Aubrey Plaza Returns to Wilmington to Premiere Her Latest Film

Aubrey Plaza on the red carpet. Photo: Holly Quinn

Wilmington is not exactly movie premiere central. Jeremy O'Keefe's wrestling premiered in Wilmington in 2008, and Luke Matheny's 2011 Oscar-winning short film "God of Love" was celebrated with a special local screening, but such big-screen events are few and far between. So, when Wilmington's own Aubrey Plaza (star of NBC's "Parks and Recreation") decided to bring her first leading role in a feature film to Delaware for a red carpet premiere, it was a pretty big deal.

Delaware almost didn't get the film, Safety Not Guaranteed, on the big screen. After a successful debut at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, it was slated to open in select theaters across the country this summer. Unfortunately, none of those theaters were in Plaza's home state. "That was not OK," she said from the stage of the Grand Opera House before the screening, looking stunning in a little black dress. So, with the help of what seems like half of Wilmington (including but not limited to The Wilmington Drama League, The Grand, Theatre N, Ursuline Academy, AIDS Delaware, Delaware Community Foundation, McConnell Johnson, and PSCI), the Delaware premiere of Safety Not Guaranteed became a reality. The event was to be more than a screening: All of the proceeds from the tickets, which ranged from $20 for the movie and Q&A to $125 for a VIP experience including a meet-and-greet reception and afterparty, would go to The Wilmington Drama League.

The choice of beneficiary, said Plaza, was easy. The WDL was her "home away from home" growing up, where she performed with the Chrysalis Players and honed the skills that would eventually shape her career as a professional actress. She reminisced about Delaware with humor and charm, as she was joined onstage by WDL fixture Kathy Buterbaugh. Governor Markell presented her with "naming rights" to any unnamed space in Delaware (he would have simply named a plaza after her, but, he explained, it's not that easy -- "You've all seen 'Parks and Recreation,'" he quipped.) "They'll regret this," Plaza said of her newfound power with a smile.

As for the movie itself, it's funny, moving and unpredictable, with the kind of plot that reminds you that, with an endless parade of remakes, sequels and reboots on the screen this summer, there are still original ideas out there. If you missed the screening, keep an eye out for its home video release. It will be worth the wait.

NCT Kisses Birdie Goodbye

Erica Harr and Doug Atkins

It's the summer of Bye Bye Birdie in Wilmington this year, with not one but two local productions of the nostalgic show (see Ebbie's review of the Wilmington Drama League's version here). We're not sure how that happened, but there's really no such thing as too much Birdie -- and if it affected ticket sales, you wouldn't know it by looking at the sold-out crowd at the New Candlelight Theatre.

For those still unfamiliar with the show, Bye Bye Birdie is a musical loosely based on Elvis Presley's draft into the Army in 1957, and the insanity that surrounded him at the height of his popularity. At the center of the story are Albert, the agent of the Elvis-like Conrad Birdie, and his secretary and love interest Rose. Together they hatch a plan to give Birdie a televised send-off where he kisses one of his biggest teenage fans goodbye, to the tune of what they hope will be the highest-selling record of his career. The lucky fan, 15-year-old Kim McAfee, lives in All-American Sweet Apple, Ohio, which is turned upside-down by the arrival of the superstar.

From Jeff Reim's outstanding, quick-changing set design to Timothy Lamont Cannon's meticulous 1950s costume design, everything comes together, allowing the actors to transport the audience back to 1958 without distraction. Erica Lynn Harr returns to the NCT stage after nine months performing for Disney Cruise Line, and she's as amazing as ever as the long-suffering Rose. As Albert, NCT newcomer (but not new to the stage) Doug Atkins often seems to channel Dick Van Dyke, who originated the role on Broadway and in the 1963 film. The two stars dominate and work well together, with the help of the hilarious Susan Dewey as Albert's overbearing mother, Mae. Joining them in central roles are Michelle Cabot as Kim and Steven Calakos as Conrad.

Michelle Cabot as Kim MacAfee, Steven Calakos as Conrad Birdie and Anastasia Bokas as Ursula Merkle.

Among the other characters, there is always a scene-stealer. Often, it's Kim's best friend Ursula or her steady boyfriend Hugo. Although these characters are played wonderfully by Anastasia Bokas and Caleb Whipple, the big scene-stealer in this production is Dewey Oriente, as Kim's excitable father Harry. The choreography during the Ed Sullivan Show scene couldn't have been funnier; much of the credit goes to Director and choreographer Dann Dunn, but Oriente made it perfect. Another scene-stealer is Lindsay Mauck as Gloria Rasputin, the young woman Mae tries to replace Rose with. She does a lot with the small role.

The ensemble supports the cast without flaw, though few of the background characters pop. Exceptions are Peter Briccotto, whose nerdy Harvey Johnson stands out, and the Maude's Bar trio of David McConney, Timothy Lamont Cannon, and Steve Stonis.

By the end, you may be ready to return to a world where parents can simply call their kids' cell phones rather than run around town in pajamas in the middle of the night and teenagers aren't expected to pair off for life -- but you will have had a great time in Sweet Apple while you were there.

Bye Bye Birdie runs through August 25th; tickets include a buffet dinner.

See www.nctstage.org for tickets and more information.

Ice Cream with the Queen

By Guest Blogger, Sydney Schumacher, PR Intern, Arts in Media
I’d never been to The Queen before, but I have to say, it’s a pretty awesome place for an Ice Cream Festival After Party. The “Upstairs” is intimate but with room to move and space between tables for everyone to see the stage. It’s a cool area that promotes artistic genre co-mingling; the funky paintings on the walls fit well with the ‘concert-space’ feel. Not to mention, they’ve got killer soft-pretzels on the menu to keep your stomach occupied.

The first band up was Travel Songs, who were particularly impressive because, as they told us before they played, they’d only practiced together once—and it was that morning. I’d describe their sound as a bit reggae/island, a bit folksy rock. Their singer is smooth, consistent, on pitch, and has a great tenor voice that glides through every one of their songs.  Props to him for being the only singer for an entire set. He explains that their music is inspired from various trips around the world, and it shows. Around the middle of their set, I really started to get into their music. Their songs had strong beats and sweet melody lines, held up by the talented musicians on keyboard, guitar, bass guitar, and drums. For one of their tunes, the singer pulled out a ukelele, which I loved. Their last song (it sounded like they called it "Mexico") was a fantastic closing number—it made me feel like I was on a beach listening to the bar band.

Next up was Me And This Army, from Baltimore—a trio with a more indie-rock style. Their songs were loud and fast, and their lead singer had a strong voice and knew how to belt it out. Their bass-guitarist was intense, with fast fingers and impressive talent, and the drummer was definitely energetic and loving life onstage. They're a talented group, for sure, and smart enough to play on their strengths. Before their last song, they unleashed some humor on us, too, saying, “Come chat with us…we can talk about politics, Miley Cyrus’ marriage, chocolate…anything! And then go download our last song!” Said last song was called “You,” and I will most definitely be searching it out! Hopefully Me and This Army will be back for more Gable Music Ventures events.

Last but not least was one of my new favorites, The Way Home, from Philadelphia. I saw them at the Chris White Gallery a few weeks back, and their set and sound haven’t changed much since then. Which was lucky for me, because I got to hear some of their best tunes again, like “Summer Feels Like Forever” and “Jessica” (both of which are off their album “On So Thin a Line”). Even after having played a show the night before, their harmonies and energy are still amazing. Quite a brilliant way to end the night—fit for the Queen!