takes no prisoners.
Call Ivy Lane for tickets, 658.7897 or ilane@grandopera.org TheGrandWilmington.org/Grand_Gala

New Candlelight enchants with OZ

When Dorothy Gale entered Oz, Judy Garland entered immortality. The movie has been seen by almost every child who has seen a movie. Judy will live forever in our hearts. ‘Rainbow’ is the most popular song ever; a mystical, lyrical and melodic story of a child’s spiritual passage from adolescence to adulthood.
“The Wizard of Oz” speaks to our feelings, not our intellect. It comforts and inspires. Children identify with Dorothy with their fears; adults identify with their dreams. She teaches all of us that we can confront our threats – real or imagined - and determine our own future.
And there were several moments during New Candlelight's staging of “Wizard” that rouse the very emotions that spring forth when we watch the iconic movie.
The first came with Dorothy's (Erica Scanlon Harr) “Rainbow”. She wisely did not attempt to mimic “Judy” (who can?) but sang with the sweet and delicate innocence of her character.
The second moment came with the entrance of the Munchkins. There was a collective and involuntary “Ahhhhh” pulsing through the audience owing not only to their overwhelming cuteness but also to the masterful costume design of Timothy Lamont Cannon. Some of the Munchkins were adult (petite ones at that) and some were kids. The wigs on the latter were hysterical.
A third moment was the appearance of Toto. Sadly, this very small actor was not credited in the program (How could they do that in his first stage show?) Aisle Say believes him to be a real dog and a Yorkie at that.
The server at the table I shared with my dear sister Liz and new found friends from Elkton was dance Captain Alexis DeDonato; an extremely versatile actor who has appeared in the last several shows. Another facet of her talent was revealed as The Mayor of Munchkinland. She obviously worked hard on the characterization and her voice sounded as if it was generated through a synthesizer.
One of the challenges that director Sonny Leo and Three Bakers music director veteran Jim Weber faced was the strong association we all have with the Lion, Woodsman and Scarecrow. They are tough acts to follow down the Yellow Brick Road. Was there a more limber dancer than Ray Bolger? We laughed til we cried at his pratfalls. Well, Sonny may have found him in Scarecrow (David McConney). The actor has a very strong voice and was ever consistent in that gangly manner of walking and dancing.
The spinster we love to hate Miss Gulch/WW of West (Marie Howey) spate out her diatribes to the foursome along their golden path as if she were burning at the stake (which is kind of how she ended up). Her body movements accentuated the crankiness of her personality. Being mean is a blast. I can imagine five year old Munchkin Thomas Stinson steers a wide path around her backstage.
A fourth moment was the image of the wizard himself. I credit the leadership of NCT with the tough financial decision to commission Hob Hollow Studios to create this fanciful and wondrous puppet head with a mouth that moved. Huzzahs!
Sonny also choreographed. The main number was the “Jitterbug”. While the costumes were bee-utiful, Aisle Say has also questioned the relevance of the number to the progress of the plot.
Great theatrical value – dinner and theatre for $55.00 per!
Til August 29. Groups welcomed NewCandlelightTheatre.com 302.475.2313
The company also offers periodic Comedy Nights. See the web site.
Aisle Say has not seen the critic for the other statewide newspaper at various events lately and his byline is not appearing. The performing arts need exposure to survive.

New Candlelight Dinner Theatre - All Shook Up

New Candlelight Theatre has gone political; a first for live theatre in Delaware. The current production, “All Shook Up," a rollicking rock n' roll romp rooted in the music of Elvis, would hardly be conjured as a platform for R and D discourse.

How does Aisle Say come to this conclusion? Why else would director Chris Alberts parade Mayor Matilda Hyde (Gerri Weagraff) as a small town Sarah Palin? Weagraff's very humorous impersonation certainly gives Tina Fey a run for her money...and even the former Governor/present FaceBook gadfly herself, you betcha! Weagraff talks down to her stage husband Sheriff Earl (Joe Kinsolving) just as you would suspect Palin barks at her own hubby.

Weagraff is even costumed in a red (state) suit, Palin's color of choice. (This is her 41st show at Candlelight. )

Paul Weagraff joins his wife on stage as a father who could have used some quality time watching Dick Clark's American Bandstand. Weagraff's character dances as one might imagine Dustin Hoffman's character doing so in “Rainman.”

Let us dispense with analysis of the plot, it being as diaphanous as the wings of a butterfly; as substantial as cotton candy.

But the full crowd on opening night (including two bus tours) was not there for sturm und drang. They were there for the music and the show is a compilation of Elvis' greatest hits. Shoehorned into the plot are “Jailhouse Rock,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Hound Dog,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Can't Help Falling in Love” and “Burning Love,” among others.

Readers may recall that NCT dissolved its relationship with Actors Equity; an albatross in these financial times. The transition to this first show after the break is seamless on all levels of stage craft. It's very evident the entire ensemble loves to perform.

While the dancers were enthusiastic in every number, choreographer Dann Dunn's body of work in this production was neither as tight nor as creative as with his past work at NCT.

Chad (Rick Fountas) wisely did not attempt a caricature of The King. Fountas has a well-situated rock voice, great leading man stage presence and has sung in similar rock shows such as “JC Superstar,” “Joseph...Dreamcoat” and “Pippin.”

Two vocal standouts are both newcomers to NCT. Sylvia (Erienne Poole) has a soaring soprano. Her credits include Effie in “Dreamgirls.” Effie sings “And I Tell You I'm Not Going”, one of the all time Broadway show stoppers. The NCT audience witnessed some of that power in “There's Always Me.”

Natalie Hailer/Ed (Sara Schmuckler) plays a cross dresser. Why? (See above for my analysis of this profound and pithy plot.) More importantly, the actor can sing. She does estimable work with Elvis' canon. Her voice has a vibrant edge to it. “Fools Fall in Love” was her finest.

Lorraine (Alexis DeDonato) began with NCT as a dancer. Over the past few shows Aisle Say has seen her evolve into a fine singer and comedienne.

Jim Weber, former music director of Three Little Bakers', is MD for the show.

Group rates available.

Until June 19. NewCandlelightTheatre.com 475.2313

EVITA at New Candlelight Dinner Theatre

Having experienced every one of New Candlelight's productions for the past 2 years or so, there is one constant: every trace of talent, every infinitesimal of artistic knowhow, every scintilla of stagecraft is employed by this merry band of troupers to please the audience. As Ethel Merman chimed, “Can You Ask For Anything More?” Aisle Say....no!
While there have been regulars through the years, NCT continues to showcase new and exciting performers from the region. Theatre Manager Paul Goodman, for example, is part of the male ensemble but has both directed and starred in previous productions. Paul Weagraff, whose day job is Director of the Delaware Division of the Arts, has had simply too much fun in the maddening variety of roles he's entertained.
Weagraff (Juan Peron) plays second fiddle to the manipulative Eva and wisely enables her to play her 'cult' card in his fascist regime. He has a lovely tenor voice which shines in “She's A Diamond”.
But it is the new faces that star in show. Che Guervara (Jeffrey Higgins) is making his debut at NCT with a resounding, full bodied and piercing tenor. Some of Webber / Rice's tunes are melodic some disharmonic. A gaggle of my favorite Broadway tunes are in this show. Higgins does a beautiful rendition of “High Flying Adored”, (I heard Mandy Patinkin in that number. Pantinkin originated that role on Broadway.)
Aisle Say has always wondered about the character of Che. While Eva Peron's life is certainly one for the ages, having seen the show several times I wonder how the authors embraced this Cuban guerrilla in a tale set in Argentina?
(Eva) Molly Tower, has impressive credentials in theatre education. Her's is a difficult role in many levels. What Tower lacks in the ability to move on stage she more than makes up for in her voice. I did not count her octave range but it is lengthly. On opening night she was a bit stiff in the first act. However, in the second act Aisle Say began to believe in her. In “Eva's Last Broadcast”, where she succumbs to cancer, Tower is both poignant and evocative.
Alexis DeDonato is quickly becoming Aisle Say's favorite dancer at NCT. She has shown great skill in previous productions and now has been given the opportunity, as Peron's mistress, to sing “Another Suitcase in Another Hall.”
DeDonato's tango with choreographer Dann Dunn was damn distinguished!
Evita's distinctive choreography is as memorable as its music. Dunn continues to excel in drawing out the best of what he is given. “Peron's Latest Flame”, the iconic soldier scene, took inestimable time to practice. The audience loved them in their colorful outfits and sunglasses.
Dear sister Liz and I were served at our table by Chad Parsons, one of the soldiers and his joy at being in the production beamed from his face.
In the past I have applauded the staging of Director / Lighting Designer Chris Alberts. With this show he went above and beyond the call. His staging; the bits of play happening behind the main characters; the look and feel of the crowd scenes during both Juan and Eva's exhortations; the smoky, hazy environment; all this created illusions on a very small stage that captivated the audience.
Dear readers, NCT is the best entertainment value in town!

New Candlelight's HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

As with every arts organization, New Candlelight is seeking pathways to a younger audience down sylvan Arden way. It did not take long for Disney to turn their deliriously successful teen-driven TV phenomenon, “High School Musical” into a stage show. Ergo, the Delaware premiere of the musical which runs through February 27.
The plot has gravitas similar to the excruciating tension as to who will buy Laurie's covered dish in OKLAHOMA. In fact, the story line makes Disney's first animated cartoon, Mickey Mouse in “Steamboat Willie”, seem like 'War and Peace' in comparison. The sugary fluff on top of the crème brulee offered by one of the 'jocks' (Jordan Weagraff) to his unrequited love, Sharpay Evans, (Jenna Angeloni) has more substance than the sophomoric dialog conceived by the authors. (All sophomores I know would be offended).
But Troy and Gabriella will live on past Aisle Say on stage and screen and be forever memorialized as the bridge of amelioration between 'The Jocks” and “The Brainiacs” of East High School. Now that's a legacy! (Where are Tony and Maria from “West Side Story” when you need them?)
As with every production New Candlelight has staged in its two years, the cast is unequivocally exuberant and enthusiastic. NCT veteran Dann Dunn, a skilled and creative choreographer, assumed the reins of director as well.
All of the dance numbers worked but “Get Your Head In The Game”, sung by the basketball players. The mind-numbing redundancy of the title lyrics allied with the fact that none of the actors ever played the game competitively dramatically leavened the high energy and rah-rah attitude the dance was attempting to capture.
Troy Bolton (Josh Bernaski) played a strong leading man conflicted between athletics and love. His father, the stereotypical myopic Coach Bolton, (Bob Miller) is pressuring him to be the 'man' for the championship game. Yet he met Gabriella Montez (Becca Lee) during the summer (think “Grease”) and his macho facade is dissembling quicker than Tiger Woods' endorsements. Bernaski would do well with more engagement of the audience with eye contact, but generally his role was solid.
Lee as Gabriella exhibited more depth to her character and has a stage charm that all actors aspire toward. It's a quality that is innate in this very amorphous craft of acting. There is some chemistry between the two romancers as they converse. Their voices sit well and they light up the stage during their duet of “Breaking Free”, the song that serves as the metaphor for the show; i.e. Breaking free from stereotypes.
Brother sister act Ryan and Sharpay ((Bradley Vile) and (Angeloni) play over the top drama king and queen respectively. Angeloni has the meatier role and never drops character. She was an audience favorite. Both, however, are accomplished singers and dancers. And - restating the aforementioned tension of the plot - in the final scene we are told why her canine name! I will treasure that moment.
Two of the dancers, Nicki Curmaci and Jessica O'Brien, showed us high kicks only The Rockettes could achieve.
It would be helpful if NCT could attach names to the head shots in the lobby. All actors want to be recognized; that's a tenet of theatre. The other tenet is the value of dinner and musical theatre.....at $55.00 per. My dear sister Liz and I continue to enjoy the bonhomie of the new friends we meet at our table with every show.
NewCandlelightTheatre.com 302.475.2313 Until February 27.

JOSEPH at NEW CANDLELIGHT DINNER THEATRE

In 1964, at the wizened age of seventeen, Andrew Lloyd Webber received the following letter from the then twenty one-year-old law student, Tim Rice: “Dearest Andrew, I’ve been told you’re looking for a “with it” writer of lyrics for your songs, and as I’ve been writing pop songs for a while and particularly enjoy writing the lyrics. I wonder if you consider it worth your while meeting me. Tim Rice.”
So that's how immortality is birthed? Andrew thought it worth his while and a year later the two were commissioned by an English prep school to write an end-of-term religious concert. That begat “Joseph...Technicolor, etc”
The religious concept worked and so on to “JC Superstar”. Their last major collaboration was the stunning “Evita”.
New Candlelight Theater launches a joyous and captivating presentation directed and choreographed by legendary Delaware dance instructor/mentor Sonny Leo.
There could be no better show as an introduction for your children and grandchildren. Not only are pre-teens and teens in the chorus, but the entire assemblage's unassailable delight at entertaining embraces the entire audience.
Melissa Joy Hart's Narrator is the provocateur for the proceedings. Her warm contralto is smooth and rich. Aisle Say did not count her octave range but suffice to say it is considerable, concluding with a belt the likes of Ethel Merman.
Edward Egan's (Joseph) costume budget did not break the bank at New Candlelight. (I'll leave that for the show-goers to ponder). He was at once innocent, starry eyed and comprehending of the power of his ability to interpret dreams. His solo “Close Every Door” was outstanding.
Patrick O'Hara (Potiphar) has become a staple character actor at the venue. His malleable face and dancing eyes bring out the comedic nuances of every character he portrays.
New comer Joe Mallon (Pharoah) has arguably the most challenging role in the production, the Elvis impersonation. If that goes awry, then the entire production is faulted. Of the six or seven “Joseph's” I've experienced, Elvis was lame in two. Argh!
Mallon rises to the task “Thank ya, thank ya very much!”. And oh, that wig...one of several donned by Mallon for the show.
Taking the cue from the ...”Technicolor Dream Coat”, Artistic Director and Lighting Designer Chris Alberts continues his mastery of bringing life to the lighting and creating this intangible as an integral player in the production.
I have known Sonny Leo for decades. His infectious personality and his love for 'theatre people' translates to the smiles on the performers faces and their strong desire to please him. Sonny's choreography was both very tight and very creative.
In all the frivolity of the production, however, Sonny as director drew out the poignancy in the scene where Joseph's brothers beseech to save their youngest sibling from death.
This is a wonderful production. A great night out, a great underlying message, a diversity of musical genres as in no other stage show and a great meal!
Til December 20. NewCandlelightTheatre.com 302.475.2313

New Candlelight Theatre - Footloose

Director, Lighting Designer and Set Designer Chris Alberts has corralled 15 dancers (eight of whom are male, an endangered species) to create one of the most engaging, endearing and uplifting productions at The New Candlelight since the present owners took over four years ago.

Lighting design was one of the major characters of the production, and beautifully framed the virility of this stratospherically enthusiastic and talented cast.

This "Footloose" production is March Madness, dear readers, and Bobby Gouse (in Kevin Bacon's role as Ren McCormick) left it all on the floor, with rock-edged singing and electrifying dancing. I've seen all of New Candlelight's shows the past year, and this dude can dance.

Kaylan Wetzel, as Ren's love interest Ariel Moore elevated testosterone levels both on stage and in the audience.

Even though the plot of the original film, later made into the stage show, was dismissed as pure puffery -- merely a vehicle for the music of Kenny Loggins, Alberts extracted terrific acting from the cast.

Brian Peeke created sidekick Willard Hewitt that will stand as one of New Candlelight's enduring characters. How do you act like a geeky, fumbling but wannabe macho cowboy? Peeke commanded stage presence with each succeeding scene and made Willard very real for us, foibles and all.

Peyton Dixon (Shaw Moore) and Gerri Weagraff (Vi Moore) portrayed the rigid, agonized pastor and dutiful wife. Their voices were terrific and their acting, stellar. The audience witnessed through their eyes and subtle gestures the torment of the loss of their only son years before.

A musical by definition is escapism. But let's face it, behind closed doors most of us have “family issues” that we carry around with us and from which there is no exit. Alberts brought out this piece of humanity in the script. The message was there, but categorically, the director made sure there was a whole lot more more fun than dysfunction.

Candice Brechbiel, Jamie Soltis and Adrienne Bergeron, playing Footloose's version of the Pink Ladies of “Grease,” were entrancing and amusing foils for lead character, Ariel Moore. Their trio of “Somebody's Eyes” was well crafted and their voices harmonized perfectly.

Other hit tunes from the show are “Let's Hear It For the Boys,” “Almost Paradise” and the title tune “Footloose.”

The Candlelight is a small stage serving intimate audiences, first satiated by a sumptuous buffet. My sister and I sat with newlywed first-timers who had recently moved to Wilmington from their homeland China. We regaled them with the 40-year history of Candlelight, and quipped, where can you go for dinner, camaraderie and professional theatre for $55. I hope we turned them into season ticket holders.

For owners Bob and Jody Miller, Aisle Say's suggestion is to lock Chris Alberts and pyrotechnic choreographer Angela Bates Majewski in one of those dank rooms deep in the labyrinthine basement of New Candlelight and bring them up only for succeeding shows.

The show runs through May 30. For more information, visit NewCandlelighttheatre.com or call (302) 475-2313.

Community News - Music Man

Nasty rumors, reportedly begun in "Gary Indiana" were cascading through Arden like Mississippi flood waters lapping the shores of an Iowa town. Was there any truth to this? Was there “Trouble in River City?”

The packed house at last night's production of "The Music Man" bade "Goodnight My Someone" to that "Pick-a-little, Talk-a-little" meddlesome gossip.

New Candlelight Theatre continues building on its professional sheen with this cast of 36 who collectively smile more effervescently than any in recent memory. Our server, Dayna O'Brien, one of the busybody "Pick-a-Little" ladies, brought that smile to our table. Dayna also brought along her 3 daughters - all in the cast; all of whom had recently returned from a year road tour with "Gypsy."

The New Candlelight Theatre presents

The Music Man

Through Dec. 22

Tickets are $50 (Wed. - Fri.), $55.00 (Sat. and Sun.). $32.00 child (Thurs., Fri and Sun.). Group rates also available.

Cost includes buffet dinner and performance. For more information, call (302) 475-2313 or visit www.NewCandlelightTheatre.com

With each show, owners Bob and Jody Miller enlist a number of actors with promising Broadway talent. For a 200-seat venue with a major monthly nut situated in the bohemian and certainly not metropolitan fields of Arden, this is remarkable. It can't be the money. Perhaps it's the respect and love and passion that the owners and staff project on the cast.

With the first sentence, it was evident that Kemper Florin (Marion, the most celebrated librarian since Andrew Carnegie) has Broadway chops. Her diction was as focused as the Hubble telescope. The Masters in Voice from the prestigious Eastman Institute in Boston was evident in the operatic deliveries of her character's iconic songs.

Composer Meredith Willson employs the recitative style of singing in the opening number "Rock Island." The text is declaimed in the rhythm of natural speech with slight melodic variation and little orchestral accompaniment. This is difficult enough with one person to achieve. In this all important opening number eight men sing recitative while they are choreographed to bounce and jerk (in sync) while sitting in a clickety-clackety moving train.

"Rock Island" involves teamwork and this group succeeded. On our night, the simulated sound effects of the train overpowered the men's banter and some of it was lost.

Equity actor Bob Miller portrays the charming con man Harold Hill. With the possible exception of Yul Brynner in "The King and I," no other character in musical film history is so symbiotically linked to his role than Robert Preston in "The Music Man." It is a law of nature that your mind will not allow a "delete" of Robert Preston. Miller has a strong clear voice and the energy. When Marion divulged that she knew all about him from the "git-go," but loved him anyway, more humanity on Hill's part would have added depth to the character.

Dann Dunn (Tommy Djilas) is a superb and effortless dancer. I was concerned he would be hitting the low hanging stage lights with the height he was ascending on his splits. Chorus dancer and Garnet Valley student Isabella Fehlandt was pure joy and beauty in her dancing. A duet between the two of them would have really energized the audience.

With upwards of 30 people to train, choreographer Jody Miller and director Jeff Reim enlist – and maximize - every square inch of stage. I've had the opportunity to see many NCT shows, and Miller does not fall into the trap of employing similar routines with succeeding shows. She is original and quite clever. "Shipoopi," the second act opener, was a show stopper.

Barbershop quartet is part of the enduring charm of "Music Man." Paul Weagraff, George Quinn, Patrick Ruegsegger and Allen Stupplebeen harmonize well, especially in "Lida Rose."

With the first show of 2009, NCT pays homage to founders Julian Borris and John and Lena O'Toole with "Forum." I was in the seats (or more aptly on the floor with laughter) in '69 with that show. Bring an oxygen tank to help you breathe during the hysterics.