The Wit (and Will) of an Astounding Performance

“How are you feeling today?” This question is asked repeatedly during the University of Delaware’s Resident Ensemble Players’ production of Margaret Edson’s tour-de-force play, Wit. If Kathleen Pirkl Tague — who portrays the plays central character Vivian Bearing, Ph.D. — would answer, I hope she would say, "I accomplished greatness."  Because, under the superb direction of Sanford Robbins, Ms. Tague gives one of the best, if not the best, performances I have seen this theater season.

Vivian, a well-respected, 50-year-old university professor of 17^th Century poetry, is diagnosed with stage-four metastatic ovarian cancer at the beginning of the 100-minute play. Once she receives the diagnosis, her intellect takes over and she begins analyzing each term spoken by her doctor (Harvey Kelekian, M.D. played by Lee E. Ernst) and researching the disease. Vivian is a strong-willed, independent person, and through flashbacks we see her match wits with everyone — from her father when she was a child to her college professor when she was a young lady to the present with her oncologist and his clinical fellow (Jason Posner, M.D., played by Michael Gotch). Posner also happens to be one of her former students. 

Vivian’s parents are deceased and she never married or had children. Her marriage is to her career, which leaves her without any human support while enduring an experimental chemotherapy treatment. However, she does develop a friendship with an unlikely person — her nurse (Susie Monahan, R.N., B.S.N., played by Jasmine Bracey) — who doesn’t know anything about poetry, but does know about being kind and respecting her patient’s wishes.

Wit doesn't promise its audience a happy ending; it doesn't sugarcoat the struggles of battling cancer. It’s a rough play, but the playwright managed to weave a great deal of humor into her text. The humor helps to alleviate the tension and sadness you feel as you follow the lead character on her dour journey.  

Ms. Tague’s performance is astonishing. She creates this complex character, evolving from an in-control professor passionate about research to a person dependent on others and becoming the subject of her doctor’s research. She tires of being asked, “How do you feel today,” by her medical team. (She's dealing with cancer, how do they expect her to feel?) Her usual is“Fine.” However, she knows she’s not fine and there is only one outcome for her.

Mr. Gotch gives a stellar performance as Posner, who is uncomfortable having to examine his former professor, but is willing to go against her do not resuscitate wishes  to continue researching the experimental treatment Vivian is receiving. Bracey’s character Susie stops Posner from resuscitating Vivian during one of the most traumatic scenes during the play. Ms Bracey is astounding as Susie. She and Mr. Gotch’s performances during the final scene are as intense as riding in a car when the brakes give out.

Don’t miss this production. It’s rare when you see such a satisfying, thought-provoking play that keeps your interest from beginning to end!

Wit plays at the Roselle Center for the Arts until May 10^th. Visit www.rep.udel.edu or call 302.831.2204 for tickets. 

Ain't Misbehavin'...DTC Is!

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. 

The joint’s indeed jumpin’ at the Delaware Theatre Company with the raucous and infectiously joyful Ain’t Misbehavin’. This 31-song revue of Fats Waller tunes captures the ebullient spirit of the Harlem Renaissance thanks to the direction of creator Richard Malby Jr. and a five-member cast that truly understands the many moods of the prolific composer, from the irreverent Fat and Greasy to the mournful Black and Blue.

Ain’t Misbehavin’ is a joyous celebration of Black America’s contribution to our culture. You’ll hear swing, the rhythms of ragtime, the passions of blues, jazz, be-bop, waltz and jitterbug all served up with a dash of double-entendre that hints at the nasty. Y ou’ll see movement from tap to the Charleston and back again, with everything in-between.  And all that accomplished with sass, brass and bountiful belting.

This revue contains the best of Waller’s songbook plus many tunes he performed and turned into hits. The cast — Doug Eskew, Eugene Fleming, Kecia Lewis, Cynthia Thomas and Debra Walton — seem to have as much fun as the audience singing and dancing to the numbers.

The cast coalesces beautifully into an ensemble in selections including The Joint is Jumpin’ and the irresistible title tune.  But everyone gets their turn in the spotlight as well.  Walton brings a lustrous elegance to Keepin’ Out of Mischief Now, while Lewis delivers an emotional and heartfelt Mean to Me. Thomas bring a ladylike come-hither to Squeeze Me, while Fleming slinks and slithers through the (literally) smokin’ The Viper. As for Eskew, he bears an uncanny resemblance to Waller with an outsized persona and vocals to match.  His take on Your Feet’s Too Big is uproarious.

The finale includes a medley of tunes Waller performed, including many he didn’t write. I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter, I Can’t Give You Anything But Love and It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie are all recognizable standards nicely sung.  And when the cast unleashes an ebullient reprise of Honeysuckle Rose, it becomes impossible to keep your toes from tapping.

The cast gets support from an ace five-piece jazz band. The conductor and pianist is William Foster McDaniel, whose flying fingers ably accommodate Waller’s stride technique.   The show plays out on Kacie Hultgren’s set, which evokes a cabaret/nightclub of yesteryear but does not crowd out Waller’s music.

Ain’t Misbehavin’ is Broadway’s first jukebox musical, making it one of 13 musicals that had a profound impact on the art form, according to a recent article in Playbill magazine. This production closes DTC’s 35th season as it commemorates the musical’s 35th anniversary.

This is an amazingly fun, toe-tapping experience. Fats Waller’s music deserves to be performed by talented and respectful performers. This cast will entertain you far beyond your expectations — Don’t miss this production!

See www.delawaretheatre.org.

An Evening of Chamber Music with the NSO & Guests

The United Methodist Church hosted both Newark Symphony Orchestra players and members of the University of Delaware Opera Theatre department for an evening of chamber music and song. It was a lively evening of music and an excellent opportunity to get to know the musicians of the NSO and their guest performers up close.

NSO Conductor Emeritus Roman Pawlowski

The first piece was the very difficult Beethoven Trio in C Major, Opus 87 for two oboes and English horn. This work, as Maestro Tartaglione said in his introduction, is an early, classical work by Beethoven. The harmonies and style show a great deal of Mozartian influence, and the first oboe has the bulk of the unflinchingly tough technical demands which Elizabeth Stevens certainly met, even though she had to fight her reed a tad in the Adagio. Cathy MacIntyre’s English horn came through with great smoothness and jollity, which, together with the smooth oboe tones of Susan Ritter, made all four movements a pleasure to hear.

The Woodwind Quintet in A-flat major, Opus 14, a piece by Gustav Holst which had been unearthed in 1978, was a fun, romantic romp which Michelle Webb (clarinet) obviously relished. Jennifer Hugh had a great night with the fairly demanding bassoon part as she led the Bel Canto quintet through the lush and romantic canon. It was a great opportunity to hear Bonnie McDonald’s horn playing and the silver sounds of Crystal Norman’s flute.

The UD Opera Theatre performers had four short and breezy opera selections which flew by.  All were conducted by Ian Christopher Passmore and accompanied by Paul Fleckenstein. Standouts were singers Kameron Ghanavati, tenor and Jessica Williams, soprano. You can hear more of their singing in the May performances of Puccini’s La Bohème.

The concert was crowned by a wonderful performance of Roman Pawlowski’s arrangement of Victor Ewald’s brass quintet — a wildly difficult piece which Maestro Pawlowski arranged for fourteen brass players. Casey Hesse’s trumpet sounds were both subtle and virtuosic as she soloed in the lush Russian work for which the reverberant church was a great acoustic setting. Current Maestro Tartaglione conducted and recognized former conductor Roman Pawlowski’s dedication to the Newark Symphony Orchestra. The theme of the concert, A Gift from Roman, was in evidence in his superbly crafted arrangement.

See www.newarksymphony.org.

Local Writers Works' Featured in "Wicked" New Anthology

Avaricious, cruel, depraved, envious, mean-spirited, vengeful—the wicked have been with us since the beginnings of humankind. You might recognize them and you might not. But make no mistake. When someone wicked crosses your path, your life will never be the same. Do you know someone wicked? You will.

This is the introduction to the Written Remains Writers Guild's new book, entitled Someone Wicked: A Written Remains Anthology.  The 21 stories in this work, released by Smart Rhino Publications, were written by members of the Guild and their friends and were edited by JM Reinbold and Weldon Burge. 

Initial reviews have been quite positive:
[From Barnes & Noble...]
"In one word: AWESOME! Smart Rhino Publications has done it again with a wonderful collection of stories, all on the theme of wickedness. Suspense, mystery, thrills ... all here!” 

“There is a lot to love about this book. First off, the cover really grabbed my attention and that is saying something. So many books are being released these days with book covers that make you laugh or wince, but this one is great. Luckily the best part of it isn't just the cover. The stories in here are rich and diverse. There really is something for almost anyone..."   

[From Goodreads...]
“I've just finished this delightfully twisted anthology. This is my first exposure to the Written Remains Writers Guild, but certainly will not be my last. The stories in this collection all revolve around the theme of characters that commit wicked acts of some sort..."
The Written Remains Writers Guild was founded in 2009 by a group of Delaware writers who believe that greater literary excellence and career success can be best achieved by working together, sharing knowledge, skills, and resources. The Guild supports groups and events such as the Writers' Breakfast, Delaware Writer's Network, Open Mic Night at Newark Arts Alliance, and several workshops and classes for authors at all skill levels.

The paperback and Kindle versions are currently available on Amazon.

The British Arrived for a World Premiere with WCO

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

On Sunday afternoon, March 23, the Wilmington Community Orchestra presented its The British Are Coming program at The Music School of Delaware in Wilmington. Its big splash was a World Premiere — a fairly rare experience for an amateur orchestra, the kind that plays for the love of it.  But indeed the composer is a professional: Dr. David Osbon, who had come from London to conduct his new work, a violin concerto written for local virtuoso Timothy Schwarz, also the orchestra's regular conductor.  Schwarz conducted the program's second half, which comprised most of the great British composer Sir Edward Elgar's masterpiece, The Enigma Variations.  Three variations were removed because of the enormous demands on rehearsal time to prepare the difficult violin concerto.

While the purpose of this blog is primarily to boost awareness of the rich artistic life of our community through reporting, there is also a side function — that of arts critic. This function is a traditional part of writing about the arts: Readers generally expect writers to offer an answer to, 'Well, how good was it?'  And that puts me in a tight spot because, in a word (six actually), I didn't like the new concerto.  At the same time, I am glad to report that many people did — many in the audience rose to their feet in appreciation, and there were many boisterous bravos!

Composer Osbon gave an extended, often humorous speech, along with conducting numerous excerpted examples of the music, to introduce his ambitious new work. He frequently used the descriptive word 'aggressive,' and indeed there was a lot of loud, high energy music. Even when calmer moments appeared, the composer seemed eager to return to the aggressive as soon as possible.  And the work was not a violin concerto in the usual sense, but rather an orchestral piece with many notes for the solo violin to play (some people say this about Stravinsky's violin concerto).  An exception was the virtuosic cadenza (violin alone) which featured swooping glissandi on one violin string while others sounded a gossamer background — an arresting novel effect. Still, the large quantity of fairly relentless rhythmic and tonal aggression in what is primarily a gestural compositional style was just not my cup of tea. (Perhaps I should also admit that I am not a fan of action movies.)  And I was reminded that I had a very similar reaction to a Philadelphia premiere, that of John Adams' City Noir with conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Philharmonic.  So, at least Osbon and the WCO are in good company, in terms of music I did not like!

I must credit Schwarz's skill and determination in the demanding solo part, and also credit the young percussion section, imported from the University of Delaware. The extensive and vigorous percussion writing had a unifying effect on the entire proceeding.

After intermission, The Enigma Variations were easier on the ears. The score is complicated, difficult in terms of both ensemble playing and playing in tune. Despite this, the conductor and orchestra communicated the music's tunefulness, harmonic richness, and great range of expression, from jauntiness to the sublime, especially in the ultra-romantic variation entitled Nimrod, which Elgar composed to honor his friend Jaeger. (Nimrod was a biblical hunter, and Jaeger is German for hunter.) Jaeger was the kind of friend (and Elgar's editor) who could convincingly say to the composer, 'keep going, keep writing,' even when Elgar was seriously assailed by doubts and discouragement.

Despite this mixed review, Schwarz, the orchestra, the Music School, and David Osbon are to be applauded for their ambition and dedication in presenting this program, which was plenty provocative. Osbon had visited and met the orchestra a year ago, and so his new concerto was a rigorous effort to feature the Wilmington Community Orchestra and its leader Timothy Schwarz.

Snapshots: Wicked Winter: The Sick of Winter Show

The Young Werewolves

Wicked Winter, The Talleyville Frame Shoppe and Gallery's annual late-winter art event featuring Dark, Weird, Eerie, Scary and Humorous works by area artists has rarely had a winter so deserving of a show dedicated to being sick of winter. Featuring live music from Philly's The Young Werewolves, the showcased artists include Joe Bellofatto, Robert Bickey, Adam Cruz, Ric Frane, Eric Hendrickson, Pat Higgins, Tina Marabito, Kristen Margiotta, Wendy M., Mark Rosenblatt, Ken Schuler and Matt Stankis. Artwork will remain on display through March 31.

Shop Local by Pat Higgins

In Loving Memory of Miss C. Ardinal by Wendy M.

New works by Tina Marabito and Kristen Margiotta

It Gets Cold When the Fire Goes Out by Ken Schuler

New works by Ric Frane

Junior (Nor the Second) by Mark Rosenblatt

Wrapped Up in 'Fur'

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.
 

While Fifty Shades of Grey reduces sadomasochism to handcuffs and spanking, David Ives’ Venus in Fur — although not above dog collars and riding crops — delves deeper into the complex relationship between dominance and submission in an erotically charged play that revels in ambiguity.

The first scene of Bootless Stageworks’ production of this Tony-nominated play finds Thomas (Sean Gallagher) — the director/playwright of an adaptation of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch’s scandalizing 1870 novella Venus in Furs — pacing around a dingy New York studio after a long day of auditions and complaining to his fiancée over the phone about the pathetic parade of ‘starlets.’ He wants nothing more than to go home when in storms the un-fashionably late Vanda (Kelly Warne), furiously shaking her umbrella and swearing about perverts on the subway. Vanda may share a name with Sacho-Masoch’s leading character, and she may have come at-the-ready in spike heels and black leather bustier, but at first glance she doesn’t seem any different from the other 35 ditzoids he’s seen that day.

That quickly changes when she cajoles Thomas into letting her audition for the part. That’s when things get interesting as the reading and role-playing turn into a tense, erotically-charged exchange. Soon, it becomes less and less clear who is directing and who is acting; who is choosing and who is supplicating. 

This is a play that depends heavily on its two actors, and director Rosanne DellAversano has done a superb job of casting. Obviously, Vanda is the meatier role, and Warne is wickedly masterful as she seamlessly transitions between the character’s various (at last count four) personae. In addition to the modern-day Vanda, the airheaded motor-mouth who dismisses Sacher-Masoch’s book as “porn” and the 19th Century Vanda, a haughty aristocrat with a Continental accent, there’s the seemingly intellectual Vanda who cites Greek mythology and offers cogent psychosexual insights. And she’s hilarious to boot. In the play’s comedic highlight, she lounges suggestively as a love goddess on the divan and, cooing an “I’ll be back” in a German accent that out-Schwarzeneggers even Schwarzenegger.  

Through it all, her motives remain tantalizingly mysterious. We never find out how she managed to get hold of a full script instead of just the select pages Thomas provided for the audition or how she was able to commit it to memory from what she claims was a “glance-through” while riding the subway. And how does she know so much about Thomas and his fiancée? Is she a desperate — and clever — actress, or some sort of operative? Or could she really be — as the periodic thunderclaps hint — a goddess? 

Gallagher’s turn as Thomas is far less theatrical, but he conveys the sinewy contours of a complex character with admirable subtlety that plays well off Warne.

This is a taut psychological play that forces us to reexamine our notions of power, gender and sex. Yet for all its sexual tension, for all its stated and implied social criticism, Venus in Fur is plain funny. Ives’ humor keeps it from degenerating into the tawdry and provides a welcome levity that balances the play’s darker themes.

Additional performances run March 15 at 8:00pm; March 16 at 3:00pm; March 20 at 7:30pm; March 21 at 8:00pm; and March 22 at 8:00pm at The Black Box at OperaDelaware Studios, 4 S. Poplar Street in Wilmington.

See www.bootless.org.

Album Review: Glim Dropper - Heartsick Phenomenon

By Guest Blogger, Don Tyler
Don is an aspiring writer living in Pike Creek with his two cats, Sam and Dave. He enjoys finding good coffee and even better live music.

There's been an incredible crop of talent popping up in the Wilmington region in the last couple of years, and one name that keeps coming up is Glim Dropper. This infectious trio from Philly is making a second home in Delaware after two successful performances at The WIlmo Rock Circus in 2012 & 2013, wowing audiences both years. And in September, they took their rightful place as winners of Delaware’s premier music competition, Musikarmageddon, after their second place showing in 2012. And now this…

Simply put, their new album, Heartsick Phenomenon, is an amazing record. The 10 songs on this album are simultaneously fresh and familiar. Driving and dreamy, melodramatic and melodic, it just hits you with hook after hook. Dan Kauffman’s vocals glide across the landscape in smooth arcs in a way that’s both inviting and introspective. Dan’s bass work on the album is surprisingly complex while complementing the arrangements without being overbearing. Live, he handles both of these roles with ease.

Ben Geise uses the guitar to drive the pieces and helps create their overall sound with a smart balance of effects. At times, overdriving riffs are juxtaposed against a wall of delay and reverb that helps draw you into the narrative. For audiophiles, it just creates another layer to the already engaging album. Ben was named WSTW’s Hometown Heroes Best Guitarist two years in a row, and it’s a deserving recognition.

All of this happens over the solid drumming of Rob Schnell. Rob’s drumming is intelligent and a perfect match for Dan and Ben. Finding the right moments to pop, while recognizing when to hold back and let the song do the work. His choices show that drumming is more than just speed or power, though he offers up plenty of both over the course of the album.

Rob kicks things off with the title track, a short welcome to the record that never relaxes in its enthusiasm. They then dive into Shanghai, which dives right into one of their strongest melodies from beat one. They take a dreamy breath that pulls you in during Night Doctor with one of Dan’s most enticing vocal performances, then take it up a notch with The Velvet Way To The Grave. Then comes the unexpected: A beautifully crafted acoustic piece called Hangman that is both haunting and optimistic. Second Sleep is a great complex tune. It ditches any sense of formula and dances around the beat in a way that keeps your guard up. They follow this up with two straightforward songs: the upbeat First World Problems and the mellow intensity of Better Life. Strangelove is for the rhythm addicts. A 12/8 gallop that uses the triplets to fool your brain into thinking it’s in 4/4, and using the intensity of that pulse during the verses to build the tension before resolving back to the 12/8. Brilliance. The album closes with the moody and reflective Another One, which gently lets you down off of this 41-minute ride.

If you haven’t seen Glim Dropper live, I highly suggest it, and when you do, buy this album and hand it to the person next you. Then buy one for yourself.

HIGHLIGHTS: Heartsick Phenomenon; Shanghai, Second Sleep, Strangelove.

See www.glimdropper.com. 

An Afternoon of Colorful Music with Mélomanie

By Guest Blogger, Chuck Holdeman
Chuck is a regional composer of lyrical, contemporary classical music, including opera, orchestral music, songs, chamber music, music for film, and music for educational purposes. www.chuckholdeman.com.
 
On Sunday afternoon, March 9 at the Delaware Center for Contemporary Arts, Mélomanie, Delaware's half-and-half chamber group (half baroque, half new music) played its third performance of its third program of the season. Themed "Ultraviolet," the program celebrated beloved longtime Wilmington Friends School music teacher Violet Richmond with the premiere of Ultraviolet, written in her honor by local composer Mark Hagerty. His piece Context also received its premiere, along with music by 18th Century composers G.P. Telemann and Anna Bon and 20th Century American composer, Alec Wilder. The virtuoso guest percussionist was Chris Hanning — a star in the international drumming firmament, and who, like Mélomanie flutist Kim Reighley, is on the faculty of West Chester University. Reighley also had a big day, performing in all five works on the program. 

Anna Bon di Venezia traveled with her parents as a prodigy, attended the music school where Vivaldi taught, and became a professional in the court in Bayreuth, Germany. While containing few surprises, her D major flute sonata is an extremely well-crafted example of the gallant style, which sounded beautiful on Reighley's wooden baroque flute, balanced so well with its harpsichord and baroque 'cello accompaniment. Telemann's A minor Paris Quartet, which opened the second half, was full of charming surprises, especially in its Coulant (flowing) middle movement — basically a set of variations interspersed with a beautiful ritornello. The unaccompanied flute and violin duet was striking, as was a solo variation, performed by Christof Richter on baroque violin. Viola de gamba player Donna Fournier also got a feature, and the tasteful continuo was provided by harpsichordist Tracy Richardson and Douglas McNames, baroque 'cello.

It was a rare treat to hear two new works by Mark Hagerty, a composer who has contributed so much to Mélomanie's repertoire, including his gorgeous Trois Rivieres, featured on the group's Florescence CD. I confess I'm a fan of Hagerty's work and have poured over his fascinating recordings. So it was a special pleasure to hear two works in which he seems to have broken new ground, also distinguished by the fact that Context and Ultraviolet have a virtually opposite point of view. Both use modern instruments, the former for alto flute and harpsichord, and the latter for the entire Mélomanie quintet with the addition of percussion. 

While Context is slow, meditative, with a limited though arresting arpeggiated harmonic palette, enhanced by the lovely timbres of the two instrumentalists, Ultraviolet has many highly contrasted episodes, and a completely unbuttoned point of view, including a rock-out drum solo, thrillingly improvised by Chris Hanning. But that is only one end of the spectrum, because the work begins and ends with the most delicate sounds of the ocean drum — John Cage would have enjoyed that these sounds balanced well with the building's ventilation system. In between there were numerous well-graded explorations, including a quiet shimmer of strings, delicately accented by metal interjections from a flute, a harpsichord string, or a bowed crotale. How surprising it was when a poetic harpsichord cadenza suddenly morphs into an uptempo ensemble romp, or when Reighley picked up her alto flute for a sensuous duet with the middle eastern doumbek drum. And since the theme was color — or anyway the imagined nuances of light frequencies normally invisible — Hagerty managed to excel with a succession of colorful instrumental combinations, often quasi static, but then bursting into rhythmic complexity. Bravo Mark! 

The program concluded with Alec Wilder's Flute and Bongos 1 and 2, composed in 1958, and still fresh and vital. Wilder wrote jazz standards as well as lots of classical chamber music, and we could hear his sophistication in both worlds. Reighley was virtuosic and Hanning's elaborate bongo drum accompaniment was apt and arresting. The drum part was so together with the flute, and so complicated, that I assumed it was all written out and then executed to perfection. Just now I read the program notes and found that Hanning was improvising — wow!

Mélomanie's next program at DCCA is Sunday, May 11, at 3:00pm. 

See www.melomanie.org. 

A Faust for All Tastes and Time

Heinz-Uwe Haus has created a very lively Faust Part I by Johann Wolfgang Goethe and made it both faithful to the original, yet modern in its conception. Man’s asking for more and yielding to temptation is not a time-bound issue. The modern flying and pyrotechnics and magic are only possible in our time, yet how well they are welded to the phantasmagoric effects Goethe had described in his story.

Mic Matarrese as Mephisto

Goethe had developed his Mephisto (Mephistopheles is the name Goethe used which is a badly constructed Greek word intended to mean one who shuns light) as a full-bodied character with emotions and impatience and a deep respect for the Lord whom he considers to be a worthy colleague. And Mic Matarrese (Mephisto) does not disappoint as he wheedles and befriends and convinces and conquers and provides that glorious mix of impatience, charm, and magic which our poor Dr. Faust swallows hook line and sinker.

Faust (Stephen Pelinski) creates a smooth transformation from the dried-up and world-weary professor to the hungry and rejuvenated fool whose appetite for carnal and other delights is whetted by Mephisto’s tricks and promises. Pelinski’s Faust is a cynic whose slow yielding to temptation has a beautifully gradual unveiling. His fascination with Margarete is complex, and he shows that complexity as he struggles with his lust and his love. Margarete/Gretchen (Sara J. Griffin) also makes her character more than just a girl who is duped – she goes through the transformation from lonely cherub to fallen angel slowly and painfully – starting with the joy of love and innocence and falling into sin without losing her unblemished spirit.

The tale is most beautifully told in verse created by Dr. Haus from his own translations and selected public domain translations, and translations by two unidentified UD scholars. The musical interludes are so seamlessly inserted by Ryan Touhey’s keyboard and percussion that it seemed the music was coming from the performers on stage. Mic Matarrese’s perfect gestures as he pulled music out of his walking stick or played the guitar are quite convincing. I will protect the secrets of the pyrotechnics by telling you Celebration Fireworks knows what they are doing and I must compliment FOY and the fearlessness of Elizabeth Heflin as the flying witch, Lee Ernst as the Lord hovering in heaven and Matarrese’s Mephisto buzzing in the rafters of the church.

Credit is due for special effects (hats off to Waldo Warshaw) but I can’t spoil your fun by telling you what they are. You will know when you see the bar scene with Mephisto, Faust and some lively drunken singers. The costumes are quite striking and the transitions as characters change, transform and transmogrify deserve a hand as well. The play runs until March 23, 2014.

See www.rep.udel.edu.

Congrats to DE Arts Info Blogger Jessica Graae for 5 Homey Awards Noms!

Cheers to Wilmington singer-songwriter and Delaware Arts Info blogger, Jessica Graae, whose debut album, Gypsy Blood, has garnered her five nominations at tonight's Homey Awards!

Gyspy Blood is a stirring acoustic album with tracks that delve deep, lyrically and vocally, with themes that range from the hopeful to the melancholy. The darkly atmospheric opening opening track, "Find Me a Rose," has been nominated for Best Song, though it's tough picking a favorite out of the 13 songs (but not impossible: my personal favorite is "Clear as a Line"). You can check out the album on Jessica's Reverbnation page.

The 8th Annual Homey Awards and Concert is happening tonight at World Cafe Live at the Queen, with a live performance of "Find Me a Rose" from Jessica, as well as performances by John Dutton, Amelia Scalies, and BlackRue, and live sets by The Joe Trainor Trio, Glim Dropper, The Great SOCIO, and June Divided.

Congrats to all of the nominees! Check out our rave reviews of fellow nominees Hot Breakfast and Angela Sheik by clicking the links!

Tickets are just $10. The full list of nominees is after the jump:

Sunshine on Leith Has Its US Debut in Delaware

The Scottish musical Sunshine on Leith, featuring songs by The Proclaimers, has never had a production outside of the United Kingdom -- until now. Under the direction of Allyson Good (the DE Shakespeare Festival's Education Coordinator and Poetry Out Loud State Coordinator), the heartfelt story of love, family, and community made its US debut on the amateur stage of the Wilmington Christian School.

It's a challenging show, not just with the required vocal harmonies and choreography, but because it tackles a modified version of the Leith dialect (the true dialect, Good explains, would be nearly impossible for the audience to understand). It's clear the actors spent a lot of time working on the accents, both in the dialogue and in the song lyrics.

The present-day story centers on Davy (Jeremy Gouveia in the production's standout performance) and Ally (Daniel Jacobson), two friends returning home to the working-class Leith section of Edinburgh after serving in the war in Afghanistan. They land jobs, hang out at the pub, and think about their futures. Davy's sister Liz (standout Katie Barton), who is also Ally's girlfriend, is restless. Through Liz, Davy meets her friend an fellow nurse, Yvonne (Kaylene Mummert), a young English woman, and they fall in love. Meanwhile, Davy and Liz's parents, Rab (Peter Spangler/Isaac Barrick in flasback) and Jean (standout Christina Sanders) hit a rough patch as they celebrate a milestone anniversary.

The youth cast handled the material well, from the stirring opening featuring "Sky Takes My Soul" to the popular "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" in the finale. Though the story is rooted in a community far away, it's one that transcends place and time; Wilmington Christian should be very proud.

Justice Prevails in the Delaware Theater Company’s production of "The Exonerated"

Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen's gripping play The Exonerated explores the unjust treatment six individuals experience with the US legal system. Brilliantly intertwining multiple true stories about individuals who were wrongly charged for murder and sentenced to death, The Exonerated is a 90-minute play that captivates from beginning to end. With a stark tiered set, director David Bradley puts the focus on his actors and the stories they are sharing.

Majority of the play is made up of soliloquies by the ensemble cast. David Alan Anderson, Megan Bellwoar, Akeem Davis, Anthony Lawton, Frank X, and William Zielinski portray the incarcerated characters, along with Tom Byrn, Dan Hodge, Aime Donna Kelly, and Susan Riley Stevens who play various roles, including police officers and spouses of the convicted individuals. Great sympathy is felt for the convicted as they express the sorrow for time lost with their children and loved ones, and
knowing the real murderers are free while they endure imprisonment.

The entire cast gives exceptional performances. Using only chairs as props, the actors have the great task of keeping the audience engaged, which they all successfully accomplish. Not needing a set, the actors fill the stage with their moving stories, which reveal the flawed practices within our justice system and the harsh realities of life in prison.

The previous production I saw of The Exonerated had the cast sitting in a row of chairs reading the script, similar to DCT’s wonderful production of Love, Loss, and What I Wore. However, Mr. Bradley has his actors moving and at times interacting in small scenes. (Only Mr. X wasn’t able to participate in the interaction with his fellow actors. Unfortunately, he fell when exiting the raised stage the day before the performance I attended; leaving him injured. Being a real professional, Mr. X sat in a chair on the side of the stage performing his role as an 18-year-old African-American man who was convicted for a murder based on the color of his skin.) Having the actors in motion added a new element to the play that brought it to life. This production feels complete rather than just a reading.  

The Exonerated runs through March 9, at The Delaware Theatre Company. Visit www.delawaretheatre.org or call 302.594.1100 for additional information and to purchase tickets.

First State Ballet Theatre Unveils a Killer Production in Irene

The World Premiere of Irene, written and composed by Shaun Dougherty and choreographed by Alex Buckner, lived up to expectations (I can honestly say it exceeded mine, and I'm pretty picky when it comes to the vampire genre in general). It's too bad that the production was a one-night-only event. It's the kind of production that needs word-of-mouth and general buzz to draw people who might not ordinarily spend an evening at the ballet, but who would undoubtedly love this show. 

Vampires and ballet go together uncannily well -- there's something about the grace, the fluid movements, and charisma ballet can offer that makes it work really, really well. And with its impeccable choreography, the most violent moments of Irene capture the horror, without even a drop of blood.

The atmospheric, dark score blends classical and contemporary music; the 9-piece orchestra, led by Conductor Clint Williams, is dominated by strings, with Dougherty on electric guitar. This is not what I would call a rock 'n roll ballet any more than it's a traditional one -- but the modern, electric bass and guitar elements give it an edge that fits the gothic style of the story.

Thought it has twists, the story is straightforward enough to follow easily, even for those not accustomed to watching stories told in dance (the beautiful costumes by Joanne Epstein, Traci Eizember and Paige Obara also help keep the characters straight). Emily Shenaut plays Irene, a young ballerina who finds that the prestigious ballet company she's been accepted into is, in fact, a company of vampires, led by Malekeh (Mary Kate Reynolds) and Liam (Leonid Goykhman), with a pair of vampire henchmen lovers, Lily and James (Aubrey Clemens and Jake Nowicki), stalking her throughout as she tries to escape the nightmare Though there is a goth-romantic feel to the story, the vampires are clearly monsters, despite their graceful beauty, and the vampire killings, of which there are several, are so horrific that Irene attempts suicide after witnessing them. Seemingly less monstrous is Maeve (Rie Aoki), Makela's apprentice, who portrays an more innocent and kind spirit -- but are her intentions really to help Irene?

Through all of this is a love story between Irene and her boyfriend Ethan (Justin Estelle), who spends most of the story trying to protect or save Irene from the vampires. The audience knows a little more about Ethan than Irene does (I almost wished we didn't), and their arc carries through from beginning to end.

Here's hoping that Irene comes back in future seasons.

Looking for Something Different This Weekend? How About a Vampire Ballet?

"When was the last time you saw a professionally performed classical and contemporary ballet with live musicians about vampires?" asks Shaun Dougherty, creator and composer of Irene, First State Ballet Theatre's unique new production, premiering for one show only this Friday, February 21, at The Grand Opera House.

It's really a rhetorical question. While Wilmington has seen some dark ballet, thanks to Fringe Wilmington, a vampire ballet is something new, made only more enticing by the fact that this is a FSBT original. The story centers around Irene, a beautiful young dancer who joins the most prestigious ballet company in the world and finds herself struggling with mysterious odd rehearsal schedules and constant late-night parties.

Dougherty, a musician who is primarily a jazz and rock guitarist, got hooked on ballet thanks the location of his teaching studio -- inside The Grand, where FSBT is also located.

"I met (FSBT director) Pasha casually, and just started going to all their performances," says Dougherty. "They're a very professional and talented school. Once the ballet idea popped into my head, I literally just walked into their office one day and pitched my idea. After several more chats, we all agreed this is something we can and should do, and here we are!"

Irene aims to bring the beauty of the ballet to a new audience, while appealing to established ballet fans, with a mix of classical and contemporary music and its seductive horror theme.

"There is a lot of talent here in little Delaware," says Dougherty, "and this is what I do -- I write original music and put together shows. This is my love, this is my passion and I want people to enrich their lives with  the beauty of ballet. I'm just along for the ride."

Purchase tickets at ticketsatthegrand.org.

Snapshots from the DE Premiere of Jeremy O'Keefe's Somewhere Slow

Wilmington native Jeremy O'Keefe's second feature film, Somewhere Slow, had its Delaware premiere over the weekend at the Wilmington Drama League, with a red-carpet reception and two big-screen showings. Enthusiastic audiences got the chance to Q&A with O'Keefe and star Graham Patrick Martin ("Major Crimes," "Two and a Half Men"), who shared some behind-the-scenes stories and in-depth conversation about the darkly comic drama. (Fun Fact: in it's earliest incarnation, it was a Rom-Com!) If you missed the screenings of this moving "grown-up coming of age" film (and it really is a great film, regardless of our Delaware bias), it's available now to rent or purchase on iTunes and Amazon Instant Video!

Graham Patrick Martin and Jeremy O'Keefe with WDL Production Manager Kathy Buterbaugh

Martin and O'Keefe's Q&A, with moderator Elizabeth Lockman

Somewhere Slow Q&A, 2/15/14

Hiker’s Art at Blue Ball Barn: Alapocas through the seasons

Program leader Lynn McDowell's Stream and Sky

When Delaware State Park employee Elizabeth Drummond and photographer Lynn McDowell began guiding public nature hikes with photography in mind, the results were a wonderful mix of photographic talent, healthful hikes and…now…a photography exhibit in the Blue Ball Barn  of Alapocas Run State Park.

After a year of Ms. Drummond encouraging people to hike and look carefully and Ms. McDowell telling the hikers to look with a camera, the two realized that they had amassed some impressive photographs.  Their hiker companions used cell phones and digital cameras and brought myriad levels of experience to the project, but the collaboration seems to have inspired one and all to view the seasons with creativity and imagination. 

Gavin's Reaching for the Sky

The youngest photographer whose work is on display is Gavin, 12, who attended the opening with his father and brother.  Gavin had taken a photograph of a dead tree from an angle where you see the trunk, but he managed to get the lacework of black twigs in perfect focus against a purplish blue winter sky.  The quality of the photograph makes it hard to believe he took it with a Panasonic Point and Shoot.



Don Thureau's Snake on the Rocks

On the far wall was a photograph which seemed to be of a swirl of colored autumn leaves.  Up close, you can see it is a snake which photographer Don Thureau photographed just as he extended his bright red tongue as he contemplated his human audience. 

Virginia Lockman's A Spider's Web

With McDowell’s encouragement, Virginia Lockman took a dramatic picture of a spider web.  McDowell decided to bring out the light by spraying the web with droplets of water which made a prismatic effect.

The project truly seems to have taken hold, with the joy and exuberance of both professional and amateur photographers excited to collaborate and capture the beauty of the Delaware State Parks on their hikes. The exhibit will be on display at Blue Ball Barn through March 16.

See DEstateparks.com. 

Don't Miss the Delaware premiere of Jeremy O'Keefe's acclaimed film Somewhere Slow, Benefiting the WDL

Climb out of your snow-and-ice-filled funk this weekend and celebrate the Wilmington Drama League's Delaware premiere of Jeremy O'Keefe's award-winning film Somewhere Slow, starring Jessalyn Gilsig ("Glee," "Nip/Tuck") and Graham Patrick Martin ("Major Crimes," "Two and a Half Men") with Lindsay Crouse and Robert Forster.

More than a screening, the premiere is your chance to meet the writer and director, Delaware native Jeremy O'Keefe and star Graham Patrick Martin, while raising funds for the Wilmington Drama League.

Somewhere Slow is O'Keefe's second feature film, and the second to take place at least partially in Delaware (his first feature, Wrestling, was shot on location in Wilmington).

There is no better place than Wilmington Drama League for the Delaware premiere of the film the Los Angeles Times called "frequently affecting and mordantly funny" and the New York Times declared "wonderful."

"The WDL gave me my first opportunity to write and direct back when I was 12, and then each year after that before I went to college," says O'Keefe, who grew up in the Highlands/Trolley Square neighborhood and attended Cab when it was still only a middle school and graduated from A.I. du Pont in 1998. "I directed a young Keith Powell ("30 Rock") in the one-act play festival and a young Aubrey Plaza in my mainstage production of Here's Love -- and it was the belief of the members of the WDL and the community that supports this wonderful and magical theatre that gave me the strength and confidence to pursue the arts at a professional level. I owe any career that I might have to the WDL."

While his debut feature film, Wrestling, was a triumph, Somewhere Slow shows his progression in the industry, as respect for his work continues to grow. The film's stars, who went all-in as producers, make their confidence clear.

"The script grabbed me immediately," says Gilsig. "Sometimes you read something and think, 'I want to go there, I want to explore that story, that world.' Jeremy and I agreed to partner on the project in hopes of pooling our resources and seeing if we could get the film made while retaining the original vision he had. It’s been a long and varied road but entirely rewarding, especially now that it is reaching and audience and they are connecting the story the way I did originally."

Martin, who will be on hand for Q&As after the screenings, was similarly drawn to the script. "It's rare to find a script like this one that felt so raw and real -- there were no gimmicks at all," he says. "It was my first time working as the lead role in a film, which added a certain amount of pressure. Jeremy made me feel completely comfortable and confident in my work. I also loved how he worked more as a collaborator than a director. It was always a group effort and everyone's input mattered to him. That's pretty special."

"I think of the film as a beautiful short story," Gilsig says. "It explores the fantasy of: what if you could just stop the world and step off for a moment? Anna and Travis' love story is unsustainable but it’s a moment in time, and a moment they will be able to refer back to for the rest of their lives. It feels relatable to me. And I hope is an unexpected and effective escape for the audience."

Somewhere Slow premieres in Delaware this Saturday at 8:00 pm and Sunday at 2:00 pm at the Wilmington Drama League. Regular admission is $15; VIP tickets for Saturday evening, including a meet and greet with O'Keefe and Martin, preferred seating, a pre-screening coctkail reception and admission to the after-party, are $50. Proceeds benefit Wilmington Drama League. Purchase tickets via wilmingtondramaleague.org/somewhere-slow/.

A Romantic Russian Afternoon with WCO

The Wilmington Community Orchestra performed the Russian Easter Overture, Opus 36 by Nickolai Rimsky-Korsakov and in doing so showed off some of the talented players. Larry Hamermesh, concertmaster, played his solos with panache and the clarinet work of Anthony Pantelopulos and Michelle Webb was a delight. Melinda Bowman’s soaring and delicate flute lines created a spider web of texture for the orchestra. Barry Morris, Pete Witherell and Jim Yurasek took on the demanding trombone parts with ease and it sounded great. I was also delighted to hear the double basses shine in their rhythmic underpinning to the very striking overture.

Charles Abramovic, piano

But when Charles Abramovic began to play the Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major by Franz Liszt, I could not listen to anything but the amazing piano sounds. Mr. Abramovic is an excellent pianist, but I had heard him play mainly modern piano music before this concert, so I was overwhelmed by his ability to make the piano notes ring and reverberate with the sort of perfect declamatory sound that is so characteristic of romantic music. The concerto is an unbelievable tour de force technically, but Mr. Abramovic seemed unconcerned by notes and dedicated to following the conductor and the orchestra. His dynamic control was superb and he had passages where he had to put a theme forward and have all twenty other fingers play rather quietly in the background. In the finale of the concerto, he played a resounding fortissimo which went deep into the keyboard to produce a ringing and resonant echo for the orchestra. It was quite a feat and he richly deserved the booming applause.

Dr. Schwartz spoke of the excitement of a premier on March 23, when the WCO will host the unveiling of a violin concerto composed specifically for the Wilmington Community Orchestra by English composer David Osbon, who came to hear them last year when they were rehearsing for another concert. The composer will conduct while the conductor plays the concerto.


See www.musicschoolofdelaware.org.

Igor & Elvis...A Pair Not to be Missed!

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

Tuesday evening's Delaware Symphony concert — the second in its elegant chamber music series in the Hotel DuPont's Gold Ballroom — was perhaps the quirkiest ever presented there. It featured bassoonist Jon Gaarder impersonating Elvis, in full regalia, performing composer Michael Daugherty's Dead Elvis, written in 1993 and incorporating the well-known chant for wrath of judgment day, the Dies Irae. As a former DSO bassoonist myself who performed this work in 2008, I took great pleasure in witnessing the whole wacky spectacle from the outside.

Daugherty chose the same instrumentation as Stravinsky's Soldier's Tale, a septet mixture of woodwinds, brass, strings, and percussion, the work which comprised the second half of Tuesday's concert. And speaking as primarily a composer now, I can continue to wonder — how did Stravinsky do it? There is a certain thinness in the texture with so few colors from each family of instruments, but this results in a wonderful clarity, a bracing zap to the ear of each instrument's declamation.

Perhaps the most poignant and plaintive movement was the duet for Gaarder's bassoon and Jonathan Troy's clarinet — so few notes and so much expression. The chorales near the end were gorgeous, but how 'bout the romping rhythms of the marches, the ragtime, and other dances? DSO concertmaster David Southorn was brilliant in the athletically demanding violin part; in time his Tango may become even more sly. All this is in the service of a Russian folk tale, a version by Swiss author C. F. Ramuz, originally in French. Conductor David Amado explained how the standard English translation can sound stilted and even boring, and so Amado undertook his own edited revision, very successful to this listener.

I particularly enjoyed the use of lots of rhyming, and also references to our time and place- the soldier marches "between Lums Pond and Bear," and at another point is treated to chicken wings. Three readers told the story: OperaDelaware's Brendan Cooke as the soldier, joined by two Delaware Theater Company executives, Bud Martin as a wittily sarcastic Devil, and Charles Conway as the Narrator. The large audience was uninhibited in both laughter and applause.

For Dead Elvis, Gaarder chose a sparkly white jumpsuit, white shoes, a thick (not really greasy) wig, and giant shades. He sauntered on stage with characteristic Elvis gestures and wiggles, and also smoothed his locks during the music's sudden pregnant pauses. The music is a study in zany extremes, the bassoon screaming to its ultimate high E or plummeting to its grotesque low B-flat. The tiny E-flat clarinet screeches, the trombone wails its glissandi, the drummer, the DSO's veteran master Bill Kerrigan, flails his collection of bells and other high-pitched gadgets.

I highly recommend this most entertaining and musically rewarding show which will be repeated Friday night, January 31 at 7:30 PM at the Queen Theater, World Cafe Live. The next two DSO concerts at the Hotel DuPont are on February 25 and April 1.

See www.delawaresymphony.org.