Coastal Concerts brings quality music to Lewes

Coastal concerts, a determined group of volunteers in Lewes, has fulfilled their mission of bringing quality music to Southern Delaware. November 19’s concert with the Lincoln Trio was of a quality you would expect in a large city, yet without the hassle and expense.

The Lincoln Trio, formed in 2003, is an ensemble-in-residence at the Music Institute of Chicago. Desirėe Ruhstradt, violin, a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music – David Conifer, cello, a graduate of the Royal College of Music in London, and Marta Aznavoorian, piano, who studied at both Indiana University and the New England Conservatory not only have the chops to play anything you place in front of them, but they click together– listening and anticipating each other and sensing intuitively where their partners are taking the music and who will lead which phrase.

The Beethoven Piano Trio in D Major, opus 70, number 1 was executed smoothly and quietly – a pristine beginning. By the second movement, you could hear a pin drop in the hall and the Presto passages flowed like oil. The Jennifer Higdon Piano Trio (2003) starts with chords that Aznavoorian voiced masterfully, letting each tone ring for just the right amount of time. Silver Dagger (2009) written for the trio by their friend Stacy Garrop was much more of a twenty-first century adventure – the daring bonging of the piano strings with the pedal down and the strident bowings by Ruhstradt and Cunliffe created both the flavor of the country tune and the exploratory tonalities of new music.

They crowned the concert with Bedrich Smetana’s Trio in G Minor, Opus 15 – a fiery technical challenge which they played without restraint, bringing out the true melodic ringing of Smetana’s harmony and putting so much into the piece that the audience roared in response – demanding an encore with their standing ovation. The trio played Café Music by Paul Schoenfield with a bit too much speed, but the audience lapped up the jazzy delight.

The concert hall is perhaps a bit unconventional – a large church assembly room with a platform for the artists on which a lovely Steinway sits on a raised box flanked by two standing lamps. The sound was live enough so that the piano had more than its share of the combined dynamic, yet Aznavoorian played so well who could complain?

The next Coastal Concert will present Clancy Newman, cello and Noreen Cassidy-Polera, piano on January 28 at 2 p.m. in the Bethel United Methodist Hall. Why not make it a beach weekend and enjoy walking to a world class concert after lunch?

See coastalconcerts.org

See www.lincolntrio.com

Not Your Typical Christmas Show at NCT

With Thanksgiving still nearly two weeks away, it was no surprise that the crowd at New Candlelight Theater in Arden on Saturday was a bit smaller than usual. Don't expect such intimacy once the holiday season is in full swing. "A Very Candlelight Christmas" has been much-anticipated by fans of the dinner theater, not least of all because this seasonal production is an original, written and directed by NCT's Producing Artistic Director Chris Alberts and longtime friend Sonny Leo. For a theater that's done such familiar shows as "Cats" and "Annie" this season, the feeling of not having any idea what to expect is a definite change of pace.

 The show starts out like a typical Christmas variety show, complete with overly-enthusiastic hosts Katherine and Alan, comically played by Lindsay Mauck (who is underused in this production) and Tim Moudy. It's not long before the exuberant show derails, as the show-within-a-show's director, Devlin Powers (Patrick Hunt O'Hara), blows up at Katherine and sends everyone home, including his long-suffering brother Marcus (Paul Goodman). Not only does Devlin have no Christmas spirit, he's also sick to death of musical theater -- and thus begins his "Christmas Carol"-esque journey, complete with ghosts, time travel and  Bob Fosse.

A non-traditional set of Three Kings.

The NCT knows it draws lovers of musical theater, and almost all of the show's comedy references Broadway musicals. In that way, this is not a one-size-fits-all Christmas musical. It's for theater people, including die-hard fans. The Three Kings (also the ghosts of Christmas Past) are Don Quixote (Paul Goodman), the King of Siam (Andre Dion Wills) and "Fiddler on the Roof's" Teyve (Dave Snyder). Audrey III from "Little Shop of Horrors" even makes an appearance. It's more focused than it sounds, but some scenes work better than others. Tommy (Dan Sanchez) and Alan's rendition of "Baby It's Cold Outside" would have felt edgier if TV's "Glee" hadn't done a male duet version of it last Christmas, but Candlelight's version does have its own unexpected twist. And while some numbers, such as the Chanukah medley, seem to come out of nowhere, all of the musical numbers are well done. Standouts include "Shall We Dance" with young Zach Pennington and Jamieson O'Brien; "There's a Christmas Song for Every Situation" with Kaylan Wetzel Acon; and a very moving "Auld Lang Syne."

The often self-deprecating show pokes fun of beloved Broadway shows, but, of course, it's all in good fun. Just as it ultimately celebrates "that barn in Delaware," it also loves musical theater in a way only those who have made it their lives can.

"A Very Candlelight Christmas" runs through December 23; The 2012 Season starts up on January 27 with "Miss Saigon."

Chapel Street Players present Beauty Queen of Leenane

Beauty Queen of Leenane is a neat and tight play by Martin McDonaugh, a child of Irish parents born in London where his family had emigrated just as the families of his Leenane must do in the 1989 setting. The characters he presents are also quite finely drawn.

Maureen, played with great energy by Kerry Kristine McElrone, is forty and feels as if life has passed her by. She is the youngest of three and the only maiden sister who, of course, got stuck with the harridan mother, Mag. Mary Catherine Kelley’s Mag was comic and tragic, following the intricate web that so many of us have in our relationships. She is sometimes funny and attractive and sometimes so aggravating that I was tempted to say, “Stop it” from the audience. The two actresses adroitly tossed off their alternating sweet and sours until it was hard to tell who was good, honest and true and who was a conniver.

Enter neighbor Ray Dooley, the kind of guy who is always friendly but ever-so-slightly annoying, who comes over and you immediately wish him gone. Patrick Cataract gives him a certain innocence and gentle appeal and you wonder why he seemed to be a fly on the wall to our lonely but attractive Maureen.

Maureen sets her sites on Ray’s older brother Pato, a warm and congenial guy played by David C. Hastings. Pato was not sure if Maureen’s pursuit of him was because she loves him or because she wanted to aggravate her mother. His letter to Maureen is a wonderful palette of his emotions and doubts and he delivered it in a monologue that deserved a standing ovation. (Unfortunately, our audience was terribly quiet on Friday, but it didn’t hurt the play’s quality).

The drama unfolds with revelations from everyone – with each of the characters unfolding those details they had so carefully kept under their hats during the first half of the play. Credit to McDonaugh for such a great script and for the actors and director Sean Kelly for making sure they didn’t reveal too much too soon. The next performances are November 12, 17, 18 and 19 at 8 p.m. at the Chapel Street Players on Chapel Street in Newark.

See www.chapelstreetplayers.org

A Fresh Look at Howard Pyle at DAM

The Buccaneer Was a
Picturesque Fellow, 1905

Though it may be hard to believe for those of us who've grown up visiting the Delaware Art Museum, Howard Pyle isn't a Rembrandt-level superstar outside of the Delaware Valley. Pyle may no longer be a household name to the rest of the world, but his impact on modern culture extends far beyond the walls of 2301 Kentmere Parkway.

Take pirates, for example -- few images are as iconic in this century as the Pirates of the Carribean-style swashbucklers. The image we have of the pirates of legend doesn't come from actual-time paintings or photographs; real pirates simply weren't captured that way. It was Pyle who created the image (which directly influenced the style of Disney's Captain Jack Sparrow), using research from old books mixed with his own vision based on the text he was illustrating.

This method of taking existing material and turning it into something decidedly his own is at the heart of Howard Pyle: American Masters Rediscovered, the new special exhibition celebrating both the upcoming 100th Anniversary of the Delaware Art Museum and the centenary of Pyle's death.

Away they rode with clashing hoofs
and ringing armor, 1888

If you've spent a lot of time at the Art Museum, you're probably intimately familiar with the paintings in the Pyle collection (I have a "Flying Dutchman" magnet on my refrigerator -- doesn't everyone?). If you think you've seen it all, you may be right -- but you haven't seen it like this. Rediscovered shows Pyle's work in a new way, interspersed with pieces by his contemporaries such as Thomas Eakins, Jean-Leon Gérôme and Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier, from whom he took inspiration to create his varying illustrative styles that captured the Middle Ages, Fairy Tales and Fantasy, and historical America. The guest pieces are displayed on gold panels to to set them apart from Pyle's work. Don't skip the descriptions next each painting, especially if you think you know everything about the work -- you don't.

 Howard Pyle: American Masters Rediscovered runs from November 12 to March 4, 2012. Also be sure to tour the newly-redesigned illustration galleries -- with much of the Pyle collection relocated for the retrospective, rarely-seen pieces from the museum's collection are on display.

Pick of the November Art Loop

By Owen Napier, Jr.

Owen Napier, Jr.  is not your ordinary photographer and printmaker.  A bookbinder by trade, Napier practices the Japanese art of three dimensional decoupage called papier tole. This gives his photographs a startling layered and textured effect.  Napier was gracious to all the visitors who came to the Christina Cultural Art Center for the November Art Loop,  going out of his way to greet them and explain how he puts the intricate layers together to make his work.  One photograph was on display as a one dimensional work just above its companion papier tole image- showing the viewer the startling difference in texture and realism. (MD)

By Brian Marshall

Robots have invaded Poppycock Tattoo at 8th and Orange... again! Found object artist Brian Marshall's whimsy-cool Adopt-a-Robots surrounded the floor, from tiny shampoo bottle 'bots to large metal cowboys and knights, and everything in between. If you haven't come across Adopt-a-Robots before, they must be seen to be believed. Ordinary household (and sometimes industrial) objects are bound together to create artificial humanoids with amazing personality. In addition to the sculptures, the gallery featured a selection of robot-themed paintings, drawings and photomanipulations by Tina Marabito, Pat Higgins, Baron Von Reign, Dave Mele, Eric Hendrickson and 3EYES, plus tunes spun by DJ Zip. (HQ)

OperaDelaware opens with Magic Flute

Although they had produced Mozart’s Magic Flute in the recent past, OperaDelaware put a new spin on this latest production. They started in an 18th Century art museum and had Prince Tamino wake up in the 1950s. This made way for some silliness which was fun and still in keeping with the comic intent of the master who created it.

Alok Kumar played Tamino with the same strength and vigor he had given to Alfredo Germont in last year’s La Traviata. His very strong voice and thorough preparation for the role made his character believable in spite of the extremes to which the opera goes to promote the principles of the Masons.

The three ladies of the Queen of the Night (Veronica Chapman-Smith, Melody Wilson and Charlotte Paulsen) stole the show for me with their close harmony, perfectly paced singing and gestures. Their comic romps were hilarious and kept everyone laughing.

The ladies were perfect foils for Papageno, brilliantly played by Sean Anderson. Anderson is not only an excellent singer, but also a great comic. He actually played harmonica rather than letting the orchestra dub his miming, and this bolstered the effect of his comic role. His voice blended seamlessly in his duet with Pamina (Susan Nelson) and his comic verve provided a vector for her to show her comic side, too.

Susan Nelson has a beautiful and well-trained voice and was able to convey a wide gamut of emotion in her singing and her acting. She has control, expression and strength enough to come through strong and clear in her duets with Tamino, the musical culmination of the show.

A fun and polished performance supported by an excellent orchestra was made all the more immediate to me by Stefan Kozinksi and Nicolas Muni’s skillfully wrought English translation of Emanuel Schikander’s original German. The next performances are Friday, November 4 and Saturday, November 5 at 7:30 at the Grand Opera House.

See www.operade.org.

This Play's a Walk in the Park

If you're feeling nostalgic for the 1960s, a time when New York City studio apartment rentals were a mere $125.00 per month, then head to the Wilmington Drama League for Neil Simon's comedy Barefoot in the Park!

My first introduction to Barefoot in the Park was in college when I watched the film starring Jane Fonda and Robert Redford. I fell in love with the charming film, and when the Broadway revival opened in 2006, I made my way up to the city to see it.  The comedy, set in New York City circa mid-1960s, is about newlyweds---Corie is a fun-loving young housewife and Paul is a practical lawyer. After spending a six-day honeymoon at the famed New York Plaza Hotel, they have now moved into their studio apartment, which happens to be on the sixth floor of a building without an elevator. During the course of the play, we meet Corie's proper but doting mother Ethel and the couple's eccentric neighbor Victor, who Corie befriends.

The eternal optimist, Corie decides to host a small party in hopes of setting up her widowed mother with Victor. The night culminates with the foursome dining in an exotic restaurant in Staten Island, a fight between the newlyweds, and Ethel never making it home to New Jersey. I'm not going to reveal the ending, but I'll give you a hint---it's a Neil Simon comedy.

Natalie Gaspari shines as the lovable Corie, as does Jack Jordan in the role of Victor. Both characters, along with another famous theater character-Auntie Mame-have been my heroes with their philosophies of "Live, enjoy life, and experience everything!"  Shawn Kline gives a fantastic performance as Paul, a person who finds walking "barefoot in the park" a ridiculous act.  Catherine Ireland as Ethel steals every scene she's in! I also must give a shout out to Mark Ladd, who delivered some very funny lines as the telephone repairman, who has to climb up the six flights of steps to install the couple's new line.

Overall, Barefoot in the Park is not a groundbreaking piece and it won't change your life, but it will entertain you.  It fits in perfectly with the current cultural resurgence of the 1960s---think Mad Men, Pan-Am, and The Playboy Club. They all recall a time when America was innocent and flirty; maybe a time we need to relive now more than ever?

See http://wilmingtondramaleague.org/.

Perky Opening for Mėlomanie

Many changes were made for Mėlomanie this year: a new violinist, performances at new venues, new repertory and a new advertising idea!

The October 29 season opening at Grace United Methodist Church was a lively production of new and old music – with the startling newness of Georg Philipp Telemann’s Paris Quartet No. 5 in A Major, TWV 43:A3 – which the artists split to play half before and half after the intermission. Two composers sitting beside me in the audience were marveling at how much more daring and even classical George Philipp Telemann (1681-1770) can be in his gallant style than his contemporary Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) and I think they were quite right. The Telemann was zippy, rhythmically unusual and a great vehicle to show off the new member of the group, violinist Christof Richter, whom many in the audience have appreciated from his former appearances with Mėlomanie.

The Giuseppe Tartini Sonata in G Minor (The Devil’s Trill) was a more sedate piece which provided a bridge to Ingrid Arauco’s Silver (Variation diabellique) for solo flute which Arauco had composed for the 25th anniversary of Network for New Music. With the cold outside, snowflakes falling, the silvery tones of Kimberly Reighley’s modern flute made just the right atmosphere for a cold winter’s night. The shimmery sounds of Arauco’s flowing melodies filled the sanctuary with warm light.

Mark Rimple’s Sonata Circumdederunt me had an entirely different accent – of modernist tendencies and humor interspersed with a flash of technical virtuosity from Donna Fournier on the viola da gamba. The harpsichord accompaniment helped ground the harmonic base of the exploratory composition.

The second half of the concert started with the second half of the Telemann, which seemed almost as new as the 21st Century compositions we had just heard. Richter and Reighley led the merry chase of Telemann’s romp which was certainly a highlight. The concert ended with another 21st Century work, a tango in three movements by Christopher Calliendo.

The audience was given these musical treats plus a perk – a gift of a special blend of Pike Creek Coffee blended for Mėlomanie, named "Downtown Wilmo Blend" and branded with great photos of the group.

See www.melomanie.org.

Art & Civil Unions: A Terrific Marriage

To celebrate the January 1 implementation of Delaware’s same sex civil union law, engaged lesbian, gay and transgender couples are invited to take part in ONE LOVE on Saturday, January 7, 2012, at 7:00pm at the Delaware Art Museum.  ONE LOVE is a series of activities that culminates in a collective same sex civil union ceremony. As part of ONE LOVE, the guests of each couple will be able to share in the joy of not just one, but multiple, unions.

Says event co-organizer Nikki Brennan of Lovely Girls Events, “Many LGBT couples and their loved ones have waited years to enjoy a ceremony in Delaware, and they shouldn’t have to wait one more day…nor settle for a courthouse ceremony. For those anxious to wed, I wanted it to be soon, and I wanted it to be fabulous!”

The Delaware Art Museum was delighted to help make this event a reality. “Our stunning galleries and spaces are perfect settings for a wedding. We’re thrilled that ONE LOVE will highlight the creative ways that the Museum can make any big day special,” Says Molly Keresztury, Manager of Marketing & Public Relations at the Museum.

To take part in the ONE LOVE Group Civil Union Ceremony, couples must: RSVP by December 1; acquire a Delaware Civil Union license between January 2 and January 6; and show proof of licensing upon arrival.  Nondenominational officiants and staging areas are provided for each ceremony, as well as music, décor, hors d’oeuvres, and cake.  Couples are encouraged to bring items such as prewritten vows, unity candles, ring pillows, cake cutters, and bouquets or boutonnieres for a personal touch.

A complimentary group toast will take place, and a cash bar will be available. Guests will enjoy passed hors d’oeuvres and a DJ.  BG Productions will photograph the event, and the Wilmington Photo Booth Co. will also be on site with a photo booth. 

In addition, Brennan and her event partners devised the ONE LOVE Couple Contest to add to the excitement of the collective ceremony.  Among the couples taking part in the group ceremony will be three couples who have entered and won the contest.  This Contest awards three prizes to contestants—one to a gay couple, a lesbian couple, and a transgender couple.  Entrants should describe in 100 words or less, “what makes you laugh, what makes you cry, and what makes you unique as a couple.” Entries can be submitted to onelove@lovelygirlsevents.com by November 3, 2011, at Noon EST.  The email should include the names of the couple, a phone number and email address. Winners will be announced on November 5.  The prize packages include a $400 engagement photo/video session; one grand prize will also provide a complimentary floral order and spa or beauty treatment on the day of the ONE LOVE event.

DSO thanks subscribers at Dickinson

On Tuesday, October 25, the Delaware Symphony played at John Dickinson High School, giving their subscribers a thank you concert and joining forces to promote the fantastic Kimball Organ.

The concert allowed the DSO to give yet another performance (the last one was in the 1980s in Washington, DC) of the Saint Saens Symphony No. 3 in C minor, often referred to as the organ symphony. They also played Fratres by Arvo Pǟrt and a fairly unusual piece by Ottorino Respighi called Church Windows (Vetrate di chiesa) which he refashioned from an earlier piano composition he called Tre Preludi sopra melodie gregoriane. For Church windows, Respighi added a movement and scored it for full symphony, pipe organ and tam-tam.

Since it is rare to have a good venue with a full pipe organ which can accommodate a full symphony as well, this performance at Dickinson was a rare treat.

See delawaresymphony.org

DTC Opens Season with "All My Sons"

By Blogger Charles "Ebbie" Alfree, III
After surviving the brutal yet extremely funny production of August: Osage County at the Arden Theatre Company (Philadelphia) yesterday, I was ready for a wholesome classic play by Arthur Miller. My friend Katt and I took a jaunt to the Delaware Theatre Company to see the playwright's family drama set in 1947, All My Sons (the first production of DTC's 2011-2012 season). Although August: Osage County premiered in 2007, 60 years after the premiere of Miller's play, both productions dealt with the same theme—dysfunctional families. (Apparently nothing has changed over the years.)

Cast (from left) P.J. Benjamin as Joe Keller, Robert Eli as Chris Keller,
Jered McLenigan as George Deever, and
Anne-Marie Cusson as Kate Keller. Photo credit: Matt Urban.

Set in post–World War II, All My Sons is the story of successful business owner Joe Keller, who grew up poor and undereducated, and his family. Joe is the kind of guy who will do anything to keep his family happy and living in the lifestyle to which they have become accustomed, regardless of the consequences. Joe's wife, Kate, still holds hope that their eldest son, missing-in-action for three years, will come home. Their younger, more realistic son, Chris, has returned home from the war and now works for his father. The play begins the morning after a harsh storm as the family is preparing for a visit from their elder son's widow. Once she arrives, the layers of family guilt and unethical practices begin to unravel, with help from the family's neighbors.

The cast, directed by David Stradley, found the soul of the play and brought their grueling characters to life. P.J. Benjamin, in particular, gave an award-worthy performance as a loving father with a secret—a complex role perfectly executed. He and his colleagues performed on a set that evoked the feeling of living in a 1940s middle-class American “anytown”. The cast was met with a standing ovation, which was also to recognize everyone involved with this timeless play. I'm sure this cast will see a standing room at the end of every performance!

Driving home, Katt and I contemplated how the theme of the play still rings true today. How many mothers today are hoping their sons and daughters in the current war will come home? How many businessmen are making unethical decisions based on money rather than the greater good?

And, how many families are unable to face their problems and live "normal" lives? Based on these plays and the stories on the nightly news…perhaps not many….oy vey!

See www.delawaretheatrecompany.org.

It Must Be October! The Coffin Ball at Talleyville Frame Shoppe

Photo: Ophelia von Gray

While most of the attention on First Fridays is focused on downtown Wilmington, it's always worth the short drive up Concord Pike to the Talleyville Frame Shoppe & Gallery -- especially this time of year, when horror-themed art takes center stage. This year, artists-slash-shop owners Ric and Wendy Frane focused on a coffin theme for contributing artists and, appropriately, named the opening event The Coffin Ball.

Each artist started with the same canvas: a flat toe-pincher coffin shape. Other than the base, there were no limits: Pat Higgins used his as a panels for comic-style pieces; Paul Romano created a carved 3D piece; Kristen Margiotta painted an upside-down bat in her distinctive big-eyes style; Adam Cruz, Ric Frane and Leila Marvel explored dark femininity with paint; Baron Von Reign utilized digital photography; and Ophelia von Gray applied her soft sculpture "Guten Monster" art into dimensional, coffin-shaped wall art. Several of the artists went with a bit of a Dia de Los Muertos theme, including Poppycock Tattoo c-owner Tina Marabito's Our Lady of Guadalupe, Poppycock tattoo artist Dave Mele's skeleton fortune teller and Wendy and Ric Frane's dead bride and groom pieces. Other themes, such as Tina Imel's "Death of the USPS" and Higgins' "Greed" made social statements. As a whole, the collection represents a spectrum of Delaware artists with a dark side, all of them highly talented.

L-R: Pat Higgins, Adam Cruz, Ophelia von Gray, Kristen Margiotta, Leila Marvel, Wendy Frane, Ric Frane.

The Coffin Ball itself was more than a gallery opening, it was also a rock 'n roll masquerade party featuring DJ Shadylady and live music by -- who else? -- Coffin Fly, who rocked it as usual with their twisted brand of rockabilly.

Photo: Kristen Margiotta

The Coffin Ball artwork will be on display through October at the Talleyville Frame Shoppe and Gallery at 3626 Silverside Road (between the PNC bank and the Chuck E Cheese).