Greer Firestone - Page 3

Who would have imagined my 73rd birthday would have been so calamitous? Yes, that was the day the world changed for all of us. 'Normality' will never be the same. There will be fond memories of yesteryear sequestered in your hippocampus. (A brief 2 wks ago).

For those of us who have visited Ireland and basked in the bountiful love and generosity of its people, the plays of its most famous authors are striking in contrast. There are no strangers when one visits the Emerald Isle. However, the plays of Brian Friel, Sean O'Casey and John Millington Synge are rife with meditation, mourning and melancholy. (The latter author's 'Playboy of the Western Worlda?? caused riots in Dublin when initially staged in 1907. When the actors came to America in 1911, they were jailed).

Aisle Say loves the ludicrous, is passionate for the preposterous, seeks the non-sequiturs, fancies the fool headed. Bring on LEND ME A TENOR, SPAMALOT, THE IMAGINARY INVALID and others of that genre.

For 11 years The Resident Ensemble Players of UD has produced plays of global renown. The majority of the actors have been there since the inception. Aisle Say has been privileged to attend most of them. Generally, the classics are performed; Shakespeare, Shaw, August Wilson, Alan Ayckbourn, Moliere, Tennessee Williams and the like.

Candlelight's stunning production on CABARET forces Aisle Say to ponder if he has ever seen a more polished and thoroughly professional production at this venerable Arden barn.

Founded in 1993 - and now under the artistic and musical leadership of Kerry Kristine and Joe Trainor a?" City-Theatre says close to its roots to take risks and eschew redundancy in staging PASSING STRANGE at Opera Delaware's Black Box on the Riverfront.

Resident Theatre Company of West Chester, in its 2nd year under the direction of Kristin McLaughlin Mitchell, staged a vibrant, harmonious and poignant rendition of one of Sondheim's most difficult to stage, INTO THE WOODS.

Aisle Say had the opportunity to visit a rehearsal for First State Ballet Theatre's NUTCRACKER at The Grand on December 21 and 22.

race Field, member of the  Broadway Inspirational Voices, 'graced' the stage at Milton Theatre last month. Appearing in a one-woman show with music director Charlie Alterman, she of the soaring, ethereal voice and Greek Goddess hair, Field had the packed house swooning over her Best of Broadway list of songs.

Candlelight welcomes in the season with CHRISTMAS BY CANDLELIGHT, showcasing a variety of familiar 'chestnuts' and some not frequently heard. It is a nostalgic look at Christmas, focusing on family, friendship, community, children, and loved ones who are especially missed during the holidays.

SHREK, THE MUSICAL may not be the (self-described) greatest fairy tale ever told, but it is one of the most joyous, cheerful and animated musicals I've seen in years. (I say animated for it is taken from the DreamWorks film SHREK). The cast, the costumes, the sets and the music make this #1 in my years of reviewing Walnut Street.

What has Sandy Robbins accomplished in two decades at UD? Our state has a theatre group equal to The Guthrie in Minneapolis, the Arena Stage in DC and the McCarter Stage in Princeton, among others; venues renown as the greatest of American performance stages.

The year is 1960. The place is Aldersgate Church Canteen on a Saturday night. Springer Jr. High student Greer Firestone is in attendance along with most of his classmates. #1. The DJ intones 'ladies choice' and spins a?oeWill You Still Love Me Tomorrowa?? by The Shirelles. #2. The girls swarm to form a line in front of Firestone in faint hopes of being enraptured by his rakish, boyish charm.

Readers. This article below appeared in UD Daily. As a theatre critic for the past 35 years, I have had the singular privilege of attending perhaps 90% of the productions since 2008 at The Roselle Center. UD Rep Ensemble's quality in both onstage and technical aspects rivals and contends with ANY professional company in America.

First State Ballet Theatre stages a completely original DRACULA at the baby grand October 18 - 20. Choreography is by Viktor Plotnikov, a longtime collaborator of Artistic Director Pasha Kambalov. Their friendship goes back to 1987, when the two were dancers with Donetsk Ballet Company in Ukraine (A nation in the news presently. You may have hearda??).

Paula and George Wolkind's dream of a Delaware Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is now a bonafied institution. A sellout crowd at the baby grand on September 22 welcomed not only musical legends but also historians, DJ's and promoters who have had and continue to have a profound influence on the music scene.

Based on the hit film and the incredible true story, Candlelight's CATCH ME IF YOU CAN is the high-flying musical comedy about chasing your dreams and not getting caught. If you're gonna fake, fake til you make it!

Delaware Theatre Co opens its season with THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES. For Arthur Conan Doyle adherents, this is pipedreams away from Benedict Cumberbatch OR in my case, Basil Rathbone (my favorite all time baddest of bad guys in the movies of the 50's).

The Walnut Street Theatre opens its 211th season (no typo) with an uproarious YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN. This venerable theatre has seen the likes of all the Barrymores, Katherine Hepburn and Edwin Booth, to name a few. (Although his brother's legacy probably tanked his career).

Walnut Street Theatre opens its 211th season with Mel Brooks' hilarious musical comedy, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN THE MUSICAL. Previews on September 3, opens September 11, and continues through October 20.