Greer Firestone - Page 8

First State Ballet Theatre - the only professional ballet company in the state announces its '17-'18 season. I have had the privilege of seeing the majority of their performances over these 17 years.

Florence Foster Jenkins' life was a once in a lifetime phenomenon. Meryl played the part in the movie with Simon Helberg (better known as Howard in THE BIG BANG THEORY) portraying her accompanist Cosme McMoon.

UD Rep Ensemble by and large stages classics: Shakespeare, Moliere, Bernard Shaw, Tennessee Williams, etc. Plays become classics due to their timeless quality and universal truths; truths that lived, for example, in Shakespeare's time as they do today. The immediacy of live theatre brings these principals to life before our eyes.

Luray Productions and Club Phred, a perfect match for New Year's Eve 2017. Lois Parker, founder and producer of successful Golden Oldie events, teams with Club Phred, a self-proclaimed Rock n Roll Event to tear down the house at their 5th annual New Year's Eve celebration.

Aisle Say has seen hundreds of shows. Never have I experienced such an overwhelming amalgam of sound and light, FX and empathy, soaring and captivating voices singing gorgeous melodies, as in this performance of SOMETHING WICKED COMES THIS WAY.

FUNNY GIRL established Barbra Streisand's career and People became her signature song. It is performed rarely so Candlelight's current production is an excellent chance to add to your musical theatre bucket list.

Roman playwright Plautius (251-183 BC) wrote farces entitled Pseudolus and Miles Gloriosus; coincidentally, two of the characters in the show. This ancient's inspiration became a gold mine for in 1962 for Composer/Lyricist Stephen Sondheim and authors Burt Shrevelove and Larry Gelbart of M A S H fame. The title derives from a line often used by vaudevillian comedians to begin a bit: a funny thing happened on the way to the theatre .

Aisle Say would never be so trite as to suggest the goth-rock musical LIZZIE, now playing 'live' at City-Theatre is a 'killer' or 'cutting edge' or 'slays the audience'. Of course not. I am much too circumspect and erudite to cave to formulaic nonsense.

Aisle Say - your bottomless cistern of institutional theatrical memory in Delaware - cannot recall if FUNNY GIRL has ever been performed here

The Walnut Street Theatre, founded in 1809, is America's Oldest Theatre. It is also the Official State Theatre of Pennsylvania, and a National Historic Landmark. With more than 55,000 season ticket holders, the Walnut is also the most subscribed theatre company in the world!

Since 2008 UD Rep Ensemble has been the consistent quintessential professional theatre in the state. Never in either talent or creative (costumes, set, sound, lighting and wigs, yes wigs), have they staged anything but the most thrilling live theatre. I have zero clue how they do it on a general public ticket price for $28, but they do. Every show is Broadway quality, period!

Of course, City-Theatre would be THE group to premiere LIZZIE, a sizzling rock opera based on the 19th century legend surrounding notorious accused murderess Lizzie Borden. Four women. 1 rock band. 40 whacks. Year after year this band of theatrical malcontents/troubadours continue to entertain and engage audiences with their vanguard productions, bizarre creative staging and in your face audience interaction.

"Fifty years ago, I never imagined The Cowsills would still be playing in front of appreciative audiences" says Bob Cowsill, leader of one of the 6 groups in The Happy Together Tour coming to The Playhouse on August 7.

Great actors immerse themselves in their character such that one cannot consider anyone else playing the role. They study the writer's words to develop a full sense of character; bringing to life every shade and every nuance. Could you conceive anyone else but Pacino playing Michael Corleone or anyone else but Streep in SOPHIE'S CHOICE? No, of course not.

Ah, we all love rom coms. But decades prior to the term becoming part of contemporary lexicon…. there was BAREFOOT IN THE PARK. Those of a certain baby boomer age all know Robert Redford and Jane Fonda were in the movie. However, we must stretch back even farther to see that the Sundance Kid and Elizabeth Ashley premiered the show on Broadway in (cough) 1963.

In late May The Grand/Playhouse Management staged a Preview Party announcing the season in the 3 venues which includes the 300 seat baby grand. Included in the event were announcements regarding The Grand's resident companies: DE Symphony, First State Ballet and OperaDE.

The 10th anniversary production of DE All State Theatre JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT is staged at the sumptuous Laird Performing Arts Center at Tatnall School.

The Bee Gees won 5 Grammys, including Album of the Year in the late '70's with the album SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER. The brothers three, along with Donna Summer, ushered in the disco era, and 'Stayin' Alive' became its anthem.

I have great advice for The Gershwin Trust, those descendants of George and Ira who have clipped coupons all their lives by virtue of the brothers' genius and copywrite law. They wrote 17 Broadway shows. Only one, GIRL CRAZY (rewritten and renamed CRAZY FOR YOU, compiled without input from The Trust in 1992 and choreographed by Candlelight's own superstar Sue Stroman) is produced contemporarily

It is always sensational news when we hear Dann Dunn is returning to Candlelight to direct and choreograph. Coming off a most recent and successful WSS at Media Theatre, Dunn opens with Gershwin's CRAZY FOR YOU on May 13th at the newly renovated Arden barn. The existing show was adapted from the original Gershwin show, GIRL CRAZY.