{"id":21112,"date":"2018-05-01T09:08:31","date_gmt":"2018-05-01T13:08:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/?p=21112"},"modified":"2018-05-01T09:08:35","modified_gmt":"2018-05-01T13:08:35","slug":"on-stage-motown-comes-to-wilmington","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/?p=21112","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: ‘Motown’ comes to Wilmington"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Motown the Musical<\/p><\/div>\n

The popularity of the \u201cMotown Sound\u201d has remained at a high level for more than 50 years. \u201cMotown the Musical,\u201d which celebrates Berry Gordy and his label Motown Records, made its Broadway debut in April 2013 on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, and its popularity has remained at a high level for more than three years.<\/p>\n

\u201cMotown the Musical\u201d closed on Broadway a little more than a year ago and now is out on the road. The show\u2019s National tour will visit the area for a six-day, eight-show run now through May 6 at The Playhouse on Rodney Square (10th and Market streets, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-888-0200, www.thegrandwilmington.org\/the-playhouse<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The \u201cMotown Sound\u201d began in 1959 when Berry Gordy Jr. founded Tamla Records in Detroit, Michigan. One year later, the record company was incorporated as the Motown Record Corporation with the name coming from \u201cmotor\u201d and \u201ctown\u201d \u2014 a reference to the city\u2019s link to the auto manufacturing industry.<\/p>\n

Over the years, the \u201cMotown Sound\u201d became one of the most important influences in the record industry. With acts like Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Supremes, Stevie Wonder, the Temptations, the Four Tops, the Jackson Five and Marvin Gaye.<\/p>\n

Motown\u2019s version of soul and rhythm-and-blues music created a crossover link that took the traditionally black R&B music to wider, more diverse audiences.<\/p>\n

The hit musical \u201cMotown the Musical\u201d is devoted to that sound and its development.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Trenyce<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cI\u2019m honored to play the role of Diana Ross in this show,\u201d said Trenyce, during a recent phone interview from a tour stop in Tennessee. \u201cI like being able to bring to life her version of the story.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trenyce is an American singer and actress best known as a finalist on the second season of \u201cAmerican Idol\u201d and for her work in musical theater. Raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Trenyce won one of the categories of the NAACP ACT-SO as a teenager and attended the University of Memphis on a music scholarship.<\/p>\n

Motown played a huge part in the racial integration of pop music as a conduit that brought inner city music to the suburbs and as an African American-owned record label which achieved crossover success. The Motown sound became a major influence in all genres of American pop music.<\/p>\n

In the 1960s, Motown was in full stride. The label, which was small in comparison to its West Coast and New York counterparts, placed 79 records in the Top Ten of the\u00a0Billboard\u00a0magazine\u2019s Hot 100 record chart between 1960 and 1969. Despite many ups and downs since then, the label is still alive and is now a subsidiary of Capitol Records.<\/p>\n

Directed by\u00a0Charles Randolph-Wright, \u201cMotown the Musical\u201d is the true American dream story of Motown founder Berry Gordy\u2019s journey from being a journeyman boxer to a top-level music mogul who launched the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and many more world-class musicians.<\/p>\n

Featuring more than 40\u00a0classic hits such as \u201cMy Girl\u201d and \u201cAin\u2019t No Mountain High Enough,\u201d\u00a0\u201cMotown the Musical\u201d tells the story behind the hits as Ross, Robinson, Gordy and the whole Motown family fought against the odds to create the soundtrack of change in America. Motown broke down racial barriers and took listeners to a place where they all moved to the same beat.<\/p>\n

The show\u2019s arrangements and orchestrations are by Grammy and Tony Award nominee\u00a0Ethan Popp\u00a0(\u201cRock of Ages\u201d) with co-orchestrations and additional arrangements by Tony Award nominee\u00a0Bryan Crook (\u201cSmash\u201d) and dance arrangements by\u00a0Zane Mark\u00a0(\u201cDirty Rotten Scoundrels\u201d).<\/p>\n

\u201cMotown the Musical\u201d\u00a0is produced by SONY Music Entertainment Chairman and CEO\u00a0Doug Morris\u00a0and Motown\u2019s \u201cMain Man\u201d\u00a0Berry Gordy Jr.<\/p>\n

In October 2002, Trenyce auditioned for the second season of the reality television series American Idol. She became one of the 32 semi-finalists. She was eliminated in the top 30 round, but judge Paula Abdul chose her as a “wildcard selection” to become one of the twelve finalists.<\/p>\n

In 2004, Trenyce began to focus on theatre, playing roles in the plays \u201cNot a Day Goes By,\u201d \u201cThe Vagina Monologues,\u201d \u201cSoul Kittens Cabaret\u201d and \u201cMama\u2019s Sweet Potato Pie.\u201d In 2006, she played the lead role of Deena Jones in the musical \u201cDreamgirls.\u201d She made her film debut in 2008 and became the first American Idol contestant to headline a show in Las Vegas.<\/p>\n

Trenyce originated the role of Portia in David E. Talbert\u2019s play \u201cLove in the Nick of Tyme\u201d and performed in a 2009 North American tour of the musical \u201cAin\u2019t Misbehavin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

From 2010 to 2013, she was the leading female vocalist in the revue \u201cThriller \u2013 Live\u201d during a European tour and its West End run. She appeared in the 2013 comedy film \u201cKick-Ass 2\u201d and then returned to London for an extended reprise of her role in \u201cThriller \u2013 Live.\u201d In 2017, she starred in the cabaret production \u201cHeart & Soul: Music of Whitney Houston, Dionne Warwick & Diana Ross.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI always wanted to play Diana Ross,\u201d said Trenyce. \u201cThe first time I auditioned for \u2018Motown the Musical\u2019 was in London \u2013 but I didn\u2019t get the part. I came back to L.A. Then, they were casting for the U.S. tour. I auditioned and got the role. It was all about timing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy parents were singers and they were in a group that got attention from Stax Records. Then, they stopped and had me. There was always music playing in the house \u2013 a lot of Motown. I\u2019ve been singing since I was two.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was five, they needed someone to sing in a Martin Luther King, Jr. program and I raised my hand. After that showcase, I got a standing ovation. Riding home, I told my mom \u2013 I think I want to do this for the rest of my life.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I got older, I\u2019d say that Whitney Houston and Brandy influenced me the most. In high school, I got the nickname \u2018Little Whitney.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cI went to college at the University of Memphis and had a double major \u2013 music and nursing. Then, I realized that I wanted to be a performer full-time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe next thing after that was \u2018America Idol\u2019 and the rest is history. Performing on \u2018American Idol\u2019 helped me face a lot of fears \u2013 fear of being imperfect, far of being judged, fear of learning music from different genres. I learned that if I can do \u2018American Idol,\u2019 I can do anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

That \u201canything\u201d includes playing the role of an iconic performer like Diana Ross and nailing it night after night.<\/p>\n

Video link for \u201cMotown The Musical\u201d \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/B91dRPIxyEw<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Playhouse on Rodney Square is running now through May 6. Ticket prices range from $80-$100.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Red Sun Rising<\/p><\/div>\n

If you travel 120 miles southeast from Motown (Detroit, Michigan) to Akron, Ohio, you\u2019ll find an entirely different music act to enjoy \u2013 Red Sun Rising.<\/p>\n

The band is touring behind a new album and will bring the tour here for a show on May 1 at The Queen (500 North Market Street, Wilmington, 202-730-3331, www.thequeenwilmington.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Red Sun Rising’s new album \u201cThread” was released on March 3 (Concord Music\/Razor & Tie) and the band\u2019s current single, “Deathwish” is riding up Billboard’s Active Rock chart.<\/p>\n

In addition, Red Sun Rising has offered \u201cFascination\u201d as its second instant grat track.\u00a0 The epic video for the song pays homage to Georges M\u00e9li\u00e8s 1902 Silent film \u201cLe Voyage dans la Lune\u201d and shows off the band\u2019s intricate detail to its musicianship with three-part harmony choruses and more.<\/p>\n

\u201cThread\u201d is Red Sun Rising\u2019s sophomore album. The quintet\u2019s debut LP \u201cPolyester Zeal\u201d was released in August 2015. The Akron-based band — Mike Protich, Vocals, Guitar; Ryan Williams, Guitar; Ricky Miller, Bass, Vocals; Dave McGarry, Guitar, Vocals; Pat Gerasia, Drums — has been together since 2006.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were putting songs together for \u2018Thread\u2019 when we were still recording \u2018Polyester Zeal\u2019,\u201d said Protich, during a recent phone interview while the band was travelling between dates in Sacramento and Anaheim.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m always writing. A lot of these original ideas started back then. Then, during two-and-a-half years of touring \u2018Polyeser Zeal,\u2019 the ideas developed \u2013 a riff here, a melody here, a chorus here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Red Sun Rising really gelled as a band when it was making \u2018Thread.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we started working on the songs in the spring of last year, we rented a cabin on a lake in northern Illinois,\u201d said Protich. \u201cWe got snowed in there for two weeks with our engineers \u2013 Kevin and Matt Doherty. Then, we did another week at a studio in Michigan.<\/p>\n

\u201cMatt Hyde produced and engineered the record at Sonic Ranch, which is located in the middle of the desert near El Paso, Texas. We were down there for three weeks. We recorded the album pretty quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Produced by Hyde (Deftones, AFI, Porno For Pyros) and mixed by Jay Ruston, \u201cThread\u201d continues to expand on Red Sun Rising\u2019s concept of mixing different genres and influences to create a unique sound.<\/p>\n

According to Protich, \u201cThis album feels like a rebirth. Although Red Sun Rising played 140 shows on our last tour, it was not until we made this album that I felt we became a band.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe growth and evolution of Red Sun Rising that you will hear in our sound and our songwriting builds on our \u2018Thread\u2019 mentality (songs that people can love and sing with us but don\u2019t fit a mold).\u00a0 We aren\u2019t chasing trends and never will.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Protich at the helm, Red Sun Rising made its early recordings available through social media websites and steadily built a nationwide fan base.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe majority of the songwriting is mine,\u201d said Protich. \u201cOnce we establish the skeleton of the song, the band comes in and puts the meat on.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor \u2018Thread,\u2019 we started with 35 songs and had to cut down to 11. That is such a brutal process because you\u2019re proud of all the ideas. The key is to figure out what is going to resonate with people.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cut a few songs that didn\u2019t fit with the calm desert vibe so we had to leave them off the album. We went for a lot more vintage sound. We wanted an album of songs with synchronicity.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted \u2018Thread\u2019 to represent the music \u2013 and more. We wanted it to represent our lifestyle. There is usually a hopeful undertone to our music.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Red Sun Rising — https:\/\/youtu.be\/0crY95eobHU<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at The Queen, which has The Used as headliner, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $29.50.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times The popularity of the \u201cMotown Sound\u201d has remained at a high level for more than 50 years. \u201cMotown the Musical,\u201d which celebrates Berry Gordy and his label Motown Records, made its Broadway debut in April 2013 on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, and its popularity has remained at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21114,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5166],"tags":[3912,6610,7817,7818],"class_list":["post-21112","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-featured","tag-motown-the-musical","tag-red-sun-rising","tag-trenyce"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21112","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21112"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21112\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21113,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21112\/revisions\/21113"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/21114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21112"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21112"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21112"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}