A Delicious War Erupts at the Delaware Theatre Company

The North American premiere of Warren Adler’s tour de force black comedy The War of the Roses opens the Delaware Theatre Company (DTC’s) 2016-17 season. This devilishly witty play exposes the dark side of divorce and invites the audience to savor in its mayhem.

Christina DeCicco & Jake Noseworthy play the doomed couple.

The story is mostly told through flashbacks while the couple – Jonathan Rose, a high-powered Washington, DC lobbyist and his “arm candy” wife Barbara – are meeting with their lawyers to discuss divorce. The play takes the audience on a journey from their first encounter as naïve, idealistic 20-somethings at an auction to the deconstruction of their 18-year marriage in their lavish home.

Over the past 18 years, Jonathan has become successful in the DC political scene, while Barbara (who quit college to marry the then-struggling law student) has accompanied her husband to countless business dinners and parties, while raising their two children. She completed decorating their grand home with fine furniture and art and now she’s ready for a new project – making and selling her gourmet pâté.  Jonathan is not interested in supporting his wife’s new venture; instead, he wants her to remain the perfect wife and mother. Unhappy with his lack of support, Barbara begins to fall out of love and eventually wants a divorce.

Since Barbara worked years creating the perfect home, she feels that Jonathan should be the one to leave…but Jonathan has no plans to move.  To try and rectify the problem, Jonathan and Barbara are instructed by their lawyers to annoy the other one to the point that one of them will leave. The couple goes beyond annoying each other and begins a battle royal when their children leave for camp, escalating into a full-fledged war of will and wit. Director Bud Martin has a keen ability to execute dark, menacing scenes while finding the humor in them. Thankfully, he has a stellar cast ready to tackle the physical and emotional challenges this piece demands.

Jack Noseworthy and Christina DeCicco are spectacular as Jonathan and Barbara. They are tasked with making their characters likeable while demonstrating appalling behaviors, a feat not easily done. These seasoned actors understand the importance of fully developing their characters so the audience connects with them and finds humor in their despicable actions.

  

Lenny Wolpe as Jonathan’s lawyer, Goldstein, and Cameron Folmar, as Barbara’s lawyer, Thurmont, are also delightful. Mr. Wolpe, a rabbi-turned-lawyer, provides Jewish proverbs to help guide Jonathan through the divorce, while the waspy Thurmont seems to get bored with Barbara’s antics, focusing more on sporting activities while meeting with her. The rest of the ensemble cast including Adam Altman, Eric Kramer, Brian McCann, Kerry Kristine McElrone, and Karen Peakes are hysterical as members of the DC elite during an explosive dinner party scene.

As with most recent DTC productions, the set is an important character. Designer Paul Tate DePOO III has meticulously created the Rose’s magnificent two-story home from the fine furnishings to the gigantic crystal chandelier that plays an important part in the outcome of the war. Unfortunately, the gorgeous set is destroyed by the end of the play – much like the characters’ marriage.

The War of the Roses is the perfect guilty pleasure. Don’t miss it before it closes on October 2^nd. For tickets and additional information, visit www.delawaretheatre.org.   

Ladybug Festival Hits Milestones, Announces Exciting Strides

Just over a month ago, something truly breathtaking happened in the 2nd & LoMa (Lower Market Street) area of downtown Wilmington (catch a glimpse of it all in the video at right) --- over 7,000 people from neighborhoods throughout our city joined with folks as far as Baltimore and New York City to celebrate women in music.  For readers unfamiliar with Wilmington's Ladybug Festival, here’s a quick rundown. 

Back in 2011, local entertainment company Gable Music Ventures wanted to produce an event to serve as a free, local alternative to the newly announced Firefly Festival. Why? Gable owners Gayle Dillman and Jeremy Hebbel had heard from musicians and fans alike a need for more presence for Delaware artists and an affordable musical festival option. 

2016 Ladybug Festival. Photo by Moonloop Photography.

Gable Music dove into action, delivering a free, live music "block party" in just six weeks, with 20 local female artists in five locations on Lower Market Street in Wilmington. The concept proved a hit, especially under its moniker of Ladybug --- the official state bug of Delaware. 

The Festival's popularity has grown each year, and 2016 was a groundbreaking year for Ladybug in attendance and scope: Ten stages of music ran throughout the day with headlining national acts Mary Lambert and Caroline Rose.  The generous outpouring of support from the community over the past 5 years has led to a pivotal decision from Gable: To expand the event into a two-day festival in Summer 2017.

The decision comes as a result of astounding response from artists across the country, notes Dillman, with nearly 3,000 artists showing interest.  Gable will take on the Herculean task of paring the list down to just 55 artists, when the event will take place on Thursday, July 20 and Friday, July 21.

The expanded footprint Gable will present also has plans for educational seminars on Friday, July 21, with music industry professionals coming together to mentor Delaware artists. Friday evening will be another musical block party, celebrating women at a yet-to-be-determined location.

Thanks to Drexel alumna Erica Dillman, who attended this summer's Ladybug Festival with associate Tristan Seyek, for capturing and sharing the wonderful video footage here! 

CD Review: Richard Raw's "Word Warrior"

The opening track of artist and activist Richard Raw’s Word Warrior, called Intro: R.A.P, is a short and detailed history of rap, from Melle Mel to now. It’s a fitting intro, as Raw represents the now in every way --he speaks on racial injustice and the current climate of discord as Black Americans are once again standing up to systemic racism.

That may sound like bleak subject matter, but Raw goes for inspiration as he speaks directly to the Black Community of Wilmington and beyond to Rise Up, Don’t Let Them Take Your Crown, and Shine Yo Light, three melodic tracks that lead into the Afrocentric Chaka Zulu then on to the reggae beat of Word Warrior, featuring Jahiti of BrownFish. True to its name, the title track uses words and rhyme to spread his message of empowerment.

Word Warrior isn’t all about activism; about midway though, it shifts with Cool, followed by what should have been the hit of the summer, At the BBQ featuring Ann Letreece. It’s a celebration of Black culture and community (and, of course, food). Ain’t Nothing Like a Woman is all about respect and love, while Watch Your Health is a hip-hop PSA that reminds folks to eat healthy while still managing to groove. While the topics on the back end are less political, they still focus on the Black experience: Close-knit communities, faith, family, music, and culture.

Raw knows the history of those that came before him, both as a musician and an activist, and he weaves them into the stories he tells with humility. There’s no posturing, no glitz, no hype. In a time when using words against the status quo can be downright dangerous, Raw really is a warrior.

See www.richardraw.com. 

Serafin String Quartet Welcomes Violist Sheila Browne

Post content courtesy of press release from Serafin String Quartet...
Serafin String Quartet (SSQ) is pleased to welcome Shelia Browne as its new violist. Ms. Browne replaces Esme Allen-Creighton, who stepped down after four years with SSQ to pursue a degree in music therapy.

Ms. Browne has also recently been named the new Assistant Professor of Viola at University of Delaware's Department of Music. She joins both the University and the Quartet from her position at University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where she has been on the faculty for 10 years.

The Quartet is delighted that Ms. Browne has accepted the position. They will be working together this summer to prepare for an exciting first season, with performances at the University of Delaware, where the Quartet has recently accepted re-appointment as Quartet in Residence for the next three years.

A preview of SSQ's 2016-2017 season, including performance dates on local series at The Arts at Trinity and The Music School of Delaware, will be announced soon.

See www.serafinquartet.org.

Candlelight (Re)Introduces You to the Classic, "The Music Man"

New Candlelight Theatre's production of The Music Man.
Photo by Ken Grant

By Guest Blogger, Ken Grant
Ken Grant has worked in Delaware media, politics and marketing for 25 years. He and his Lovely Bride enjoy Wilmington's arts and culture scene as much as they can.

Meredith Wilson was born in Mason City, Iowa in 1902 and played flute in John Philip Sousa's band from 1921-1923. He went on to a full and successful career in music, radio and film. This background and experience was clearly the inspiration behind his biggest hit – The Music Man.

The musical is based in the Summer of 1912 and centers on the exploits of a two-bit con man with no expertise who gets the town of River City, Iowa convinced that there's a danger to the town's future and their only hope is to buy what he's selling. Thank goodness we live in 2016 and everyone is too sophisticated to fall for such fear-mongering from such a blatantly dishonest and opportunistic fraud. :)

Fortunately, the good people at The Candlelight Theatre in Arden are able to transport us back in time to enjoy a summer of pageants in the small town that grows to to accept and even live the con man. The con man – "Professor" Harold Hill – is portrayed pitch-perfectly by Bob Miller. Through Miller, the audience can see the gears turning as he charms the town's women and convinces the men to join voices and divert attention away from his lack of credentials.

While the town's transformation occurs at a steady pace throughout the production, Hill's growth is more of a slow burn that reveals itself late in the second act.

The primary inspiration for that growth is the town's librarian and legitimate music teacher, Marion Paroo, played by Lauren Krigel. She exudes strength, smarts and clarity, seeing through Hill's deceptions, but also seeing a way to challenge him into becoming more than he expected.

The more than 20 cast members bring River City to life with voices and choreography that fills the entire theater space.

The heart and soul of The Music Man is, of course, music. With such iconic songs as Trouble, Seventy-Six Trombones, Gary, Indiana and Shipoopi (to name a few), the audience finds itself smiling and toe-tapping during the production.

Whether you've seen the film, enjoyed the cast album or have yet to experience Meredith Wilson's masterpiece, you should make your way to Arden to enjoy this fun production (and tasty buffet dinner included with your ticket price).

The Music Man plays through August 28 at The Candlelight Theatre.

See www.candlelighttheatredelaware.com. 

Wilmington’s Creative District Unveils Veterans Freedom Mural

Content of this post courtesy of press release from the Creative District Wilmington...

Wilmington Renaissance Corporation (WRC) and Creative District Wilmington dedicated the Veterans Freedom Mural on Tuesday, June 28, 2016 at Marcella’s House in downtown Wilmington. Governor Jack Markell and Secretary of State Jeff Bullock were among the distinguished speakers at the event.

The Veterans Freedom Mural, Getting Back to the World, is the inaugural project for Wilmington’s first-ever free public art training program, entitled Public Art Prep Program (PAPP). Creative District Wilmington and Connections Community Support Programs, Inc., partnered to develop PAPP as an opportunity for local artists to learn new skills as well as expand their experience in neighborhood mural-making by combining community engagement practices and public art-making techniques.

The Veterans Freedom Mural is on the exterior wall of Marcella’s House, a 31-unit veterans’ residential facility owned by Connections Community Support Programs, Inc. at the intersection of 9th and Washington Streets. Mural-making at its core is a community process, and the Veterans Freedom Mural is a collaborative effort that engaged a number of key stakeholders in community planning meetings and community paint days.

Muralist Eric Okdeh was the lead artist on the project, and facilitated workshops where artists observed and learned from his process, practicing the techniques while creating the Veterans Freedom Mural. Okdeh facilitated community engagement meetings, teaching participants how to elicit feedback and distill it into mural imagery. Participants learned how to use the parachute cloth method to create the mural and the actual installation of parachute cloth. They also learned how to create and install glass mosaic. Participants who

completed the Public Art Prep Training workshop series received a non-credit certificate of completion.

See www.creativedistrictwilm.com.

DelShakes' The Comedy of Errors Delivers Madcap Fun Under the Stars

By Guest Blogger, Ken Grant

The Comedy of Errors stage at Rockwood Park. Photo by Alessandra Nicole.

Ken Grant has worked in Delaware media, politics and marketing for 25 years. He and his Lovely Bride enjoy Wilmington's arts and culture scene as much as they can. 

Before the Stooges and the Marx Brothers, there was The Comedy of Errors.

The play, one of William Shakespeare’s earlier works, is a madcap, slapstick, double mistaken-identity romp.

True confession: While driving to the opening night performance at the beautiful Rockwood Mansion, this reviewer asked his Lovely Bride to pull up the play synopsis on her smartphone and read it to him. Arguably, to offer a written synopsis of the play will lead to frustration and confusion for both writer and reader – The Comedy of Errors simply must be experienced.

And the experience with this cast and musicians under the direction of David Stradley is delightful, fun and surprising.

Luke Brahdt and Brendan Moser play the identical twins – both named Antipholus – separated at birth by shipwreck.Chase Byrd and Sean Close play the identical twins – both named Dromio – separated at birth by shipwreck.

(L-R): Brian Reisman (Dromio of Ephesus), Luke Brahdt (Antipholus
of Ephesus), Abdul Sesay (Officer). Photo by Alessandra Nicole.

Go back and re-read those last two sentences, and you’ll see why a written synopsis can be confusing and frustrating.

[Quick side note]: If you are a high school English teacher who only has your students read Shakespeare’s plays, please stop. Allow the students to experience the power, comedy, drama, tension, fullness, beauty, grittiness and even the silliness of Shakespeare through a live performance or even a video – you will help to shape a better future for all of us. [End of side note.]

The performances by this cast are wonderfully over-the-top, the dialog is downright musical, and the choreography has all of the fun of slapstick with none of the pain.

Everything about this comedy supports the creativity and innovation that is associated with the Delaware Shakespeare Festival: a long runway for a stage with doors on wheels; colorful lighting, costuming that is at once colorful and useful (remember, two sets of twins – the costumes really help in keeping the whole thing straight); and a jazz trio – saxophone, bass, percussion – that perfectly sets and elevates the tone throughout the performance.

If you're ready for a lighthearted, fun, engaging evening, you'll want to get these tickets, pack your lawn chairs or picnic blankets and come out to Rockwood Mansion. Oh, and read the signs on the sidewalk on the way up; there’s some great information there that will make the show that much more enjoyable.

The Comedy of Errors runs for 13 performance this month, Wednesday to Saturday at 7:30pm with gates opening at 6:15pm for preshow entertainment and picnics. Sunday performances begin at 6:00pm (gates open at 4:45pm). No shows are scheduled for Monday or Tuesday nights, although Tuesday, July 26 is a rain date, if needed.

The fourth annual Janssen’s Market Picnic Contest – in which patrons bring their best spreads to compete for the coveted Picnic Contest trophy and bragging rights – will take place on Saturday, July 23. General admission to the festival is $18 (some of the most affordable live theater tickets around). Tickets are $16 for seniors (65+), and active military (and their families), with identification. Student tickets are $14. Children 5 and under are free at every performance.

Every Sunday is Family Night, with special activities for children 12 and under admitted free with a paid adult admission.

See www.delshakes.org.

Delaware Symphony Orchestra Closes Its 16-17 Season at Gold Ballroom

By Christine Facciolo

One of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra’s greatest strengths is its roster of talented musicians that can be called upon to organize performances in a wide range of complexity and moods in a single evening.

The result is often a delightfully strange assemblage of pieces and the orchestra’s final chamber series concert of the season — “David Amado and Friends” — in The Gold Ballroom of the Hotel du Pont was one of the most curious, featuring Schubert’s richly lyrical Piano Trio No. 1 in B-flat Major, Op. 99, Shostakovich’s polystylistic Piano Trio in E minor, Op. 67 and Ysaye’s virtuosic Sonata No. 4 for Solo Violin.

The first item on the program — the Ysaye Sonata — was also the most notable outlier. Though not as well-known as Nos. 2 and 3, this sonata is fiercely expressive and violinist Erica Miller captured its virtuosity perfectly. Her mastery of the instrument was complete: her downbow attacks were strong, her intonation precise. She took a rhapsodic approach to the opening Allemnda, showed a reverent calm in the Sarabande and delivered the pyrotechnics of the Finale with poise.

The rest of the pre-intermission portion of the concert was taken up with the Shostakovich trio, one of his most enduringly popular compositions. It was written in 1944 in memory of one of the composer’s closest friends, polymath Ivan Sollertinsky, who died unexpectedly of a heart attack that same year. Shostakovich had also lived through the siege of Leningrad and his anxiety about death permeates the entire work.

Cellist Naomi Gray opened the trio with a note that would be challengingly high, even for a violin. Gray succeeded in striking a delicate balance between beauty and pain which continued as the other instruments joined in. Violinist Luigi Mazzocchi executed the relentlessly jabbing notes of the second movement without sacrificing clarity or intonation. DSO Music Director David Amado’s dramatic phrasing and scrupulous attention to dynamics carried the third movement which consists of a series of heart-wrenching variations over the piano’s bass line. The work culminates in a dance-like finale which features Shostakovich’s first use of Jewish klezmer music, a reference to the influences of the Holocaust around him. The performance concluded with barely audible notes in each instrument’s highest register, moving the whole affair into a different realm.

After intermission, the musicians offered a glittering performance of Schubert’s Piano Trio in B-flat Major, D. 898. This piece was a perfect showcase for the players’ keen sense of ensemble. The performance was a true dialog between piano and strings as well as between the strings themselves. The first and second movements featured song-like phrases from each other players while the scherzo received a sense of urgency. The Rondo finale was full of surprises as the musicians accommodated the sudden accents, key changes and false endings that permeated the movement.

All in all, the trio played with a joyous emerging that brought Schubert’s trio and the concert — and season — to a rousing conclusion.

See www.delawaresymphony.org.

Delaware Chamber Music Festival Wraps 31st Season

By Christine Facciolo

The Delaware Chamber Music Festival (DCMF) turned to Scandinavia for the penultimate concert of its 31st season, programming works by some famous and not-so-famous Nordic composers.

The concert opened with a performance of Handel/Halvorsen’s Passacaglia for violin and cello. Halvorsen (1864-1935) was a celebrated violinist, conductor and composer best remembered today for this brilliant extrapolation of Handel’s passacaglia for an intrepid duo of two masterful musicians, in this case Hirono Oka, violin and Burchard Tang, viola. DCMF Music Director and Violinist Barbara Govatos noted that the piece is primarily used for educational purposes, so it was a real treat to hear it performed in concert.

It is indeed amazing to hear how much music a composer can coax out of the scant resources of two stringed instruments. Some of the variations require numerous double and triple stops and multi-note chords to achieve full four-part harmony while others employ swift melodic lines to create a linear harmonic effect over time. The result was a jaw-dropping dialog between two virtuosic performers.

The brilliance of the Handel/Halvorsen segued to the serious of Sibelius’ String Quartet in D minor (Voces intimae) delivered with strength and sympathy. The four musicians showed polish and clear phrasing in the opening Andante; conveyed purpose and excitement in the perpetual motion of the Vivace; captured the dream-like quality of the Adagio; charmed in the Allegretto and brought frantic energy to the closing Allegro.

The final offering of the concert was Grieg’s String Quartet in G minor, Op. 27. Like Sibelius, Grieg attempted the genre several times but left only one mature effort in the form. The Quartet tells the tale of minstrels who sell their souls to a water sprite in exchange for virtuosity. Grieg manages to imbue the work with a richness and scope that evoke the power of an orchestra with just four string players. The ensemble did a stellar job of capturing the romantic drama of the piece. Cellist Clancy Newman offered some remarkable playing at the end of the first movement. All in all, the ensemble maintained a good balance, blend and clarity to the rousing conclusion.

Pianist Marcantonio Barone joined the quartet for Sunday’s finale, which featured a work each from the 19th, 20th and 21st Centuries.

Barone and Govatos joined together for a performance of David Finko’s Sonata for Violin and Piano (2010). The duo sounded determined to show just how easily they could dispatch this Russian-American composer’s deliberately taut and acerbic music and they did so quite impressively.

Cellist Clancy Newman brought a big rich sound, thoughtful musicianship and technical capability to his performance of Prokofiev’s Sonata in C Major for cello and piano, Op. 119. The sonata opened with grave, low cello phrases, but quickly moved into outbursts of pizzicato around heavily marked themes in the piano. The composer’s naturally good humor returned in the scherzo-like second movement where the piano assumed much of the action. It was prominent again in the third movement but Newman and Barone were never anything less than an equal pair as the cello’s arpeggios were accompanied by piano figures that swept the keyboard.

The concert — and the season — wrapped up with Govatos joining Newman and Barone in a spirited performance of Schubert’s Piano Trio in E-flat Major, D. 929. It’s hard to believe this lighthearted work was composed the same month (November 1827) as the more somber Winterreise song cycle but we got a gentle reminder in the C minor Andante con moto, with a melancholy exchange between cello and piano. The players showed themselves to be completely in Schubertian sensibility from the dramatic rhythms of the opening movement to the jaunty delivery of the final movement, where despite moments of sadness, Schubertian bonhomie reigned.

See www.dcmf.org.

Summer in the Parks Returns to Wilmington

Blog content courtesy of a press release from The Grand Opera House...
The Grand Opera House is pleased to announce the start of Wilmington’s Summer in the Parks 2016! This week launched the first of the 9-week season featuring FREE arts activities in 10 different park sites throughout the City of Wilmington.

The programs run Monday, June 20 through Friday, August 19, with 86 daytime events of FREE music, dance, arts & crafts, theatre and storytelling for kids of all ages. Activities will take place Monday through Friday (except July 4 and August 12) at 9:30-10:30am and 12:00-1:00pm, in combination with the City’s Summer Food Service, which distributes breakfast and lunch for neighborhood children.

Please note that the West Side Neighborhood site has moved to Madison Street Tot-Lot, just across from the entrance to William “Hicks” Anderson Community Center, and we look forward to returning to One Love Park after they completed a beautiful upgrade last summer. Come out and join us!

Weekly ScheduleEvery Weekday Morning @ 9:30-10:30am

• MONDAY | Prices Run (BBW Park at N. Locust & E. 23rd Streets) 
• TUESDAY | Woodlawn Park (4th & Ferris Streets) 
• WEDNESDAY | Tilton Park (N. Franklin – W. 7th & 8th Streets) 
• THURSDAY | Madison Street Tot-Lot (504-506 N. Madison Street) 
• FRIDAY | Holloway/Compton Park (N. Lombard & E. 7th Streets) 

Every Weekday Afternoon, @ 12:00-1:00pm

• MONDAY | One Love Park (N. Tatnall & W. 24th Streets) 
• TUESDAY | Barbara Hicks Park (Bradford & B Streets) 
• WEDNESDAY | Kosciuszko Park (Sycamore & S. Broom Streets) 
• THURSDAY | Judy Johnson Park (N. Dupont & W. 3rd Streets) 
• FRIDAY | Haynes Park (N. Franklin – W. 30th & 32nd Streets) 

So many wonderful artists – many returning and several new this year – provide a safe and creative outlet for neighborhood youth. Artists include: Alfie Moss, Alia Moss-Koonce, Almanac Dance Circus Theatre, Dave Fry, Delaware Art Museum, The Delaware Contemporary, Delaware Shakespeare Festival, Elbert-Palmer Percussion Ensemble, First State Ballet Theatre, Fly Motivation, Gabrielle Kanter, GCJ Uniques, Griots Wa Umoja, Illstyle & Peace, Jill Perry Carpenter – Walt the Street Dog, LaFate Gallery, Leslie Carey Band, Minas, The Music School of Delaware – M&M and Friends, Nature Jams, New Wilmington Art Association with Barrel of Makers, Pegasus Trio, Philly Vibes, Pieces of a Dream, Street Xpressions, TAHIRA, Terrance Vann, Vanity Constance and Wilmington Drama League.

Weekly evening concerts will be hosted at selected park sites for all ages to enjoy – including the premiere performance at The Sugar Bowl Pavilion in Brandywine Park!

• June 29, 6:00-7:30pm, One Love Park | Alfie Moss/Dexter Koonce Project 
• July 6, 6:00-7:30pm, Haynes Park | Suzzette Ortiz Latin Jazz Ensemble 
• July 14, 6:00-7:30pm, Tilton Park | Richard Raw 
• July 21, 6:00-7:30pm, Union Park Gardens | Diamond State Chorus & Simple Gifts 
• July 27, 6:30-7:30pm, Stapler Park | Diamond State Concert Band 
• August 4, 6:00-7:30pm, Judy Johnson Park | Pristine Raeign 
• August 5, 6:00-7:00pm, Stapler Park | Wilmington Ballet Academy of the Dance 
• August 10, 6:00-8:00pm, Sugar Bowl Pavilion | The Souldaires with Elbert-Palmer Percussion Ensemble 

Keep up to date with the Facebook page and website, which will be updated with news, photos and individual park schedules.

The Grand would like to thank the City of Wilmington for its generous support to make this important program possible. A special thanks also to Wilmington Parking Authority, Wilmington State Parks, the Friends of Wilmington Parks, and to ALL of you for your ongoing support and participation. We’ll see you this SUMMER in the PARKS!

For information, visit TheGrandWilmington.org/Parks or call 302.658.7897 x3105.

Richard Raw Ends Inaugural Week of Music & Community with CD Release Party at Queen

By Guest Blogger, Ken Grant
Ken Grant has worked in Delaware media, politics and marketing for 25 years. He and his Lovely Bride enjoy Wilmington's arts and culture scene as much as they can.
Richard Raw makes it clear, hip-hop is still in its formative years – it is still a young art form, and those who are involved need to change the some of the stereotypes associated with it.

The first stereotype is that hip-hop artists are only out for themselves – whether it’s a matter of proudly proclaiming (in song) how great the artist is or denying any outside help or influence in the business.

At the June 11 Richard Raw CD Release Concert for his new album, Word Warrior, at World Café Live at the Queen, Richard and his team of musicians, singers and friends went out of their way to credit those who have gone before and to pave the way for the next generation of artists. In song, word and action, Richard showed the audience that he benefited from parents, mentors and other artists who made sure he was successful both as a musician and as a human being.

Richard also showcased the talents of other singers throughout the evening. Maya Belardo, Ladyy Defined, Aziza Nailah and Ann Letreece each had time at center stage to share their voices with the audience.

The second stereotype Richard Raw is out to change is the misogynist message some in hip-hop have been parroting.

Between inviting his mother to sit in front of the audience while he sang A Song For Mama and inviting all of the men in the audience to come forward and join him in singing Ain’t Nothing Like a Woman to all of the women in the audience and preaching about the importance of showing respect to the women in our lives, Richard made it clear that he expects hip-hop to change for the better.

The entire show was marked with high energy and a sense of purpose – with themes ranging from reclaiming a proud heritage to dealing with oppression in the workplace to advocating for healthy diets and lifestyles.

With the recent passing of Muhammad Ali, there was little doubt about the song Richard would offer as an encore, once again with words of appreciation to a role model.

By the end of the experience, it’s clear that Richard Raw takes the title of Word Warrior seriously – and he’s ready to use every tool at his disposal to fight for his art, for his community, and for the young artists following in his footsteps.

Set List:

Fela Kuti - Lady
Runaway Slave
Rise Up "Part 2"
How We Get So Low/Solo
Lose My Religion

Diamond (by Maya Belardo)
Say Yes (by Ladyy Defined)
On and On (by Aziza)
Shaka Zulu
Watch Your Health
Don't Let Them Take Your Crown
At The BBQ
Let's Groove
Ain't Nothing Like A Woman
I'm Every Woman (by Ann Letreece)
A Song For Mama
Shine Yo Light
Muhammad Ali

See www.richardraw.com. 

In Heaven with Brandywine Baroque

By Christine Facciolo
No other composer in the history of Western music compares to J.S. Bach. He excelled in virtually every genre — except opera — and invented quite a few himself, including the keyboard concerto.

Brandywine Baroque devoted the entire program of this year’s Harpsichord Heaven to a performance of the composer’s complete set of concertos for one, two, three and four harpsichords.

Although the piano has dominated the concerto literature for more than 200 years, the keyboard came late to the ranks of concerto soloists. Baroque composers generally regarded the harpsichord as a “utility” orchestral instrument; one that filled in harmonies as opposed to presenting melody. Even Vivaldi — who composed more than 500 concertos — never wrote one for the harpsichord. (He did, however, manage to compose one for the lute.)

Bach was probably the first to compose concertos for the harpsichord. But even these are re-workings of his compositions for other instruments, usually “melody” instruments like the violin or oboe.

As it does every year, the festival brought together an impressive roster of performers and scholars. In addition to Founding Artistic Director Karen Flint, the event featured harpsichordists Davitt Moroney, Arthur Haas, Luc Beausejour, Janine Johnson, Leon Schelhase and Joyce Chen.

Accompanying them were Martin Davids and Edwin Huizinga (violins), Amy Leonard (viola), John Mark Rozendaal (cello), Heather Miller Lardin (bass), Rainer Beckman and Lewis R. Baratz (recorders). John Phillips provided care and tuning of the harpsichords.

The true stars of the event were the harpsichords, as Moroney stated in his pre-concert remarks. Instruments from the Flint Collection included two by the famous Flemish manufacturer Ioannes Ruckers (Antwerp, 1627 & 1635), one by Nicolas Dumont (Paris, 1707) and a recently acquired representative by father-and-son harpsichord builders Nicolas and Francois-Etienne Blanchet (Paris, 1730). Filling out the quarter was a representative by Joannes Goermans (Paris, 1748) on loan from a private collection. The instruments were chosen because they contain d’’’, the highest note of Bach’s harpsichords, explained Moroney.

Oddly enough, the event opened with a performance of the Concerto in A minor for 4 harpsichords, BWV 1065, a faithful transcript not of a Bach composition but of Vivaldi’s B minor Concerto for Four Violins (Op. 3/10). Bach, however, makes it his by expanding both the counterpoint and harmonies and imbuing the solo parts with greater complexity and clarity. Of particular interest is the middle movement where each soloist — Moroney, Flint, Johnson and Chen — produces a different kind of arpeggio on a central propulsive fragment.

Concerto in F minor, BWV 1056 is believed to have been based on a lost violin concerto in G minor. It is unusual in that it sets the soloist off rhythmically from the orchestra, with the strings playing in strict 2/4 time and the soloist playing almost exclusively in triplets. The lovely second movement provides a lyrical respite before a return, with only a slight pause, to the rhythmic vitality of the final movement, replete with felicitous echoes between soloist Luc Beausejour and the orchestra.

Arthur Haas and Leon Schelhase joined together to perform the Concerto in C minor for two harpsichords, BWV 1062. Bach’s well-known Double Violin Concerto in D minor, BWV 1043 provided the basis for this transcription. The opening and closing movements feature much contrapuntal weaving of themes. As for the middle movement, the orchestra takes a back seat as the soloists engage in a kind of Baroque vocal duet. This beautiful movement seems both intense and calm at the same time and one could easily see the emotional involvement on the faces of violinists Davids and Huizinga.

The mood brightened as Karen Flint offered the Concerto in A major, BWV 1055. As always, Flint’s playing was flawless. The outer movements of this concerto are lovely but the middle movement is unbelievably beautiful for its extremely long musical lines which weave so deftly when played, as here, at the proper tempo.

The highlight of the evening, though, was the less hummable — but most frequently performed — Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052. In this virtuosic tour-de-force, Janine Johnson and the accompanying strings wholly delivered on the drama and high-speed prowess of the outer movements, while reaping all poignancy of the middle movement.

See www.brandywinebaroque.org. 

Mélomanie Closes 2015-16 Season with "Big Band" Concert & Another Premiere

By Christine Facciolo
There’s something about a season finale that whets the appetite for more.

In a season full of not-to-be-forgotten performances, Mélomanie closed its 2015-16 season on Sunday, May 8, with not one — but two — World Premieres, some neo-Baroque jazz, the usual suspects and an obscure delight.

Mélomanie harpsichordist and Co-Founder/Co-Artistic Director Tracy Richardson dubbed the event a “big band concert” for the many special guests participating. Joining the ensemble’s core group were Rainer Beckmann on recorder, flutist Eve Friedman and cellist Naomi Gray. The additions made for a lively program of interesting material and musical combinations.

Ensemble with guest artists (L-R): Donna Fournier, Naomi Gray, Tracy Richardson, 

Christof Richter, Eve Friedman, Kimberly Reighley, Rainer Beckmann.

Photo by Tim Bayard.

The concert opened with a superb interpretation of Johann Christian Schieferdecker’s Musicalisches Concert 1 in A minor. Great fun was had in the galloping rhythms which drove the Overture. The fast dance movements were executed with appropriate gusto while the slower ones were affecting. The suite also contained a fine example of a Chaconne, a Schieferdecker favorite.

The program also contained an appropriate pairing of works by Jean Baptiste Lully, arguably the quintessential French composer and inventor of French opera, and his contemporary Michel-Richard Delalande, who succeeded him at the court of Louis XIV. The former was represented with a spirited performance of the Passacaille from his operatic masterpiece Armide; the latter by the impressive chaconne from the obviously Lullian Les fontains de Versailles.

Mélomanie was also impressive in its rendering of the Piece de Clavecin en Concert 5 in D minor by Jean-Philippe Rameau, one of the most important French composers and theorists of the Baroque. Their playing was agile, warm-blooded and expressive and they listened carefully to what the harpsichord was doing, which is of vital importance.

If ever there was a composition suited for Mélomanie, it would be Matthias Maute’s It’s Summertime: A Trilogy (1998). Maute not only pays tribute to George Gershwin, he demonstrates the recorder’s abilities to play all styles of music. The work is made up of three movements. The first — “Don’t you cry” — is a ballad that quotes Bach’s Sarabande (from Partita in A minor for solo flute). The second — “The livin’ is easy” — is a jazz-oriented ballad that features a type of hidden two-part writing found in Telemann’s fantasies for flute. The third — “It’s Summertime” — is basically an arrangement of Gershwin’s tune of the same name.

The ability to play different types of music demands a mastery of different techniques, and Rainer Beckmann sure has the goods. His intonation was impeccable and his technique, thrilling and infectious. He had the audience fully engaged. He was supported in his playing by Naomi Gray on the modern cello. That combination of the Baroque and the contemporary was absolutely stunning.

The program also included the World Premiere of Liduino Pitombeira’s The Sound of the Sea and a first performance of his Impressoes Quixeres. The latter featured Kimberly Reighley and Eve Friedman dueting on modern flutes. This piece imparts the composer’s view of the city in northern Brazil employing free atonality as well as 12-tone serialism. But in the hands of Reighley and Friedman, you stop thinking about tone rows and respond to the playfulness and ferocity of the music.

The entire ensemble presented the premiere of Pitombeira’s The Sound of the Sea. This three-movement work is inspired by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem of the same name. The titles of the three movements — “First Wave,” “Solitudes of Being” and “Sea-tides” — take their names from moments in the poem. Longfellow’s poem gives the composer much to draw on as it is a poem about sound, about the rhythm of the sea and that rhythm is reflected in the musicality of the lines and the score. Just as the poem, the music was meant to mirror the sound of the sea in all its fury and tranquility, and Mélomanie did the composer’s intentions proud.

See www.melomanie.org. 

'Brilliant' debut of two Shakespearean operas in Delaware

Content of this post comes courtesy of an original review from WHYY Newsworks...

Photo courtesy of OperaDelaware.

Audiences who attended OperaDelaware's inaugural spring festival over the weekend became part of history as they took in the East Coast premiere of Franco Faccio's Hamlet and the Delaware professional premiere of Verdi's Falstaff.

The event marked the company's triumphant return to full-stage productions at Wilmington's Grand Opera House following a three-year absence.

Programming two Shakespearean operas is not only a tribute to the 400th anniversary of the Bard's legacy. It also explores the complex — and sometimes contentious — relationship between two composers, a librettist and their desire to raise Italian opera to a higher art form.

Verdi's last two operas "Otello" (1887) and "Falstaff" (1893) with librettos penned by Arrigo Boito were the closest he came to writing the kind of through-composed opera Wagner pioneered.

READ FULL REVIEW HERE>>>

Amos Lee Brings Soulful Sound to Sold-Out Queen Show

By Guest Blogger, Jess Eisenbrey

Jess Eisenbrey is a former journalist turned public relations pro who regularly quotes Leslie Knope and has a slight obsession with Joe Biden. In her spare time, she can be found squeezing her way to the front row of general admission concerts at the Queen and sipping on the newest local craft beer or wine.

“Delaware! What’s the word, ya’ll?,” wailed Amos Lee as he opened his sold-out show at World Cafe Live at the Queen on May 16. Known for his folksy sound and soulful voice, Amos started the night with a favorite from his 2011 album Mission Bell called Windows Are Rolled Down, setting the tone for what would be a laid-back, intimate show. For more than two hours, he serenaded those in attendance with a mix of older songs and newer yet-to-be-released tracks.

A native of Philadelphia, Amos paid homage to his hometown and its proximity to Wilmington. The crowd cheered at Amos’ shout out to WXPN, the University of Pennsylvania public radio station headquartered at Philly’s World Café Live location, and went nearly silent during Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight as Amos quietly sang the line, “Sometimes we forget what we got, who we are, and who we are not.” 

Sprinkled in with some of his better known hits like Arms of a Woman and Sweet Pea, were newer songs the audience likely had never heard before (unless they happened to catch him in Atlantic City on May 14). The newer music, which Amos said is set to be released in August, is tinged with a bit more jazz and blues than his early albums featuring swoon-worthy love songs.

As the crowd started to thin out throughout the two-hour show, Amos made note of the fact that he was in fact playing “past everyone’s bedtime,” but he and his six-piece band continued. There were covers and mashups, including Juvenile’s Back That Azz Up mixed with his own Southern Girl, and lots of affection for the crowd as Amos chimed, “I’m in love with you all very much.” 

He made sure that the stars of the show were his bandmates, allowing each of them to have solo performances throughout the night. His saxophonist was incredible, and some of the best parts of the concert were the jam sessions between Amos and his band. It was evident that he had immense respect for the “ridiculous musicians” he said keep him in tune, at one point telling the crowd he was “very grateful for all of them” and jokingly renaming them all “Amos Lee and the Damn Good Band.” Amos also had a lot of love for his longtime friend and opening act Mutlu, a soul singer from Philadelphia who typically opens for Amos when he’s in Wilmington or other nearby cities. Monday just so happened to be Mutlu’s birthday, so Amos led the crowd in singing happy birthday to his friend. 

As the hour got later, it seemed Amos and the band were wrapping up their set with his hit Sweet Pea, but almost immediately after leaving the stage, he and the band came back out for an encore performance that included three additional songs. The grand finale of the concert was an audience singalong to Boyz II Men’s End of the Road, a fitting reminder that Amos Lee is a versatile performer who can pull off pretty much anything – even a classic R&B song from the 90s.

See http://queen.worldcafelive.com.

DSO Closes Season on a High Note

By Christine Facciolo
Emotions ran high last week as the Delaware Symphony Orchestra closed its 2015-2016 season — The Season of the Bells — at The Grand Opera House in Wilmington.

Maestro David Amado conducted a program that offered just two works. But when one of those works features the gut wrenching emotionality of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 11, anything more would have felt like overload.

The concert opened with David Ludwig’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, with Bella Hristova as soloist. The semi-programmatic piece which was commissioned by an eight-orchestra consortium — including the DSO — celebrates Ludwig’s marriage to Hristova. Its three movements recount the wedding ritual (preparation, ceremony, celebration) within the broader themes of partnership, empathy and communion.

Ludwig invested the work with captivating moments and effects: asymmetrical rhythms, loping harmonies, ascending glissandi as well as unusual timbral combinations.

The work opens with a violin exclamation and everything a symphony orchestra can throw at it to signify transformative power of love and commitment before progressing to various Eastern-European style dances. The music builds to a brilliant raucousness, blending virtuosic cadenzas with warm lyricism.

The second movement opens with a tender melody in the solo violin that blossoms and grows joyful. This section serves as a touching tribute to the father Hristova never knew, Soviet-era composer Yuri Chichkov. Ludwig tracked down a rare copy of the violin concerto Chchkov wrote decades ago and incorporated an excerpt into this movement as a tribute to family.

Finally, the third movement “Festival” is as about as bacchanalian as a wedding reception can get. Bulgarian dances with their fluctuating rhythms run rampant, including Ludwig’s own version of the “Crooked Dance,” which mimics how the less-than-sure-footed revelers attempt to make their way home.

Hristova is one of today’s most celebrated artists with a superb technique and a sumptuous sound. Not surprisingly, she invested this performance with a sense of the whole, while balancing fiery virtuoso and deep passion with a sensitivity and softness.

Political passion consumed the second half of the program which featured Shostakovich’s massive Symphony No. 11, which premiered in 1957. The symphony is subtitled The Year 1905, a reference to the failed Russian revolution of that year. Critics initially dismissed the work as little more than glorified film music. Many now consider it to be more reflective in attitude, one that looks back on Russian history from the standpoint of 1957. Another interpretation views the symphony as a response to the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and the composer’s widow has stated that he did in fact “have it in mind” during its composition.

Lasting more than an hour, the symphony consists of four movements played without pause. Each movement bears a descriptive title relating to the revolution. The brooding first movement “The Palace Square” readily conveys the tension of the gathering workers, whose massacre is the subject of the feverish second movement “The 9th of January.” The third movement “In Memoriam” is deeply meditative while the finale, “The Tocsin,” sizzles with excitement.

Amado and the DSO performed this difficult piece with heart-wrenching emotion and cinematic sweep. The strings invested just the right amount of melancholy in the slow movements while the brass, winds and percussion brought drama and tension to the fast movements, especially the finale with its floor-shaking bass drum, crashing cymbals and tam-tam and cataclysmic tolling of the Bells of Remembrance.

It was a masterful rendition that kept the audience on the edges of their seats during the performance and brought them to their feet at its conclusion.

See www.delawaresymphony.org.

Jersey Boys – Oh What a Night!

Mary Ellen Hassett has lived and worked in Delaware since 1996 as a paralegal and attorney.  She and her husband Keith enjoy Wilmington arts and culture and devote a lot of volunteer time to Delaware Humane Association. 

The Playhouse on Rodney Square is closing out their Broadway season with Jersey Boys, a Tony Award–winning musical about four blue-collar kids from Newark, NJ.  This story is told thru the eyes of each of one of the four Jersey Boys from their perspectives at different times in their 40-year relationship. The talented group of musicians that starred in this rendition of Jersey Boys were amazing. This musical has it all – Jersey accents, mafia undertones, fantastic sets, a great storyline and lots of laughter. Whether old or young, this musical contains songs that everyone can enjoy. 

Jersey Boys is the story about Frankie Valli (that’s Valley with an “I” because everyone knows Italian names must end in a vowel). Frankie (Aaron De Jesus) with his unique voice is discovered at age 16 by Tommy DeVito (Matthew Dailey). As everyone knows, show business is not an easy road, especially in Jersey. Along the way – in addition to playing gigs on street corners, various bars, night clubs and bowling alleys – the group is involved in some rather nefarious activities and Tommy ends up in the slammer.    

While Tommy is away, Frankie and Nick Massi (Keith Hines) continue to perform. When Tommy returns, the group auditions young hotshot writer Bob Gaudio (Drew Seeley) and the Four Seasons is born! Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons are a smash, starring on the Ed Sullivan show and hitting the pop charts 40 times in the 1960s.  

However, Tommy could not leave his gambling Jersey ways behind and eventually found himself owing over $162,000 to the mafia and $500,000 in back taxes for the group. Tommy is bought out by the other three in the group and moves to Vegas. Nick leaves shortly thereafter and Frankie Valli and Bob Gaudio continue as a duo – Bob writing and Frankie singing. Frankie and Bob to this day have never had a contract; they had a gentleman’s agreement – a handshake. The Four Seasons reunite a couple of times and they are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.  

Although you have your traditional hidden orchestra, musical director Taylor Peckham, did a phenomenal job in moving the drummer(s) off and on state to enhance the night club scenes.

The musical arrangements of Walk Like a Man, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You and Working My Way Back to You were just a few of the highlights. And my favorite of the night – December, 1963 (Oh What a Night) – as that basically sums up this fantastic performance!

I must say, The Playhouse saved the best for last! 

Jersey Boys will be playing at The Playhouse thru May 15. Wednesday and Thursday evening performances are at 7:30pm; Friday and Saturday evening performances are at 8:00pm, and Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:00pm.  Ticket prices range from $50-$135 and discounts are available for groups of 10 or more.

See  www.ThePlayhouseDE.org.