Greer Firestone - Page 7

Lerner and Loewe created MY FAIR LADY from Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion". Rodgers and Hammerstein adapted the 1909 Ferenc Molnar play "Liliom" and transplanted the setting from Budapest to the coast of Maine in CAROUSEL. That's generally how musicals are birthed. Not so with THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, which makes its nascency the more intriguing and Broadway fanciful.

There is ofttimes a quality difference from non-equity versus equity tours. The former is comprised of young actors earning their stripes. For many it is their first tour. Any deviation from a highly professional, class A production was not evident with CABARET, at The Playhouse through March 18. This is a great, glamorous and gripping show.

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE opens at Candlelight on March 17. The chaperone in the show is not lethargic. He/she is slowly getting plastered.

Artistic Director Sandy Robbins comments in the Program Notes that any director would prefer staging KING LEAR rather than A FLEA IN HER EAR.

The Playhouse Wilkommen's UD grad Carl Pariso in the role of Cliff Bradshaw in a spectacular staging of CABARET opening March 13 through the 18th.

May December relationships are fraught with peril. We are now informed they function in theoretical physics and the space between notes of music.

Final bows. Standing O from a boomer ++ crowd on a Sunday matinee opening weekend. I thought to myself how privileged I am to be able to attend and write about DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS (DRS) and the hundreds of shows prior over 30 + years.

DIAL M FOR MURDER. Dial M for Magnificent regarding UD REP ENSEMBLE. Since 2008's THE HOSTAGE, Rep Ensemble has been unequivocally THE professional theatre in the state and equal to any in the region, if not Broadway.

Delaware Theatre Company is preparing us for the Winter Olympics with a limited run of GO FIGURE: THE RANDY GARDNER STORY, a live autobiographical audience interactive show on the renown skater's life. Tai Babilonia and Dorothy Hamill are featured.

Delaware's 2018 theatrical season begins on January 20 with openings at Candlelight Theatre, Delaware Theatre Co and UD REP Ensemble. An exultant time for Aisle Say. I will be reviewing REP on Thursday 19 Jan, DTC on Jan 20 and Candlelight on 21 Jan.

The UD Rep Ensemble, renown for its treatment of theatre classics, is in their sweet spot with these 3 offerings to end the '17-'18 season. Get to your seat a bit early. Peruse the bios of the Creative Crew. Aisle Say does not know how PAD (Producing Artistic Director) Sandy Robbins does it, but his magic ensnares Tony Award winners in many categories.

Madcap. Zany. Sophisticated Marx Brothers. Come one, come all to a Shakespearean jihad at DE Theatre Company with THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WM. SHAKESPEARE (abridged and revised). Cliff Notes on speed (even though the opening scene introduced Bob Cratchit. Wrong playwright, fellows. HA.)

In the late 1800's George Seurat developed pointillism, a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of color are applied in patterns to form an image.

At age 10, how many of us know what we were born to do? The two most celebrated graduates of 50-year old Brandywine High School are 'one bourbon, one scotch, one beer' George Thorogood and Tony Award-winning actor Johnny Gallagher.

A family Christmas tradition continues this year with First State Ballet Theatre's The Nutcracker. The second part of this release mentions The Illusionists coming to The Playhouse. FSBT serves illusion as well.

Candlelight Music Theatre- already the best theatrical value in the state - pulled out all the stops for this captivating production of DISNEY BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.

The yellow brick road landed at The Playhouse last evening and its fellow travelers, Dorothy, Lion, Scarecrow and Tinman (plus an indubitably compliant Toto) will be here through November 19.

From 1957's WEST SIDE STORY Stephen Sondheim's genius changed Broadway. FORUM, LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC (all songs done in waltz time), COMPANY, ASSASSINS, the list is towering and it is treasured.

At the height of the Jim Crow era, Jack Johnson became heavyweight champ in 1908. But Johnson was no Uncle Tom, in fact he was the antithesis, railing and raging against racist whites who would dare challenge both his fame and his manhood.

From playing Dorothy at The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati one month to a national tour the next, Kalie Kaimann found her yellow brick road. You never know, you never know.