{"id":32667,"date":"2016-11-14T08:58:27","date_gmt":"2016-11-14T13:58:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=32667"},"modified":"2016-11-14T08:58:33","modified_gmt":"2016-11-14T13:58:33","slug":"on-stage-even-more-edgier-broadway-comes-to-delaware-this-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=32667","title":{"rendered":"On Stage (Even More!): Edgier Broadway comes to Delaware this week"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>,\u00a0<\/span>Staff Writer, The Times<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.<\/p><\/div>\n

In recent years, the lineup of national tours of Broadway plays and musicals has been fairly predictable \u2013 and relatively safe. So many of the shows are either popular standards such as \u201cWicked,\u201d \u201cAnnie\u201d or \u201cBeauty and the Beast\u201d or revivals of old hits such as \u201cSound of Music\u201d or \u201cMusic Man.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Fortunately, there are a few new shows popping up on the area calendar this season including \u201cA Gentleman\u2019s Guide to Love & Murder,\u201d which is running from November 15-20 at the Playhouse on Rodney Square (10th and Market streets, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-888-0200, www.<\/span>duponttheatre.com<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA Gentleman\u2019s Guide to Love & Murder\u201d is a musical comedy, with the book and lyrics by Robert L. Freedman<\/span><\/a> and the music and lyrics by Steven Lutvak. It is based on the 1907 novel \u201cIsrael Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal\u201d by Roy Horniman. <\/span><\/a>The show opened on Broadway<\/span><\/a> at the Walter Kerr Theatre<\/span><\/a> November 17, 2013 and ran until January 17, 2016. The Broadway production won four Tonys<\/span><\/a> at the 68th Tony Awards<\/span><\/a> in June 2014, including \u201cBest Musical<\/span><\/a>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The show tells the uproarious story of Monty Navarro, an heir to a family fortune who sets out to jump the line of succession by eliminating the eight pesky relatives who stand in his way. All the while, Monty has to juggle his mistress (she\u2019s after more than just love), his fianc\u00e9e (she\u2019s his cousin but who\u2019s keeping track?), and the constant threat of landing behind bars. For Monty, it will all be worth it if he can slay his way to his inheritance\u2026 and be done in time for tea.<\/span><\/p>\n

When the curtain goes up for the start of the show, a group dressed in mourning enter and advise \u201cthose of you of weaker constitution\u201d to leave the theater, as the show may prove disturbing. In 1909, Lord Montague \u201cMonty\u201d D\u2019Ysquith Navarro, Ninth Earl of Highhurst, is in jail. He says that he is writing his memoirs on the eve of his possible execution, and that his story could be called \u201cA Gentleman\u2019s Guide to Love and Murder.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The cast of the national tour features Kevin Massey as Monty, Kristen Beth Williams as Sibella Hallward and Kristen Hahn as Phoebe D\u2019Ysquith.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI saw \u2018A Gentleman\u2019s Guide to Love & Murder\u2019 two times in its first year on Broadway,\u201d said Williams, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Hershey.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI went the first time because I\u2019m a Tony Awards voter. Then, they invited the voters to come back and see the show again in the spring. It was witty, fun and exciting \u2013 not like other shows that were in formulas we had seen before. Everything about the show impressed me \u2013 the costumes, the story, the music.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe set design is like Monty Python meets Downton Abbey. The costumes by Linda Cho won the Tony Award for \u201cBest Costume Design.\u201d She\u2019s so stunning. The music was interesting \u2013 classic Loerner and Lowe and also Sondheim-esque.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Williams was not only impressed \u2013 she was enticed by the show.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I first saw it, I thought \u2013 Sibella, that\u2019s the part I want to play. I was never available for Broadway when it opened because I was in London playing in \u2018Top Hat.\u2019 I auditioned for the tour in March 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis musical has been referred to as \u2018the little show that could.\u2019 It took the writers 11 years to get the show to Broadway. When it opened on Broadway, it was a quiet sleeper hit. When it got 10 Tony nominations, it blew up. It\u2019s clever, witty and impeccably put together. It feels really good to work on a new show \u2013 qa new original piece of theater.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMonty is a poor young man who finds out he\u2019s no as poor as he thought \u2013 that he\u2019s eighth in line for a large fortune and a title. In order to win the hand of his love Sibella, he starts on a devious murdering path. There are eight deaths and each is more outlandish and cartoonish.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAudiences love this show because it\u2019s a wonderful departure from everyday life. It takes you into a different world. It\u2019s a chance to escape for two-and-a-half hours and laugh. It\u2019s very funny and very farcical.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for \u201cA Gentleman\u2019s Guide to Love & Murder\u201d — https:\/\/youtu.be\/So5xHDuetgQ?t=3<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show will run from November 15-20 with evening performances Tuesday-Saturday and matinee shows on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Ticket prices range from $40-$90.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\"Xylo\"<\/a>

Xylo<\/p><\/div>\n

On November 14, Union Transfer will host the area debut by a talented new act from southern California \u2013 XYL\u00d8.<\/span><\/p>\n

Producer\/songwriter Chase Duddy and vocalist Paige Duddy have teamed up become the alternative rock duo XYL\u00d8. Mixing melodic, dark, lustful vocals with an atmospheric blend of indie rock, electronica, and dirty hip-hop beats they have drawn early comparisons to the likes of Lorde and Lana Del Rey.<\/span><\/p>\n

With the first four tracks they made available online \u2013 \u201cAmerica,\u201d \u201cAfterlife,\u201d \u201cBetween the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea\u201d and \u201cL.A. Love Song\u201d — they\u2019ve garnered millions of streams independently.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA few years ago, Paige and I started messing around with music when she was in early high school,\u201d said Chase. \u201cIt was about three years ago that we started messing around with the XYL\u00d8 sound.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

The duo first found success with their debut track \u201cAmerica,\u201d a hazy pop ballad about love and freedom that was featured in an online PacSun commercial staring Kendall and Kylie Jenner.\u00a0 The internet lit up in response and the track garnered over 1.6 million listens on Soundcloud, as well as reached #1 on Hypemachine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAt the time, I was doing music for adverts for different brands,\u201d said Chase. \u201cI was working on one and thought it would be fun to have Paige come on. It was a PacSun commercial staring Kendall and Kylie Jenner. I was really busy that year and had Paige work with me on all the stuff.<\/span><\/p>\n

Paige said, \u201cAfter \u2018America;\u2019, we got so much good reaction on the internet, it confirmed what we were doing \u2013 that it would be silly for us to not continue. So, we buckled down and took it seriously. We went into the studio and put \u2018America\u2019 out as a single. It all happened very quickly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The two musicians have their own recording gear and lots of inspiration.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe record all our stuff digitally,\u201d said Chase. \u201cWe keep everything in the box and go from there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Paige said, \u201cWe have tons of songs. We\u2019ve been writing for an album but no release date has even been set. Right now, with the music we\u2019re making and our demographic, an album isn\u2019t necessary.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

XYL\u00d8 released the debut EP America in early 2016. The duo recently released its new track \u201cGossip.\u201d The instrumental version of the track was also featured in the recent Apple keynote for their new AirPods.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re on tour right now and then we\u2019ll be home on December for some headline shows,\u201d said Paige. \u201cWe\u2019re doing a new song and music video in December and then our own headlining tour across the states early in 2017.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for XYL\u00d8 — https:\/\/youtu.be\/XiRMPMZ6BPY?t=4<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Union Transfer, which also features The Naked and Famous and The Chain gang of 1974, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $29.50.<\/span><\/p>\n

David Berkeley may live in the Southwest \u2013 Santa Fe, New Mexico \u2013 but he has been a sailor of sorts lately. He and British singer-songwriter Ben Parker have gone nautical with their new project Town Hall. The premise is that they are sailors on the sea in the late 1800s.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Son<\/a>

Son of Town Hall<\/p><\/div>\n

On November 14, they will bring Son of Town Hall to the area for a show at Bourbon and Branch (705 North Second Street, Philadelphia, 215-238-0660, bourbonandbranchphilly.com<\/span><\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a duo,\u201d said Berkeley, during a phoebe interview last Wednesday from his home in Santa Fe. \u201cThe songs are full of harmonies. It\u2019s our first collaboration \u2013 our first songs together.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWith the shows on this tour, we wear Victorian clothing and present ourselves as a late 1800s act. The songs were written on a raft as we travelled from England to America. It\u2019s performed very deadpan.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe songs are moving and powerful. There is a lot of catharsis. The songs follow the narrative of a guy who leaves England for the New World. He\u2019s dazzled by America and it overwhelms him. The resonance comes from those themes from a different era that are relevant today.<\/span><\/p>\n

When Berkeley forts toured England several years ago, he toured the country with Parker and they became close friends.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBen is a great songwriter and he\u2019s played as a side man for a number of really good bands in Europe,\u201d said Berkeley. \u201cWe had a great time together on the road and we\u2019ve wanted to do something together for a while. There\u2019s something about the tendencies of performers who are harmony-based \u2013 a real emotional effect.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOn this tour, a town crier starts the show. Both guys are on a raft and we pepper the performance with readings about the sea. This is one of our first performances on dry land. Most of the songs are land songs but we wrote them on a raft \u2013 men at sea longing foir land. They don\u2019t feel like old folk songs.\u00a0 They feel current. We tried to write lyrics that can work in both worlds.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The audiences have bought into the nautical\/Victorian vibe.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a book \u2013 a ship\u2019s log \u2013 and people form the audience write in it \u2013 including things like co-ordinates of the location and email addresses. The merchandise table is presented as a dry goods store. The people in the audience become players. There are a lot of sing-aloings and some audience members dress up in Victorian clothes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Son of Town Hall \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/SsZ31EgSFrE?t=1<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Bourbon & Branch will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mayday Parade is a rock band that formed in Tallahassee, Florida 10 years ago. The band\u2019s debut EP \u201cTales Told by Dead Friends\u201d was released in 2006, and sold over 50,000 copies without any label support. Mayday Parade is now on tour \u2013 with a stop on November 14 at the Foundry at Fillmore Philadelphia (1100 Canal Street, Philadelphia, 215-309-0150, www.thefillmorephilly.com<\/span><\/a>) \u2013 and the band has delivered a special treat for its fans.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Florida quintet — Derek Sanders, Alex Garcia, Brooks Betts, Jeremy Lenzo and Jake Bundrick — just released a special anniversary edition of its debut EP \u201cTales Told By Dead Friends\u201d on November 1. \u00a0to release on Nov. 11.\u00a0In addition to being remixed and remastered, the \u201cTales Told By Dead Friends: Anniversary Edition\u201d will include a brand new studio track titled \u201cThe Problem With The Big Picture Is That It’s Hard To See.\u201d\u00a0The EP will be available as a limited edition 10-inch featuring exclusive glow-in-the-dark deluxe packaging and a 12-page commemorative book.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor this tour, we\u2019re doing the 10<\/span>th<\/sup><\/span> anniversary edition of the EP,\u201d said Garcia, during a phone interview Wednesday as the band was getting ready for pre-tour rehearsals at its studio in Tallahassee.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd, we\u2019re playing some other older songs that we don\u2019t usually play in our set. We\u2019re trying to go through the songs and get the set list together right now. It will be a fun tour.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to be playing the EP from start-to-finish \u2013 including \u2018The Problem With The Big Picture Is That It’s Hard To See.\u2019 We\u2019re also going to throw in some other songs \u2013 some different songs fans haven\u2019t heard live \u2013 to make this special. It\u2019s pretty much a treat for our long-time fans.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEvery year, we always do a big fall tour. This time, it\u2019s something special for our fans. We wanted to do something more intimate so we\u2019re playing small rooms in every city instead of the larger venues where we usually play. We wanted to do something different and change it up. Small rooms allow us to play different songs. We\u2019ll even be playing some a acoustic songs. It will have intimacy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mayday Parade had a busy summer touring across the U.S. on the Main Stage of the Vans Warped Tour 2016. The band has been touring in support of new album\u00a0\u201cBlack Lines,\u201d which debuted at #1 on Billboard\u2019s Rock Albums Chart and #1 on the Alternative Albums Chart. Melodically diverse, the collection of 12 hard-hitting tracks blends driving rock riffs with the band signature heartfelt lyrics.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe releasd \u2018Black Lines\u2019 last year and all the touring since then has been based around the album,\u201d said Garcia. \u201cWe toutrd the states qa couple times and we\u2019ve toured in the U.K. and Europe. This tour is a break from that.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis tour will wrap up the cycle. After that, we\u2019ll get home and talk about writing for our next album and going down that process. Everyone is writing individually and getting ideas together.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Mayday Parade — https:\/\/youtu.be\/ODPgSDOgCHY?t=5<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at The Foundry, which also features Modern Chemistry, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $22.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff,\u00a0Staff Writer, The Times In recent years, the lineup of national tours of Broadway plays and musicals has been fairly predictable \u2013 and relatively safe. So many of the shows are either popular standards such as \u201cWicked,\u201d \u201cAnnie\u201d or \u201cBeauty and the Beast\u201d or revivals of old hits such as \u201cSound of Music\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32669,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8457],"tags":[9115,7426,9117,9116],"class_list":["post-32667","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-a-genlemans-guide-to-love-and-murder","tag-featured","tag-son-of-town-hall","tag-xylo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32667","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=32667"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32667\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32668,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32667\/revisions\/32668"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/32669"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=32667"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=32667"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=32667"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}