Barefoot in Bellevue Park

July 21 was horribly horribly hot, but the First State Symphonic Band was cheerfully rehearsing in the giant band shell of Bellevue State Park as I arrived. Conductor Jonathan Wittman had a huge rag on a music stand in front of him so he could wipe his brow between numbers, but the band played on.

Most of the repertoire consisted of familiar marches, but an interesting experiment was the Alfred Reed Armenian Dances, a complex medley of tunes reminiscent of a Turkish bazaar. You could hear snake charmer themes and all sorts of exotic melodies as the band toured through the exotic five/eight rhythms.

Another fun surprise was a band piece by Joe Eigenbrot, a Bethlehem PA native and saxophonist in the band. His piece showed the Polish and German heritage reflected in the peoples and spirit of his native area.

Kids danced in front of the band, staff put on a bubble machine, dogs barked, and people ate dinner, wandered and enjoyed the informal atmosphere of a park concert.

Come to the next concerts, every Thursday and Sunday evening at 6:30 until August 28. Or if you prefer lunchtime concerts, they have one every other Wednesday through September 14 from noon to 1. (Don’t worry, there are lots of trees to shade you!)

The concerts are free, but there is a park charge of $3.00 if you do not have a State Park Sticker for your car.

See www.firststatesymphonicband.com

See www.destateparks.com/park/bellevue/

DelShakes Returns

Outdoors under the rustling tress behind Rockwood Mansion, not even the occasional far-off train whistle will break you from the feeling of being transported to another time. More than almost anything, watching live Shakespeare done well, as it's done at the Delaware Shakespeare Festival, will do that.

The play on this night was A Winter's Tale, one of Shakespeare's  lesser-known and late-career plays -- and what a ride it is. Jealousy and devotion, birth and death, love and redemption -- these themes will always remain fresh. As Leontes, the King of Sicilia who becomes overwhelmingly convinced that his wife, Hermione,  is having an affair, Erik Mathew gives an emotional performance. Janice Rowland's Hermione is full of grace. Adam Altman and Molly Cahill Govern stand out as the devoted advisor and gentlewoman to the King and Queen, respectively.

Erik Mathew as Leontes, Janice Rowland as Hermione and Rueben Mitchell as Polixenes.

 The second act, taking place 16 years after the first, is lighter, more humorous and more romantic than the first. Jake Blouch's Autolycus a singing rogue and small-time criminal, is a show stealer, as is David Strattan White as the shepherd's son, the play's clown character. We meet the grown daughter (Isa St. Clair) of Leontes and Hermione, who has fallen in love with the son of the king her mother was accused of being unfaithful with, Florizel (Sean Bradley). His father, played more comically in the second act by Rueben Mitchell, forbids them to marry. Love will prevail -- or so we hope, as we're reminded that the doomed Hermione and Leontes were once deeply in love, too.

The solid DelShakes cast, including a handful of college apprentices, did a great job of entertaining and making Shakespeare accessible. One thing I do know: If it's poorly acted, a modern audience will have a hard time following it. I had never seen or read A Winter's Tale before, and the actors delivered the prose impeccably -- I wasn't lost at any time during the performance.

A Winter's Tale Runs through July 30.

"Annie" Brightens the NCT

Jamieson O'Brien as Annie. Photo: NCT

Being a female kid of the '70s, I was an "Annie" fiend in elementary school, as was every other girl I knew. Sticker collections and Annie, that's all that mattered, as well as Pink Floyd's "The Wall," which we didn't necessarily have to like, but it was there, and it seemed to be on our side. "Annie," with its defiance, paired with its belief that a little kid could potentially change not just her own life, but the world, was definitely on our side.

I took my 7-year-old niece, Sophie, to the opening night of Annie at the New Candlelight Theatre. I don't know if  the show has the same presence for young girls it had 30 years ago, but I do know that she is hooked, playing the same old record we listened to countless times. (Fun fact: three regulars of the much-missed  "Al Alberts' Showcase" were cast in the original Broadway cast of Annie, including the original Broadway Annie herself, Andrea McCardle. Chris Alberts, the son of the legendary Al and Stella Alberts, is the New Candlelight Theatre's Artistic Director.) So, for me, at least, this nostalgic show was a must-see.

Jamieson O'Brien as Annie, Patrick O'Hara as Mr. Warbucks

The NCT production lives up to the high standards the theater has set this season with shows like Cats and The Full Monty. As Annie, Jamieson O'Brien lights up the stage as any Annie should, and the rest of the orphans -- Rebecca Smith, Katie Loftus, Gueneviere Sherlaw, Jordan O'Brien, Kayla Brock and the scene-stealing Nicole Hemphill -- are a delight. Geri Weagraff's Ms. Hannigan is both sleazy and surprisingly sympathetic, though not to the point where you feel bad when she gets her comeuppance. Rooster and Lily, characters who have to own their scenes (as a point of reference for those not familiar with the play, they were played by Tim Curry and Bernadette Peters, respectively, in the movie version) are played solidly by Dewey Oriente and mega-talented NCT regular Lindsay Mauck. The role of Daddy Warbucks is played by another NCT regular, Patrick O'Hara, who brought both the required conservative staunchness and warmth to the role. You have to care about whether Annie and Warbucks become father and daughter for the play to work, and O'Hara does make you care. Rounding out the cast is the lovely Megan Pisors as Grace, Dave Snyder as FDR, Andre Dion Willis as the butler Drake, and an incredibly strong ensemble.

Whether you want to revisit your youth or introduce a great musical to the next generation, Annie fits the bill. The show runs through August 21, and, as always, the ticket price includes a buffet dinner; a cash bar featuring specialty Annie-themed drinks, specialty desserts and a nightly 50/50 raffle are extra.

Pick of the July Art Loop

The first stop was at the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts where very few studios were open. The Annual Members’ Juried Exhibition was still worth the visit. My favorite of the Duets (partnered works by each artist) was a large object photographed into the sun by John Schlesinger of Philadelphia. I had not consciously looked for its partnered work and it took me a long time to realize that a lone Styrofoam cup with holes burned in microcrystalline wax was the ‘large object’. Perspective made the cup look gigantic in the photograph and created the intriguing pairing.


The charcoal drawings by Edgar Jerins (top) in the Beckler Family Members’ Gallery were captivating. Jerins’ drawings are rich, real and full of detail and perspective that make you feel you are in the picture with the people he portrays. You can almost hear some of them sigh.


The artists in residence, Jung-A Woo and Hoyun Son, who had each studied at the Chicago Art Institute, presented their plans for a five-week project in residence with the DCCA, the Latin American Cultural Center, and the Delaware Horticultural Center. Their Movable Feast – a study in food and culture – will explore how food affects culture and art. They will show the final product at the August Art Loop.


The Louis L Redding Gallery had lively and imaginative portrayals of African American life and music by Michael Angelo Wallace, a native of Philadelphia. With vivid colors, Wallace goes from almost cartoon-like images of church to Biblical exegeses and back to cubist and surreal images doubling as outlines musical instruments (Ornithology, lower image). Top that off with cool jazz in the background and delicious snacks by Copper Café and my hat goes off to Jeni Barton for planning a great evening.


See www.WilmingtonDE.gov/artloop
See www.mangeloart.com
See www.jerins.com

Jazz Fest Recap

By Chuck Holdeman, Guest Blogger

Chuck is a regional composer of lyrical, contemporary classical music, including opera, orchestral music, songs, chamber music, music for film, and music for educational purposes. www.chuckholdeman.com

I caught two notable events on the last day of this summer's Clifford Brown Jazz Festival in Wilmington.  Having a daughter and her son in tow, we all went for a delightfully free visit to Wilmington's impressive "new" Queen Theatre for the 1:00pm show by JazzReach performing Hangin' with the Giants, aimed at children from Kindergarten to 4th Grade.  I speculated with my grandson Carl about what kind of giants we might encounter, but indeed these were Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, and Thelonious Monk. (What!! no John Coltrane?? ...Well, he was mentioned.) 

These giants were portrayed by cartoon characters, appearing on a movie screen over the heads of the six musicians, their well-mimicked speaking voices timed via PowerPoint, which only crashed once (later to resume).  Duke Ellington periodically consumed various flavored ice-cream cones.  It was explained: "He was so cool he was ice-cold; he could even keep ice cream in his pockets."  The MC was the vocalist of the sextet; he had a cue-book to keep him on script, although there were amusing incidents of improvisation---he really made hay when the PowerPoint projection accidentally froze.  In almost every tune---the order was the chronology of the composer/giants---there was audience participation.  Our MC strolled through the audience with his cordless mic, giving almost everyone, parent and child alike, a chance to respond with, for example, "salt peanuts, salt peanuts." It was an excellent band with two saxes, the vocally astute MC plus piano, bass and drums.  The JazzReach website describes a Brooklyn-based ensemble with a floating personnel list.

Saturday evening, we caught the Rufus Reid set.  We enjoyed it, but I could not help wondering if much of the material was better suited to an intimate club rather than an heavily amplified, crowded outdoor setting.  (Although, it was great to see Rodney Square absolutely full of enthusiasts on a lovely evening with plenty of tempting good [and also junk] food for sale!)  Rufus is a bass player from north Jersey, an accomplished and polished veteran, and we heard plenty of bass solos, mellow stuff.  The last tune in the set was quite memorable; an intense, up-tempo tune with a very long angular head, brilliantly manipulated by his sax, trumpet and rhythm section.

Chapel Street Actor wins National Competition

DEartsinfo congratulates Chapel Street Players and Patrick Cathcart.

Patrick Cathcart won the top prize for lead actor in the American Association of Community Theatre competition. Cathcart played Edward Albee's crazy character, Jerry, who both horrifies and

fascinates Peter, the quiet businessman played by Brian Turner.

The one-act was directed by Andrew Mitchell for Chapel Street Players and won the Delaware State competition and then the Eastern States Theatre Association festival before taking the show to the national level.

This was Delaware's first national theatre prize!

Ragtime Rages in Wilmo

By Mara Goodman, PR Intern, Arts in Media
If you haven’t seen the Delaware All-State Theatre’s (DAST’s) production of Ragtime, you are missing a truly impressive performance happening right here in downtown Wilmington. It is the same company that produced such wonderful shows as Urinetown and West Side Story, although this time we’re not sent to a strange town where no one can pee or travel to 1950s-era Puerto Rican New York City. Ragtime instead features the story of three groups in America at the turn of the 19^th Century: the WASP-y family in New Rochelle, the Jewish immigrant with hopes of “dolls, dresses and apple pie” for his daughter, and the Harlem musician’s struggle for racial equality in the face in injustice.

Covering three very different ethnic groups, the cast of Ragtime was huge. With all these students on stage, it was difficult for full-cast numbers to avoid sloppiness, but it was instead the individual numbers that let the audience quickly forget the youth of the actors. Colleen Scott’s beautiful performance of Your Daddy’s Son surely sent chills throughout the entire audience as she sat and whimpered, cast in a dark shadow. Her voice was stunning, and her acting evoked the most sincere emotion. 

Culturally, this show will find most people looking back to their roots. As a Jew in the audience, I personally loved Ben Walker’s impressive performance of Tateh—with his bushy beard and Yiddish slang—and was entertained by his use of the classic Fiddler On the Roof arm swing. The Harlem Chorus’s Ragtime beats stole the show—looking wonderful in their first number wearing orange and pink dresses—I longed to hop on stage and dance with them. And Tatiana Lofton’s rousing performance at the funeral scene was spectacular; she had a phenomenal voice not to be missed.

And while this show was centered on the talent of these students, the costumes were spot-on for every character and the pit orchestra excellent. The set was solid at times—I was particularly fond of the train station set—though I wasn’t a fan of all the background images and would have rather have used my own imagination to envision the characters in settings.  

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, definitely check out Ragtime. This musical captures a realistic range of human experiences, quickly moving from funny, sexy scenes to heartbreaking solos and back again. And while the first act may seem to last forever, the second act comes back with a bang (literally—a gunshot) so don’t give in to sleep too fast.

See www.dastonline.com.

Good Times at Shady Grove Music Fest

Brad Turner of 3EYES. Photo: Joe del Tufo

A bit of rain couldn't slow things down at the Shady Grove Music Fest on Saturday -- rather than head for the hills (and their dry cars), partiers barely blinked an eye. After all, bailing out would mean missing out on some of the day's most anticipated bands, New Sweden and Bullbuckers, who rounded out the festival's roster of ten main stage bands, acoustic performances on the Moonlight stage and live graffiti art by Brad Turner of 3EYES.

The early part of the day featured The Joe Trainor Trio, Sharon Sable and E. Shawn Qaissuanee, Smoke Signals and Frequency Bender. As the afternoon warmed up under cloudy skies (nice, actually -- the grove is shady, but without the full summer sun in the sky, the day was a refreshing change from the recent heat waves), local youth Local Chaos took the stage to a supportive crowd as they honed their skills with songs by Motley Crue and the White Stripes, among others.

I especially enjoyed Newark's Little Invisibles, fronted by the lovely Dina Degnars on piano and vocals. Shades of Within Temptation, but singularly original. And, with an audience-participation hula hoop interlude, a lot of fun, too.

Little Invisibles. Photo: Joe del Tufo

A little drizzle started to fall during Deadbeatz, Inc's politically charged set, and by the time Villains Like You took the stage, the rain was really coming down -- and the crowd was starting to dance. Nothing like an outdoor music festival to get your body moving it the rain, right?

And through it all, 3EYES created a piece of his distinctive, hand-and-stencil graffiti art, while DJ Zip kept the beat going between bands.

You'll have to wait until next year to hang at another Shady Grove Music Fest, but the Arden Concert Gild offers live original music throughout the year -- like them of Facebook to keep up with the schedule.

Monster Mash-Up on Chapel Street

By Mara Goodman, PR Intern, Arts in Media
 
Feeling silly?  In the mood to shed a layer of skin and let out your inner monster?  Then Chapel Street Players' production of House of Frankenstein by Martin Downing (directed by Scott F. Mason) would be your best bet for entertainment this weekend! Vampires, werewolves, and other freaks roam the stage of this whimsical play, as each one visits Dr. Frankenstein’s castle in an effort to "normalize" themselves.  But how does one stop sucking blood and turning into a furry, raging canine when the clock strikes midnight?  While it seems that our friendly, monster-making scientist from Mary Shelley’s dark piece could have the answer, he may have lost his flair since his last experiment.

And don’t let the title scare you—this show is humorous. Watching a group of monsters that wish to escape their freakiness and come to the freakiest place is an automatic, ironic, recipe for disaster. Catastrophe is inevitable and quite comical as Frau Lurker warns everyone who dares that “those who enter Castle Frankenstein never leave.” And the notion of danger is challenged by humor as the character deemed Phantom of the Opera—or POO—warns of his powers, yet demonstrates cliché magic tricks, pulling a never-ending bandana, a rabbit, and flowers out of his shirt sleeve. 

This show does have its charm. It's the little surprises that made it lovable: the kooky music of Bewitched, Monster Mash, and The Aadams Family that rang in the background and the pop-culture references to Facebook, Brad Pitt, and Justin Bieber reminded us that even vampires love their access to the Internet.  My favorites were the vampires, who take turns flipping each other off halfway through the second act, and whose French accents make them “wampires” instead of “vampires.”

And, did I mention that the show was done completely in black and white? Perhaps the most impressive parts of this production were the set and costumes, all doused in cobwebs and candles, leaving traces of scientific failure all around the room. There wasn't one part of this performance that wasn’t done up completely.  Harry Talbots, the werewolf, was covered in leather head to toes, and Igor, a resident of Frankenstein’s castle, stood hunchback the full two hours…if that’s not commitment to a role, then what is?

So, if you’re trying to figure out what to do on Friday the 17^th, or Saturday the 18^th, this would definitely be a fun show to check out. Don’t expect anything sober or serious, just lighthearted fun and freakiness!

See www.chapelstreetplayers.org. 

Prepare to be Deceived & Delighted at DAM

Photos courtesy of Delaware Art Museum

By Mara Goodman, PR Intern, Arts in Media

If you’re in the mood to go out on town, throw on some heels and a blazer, feeling sophisticated enough to have your mind impressed by its own limits, then the Delaware Art Museum’s “Perception/Deception: Illusion in Contemporary Art” exhibit would definitely be the place to go. But, if you’re in the mood to experience “funky” pieces of art, perhaps be perplexed by its meaning—which, let’s face it—is sometimes is a headspace we frequent, then you should definitely check out the DAM’s exhibit as well.

This exploration of contemporary art features four artists, Chul-Hyun Ahn, Larry Kagan, Robert Lazzarini, and Mary Temple, all of whose artwork creates three simultaneous responses. The first, confusion about how these pieces of art could possibly be created; the second, what they mean to creator and viewer; and the third, where does one stand when looking at each? Don’t expect to passively examine a painting in this exhibit; these pieces of art are not just 3-D, but involve a dimension of participation on the viewer’s part.

But don’t let participation scare you off: you don’t have to be a lover of art to enjoy and understand this exhibit. Lary Kagan’s work was by far my favorite, as its unique sculptures create shadows through a meticulous combination of steel welding and lighting. At its core, each piece is a collection of steel shapes, which, when examined unaccompanied appears to be a labyrinth of triangles and circles, but when partnered by the perfect lighting set-up and positioning, transforms into a wonderful image of shadows outlined on the wall. You’ll be surprised to find that it is not painted, as I initially assumed.

In particular, check out the collection of mosquitoes—two dead ones, and one alive, featured at the far wall of the exhibit. Never before have I been so interested in the structure, shape, and—surprisingly enough—the beauty of a mosquito. Normally I am too quick to kill the bugger before it bites me to look at the form of its body, but I found myself staring at these pieces for minutes on end trying to piece together the way each shape in the steel reflects the wing or the eye of the bug. Math, in every significance of the word, is really morphed into art in this exhibit. I never thought I would see the day that the math I learned in school was actually applied to something of such beautiful substance.

And the surprises don’t stop there. Especially if you check out Chul-Hyun Ahn’s work, which really challenge the idea that art is flat. These innovative creations are pretty indescribable, but they present, somehow, someway…infinity. If you never thought you could understand what infinity looks like, try peering into the doorway of one of these works. These pieces begin before your eyes and seem to never end, dissolving into a complete illusion of eternity.

Also be sure to keep an eye out for Mary Temple’s works. You may be confused to see on display only one of her sculptures, but don’t be deceived: the rest are hidden throughout the galleries. Her paintings feature the environment and the way that nature is reflected on our windows and walls; as faint shadows of the outside world. Her skill is irrefutably impressive, and fun to find.

But don’t let the thought of “modern art” frighten you. The stereotype is completely disregarded here—all these artists are both innovative and extremely talented. And if you feel like you need a little “classic” artwork afterwards, the museum is filled with plenty of fantastic Wyeths and Howard Pyles to balance out your visit. But as Danielle Rice, the director of the museum, described at the opening, there really is a high “wow” factor to these pieces—it is nearly impossible to understand how they are made and become what that they are. You can’t help but feel wowed. So, next time you feel sophisticated or ready to experience something new and different, make your way over to Rockford Park and prepare to be amazed!

See http://www.delart.org/exhibitions/current/index.html,

Zoo Story takes Delaware to AACT Competition

For the second time ever, Delaware has an entry in the American Association of Community Theatre festival. Andrew Mitchell directs Brian Turner and Patrick Cathcart in Edward Albee’s Zoo Story – a one-act story about human contact in a New York City park.

Patrick Cathcart plays Jerry, an edgy, nervous guy who has just about given up on positive contact with all living creatures when he spies Peter, a happy, humdrum middle class father of two girls with his happy middle class job, middle class home and middle class habit of sitting on a park bench and reading every single weekend.

Cathcart is so completely Jerry that he has that wild and hungry look as he starts up a conversation with the reluctant Peter. His jerky gestures and perfect New York accent are exactly what you heard on the subway platform on your last trip to the city. Jerry teases and cavorts with Peter so engagingly that Peter is soon lost in the threads of Jerry’s life and couldn’t get away if he had to.

The result is a maelstrom of emotion and events, which Director Andrew Mitchell and the two actors have polished to perfection.

They compete on Friday, June 24, 2011 at the Geva Theater in Rochester, New York. Whether they win or lose, Delaware theatre lovers can be very proud of the excellent representation in the national event.

See www.chapelstreetplayers.org.

See http://www.aactfest.11.org.

Delaware Valley Chorale and Delaware Symphony at Immanuel Church

David Christopher conducted members of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra and his Delaware Valley Chorale in a performance May 15 at Immanuel Church on Pennsylvania Avenue.

The Gloria by Lee Hoiby, an American composer who died at age 85 this past March, was harmonically conservative. Hoiby was often accused of having the same style as those who preceded him a century before. Yet, he was called to Curtis by Gian Carlo Menotti after one of his friends showed his work to the famous composer and teacher at the Curtis Institute. Hoiby went on to have a long and successful career.

Written in memory of the brother of one of the DVC members, this piece has a lovely trumpet, trombone and timpani orchestration with organ obbligato that is tightly written and worked beautifully in the large stone sanctuary.

The Brahms Requiem had the support of 52 instrumentalists which sometimes overwhelmed the chorus, but sounded so good that you forgot about that right away.

Soloist Grant Youngblood had no problem holding his own against the group, mesmerizing the audience with his full, rich voice and his ability to communicate the Herr, lehre doch mich (Lord, make me know) and the Denn haben wir keine bleibende Stadt (For we have no continuing city).

Soprano June Suh’s mellow, rounded sound also carried over the orchestra without a hitch. Her high notes seemed effortless as she sang with quiet poise. Her solo melted away but the note continued on the flute in a transition so seamless no one knew where the soprano voice ended and the flute began.

It was a great idea to have players from the Delaware Symphony support this impressive chorale performance.

See www.delawarevalleychorale.org.

New Sweden and Free Energy Tear Up the Arden Gild Hall

New Sweden @ Arden Gild Hall. Photo: Joe del Tufo

The idea behind bringing Philly rock gods Free Energy to the Arden Gild Hall was simple: to draw a younger crowd to the breezy venue, which usually boasts a more solidly mature audience. And, of course, a local band kicking off the night was a must. Enter New Sweden, easily one of the most buzzed-about bands in Delaware right now. On every level, this XPN-sponsored show was a success, from the generationally diverse crowd to the choice of bands to the enthusiasm that filled the room through the night.

If you haven't seen New Sweden yet -- and I hadn't -- they are a band that has earned the hype. They play folky, foot-stomping rock, sometimes light and airy, sometimes hard, with viola, banjo, mandolin, pump organ and glockenspiel added to the traditional rock instruments. It's sort of like Burl Ives meets Cowpunk. Very cool. New Sweden is the kind of band you can sing along with, even if it's your first time seeing them. I can see why they've got the passionate following they have -- they put on a great show.

Free Energy @ Arden Gild Hall. Photo: Joe del Tufo

While we at DE Arts Info always focus on Delaware artists, headliners Free Energy deserve mention. I'll frame it like this: Delaware, and Arden in particular, should be very proud to have hosted this band and this show. Free Energy, whose sound can be described as modern "70s rock" -- think Sweet meets Teenage Head meets the Stooges meets the Stones in the 21st Century -- had the entire room dancing through the night. Not moving, but full on dancing, from the kids to the seniors, and that's not something you see every day.

New Sweden will be playing NON-COMM at World Cafe Live at The Queen on Friday, May 20; on June 4, they will perform at the Baby Grand; they'll return to The Queen to headline on July 29th (see their band page for full schedule and information on their upcoming album). Free Energy will be touring the US this summer; their album, "Stuck on Nothing" is available on iTunes and Amazon.

NINE is a Winner

City Theater Company has a winner with NINE, a musical by Arthur Kopit (book) and Maury Yeston (music and lyrics). The character Guido Contini is loosely based on Federico Fellini’s autobiographical character in the movie 81/2. A wonderfully humorous-and sometimes sobering journey into the troubled filmmaker’s psyche, the production is crisp and vibrant. Director Michael Gray assembles a terrific cast and makes creative use of the black box space. The small orchestra, led by Chris Tolomeo, aces the difficult score, which ranges from jazzy numbers to baroque-style recitative.

Guido (Michael Gray) is a simpatico, self-absorbed womanizer. When he sings Only with you, he caresses his wife and his mistresses with tender words of faithfulness. As his career is foundering, he finds himself under the thumb of his producer, Liliane LeFleur (Karen Murdock). She constantly badgers him for a script and hires her lover-who despises Contini’s work-to be his assistant. Murdock is terrific in the role with her show-stopping Folie Bergeres and pompous French attitude.

The all-female ensemble functions a sort of Greek chorus. They echo Guido’s thoughts and gush with the admiration he so desperately craves. As Guido’s mother, Ruth Bailis is convincing and her Italian accent and mannerisms authentic. With her strong presence and rich voice, TS Baynes is ideally suited for the role of Guido’s neglected wife, Luisa Contini. As she sings Be on your Own we feel the depth of her suffering and sense of abandonment. Eleonore Thomas is vocally and dramatically riveting as Saraghina. She sings Ti Voglio Bene/Be Italian to the young Guido (Nolan Moss), coaching him on matters of love and sex. Moss does an excellent job in the role of the young boy, both overwhelmed and intrigued by the powerful female forces that surround him. Also entertaining were Corinne Grosser (Claudia Nardi) and Ashley Harris (Carla Albanese) as Guido’s two mistresses.

Though much of the music light-hearted and often silly, Yeston builds some very complex, layered songs. For each character he creates unique musical themes, which weave together nicely into larger ensembles. The Bells of St. Sebastian is a haunting, rich first act finale. The songs also serve as a vehicle for character development. In Luisa’s My Husband Makes Movies the veneer of her denial is shattered, and by the end of the song her distress is more exposed.

Be sure to check out this gem, which runs through May 21, 2001 at the Black Box at OperaDelaware.

www.city-theater.org

Hail Cinema Jams at the World Cafe

Hallowed Cain
Photo: David Norbut Photography

The World Cafe Live at The Queen is the kind of venue Delawareans used to have to drive to Philly or DC (or any bigger city, really) to experience. If you haven't checked it out yet, think The Trocadero meets the TLA, only a bit more intimate -- a size that's completely appropriate for our small city. The downstairs stage, which hosted The Battle of the Bands: Cinema Jams on Saturday, April 30, is a beautiful restored relic of a movie theater, highlighted by its original organ pipes and ornate stonework, the delicate decorative paint faded by time. Quite literally, you're watching a show in 20th Century ruin of sorts - one that's spotlessly clean, well-lit and lined with a 21st Century bar.

The World Cafe boasts some big names coming through, and it's primarily a venue for touring artists. On this night, though, the stage belonged to local acts The Hold Up, Stallions, Hallowed Cain, Rubber Skunk and My Friends, for a battle royale unlike anything I've seen. The concept of Cinema Jams was a Film Brothers brainchild: each band does a set of their own songs, in the theme of a movie. So, costumes, interludes and video all played a part, and the audience -- I don't know if it was sold out, but it was certainly packed -- voted for the  top band of the night.

The evening started with one of my local favorites, The Hold Up, in full "Fight Club" ensemble, doing their old school rock 'n roll flavored tracks like "On Hallowed Ground" and "Zombies Ate My Neighbors." The Stallions set their classic modern rock sound with "No Country for Old Men." Funk fusion Rubber Skunk officially did "An Inconvenient Truth," with a humorous "powerpoint" show, and wound up featuring others such as Charlie Sheen, Shaft, Nosferatu, Indiana Jones and "Snakes on a Plane." My Friends were fully decked out for their "Aladdin" theme, complete with a trumpet-playing red parrot and a genie on percussion. It was Hallowed Cain, though, who stole the show, and won the night, with their fully integrated "Clockwork Orange" theme, including video, costumes and props, which worked perfectly with their heavy, intense music.

A great night all the way through. We hope to see more shows like it in the future!

More: World Cafe Live at The Queen

Check out David Norbut's amazing photos of the show here!

OperaDelaware’s Widow will make YOU merry

Maestro Steven Mosteller has the ability to conduct with authority yet still allow his soloists to milk the lovely Franz Lehar melodies for all they are worth. Eliezer Gutman’s fluid and gypsy-like lilting phrases were perfect for the schmaltzy songs of Lehar’s Merry Widow.

Laura Pedersen (as the Merry Widow) is svelte and lithe and wore delicious dresses designed by Lorraine Anderson, each one with a short train, which Pedersen gracefully lifted to the crook of her elbow to be whirled around the floor by Daniel Neer (Count Danilo). Their flawless dancing and strong singing give them that electricity that makes the audience believe in their love “spark”.

The operetta which premiered in Vienna in 1905 is a fluffy and hilarious story based on a comedy by Henri Meilhac. The story pits the Paris embassy staff of an impoverished country against French roués who would love to marry the country’s most wealthy widow. Paris and France are outrageously mocked to great comic effect -- it seemed Maurice Chevalier would come on stage any moment to defend his honor or at least to greet Dodo, Clo-Clo, Lolo, Frou Frou, Margot or Jou Jou.

The set, designed by Cynthia Du Pont Tobias, is a fantasy of Viennese Secession but drawn in more of an Art Nouveau style – with a brick-walled garden turned miraculously into a Parisian café and stage for the can-can girls by Robert Parker and his stagewrights.

The opera has creative choreography by Barbara Winchester who mixes the artists of the First State Ballet Theatre into the ballroom dancing of the rest of the cast with great success.

You can’t help but be uplifted by this production, beautifully coordinated by OperaDelaware Executive Director Leland Kimball! Performances May 1, 6 and 7, 2011.

See www.operade.org.

State Poet Laureate at Newark Free Library

She breezes in, greets everyone by a nod, apologizes for being late and engages us right away by explaining that she has just been working on a new poem and would like to read it to us.

JoAnn Balingit exudes warmth as she reads her latest poem about Herring Point –one of many poems inspired by her walks around Delaware. ‘I rename it for my life because we all fall down’ is a line that keeps ringing through my head.

She reads eleven of her poems and she notices her works are lighting sparks in her listeners. She calmly lets them interrupt with questions. She is focused on her listeners.

One of her poems was written for Delaware’s 50^th Governor’s Prayer Breakfast in April 2010. The Gulf oil spill had just occurred and Ms. Balingit scrapped her other drafts to write Prayer for the Gulf, a very moving verse tribute.

Her poem Circus, which recounts a dream about her late mother, reassures anyone who has to admit that the late loved one is no longer present.

After her reading, she invites people to read their own poems. Many have fairly polished works and afterwards we all chat like old friends.

When she was first appointed as Delaware’s 16^th poet laureate in May 2008 she said, “I want to convince as many people as possible to give poetry a chance – to see if they’re willing to be wooed or not.” Many are willing.

Keep checking your library schedule as Ms. Balingit will start regular poetry readings in the New Castle County Public Libraries.

See www.joannbalingit.org.