Rolling Stone's Sheffield Gives Us Another Great List

I love reading writer Rob Sheffield's work in RS—comments on pop culture, TV reviews, etc. This month, on RollingStone.com, he's given me a list that I will return to again and again to rejoice in iconic moments of pure hilarity, joy, shock and awe, including some of my very favorites from my idol, Cameron Crowe.  Thanks, Rob for this fab list!

The 30 Greatest Rock n' Roll Movie Moments! by Rob Sheffield

An imPERFECT City Grows in Wilmo

I'll give you a full article on the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts' current exhibit, imPERFECT CITY, which will appear in the April issue of Out & About mazgaine. (Be sure to pick that up on March 31 at your favorite restaurant or retailer in the Wilmington area.)

For now, though, imPERFECT CITY rolls on as beds of greens, fruit and herbs in the latest piece of the interactive exhibit that's growing...literally. Check out the details below on the micro-farm project!

excerpt borrowed from DCCA eNewsletter, 3/20/2013 – by Curator Maiza Hixson

DCCA's micro-farm is growing! Happy imPERFECT Spring! Volunteers are needed to tend to the growing farm. Watering, weeding, thinning, talking and singing to the plants is encouraged. Interested parties can contact the curatorial department to learn more.

ALSO HAPPENING WITH imPERFECT CITY
ARTIST ACTIVITY
Tuesday, March 26, 11:00am-4:00pm
imPERFECT CITY artist Laura Hudson will be in the galleries interacting with and sketching citizens. Please stop by!

TOWN HALL MEETING SCHEDULE

Thursday, March 28, 6:00-8:00pm

Dr. Annette Giesecke - Learn more about imPERFECT CITY's Utopia Above the Law graffiti wall.

Sun, April 7, 2:30-4:00pm
Professors John Muse & Jeanne Finley will present on their Imperfect City/Imperfect State project.

A Wilmo Arts Supporter Turns 25

I've been a Wilmingtonian for 20 years, and a die-hard lover and supporter of all things fun, lively, artsy and nightlife-y in our fair city (and our State).  The folks at Out & About magazine have me beat.

 

The magazine celebrated its 25th anniversary this month, with a fabulous celebration issue that's as much forward-looking as it is retrospective.  It's a fun walk through the magazine's history here, but also shows how much we've accomplished and what we can still do in the years ahead.

Check it out here...and maybe read the tiny article about 25 years of the Arts in Wilmo while you're at it.  You might recognize the author.

Love, Loss, & What I Wore at the Delaware Theatre Company is a Perfect Girls Night Out!

The Delaware Theatre Company’s latest production, Daryl Roth presents:” Love, Loss, and What I Wore” is an intimate collection of stories by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron; based on the book by Ilene Beckerman. The limited run play boasts a cast of familiar faces, including Sabrina Le Beauf (The Cosby Show), Sonia Manzano (Sesame Street), Karyn Quakenbush (Broadway’s Annie Get Your Gun), Erica Watson (Precious), and Dawn Wells (Gilligan’s Island).

The cast, sitting on stools, reads multiple stories of love, death, disease, and relationships, all inspired by their characters’ clothing and accessories. Only the endearing Ms. Wells reads a story (Gingy’s story) that continues throughout the play. Gingy’s story is based on her dresses and weaves between the other ladies’ tales. Ms. Wells opens the performance with Gingy’s first monologue as an awkward 12-year-old and ends the evening with the character’s final monologue as a confident grandmother. Ms. Wells’ precise reading takes the audience on Gingy’s journey of personal and professional triumphs and failures – many of the experiences are identifiable by both women and men. 

   

The rest of the readings, many of which deal with the complex relationships between mothers and daughters, are short stories and monologues. The tales, whether humorous or sad, mostly maintain a positive outlook on life and keep the audiences’ spirits up!

In addition to reading stories about relationships between women, some tales are about the relationships between women and their belongings. Ms. Watson expertly delivers a monologue regarding the bottomless purse and how it becomes a messy home for everything a woman owns. By the sound of the audience’s laughter, it appears that most women could identify with the story. Ms. Watson’s story telling is perfect. Her tone, voice inflections, and body language brought the story to life.

While Gingy’s story resurfaces periodically throughout the production and the purse story keeps the audience in stitches, other monologues and tales revolve around inner turmoil (the feeling of being too fat or too thin), horrible fashions from the past (jumpsuits and sleeveless turtlenecks), and friends enjoying a night out (a group of ladies dressing like Madonna for a Halloween party).

Ms. Watson and Ms. Wells along with the other actresses give stunning performances. Whether they are reading a monologue or joining together to tell a story, each woman rises to the occasion. Since there is no set and only a few props, the women must depend on themselves to make the stories enjoyable and real, and they do through their brilliant story telling talents.

This is the kind of show that you want to see with your “besties” – a girls night out! I think the female audiences would enjoy a conversation with libations after the play. Get your tickets today! The play closes March 17^th. To purchase tickets and/or for more information visit www.delaware theatre.org or call 302.594.1100.

Celebrating Family Fun in the First State

originally posted on Trekaoo by Beth Keklak on March 7, 2013
Blogger Beth Keklak from Trekaroo exalts the Top 10 Things to Do in Delaware with your kids, including a shout-out for the Delaware Art Museum, which offers a family admission rate (2 adults & up to 4 kids for $25) and FREE admission on Sundays.

DCCA Offers Call for Entries, Development Workshops

The Delaware Center for Contemporary Arts announces a number of new programs, including artist workshops and a call for entries.  Check out the details below or visit their website.
 
Artist Development Workshops: Spring 2013
Work It: A Guide to Artist Residencies and Fellowships
Tuesday, March 5, 2013 • 5:00-6:30 pm
$10 Members • $15 Non Members  
Artist residencies and fellowships are crucial for many artists working to make a living and build their career. Learn how to find, apply for, and utilize these opportunities to improve your résumé and enrich your art experience. Discussion will include local and national residencies with an emphasis on both individual and community engagement.     

Sham-e-Ali Nayeem, Program Director, Leeway Foundation (Philadelphia)
Kristin Pleasanton, Art & Artist Services Coordinator, Delaware Division of the Arts
Alison Corter, Manager, Communications and Development, New Courtland (Philadelphia)

Register online!

Open Call: 2013 Members' Juried Group Exhibition
Exhibition: July 6-October 6, 2013 • DuPont I & II Galleries
Juried by Guest Curator Molly Donovan, Associate Curator Modern and Contemporary Arts at the
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
POSTMARK DEADLINE: Friday May 3, 2013

Download PDF requirements Here

A World Premiere Goes Onstage and "On The Air"

Maxine Gaiber is executive director of the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts and founding board director of the Delaware Arts Art Alliance.  She has no background in theater review but her high school art teacher wrote in her yearbook, "be gentle as a critic," and she is finally following his advice!

There is something about radio in the 1940s that continues to capture the imaginations of playwrights and movie makers.  From Woody Allen’s 1987 Radio Days to the Delaware Theatre Company’s 2009 It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, productions abound that capture the manic antics, commercial jingles, and ingenious sound effects of the heyday of radio.  Kevin Regan and Joe Trainor’s On the Air belongs to this continuum but differs as it focuses on a single week in December 1941.  It captures the sense of unease and helplessness that was in the air (and on the airwaves) as America watches events unfold in the days before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

The musical opens as “Sunshine Days,” a long-running radio soap opera populated with both has-been and still-aspiring talent, is preparing for a move from New York to California.  Both cast and production team are at the mercy of their sponsor as they connive to impress their bosses and continue with the production. Alternating with their machinations are increasingly ominous reports about war activities.

Introduced as a developing work and soliciting audience feedback, the production is quite polished. Genre-bending, it combines a classic love story of shy, under-declared love with rousing musical numbers and Bertold Brecht-like political overtones. The outstanding cast is strong individually as well as in ensemble, and the musical numbers were well-conceived and well-sung, although even the strongest voices were sometimes overshadowed by an overly emphatic percussionist. Jim Burns and Dylan Geringer’s duets were particularly lovely and Matt Casarino and Jill Knapp captured the 1940s radio tone and pacing extremely well. The less-than-perfect sight lines of the Delaware Opera’s black box theater were dealt with by periodically placing actors on chairs, which just made this acrophobic reviewer nervous. Hiding the cast under umbrellas to protect them from what was going on around them was clever staging, but using small, collapsible umbrellas seemed a bit too modern for 1941.

The ninety-minute production moves along at a brisk pace and, as usual, City Theater Company offers an evening of solid theater at a reasonable price.  New productions like On the Air should be encouraged and supported by our local community.  To paraphrase William Shakespeare, the “Sunshine Days” poor players strut and fret their hour upon the stage, while on the world stage major events are unfolding that will affect the lives of many millions.  The play gives us pause to consider how we are preoccupied on a daily basis by our own personal dramas while ignoring the significant issues that surround us. 

On The Air runs March 1 & 2 at The Black Box at OperaDelaware Studios.  See www.city-theater.org. 

Album Review: Angela Sheik, One By One

Angela Sheik recently played to a sold-out crowd at The Grand for the release of her first full-length solo CD -- If you missed out, the good news is that the album, One by One, is now available, and it's a true gem.

Sheik, for those unfamiliar, is a multitalented singer/songwriter/musician from Philadelphia whose style is probably described as electro-acoustic-folk-pop. If that somewhat inadequate description leaves you scratching your head, imagine soaring vocals, melodic piano, some flute, theramin, autoharp and synth, and songs that are in turn inspirational, funny, romantic and heartbreaking.

The CD starts off with an epic starter, "Time to Rise," which does just that musically and vocally -- inviting you to continue on into the beautifully atmospheric world of One by One. It's one of those CDs that is challenging to listen to straight through, not because it's not a great record, or because the tracks don't flow just right, but because I kept replaying songs as I listened to them because I just didn't want to leave them yet. Standout tracks include "Rumblin'," the upbeat "Knock it Down," the haunting "Red Dress," the heartwrenching "When Will I See You Again?" and the most beautiful cover of the Elvis Presley classic "I Can't Help Falling in Love With You" I've ever heard.

With the exception of the cover, all of the songs are written by Sheik; collaborators/musicians Scot Sax and Ritchie Rubini produce. One by One is available on bandcamp.com.

Modern Illustration Comes Alive at Delaware Art Museum

Vertical Hold, 2009        
Sterling Hundley (born 1976)

If Howard Pyle could come back, a century after his passing, and experience the work of the great modern illustrators, would he recognize it as illustration? How has illustration evolved, and is his legacy reflected in modern illustration? These are some of the questions posed by State of the Art: Illustration 100 Years After Howard Pyle, guest curated for the Delaware Art Museum by David Apatoff (perhaps best known in the art world for his contemporary illustration blog, Illustration Art). It's easy to see why Apatoff was the curator for the job -- his authority on the subject seems to come from pure passion. 

The eight artists featured have careers that span from the 1950s -- just about the time that photography took over as the dominant medium of choice for magazine covers and advertisements -- through today. The work of Bernie Fuchs, Milton Glaser, Peter de Séve, Sterling Hundley, John Cuneo, Ralph Eggleston, Phil Hale, and Mort Drucker is familiar, to varying degrees, to anyone exposed to modern American culture, from highbrow art connoisseurs to preschoolers.

The journey starts with Fuchs, the earliest illustrator in the show, and the only one to have passed on, in 2009. Fuchs, who grew up in a poor coal mining town in Illinois, came to exemplify 1960s illustration. He had the ability to create illustrations with photo-realistic detail, but, just as things shook up in American society, his work evolved into a more impressionistic, experimental style, while still retaining much of the technique that Pyle would recognize. 

Suicide, 1984, for “A Twilight's Last Gleaming” by Frank Deford, in 
Sports Illustrated, November 19, 1984           
Bernard Fuchs (1932 – 2009)

Glaser, whose work also shaped the commercial art world in the 1960s, took a different tack; he was not a photo-realistic illustrator, so he focused on concept in his work. Shapes layer to create familiar images, some of the first of what we recognize today as graphic design. Before computers, Glaser's techniques blazed the way.

Hermann Hesse & Family, 1974, for Hermann Hesse 1975
Calendar (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Inc.)     
Milton Glaser (born 1929)

The work of de Séve will be recognized by everyone; in addition to being a prolific commercial  illustrator with a distinctive cartoony style, he designed characters for the digitally animated feature film Ice Age. Original sketches are on display, as well as a video monitor that shows how far illustration, with the help of a large team of digital technicians and creators, has truly come.

Scrat, Character study for Ice Age (Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, 2009)
Peter de Séve (born 1958)

Philip Larkin and Bob
Dylan go antiquing, 2011        
John Cuneo (born 1957)

Hundley melds traditional illustration style with a "conceptual twist," with images that skew perspective and even use illusion to create two images at once, such as his William Henry Harrison, that captures the short-lived American president speaking at a lectern and lying in a coffin simultaneously.

Cuneo utilizes one of the oldest mediums, pen and ink, to create modern illustrations with fearless subject matter. His rich, lively style will be familiar to readers of The New Yorker and Esquire, among others.

Eggleston was selected as one of the most important artists working for Disney's PIXAR Studios, known for films such as Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and Wall-E. Pieces include character drawings done in pastels, offering a peek at well-loved PIXAR moments before they went high-tech.

School, Sequence Pastel for Finding Nemo (Pixar Animation Studios, 2003) 
Ralph Eggleston (born 1965)

Hale creates huge, dynamic paintings with a fearsome edge -- some bring to mind some of Pyle's darker work such as The Flying Dutchman, but the figures are not only off-center but at times painted with parts of the head and body cut off by the edge of the canvas. His work has been used as the cover artwork of novels by by Joseph Conrad and Stephen King.

Nostromo, 2007 Cover for Nostromo,
by Joseph Conrad (Penguin Classics, 2007)     
Phil Hale (born 1963)

Finally, Mort Drucker's illustration is known and loved by anyone who has ever spent their allowance money on the new MAD magazine. His distinctive caricatures and highly detailed comic panels have become respected at the level of other fine art -- and original panels for the pages of MAD are on display.

Put*on, for MAD, January 1971          
Mort Drucker (born 1929)

It's an eclectic mix, and one that will enthrall art lovers and illustration aficionados of all ages. State of the Art: Illustration 100 Years After Howard Pyle will be on view from February 9 to June 13 2013.

THE PRODUCERS: A Bawdy Good Hit(ler)

By Guest Blogger, Amanda Curry

Amanda is the Marketing Manager of Delaware Theatre Company in Wilmington. 

 

The Producers, Full Cast – Act I Finale

There’s no disputing it: Mel Brooks is a satirical genius, and New Candlelight’s current production of The Producers, running now through March 17, does him proud.  That is to say, deliciously offends with ribaldry, wit, and ridiculousness — the perfect combo for an evening at the theatre (Not to mention, dinner is served… By the actors, nonetheless).   

For those not familiar with the play, (“Because you’ve been living under a rock,” is really the only acceptable explanation here) The Producers, set in 1959, centers on the unlikely pair of larger-than-life, washed-up Broadway producer, Max Bialystock and his sweet, naïve, and neurotic new accountant, Leo Bloom.  Driven by his desire to become a Broadway producer and cajoled by the dominating Bialystock, Bloom and his partner develop a scheme to find and produce the worst play ever, in an effort to financially benefit from the flop. In comes a hilarious cast of characters to produce Springtime for Hitler, written by escaped Nazi Franz Liebkind, directed by flamboyantly fabulous Roger DeBris and starring Bialystock and Bloom’s new office assistant and Swedish stunner, Ulla (fifteen-syllable-last-name).  Needless to say, hilarity ensues.

While New Candlelight is not a large stage space, special recognition goes to Scenic Designer Jeff Reim for the inventive use of flats (and screens while scene changes were happening on stage). Stellar choreography by Peter John Rios added to the fun of the 23 musical numbers, many of them driven by the tight ensemble who seamlessly play an absurd amount of roles. The number “Along Came Bialy” transports audiences to ‘Little Old Lady Land’ and was delightfully staged, complete with cross-dressed old ladies doing the smartly staged ‘walker dance.’      

The true stand-outs of the evening were Anthony Connell as the neurotically endearing Leo Bloom, with a Broadway quality voice and brilliant comic timing, complemented well by the Nathan Lane-esque performance of David Wills as Max Bialystock.  The two have hilarious chemistry and are a joy to watch on stage. 

Jeffrey Lanigan as Franz Leibkind, the Nazi playwright, brought perhaps the biggest laughs of the evening with his rendition of “Der Guten Tag Hap Clop.”  Backed up by his beloved pigeons (puppets that come to life in pivotal moments, most notably to offer a winged ‘hiel’ at the end of “In Old Bavaria,”) Lanigan’s rich operatic voice and comedic chops made him an audience favorite.

Typically poised to steal the show is the character of Carmen Ghia, Roger Debris’ flamingly gay ‘Common-Law Assistant’, played by a somewhat restrained and difficult to hear Timothy Lamont Cannon.  The notable moments in which Carmen delivers an impossibly long final “Sssssssss” (playing off stereotypes, as Brooks’ does at every turn), was not as outlandish in this version.  Thankfully Roger DeBris’ design team gathered back the scenes’ momentum with their ridiculous entrances including, of course, sock-wielding Brian the choreographer, who garnered non-stop laughs. The character of Ulla (Lindsay Mauck), while played with charming enthusiasm, seemed to read as more of a caricature even in scenes that required a softness and romanticism between her character and Leo.  That said, the bawdy nature of her character brings a great deal of consistent laughs.  

Bottom line — If you’re looking for a brilliantly written satire with some amazing talent; fun, splashy costumes; and the kind of outrageous humor that only Mel Brooks can deliver, The Producers at New Candlelight is your best bet.  Be forewarned, however, that you may leave the theatre singing “Springtime for Hitler” for days.  Just be prepared to explain this to co-workers!

See http://nctstage.org.   

Ragtime Rings Through at the Wilmington Drama League

The Wilmington Drama League (WDL) presents the inspirational 90’s musical Ragtime by Terrence McNally (book), Sthephen Flaherty (music) and Lynn Ahrens (lyrics). Although the Americana musical is nearly three hours, director Jeff Santoro keeps the pace flowing by projecting still and moving images on a screen at the back of the stage, while populating it with some of the finest voices in the Delaware theater community.

The musical, set on the east coast during the early 1900’s, revolves around three sects of people, a white upper-middle class family, a group of African-Americans, and newly arrived immigrants from Eastern Europe.  While the family copes with having to change with the “new” American ways of the early 20^th century, the African-Americans continue to face racism and prejudice, and the immigrants struggle with making a new life in a new country –- all are striving to achieve the American Dream.

The show is full of moving anthems - “Wheels of a Dream,” “Till We Reach That Day,” and “Make Them Hear You” – that inspire hope for a better future. The show also features the beautiful ballads, “Goodbye My Love” and “Your Daddy’s Son,” as well as the rousing dance numbers, “Gettin’ Ready Rag” and “What a Game.” Mr. Flaherty’s music and Ms. Ahrens’s lyrics take you on an emotional journey, at times you want to cry, while other times you want to stand up and cheer!

The show boasts many standout performances by the large cast, including Jim Smith as Father, the patriarch of the upper-middle class family, and Barbara Hartzell as Mother, the matriarch of the family. Both performers give subtle, but effective performances. Genevieve Van-Catledge as Sarah, the African-American woman who, along with her infant, finds shelter with the family, and Darryl Thompson as Coalhouse Walker, Jr., Sarah’s suitor, bring down the house with their strong, soaring voices. Patrick Ruegsegger as Tateh, a Jewish artist who immigrated to the United States with his daughter; Sharon Ruegsegger, as anarchist, Emma Goldman; and Alfred Lance as African-American Civil Rights Leader, Booker T. Washington (the show features many notables from the early 20^th century) give commanding performances in their respected roles.

Ragtime closes February 10. To order tickets, call 302.764.1172 or visit www.wilmingtondramaleague.org.     

 

Kiss My Art: JR Falkinburg at the Chris White Gallery

A lifelong, self-taught artist, JR Falkinburg got his start like many kids -- by drawing his favorite comic book characters. Art was a hobby that helped him relax after a day's work as an architect. Two years ago, he started painting, and opened up a whole new world of art and experimentation.

Rarely does he work with the same medium twice. His Shipley Lofts studio is filled with pieces that reflect his adventurous nature, from found object art to pieces made with wax, or plastic wrap, or paint chips. There are multi-media collaborations, photographs, and even paintings that, with the help of a smart phone, create sound. His eclectic style is meant to appeal as many senses as possible, to evoke a feeling.

For his first solo show, "Kiss My Art," opening at the Chris White Gallery on Friday, February 1, Falkinburg will show 30 pieces, plus collaborations with other Shipley artists such as Brad Turner, John Camacho, Lorraine Foster and Kevin Bielicki.

"The idea," he says, "is to be an event instead of an art show; instead of coming in and moving from picture to picture, the whole show will be a feeling. You want to hang out."

Contributing to the event feel will be a variety of guests, including DJ Biz, tattoo artist Larry Dineen with a live tattoo session, and hip-hop dancers.

"Kiss My Art" is a collection, an experiment not hemmed in by a theme or style. Experience it on Friday from 6 to 9, or visit the gallery throughout the month a January.

Chris White Gallery
701 N. Shipley St.
Wilmington, DE 19801

BOEING BOEING — a Full Flight of Funny

Opening weekend at Delaware Theatre Company saw a bevy of Who’s Whos hoot, holler and howl at the third production of its 2012-2013 season, Marc Camoletti’s French farce, Boeing Boeing.  It also welcomed back to the local stage three graduates of the University of Delaware’s Professional Theatre Training Program (now UD’s REP Theatre). (Saw pal Deenie Howatt of UD get a huge hug from actor Jeffrey C. Hawkins in the lobby post-performance.) 

The 2008 Tony Award-winning script, originally translated by Beverly Cross and Francis Evans and directed here by Steve Tague, takes us on board the comedic trip of American businessman Bernard (Jason O’Connell) as he attempts to juggle his trio of international fiancées – all flight attendants – as well as a surprise visit from his old college pal, Robert (Jeffrey C. Hawkins).

Bernard has successfully (thus far) kept all three on a tight schedule of romance, all managed through the master flight timetables he keeps on hand.  He describes his setup to Robert as “…so mathematic, it’s almost poetic.” But suddenly, reality – or more precisely, modern technology – takes control in the form of faster jet engines and colliding schedules.  Then the real fun starts: early arrivals, sneaky departures, and plenty of door slamming, pratfalls, and the ubiquitous calming cocktail.   

The women in Bernard’s life – feisty Texan Gloria (Sara M. Bruner), lusty Italian Gabriella (Gisela Chipe) and uber-passionate German Gretchen (Heidi-Marie Ferren) – are at the heart of the frenzied, titillating tale.  Each was a well-played over-the-top parody, but Gretchen was downright hilarious.  However, it was the one who must keep them all straight – Bernard’s long-suffering maid, Berthe (Sarah Doherty) – who I thought delivered the most genuine laugh-out-loud moments.  Many of Doherty’s scenes were priceless even without words: her body language and subtle reactions delivered in true comedic timing.

My other favorite was Hawkins as Bernard’s nerdy, excitable pal, Robert.  While Bernard cavorts with his trio, Robert and Berthe struggle to maintain order, whatever that might be.  I loved the banter of Berthe’s and Robert’s scenes together, and at one point found myself even rooting for them to hook up and leave this dysfunctional band to themselves!  There’s plenty of clever quips, including an explanation from Gloria on what truly makes American great, which sent a roar through the audience.

I had a little problem with the actors’ blocking from my seats (at a few points, a character would completely obstruct our view of others) but I came away extremely amused and pleasantly surprised (thought there would be much more ‘dated sexism’ in the content). In the end, after the mania ensues and the smoke clears, everything is wrapped up in a classic neat little package. No spoiler alert here, though; as Hunter S. Thompson once said, “Buy the ticket; take the ride.”

The production runs through February 10. See www.delawaretheatre.org.

The DSO is BACK!

By Guest Blogger, Christine Facciolo
Christine holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music and continues to apply her voice to all genres of music.  An arts lover since childhood, she currently works as a freelance writer.

There’s nothing more magical than when great music comes to life in the hands of expert players under the direction of a conductor who breathes animation into the music.  And that’s exactly what happened when the Delaware Symphony Orchestra and Maestro David Amado opened the 2013 season on Friday, January 25.

The program featured three late 19^th Century works: Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and the overture to the opera Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck. And while the heavy lifting of the Romantic era was pretty much over by this time, the continued popularity of these selections shows the enduring appeal of this most influential period in the history of Western music.

Dvorak spent the years between 1892 and 1895 in America, having been invited to develop an “American sound.”  Indeed, people often comment on the “American-ness” of his final symphony—that its themes recall Negro spirituals or Native American music.

But what’s at work here: fact or the mere power of suggestion?   If it hadn’t been composed in America or been nicknamed “From the New World,” would anyone on this side of the Atlantic have made the connection?  Dvorak never acknowledged use of particular melodies, but rather attempted to transfer the idioms of folk music to the symphonic form. The Ninth Symphony is every bit as Dvorak and Czech as anything he’d ever written — right down to the bucolic trio in the Scherzo.

But none of that matters, for Dvorak has given us one of the greatest gems of the symphonic literature — and the DSO one of its finest performances. The rhythmic vitality of the opening movement was present throughout with some excellent horn playing in particular.  The gorgeous Largo melody was presented with a graceful poise bookended with a series of sonorous chromatic harmonies. Bursts of orchestral sunlight punctuated the dramatic Scherzo. The brass came blazing back in the Finale which under Amado’s direction was full of urgency, drive and passion.

Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1 is a fascinating but still underrated piece.  It contains some of the composer’s most beguiling melodies and one of the finest cadenzas ever written.  DSO principal pianist Lura Johnson rendered the first movement with an air of confidence and ease — her cadenza powerful yet insightful and moving.  In the following movements, Rachmaninoff’s Romanticism blossoms while her virtuosity sizzles.  Amado and the orchestra did well with a score that really doesn’t give the instrumentalist much to chew on.

The concert opened with the overture to Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera Hansel and Gretel.  The composition is imaginative, mixing childlike simplicity with feisty depth.  The brass shined in the opening bars of this holiday favorite, a perfect selection for a snowy Friday night.

See www.delawaresymphony.org. 

Buon Giorno, Pinocchio!

By Blogger Charles "Ebbie" Alfree, III

Tom Marshall converts the Delaware Children's Theatre (DCT) into a whimsical 19th century Italian village where a marionette-maker designs a puppet that eventually becomes human.

For 40 years, DCT has produced family-friendly musicals based on beloved children stories and nursery rhymes, and they continue the tradition with their current production of Pinocchio. The boisterous production is cheerful and bright - perfect for children of all ages!

The show opens with our narrator for the afternoon, Antonio (Andrew Stewart), a cabinet-maker in the Italian village who leads the cast in a rousing opening number. Antonio's shop is across the street from the puppet-maker, Geppetto's (Tripp Ivie) store. Geppetto has recently completed his first life-like puppet, Pinocchio (Will Rotsch). Wishing he had a child, Geppetto treats his human-like puppet as his son.

One day the Blue Fairy (Mary Spacht), disguised as a peasant girl, walks by Geppetto's store asking for bread, instead of acknowledging her request, the extremely generous Geppetto gives her five gold pieces so she can buy bread and additional food. Because of his kindness, the Blue Fairy grants Geppetto's wish and transforms Pinocchio into an "almost" little boy! Although he can walk and speak, he's still made out of wood.

Like every little boy, Pinocchio needs to learn responsibility and respect for his father, but like most children, Pinocchio disobeys and we all know what happens when he lies! Pinocchio's actions lead him to a troubled adventure, from skipping school with The Bad Boy Gang to traveling to the mysterious Land of the Toys and from being conned by the fox, Signore Valpone (Dan Healy), and the cat, Signori Gatta (Lynne Lew) to being swallowed by a whale.

The production is delightful with a storybookesque set by David Schuh and colorful costumes by Carolyn Czipoth. The cast sparkles; I particularly enjoyed their Italian accents! Mr. Rostch is superb as Pinocchio. He perfected the movements of a puppet, clunky walking at the end of strings to being limp. It's most impressive to see a young man, as Mr. Rostch, carry a show with great charisma and showmanship. Both Mr. Ivie as Geppetto and Mr. Stewart as Antionio delight the audience with stirring performances. Great comic relief comes from Mr. Healy and Mrs. Lew's number, as they quibble about their evil doings and eventually conning Pinocchio.

Pinocchio is an enchanting production that shouldn't be missed. The show runs through February 10. For more information visit www.dechildrenstheatre.org or call (302) 655-1014.

A Visit with Tiffany & the Organ...at Trinity

By Guest Blogger, Mary Wilcosky.  Mary is OperaDelaware's Marketing Manager, and a longtime supporter and lover of the Delaware Arts scene.

I’ve attended concerts at Wilmington's Trinity Episcopal Church for years – but it wasn’t until this fall that I realized the beautiful stained-glass windows were the work of the Louis Tiffany Studio. Were it not for the lecture and organ recital on Saturday, January 19, as part of The Arts at Trinity series, I still may have been blissfully unaware!

The name ‘Tiffany’ would be a draw itself; the fact that this was a lecture and improvised organ performance combination made it an event not to be missed!  (Living for many year across from the National Cathedral in Washington DC, I grew to love organ music and the improvisations that organists used to entertain audiences.)  

This informative and entertaining lecture had the added value of allowing attendees to get up close and even touch the glass.  As guest lecturer Josh Probert noted, the Tiffany Studio used a different approach to more traditional method of stained-glass windows, which could be observed on the sides of the church.  From medieval times to the turn of the previous century and continuing today, the glass was colored with paint to create the image and modeling such as drapery folds.  But Tiffany used layers of colored glass to create the image and the modeling; it was amazing to see and feel the swirls in the glass itself.  The faces were painted, but all other effects were achieved by layering colors and textures. 

As a medieval art historian who has done my fair share of iconographical research, it was interesting to me to hear Probert’s take on Victorian women being considered more ‘virtuous’. Therefore, women’s images predominated many of the depictions, coupled with the fact that women were usually the donors of these windows.  It was also interesting to hear how it was wealthy patrons travelling abroad who returned with urgings for their own churches to have grander interiors.  How many of us enter a church and question it’s design or structure?  Moreover, how many generations of us have enjoyed the resulting beauty, all due to Americans congregants wanting to be on a par with European counterparts?

Organist Richard Fitzgerald did a wonderful job of conveying the subject of each window with his selections and improvisations.  I especially like the improvisation for the Main Altar Window, based on the literary text “Come unto me, ye that labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest”. As he played, the light coming through the window seemed to be one with the music, and I was totally mesmerized by the beautiful image of the window and the swirling notes of the organ.

The Arts at Trinity series presents a variety of music, lectures and performances throughout the year – all free-will donation to attend!  Next up, City Theater Company's troupe, Fearless Improv, takes over the stage at Trinity on Saturday, February 23, at 7:30pm.

See www.theartsattrinity.org.

Seeking New Friends for Penn's

Tucked into the quaint spaces along Delaware Street in Old New Castle is the fantastic coffee spot/artisan shop/tranquil hangout with yummy nosh, Trader's Cove at Penn's Place. Run by Matthew & Esther Lovlie (longtime Delaware arts & commerce supporters), it's become a destination for your day in Old New Castle "must-stops."  It's a friendly and welcoming, not only housing a coffee and wine garden (that sold me, right there) with a menu of local and organic selections, but also providing a showcase for local artists' works and products you can't always find anywhere else.  Some of their current "tenants": artist Donna Teleis, jewelry by Sami Campbell and Sarah Rose Originals, the Snicker Ditch Trunk Company, and candles from Originals by Kate.

Now, Penn's Place is looking to expand their internal neighborhood, offering retail/office space.  For info or a tour, contact Matthew Lovlie at 302.593.5908 or malovlie@gmail.com.  Or, just go down for a cuppa joe or a nice glass of malbec, wander through and enjoy the local talent! Tell Matthew I sent you.

See http://pennsplace.net.

A Weill’d ride at the REP’s Threepenny Opera

Matthew Earnest has created an updated version of Berthold Brecht and Kurt Weill’s production of the Dreigroschenoper which opened in Berlin almost exactly 200 years after its model, John Gay’s Beggar’s Opera opened in London in 1728. Since Brecht and Weill updated the Eighteenth Century ballad opera, why shouldn’t we update the 1928 version? The times they are a-changin’ as that fan of the songs once said.

Earnest used the authorized translation (Robert David MacDonald for the dialogue and Jeremy Sams for the lyrics), but perhaps allowed a bit of colorful interjection into the script. That color fit in and didn’t seem to make anyone in Friday’s audience bolt for the door, but note that your ten-year-old may add a few undesirable words to their vocabulary should you take them to see the show.

The musicians were hidden backstage – against Berthold Brecht’s desires but perhaps for the best with the sound in the Wilhemina Press Thompson Theatre. Ryan Touhey must have had a way of seeing the singers, though, because the orchestra was spot on with musical cues and attacks.


The set and costumes by Mathew LeFebvre deserve special commendation as they invoked the simplicity of the ‘poor’ and the exaggeration of the ‘wealthy’ villains whom we get to know so well. The projected titles were quite dramatic and the darkened set with its red and brown overtones gave the opening the feeling that they had discovered Jenny on a dark and abandoned street. Elizabeth Heflin (Jenny) belted the beloved Mack the Knife song with gritty harshness which got us into the underworld mood. Lovely touches like a mini-harpsichord for the wedding in the barn, a bathtub on a conveyor belt for Jenny’s Solomon song, a carousel horse bearing a Beefeater, a shower-sized jail cell and a revolving barn door added that farcical touch.


Deena Burke (Polly) has quite a beautiful voice and Mic Matarrese had the powerful baritone for the wicked MacHeath. Erin Partin (Lucy Brown) has that comic edge and her voice blended beautifully with Burke’s in the Jealousy Duet. Kathleen Pirkl-Tague was a broadly comic Mrs. Peachum who helped us laugh at the futility of life.


The songs are bawdy and their message of futility and injustice apply to any society at any time. Brecht and Weill’s protest of the fascist and bankrupt Germany of 1928 with foreign war service as the only way out for the downtrodden is a perfect vehicle to protest the unjust distribution of wealth in the United States of 2013.


Leave your ten-year-old with a babysitter, but take your grandmother. She understands more of this history than you do. Show continues until February 2, 2013 at the Roselle Center for the Arts in Newark.



See www.udel.edu/arts.

Mėlomanie Plays to a Packed House….at the Library

Music in a library? What better way to introduce the public to musical instruments like the gamba, baroque flute and baroque violin? The Friends of the Newark Free Library are devoted to making their library a community education center and they attracted quite a crowd for the concert by Mėlomanie. Over 90 people came to hear the Sunday afternoon concert – many of them brought children.

The group started the concert by playing the first part of La Piemontaise from Les Nations by François Couperin. The room, which has almost no echo or reverberation, was a great venue for the harpsichord, gamba and baroque flute and baroque violin. Each instrument could be heard distinctly, yet the blends of harmony were quite good. Christof Richter’s baroque violin and Eve Friedman’s baroque flute kept a very even match, especially in the Gravement – vivement et marquee. In the Seconde Air, the harpsichord’s lute stop sounded beautiful – and the entire ensemble went from forte to piano in a very natural and easy way to recreate the baroque dynamics.

The concert included two pieces by contemporary composers. The first was an excerpted verision of Dreams (2013) by Sergio Roberto de Oliveira played by Kim Reighley on modern flute and Doug McNames on cello. Oliveira was trying to depict the mysterious world of dreams in a series of musical vignettes. McNames and Reighley managed to hold a strict rhythmic unity – coming in absolutely together after rests and managing the exact same tone qualities on two-note slurs. The entire piece will be premiered on January 19 at Grace United Methodist Church in Wilmington.

The other contemporary piece was Fantaisie Mėlomanie by Roberto Pace which he had written for Mėlomanie in 2009. The clarity of the acoustics really brought out the individual voices in the piece. The groupings of cello, gamba and violin as well as the two modern flutes and violin were well-balanced and beautifully voiced.

The concert ended with the second part of La Piemontaise, the dances. The delicate sounds of the Allemande and the two Courantes were a great introduction to the very low and plaintive sounds of the gamba and low harpsichord notes in the Sarabande. The final Rondeau was a cheerful end to a short and fun concert.


The Friends of the Newark Free Library and Pam Nelson have really given something special to the community when they provide unusual music in a friendly and informal setting.



See www.melomanie.org

Art is Even More Awesome...After Dark



June 2012 Art is Social. Photo by Alessandra Nicole.

The Delaware Art Museum expands after-hours fun in Wilmo with Art is After Dark. This month, the Museum will stay open late and offer exciting events and activities for adults on select Friday nights. Perfect for the over-21 crowd, evenings include beer and wine tastings courtesy of FranksWine, as well as musical performances, salsa lessons, trivia, film screenings, themed parties and more!

And, Art is now DATE NIGHT: Clay Date and Make a Valentine invite guests to mix, mingle and get a little messy in the Museum's studio where art supplies, beer, wine and light snacks are provided. The galleries and special exhibitions also will be open for all indoor events and the Copeland Sculpture Garden for outdoor activities in warmer months.

The “After Dark” year kicks off this Friday with the popular Art is Social, featuring beer and wine tastings and JD3, a Wilmington-based keyboard jazz trio.  Prices for the new evening series vary from free to $35. Museum Members receive discounted rates for all events.

See www.delart.org.

Masterful Work by Mastersingers of Wilmington

By Guest Blogger, Barb Bullock
Barb is the Director of Development and Communications for Wilmington Renaissance Corporation. Barb has worked for a variety of arts organizations (Kennett Symphony Orchestra, Grand Opera House, OperaDelaware  and Delaware Theatre Company) and was the Executive Director of First Night Wilmington, a family celebration of the arts held on New Year’s Eve.

On Sunday, December 16, the Mastersingers of Wilmington – under the superb direction of Market Street Music's Artistic Director David Schelat – presented their exquisite annual holiday concert, The Wonder of Christmas with guest organist, Marvin Mills.  Warm holiday cheer and spirit filled the beautiful First and Central Church, as the remarkable musicians of Mastersingers presented four centuries of Christmas music – a wonderful mix of classical pieces and favorite carols to an enthusiastic audience of nearly 400 listeners.  This packed house is one of the largest audiences the Mastersingers have experienced at a performance.

The program's highlights included Surge, Illuminare by Mastersingers conductor, David Schelat; Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow arranged by Marvin Mills; Ríu, Ríu, Chíu, Ave Maria and the beautiful Quem Pastores Laudavere by New York City composer, James Bassi.

The Mastersingers of Wilmington is a 28-voice choral ensemble of the finest professional and amateur singers in the region. Highly regarded for its choral sound and impeccable singing, the group explores classics of choral repertoire, new music and world music in its riveting!

Up next for the Mastersingers: Rich Increase: Shakespeare to Spirituals, Saturday, April 27, 2013 at 7:30pm at First and Central.

See www.marketstreetmusicde.org