A Family Trip Down the Playhouse's Yellow Brick Road

By Guest Bloggers Hannah, Emily and Alyssa Tagle and their future stepmom, Gabrielle Reichert. Hannah is 10 years old and likes math, Legos, Minecraft and reading; Emily is 13 and loves to draw and write; Alyssa is also 13, and she loves science and cheerleading. They and Gabrielle live with their father, Dan, in the 40 Acres neighborhood of Wilmington. 

The Tagle sisters pose in the lobby of
The Playhouse on Rodney Square before seeing
The Wizard of Oz

Hannah's Review

In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy runs away because she is about to lose her dog Toto. She wanted to be far from home but instead gets caught up in a twister. She wakes up in Oz with Glinda the Good Witch. The only way Dorothy can get home is to follow the yellow brick road. 

Along the way, she meets the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion. They all help her find her way to see the Wizard of Oz. Once they meet the Wizard, he agrees to grant their wishes but first they must bring back the broomstick from the Witch of the West. Unfortunately, they are captured by the Witch's evil monkeys so the Witch can figure out how to take the ruby slippers off of Dorothy’s feet. 

Dorothy is saved by her friends the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion, but the Witch finds them and sets fire to the Scarecrow. Dorothy throws a bucket of water at her, not realizing that the Witch will melt. Everyone cheers! Dorothy and her friends take the broomstick back to Emerald City, and the Wizard grants all of their wishes, including sending Dorothy back home to Kansas. But unfortunately, the hot air balloon he has to take Dorothy home floats away without her. Glinda returns to tell her she can still return home by using the ruby slippers. Dorothy wakes up back in Kansas with her family and Toto. 

I think the most beautiful costume was the Good Witch – it was so sparkly! My favorite actor was Toto. And I really liked the song Off to See the Wizard. But, I didn’t like the high-pitched screaming of the Witch and the monkeys. I would recommend it to other kids my age. The singing and dancing was amazing. And the ruby slippers were bright, red and sparkly. The Wizard of Oz is my second play I’ve seen and it might be my favorite!

Emily's Review

On Tuesday, November 14, 2017 I went to The Playhouse on Rodney Square to see The Wizard of Oz. I liked the dancing because everybody was included in the choreography. I did not like how the actor, Emily Perzan, was so loud as the Wicked Witch of the West, but it was cool that she could play the role so well. 

Victor Legarreta, who played the Lion and Zeke, stole the show, as always. He did an amazing job. My least favorite part was when the boy munchkins and the jitterbugs came out. I did not like their costumes. But overall, the costumes for the rest of the performance were amazing. You forget they were actors on stage and really came together to tell the story to the audience. 

My favorite song was Over the Rainbow. Dorothy, (played by Kalie Kamann) did an outstanding job with her role in every scene. I would definitely suggest this play to others but maybe not little kids (age 7 and under). The show started at 7:30 but didn’t end until 10:30 (which was past even my bedtime on a school night). In all, it was a fantastic show!

Alyssa's Review

The play The Wizard of Oz is a wonderful play. I saw it opening night and it was fun, happy and joyful. Dorothy (Kalie Kaimann) is a wonderful singer and actress. Her dog Murphy (aka Toto) stole the show with his overload of cuteness! 

In the beginning, Dorothy and Toto are just playing and then Miss Gulch (Emily Perzan) wants to take Toto away. Dorothy tries to run away, but Professor Marvel (Kirk Lawrence) tells Dorothy that Auntie Em (Ashleigh Thompson) is sick (but she isn’t). 

Dorothy runs home just in time to get inside before the twister hits. She falls asleep and before she knows it, she’s meeting Glinda the Good Witch (Ashleigh Thompson) and the munchkins in MunchkinLand! One thing I did not like was how loud it was from the Wicked Witch, the munchkins and the monkeys. I had to cover my ears!

Gabrielle's Review

I can’t remember the last time I watched The Wizard of Oz, so I was excited to see the performance. The set design was incredible, really felt like you were part of the story. The mix of back screen, stage and front screen gave life to each act. 

The munchkin flowers were incredibly detailed and very vibrant. And I loved the winged monkeys – not so scary in this performance! Of course the Lion stole the show, but a close second was Toto...Adorable and so well-behaved! 

The only thing I didn’t like was how long the show ran. Three hours even with teenagers is tough, let alone the little ones. While the first half was strong, I felt like there was ‘filler’ in the second. The dance in Emerald City (without any of the main characters) I felt was long and unnecessary, as was the Jitterbug. But the singing, costumes and actors were fantastic. 

I would recommend this show for your families, but you might want to keep the littler ones at home. 

See www.thegrandwilmington.org. 

A Wild Trip to Neverland with Peter and the Starcatcher

The cast of WDL's production, Peter and the Starcatcher. 

Photo by John McCafferty, MJ Mac Productions.

By Mike Logothetis
“No man is an archipelago.” That’s one pearl of wisdom I learned at the Wilmington Drama League’s production of Peter and the Starcatcher – a wildly theatrical “origin story” of one of literature’s favorite mischievous boys, Peter Pan.

Adapted from Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson’s best-selling 2004 novel, the 2011 play was conceived for the stage by directors Roger Rees and Alex Timbers and written by Rick Elice, with music by Wayne Barker. The Tony Award-winning show upends the century-old story of how a miserable orphan came to be “The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up.”

WDL director Rebecca May Flowers utilizes a competent ensemble cast to fully realize the wackiness of the storyline set in the late 19th Century. Creative props and acute stage timing make sure the action never stops. Though Peter and the Starcatcher often employs 21st Century terms, it’s still set at a time when duty often clouded emotion, plus gender and class were defining/limiting characteristics.

It took about 10 minutes for the show to congeal into a coherent plot after unevenly developing the setting and characters with first- and third-person dialog coupled with breaking of the fourth wall. It’s a little much to grasp to start a play, but the WDL does well with what is provided in terms of script. Once the audience is set on who’s who and what’s what, the cast takes us on an enjoyable romp through all sorts of adventures. You won’t need to know “Norse Code” to appreciate the treasures of this production.

The fantastical story includes a spunky girl, an ocean voyage, a cargo of something called stardust, pirates, a shipwreck, mermaids, islanders, and three orphans – one of whom is without a name. While the tale is linear in its construction, the action gloriously yanks us from side to side with funny situations, physical comedy, and hilarious malapropisms.

Molly Aster (Talia Speak) is at the center of it all. Teenage Molly is dutifully bound to her father, Lord Aster (Tony DelNegro), but has a strong independent streak which leads her to discover Ted (Catherine Enslen), Prentiss (Lauren Unterberger), and an unnamed boy (Gianni Palmarini) detained in the cargo hold of a ship called the Neverland. Scheming Captain Slank, played by an excellent Ruthie Holland, has plans to sell the boys and profit from the secret cargo of stardust he’s deviously acquired.

Meanwhile, Lord Aster is aboard the Wasp protecting a trunk containing what he believes is the stardust. When pirates raid the Wasp in search of the magical cargo, both Lord Aster’s and Molly’s plans fly out the window. Molly is compelled to free the boy captives on the Neverland, protect the precious cargo, and save her imprisoned father on the Wasp. Poor nanny Mrs. Bumbrake (Kathy Harris) cannot keep up with her charge, the energetic Molly, but thankfully finds comfort in the arms of flatulent sailor Alf (Catherine Glen). Their love story is a successful comedic side plot within a comedy.

The pirate captain Black Stache (Alfred Lance) is a cyclone of chaos who is “all swash and no buckle.” Lance is outstanding and every time he prowls the stage, your eyes fixate on him. “Now you’re likely wondering, can the fellow before you be entirely evil? Can no compassion uncrease this furrowed brew?” Black Stache says. “Brow,” his pirate lieutenant Smee (Molly Pratzner) corrects. It’s clever wordplay like this that makes this show a must-see. (There’s even a wonderful poetry battle built into the show!)

A special bond grows between Molly and the unnamed boy – who later receives the moniker “Peter Pan” in an interesting and magical way. Molly, Peter and the two other orphans make their way through varied obstacles (e.g., a shipwreck) and antagonists, like the island native Mollusks who menacingly chant Italian food names.

I won’t reveal any spoilers, but I will insist that you are comfortably in your seat at the start of the second act so as not to miss the opening number involving almost everyone in the show. The ensemble cast play multiple roles and is rounded out by Hayley Hughes, Autumn Moore, and Felicia Walker.

Sean Flowers’ scenic design and clever props allow toy ships to become real ones, umbrellas to form a jungle, ropes to define portals, and a blue glove to morph into a bird. It’s all very effective.

Pianist/percussionist Tom Mucchetti provides timely accompaniment to the action on stage while sitting in the middle of all the madness.

From marauding pirates and jungle natives to unwilling comrades and unlikely heroes, Peter and the Starcatcher playfully explores the bonds of friendship, duty, and love. Don’t miss out on the adventure!

This production of Peter and the Starcatcher at Wilmington Drama League runs through November 19 at the theater on Lea Boulevard in Wilmington. Tickets cost $10-15 for both evening and matinee shows. Performances are at 8:00pm on November 10, 11, 17 and 18 and at 2:00pm on November 12 and 19.

“TTFN!” – in other words, “Ta-ta for now!”

See www.wilmingtondramaleague.org.

Mélomanie Premiere Celebrates a Milestone for Local Couple

By Christine Facciolo
Mélomanie celebrated its 25th anniversary at its season-opening concert at The Delaware Contemporary on Sunday, October 29, 2017.

And what better way to mark a Silver Anniversary than with a World Premiere of a composition commissioned to commemorate the Golden Anniversary of a couple known for their devotion to Mélomanie. But more about that later...

Flutist and Mélomanie co-artistic director Kimberly Reighley opened the program with the shimmering notes and flowing contours of Ingrid Arauco’s Silver (Variation diabellique). This was a fitting choice for this particular occasion, as the Delaware-based Arauco composed the piece to mark the 25th anniversary of another ensemble, Philadelphia’s Network for New Music.

Reighley was then joined by Mélomanie harpsichordist and co-artistic director Tracy

Richardson for a talk about the ensemble’s beginnings and accomplishments with Jennifer Margaret Barker, professor of music theory and composition at the University of Delaware.

Reighley and Richardson then came together in a lovely performance of the Sonata in G Minor attributed to J.S. Bach but now believed to be by his son C.P.E. This is a charming work that features a true interplay between flute and harpsichord. The lilting Adagio gives much melodic interest to the harpsichord while the flute plays long notes. The last movement features an extended harpsichord solo which gave listeners the opportunity to hear Richardson’s consummate technique and clear, crisp sound.

Equally charming was Abel’s Quartet in G Minor. This work — scored for flute, violin, viola da gamba and cello — is one of a collection of 10 quartets for this instrumentation. Published in 1794, it is the only quartet to have survived with this specific scoring.

This two-movement work typifies the sort of music one might have heard in the intimate setting of the home of a patron. The performance was very smooth. The players exhibited a fine sensitivity to each other, creating a nice set of interactions that brought out the nuances of this delicately wrought music.

The second half of the program was taken up with the World Premiere of Up to the Light by Mark Hagerty. This was Hagerty’s fourth commission for Mélomanie and one of his most interesting and inventive. The 25-minute work was commissioned by Mona Bayard for her husband Tim Bayard in celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary. Tim is a founding board member of Mélomanie, and both he and Mona are active supporters of and volunteers in the arts and education.

Up to the Light is a work scored for flute, violin, viola da gamba, cello, harpsichord and vibraphone. Hagerty included the vibraphone in a nod to Tim Bayard’s deep appreciation of jazz. Here it was played by guest percussionist, Chris Hanning.

Up to the Light is a musical description of a journey from a troubling experience to one of a positive feeling, all the while retaining the pain of the earlier trauma. In this work, sonorities (i.e., specific harmonies and their arrangements and tone colors), rather than traditional melodies, convey the emotion experienced during the journey.

The work presents three major statements of these sonorities, at the opening, the midpoint and the end. Sandwiched between these statements are passacaglias — sometimes strict, sometimes informal — based on a melody introduced by the flute.

Especially effective was the incorporation of a single orchestral bell, which added a somber or joyous tone, depending on the musical context.

Hagerty indulged Tim Bayard’s love of jazz by skillfully folding the timbre of the vibraphone into the texture and by the subtle introduction of jazz-influenced harmonies into the tonal fabric of the work.

See www.melomanie.org. 

DelShakes' "As You Like It" Tours Community ...and We Like It!

Danielle Leneé as Rosalind and Bi Jean Ngo as Celia.
Photo by Allessandra Nicole.
Courtesy of Delaware Shakespeare.

By Mike Logothetis

The Globe Theatre in London became world renowned by staging William Shakespeare’s histories, tragedies and comedies upon its wooden planks. Shakespeare was a shareholder in the Globe, which meant the more people he got into the building, the more money he made. The Globe became iconic and drew patrons from far and wide to see The Bard’s latest (brilliant) play.

Delaware Shakespeare’s superb production of As You Like It does not have a permanent home like The Globe. Instead, the merry troupe of actors, musicians and staff are traversing Delaware this fall bringing The Bard to locations not typically hip to his iambic pentameter.

Delaware Shakespeare launched its Community Tour last year with Pericles, Prince of Tyre. Community Tour productions play in non-theatrical settings such as multipurpose rooms, cafeterias, gymnasiums and even prisons. The production values are scaled for those spaces, with live music, minimal sets and whatever lighting is available. The year’s production is performed with a cast of eight actors and a musician, which allows for some creative multi-role casting. (In fact, the performance of As You Like It uses an audience member reading from a script to play Hymen in Act V.)

Producing Artistic Director David Stradley told me he looks for spaces that can hold a seated audience between 40 and 120 people in a four-sided arrangement. Stradley stressed that Delaware Shakespeare searches for communities which may be underserved by the arts and whose residents might find difficulty traveling to Rockwood Park for its annual Summer Festival.

The Community Tour is not just making stops, but introducing Shakespeare and the world of live theater to many people who’ve never experienced its wonders. I was pleased to see the actors welcome everyone who entered the cafeteria at Groves Adult High School in Marshallton. Cast members introduced themselves, who they would play, what we might expect, plus exchanged simple pleasantries. In this way, the space became very accessible.

As You Like It follows its heroine Rosalind (Danielle Leneé) and her cousin Celia (Bi Jean Ngo) as they flee the court of Duke Frederick (J Hernandez), who is Celia’s uncompromising father. The pair put on disguises and escape into the nearby Forest of Arden along with court fool Touchstone (Adam Altman). 

 Meanwhile, Rosalind’s suitor Orlando (Trevor William Fayle) has also fled into the woods to escape his exploitive brother Oliver (Jeffrey Cousar). The two lovers cross paths, but Orlando cannot recognize the inspiration for his many romantic poems. A variety of memorable characters also exist in the forest, notably the melancholy traveler Jaques (Liz Filios) who capably utters one of Shakespeare’s most famous speeches (“All the world’s a stage/And one man in his time plays many parts”).

As previously mentioned, there are only eight actors playing the 20-odd roles in As You Like It. It’s marvelous to see Cousar and Hernandez play hot-tempered and then mild, love-struck men in the same production. Altman shined as loyal servant Adam as well as energetic and animated Touchstone. Merri Rashoyan filled four roles (and two genders) skillfully, with her Phebe being a highlight. Only Leneé (Rosalind) and Fayle (Orlando) played one part apiece — but those are meaty parts!

As in any Shakespearean comedy, there is misdirection and love and misplaced blame and redemption — all done wonderfully in this production. A nice touch to the show were the small musical interludes by Joe Trainor (guitar/drum) and Filios (ukulele/accordion). After the show, Trainor told me that Shakespeare had sprinkled partial couplets and text into the script of As You Like It. As no record of a musical score existed, Trainor took it upon himself to compose period pieces to enhance the audience experience. Kudos!

Director Madeline Sayet keeps the pacing brisk and encourages her actors to use the full space. The cast plays to all directions, which connects the action to the audience.

Highlights of the show included the gymnastic wrestling contest between Orlando (Fayle) and Charles (Rashoyan); the ludicrously beautiful facial expressions of actress Bi Jean Ngo; the combined energy of the troupe; the cleverly made trees of Arden; and all those glorious words. If not for Shakespeare’s turns of phrases and rhythmic patterns, his 400-year-old plays would just be old dusty scripts. For instance, Rosalind’s advice on love to Phebe is simply beautiful and timeless.

If, as Rosalind says, “Love is merely a madness,” then I hope newcomers to The Bard fall madly in love with his works, starting with Delaware Shakespeare’s As You Like It.

The autumn Community Tour of As You Like It takes place in venues throughout Delaware from October 25 through November 12. Performances at Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution, Howard R. Young Correctional Institution and Ferris School for Boys are not open to the public. Admission is free with RSVP at info@delshakes.org or 302.415.3373. 

There will also be three ticketed performances ($15-$100) from November 10-12 at OperaDelaware Studios.

See. www.delshakes.org.

Over the Moon About WDL's Production

By Christine Facciolo

Ever wonder what goes on in the Green Room before a theatrical performance? Moon Over Buffalo offers a peek…plus a whole lotta laughs at Wilmington Drama League.

The year is 1953. The setting is Buffalo, New York (“Scranton without the charm.”) A touring company is performing Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac and Noel Coward’s Private Lives at the Erlanger Theater. George and Charlotte Hay (Alan Harbaugh and Sabrina Justison) boast a long-standing marital and acting partnership, both of which have frayed at the edges. Then they learn that the great film director, Frank Capra, needs to re-cast a movie he’s making and is flying in from New York City to see them perform. This could be just what they need to recoup the stardom they’ve lost and feel they so richly deserve.

But first…

George has impregnated Eileen (Carolyn Peck), a young actress in the troupe. When Charlotte finds out, she tells him she’s fed up with his infidelity and is leaving him for their lawyer, Richard (Shawn Klein). Meanwhile, Rosalind Hay (Patricia Egner) has arrived to introduce her parents to her fiancé, Howard (Andrew Dluhy), a TV weatherman. He’s a geeky but affable TV weatherman who just happens to be a big fan of her parents. He loves Rosalind but is absolutely clueless about what’s going on, Rosalind, for her part, was in love with Paul (Luke Wallis), the Hays’ theatre manager, who still has feelings for her. Adding to the merriment is Ethel (Patricia Lake), Charlotte’s deaf-as-a-post stage mother who hates the boards George treads on and nearly brings him down with one innocent-looking coffee pot. Comic misunderstandings and mistaken identities abound.

Ken Ludwig’s 1995 madcap farce is still fresh in 2017 and just the ticket for an evening full of fun and laughter. Let’s not forget that this play was worthy enough to lure Carol Burnett back to Broadway after a 30-year absence and, if you didn’t know better, this superb production might have you believe you’re sitting in a theatre on the Great White Way. It’s that good.

Harbaugh and Justison simply melt into their roles. Harbaugh is brilliant as the very inebriated George. Peck applies just the right amount of affect to her role as the pregnant and distraught ingénue. Dhuly is convincingly clueless as the action swirls around him. Egner, Klein and Wallis know every nuance of their characters. Lake is downright hilarious as the hard-boiled stage mother/mother-in-law from hell.

Kudos to the directorial team of Gene Dzielak and Melissa Davenport (as well as mentor/director Ken Mammarella) who pulled everything together. Also deserving of a standing ovation are Helene and Tony DelNegro for their retro 1950s backstage set, Cara Tortorice for her fabulous costumes and Lee Jordan for choreographing the playful duel between the Hays.

This one is not to be missed.

See www.wilmingtondramaleague.org. 

Deconstructing the Piano Quintet with DSO

By Christine Facciolo
“The Piano Quintet – Deconstructed” was the theme for the season-opening concert of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra’s Chamber Series Tuesday, October 17, in the Gold Ballroom of the Hotel du Pont in Wilmington.

The concert featured an eclectic slate of works by Mozart, Ravel and Brahms as it showcased the talents of some of the most select members of the orchestra’s string section as well as principal pianist Lura Johnson.

It’s always a pleasure to hear musicians of this caliber perform in an intimate setting, and they did not disappoint.

The first half of the concert featured a pair of duos in keeping with the theme of the program.

The concert opened with a performance by violinist Lisa Vaupel and violist Elizabeth Jaffe of Mozart’s String Duo in G major, a work Mozart is said to have ghost-written for Michael Haydn who was having problems filling a contractual obligation to Mozart’s former employer—and arch nemesis—the Archbishop Colloredo.

Vaupel and Jaffe gave a lively reading of this much-performed work, with brisk tempos in the outer movements and much sensitivity in the slow movement.

Violinist David Southorn and cellist Philo Lee tackled one of the 20th century’s masterpieces of the duo genre: the Sonata for Violin and Cello by Maurice Ravel. This work generated lots of intermission discussion among concertgoers who expected something like the sultry and sensuous Bolero rather than this lean and linear work.

Like many of his contemporaries, Ravel searched for new modes of expression and style following the horrors or World War I. And while that drew him to certain aspects of Neoclassicism, he never totally abandoned his use of traditional forms nor did he reject the legacies of his immediate predecessors. Thus, the Sonata for Violin and Cello exhibits the “economy” of late Debussy, the rhythmic drive of Stravinsky and a more contemporary austerity.

Southorn and Lee delivered this demanding work with energy and virtuosic precision, carefully etching and capturing its herky-jerky rhythms and acerbic bi-tonal clashes.

The string players assembled onstage—accompanies by pianist Johnson—after intermission for a performance of Brahms’ Piano Quintet in F minor. This is a large-scale work, dark and dramatic and the ensemble conveyed that Romantic intensity in the outer movements and the relentless third-movement Scherzo, and gave a soulful reading of the Andante.

Yet as heated as the music got, it never lost its transparency. Contrapuntal lines played off against each other without conflict and the several fugato passages were particularly successful. Johnson for her part fit seamlessly into the mix, using the percussive power of her instrument to support rather than dominate. And the felicitous turns in Jaffe’s viola and Lee’s cello were never buried. Still, the ensemble produced a solid, powerful sound.

See www.delawaresymphony.org.