CTC Paints the Town with Glitz in "Chicago"

By Mike Logothetis
Theater reviewer Mike Logothetis grew up in North Wilmington, performing in school and local theater productions. He lives in Newark, but you can find him wherever the arts are good.

City Theater Company (CTC) paints the town with a lively staging of the award-winning musical Chicago. With a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander, and lyrics by Ebb, Chicago first took the world by storm in 1975 and has endured ever since. Its iterations include an Academy Award–winning film and the current NYC production, which is the longest-running American musical in Broadway history. 

My recommendation is to do “A Little Bit of Good” and head to the Wilmington Riverfront to experience “All That Jazz.”

The cozy Black Box theater at The Delaware Contemporary has been transformed into a social club with a swingin’ band on one side and a Prohibition-era bar on the other. The audience can choose to sit in a standard seat, a chair with a mini cocktail table, or a high top in the back. Performers weave their ways up the center aisle or around the sides in this immersive setting. Sometimes the action isn’t right in front of you.

Dylan Geringer stars as Roxie Hart, the bored housewife-turned-murderess with wannabe chanteuse dreams. CTC Artistic Director Kerry Kristine McElrone stars as Velma Kelly, seasoned vaudeville star and fellow accused killer. The two play well off each other in dialog and song. But it seems like everyone in the cast has those sorts of strong interpersonal stage relationships. It’s an excellent ensemble of notable of CTC fan-favorites including Tonya Baynes, Daryan Borys, Jolene Cuisine, Tommy Fisher-Klein, Autumn Jewel Hudson, Mary Catherine Kelley, Paul McElwee, and Dionne Williford. Making their CTC debuts alongside these veterans are Jonathan Frazier and CTC Board Member Scott Frelick.

McElwee was superb in his smarminess, ruthlessness, and conviction as celebrity lawyer Billy Flynn. His vocals and movements were supremely confident in his songs “All I Care About” and “Razzle Dazzle.” His puppeteering of Roxie during “We Both Reached for the Gun” was a highlight for both McElwee and Geringer.

In a classic show with a stellar score, it’s tough to pick favorites…but I did...I had to. Along with the previously mentioned numbers, “When You’re Good to Mama” (Baynes), “Roxie” (Geringer), “I Can’t Do It Alone” (McElrone), and “Mister Cellophane” (Borys) were standouts. And how Jolene Cuisine belted out “A Little Bit of Good” – while commanding the world to take notice – was amazing.

The cast of CTC's Chicago. Photo by Jim Coarse/Moonloop Photography.

McElrone chose Chicago, in part, as a response to the current times:
“We are a century removed from the era of the play, but in our Roaring Twenties timeline, the power of ‘celebrity’ under the ever-changing ‘rule of law’ are remarkably similar. Times are hard and chaotic,
everyone has an angle, and some
of us are cashing in where they can,” said McElrone. “The media circus
that surrounds every new scandal consumes the public — and ‘nowadays’ we too move on from yesterday’s news in an instant when some fresh outrage shows up. Beneath all the glitz and fun of that other ‘20s is a laser-focused commentary on society’s response to turbulent times.”

Dawn Morningstar’s choreography filled the performance with movements that provided levity as well as menace. Dance Captain Autumn Jewel Hogan didn’t have much space to work with, but created some ebullient dances that complemented the music well. 

Kudos to Joe Trainor’s orchestra of Virginia Cheung, Josh Dowiak, Christopher Ertelt, Kanako Neale, Gary Oberparleiter, Jim Olson, Nate Peterson, and Bryan Tuk. The backing music is critical to underscore moods, support song vocals, and to entertain entre’ act. The musicians performed beautifully; knew when to be subtle; plus ebbed and flowed skillfully with the storyline.

Founded in 1993, City Theater Company performs contemporary comedies, new works, and classic musicals to critical acclaim inside The Delaware Contemporary. Both institutions are invested in promoting the work of local and emerging artists, advancing opportunity and growth by and for the community, and welcoming all those looking to experience art.

Chicago will run through December 20. Curtain is at 8 o’clock for all performances save for the December 14 Sunday matinee (2 PM). The run time is approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes with a 15-minute intermission. City Theater Company’s home is at The Delaware Contemporary, located at 200 South Madison street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801. 

General admission tickets ($45) can be purchased at the box office or online at www.city-theater.org. Special ticket pricing is available for military personnel ($35) and students ($25). Do check the website for availability, because show tickets are moving faster than Roxie's rising star. 

All shows feature admission to the adjacent museum galleries, and a cash bar (with a signature drink) is available. The Delaware Contemporary offers free parking and is a short walk from the Joseph R. Biden Amtrak train station. Please call the box office at 302.220.8285 or email info@city-theater.org for details.

Note: This show is rated PG-13 due to adult themes, (simulated) murder, plus sexual and suggestive content. 

“Razzle dazzle 'em / Give 'em an act with lots of flash in it / And the reaction will be passionate” — Razzle Dazzle

You Can't Stop the Beat at WDL's Hairspray

By Jeff Gudzune
Jeff writes book reviews for a variety of publishers and is active in community theater. Since 2013, Jeff has owned and operated Matrix Notary Service.

A hallmark of good theater is the ability to entertain and inform. This is certainly the case with Hairspray, which opened to a sold-out audience at Wilmington Drama League (WDL) on Friday, May 30. This upbeat, toe-tapping explosion of hair gel and taffeta is the perfect cap for a wonderful season. Hairspray was an informed choice, as its themes parallel the world today.

The social issues confronted by the ensemble are the very same social issues facing young people today. Race relations, generational divides, body image, and socio-economic disparities are ever-present reminders of harsh reality. It is altogether fitting that WDL elected to cap its season with a show that encapsulates these concerns.

Hairspray at Wilmington Drama League. Photo by KRL Photography/Rich Lee.

Before the first note of the Introit, the audience is treated with a set that manages to be busy but in no way obnoxious. Grainy black and white monitors take us to a time when local television programs knitted the community together. In an opening number that stuns in its execution, the ensemble sets the scene. It is 1962. JFK is President. Rock and Roll is the zeitgeist of America’s youth. Hair is teased up and held together with aerosol spray and God’s work. Tracy Turnblad, rotund but stunning, wakes to another beautiful day in Baltimore. As she goes through her morning routine, the pressing social specters of communism and racial injustice are unimportant. She is America’s innocence personified.

With joy in her heart, Tracy sees the world as it should be. Jane Haracz shines as Tracy, bringing an energy to the role that had me entranced from the first scene. Tracy manages to captivate the heart of local all-American boy Link Larkin, who is first seen as self-absorbed but later revealed to be a young man at war with himself. Cole Miller’s vocal acuity is amazing and his visible transition from the veneer of stereotypical self-obsessed youth to a real kid with his own personal struggles provides wonderful context. Ashley Grantham is amazing as Edna Turnblad.

Supporting Tracy in her journey to stardom is Penny Lou Pingleton, played with such zest by Haley Hughes that it was difficult to hear her lines due to the audience laughing so vigorously. Shana Roberts performance as “Motormouth” Mabel ran through such a range of emotions that there was an audible pause after her rendition of “Big, Blonde and Beautiful” immediately followed by a standing ovation from the audience.

Hairspray is a timeless classic, wildly entertaining and spiritually uplifting. It makes a social commentary that is needed in the world of today. Through acrobatic choreography and musical performances that resonated so profoundly that the house itself vibrated, the show strikes all the right emotional chords. This performance is not to be missed.

Hairspray runs at Wilmington Drama League May 31 (SOLD OUT) and June 1 (2:00pm); June 6 & 7 (8:00pm) and June 8 (2:00pm); June 13 & 14 (8:00pm) and June 15 (2:00pm). Tickets are available at wilmingtondramaleague.org. 

We're Head Over Heels for Bootless' Final Season Kickoff

By Mike Logothetis
Theater reviewer Mike Logothetis grew up in North Wilmington, performing in school and local theater productions. He lives in Newark, but you can find him wherever the arts are good.

Bootless Stageworks kicks off its twenty-second and final [sniffle...] season with a lively production of Head Over Heels, a jukebox musical that fuses the plot of The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia – a 16th Century work by Sir Philip Sidney – and the music of The Go-Go’s.

The multi-faceted love story features the all-female group’s hit songs “We Got the Beat,” “Our Lips Are Sealed,” and “Vacation” plus Belinda Carlisle’s solo efforts “Heaven is a Place on Earth” and “Mad About You.” Many people in the seats sang along to the tunes they loved as radio staples in the 1980s.

A mash-up of posh and punk, Head Over Heels is an unpredictable romp about what happens when the court of Arcadia is threatened by the mystical Oracle with the loss of its “Beat,” the divine power that ensures the kingdom’s prosperity. In order to save their beloved realm, the royal family embarks on an extravagant journey wrought with mistaken identities, jealous lovers, sexual awakening, scandal, and self-discovery. Not everything and everyone are what they seem.

Diving into the intricacies of the plot would be foolhardy and though some subtle wordplay got lost in the theater space, the audience joyously followed the broad antics of the company.

Will Rotsch was a standout player as the kindhearted shepherd Musidorus. A highlight of the show was a disguised Musidorus tempting both King Basilius (John Jerbasi) and Queen Gynecia (Tara Herweg) simultaneously during the lovely duet “This Old Feeling.” Rotsch’s physical humor – wielding his crook, acting as an Amazon warrior, etc. – and his warm yet powerful vocals made his character one to root for.

Princesses Pamela (Samantha McNerney) and Philoclea (Maria Leonetti) were strong individually and as sisters encouraging each other in their quests for true love. Kudos to Director Andrew Dean Laino for his use of a faux mirror during “Beautiful” when Pamela sings of her beauty while Philoclea is supporting her in their chambers. Leonetti and McNerney have big voices, but use them differently – McNerney tended to be more rock-heavy (“How Much More”) while Leonetti vocalized more gently throughout. Both styles were appropriate for the characters they portrayed.

The Oracle Pythio (Nathan Hale) was a commanding presence with a booming voice while donning Costume Designer Rosanne DellAversano’s extravagant outfits. “Vision of Nowness” was a fun ensemble number led by Pythio as was “Heaven is a Place on Earth” – where a projected screen insinuated some amorous activities afoot.

The cast was rounded out by Aubrey Murphy (Mopsa), Sedric Willis (Dametus), Rosanne DellAversano (Ensemble), Genevieve Francis (Ensemble), Abbey Ketterling (Ensemble), and Jen Rotsch (Ensemble).

Musical standouts included “Our Lips Are Sealed” and “Head Over Heels” but the highpoint was “Mad About You.” Shepherd Musidorus proclaims his unconditional love for Philoclea in a field…with sheep…singing the backup chorus, “Maaaaaad about you,” like baa-ing sheep would sing. The audience ate it up.

Music Director James W. Fuerst led a talented band who both played behind the actors and let those great Go-Go’s riffs break through. There was a lot of foot-tapping going on.

Head Over Heels preaches unconditional love and acceptance of yourself and everyone you know, no matter their gender or sexual identity. And there’s a happy ending. And it has a rockin’ soundtrack.

The performance schedule of Head Over Heels, The Musical is:

• Saturday, September 28 @ 8:00pm
• Sunday, September 29 @ 3:00pm
• Friday, October 3 @ 7:30pm
• Saturday, October 4 @ 8:00pm
• Sunday, October 5 @ 8:00pm

Tickets start at $31 and tickets can be purchased via website (https://www.bootless.org/hoh/) or by calling Bootless Stageworks at 302.887.9300. Tickets are also available at the door, subject to availability. The run time is approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes which includes one 15-minute intermission. Bootless Stageworks offers a full selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks plus some snacks at its concessions stand. The theater space is in the basement of St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church at 1301 N. Broom Street in Wilmington.

I encourage you to “celebrate the [final] season” of theater at Bootless Stageworks filled with the “Beat.”

CTC Rocks this "Wicked Little Town" with Revival of Hedwig & the Angry Inch

By Hannah Leposa, guest blogger
Theater fan Hannah Leposa is excited to be living in Wilmington where there is a lively theatre community and high quality performances.

Hedwig and her Angry Inch band. Photo by Joe del Tufo/Moonloop Photography.

City Theater Company's Hedwig and the Angry Inch follows Hedwig and her stage show as she tells the story of her botched sex change operation, leaving the titular Angry Inch behind. We also follow her journey from an angry woman to self acceptance and loving herself for who she is. The show is a cult classic, written by John Cameron Mitchell with music and lyrics by Stephen Trask.

Hedwig, portrayed by Diva Baby, was emotional and a little over-the-top, which is expected from the character as a drag queen headliner. Her portrayal of Hedwig's breakdown was raw and captivating and a 180 turn from the levity she brought to the opening. I did not expect to be laughing as hard as I did during this show, but Diva Baby’s delivery of the cheeky jokes in the first half of the show were impeccable. Her performance of Wig in a Box was a standout of the night as it allowed the line between actress and character to blur. The song, which started out vulnerable, ended with a silly audience sing-a-long directed by Hedwig, who had more notes for the audience than they sang.

Hedwig is joined on stage by her rock band, The Angry Inch. The musicians were part of the show, as they are in costume and on stage interacting with Hedwig and her husband/backup singer Yitzhak for the entire show. The performance was truly like a rock concert at times. CTC did provide earplugs for those whose ears are more sensitive to loud music.

Hedwig's husband Yitzhak, played by Mackenzie Brockmeyer, is the final cast member of the production. Her portrayal of the quiet Yitzhak surprised me, as I caught myself watching her on more than one occasion. She beautifully portrayed the emotions of Yitzhak and I could imagine exactly what her character was thinking without her having to say a word. Her voice shined in The Long Grift and her reveal at the end was beautifully executed.

City Theater Company is celebrating its 30th season and is reviving Hedwig for the second time, having previously staged the show in 2004 and 2005. Despite CTC having produced this show before, the interpretation of the show felt fresh. 

The wigs were beautiful — if not temperamental — but being a true performer, Diva Baby worked that into the show so beautifully that I barely realized it wasn't scripted. The costumes and makeup mirrored Hedwig's dissolution of her image of her life, starting grand, and fun and dissolving into nothing more than a holey shirt and shorts.

Set in the early 2000s, the intimate cabaret-style seating at The Delaware Contemporary made the perfect venue for this performance, making it feel more like an authentic stage show. When I first saw the set, I was apprehensive, as I usually feel screens as set pieces are not used well and they detract from what is happening on stage. That was not the case for Hedwig. The images and videos shown added so much, the show would have been great without them, but they added just enough to elevate the actors' performances. The drawings by Echo Chappelle made the already great performance of The Origin Of Love superb, and the videos used during Hedwig’s breakdown heightened the emotion and intensified Diva’s portrayal of Hedwig’s emotional state.

The remaining performances of Hedwig and The Angry Inch are December 10 at 2pm and December 13-16 at 8pm. All shows are at The Delaware Contemporary.The show runs around 90 minutes with no intermission. 

Tickets are $45 and can be purchased at tickets available now at city-theater.org.

Bootless Splatters You with Fun in Its Zombie Apocalypse Musical

By Mike Logothetis
Theater reviewer Mike Logothetis grew up in North Wilmington, performing in school and local theater productions. He lives in Newark, but you can find him wherever the arts are good.

Bootless Stageworks' Night of the Living Dead! The Musical! takes audiences on a rip-roaring journey beyond the grave. The show is an exuberant, campy rock musical version of George Romero’s iconic 1968 horror film. Seven hopeful survivors of a recent zombie apocalypse are trapped in a farmhouse trying desperately to escape with their lives. The ever-growing horde of zombies outside forces our protagonists to act quickly and decisively, even if those choices aren’t the wisest.

Show creator Jordan Wolfe delivers with crisp, clever dialogue and some jaunty tunes. Director Rosanne DellAversano keeps things tight through the almost 2-hour run time. The songs range from rock to jazzy-pop to more traditional musical theater fare. Night of the Living Dead! The Musical! is a hysterical, hummable doomsday adventure, complete with Bootless’ infamous “Pit Splatter Zone.”

Full disclosure for those in the “Pit Splatter Zone:" This is a messy show with fake blood splattering all around.

Bootless is not responsible for damage to clothing or any other personal items. It is strongly recommended that you don’t bring purses, bags, or anything else that can’t get wet, dirty, or needs to be left on the floor. Ziplock bags are suggested for cell phones. Bring your own poncho or other covering as Bootless does not offer or sell such items. If you're sitting in the new comfortable tiered seats, there’s no need to worry about protecting yourself or your personal items.

The story begins when Barbara (Mariza Eperanza) and her brother Johnny (John Jerbasi) are attacked by a zombie while visiting a graveyard with only “Babs” escaping to a nearby farmhouse. There she finds six other living humans hiding from roaming gangs of the undead. She falls for the de facto leader Ben (Antoine Martinez-Jones), who has plenty of swagger. Dippy couple Tom (Jose Bernard) and Judy (Lauren Knecht) plus a three-person family believe taking refuge in the basement is the best way to ride things out while Ben thinks escaping to the nearby town is optimal. Harry (Dale Martin) and his alcoholic wife Helen (Adrienne Baranowski) only want what’s best for their young daughter Betty-Lou (Meg Arters). Between the infighting and the waves of attacking zombies, tension and angst run rampant.

Having said that, the show is a musical comedy, so these tough times are sprinkled with lots of songs and jokes. Standout numbers include “What Could Go Wrong Today” (ensemble), “The Juice” (Helen), and “Doctor’s Orders” (Dr. Greishen and Dr. Gretchen). Meg Arters delivers in a big way from her knees in the reprise of “Night of the Living Dead!” before the company joins in. Arters acting from her knees (playing a little girl) is one of the great sight gags in the show. From Ben’s poor job boarding up the windows to Helen juggling liquor bottles to blood splattering all over those in the front rows, the show commands your attention. Perhaps the best “special effect” comes early when Babs is running away from an attacking zombie through the woods.

There are plenty of funny one-liners and song lyrics peppered throughout the show. Some get lost in the theater space, but most come through. Sage words from Harry like “Never inconvenience yourself” or Judy’s battle cry “Namaste, bitches!” are just a couple of examples. The lyric that evoked the most laughs came via radio news announcer Robin Graves (Abbey Ketterling) who sings to her audience, “You’re [expletive]!” The closing stanza of “The Love Song” has the lines “I hope my love won’t trigger your gag reflex” and “Swallow my love.” Yeah, it’s an adult show.

Bootless Stageworks sells alcohol (beer, wine, and liquor) from a fully stocked bar. In fact, there is a proposed drinking game for the show which has patrons drink every time the actors say “Babs” or “basement.” The atmosphere is a mature one, so you might want to leave younger children at home with a sitter. 

Act II introduces characters outside of the farmhouse like Dan the Science Man (Jerbasi), Holden D’Séance (Henry Stenta), doctors Greishen and Gretchen (Baranowski and Knecht), and Sheriff Tractor (Benji Deivert).

Jerbasi shines in his delivery of “Radiation” while Stenta is cool in his TV hosting duties. Sheriff Tractor is a flawed but funny man who even leads the ensemble in a County Western line dance during “This Ain’t My First Rodeo.”

Live musical accompaniment is provided by The Zombie Loving Band – Joe Eigenbrot, Jim Fazzino, John Hutchinson, and Deb Bialecki – under the direction of James W. Fuerst. 

Do our heroes escape with their lives and sanity? Will you leave the show covered in fake blood? Come to Bootless Stageworks and find out!

The remaining performance schedule of Night of the Living Dead! The Musical! is Friday, October 6, and Saturday, October 7, at 8:00pm. Tickets start at $28 and patrons can opt (or not) to sit in the “Pit Splatter Zone." Tickets can be purchased via Bootless' website or by calling 302.887.9300. There is one 15-minute intermission. The theater space is in the basement of St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church at 1301 N. Broom Street in Wilmington.

“They’re coming to get you, Barbara!”