Seeking respite from the Kanye Wests, Serena Williams, Joe Wilsons and Glenn Becks of the world, Aisle Say traveled to The Walnut Theatre this week, the oldest continuing running theatrical venue in America.
The Walnut produces Broadway quality shows that are often higher quality than touring shows. This “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” delights -- and does not take itself nearly as seriously as the aforementioned scoundrels.
Walnut Street Theatre presents Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Through Oct. 25
$10 - $70
215-574-3550 WalnutStreetTheatre.org
Two shameless con-men, (Ben Dibble and Paul Schoeffler) have very different styles. They take a winner-take-all wager over the fortunes of a naïve American soap heiress (Jessica Rush). The first one to "clean her out" can make the other clear out and keep the French Riviera and its unsuspecting tourists to himself.
Dibble's Freddie Benson channels his inner Stan Laurel in some of the most hysterical sight gags Aisle Say has enjoyed. His malleable face and physicality had the audience doubling over.
Schoeffler's Lawrence Jameson was the elegant and suave grifter. In one scene, he donned the mantle of a German psychiatrist and sang “Ruffhousin Mit Shufhausen” with the finely honed accent – quite an accomplishment.
At the helm as director and choreographer is Richard Stafford. The music pulls from a variety of genres, similar to “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”
Production values at The Walnut are consistently superior. The sets, the costumes and lighting are superb. The female dancing chorus was talented and, to these eyes, the most beautiful array of chorines in the region.
Arts supporters, be vigilant
Continuing the "scoundrel" theme, Aisle Say must make mention of the 11th hour slight of hand by the Pennsylvania legislature to clinch a budget deal. In the end, the agreement hinged on a ticket tax on museum, concert, dance and theatre tickets.
What's that you ask about sports and movie tickets? Oh, they remain untouched.
The announcement came a day after the world-renowned Philadelphia Orchestra pleaded to the public to cover a $15 million shortfall.
Ironic juxtaposition. One of the most vulnerable – yet most vital – sectors of society is dealt another blow. This is a significant tax that hits arts organizations squarely in the gut. Cultural venues had already lost significant state and local funding. This additional tax will further depress the sector.
The Walnut Theatre, for example, now has a budget deficit. It generates $10 million in ticket sales annually. The sales tax would amount to $700,000, and Walnut President Bernard Havard said it would mean all educational programming will be eliminated, and called the move retrograde and destructive.
This news is important for Delawareans to know. We cannot allow our own legislators to even consider such shenanigans.
WHYY watch?
Aisle Say was the first to report on the outrageous salary of WHYY's CEO. This information came on the heels of the decision to close the Wilmington studios. WHYY now has a weekly news review at 10 p.m. Fridays, just when everyone wants to sit down and watch a rehash of week-old news.
Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf told me that “he raised hell about this man's money when he was on the Joint Finance Committee.” The $500,000 Grant in Aid WHYY received last year has thankfully been reduced to $100,000.
Monday, October 19, 2009
U of D REP serves up best theatre in the state
Newark, Del. —
The University of Delawares Resident Player's Ensemble begins its second season with a stirring and contemplative one-man tour de force, “I am my own Wife” by Doug Wright.
For 90 minutes, professional actor Michael Gotch transfixes the audience in his portrayal of 35 characters including Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, a transvestite who lived and survived in East Germany during the oppressive regimes of Hitler and Communism.
It's a true story, leaving the audience to decide for themselves the virtues and vices of this alleged Stasi (Communist secret police agent) von Mahlsdorf. His renditions include SS officers, American soldiers, German news anchors, Japanese, Indians and a motley crew of fellow travelers of this “amasser of antique gramophones, records, clocks and furniture” in Germany's Golden Age.
Aisle Say normally rolls its eyes at one-man productions, “Mark Twain Tonight” being the exception. But Gotch had his characters and their voices so tightly woven and focused that the recent packed house at the intimate Studio Theatre of the gorgeous Roselle Center for the Arts was totally absorbed.
Ninety minutes of seamless characters changes (with an intermission) did not deter.
In 1934, at age six, Lothar Berfelde realized he was born in the wrong body and “escaped” the stirrings within him by listening to and collecting gramophones and records. At age 15 he changed his name to Charlotte and managed to avoid the Nazi's sweeping arrests of nearly 100,000 homosexuals.
Charlotte's home became a museum and an underground meeting place for the East Berlin gay community for three decades. In 1993 she was recognized by the German government with the prestigious Order of Merit, in honor of the cultural contribution of her museum.
Gotch first performed this show at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater from whence Sandy Robbins snatched this consummate actor for UD REP. Gotch was an MFA grad of the Professional Actors Theatre Program here in Newark.
The entire second season of REP and its Professional Theatre Training Program deserve our joyous support. Aisle Say said last year, that this group is unequivocally the greatest production company in Delaware.
With each opening curtain, they sustain this mantle.
This year some of America's beloved classics will be produced at below standard prices, through the production values are those of Broadway shows. Case closed.
Sandy Robbins, the visionary behind the program, synthesizes why live theatre is so invaluable.
“Live theatre offers us a great many important, even necessary experiences,” she says. “It allows us to see issues of the day in a new light. A play can touch the hearts and remind us of the blessing of being alive when nothing in our daily lives occurs as uplifting.”
President Harker has created the concept of a “Path to Prominence” for all things UD.
One can only imagine his auditors' collective paroxysms when they analyze the costs of the production versus the revenue generated. Yet there is no greater tribute to this man's vision than each and every production of Sandy Robbins' players.
Upcoming shows include “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “Death Of A Salesman,” “Dancing at Lughnasa” and “Two Gentlemen of Verona.”
Aisle Say plans to have an aisle seat.
For more information, call 302.831.2204, or visit PTTP.udel.edu
Greer Firestone lives in Brandywine Hundred. He draws from a half-century of involvement in Delaware's theatre scene to write about arts and the business of art in the First State.
The University of Delawares Resident Player's Ensemble begins its second season with a stirring and contemplative one-man tour de force, “I am my own Wife” by Doug Wright.
For 90 minutes, professional actor Michael Gotch transfixes the audience in his portrayal of 35 characters including Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, a transvestite who lived and survived in East Germany during the oppressive regimes of Hitler and Communism.
It's a true story, leaving the audience to decide for themselves the virtues and vices of this alleged Stasi (Communist secret police agent) von Mahlsdorf. His renditions include SS officers, American soldiers, German news anchors, Japanese, Indians and a motley crew of fellow travelers of this “amasser of antique gramophones, records, clocks and furniture” in Germany's Golden Age.
Aisle Say normally rolls its eyes at one-man productions, “Mark Twain Tonight” being the exception. But Gotch had his characters and their voices so tightly woven and focused that the recent packed house at the intimate Studio Theatre of the gorgeous Roselle Center for the Arts was totally absorbed.
Ninety minutes of seamless characters changes (with an intermission) did not deter.
In 1934, at age six, Lothar Berfelde realized he was born in the wrong body and “escaped” the stirrings within him by listening to and collecting gramophones and records. At age 15 he changed his name to Charlotte and managed to avoid the Nazi's sweeping arrests of nearly 100,000 homosexuals.
Charlotte's home became a museum and an underground meeting place for the East Berlin gay community for three decades. In 1993 she was recognized by the German government with the prestigious Order of Merit, in honor of the cultural contribution of her museum.
Gotch first performed this show at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater from whence Sandy Robbins snatched this consummate actor for UD REP. Gotch was an MFA grad of the Professional Actors Theatre Program here in Newark.
The entire second season of REP and its Professional Theatre Training Program deserve our joyous support. Aisle Say said last year, that this group is unequivocally the greatest production company in Delaware.
With each opening curtain, they sustain this mantle.
This year some of America's beloved classics will be produced at below standard prices, through the production values are those of Broadway shows. Case closed.
Sandy Robbins, the visionary behind the program, synthesizes why live theatre is so invaluable.
“Live theatre offers us a great many important, even necessary experiences,” she says. “It allows us to see issues of the day in a new light. A play can touch the hearts and remind us of the blessing of being alive when nothing in our daily lives occurs as uplifting.”
President Harker has created the concept of a “Path to Prominence” for all things UD.
One can only imagine his auditors' collective paroxysms when they analyze the costs of the production versus the revenue generated. Yet there is no greater tribute to this man's vision than each and every production of Sandy Robbins' players.
Upcoming shows include “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “Death Of A Salesman,” “Dancing at Lughnasa” and “Two Gentlemen of Verona.”
Aisle Say plans to have an aisle seat.
For more information, call 302.831.2204, or visit PTTP.udel.edu
Greer Firestone lives in Brandywine Hundred. He draws from a half-century of involvement in Delaware's theatre scene to write about arts and the business of art in the First State.
Monday, September 14, 2009
The Queen Theatre Groundbreaking
“A year from now, downtown Wilmington will be a different place.”
Bill Taylor, Light Up The Queen Foundation executive director ended our conversation last week on this confident note. A testimony to his vision or his hubris? Time will tell.
The Queen breaks ground on its $24 million renovation 10 a.m. Oct. 2, Aisle Say is the first to report. A spate of dignitaries with ceremonial hard hats and silver tipped shovels will be on display that day followed by what Taylor describes as “the biggest street party in the history of Wilmington.”
A great accomplishment, this fund raising, this corralling of public and private resources, this incorporation of Hal Real of Philly's World Cafe Live into the entertainment mix.
But it's not about the money, and the single biggest threat to its success has never been material.
It's always been that amorphous dreaded "perception" of downtown after dark -- the same problem that has hovered above Market Street for decades like the wispy apparitions from “Ghostbusters.”
Is Wilmington safe after 5 p.m.?
This is the fundamental issue that must be resolved to the public's satisfaction. Nothing else comes close. And perception, dear readers, is most difficult to quantify and reconcile. The question has haunted downtown since Rob and Chris Buccini were in lower school at Wilmington Friends and our riverfront was a desolate toxic graveyard of shipbuilding sites.
Steve Bailey, The Grand executive director, says the facts are clear: Wilmington is a much safer downtown than the majority of cities its size. Even so, people are fearful.
Thus, Taylor's adamant statement that substantive relief – think John Wayne as a calvary captain in “Fort Apache” – is over the horizon.
“We have made a major investment in safety and police protection,” he says. “There will be police patrolling on foot and bike. When The Queen opens, there will be security guards in and around the venue at all times. Our success is based on safety.”
Buccini Pollin Group has invested tens of millions of dollars in the city. They have staked their personal reputations on downtown's success.
For Rob Buccini, The Queen, at 5th & Market streets is the centerpiece of downtown, linking their Residences of Rodney Square apartments to Justison Landing and their high rise and low rise developments on the Riverfront. Even now, construction is in full swing to turn the Great Room of The Residences into a new restaurant, The Publick House. Across the street at the former WSFS headquarters, the BPGroup is deciding what to do with this property. Once proposed as a boutique hotel, those plans have been dropped.
The 18-month Queen construction project will eventually house a venue for 800 guests and a restaurant serving 200 -- not unlike the World Cafe Live in Philly. There will be private event spaces on the Market Street side and studios for a WXPN satellite radio station. Giving back with a plethora of education is in the mix as well.
For more information, visit LightUpTheQueen.org
Bill Taylor, Light Up The Queen Foundation executive director ended our conversation last week on this confident note. A testimony to his vision or his hubris? Time will tell.
The Queen breaks ground on its $24 million renovation 10 a.m. Oct. 2, Aisle Say is the first to report. A spate of dignitaries with ceremonial hard hats and silver tipped shovels will be on display that day followed by what Taylor describes as “the biggest street party in the history of Wilmington.”
A great accomplishment, this fund raising, this corralling of public and private resources, this incorporation of Hal Real of Philly's World Cafe Live into the entertainment mix.
But it's not about the money, and the single biggest threat to its success has never been material.
It's always been that amorphous dreaded "perception" of downtown after dark -- the same problem that has hovered above Market Street for decades like the wispy apparitions from “Ghostbusters.”
Is Wilmington safe after 5 p.m.?
This is the fundamental issue that must be resolved to the public's satisfaction. Nothing else comes close. And perception, dear readers, is most difficult to quantify and reconcile. The question has haunted downtown since Rob and Chris Buccini were in lower school at Wilmington Friends and our riverfront was a desolate toxic graveyard of shipbuilding sites.
Steve Bailey, The Grand executive director, says the facts are clear: Wilmington is a much safer downtown than the majority of cities its size. Even so, people are fearful.
Thus, Taylor's adamant statement that substantive relief – think John Wayne as a calvary captain in “Fort Apache” – is over the horizon.
“We have made a major investment in safety and police protection,” he says. “There will be police patrolling on foot and bike. When The Queen opens, there will be security guards in and around the venue at all times. Our success is based on safety.”
Buccini Pollin Group has invested tens of millions of dollars in the city. They have staked their personal reputations on downtown's success.
For Rob Buccini, The Queen, at 5th & Market streets is the centerpiece of downtown, linking their Residences of Rodney Square apartments to Justison Landing and their high rise and low rise developments on the Riverfront. Even now, construction is in full swing to turn the Great Room of The Residences into a new restaurant, The Publick House. Across the street at the former WSFS headquarters, the BPGroup is deciding what to do with this property. Once proposed as a boutique hotel, those plans have been dropped.
The 18-month Queen construction project will eventually house a venue for 800 guests and a restaurant serving 200 -- not unlike the World Cafe Live in Philly. There will be private event spaces on the Market Street side and studios for a WXPN satellite radio station. Giving back with a plethora of education is in the mix as well.
For more information, visit LightUpTheQueen.org
Friday, August 21, 2009
Thoroughly Modern Millie dated
There must have been a fire sale recently at Music Theater International, licensor of American musicals, with serious price slashing for “Thoroughly Modern Millie.”
Why else would so many theatres across the nation be staging a musical with a plot so byzantine and songs so absurdly below George Gershwin's brilliance -- a show that would normally be dropped like third period algebra?
But even The New Candlelight Theatre is running it. Aisle Say is not criticizing Candlelight by any means. With dinner theatre profit margins what they are, management must do whatever it needs to survive.
New Candlelight Dinner Theatre presents Thoroughly Modern Millie
Through Oct. 10
Aug. 23 Special: Buy one matinee buffet/show combo, get one half off
For times & tickets: NewCandlelighttheatre.com 302.475.2313
In this case, they have done it with surprising originality and fresh humor.
"Millie," set in 1922, tells the story of a young woman who has just come to New York City in search of a new life, just as women were entering the workforce and the rules of love and social behavior were changing forever.
In this rendition, the always-energetic Candlelight cast has provided Aisle Say with a first in our career as an audience member: an amusing duet done completely in Chinese (well, pidgin Chinese) by Brian Peeke and Reza Mirsajadi.
Onstage
The show features a hilarious Gilbert and Sullivan patter song takeoff, “The Speed Test” sung by Millie (Erica Scanlon Harr), Graydon (Patrick O'Hara) and the ensemble.
Director Micki Sharpe's portrayal of an Oriental landlord brought visions of Charlie Chan movies before PC. Her accent was inconsistent and she actually pronounced several “r's.”
Harr and Dorothy Brown (Megan Pisors) far and away hold the honors vocally in their ingénue parts, while Jillian Pirtle as Muzzy Van Hossmere – a character that appears from left field further substantiating the lunacy of the story – is part Bessie Smith, part Josephine Baker as a nightclub chanteuse.
Harr, (Laurey in NCT's “Oklahoma”) has a beautiful musical theatre voice, while Pisors is more operatically trained. The two make for an interesting combination. For those familiar with Mama Rose's show-stopping number from “Gypsy” entitled “Rose's Turn,” Harr had a similar tour de force with “Jimmy” to end Act I.
Behind the scenes
Pirtle's costumes were period-specific and gorgeous.
Choreographer Valerie Smith Byron's inventive choreography made the most of 11 talented tappers, and dancers doing different moves in the same music.
Artistic Director Chris Alberts continues to impress with both his stylistic set design and enchanting ability to make effects that one would not think possible through lighting.
Why else would so many theatres across the nation be staging a musical with a plot so byzantine and songs so absurdly below George Gershwin's brilliance -- a show that would normally be dropped like third period algebra?
But even The New Candlelight Theatre is running it. Aisle Say is not criticizing Candlelight by any means. With dinner theatre profit margins what they are, management must do whatever it needs to survive.
New Candlelight Dinner Theatre presents Thoroughly Modern Millie
Through Oct. 10
Aug. 23 Special: Buy one matinee buffet/show combo, get one half off
For times & tickets: NewCandlelighttheatre.com 302.475.2313
In this case, they have done it with surprising originality and fresh humor.
"Millie," set in 1922, tells the story of a young woman who has just come to New York City in search of a new life, just as women were entering the workforce and the rules of love and social behavior were changing forever.
In this rendition, the always-energetic Candlelight cast has provided Aisle Say with a first in our career as an audience member: an amusing duet done completely in Chinese (well, pidgin Chinese) by Brian Peeke and Reza Mirsajadi.
Onstage
The show features a hilarious Gilbert and Sullivan patter song takeoff, “The Speed Test” sung by Millie (Erica Scanlon Harr), Graydon (Patrick O'Hara) and the ensemble.
Director Micki Sharpe's portrayal of an Oriental landlord brought visions of Charlie Chan movies before PC. Her accent was inconsistent and she actually pronounced several “r's.”
Harr and Dorothy Brown (Megan Pisors) far and away hold the honors vocally in their ingénue parts, while Jillian Pirtle as Muzzy Van Hossmere – a character that appears from left field further substantiating the lunacy of the story – is part Bessie Smith, part Josephine Baker as a nightclub chanteuse.
Harr, (Laurey in NCT's “Oklahoma”) has a beautiful musical theatre voice, while Pisors is more operatically trained. The two make for an interesting combination. For those familiar with Mama Rose's show-stopping number from “Gypsy” entitled “Rose's Turn,” Harr had a similar tour de force with “Jimmy” to end Act I.
Behind the scenes
Pirtle's costumes were period-specific and gorgeous.
Choreographer Valerie Smith Byron's inventive choreography made the most of 11 talented tappers, and dancers doing different moves in the same music.
Artistic Director Chris Alberts continues to impress with both his stylistic set design and enchanting ability to make effects that one would not think possible through lighting.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
An S.O.S for Delaware's cultural flagship
What if you woke up and The Grand was shuttered? What would be the repercussions for our arts scene and Wilmington's revitalization?
A meteor is hurdling toward Earth, stamped with the address 818 N. Market Street and there is no superhero in sight.
Grand Executive Director Steve Bailey said he agonized over the decision to send thousands of appeal letters out to previous supporters detailing how bad things are at the First State's cultural flagship, which houses OperaDelaware, First State Ballet and Delaware Symphony. It was a courageous move, and there was passion in his voice during our recent conversation when he said the solicitations were "a referendum on whether The Grand survives."
The "yes" vote will be counted in dollars.
Bailey faced a formidable task when he came onboard our flagship: The Grand and a myriad of statewide non-profits had just bid a tearful goodbye to munificent benefactor Charlie Cawley and his considerable bankroll. Then there was the tanking economy, perennial perceptions of danger in downtown Wilmington after dark, and cleaning up residual messes and sour feelings left by previous Grand administrator Ken Wesler, a pompous court lackey to the imperial Cawley.
Yet even in those choppy waters, Bailey set a course for success, according to Director of Production Rick Neidig.
“We are expanding our mission. Our ticket sales have increased. We have instituted Summer Children's Theatre, children's' workshops, Summer Steel (learning to play the steel drums), and Stages of Discovery School Matinées throughout the year," Bailey told me.
Bailey's job description has changed from overseeing operations as executive director to become the all-consuming job of fund raiser No. 1. For any executive who has been through this cycle, we understand how enervating this is.
If The Grand shutters, fellow citizens, we are burnt toast. Wilmington Renaissance Corporation can rent a 1-800-Pack Rat for their move and the Buccini brothers bright idea of "lighting up" The Queen will dim.
It's bad enough when a restaurant or retailer closes, but that's Triple A baseball: The Grand is Major League. If we do not support The Grand -- Delaware's Eiffel Tower, our Tower of London, our Statue of Liberty -- we can kiss goodbye those grand pronouncements by city and state officials about our being a “world class destination,” because folks, we will have no class.
To find out how to support The Grand, call 302-658-7897 or visit GrandOpera.org.
A meteor is hurdling toward Earth, stamped with the address 818 N. Market Street and there is no superhero in sight.
Grand Executive Director Steve Bailey said he agonized over the decision to send thousands of appeal letters out to previous supporters detailing how bad things are at the First State's cultural flagship, which houses OperaDelaware, First State Ballet and Delaware Symphony. It was a courageous move, and there was passion in his voice during our recent conversation when he said the solicitations were "a referendum on whether The Grand survives."
The "yes" vote will be counted in dollars.
Bailey faced a formidable task when he came onboard our flagship: The Grand and a myriad of statewide non-profits had just bid a tearful goodbye to munificent benefactor Charlie Cawley and his considerable bankroll. Then there was the tanking economy, perennial perceptions of danger in downtown Wilmington after dark, and cleaning up residual messes and sour feelings left by previous Grand administrator Ken Wesler, a pompous court lackey to the imperial Cawley.
Yet even in those choppy waters, Bailey set a course for success, according to Director of Production Rick Neidig.
“We are expanding our mission. Our ticket sales have increased. We have instituted Summer Children's Theatre, children's' workshops, Summer Steel (learning to play the steel drums), and Stages of Discovery School Matinées throughout the year," Bailey told me.
Bailey's job description has changed from overseeing operations as executive director to become the all-consuming job of fund raiser No. 1. For any executive who has been through this cycle, we understand how enervating this is.
If The Grand shutters, fellow citizens, we are burnt toast. Wilmington Renaissance Corporation can rent a 1-800-Pack Rat for their move and the Buccini brothers bright idea of "lighting up" The Queen will dim.
It's bad enough when a restaurant or retailer closes, but that's Triple A baseball: The Grand is Major League. If we do not support The Grand -- Delaware's Eiffel Tower, our Tower of London, our Statue of Liberty -- we can kiss goodbye those grand pronouncements by city and state officials about our being a “world class destination,” because folks, we will have no class.
To find out how to support The Grand, call 302-658-7897 or visit GrandOpera.org.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
The Brandywiners and DE Shakespeare Co
The weather has been unkind to open air theater this week. We had the opportunity to attend both The Brandywiners' “Camelot” at Longwood and Delaware Shakespeare Company's “Twelfth Night" at Rockwood Mansion Park. On starry, starry summer nights their productions are treats for the senses and live theater, but each succumbed to inclement weather on their opening weekends.
The Broadway opening of Camelot was in 1960. After initially faltering at the box office, the show became a notable hit after it was publicized that the show's original cast album was favorite bedtime listening in the White House of President John F. Kennedy. Forever afterward, the name "Camelot" has been associated with the Kennedy administration.
The group with me at Longwood was particularly impressed with Ted Harting's King Arthur. While in real life Harting could be Erin Cates Smith's (Guenevere) father, the May-December differential was believable owing to the politics of arranged marriages between European royals. Perhaps dying his hair would have brought the two together a farthing more in stage years.
We empathized with Harting's strong portrayal of an insecure, self-doubting king thrust into the responsibility.
Smith's soprano voice and lilting, insouciant air as The Queen was perfect for a character who loves her king in spirit but loves his best friend in more earthy ways. That rift is discovered by the evil Mordred and rends all the good Arthur's Round Table to wrought.
Jeffrey Chapman as Lancelot was as strong vocally as any “Lance” that has trod the voluminous Longwood stage, but the chemistry between him and Guenevere was as unlimber as his jousting pole, used with dexterity versus less talented and less self-absorbed knights. Sir Pellinore (Tom Cates) was great comic relief and is emerging as one of the best character actors in the region.
With the mission to make “CAM-E-LOT...a more congenial spot” in terms of developing darkness, the decision for an 8:30 curtain was made. The first act was not over until 10:10; making for a long night.
Til August 1. Brandywiners.org or (800) 338-6965.
DELAWARE SHAKESPEARE COMPANY
Great credit must be extended to Molly Cahill Govern, artistic director of Delaware Shakespeare Festival. She and her society of passionate volunteers have had all the right moves since their 2003 premiere.
They persuaded NCC Exec Chris Coons to allow the group use of Rockwood Mansion as their venue and then bring along The Greenery as their caterers for picnicking; they stage a show orientation an hour before curtain to acclimate those lesser students of Shakespeare to the night's proceedings; they instituted a comedy pre-show (by Acting Apprentices) to warm us up and they even have Shakespeare-themed arts and crafts for children.
Aisle Say remembers my parents taking me to The Brandywiners when we sat on blankets, as guests do presently with DE Shakespeare.
Another sign of a growing reputation is the outreach to trained actors from around the region. The company has reached out to a number of Villanova U theater grads and the quality is exhibited on stage. Also, they have been accepted into the prestigious Philly area Barrymore Awards.
Govern said they their attendance last year reached 2,500, sure to be exceeded this year if Saturday night's crowd is any indication. Aisle Say suggests they connect with DE Theatre Co. Their product is comparable to that of the latter group.
'Til August 1. DelShakes.org or at the door. Curtain at 7:30 but come an hour early for the orientation. It will further your understanding.
The Broadway opening of Camelot was in 1960. After initially faltering at the box office, the show became a notable hit after it was publicized that the show's original cast album was favorite bedtime listening in the White House of President John F. Kennedy. Forever afterward, the name "Camelot" has been associated with the Kennedy administration.
The group with me at Longwood was particularly impressed with Ted Harting's King Arthur. While in real life Harting could be Erin Cates Smith's (Guenevere) father, the May-December differential was believable owing to the politics of arranged marriages between European royals. Perhaps dying his hair would have brought the two together a farthing more in stage years.
We empathized with Harting's strong portrayal of an insecure, self-doubting king thrust into the responsibility.
Smith's soprano voice and lilting, insouciant air as The Queen was perfect for a character who loves her king in spirit but loves his best friend in more earthy ways. That rift is discovered by the evil Mordred and rends all the good Arthur's Round Table to wrought.
Jeffrey Chapman as Lancelot was as strong vocally as any “Lance” that has trod the voluminous Longwood stage, but the chemistry between him and Guenevere was as unlimber as his jousting pole, used with dexterity versus less talented and less self-absorbed knights. Sir Pellinore (Tom Cates) was great comic relief and is emerging as one of the best character actors in the region.
With the mission to make “CAM-E-LOT...a more congenial spot” in terms of developing darkness, the decision for an 8:30 curtain was made. The first act was not over until 10:10; making for a long night.
Til August 1. Brandywiners.org or (800) 338-6965.
DELAWARE SHAKESPEARE COMPANY
Great credit must be extended to Molly Cahill Govern, artistic director of Delaware Shakespeare Festival. She and her society of passionate volunteers have had all the right moves since their 2003 premiere.
They persuaded NCC Exec Chris Coons to allow the group use of Rockwood Mansion as their venue and then bring along The Greenery as their caterers for picnicking; they stage a show orientation an hour before curtain to acclimate those lesser students of Shakespeare to the night's proceedings; they instituted a comedy pre-show (by Acting Apprentices) to warm us up and they even have Shakespeare-themed arts and crafts for children.
Aisle Say remembers my parents taking me to The Brandywiners when we sat on blankets, as guests do presently with DE Shakespeare.
Another sign of a growing reputation is the outreach to trained actors from around the region. The company has reached out to a number of Villanova U theater grads and the quality is exhibited on stage. Also, they have been accepted into the prestigious Philly area Barrymore Awards.
Govern said they their attendance last year reached 2,500, sure to be exceeded this year if Saturday night's crowd is any indication. Aisle Say suggests they connect with DE Theatre Co. Their product is comparable to that of the latter group.
'Til August 1. DelShakes.org or at the door. Curtain at 7:30 but come an hour early for the orientation. It will further your understanding.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
The Making of "Down At Mama Jones'"
Four years ago, composer Larry Kerchner gave me a CD of ten tunes he wrote. That artistic endeavor, penned in a creative frenzy, was the birthing ground for what I hope will become a First State first on Broadway.
Larry, like Broadway icons Stephen Sondheim and Cole Porter, writes both music and lyrics. To put that fact into perspective, in the famed duo Rogers and Hammerstein, Rodgers wrote the music, Hammerstein the words, Kander the music, Ebb the lyrics, Lerner more words and Loewe more music.
A Wilmington based artist, Larry's resume includes two Grammy nominations, years as head composer for Ringling Bros., work on The Tonight Show and commercials with McDonald’s, Coke and 7-Up. We first met years ago at Candlelight Dinner Theater when our kids were in “Bye Bye Birdie.”
Those ten fully-orchestrated tunes came to life through a high-energy eight-member jazz band, resplendent with intricate sax and trumpet solos and profound - but not complex - lyrics. To me, a writer, there was a theme that drove this twelve cylinder race car.
I have had had some success taking songs from Gershwin, Porter and Judy Garland's signature standards and writing musical revues around them. After hearing the CD perhaps a zillion times and being rendered speechless by it's originality, I asked Larry if I could have the privilege of writing a musical engendered from his lyrics.
My first concept was a show entitled Capone: The Rat-A-Tat-Tat-Tat Musical. The world loves gangsters, right? In preparation, I got a DVD of one of my fave childhood TV shows, “The Untouchables,” and set the scene in a glitzy speakeasy bordering Capone's South Side and enemy Bugsy Moran to the north. It was to be set on Feb. 13, 1929 -- the next day having singular significance to the racketeers' careers.
Larry was happy that I was taking the project but nixed the Capone idea, as the music centered around the late 1930s to the 1950s.
Back to the drawing board.
If you Go...
'Down At Mama Jones'
Aug. 25, 7 p.m.
Brandywine Hundred Library
For musical theatre lovers, expect lively discussion about every aspect of mounting a show from concept to completion.
(302) 494-3133 producer@delaware.net
Around this time, fellow Brandywine High grad Sue Cerceo was looking for a project. I gave her Larry's CD and within a few hours she was back to me exclaiming “This music is awesome ... and, just as important, it's new! Broadway needs original work!”
If you saw the Tony Awards, you know there is a dearth of "new" on Broadway and an abundance of revival material. What we're making is not only original, with great music, dance and storyline, it will also be Delaware's first completely homegrown Broadway musical.
Sue's connections in musical theatre are as capacious as are Larry's in musical composition. She had been Wardrobe Supervisor for an eight year tour of "Les Mis," hitting every major city in America and Canada. She has toured with “Phantom,” “Wicked” and most recently “Hair Spray.” She created the wardrobe head position at The Academy of Music and most recently worked at that same venue with the tour of “Grease.”
Over the past two months, Sue and I collaborated on an entirely new storyline. Our setting is a glitzy New York City nightclub called Mama Jones' and the title is “Down At Mama Jones'.” Larry's sizzling title tune opens the show.
The three of us plan to showcase the production regionally and mount a tour. Sue has sent the CD to Broadway friends and many wish to take part. One such colleague is Charlo Crossley, late of the “Hairspray” tour and previously one of Bette Midler's backup trio, The Harlettes.
For a preview behind the scenes look at that making of a musical, we are starting a documentary package of “The Making Of 'Down At Mama Jones',” starting right here in northern Delaware. For those who love musical theatre, there will be lively discussions and interaction.
Larry, like Broadway icons Stephen Sondheim and Cole Porter, writes both music and lyrics. To put that fact into perspective, in the famed duo Rogers and Hammerstein, Rodgers wrote the music, Hammerstein the words, Kander the music, Ebb the lyrics, Lerner more words and Loewe more music.
A Wilmington based artist, Larry's resume includes two Grammy nominations, years as head composer for Ringling Bros., work on The Tonight Show and commercials with McDonald’s, Coke and 7-Up. We first met years ago at Candlelight Dinner Theater when our kids were in “Bye Bye Birdie.”
Those ten fully-orchestrated tunes came to life through a high-energy eight-member jazz band, resplendent with intricate sax and trumpet solos and profound - but not complex - lyrics. To me, a writer, there was a theme that drove this twelve cylinder race car.
I have had had some success taking songs from Gershwin, Porter and Judy Garland's signature standards and writing musical revues around them. After hearing the CD perhaps a zillion times and being rendered speechless by it's originality, I asked Larry if I could have the privilege of writing a musical engendered from his lyrics.
My first concept was a show entitled Capone: The Rat-A-Tat-Tat-Tat Musical. The world loves gangsters, right? In preparation, I got a DVD of one of my fave childhood TV shows, “The Untouchables,” and set the scene in a glitzy speakeasy bordering Capone's South Side and enemy Bugsy Moran to the north. It was to be set on Feb. 13, 1929 -- the next day having singular significance to the racketeers' careers.
Larry was happy that I was taking the project but nixed the Capone idea, as the music centered around the late 1930s to the 1950s.
Back to the drawing board.
If you Go...
'Down At Mama Jones'
Aug. 25, 7 p.m.
Brandywine Hundred Library
For musical theatre lovers, expect lively discussion about every aspect of mounting a show from concept to completion.
(302) 494-3133 producer@delaware.net
Around this time, fellow Brandywine High grad Sue Cerceo was looking for a project. I gave her Larry's CD and within a few hours she was back to me exclaiming “This music is awesome ... and, just as important, it's new! Broadway needs original work!”
If you saw the Tony Awards, you know there is a dearth of "new" on Broadway and an abundance of revival material. What we're making is not only original, with great music, dance and storyline, it will also be Delaware's first completely homegrown Broadway musical.
Sue's connections in musical theatre are as capacious as are Larry's in musical composition. She had been Wardrobe Supervisor for an eight year tour of "Les Mis," hitting every major city in America and Canada. She has toured with “Phantom,” “Wicked” and most recently “Hair Spray.” She created the wardrobe head position at The Academy of Music and most recently worked at that same venue with the tour of “Grease.”
Over the past two months, Sue and I collaborated on an entirely new storyline. Our setting is a glitzy New York City nightclub called Mama Jones' and the title is “Down At Mama Jones'.” Larry's sizzling title tune opens the show.
The three of us plan to showcase the production regionally and mount a tour. Sue has sent the CD to Broadway friends and many wish to take part. One such colleague is Charlo Crossley, late of the “Hairspray” tour and previously one of Bette Midler's backup trio, The Harlettes.
For a preview behind the scenes look at that making of a musical, we are starting a documentary package of “The Making Of 'Down At Mama Jones',” starting right here in northern Delaware. For those who love musical theatre, there will be lively discussions and interaction.
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