{"id":51985,"date":"2023-03-09T09:30:33","date_gmt":"2023-03-09T14:30:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=51985"},"modified":"2023-03-09T09:30:37","modified_gmt":"2023-03-09T14:30:37","slug":"on-stage-two-very-different-musicals-come-to-the-delaware-valley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=51985","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Two very different musicals come to the Delaware Valley"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"

Book of Mormon<\/p><\/div>\n

There are two national tours of Broadway hit musicals that are making return visits to the area this week \u2013 one which is definitely not geared for children and one that is geared for an audience that can look at the show through the eyes of a child.<\/p>\n

The show that is basically \u201cfor adults only\u201d is \u201cBook of Mormon\u201d which is running from March 10-12 at The\u00a0Playhouse\u00a0on Rodney Square (1007 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware,\u00a0www.thegrandwilmington.org\/venues\/the-playhouse\/<\/a>).<\/p>\n

In 2011, \u201cThe Book of Mormon\u201d made its debut at the\u00a0Eugene O\u2019Neill Theatre.\u00a0During its first year, the show was consistently one of the top five best-selling shows on Broadway and it set 22 new weekly sales records at the O\u2019Neill. <\/p>\n

The show, which was\u00a0seven years in the making, met with immediate\u00a0critical acclaim and won numerous theater awards including nine\u00a0Tony Awards (including Best Musical)\u00a0and a\u00a0Grammy Award\u00a0for\u00a0Best Musical Theater Album.<\/p>\n

After a long wait, the hit musical is made its Philadelphia debut in 2014 at the Forrest Theatre. The hit musical returned to the Forrest in 2015 for another sold-out run and then repeated the feat in 2019 at the Academy of Music.<\/p>\n

Now, \u201cThe Book of Mormon\u201d is coming back to area again for a brief run in Wilmington.<\/p>\n

When \u201cThe Book of Mormon\u201d opened on Broadway, a review in the New York Times called it \u201cthe best musical of this century\u201d while the Associate Press said \u201c\u2018The Book of Mormon\u2019 manages to offend, provoke laughter, trigger eye-rolling, satirize conventions and warm hearts, all at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n

By all accounts, it is one of the funniest shows to hit the stage in years.<\/p>\n

The talent-laden tour cast features Sam McClellan as Elder Price, Berlande as Nabulungi, Sam Nackman as Elder McKinley and Lamont J. Whitaker as Mafala Hatimbi.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been on the road since September, except for a break for the holiday\u201d said Berlande, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from a tour stop in Easton, Pennsylvania<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my first time with \u2018Book of Mormon\u2019, but I had already seen it a few times on Broadway. I auditioned for the role of Nabulingi last March.\u201d<\/p>\n

Performing in \u201cBook of Mormon\u201d was already on Berlande\u2019s radar when she was a theater major in college at SUNY-New Paltz.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was in college, I made a list of parts I wanted to play. One of them was Nabulungi. I also wanted to do Lorell in \u2018Dreamgirls\u201d and Lorraine in \u2018All Shook Up.\u2019 And I\u2019ve now done all three.\u201d<\/p>\n

Berlande played Lorell Robinson in the international tour of \u201cDreamgirls,\u201d and Lorraine in the national tour of \u201cAll Shook Up\u201d as well as Vivienne Kensington in the national tour of \u201cLegally Blonde The Musical\u201d and Ronnette in the national tour of \u201cLittle Shop of Horrors.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI first started in plays back with after school programs in elementary school,\u201d said Berlande. \u201cTheater stuck with me all through high school and college. I was a theater major at New Paltz.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Book of Mormon\u201d features book, lyrics, and music by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone. Parker and Stone were the creators of the animated comedy \u201cSouth Park.\u201d The musical comedy tells the story of two young, inexperienced Mormon\u00a0missionaries\u00a0who are\u00a0sent to Africa. It is set in a remote village in northern\u00a0Uganda.<\/p>\n

In the village, which is about two hours north of Uganda\u2019s capitol Kampala, a brutal warlord is threatening the local population. The primary antagonist is the superstitious General, who does not like the missionaries and views them as a threat.<\/p>\n

The show has a wonderful message of community and demonstrates how religion is formed through storytelling. The narrative is linear \u2014 and it\u2019s educational. It is a very well-constructed musical \u2013 written very well. It\u2019s a religious satire but people aren\u2019t offended by it. Nothing is off-limits. Like \u201cSouth Park,\u201d it\u2019s equal opportunity offensive.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen \u2018Book of Mormon\u2019 came out, it was an immediate success. The biggest fanbase was my generation \u2013 the South Park generation back in 2011,\u201d said Berlande.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith this show, I give people the warning \u2013 it\u2019s satire. If you walk in accepting that it\u2019s satire, you\u2019ll be all right. I always encourage folks to do their research.\u201d<\/p>\n

Berlande also did her own form of research.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did do my research on Uganda,\u201d said Berlande. \u201cI also researched the Mormon characters. For example, back in colonial times, people believed that the cure for STDs was to have sex with a virgin.\u201d<\/p>\n

In \u201cBook of Mormon,\u201d the primary antagonist is the General. He has superstitions. The General considers the missionaries as threats to his domination. Nabulungi becomes the missionaries\u2019 ally and even agrees to be baptized in the faith.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we meet the missionary characters, they are very downtrodden,\u201d said Berlande. \u201cNabulungi sees the hope. She makes the community and them come together.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I get to know her more, I see a lot of similarities between us \u2013 like we\u2019re both Pisces. Every night, I find a new moment. I\u2019m also a community-oriented person. I want better for myself and for people around me.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs the role physically demanding? It is and it isn\u2019t. I\u2019m not dancing in six-inch heels. The most demanding is the parts as a singer. I still go through vocal exercise training every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

This show is controversial. It has people talking about it. It pokes fun at the Mormon faith. But there hasn\u2019t been a negative response. In some cities, there are Mormon missionaries outside the theater answering questions about their religion and inviting people to a tour of their temple.<\/p>\n

While Berlande loves touring, there4 is one big drawback.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t like being separated from my dog Maya,\u201d said Berlande. \u201cI really miss her when I\u2019m out on tour. But, she stays with a friend of mine in New York. And I talk to her a lot on Facetime.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for \u201cThe Book of Mormon\u201d — https:\/\/youtu.be\/yIFLMF_jdZI<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Book of Mormon\u201d is running from March 10-12 at the Playhouse on Rodney Square. Show times are 8 p.m. on Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. on Saturday and 2 and 7:30 p.m. on Sunday.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Cats<\/p><\/div>\n

Perhaps only in Istanbul do cats have numbers comparable in a way similar to those amassed by Andrew Lloyd Webber\u2019s hit musical \u201cCats.\u201d<\/p>\n

Istanbul, a major city in Turkey that straddles Europe and Asia across the Bosporus Strait, is home to more than 40,000 stray cats. A popular saying in the city notes\u00a0\u201cIf you kill a cat, you need to build a mosque to be forgiven by God.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the hadith, the collected sayings and actions of Muhammad, there are numerous examples of the Prophet\u2019s fondness for cats.<\/p>\n

By one account, the pet cat of Abu Hurayrah saved Muhammad from an attack by a deadly serpent. Muhammad purportedly blessed the cat in gratitude, giving cats the ability to always land on their feet. Cats were considered guardians in other respects for the Islamic world \u2014 they defended libraries from destruction by mice and may have helped protect city populations from rat-borne plagues.<\/p>\n

The cats in the show that the Kimmel Cultural Campus\u2019 Broadway Philadelphia series is bringing to Philly for a six-day run from March 14-19 at the Miller Theatre (250 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, 215-893-1999,\u00a0www.kimmelculturalcampus.org<\/a>), are street cats of a different breed. Not just stray cats, they are Jellicle cats who sing, dance and tell their own stories in the record setting musical.<\/p>\n

Numbers associated with \u201cCats\u201d are also very impressive.<\/p>\n

\u201cCats\u201d is a sung-through musical based on \u201cOld Possum\u2019s Book of Practical Cats\u201d by world-famous poet T. S. Eliot. The musical tells the story of a tribe of cats called the Jellicles and the night they make the \u201cJellicle choice\u201d \u2014 deciding which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life.<\/p>\n

Directed by Trevor Nunn and choreographed by Gillian Lynne, \u201cCats\u201d first opened in the West End in 1981 and then with the same creative team on Broadway in 1982. It won numerous awards, including Best Musical at both the Laurence Olivier Awards and the Tony Awards. By 1994, the musical had grossed over $2 billion worldwide. The London production ran for 21 years (1981\u20132002; 8,949 performances) and the Broadway production ran for 18 years (1982\u20132000; 7,485 performances), both setting new records. As of 2018, it is the fourth-longest-running Broadway show and the sixth-longest-running West End show.<\/p>\n

The national touring production has been revived for a new generation.<\/p>\n

In this tour, Tayler Harris plays Grizabella, Hank Santos plays Rum Tum Tugger, Sam Buchanan plays Macavity, Brian Criag Nelson plays Mungojerrie and Erica Lee Cianciulli plays Bombalurina.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started rehearsals in the summer of 2022 and then opened in Modesto, California in September,\u201d said Cianciulli, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from a tour stop in Johnson City, Tennessee.<\/p>\n

\u201cI auditioned for the first round last season. I made it all the way to the finals but didn\u2019t get it. After everything stopped for COVID, I auditioned again and got the role.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cianciulli has roots — deep roots in theater and dance and heavy local roots.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up in Harleysville and attended Mount Saint Joseph\u2019s Academy (Flourtown),\u201d said Cianciulli. \u201cMy mom \u2013 Catherine Cianciulli \u2013 had a music\/dance studio and children\u2019s theatre there.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe moved to Eagleville, and she now has studios in Worcester and Eagleville. She and my dad are also building a new children\u2019s theater.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did a lot of music, dance and theater with her. I have three brothers who were also involved a lot. One of then \u2013 Jason \u2013 is now with the Pittsburgh Ballet.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went to Point Park University as a theater major. I auditioned for the national tour of \u2018Pippin\u2019 in 2017 and booked it in the middle of my junior year. So, I took a leave of absence from school.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCats,\u201d which has maintained a high level of popularity, is easy to enjoy but not really that easy to figure out.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an understandable situation because \u201cCats\u201d doesn\u2019t really have a plot. Audience members can see \u201cCats\u201d several times and never really know much about the show except for the costumes, the actors\u2019 athleticism, the popular songs \u2013 and the elaborate sets.<\/p>\n

Audience members who have seen several productions often gain familiarity with the different cats in the show and their diverse personalities \u2013 the cocky Rum Tum Tugger, the mischievous Mr. Mistoffelees and the wise Old Deuteronomy.<\/p>\n

There are also several lesser-known cats in the show \u2013 all with their own distinct personalities. There is Victoria, the little white kitten; Cassandra, the aloof brown-and-cream Abyssinian queen; and Alonzo, the young male who is just beginning to assert himself.<\/p>\n

Bombalurina is a flirty and confident red queen. She is best friends with Demeter and the two share an intense hatred for Macavity.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen playing Bombalurina, a lot of technique and stamina is required \u2013 the movement is very adaptable to sauciness,\u201d said Cianciulli, who previously played in \u201cDirty Dancing\u201d and \u201cSpamalot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt challenges me to stay in the show for a full two-and-a-half hours.<\/p>\n

\u201cEach cast member receives three words. The words for Bombalurina are generous, voluptuous and frank. I\u2019m 5-foot-9 and voluptuous. I\u2019m flirtatious and frank. I even dyed my hair bright red when I was a sophomore in high school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coming to Philly to perform in \u201cCats\u201d is full circle for Cianciulli.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe very first Broadway show I saw when I was young was \u2018Cats\u2019 when it played the Forrest Theater in Philadelphia,\u201d said Cianciulli.<\/p>\n

\u201cCats\u201d draws audiences because of the music, dance and costumes \u2013 not for its virtually non-existent plot.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile there is no plot, there is a story line,\u201d said Cianciulli. \u201cThe story line is redemption \u2013 redemption for Grizabella.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for \u201cCats\u201d — https:\/\/youtu.be\/DYmryQkHdXM<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cCats\u201d will run at the Miller Theatre from March 14-19. Ticket prices start at $40.<\/p>\n

In a few days, the main color will be green when St. Patrick\u2019s Day arrives. Prior to that, there is an event tonight that features a huge array of colors \u2013 and music.<\/p>\n

On March 9, the Baby Grand (www.thegrandwilmington.org<\/a>) will host \u201cFestival of Colors,\u201d which is Red Baraat\u2019s annual Holi celebration tour. The tour had its debut in 2012 and has since expanded to a major annual tour. Each year, bandleader and dhol player, Sunny Jain curates a vibrant night of music and art highlighting the South Asian Diaspora in America and beyond through a diverse range of styles and mediums.<\/p>\n

Holi is a Hindu holiday marked by public gatherings of families, friends, and strangers rejoicing in song, dance, and the exchange of \u201ccolors.\u201d The holiday signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, an opportunity to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair ruptured relationships.<\/p>\n

It is celebrated at the approach of vernal equinox on the Phalguna Purnima (Full Moon). The festival date varies every year, per the Hindu calendar, and typically comes in March in the Gregorian Calendar.<\/p>\n

The Hindu festival of love, color and spring is one of the most joyous celebrations of the year. It\u2019s a time when people don simple, inexpensive clothes and take to the streets to drench each other in clouds of colored powder and buckets of water. People smear gulal and other colored powders on each other and some colored water on each other via \u2018pichkaris\u2019 or buckets that don\u2019t hurt.<\/p>\n

There are several dance numbers everyone dances to, and it is also about a lot of specific food items that are made on this day. Dahi bhalla to bhaang spiked thandai and sweets like gujiya and more are served on this colorful festival.<\/p>\n

Red Baraat and Holi form a perfect partnership.<\/p>\n

It is safe to say that there is no other band in America like Red Baraat.<\/p>\n

Brooklyn-based Red Baraat is a Bhangra band \u2014 and a whole lot more. Bhangra is party-style folk music from the Punjab regions of India and Pakistan.<\/p>\n

Red Baraat\u2019s founder and leader is Sunny Jain, a New York jazz musician of Indian descent whose main instrument is the dhol (a double-headed drum from India).<\/p>\n

\u201cI had been playing drums and tabla before I started playing dhol,\u201d said Jain, during a phone interview from his home in New York.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne time when I was in India, I was in a shop buying a tabla. I saw a dhol there and decided to buy one. I took lessons in New York and instantly fell in love with it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a great feeling because I wasn\u2019t confined to a drum set. And, with the drum hanging at your gut, the sound resonates through your entire body.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy family are Jains from Punjab, so I grew up listening to music that had dhol in it. I did a lot of learning how to play it by watching dhol performances on YouTube. I also listened to old recordings \u2014 especially Pappa Saen, who was a Sufi dhol player.\u201d<\/p>\n

The band\u2019s influences extend beyond bhangra and include jazz, Latin, funk, brass band and Bollywood.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to play something that was upbeat and joyful,\u201d said Jain, who is a respected drum and percussion player in the New York jazz scene.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was just another project of mine \u2014 drums and a brass band with no guitar and no electric instruments. That changed when we added Jonathan Goldeberger on guitar.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted horns, drums and sousaphone. I didn\u2019t want jazz musicians. I didn\u2019t want it to be perceived as a jazz project. I wanted smaller, tighter songs. And I wanted it to be mobile so we could get down into the audience and play there too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Red Baraat has released seven albums. The most recent is \u201cSound The People.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re doing nine \u2018Festival of Colors\u2019 shows on this tour,\u201d said Jain. \u201cWe\u2019re doing some Holi songs, changing it up with Bollywood fare and playing some originals.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a seven-piece band \u2013 trumpet, soprano, trombone, guitar, sousaphone, drums and dhol. We have 18 songs in the \u2018Festival of Colors\u2019 repertoire and usually do 12 of them. It depends on whether people can dance at the venue.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bottom line is that — in clubs, we\u2019re a dance band. The Delaware show will be a more simplified version. There are no projectors there so I couldn\u2019t do the visuals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite this being a Holi week show \u2013 Holi takes place on March 8 this year \u2013 there will not be a lot of colors flying around inside the small comfortable theater in Wilmington.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve never done colors because of our tech gear,\u201d said Jain. \u201cWe\u2019ve never powdered our shows. The expression of colors is in the music.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpontaneity and improvisation are at the heart of playing our music, but moreover, the energy of the crowd is something we feed off. The purpose of Red Baraat is to bring joy and togetherness \u2014 to take people on a journey and let our music fill the room and do all the talking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Red Baraat \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/pF0tyMppVe4<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Baby Grand on March 9 will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $39.<\/p>\n

While attending \u201cBook of Mormon\u201d or \u201cRed Baraat\u2019s Festival of Colors\u201d requires a trip to Delaware, music fans can enjoy a Pennsylvania show by one of Delaware\u2019s top musicians when IVA performs at 118 North (118 North Wayne Avenue, Wayne, www.118northwayne.com<\/a>) on March 12.<\/p>\n

IVA has more layers than an onion.<\/p>\n

Born Emily Tepe, IVA (pronounced EE-vah) established herself as a strong classical singer who was well-versed in opera and performed with Opera Delaware when she was just nine.<\/p>\n

A graduate of Wilmington\u2019s Tower Hill School and Princeton University, IVA, whose ancestry is Swedish, also studied at Juilliard and the Manhattan School of Music.<\/p>\n

Later, after graduating from Princeton, IVA began to play the New York clubs and Off-Broadway venues.<\/p>\n

Almost two decades ago, she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and went to Stockholm to study Scandinavian classical music. It was in Sweden where IVA embraced her opera side and quickly found herself singing with the Royal Opera of Stockholm.<\/p>\n

Now, IVA is focusing her energy on being a singer-songwriter crafting and singing smart, intelligent contemporary music. In that capacity, IVA has just released a new EP titled \u201cNobody\u2019s Woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe EP just came out last Friday,\u201d said IVA, during a phone interview Tuesday from her home in Greenville, Delaware. \u201cWe play all of it in our live shows.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a new world in the recording industry so we just put the EP out on our own label. Right now, it didn\u2019t make sense to do a full album.\u201d<\/p>\n

IVA\u2019s most recent prior release was the \u201cTraitor\u201d EP, which was released in November 2018. In January 2022, she released a single titled, \u201cRun.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTraitor\u201d was recorded with her band at the time — The New Young (Jaron Olevsky, Ross Bellenoit, Matt Scarano and Sam Nobles).<\/p>\n

\u201cJaron Olevsky produced \u2018Traitor\u2019 and then I also had him work as the producer on \u2018Run\u2019,\u201d said IVA. \u201cThe single was during the pandemic, so I recorded the vocals at home. I also worked with Nick Krill on the single.<\/p>\n

\u201cI decided to do the new record with Ross Bellenoit. We\u2019ve played together a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

For \u201cNobody\u2019s Woman,\u201d IVA and her team headed to one of Philly\u2019s legendary recording venues \u2013 Turtle Studio in South Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

\u201cTurtle Studio is a really nice studio,\u201d said IVA. \u201cIt has a lot of energy. We had Ross as producer and Doug Raus doing the engineering and mixing. I used my band from many years, and we brought in horns for the song, \u2018Oh, Christian.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The songs on\u00a0\u201cNobody\u2019s Woman\u201d deal with heartbreak, addiction, friendship, and the dissolution of a long-term, abusive romantic relationship \u2013 all laced with confessional lyrics and soaring, ethereal vocals<\/p>\n

The players on \u201cNobody\u2019s Woman\u201d were Ross Bellenoit, guitar, piano, bells; Sam Nobles, bass; Jaron Olevsky, keys; Matt Scarano, drums; Mark Allen, sax; Arnetta Johnson, trumpet; and Michael Spearman, trombone.<\/p>\n

According to IVA, \u201cWorking with Ross was like coming home. We\u2019ve played together for several years, but this was the first time he\u2019s helmed the recording process. He is a beautiful human and ingenious at playing just what is needed on multiple instruments.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter lockdown, it felt like family to coming\u00a0together with the full band and recording songs we\u2019d been playing live before COVID took us all inside.\u00a0Ross was keenly sensitive and had gentle command of the sound and musicians. There was a feeling of trust and love among all who worked on the album.\u201d<\/p>\n

It took the EP a long time to see the light of day.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started in October\/November 2021 and wrapped up in March 2022,\u201d said IVA. \u201cThe single \u2018Run\u2019 was doing well on radio, so we held back on releasing the album.\u201d<\/p>\n

IVA explained how Emily Tepe became IVA.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted my artist name to be something that was inspiring \u2013 something that would and push me to go farther than classical,\u201d said IVA. \u201cIva (Iwa) was my music teacher in Sweden. IVA sounds like a woman standing on a mountaintop.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had an opera voice from a young age \u2014 loud and focused. A friend got me involved in children\u2019s productions at Opera Delaware. I studied classical music, and it suited me. I was also doing Sancta Lucia Fests at Old Swede\u2019s Church in Wilmington ever since I was little, and I was Sancta Lucia when I was a senior in high school.\u201d<\/p>\n

During her several years abroad studying, writing and performing music, IVA returned to the States where, thanks to an appearance on \u201cLate Night with Conan O\u2019Brien,\u201d she caught the ear of bandleader Max Weinberg.\u00a0 Weinberg liked her voice, and she was invited to return to the show multiple times as a singer and actress.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy friend Joshua Bell introduced me to Maneesh de Moor, a producer of ambient electronic music whom he knew from Sony Classical,\u201d said IVA. \u201cManeesh produced my first album \u2018IVA\u2019 which was more ambient electronic sound. On my second album \u2018Ivalution,\u2019 I worked with an excellent team of songwriters and producers in Sweden.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had been writing songs with other people in Sweden so the album, which came out in 2006, had more singer-songwriter songs. Then, I started writing my own songs. I was singing with the Royal Opera of Stockholm at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

In July of 2015, the\u00a0Vasa Order of America\u00a0named IVA \u00c5rets Svensk Amerikan\u00a0(Swedish American of the Year\u201d for her contributions to cultural exchange between the two countries. The roster of past honorees includes E-Street Band member Nils Lofgren, actress and singer\u00a0Ann Margaret, lunar astronaut\u00a0Buzz Aldrin, and\u00a0Chief Justice William Rehnquist.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m the youngest person to ever win the award,\u201d said IVA. \u201cIt was a great honor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for IVA — https:\/\/youtu.be\/8f4JeZ54wCU<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at 118 North on March 12 will start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming acts at 118 North are Soraia on March 9, Concrete Charlie on March 10, Melt With You on March 11 and Vinnie Paolizzi on March 15.<\/p>\n

Not far from Chester County, which is known for its horses and hounds events, veteran singer\/songwriter James McMurtry will be performing songs from his latest album, \u201cThe Horses and the Hounds\u201d at the Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore,\u00a0www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a>) on March 15.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Horses and the Hounds,\u201d\u00a0which is McMurtry\u2019s first full-length studio album in seven years, was released August 20, 2021 on New West Records.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy inspiration is just playing with words,\u201d said McMurtry, during a phone interview last week. \u201cI\u2019m a fiction writer who likes to make stuff up. I get a line and then envision the character. I don\u2019t want to write about me — I\u2019m not interested in me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Horses and the Hounds,\u201d which is McMurtry\u2019s debut album on genre-defining Americana record label\u00a0New West Records\u00a0(Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell, Lucinda Williams), is a reunion of sorts.<\/p>\n

McMurtry recorded the new album with legendary producer\u00a0Ross Hogarth\u00a0(John Fogerty, Van Halen, Keb\u2019 Mo\u2019) at\u00a0Jackson Browne\u2019s\u00a0Groove Masters\u00a0in Santa Monica, California, a world class studio that has housed such legends as\u00a0Bob Dylan\u00a0(2012\u2019s\u00a0\u201cTempest\u201d)\u00a0and\u00a0David Crosby\u00a0(2016\u2019s\u00a0\u201cLighthouse\u201d) as well as Browne himself for\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m Alive\u201d\u00a0(1993) and\u00a0\u201cNew Found Glory,\u00a0Coming Home\u201d\u00a0(2006).<\/p>\n

McMurtry and Hogarth first worked together 30 years ago, when Hogarth was a recording engineer in the employ of\u00a0John Mellencamp\u00a0at Mellencamp\u2019s own\u00a0Belmont Studios\u00a0near Bloomington, Indiana.<\/p>\n

Hogarth recorded McMurtry\u2019s first two albums,\u00a0\u201cToo Long in the Wasteland\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0\u201cCandyland\u201d (both on Columbia Records)\u00a0and later mixed McMurtry\u2019s first self-produced album,\u00a0\u201cSaint Mary of the Woods\u201d for\u00a0Sugar Hill Records. Another veteran of those three releases, guitarist\u00a0David Grissom\u00a0(Joe Ely, John Mellencamp, Dixie Chicks) return to work on the latest McMurtry album.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started tracking in 2019,\u201d said McMurtry. \u201cWe did all the basics in L.A. Then, Ross Hogarth, the producer, got busy. So, we did the overdubs later. And then Ross suffered macular separation. There were a lot of obstacles. We finally mixed it in late 2020.\u201d<\/p>\n

McMurtry\u2019s most recent album prior to \u201cThe Horses and The Hounds\u201d was \u201cComplicated Game\u201d in 2015. In between albums, he released a powerful single titled, \u201cState of The Union.\u201d His razor-sharp sociopolitical commentary turned heads.<\/p>\n

The song hits hard right from the opening lines — \u201cMy brother\u2019s a fascist, lives in Palacios, fishes the pier every night. He holsters his Glock in a double retention. He smokes while he waits for a bite. He don\u2019t like the Muslims. He don\u2019t like the Jews. He don\u2019t like the Blacks and he don\u2019t trust the news. He hates the Hispanics and alternative views. He\u2019ll tell you it\u2019s tough to be white.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to McMurtry, \u201cEvery region of the United States seems to have its own way of Anglicizing, or rather, Americanizing Spanish names. There\u2019s a town called Palacios on the Texas coast. Texans pronounce it \u2018Palashuss,\u2019 which just happens to kinda rhyme with \u2018fascist.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile there\u2019s usually at least one in every town, I don\u2019t know for a fact that there\u2019s even one actual fascist residing in or near the town of Palacios, Texas. This song, like most of my songs, is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of any of my characters to actual persons, living or deceased, is just plain lucky.\u201d<\/p>\n

McMurtry is always writing \u2013 in parts if not in full songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a big scrap pile,\u201d said McMurtry. \u201cIt was really big until I lost a laptop off the top of my truck. We had a gig in Denton (Texas) and I was loading the truck. I set the laptop on top of the truck under a canoe and then forgot about it. The laptop was gone but I remembered a lot of the scraps. Still, parts of it will be gone forever.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just write the lyrics down and then get chords and melodies in my head. Going into the studio for the last album, I had about 14 songs ready, and we recorded 10.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m already thinking about doing another album. I\u2019ve been talking to Don Dixon about doing an album with him. I have plenty of songs ready to be recorded.\u201d<\/p>\n

McMurtry tours year-round and consistently throws down unparalleled powerhouse performances \u2013 solo and with a band.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a solo acoustic thing,\u201d said McMurtry. \u201cI\u2019m flying out March 13 and I\u2019ll be doing shows in the Northeast for about two weeks. When I\u2019m not on the road, fans can hear me play at the Continental Club in Austin every Tuesday and solo every Wednesday at the Continental Club Gallery.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video Link for James McMurtry \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/HPYWcdrQPxg<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Ardmore Music Hall on March 15 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming acts at the Ardmore Music Hall are Talib Kweli on March 9, Krasno\/Moore Project on March 10, Modern Bliss on March, The Smithereens on March 16, Steal Your Peach on March 17, Aretha on March 19, Countdown to Ecstasy on March 23, Quinn Sullivan and Veronica Lewis on March 24, Splintered Sunlight on March 25, Dustbowl Revival on March 29, Avery Sunshine on March 30 and Shawn Mullins and Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams on April 1.<\/p>\n

Now through March 19, People\u2019s Light (39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, www.peopleslight.org<\/a>) is presenting a riveting play called \u201cThurgood.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thurgood Marshall\u00a0was an American civil rights lawyer and jurist who served as an\u00a0associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States\u00a0from 1967-1991. He was the Supreme Court’s first African American justice.<\/p>\n

Prior to his judicial service, he was an attorney who fought for civil rights, leading the\u00a0NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Marshall was a prominent figure in the movement to end\u00a0racial segregation\u00a0in schools.<\/p>\n

Marshall won 29 of the 32 civil rights cases he argued before the Supreme Court, culminating in the Court\u2019s landmark 1954 decision in\u00a0Brown v. Board of Education, which rejected the\u00a0separate but equal doctrine\u00a0and held segregation in public education to be unconstitutional.<\/p>\n

President\u00a0Lyndon B. Johnson\u00a0appointed Marshall to the Supreme Court in 1967. A staunch liberal, he frequently dissented as the Court became increasingly conservative.<\/p>\n

Marshall has a strong connection to Chester County. He was a graduate of Lincoln University.<\/p>\n

Lincoln University\u00a0is a\u00a0public\u00a0state-related\u00a0historically black university\u00a0(HBCU) near\u00a0Oxford. Founded as the Ashmun Institute\u00a0in 1854, it has been a public institution since 1972 and is the second oldest HBCU in the state after\u00a0Cheyney University of Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n

Born in\u00a0Baltimore, Maryland, Marshall attended\u00a0Lincoln University\u00a0and the\u00a0Howard University School of Law. At Howard, he was mentored by\u00a0Charles Hamilton Houston, who taught his students to be \u201csocial engineers\u201d willing to use the law to fight for civil rights. Marshall opened a law practice in Baltimore but soon joined Houston at the\u00a0NAACP\u00a0in New York.<\/p>\n

\u201cThurgood\u201d was written by playwright George Stevens, Jr. The play is directed by People\u2019s Light Associate Artistic Director Steve H. Broadnax III. and the title role is played by Brian Marable. In this one-act play, Marable captures Marshall\u2019s signature poise, wit and storytelling skill.<\/p>\n

First appearing on Broadway in 2008, \u201cThurgood\u201d explores the historic life of Justice Marshall. From watching trials at the Baltimore courthouse with his father as a child, to winning all but three of 32 civil rights cases he argued in the Supreme Court as an NAACP lawyer, Justice Marshall is credited with paving the way for young African American leaders. The play is a testament to the hard work and dedication that earned Marshall his Supreme Court nomination in 1967 and how his legacy still resonates today.<\/p>\n

Before the show, attendees can also enjoy scratch cooking and theatrical sensibilities in the laid-back atmosphere of the Theatre\u2019s newly renovated on-site restaurant, The Fern & Fable. Located just steps away from the Leonard C. Haas Stage, the restaurant occupies three rooms of a 1700s farmhouse, complete with two working fireplaces and plenty of historic quirks.<\/p>\n

\u201cThurgood\u201d is running now through March 19. Ticket prices start at $47, including fees.<\/p>\n

Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) will present Bacon Gives Back on March 9, Belfast Connection on March 10 and Captain Dawg on March 11.<\/p>\n

Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, www.uptownwestchester.org<\/a>) \u00a0will present the annual Future Stars Benefit \u201cWhy We Tell the Story\u201d on March 11.<\/p>\n

Jamey\u2019s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985,\u00a0www.jameyshouseofmusic.com<\/a>) will have the Khadijah Renee Trio on March 10 and the Mike Montrey Band on March 11.<\/p>\n

The Living Room & Cricket Cafe (35 Ardmore Ave, Ardmore,<\/a> www.livingroomardmore.com<\/a>) will present Chico Huff on March 9, Hungry Like the Wolf: ’80s New Wave Dance Party w\/ DJ Mike on March 10, Ronstadt Revue on March 11 and Bet Williams on March 12.<\/p>\n

The Sound Bank (119 South Main Street, Phoenixville, www.soundbankphx.com<\/a>) will host Pure Jerry on March 10 and sam Schmidthuber on March 11.<\/p>\n

The Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>) will present The McKrells on March 9, Angel on March 10, Broken Arrow on March 11, The Large Flowerheads on March 12, Haley Reinhart on March 15, Glengarry Bhoys on March 16, Barleyjuice on March 17,Wishbone Ash on March 18, Church of Cash on March 19, Chastity Brown and Sawyer Fredericks on March 21, Bob Schneider on March 22, The Furious Bongos on March 23, Boris Garcia on March 24, Mikey Junior on March 25, Hotel California on March 28 and 29, Marcia Ball and Tinsley Ellis on March 30, Spyro Gyra on March 31, EXTC on April 1, Leo Kottke on April 2 and Chris Knight on April 4.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times There are two national tours of Broadway hit musicals that are making return visits to the area this week \u2013 one which is definitely not geared for children and one that is geared for an audience that can look at the show through the eyes of a child. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":51983,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8457],"tags":[6520,7426,7848],"class_list":["post-51985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-cats","tag-featured","tag-the-book-of-mormon"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51985","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=51985"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51985\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51986,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51985\/revisions\/51986"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/51983"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=51985"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=51985"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=51985"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}