Carols in Color: A Spectacular Celebration

Photo: Gabriel Bienczycki

As the lights go down and "Carols in Color" begins, you are transported, both to the Biblical time of the Book of Matthew and from the humble school auditorium where the show is being performed. This year, Wilmington Christian School hosted the two-act retelling of the birth of Jesus in dance and song -- but don't let that fool you: this is high-caliber theater worthy of a Broadway stage.

A little background: Carols in Color is an original production of the Eleone Dance Company in Philadelphia, conceived by the company's founder, E. Leon Evans, II. It combines modern dance and a live Gospel chorus, as well as music from various artists such as Be Be and Ce Ce Winans and Kirk Franklin, to tell the Christmas story starting from the moment Mary learns she is carrying the baby Jesus. The Christiana Cultural Arts Center presents the show in Wilmington annually, and several local students participate in the show.

The first act of Carols in Color focuses on the confusion, helplessness and hardship Mary and Joseph faced as they dealt with her very unexpected pregnancy. Most of the first act is comprised of gorgeous solo dances -- Gabriel, Mary, Joseph and the Angel of God -- with their voices sung by a second performer on stage. Songs include "What Shall I Do," "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" and "No Place To Go." By the end of act 1, the baby has been born, and the stage begins to fill.

The second act opens with "Go Tell It On The Mountain," as Mary holds the baby Jesus, and the joyous celebration doesn't let up, through spectacular dance sequences and choral pieces. Featured are "Hallelujah" from Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration, "The First Noel," "Silent Night," with "Angels We Have Heard On High" finishing the show with the entire cast of dancers and singers on stage.

The music, costumes, choreography -- it all comes together for an unforgettable Christmas celebration.

Carols in Color was one show only in Delaware, but you can see it in Philadelphia at the John E. Allen Jr. Theater at Freedom Theater from December 12 - 21; call 1-800-838-3006 for tickets.

The Nutcracker: Family Fun in Dover

The Dance Theatre of Dover’s performance of The Nutcracker was good family entertainment. Little girls in poofy dresses and boys in suits with their parents in tow poured in through the front doors of the Schwartz Center for the Arts. This little jewel of a Victorian-style theater (built in 1904), nestled in the Capital’s historic district, is the perfect spot for ballet, theater and music: because of its size and excellent acoustics, there isn’t a bad seat in the house.

The story of The Nutcracker is not unlike many popular fairy tales- there is always a lesson to be learned, usually by way of a frightening or difficult rite of passage. Clara (nicely performed by Laura Ward) must give up her treasured nutcracker doll and suffer a horrible encounter with a dancing corps of rats. The moment of terror is offset by visions of dancing flowers, candies and shimmering snowflakes.

Alycia Powell as the Snow Queen brought beauty and grace to the stage. Though Catherine Brooks appeared only briefly as the dainty Ballerina Doll, a snowflake and a flower, her precision and finesse were notable. Light on his feet was Eric McCutcheon, as he danced the part of the Nutcracker Soldier, and in the Spanish dance.

This rendition of the ballet-with music by Peter Ilych Tschaikovsky, choreography by Leve Ivanov and additional choreography and staging by Teresa Emmons-seemed to get everyone into the holiday spirit.

See: http://www.dancebtd.com

Artist Rowena Macleod at the Art Loop

Tower Hill School treasures and supports the arts. That much is clear when you walk into the P.S. du Pont Arts Center, home to a beautiful gallery part of the 2010-2011 Wilmington Art Loop. This month, the exhibit features six artists: Caroline Beck, Yolanda Chetwynd, Debbie Hegedus, Rowena MacLeod, Teal Rickerman and Cathy Spence.

Liza Appel filled the space with her lovely viola playing, as people milled about the exhibit of photography, masks, collage, prints, fiber art and paintings. The exhibitors- all teachers and professional artists-are each accomplished and compelling.

Rowena MacLeod, new to the faculty at Tower Hill, coined the phrase “compeignage” to describe her medium, combination of collage and painting. The rich colors and detailed settings within her pieces exude warmth, unity and feminine strength. MacLeod’s folksy, earthy style hearkens back to that of Marc Chagall or perhaps Paul Guaguin. “Let’s Repaint this World” reminds me why so many of us become artists: we want to make the world around us beautiful- or merely bearable, by fixing its ugliness with a brushstroke or the pluck of an instrument. The artist stands, paintbrush in hand, creating a setting- a world. Often MacLeod’s figures have a large right hand. MacLeod told me she feels the large hand must be the dominant one- the creative one.

The exhibit is open from 8-3 weekdays, until December 17.

(pictured: "Let's Repaint This World" and MacLeod with daughter Fiona standing in front of "Time Revealed")