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March Brings Cabaret, Jazz, Noontime Concerts

The arts in Wilmington offer music—inside and outside

This month, The Playhouse on Rodney Square transforms into the infamous Kit Kat Klub, as Cabaret takes the stage March 13-18.

Based on Roundabout Theatre Company’s Tony Award–winning production, Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall’s version of Cabaret marks the first visit to Wilmington for this Broadway revival. Mendes and Marshall are the original director and co-director/choreographer, respectively,

Get ready to be welcomed to the notorious nightclub where the emcee, Sally Bowles, and a sexy, raucous ensemble nightly titillate, tantalize and entice crowds to “…leave your troubles outside.” But as the atmosphere in pre-World War II Germany grows tenuous, will Berlin’s decadent nightlife be enough to get through?

This renowned musical—book by Joe Masteroff and music and lyrics by John Kander and Fred Ebb—originally opened on Broadway in 1966 and London’s West End in 1968. Cabaret has since enjoyed many revivals (London in 1986, 1993, 2006 and 2012; Broadway in 1987, 1998 and 2014) and, of course, the memorable 1972 film starring Liza Minnelli. It features some of the most recognizable songs in theater history, including the hallmark “Cabaret,” “Willkommen” and “Maybe This Time.”

This all-new production launched in December 2017 in Worcester, Mass., with tour direction by BT McNicholl, tour choreography by Jennifer Werner and original costume design by William Ivey Long. The company of 21 quadruple-threat performers (actors, singers, dancers and musicians) features Erik Schneider as the animated Emcee, Bailey McCall Thomas as British chanteuse Sally Bowles and University of Delaware alumnus Carl Pariso as American writer and Sally’s tortured love, Clifford Bradshaw.

During his time at the University of Delaware, Pariso studied Music Composition and Theatre Performance and performed with The REP, Chapel Street Players and UD Chorale. He now makes his home in New York City.

Cabaret opens for a press preview on Tuesday, March 13, and runs through Sunday, March 18. Tickets start at $40, and discounts are available for seniors and groups of 10 or more. Call The Playhouse Box Office at 888-0200 for discount information or visit ThePlayhouseDE.org to purchase tickets online.

Christina Cultural Arts Center Hosts Wilmington Debut of Jazz Songstress

Christina Cultural Arts Center continues its streak of presenting well-known regional and national musicians in the intimate setting of its Clifford Brown Performance Space. On Sunday, March 11, Christina welcomes jazz siren Alicia Olatuja in her area debut.

The St. Louis–born Olatuja—who rose to fame after her 2013 performance at President Obama’s second inauguration—released her first solo album, Timeless, in 2014. Her influences include gospel, soul, jazz and classical genres and she has performed with such renowned artists as Chaka Khan, BeBe Winans and Christian McBride.

Christina Executive Director H. Raye Jones Avery notes that during the 2017 Mid-Atlantic Jazz Touring Network members’ conference, Olatuja was recognized by Newport Jazz Festival musical director McBride as one of the newest “voices to experience.”

“The outstanding endorsements resonating from her performance at the inauguration and directly from Christian McBride led us to the obvious choice to invite Alicia to Christina Cultural Arts Center’s Jazz Touring Network performance season this year,” says Avery. “Alicia’s lush tone and welcoming stage presence will surely draw audiences into her magnetic personality and performance.”

Tickets for this up-close-and-personal performance are only $20 and are available at ccacde.org through March 10. Olatuja’s engagement with Christina is made possible through The Jazz Touring Network of Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation with support of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Regional Touring Program.

Alicia and her band have performed throughout the country at venues like the Jazz Standard, Vermont Jazz Center, Sioux Falls JazzFest, Rockport Jazz Festival, Markham Jazz Festival, Monty Alexander Jazz Fest and the Harlem Stage Gatehouse.

Market Street Music Welcomes Spring with Musical Diversity

Market Street Music opens its spring performance season with three full-length Festival Concerts and a dozen Thursday Noontime Concerts, all beginning this month.

Leading off the Noontime Concert calendar is a Thursday, March 1, spring celebration by Center City Chorale, aptly entitled “Jubilate!” The weekly series continues through May 10 with genre-spanning artists, including duos of clarinet/piano and violin/piano; a banjo soloist; and a sneak preview of OperaDelaware’s April/May Puccini festival. Admission for all Thursday Noontime Concerts is a suggested donation of $5.

The Festival Concert lineup is equally diverse, beginning with a Sunday, March 4, 3 p.m. return performance by popular chamber ensemble Pyxis Piano Quartet. Pyxis, known for a sold-out series at the Delaware Art Museum, will present a program of piano quartets by Surinach and Chausson.

On Friday, April 20, at 7:30 p.m., Market Street Music welcomes another repeat performance, by Ayreheart Renaissance Music. Founded by Grammy-nominated lutenist Ronn McFarlane, Ayreheart brings the lute—known as the most popular instrument of the Renaissance Era—into the 21st century with the all the energy and flair of a rock concert. This dynamic three-piece ensemble performs music from the Renaissance, interspersed with traditional Scottish and Irish tunes and Celtic- , Renaissance- and Americana-inspired originals.

Finally, the talented Mastersingers of Wilmington present an All-German concert of works by Bach, Buxtehude and Mendelssohn to round out the season on Saturday, May 19, at 7:30 p.m.

All Market Street Music performances are held at First & Central Presbyterian Church, on the corner of Rodney Square across from the Hotel du Pont. Tickets for Festival Concerts are $20 ($10 for students) at marketstreetmusicde.org or $25 at the door.

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‘ArtStuff’ to Keep You Warm with Excitement

Ballet, Music School open mic, and Bud Martin takes the stage for second time in 37 years

First State Ballet Theatre heats up the baby grand stage this month as it presents a “double bill of dance” with Paquita and The Young Lady & The Hooligan.

Paquita, a ballet by French composer Édouard Deldevez and Paris Opera Ballet Master Joseph Mazilier, premiered in Paris in 1846. It tells the story of a young girl abducted by gypsies as a child who is ultimately reunited with her noble family and finds love with a young French army officer.

In 1881, dancer and choreographer Marius Petipa—considered one of the most influential ballet masters in history—produced a revival of the ballet in Russia, adding new pieces arranged and composed by Ludwig Minkus.

The additions included the Paquita Grand Pas Classique, now known as one of the foundations of the traditional ballet repertory. The Paquita Grand Pas Classique blends Spanish flair with classical performance in an expressive and timeless masterpiece.

First State Ballet last performed the work in May 2009. For this iteration of Paquita, its principal dancers are Rie Aoki, Leonid Goykhma and Zane Winders.

The Young Lady and The Hooligan is based on Vladimir Mayakovsky’s 1918 film about a criminal transformed by his love for a young teacher. The work was initially performed at the Leningrad Malii Opera Theater in 1962. The dynamic music conveying this melancholy lovers’ tale comes from composer Dmitri Shostakovich. The score was created from a number of Shostakovich’s existing works, arranged by his longtime musical colleague, Levon Atovmyan.

The Music School of Delaware offers monthly open mic nights for musicians and spoken-word artists at its Wilmington Branch. Photo courtesy of The Music School of Delaware

Principal dancers are First State Ballet’s Mary Kate Reynolds as the Young Lady and Richy Romero as the Hooligan. Executive Director Kristina Kambalov notes that Artistic Director Pasha Kambalov chose the two pieces because they are completely different stylistically, emotionally and technically. “The Young Lady and the Hooligan has a great deal of emotion and drama, and Paquita is pure classicism,” she says.

Dates for this double bill are Saturday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 18, at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at tickets.thegrandwilmington.org.

Music School Expands Open Mic Night

Beginning this month, The Music School of Delaware’s Open Mic Nights will become a regular event at its Wilmington Branch. The open community event now expands to the second Thursday of each month (Feb. 8, March 8, April 12 and May 10 at 7 p.m., with a 6:30 p.m. artist sign-up) and offers a revised staging setup.

“In addition to regular dates, we’re also excited to offer a new format for these events,” says Chris Braddock, the Music School Studio Department head and Open Mic Night coordinator. “Our previous open mics were more like small concerts; this setup will be less formal, with club-style seating for musicians, their families and friends.”

Braddock also notes that new sound equipment will be available for performers’ use, and food and drink will be available during the show. Also new this year: One act will be chosen from each open mic performance to participate in a “Best Of” concert in December.

The Music School Open Mic Nights are open to soloists or groups ages 14 and up in all musical genres as well as spoken-word artists. For more information, call the Music School’s Wilmington Branch at 762–1132.

DTC’s Bud Martin Onstage!

Another regional premiere hits the Delaware stage in playwright Simon Stephens’ Heisenberg, running Feb. 7-25 at Delaware Theatre Company (DTC).

Stephens—also playwright of the celebrated The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time—opened this play off-Broadway in 2015. It was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in 2017.

The story opens in a bustling train station in London, as Georgie spies Alex, a much older man, and kisses him on the neck. The encounter plunges the two into a fascinating and life-changing game.

The DTC production is directed by Matt Pfeiffer and stars Karen Peakes as Georgie (seen previously in DTC’s Something Wicked This Way Comes, The War of the Roses and The Explorers Club) and DTC Executive and Artistic Director Bud Martin as Alex. This show marks just the second time in 37 years that Martin will take the stage as an actor.

“It’s a beautiful show about how two lonely, hurt people—very unlikely to ever get together—can find something astonishing when they give in to the unpredictability of their future,” Martin says of the production.

“[This production] is a perfect role for Karen, whom I adore,” he says, “and they don’t often write these roles for older men. When else would I get the chance to play a part like this with someone like Karen?”
Due to sexual situations and profanity, the show may be best suited for mature older teens and adults.

Two show dates (Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 14 and 15) have already sold out. Tickets for the remaining dates are $15 for students and $25-60 for all other seating and are available at delawaretheatre.org.

Celebrate Mardi Gras in Arden

The folks of Arden invite you to bring your beads, masks and a pair of comfy dancing shoes as Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas take over the Gild Hall for a proper Mardi Gras music festival beginning at 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 9.

Band leader Nathan Williams hails from St. Martinsville, La., the heart of Creole country. He moved to Lafayette to pursue his dream of playing zydeco and was mentored by two of the greats—Clifton Chenier and Arden’s favorite son, Buckwheat Zydeco.

Tickets are $25 and available at ardenconcerts.com. The Gild Hall dance floor will be wide open on Feb. 9; join in the fun and allons danser!