{"id":48455,"date":"2021-06-17T08:28:44","date_gmt":"2021-06-17T12:28:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=48455"},"modified":"2021-06-17T08:28:47","modified_gmt":"2021-06-17T12:28:47","slug":"on-stage-relive-the-music-of-the-60s-with-beehive-the-musical","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=48455","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Relive the music of the 60’s with Beehive: The Musical"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The second show of the 2021-2022 season of Candlelight Theatre (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware,\u00a0www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org<\/a>) has arrived and has audiences dancing in their seats, smiling and laughing.<\/p>\n

The new production is \u201cBeehive: The 1960\u2019s Musical.\u201d<\/p>\n

The members of the all-female cast ask audiences to join them for this rollicking musical tribute to the ladies who left their mark on the music of the 60s. With big voices and bigger hairdos,\u00a0\u201cBeehive\u201d\u00a0will have audience members dancing in the aisles and singing along with many of the iconic songs from the past.<\/p>\n

The show, which was created by Larry Gallagher,\u00a0is a celebration of the powerful female voices of the 1960s. This musical review will transport audiences with timeless hits such as \u201cMe and Bobby McGee,\u201d\u00a0\u201cMy Boyfriend\u2019s Back\u201d, \u201cBe My Baby,\u201d \u201cSon of a Preacher Man\u201d, and \u201cYou Don\u2019t Own Me\u201d.<\/p>\n

There are six performers in the cast at the Candlelight \u2013 Macy (Macy Chaplin), Tiffany (Tiffany Dawn Christopher), Phoebe (Phoebe Gavula), Tiara (Tiara Greene), Jenna (Jenna Kuerzi) and Kaylan (Kaylan Wetzel). <\/p>\n

Wetzel is a Candlelight veteran whose resume of shows at the venue is already in Double figures.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been performing in shows at the Candlelight for 11 years,\u201d said Wetzel, during a phone interview last week from her home in Arden.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy first show was \u2018Rocky Horror Picture Show\u2019 in 2009. Some of the other shows I\u2019ve done here are \u2018Cats,\u2019 \u2018Hairspray,\u2019 \u2018Cabaret,\u2019 \u2018Damn Yankees,\u2019 \u2018Oklahoma!,\u2019 and \u2018Footloose.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just moved to Arden from Philadelphia. I\u2019ve always liked it here. It\u2019s an artists\u2019 community and there are some really nice houses.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is the Candlelight debut for \u201cBeehive: The 1960\u2019s Musical\u201d \u2013 and the first time Wetzel has performed in the show.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had never seen this production before,\u201d said Wetzel, who grew up in Rochester (Pennsylvania) attended Rochester High and graduated from Point Park University (Pittsburgh) in 2005 with a degree in musical theatre.<\/p>\n

\u201cI moved from Pittsburgh to the Philadelphia area after I graduated from Point Park. After that, I lived in New York for two years and then moved back to this area four years ago. Philly is a good theatre town \u2013 especially for getting credits for my resume.<\/p>\n

Theatre was my passion, but I also do other things. I taught online at a charter school. I\u2019ve also worked as an online business coach \u2013 teaching people how to create a business online.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wetzel is familiar with the songs in the show \u2013 but she didn\u2019t grow up with them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the music from my mom\u2019s era,\u201d said Wetzel. \u201cShe grew up in the 1960s. And my father too \u2013 he loved the Beatles.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wetzel is excited to get back on the stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been missing theatre,\u201d said Wetzel, who had a feature role in the 2020 movie \u201cSno Babies.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause of the pandemic, I haven\u2019t been able to perform. Then, I did a video audition for this show.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just wanted to be creative again. And I loved that it was a small cast of all women.”<\/p>\n

\u201cBeehive: The 1960\u2019s Musical\u201d will run from June 12-July 18. Tickets are $65.50 for adults and $33 for children (ages 4-12). All seats are reserved.<\/p>\n

The monthly edition of Candlelight Comedy Club is slated for June 17 featuring Irene Bremis and Carmen Lynch.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Bremis has been doing stand-up all over the country for more than 20 years. She was a co-host on Sirius XM \u201cTell Me Everything with John Fugelsang\u201d and hosted a podcast with actress Jennifer Esposito.<\/p>\n

Her comedy album, \u201cUnladylike,\u201d is available via variety of platforms. Bremis is co-starring \u201cBlack Magic for White Boys\u201d on Amazon.<\/p>\n

The pandemic shutdown wasn\u2019t as brutal on her as it was on a lot of other comedians.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a fitness trainer so I just used Zoom,\u201d said Bremis, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from her home in Staten Island, New York.<\/p>\n

\u201cPrimarily, I\u2019m a comedian. That\u2019s been my main job for 21 years. Right now, I\u2019m pitching a comedy show to William Morris Agency.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis show at the Candlelight will be my seconds live show since restrictions began getting lifted. The first was last night. Before that, it was just Zoom.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bremis grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts in a Greek American family.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was always funny,\u201d said Bremis. \u201cIn our living room when I was a kid, I\u2019d do characters based on family members \u2013 and I killed. I would imitate all my aunts and uncles.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always say things that are inappropriate. When I was in school at Lexington High, they have superlatives — like \u2018Most Popular\u2019 or \u2018Best Athlete.\u2019 Mine was \u2018Open Mouth, Insert Foot.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cI left Boston really young and went to college at the University of Superior in Wisconsin \u2013 and it was not superior. The main reason I went there was because the drinking age was 18 in Wisconsin.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I started in stand-up, I didn\u2019t do may open mics. I produced an all-female show called \u2018Hysteria\u2019 in 2000 at the Zinc Bar on Houston Street in New York.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, I was going out as a feature and eventually as headliner. It was a gradual thing \u2013 working and writing \u2013 and it just happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy comedy is very observational. I was raised in a very traditional Greek house, and I talk about that.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do not talk about politics anymore. When people come out to a comedy show, they want to get away from all that. They just want to laugh and have a good time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carmen Lynch can currently be seen in an FX original documentary on women in comedy that is streaming on HULU. She has been featured on a string of late-night shows including\u00a0The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with David Letterman,\u00a0The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Conan,\u00a0and\u00a0The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Carmen has appeared in numerous prime- time shows including\u00a0The Good Wife,\u00a0Inside Amy Schumer,\u00a0and\u00a0This Week at the Comedy Cellar.<\/p>\n

Her comedy album \u201cDance Like You Don\u2019t Need the Money\u201d was reviewed by\u00a0The New York Times\u00a0as \u201cone of five to stream\u201d and was voted the #1 comedy album in 2017 by SiriusXM.<\/p>\n

The host for this edition of Candlelight Comedy Club is Jason Pollock.<\/p>\n

Video link for Irene Bremis — https:\/\/youtu.be\/AsvlwhPRbyo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. on June 17 and the show will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $30.<\/p>\n

This week, the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Street, Sellersville, 215-527-5808, www.st94.com<\/a>) is offering an entertainment equivalent of a gourmet smorgasbord dinner with a blues band Thursday night, a ground-breaking singer\/songwriter on Friday night, a veteran stand-up comedian on Saturday night and a \u201cFather\u2019s Day Brunch\u201d on Sunday morning.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Mike Zito<\/p><\/div>\n

Over the last 15 months, many music acts have recorded remotely with different band members recording their parts in home studios and sending those parts to other members to work on.<\/p>\n

Mike Zito, who will headline the Sellersville Theater on June 17, used a slightly similar process on the album he released just prior to the pandemic and a completely similar process on his brand-new album.<\/p>\n

Zito\u2019s \u201cRock N Roll: A Tribute to Chuck Berry\u201d was released on November 1, 2019, and quickly rose to #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart.<\/p>\n

Featuring 21 guest guitarists honoring the Berry including Joe Bonamassa, Walter Trout, Eric Gales, Robben Ford, Richard Fortus, Sonny Landreth, Luther Dickinson, Albert Castiglia, and Anders Osborne. Also performing\u00a0on the album is Charles Berry III, Berry\u2019s grandson. The album is produced by\u00a0Zito\u00a0and was recorded at his Marz Studios.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Berry album was released at the beginning of November,\u201d said Zito, during a phone interview Monday morning from a tour stop in St. George\u2019s, Delaware.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to go out with a big band with horns. Because of COVID-19, we didn\u2019t get the tour we had hoped for. We did a big show in St. Louis and then everything came to a halt. We did one show in St. Louis last month with Albert Castiglia, Joann Connor and Charlie Berry.<\/p>\n

\u201cI probably wouldn\u2019t tour the Berry album now. Maybe I\u2019ll do just one Berry show each year \u2013 in St. Louis. I grew up in St. Louis. Chuck was from St. Louis, and I lived there for 32 years. When I was young, I worked at a small musical instrument store in a record store and Chuck used to come in there.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing away from St. Louis for the last 17 years, I wanted to do something about St. Louis. If you\u2019re a musician from St. Louis, you have to learn to play Chuck Berry and learn how to play the blues. So, I decided to do a Chuck Berry tribute and add the guitarist aspect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Making an album like the one\u00a0Zito\u00a0did on Berry\u2019s music provided special challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded the album without the guitarists initially,\u201d said\u00a0Zito. \u201cI decided how much space to leave for the guitar and then had to send off the tracks to the different guitarists. I could never bring them to my studio to record live because they\u2019re always on tour playing all over the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best way to do it was to accommodate them as much as possible. I\u2019d send them a track and say \u2013 send it back in four or five months. I went into this knowing I\u2019d need a big window.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the songs came back, I had to re-record my parts to make sure the intensity was the same. In the end, it sounded like we were in the studio together. I\u2019m pretty proud of the production. The album was completed at the end of July.\u201d<\/p>\n

The album was produced by\u00a0Zito\u00a0and was recorded at his Marz Studios in Nederland, Texas. The same situation existed for Zito\u2019s new album, \u201cQuarantine Blues\u201d \u2013 sort of.<\/p>\n

\u201cQuarantine Blues\u201d was recorded during the heart of the coronavirus pandemic and served as a healing love letter to his fans around the world that heralded better days ahead if we\u2019d all just stick together.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I made \u2018Quarantine Blues,\u2019 the band wasn\u2019t together in the studio,\u201d said Zito. \u201cNo-one was together. Our drummer Matt Johnson was in North Dakota. Our bassist Duve Syrkit was in St. Louis and our keyboard player Lewis Stephens was in Forth Worth, Texas.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew there was a way. We just had to try it \u2013 trial and error and we got it done. There were no overdubs, but we made do.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d write a song playing guitar with a click track and then send it to Matt. He\u2019d send it back and then it would go out to the other guys.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a 14-day project. The whole 14 days were consumed with how we would write, record, mix and release a new album. 14 days and on the 15th day, it was released.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was released as a “\u201dree-to-download\u201d album. It\u2019s a free record but any money donated will go to the band.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zito\u00a0began playing guitar at the age of five, and by the time he reached his late teens, he was already a fixture on the local St. Louis music scene. He initially released his music independently and then signed with Eclecto Groove Records in 2008. \u201cPearl River,\u201d the title track of his 2009 album for the label, won Song of the Year at the Blues Music Awards and marked his first collaboration with Cyril Nevill, with whom he\u2019d later work in the Royal Southern Brotherhood.<\/p>\n

A steady succession of critically acclaimed albums followed, culminating in 2011\u2019s \u201cGreyhound,\u201d which was nominated for Best Rock Blues Album at that year\u2019s Blue Music Awards ceremony in Memphis. Two years later, he signed with Ruf Records and released \u201cGone to Texas,\u201d the story of how he gained his sobriety, offered an emotional homage to the state that<\/p>\n

left an indelible imprint on his entire life. It also marked the debut of his band, the Wheel.<\/p>\n

\u200bFrom 2010-2014,\u00a0Zito\u00a0also played an integral role in the super group of sorts, Royal Southern Brotherhood. The group released two albums and a DVD — \u201cSongs from the Road – Live in Germany,\u201d which was winner of the year\u2019s Blues Music Award for Best DVD.<\/p>\n

Zito\u00a0recently launched his own new label, Texas-based\u00a0Gulf Coast Records<\/a>, which counts among its artists, Albert Castiglia, Billy Price, Jimmy Carpenter, Tony Campanella, Diana Rein, The Proven Ones, Kid Andersen, and others to be announced. But, he stayed with Ruf Records for his solo work.<\/p>\n

Video link for\u00a0Mike\u00a0Zito\u00a0\u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/Bbxcj29b5Iw<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show on Thursday night at the Sellersville Theater will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $21.50 to attend the show in person. It will also be available via Livestream. Tickets for the Livestream presentation are $12.50.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Mary\u00a0Fahl<\/p><\/div>\n

Mary\u00a0Fahl\u00a0performs concerts around the world and, every once in a while, gets to perform in \u201cher own backyard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Based in Bucks County, the versatile singer with the haunting voice can almost call Philly home but a show at the Sellersville Theater on June 18 hits much closer.<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve heard\u00a0Fahl\u00a0sing, you have her voice burned permanently into your memory bank. From that point on, if you hear a song by\u00a0Fahl, you immediately know who is singing.<\/p>\n

In 2011,\u00a0Fahl\u00a0recorded her own version of one of rock\u2019s all-time classics — Pink Floyd\u2019s \u201cDark Side of the Moon.\u201d\u00a0Fahl\u00a0re-interpreted the songs on an album she titled \u201cFrom the Dark Side of the Moon.<\/p>\n

Fahl, who was a member of the October Project 20 years ago, went solo in 2001. Prior to this year, her recorded output as a solo artist has been slim —\u00a0\u201cLenses of Contact\u201d EP in 2001, \u201cThe Other Side of Time\u201d album in 2003, \u201cClassics for a New Century\u201d in\u00a02003 and \u201cFrom the Dark Side of the Moon\u201d in 2011.<\/p>\n

Fahl\u2019s solo releases include \u201cLove and Gravity,\u201d \u201cFour Songs,\u201d \u201cWinter Songs and Carols,\u201d and \u201cMary\u00a0Fahl: Live from Mauch Chunk Opera House,\u201d which is a project that included a live album, a performance DVD and a PBS special.<\/p>\n

Many of\u00a0Fahl\u2019s fans have been with her ever since her time with October Project which lasted from 1993-1996.<\/p>\n

\u201cOctober Project had a large body of work and I still perform some of those songs in my live show,\u201d said\u00a0Fahl. \u201cIf I don\u2019t do some of those songs, fans get upset. I also do songs from the Pink Floyd record and several compositions from my solo records.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll always have a new song I like to introduce. And I like doing interesting covers. Putting together a set list can be difficult now and then because of the limited amount of time on stage. My sets usually are between 75 and 90 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

For many artists, the task of re-inventing songs from an album as iconic as \u201cDark Side of the Moon\u201d could have been too much of a challenge. Not so for\u00a0Fahl\u00a0who crafted a disc that honored its roots but established an identity all its own.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter making the Sony classical album (\u201cClassics for a New Century\u201d), I wanted to do something that was fun,\u201d said\u00a0Fahl. \u201cAn independent filmmaker I knew wanted to use me in a performance piece. I wanted to do something that I didn\u2019t have the ability to write.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s when I decided to do the \u2018Dark Side\u2019 recording. It\u2019s like a classical piece of music. I did not intend to make a cover record. It\u2019s my version and it doesn\u2019t sound at all like Pink Floyd\u2019s version. But a lot of die-hard Pink Floyd fans have responded well. They like the album — and my live versions of the songs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fahl\u00a0has written and performed songs for several major motion pictures, including the lead song (\u201cGoing Home\u201d) for the Civil War epic \u201cGods and Generals.\u201d Her music can also be found on the original soundtrack of the 2003 movie \u201cThe Guys.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fahl\u00a0is a singer, a guitarist and a songwriter. More than anything,\u00a0she\u00a0is a performer.<\/p>\n

\u201cPerforming is my primary form of self-expression,\u201d said\u00a0Fahl. \u201cWhen I do a show, I want to take you on a complete journey. I want to transform you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fahl\u00a0has been delivering transformative shows for years.<\/p>\n

Video link for Mary Fahl \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/-HMtsJwnyFk<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show on Friday night at the Sellersville Theater will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 to attend the show in person. It will also be available via Livestream. Tickets for the Livestream presentation are $17.50.<\/p>\n

For the show on June 19, the Sellersville Theater will shift into comedy mode.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Todd Barry<\/p><\/div>\n

Todd Barry, a stand-up comedian, actor and voice actor who is known for his deadpan delivery, has been working in the comedy field for more than three decades.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been doing stand-up for a long time,\u201d said Barry, during a phone interview Monday afternoon for his home in New York. \u201cIt will be 34 years in November.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barry was born in\u00a0The Bronx, New York, and grew up in Broward County in South Florida. He graduated from the\u00a0University of Florida\u00a0with a degree in English in 1986. Prior to becoming a comedian, he was a drummer for the indie rock band\u00a0The Chant\u00a0from 1984-1985.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started doing stand-up in Florida after college,\u201d said Barry. \u201cPeople always told me I was funny, but I never got into doing comedy until after I graduated.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a comedy boom in the 1980s. It was really popular and there were a lot of comedy clubs all over. There was a lot of opportunity to do open mics which are usually five minutes or less.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy first open mic was a Coconuts Comedy Club in North Miami Beach. There were three different places around the area \u2013 in West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and North Miami Beach. I did all three in my first week.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy jokes are pretty generic. At my first open mic, I did McDonald\u2019s jokes and circumcision jokes.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are several performance levels in stand-up. After the open mic phase, successful comics move up to the \u201cM.C.\u201d stage followed by the \u201cfeature\u201d level and finally the \u201cheadliner\u201d pinnacle.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t go on the road as an M.C.,\u201d said Barry. \u201cI initially went out as a feature. There was a lot of work available. After a year, I moved back to New York.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a headliner, I do about a 30-minute set. My jokes are not real long. Any development of my persona has been pretty organic.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve done a lot of food jokes. A lot of it is little incidents that happen to me and then become a joke. Ideally, I\u2019m always adding new stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 1999, his\u00a0\u201cComedy Central Presents\u201d\u00a0aired. He wrote, directed and starred in the short film\u00a0\u201cBorrowing Saffron\u201d in 2002. He also voices a recurring character on\u00a0\u201cSquidbillies.\u201d In 2004, Barry was featured in an animated series called\u00a0\u201cShorties Watchin\u2019 Shorties.\u201d<\/p>\n

He made 16 appearances on\u00a0\u201cDr. Katz\u201d, appearing as himself in the first two appearances. He then played the recurring character \u201cTodd the video store clerk\u201d and appeared in most episodes in the show\u2019s final year.<\/p>\n

Barry\u2019s film resume includes \u201cThe Wrestler,\u201d \u201cRoad Trip,\u201d \u201cPootie Tang,\u201d \u201cTomorrow Night,\u201d \u201cLos Enchiladas\u201d and \u201cBorrowing Saffron.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most recent film I did was \u2018The Climb,\u2019 which was released in late 2020,\u201d said Barry, who had a recurring role as a fictionalized version of himself in the second season of the live-action\u00a0Adult Swim\u00a0series\u00a0\u201cDelocated.\u201d \u201cI\u2019m currently working on creating enough material for a TV special.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t do many live shows during the pandemic. I did do some outdoor shows and some rooftop shows. It\u2019s starting to come back. I\u2019m doing some one-offs in June and then I\u2019ll be touring a lot from July until next year.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cI do mostly clubs but also do some theatre shows \u2013 like Sellersville. Theater shows are usually more focused because there are less distractions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Comedian and writer Jim Tews, the creator of the New York Times Bestseller\u00a0\u201cFelines of New York\u201d\u00a0will open Saturday\u2019s show. He made his stand-up television debut on Last Comic Standing. He has been seen on FX, NBC, SeeSo, and TBS.<\/p>\n

Video link for Todd Barry \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/abgVk7zYl5g<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show on Saturday night at the Sellersville Theater will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 to attend the show in person. It will also be available via Livestream. Tickets for the Livestream presentation are $17.50.<\/p>\n

\u201cFather\u2019s Day Brunch\u201d at the Sellersville Theater will be held on June 20 from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

The menu features a mimosa, bloody Mary or Free Will IPA, breakfast breads, appetizer, entree and dessert sampler.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $30 per person.<\/p>\n

Another upcoming show at the venue will be a \u201cSellersville Soundbooth Sessions\u201d presentation on June 22 featuring Kelli Lin Knott.<\/p>\n

Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) has a history of hosting top-flight cover bands and the band the venue has scheduled for this weekend is one of the best.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Total Mass Retain<\/p><\/div>\n

On June 19 as part of its \u201cRooftop Series,\u201d Kennett Flash will present \u201cTotal Mass Retain \u2013 A Tribute to Yes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Total\u00a0Mass\u00a0Retain\u00a0(TMR) is recognized by the members of Yes and Yes Fans as one of the premier Yes tribute bands in the world. TMR delivers\u00a0authentic, high energy musical and vocal performances that captivate audiences and transports them back in time to the rocking heyday of the world\u2019s greatest progressive rock band.<\/p>\n

TMR was handpicked by Yes to perform at the British legends\u2019 official 50th Anniversary Fanfest in Philly and received high praise from both the band and its management, including band members Tony Kaye, Patrick Moraz, and Geoff Downes.<\/p>\n

TMR also stands apart from other tributes in that they not only perform the classics and fan favorites, but also full albums, epics, and rare songs that haven\u2019t been performed live since their album was released.<\/p>\n

Total\u00a0Mass\u00a0Retain\u00a0features Joey Cass, Drums & Vocals; Terry Dey, Lead Vocals; Mark Gonzales, Guitar; Joel Simches, Bass & Vocals; and John Rittweger, Keyboards.<\/p>\n

Cass has Yes music in his DNA.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m 33 and I\u2019ve been a Yes fan all my life,\u201d said Cass, during a phone interview Monday from his home in Newton, New Jersey.<\/p>\n

\u201cI first saw Yes play when I was seven years old. That was back in 1994 at the Saratoga Racetrack on their \u2018Talk\u2019 tour.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dad is one of the biggest Yes fans in the world. Everybody knows him by the name, Mike YesFan. I\u2019ve seen Yes play more than 100 times and he\u2019s seen them more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before there was Total Mass Retain, there was Yesterdays, another Yes tribute act.<\/p>\n

\u201cJohn Rittweger was in Yesterdays,\u201d said Cass, who works a day job as a CPA.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw them play. Later, Terry and I joined Yesterdays. Then, we stopped and formed Total Mass Retain. Our bass player Joel is from Peabody, Massachusetts and we met him on a Yes cruise.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur first gig was at a bar in the Bronx to get our feet wet. Our second gig was the Yes 50 Fanfest in Philly. Yes played downstairs at The Fillmore and we played upstairs at The Foundry before their show.\u201d
\nUnlike some tribute acts that attempt to look and sound like the original, TMR focuses entirely on the music.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re trying to replicate the energy of some of Yes\u2019 biggest and best concerts,\u201d said Cass, who handles the Chris Squire and Trevor Rabin vocals.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe play classic fan favorites as well as deep cuts \u2013 songs Yes haven\u2019t played in years. There are some must-plays. Yes fans expect a show to end with \u2018Starship Trooper.\u2019 We open with \u2018Owner of a Lonely Heart.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the show at The Flash, we\u2019re not really going into the 2000s. The first set is Trevor Rabin and \u2018Big Generator.\u201d The second set is Steve Howe and \u2018Drama.\u2019 The biggest challenge is staying true to the complexities of the music.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Total Mass Retain \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/goCmNXNOd_s<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show, which will be held on the rooftop of the Kennett Square Parking Garage at 100 East Linden Street, will start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25.<\/p>\n

Back in September, Laura Mann, the proprietor of the Living Room (The Living Room at 35 East<\/a>), posted this message on the venue\u2019s website \u2013 \u201cRegrettably, due to circumstances beyond our control, we had to cancel the final two shows of The Living Room Outdoor Concert Series \u2013 Women\u2019s Singer-Songwriter Showcase with Emily Drinker,\u00a0Joy\u00a0Ike\u00a0and Valentina Sounds on September 26 and Lili A\u00f1el and David Mowry with Dale Melton and Bill Zinno on October 2. We apologize for the inconvenience and if you purchased tickets for either of these shows you will receive a refund.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, the Living Room is back with its \u201c2021 Outdoor Summer Concert Series in Ardmore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fortunately, Mann was able to resurrect the show featuring Valentina Sounds, Joy Ike and Emily Drinker as part of the outdoor series. The show is scheduled for June 19 at 4 p.m. and will be held at \u201cthe address to the outdoor shows will be on your ticket.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Valentina Sounds<\/p><\/div>\n

Valentina Sounds is the stage name for Italian-born, Philadelphia-based Valentina Raffaelli.<\/p>\n

Raffaelli, the former singer in Sunshine Superman and Sparkle Pony, creates music that is a fusion of catchy melodies and pop tunes, perfectly blended with a background in jazz vocals and a love for composition.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have been in the United States for 11 years in January,\u201d said Raffaelli. \u201cI fell in love with an American \u2013 a man from Philadelphia — when I was living in Italy. I was studying film and contemporary art at the Universita di Bologna.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe waited until I finished college and then encouraged me to apply to Philadelphia\u2019s University of the Arts. I came to Philadelphia and studied there. I learned about voice and music\u2014and I studied piano. I started meeting musicians at University of the Arts. Then, I took a songwriting course and I was hooked.<\/p>\n

\u201cPutting a band together was easy. The first band was Sunshine Superman back in 2017. Then, I was in a band called Sparkle Pony with my ex-husband. It was a folk\/bluegrass\/Americana band that ended in January 2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

All the while, Raffaelli was writing songs and preparing for what came next.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started writing an album without knowing it,\u201d said Raffaelli, a native of Forte dei Marni.<\/p>\n

Forte dei Marmi is a seaside town in the northern part of Tuscany that is a major vacation destination for Italy\u2019s upper class. In Italian, \u201cForte dei Marmi\u201d means \u201cFort of the Marbles.\u201d The town takes its name from the fortress that rises in the middle of the main square.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew I wanted to make a full album,\u201d said Raffaelli, whose father Angelo Raffaelli was a professional soccer player in Italy for A.S. Livorno Calcio (currently in Serie C).<\/p>\n

\u201cThen things started deteriorating. I moved out and began living on my own in January 2019. The biggest chunk of songs was written between December 2018 and May 2019 and then I got into the recording studio in June.\u201d<\/p>\n

Raffaelli had a CD Release show at the Locks in Manayunk in November 2019 and another in her native land over the Christmas holiday.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a very successful album release show at the Locks with my friends and Philadelphia family,\u201d said Raffaelli.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was surprised at the amount of people who came out to support me. I got emotional when I realized I\u2019d be singing all these personal songs for friends. I also did a release show in Italy in this beautiful place called Villa Bertelli.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her final pre-shutdown show was a Valentine\u2019s Day concert at Johnny Brenda\u2019s \u2013 right before everything came screeching to a halt.<\/p>\n

The pandemic shutdown did not affect Raffaelli as much as it did other area musicians.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been teaching private lessons on Zoom \u2013 voice and beginner\u2019s piano,\u201d said Raffaelli. \u201cI\u2019m also choir director and middle school teacher at Episcopal Academy. I\u2019ve been teaching there for six years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were in person during the pandemic. It\u2019s a private academy so they could do that. For music, we had instructions \u2013 but the students weren\u2019t allowed to sing. So, we did things like body percussion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Raffaelli has stayed busy musically.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve also been releasing a new single every five or six weeks this year on every online platform,\u201d said Raffaelli. \u201cThe first four are just piano and voice. They speak to the climate of the pandemic. I booked Retro City Studio in Philly and worked with Matt Muir. I did four songs all in one day.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn February, I released \u2018Irresistible,\u2019 which is a love song. Then, there was \u2018Sad Song,\u2019 which is pandemic song about being stuck at home. The next was \u201810 Years of Piano,\u2019 which is a little silly. It\u2019s about piano playing being replaced by technology. This month, I\u2019m releasing \u2018Story for Me.\u2019 It\u2019s a little about the pandemic but it can also stand alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Raffaelli will introduce the new songs to her fans at this weekend\u2019s show, which is a strong triple bill with Ike and Drinker.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was happy that Laura was able to reschedule this show,\u201d said Raffaelli. \u201cWith Joy Ike and Emily Drinker \u2013 it\u2019s a dream team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Valentina Sounds \u2013\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/6zKa7tCk38A<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Outdoor Summer Concert Series concert will begin at 4 p.m. Tickets are $30.<\/p>\n

The Crossing (www.crossin<\/a>g<\/a>choir.org<\/a>)\u00a0is a Grammy-winning professional chamber choir conducted by Donald\u00a0Nally\u00a0and dedicated to new music. It is committed to working with creative teams to make and record new, substantial works for choir that explore and expand ways of writing for choir, singing in choir, and listening to music for choir.<\/p>\n

As with all entertainment acts, it was hard for The Crossing to maintain a normal schedule of live performances over the last 16 months.<\/p>\n

This month, The Crossing has a very active schedule with nine performances in three locations over a span of three weekends. The series, which has the Annenberg Center as co-presenters, is titled, \u201cMonth of Moderns.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMonth of Moderns 3: At which point\u201d will be staged on June 18 and 19 at Awbury Arboretum (1 Awbury Road, Philadelphia). It will feature two world premieres and one U.S. premiere.<\/p>\n

Commissioned for this amplified outdoor performance, the world premiere of Wang Lu\u2019s\u00a0\u201cAt which point\u201d\u00a0explores the emotional peaks and valleys of 2019 Pulitzer Prize winner Forrest Gander\u2019s raw, brutally honest poetry.<\/p>\n

The Crossing will also perform a world premiere expanded version of Ayanna Woods\u2019\u00a0\u201cShift,\u201d a multi-layered contemplation on the reimagining of our monuments.<\/p>\n

The final piece is the U.S. premiere of David Lang\u2019s\u00a0\u201cthe sense of senses.\u201d The piece\u00a0explores the power of our five senses and is an apt reminder as we emerge from a time when much of that human connection has been absent.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Month of Moderns 3: At which point,\u2019 starts with Ayanna Woods\u2019 \u2018Shift,\u2019\u201d said Nally, during a phone interview last week from his office in Philadelphia. \u201cIt\u2019s a piece which was written during the pandemic. We actually made a film of the first movement.<\/p>\n

\u201cWang\u2019s piece is set in a Monteverdi (Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi) way. It always feels like it\u2019s moving forward and developing. I really, really love this piece \u2013 20 minutes and it\u2019s all concentrating on the words.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe piece by David Lang is a concert piece with synchronized singing. It\u2019s taken from \u2018Song of Songs.\u2019 It\u2019s a 10-minute piece and it feels very intimate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMonth of Moderns 1: The Forest\u201d was staged two weekends back at Bowman\u2019s Hill Wildflower Preserve in New Hope.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Forest\u201d focuses on the symbiotic relationship between individual trees and the forest \u2013 a metaphor for the relationship between each singer and the ensemble. The libretto is formed from The\u00a0Crossing\u00a0singers\u2019 reflections on their isolation during COVID-time, overlaid with texts from Scott Russell Sanders\u2019 essay Mind in the Forest.<\/p>\n

Each Echoes kit allows singers to stand and safely sing 30 feet from each other and from the audience while listeners walk along a well-worn, mostly flat path of approximately one-third mile lined with speakers.<\/p>\n

\u201cMonth of Moderns 2: \u201cwe got time,\u201d which is also co-presented with Ars Nova Workshop,\u201d was performed last weekend at The Woodlands in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Crossing performed the world premiere of Matana Roberts\u2019 work honoring the life of Breonna Taylor.<\/p>\n

The production is a collage of sound that reflects on the world today, positions the loss of Taylor at the center of that world, and asks questions about the meaning of familiar words present in historic documents, event data related to Taylor\u2019s death, and a roll call of the names of Black women lost in similar ways.<\/p>\n

The title stems from Taylor\u2019s trial, when grand jurors were told they wouldn\u2019t be able to watch all of the body camera footage due to time restraints, and one juror shouted, \u201cwe got time.\u201d<\/p>\n

The performance was staged as a socially distanced one-third mile walk through the trees and markers of The Woodlands historic cemetery with timed entry for groups of people.<\/p>\n

Video link for The Crossing \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/ttcZL4AXErU<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Tickets for all performances are $35.<\/p>\n

Jamey\u2019s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne,\u00a0www.jameyshouseofmusic.com<\/a>) will be serving up two nights of tasty blues this weekend with Dave Orban & the Mojo Gypsies\u00a0on June 18 and Gabe Stillman on June 19.<\/p>\n

Founded in 1998 and based in the Central NJ\/Philly area,\u00a0Dave Orban & the Mojo Gypsies\u00a0are a high-energy quartet that play a unique blend of up-tempo blues and old-school R&B. At a Gypsies gig, you\u2019re likely to hear songs by such classic blues artists as T-Bone Walker, Ray Charles, Eddie \u201cCleanhead\u201d Vinson, Louis Jordan, Freddie King and Albert Collins, as well as music from contemporary blues performers including Rick Estrin, Rod Piazza, Kid Ramos, Paul DeLay, and James Harman.<\/p>\n

The band\u2019s lineup features Mike DeMonte on drums and vocals, Mike Scott on tenor sax and vocals, and founder — and International Blues Hall of Fame inductee \u2013 Dave Orban on guitar and vocals.<\/p>\n

Orban has a story similar to a married couple who say \u2013 we got married 50 years ago but this isn\u2019t our golden anniversary because we haven\u2019t been together for 50 years\u2026we got divorced after 15 years and then remarried 15 years later.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started playing guitar in 1966 playing Beatles and then punk,\u201d said Orban, during a phone interview Tuesday from his home in Hamilton, New Jersey. \u201cI did that until 1977 \u2013and then I stopped. I had a career in the corporate environment, so I stopped music entirely.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was around 1995 or 1996 when I started back up. I remembered nothing \u2013 not even how to tune a guitar.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went to open mics and watched the people onstage. Then, I went home and tried to mimic what they were doing.\u00a0 I decided I wanted to pursue it. I practiced and got better. I was in a couple bands.\u201d<\/p>\n

The blues influence in Orban\u2019s music goes way back.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was a youngster, I had an older cousin who was in a band that was influenced by the blues,\u201d said Orban. \u201cI started listening to Paul Butterfield. Then, I kept going and got into acts like Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon and Little Walter. The became the foundation for me as a teenager.\u201d<\/p>\n

The band\u2019s music integrates many influences from the greater blues tradition \u2013 from Chicago and West Coast electric blues to southern country blues and even New Orleans-styled marches. With a repertoire that shines a light on lesser known but compelling tunes from the pioneers of the blues form, the band looks to impart a contemporary feel to a traditional form, while not departing drastically from the foundational elements of this type of music.<\/p>\n

Influences ranging from Willie Dixon to Bob Dylan to the Rolling Stones and even Norah Jones can be heard in Orban\u2019s original tunes. His songs are self-contained stories cover a variety of topics that can be both humorous as well as more serious.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 1998, I started my own band,\u201d said Orban. \u201cI decided I wanted to play music I want to hear. I wanted to be a bandleader because a bandleader calls the shot.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t want to approach the blues like so many cover bands \u2013 playing standards like \u2018Hoochie Coochie Man.\u2019 I looked to artists like James Harman and Rod Piazza. Their music was much more contemporary \u2013 more uptempo for an audience that wants to dance.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith this band, I first heard Mike DeMonte and Mike Scott playing jazz at a little club in Trenton \u2013 a jazz club that has been around more than 50 years called the Candlelight Lounge. Sometimes, we play as a quartet with another jazz player \u2013 Rich Bedessa \u2013 on keyboards.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are all guys with music degrees. I know I can rely on them to get across what I want with minimum input from me.<\/p>\n

The band\u2019s first CD,\u00a0\u201cI Heard You Twice the First Time,\u201d is a collection of 14 of Orban\u2019s original compositions. It was recorded from March through September 2016 and was released on Sep 24, 2016.\u00a0The CD was produced and arranged by Orban and was recorded at Beach Bunny Sound studios in Doylestown.<\/p>\n

Video link for Dave Orban and the Mojo Gypsies — https:\/\/youtu.be\/ZUR75Cq1RzI<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Jamey\u2019s on June 18 will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 advance and $18 at the door.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times The second show of the 2021-2022 season of Candlelight Theatre (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware,\u00a0www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org) has arrived and has audiences dancing in their seats, smiling and laughing. The new production is \u201cBeehive: The 1960\u2019s Musical.\u201d The members of the all-female cast ask audiences to join them for this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":48448,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8457],"tags":[13872,7426,13873,6526,12666,13874,13875,13876],"class_list":["post-48455","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-beehive-the-musical","tag-featured","tag-irene-bremis","tag-mary-fahl","tag-mike-zito","tag-todd-barry","tag-total-mass-retain","tag-valentina-sounds"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48455","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=48455"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48455\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48456,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48455\/revisions\/48456"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/48448"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=48455"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=48455"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=48455"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}