Greer Firestone - Page 8

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.

Unconditional attention to detail has always been a signature of UD Rep. The audience is first met with the towering 17th century set with a wooden switch-back staircase rising 3 stories

The performing arts has many siblings, many guises, many mutations on a theme. Is HETTY FEATHER a drama, is it a musical? Or is it a creative hybrid with no discernible niche?

The Independence Studio 3 at The Walnut is the ultimate black box, seating perhaps only over 100. It gives the audience a thrilling intimacy with performers. The Walnut, whatever the size of the audience, never relinquishes their high production standards.

The Playhouse ends a very successful season with the March 31 opening of ONCE. This year, Aisle Say's personal fav

After a 3-month hiatus to create a new stage at the 70-year-old barn, Candlelight opens their second season with CAMELOT. Congratulations must be extended to their non-profit board President Tom Hornung and major contributor State Senator Cathy Cloutier who called in all their chips to fund the $300,000.00 project.

Candlelight, the only dinner theatre in the state and indubitably the best theatrical value, opens its doors after a 3-month hiatus with CAMELOT on March 18.

There was an abundance of "Magic To Do" in PIPPIN, The Playhouse's penultimate production this season. This tour brought along skilled acrobats that dazzled the crowd not only with their Cirque de Soleil-type gymnastics but with jaw-dropping magic.

In this supercharged political environment, we are buffeted with tweeted grotesqueries daily. We ask ourselves where is the humanity in this?

Stephen Schwartz, the composer and lyricist who brought us WICKED in 2003, began his career over 40 years past with GODSPELL in '71 and PIPPIN the next year. After a successful 2014 Equity tour a follow up non-equity tour opens at The Playhouse on March 7 for a 6-day run.