{"id":33801,"date":"2023-06-22T10:21:01","date_gmt":"2023-06-22T14:21:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/?p=33801"},"modified":"2023-06-22T10:21:03","modified_gmt":"2023-06-22T14:21:03","slug":"on-stage-lettie-derailed-by-covid-finds-new-life-at-peoples-light","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/?p=33801","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: “Lettie’ derailed by COVID finds new life at People’s Light"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"

Abigail Adams<\/p><\/div>\n

The play \u201cLettie\u201d had its premiere in Chicago in 2017. The show received rave reviews and appeared destined to have a long and successful run on Broadway. Then, COVID-19 changed all that \u2013 a pandemic that closed everything down.<\/p>\n

When the original production ran at the Victory Playhouse in Chicago, Broadway World described the show as \u201cprofoundly heartbreaking and brilliantly conceived.\u201d<\/p>\n

Variety magazine offered this description \u2013 \u201c\u2018Lettie,\u2019 a family drama about a woman emerging from prison and addiction with a desire to reclaim the teenage kids who have barely seen her in seven years, is that rare play that manages to be both pessimistic and hopeful, with a central character simultaneously deeply sympathetic and infuriating.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, \u201cLettie\u201d is coming back to life and is being staged in various cities around the United States.<\/p>\n

Now through July 13, Malvern-based theatre People\u2019s Light (39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, www.peopleslight.org<\/a>) is presenting the regional premiere of \u201cLettie,\u201d which was written by Boo Killebrew.<\/p>\n

The play opens with Lettie, a woman in her mid-30s, being released from prison after serving a seven-year sentence. Now trying to put her life back together, Lettie is living at Spring House, a halfway house for ex-cons, and she’s enrolled in a training program to become a welder.<\/p>\n

Lettie has two teenage children who have been in the care of her sister Carla and Carla\u2019s husband, Frank. Lettie hasn\u2019t seen her kids for years and is eager to reconnect with them, but Carla and Frank are wary.<\/p>\n

The couple are uptight Christians. They had to clean up Lettie\u2019s mess when she was addicted to drugs, and they do not trust Lettie\u2019s competence as a mother.<\/p>\n

Lettie\u2019s daughter Layla is an effervescent 14-year-old who is a top academic student \u2013 and a drama queen. Her son River, who is 17, is a moody record collector and aspiring producer. Layla wants to re-engage with her mom while River wants nothing to do with Lettie.<\/p>\n

Lettie makes a friend at her work \u2013 Minny, also an ex-con who is struggling to get her life back together.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is not an unhappy ending \u2013 and not a happy ending,\u201d said director Abigail Adams during a phone interview last week from her home in Swarthmore. \u201cIt gives the audience a lot to think about.<\/p>\n

\u201cZak (Berkman) gave it to me, and I read it. This is only the second production I read in years. I sent it back to Zack to read and then we agreed to do the show.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zak Berkman is the Producing Artistic Director at People\u2019s Light. Adams is Senior Director of Special Projects and Executive Artistic Director Emerita at People\u2019s Light.<\/p>\n

Adams has been associated with People\u2019s Light for over 40 years, serving as artistic leader for over two decades and chief executive for the past 10 years. Adams has directed more than sixty plays at People\u2019s Light, including\u00a0\u201cThe Children\u201d and \u201cOur Town.\u201d<\/p>\n

She established the New Voices Ensemble at People\u2019s Light in 1990, which received the White House Coming up Taller Award in 2000. Adams served for 10 years on the faculty of Swarthmore College and has also taught at New York University, Bryn Mawr College, Carnegie Mellon University, and The Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario. She holds an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Ursinus College.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo things I liked were the ambiguity and the lack of stereotypes in all the characters,\u201d said Adams. \u201cThere is a lot of room the playwright has given to individual actors.\u201d<\/p>\n

The play was written by Boo Killebrew, a notable playwright, actress, and TV writer for the hit Emmy Award-nominated Netflix series, \u201cLongmire.\u201d Her work as playwright has been presented at theatres around the United States, including The Roundabout Theatre in New York City, Boston Playwright\u2019s Theatre, and Portland Center Stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are six actors, and they are all well-developed,\u201d said Adams. \u201cThese characters defy the stereotype. Lettie is a character who gets in her own way all the time. She\u2019s a very difficult person.\u201d<\/p>\n

The story is set in 2017. It started in late winter and ends eight months later around Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is just a good story,\u201d said Adams, who grew up in Media and graduated from Penncrest High. \u201cIt\u2019s engrossing.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the themes is \u2013 how do you recover lost time…especially with kids and the time you didn\u2019t have with them. The play explores that. You don\u2019t recover \u2013 but you can start again. Lettie is the story line. She\u2019s in every scene.\u201d<\/p>\n

This production also features strong acting by Danielle Skraastad (Lettie), Kevin Bergen (Frank), Melanye Finister (Minny), Teri Lamm (Carla), Bryanna Martinez-Jimenez (Layla) and Jacob Orr (River).<\/p>\n

\u201cThis play really does have great writing,\u201d said Adams. \u201cAll of the characters are developed so well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLettie\u201d is running now through July 13 at People\u2019s Light\u2019s Steinbright Stage, an intimate, flexible 140-seat theatre. Ticket prices start at $47.<\/p>\n

This is your final weekend to catch a live performance of another top-flight non-musical stage show.<\/p>\n

Every season, the Candlelight Theatre (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware, 302- 475-2313, www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org<\/a>) presents mostly musicals with just one non-musical in the season\u2019s schedule. That show this season is \u201cThe Musical Comedy Murders of 1940,\u201d\u00a0which is a murder mystery. The action takes place on an estate in Chappaqua, New York in December 1940.<\/p>\n

An eccentric heiress has invited a group of theater people to her home on the pretense of holding a backer\u2019s audition for a new musical. The creative team for this new project was also involved in a recent Broadway flop that closed abruptly when three of its showgirls were mysteriously murdered.<\/p>\n

As the mayhem at the mansion unfolds, murders begin to pile up and everyone\u2019s a suspect. The zany show features a lot of slapstick comedy along with blizzard conditions, secret passageways and musical snippets.<\/p>\n

The play was first performed at the\u00a0Circle Repertory Company\u00a0in New York and later moved to\u00a0Broadway in April 1987 at The\u00a0Longacre Theatre. Both productions were directed by the playwright and shared the same cast. The play is said to have been based on several 1940s mystery movies, including\u00a0The Cat and the Canary, one of\u00a0Bob Hope’s first films.<\/p>\n

Bernice Roth is a perpetually thirsty\u00a0lyricist and alcoholic. She is Roger\u2019s partner. Bernice is very odd and emotional, frequently losing her composure and screaming. When Marjorie fails to respond to the second act opening number of \u201cWhite House Merry-Go-Round,\u201d Bernice is hugely offended, despite the fact that Marjorie was dead at the time. She spends the entire second act attempting to \u201cfix\u201d the play, even when she is held hostage.<\/p>\n

The production at Candlelight features a standout cast of Susan Giddings, Chelsea Paradiso, Susan Wefel, Henry Glejzer, Walter Todd, Chris Fitting, Sarah Mackus, Robert Gene Pellechio, Samantha Ricciuti and Shaun Yates.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Musical Comedy Murders of 1940\u201d is running now through June 25. Performances are Friday and Saturday evenings (doors 6 p.m.\/show, 8 p.m.) and Sunday afternoons (doors, 1 p.m.\/show, 3 p.m.). Tickets, which include dinner and a show, are $71.50 for adults and $33 for children (ages 4-12).<\/p>\n

This weekend, Kennett Square will be home to two concerts featuring current artists performing music from the past \u2013 one is a symphony performing classic masterpieces and the other is a rock tribute act for one of the genre\u2019s all-time greats.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Kennett Symphony<\/p><\/div>\n

On July 25, the Kennett Symphony will perform the season finale of its Masterworks Series at Longwood Gardens (1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square).<\/p>\n

\u201cMasterworks 3: Under the Stars\u201d is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. at Longwood\u2019s Open Air Theatre under the direction of conductor Michael Hall.<\/p>\n

The Symphony\u2019s website offered this invitation — Get ready to take in the sights of Longwood Gardens and the sounds of the Kennett Symphony. Waltzes and Galops abound as we present a collection of beloved light classical pieces including the sunny and delightful \u201cCapriccio Italien,\u201d the mercurial \u201cFlight of the Bumblebee,\u201d the heartfelt \u201cVocalise\u201d as well as music from John William\u2019s score to \u201cSchindler\u2019s List.\u201d<\/p>\n

The program includes Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky\u2019s \u201cCapriccio Italien,\u201d Aram Khachaturian\u2019s \u201cMasquerade Waltz,\u201d Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov\u2019s \u201cFlight of the Bumblebee\u201d and \u201cRussian Easter Overture,\u201d John Williams\u201d\u00a0selections from \u201cSchindler\u2019s List,\u201d Sergei Rachmaninoff\u2019s \u201cVocalise\u201d and Dmitry Kabalevsky\u2019s \u201cDance of the Comedians.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tchaikovsky\u2019s \u201cCapriccio Italien\u201d is a fantasy for orchestra that was inspired by a trip Tchaikovsky took to Rome with his brother\u00a0Modest\u00a0as respite from the composer’s disastrous marriage with\u00a0Antonina Miliukova. It premiered in 1880 in Moscow.<\/p>\n

Khachaturian\u2019s \u201cMasquerade\u201d\u00a0was written in 1941 by\u00a0Khachaturian\u00a0as\u00a0incidental music\u00a0for a production of the\u00a0play of the same name\u00a0by\u00a0Russian\u00a0poet and playwright\u00a0Mikhail Lermontov. \u201cMasquerade\u201d premiered in 1941 in Moscow.<\/p>\n

Rimsky-Korsakov\u2019s \u201cFlight of the Bumblebee\u201d is an orchestral\u00a0interlude\u00a0written for his opera, \u201cThe Tale of Tsar Saltan,\u201d which was composed in 1899\u20131900. Its composition is intended to musically evoke the seemingly chaotic and rapidly changing flying pattern of a\u00a0bumblebee.<\/p>\n

\u201cRussian Easter Festival Overture: Overture on Liturgical Themes,\u00a0Op.\u00a036,\u201d also known as the\u00a0\u201cGreat Russian Easter Overture,\u201d is a\u00a0concert overture\u00a0written by the Russian composer\u00a0between August 1887 and April 1888. It was dedicated to the memories of\u00a0Modest Mussorgsky\u00a0and\u00a0Alexander Borodin, two members of the group of composers known in English as “The Five”. The work received its premiere at a Russian symphony concert in St. Petersburg in 1888.<\/p>\n

John Williams is the only non-Russian composer on this program. \u201cSchindler\u2019s List\u201d\u00a0is a 1993 American\u00a0epic\u00a0historical drama\u00a0film directed and produced by\u00a0Steven Spielberg. Williams, a frequent collaborator with Spielberg, composed the score for this movie, which is often listed among the\u00a0greatest films ever made.<\/p>\n

Rachmaninoff composed and published \u201cVocalise\u201d in 1915 as the last of his\u00a0\u201c14 Romances.\u201d Written for high voice with\u00a0piano\u00a0accompaniment, it contains no words, but is sung using only one\u00a0vowel\u00a0of the singer’s choosing.<\/p>\n

Kabalevsky\u2019s \u201cDance of the Comedians, Op. 26,\u201d is an orchestral\u00a0suite\u00a0of 10 numbers by\u00a0Dmitry Kabalevsky. It is one of his best-known and best-loved works.<\/p>\n

The concert at Longwood Gardens will start at 7:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $50 for adults and $10 for students (age 18 and under). The ticket\u00a0includes\u00a0access to visit Longwood Gardens during the day on the day of the concert.<\/p>\n

People visiting Kennett Square this Saturday might do a double-take and swivel their heads thinking that they saw Paul McCartney just walk past them.<\/p>\n

They won\u2019t be hallucinating but they also will not be seeing one of the two remaining Beatles in person.<\/p>\n

What they might be catching a glimpse of is Jed Duvall, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Sir Paul.<\/p>\n

Jed Duvall\u00a0isn\u2019t just a Macca look alike in appearance, mannerism, and musical talent, he is the founder\/leader of The McCartney Experience, a band that is performing on June 24 as part of the Kennett Flash\u2019 2023 Rooftop Series.<\/p>\n

The McCartney Experience is the ultimate tribute to Paul McCartney. Along with his band of seasoned musicians, Duvall brings authenticity to a whole new level playing music from the early years of Beatlemania and throughout the career of the Fab Four.<\/p>\n

Duvall, a natural right hander, taught himself to play left-handed, just like Sir Paul McCartney. The band tirelessly rehearsed to get each song right and it is this combination of dedication and hard work that make The McCartney Experience one of the most popular tributes to Paul McCartney.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy career is a combination of music and theater,\u201d said Duvall, during a recent phone interview from his home in Hernwood, Maryland.<\/p>\n

Growing up in a small farming community in Southern Maryland, Duvall had music all around him — the country music station in his father\u2019s pickup, the Broadway show tunes his mother would play on the family record player, and the hymns sung in church as a member of the choir. His parents lived in England before Jed was born, so a deep appreciation of all things British was instilled in the family from an early age.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike everybody else, I was enthralled with the Beatles,\u201d said Duvall. \u201cI was also in love with theater. I was in school plays when I was nine or 10 years old. Later, I did do a few small theatre bits here and there. I played an English Bobby in a local show.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Duvall, \u201cAny time there was a part in a school play, I\u2019d jump at it. Slipping into a character was very comfortable for me. I thought that when I graduated high school, I\u2019d go out to Hollywood and be a movie star.\u201d<\/p>\n

The direction of his career was changed by another impersonator.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was 15, a local Elvis impersonator came to our school,\u201d said Duvall. \u201cMy mind just clicked. There was acting and there was singing. That really got me moving in that direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was never really an Elvis fan. But I became an Elvis fan after a while. I still liked the Beatles and Rolling Stones a lot more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Duvall started developing his own act, and after graduation, joined the Army.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was in the Army, there was a talent show,\u201d said Duvall. \u201cI did my Elvis act and won the show. After that, we were doing shows at various Army bases.\u201d<\/p>\n

After his discharge, Duvall applied and was accepted to the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He lived in New York for several years working as an actor, musician, and record store employee.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went to school in New York and concentrated on being a legitimate actor,\u201d said Duvall. \u201cI worked in a record store in the East Village, sang with straight-up bands and did acting.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter a few years, I got tired of New York. I went back to Maryland, got married, had kids and settled down.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, after 15 years, I missed performing. In 2009, my wife and I saw McCartney\u2019s show in Landover, Maryland. I had enough people telling me I looked like Paul McCartney even though I couldn\u2019t see it.\u201d<\/p>\n

After seeing that concert, Duvall began creating a McCartney tribute.<\/p>\n

According to Duvall, \u201cI\u2019d seen plenty of Beatle tribute bands, but I never saw an act committed completely to just Paul McCartney\u201d<\/p>\n

Always a stickler for authenticity, Duvall began taking bass lessons. Prior to that, he had studied violin when he was a kid, started piano lessons at 12 and began learning guitar when he was 15.<\/p>\n

\u201cI bought a H\u00f6fner\u00a0bass like the one McCartney played \u2013 but I didn\u2019t know how to play it,\u201d said Duvall, who, unlike Sir Paul, is right-handed. \u201cI took bass lessons for three years and learned how to play it left-handed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Duvall\u2019s current project features music from the early years of Beatlemania and throughout the career of the Fab Four. But unlike many Beatle tributes, The McCartney Experience expertly performs hits from McCartney\u2019s days with Wings, as well as the solo numbers that Sir Paul made famous.<\/p>\n

The audience will hear a wide variety of hits from the Beatles such as, \u201cCan\u2019t Buy Me Love,\u201d \u201cI Saw Her Standing There,\u201d \u201cAnd I Love Her,\u201d Wings songs such as \u201cSilly Love Songs,\u201d \u201cListen To What The Man Said,\u201d and solo hits like \u201cDance Tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Duvall, \u201cI try to give the audience the chance to experience Paul on a personal level and give them the feeling that they\u2019re actually watching him perform.\u00a0This is no \u2018Salute to Paul McCartney,\u2019 with a lot of glitz but not a lot of substance. Nor is it a Beatles tribute band. This is a chance to really experience Paul McCartney.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for The McCartney Experience — https:\/\/youtu.be\/JdBabF0zqM4<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Kennett Flash Rooftop will start at 7 p.m. The Rooftop Series shows are presented outside, on the top floor of the Kennett Square Parking Garage located at 100-198 East Linden Street in Kennett Square.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $30.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at Kennett Flash are The Collingwood with Gina Graves on June 23 and Jazz Jam featuring Dave Mattock on June 25.<\/p>\n

There are many really good blues artists (guitarist\/singer\/songwriter) who have burst onto the scene in recent years, including Toronzo Cannon, Selwyn Birchwood, Samantha Fish, Gabe Stillman, Greg Sover and Christone \u201cKingfish\u201d Ingram.<\/p>\n

Fortunately for area blues fans, they all visit the area several times a year for local headlining shows.<\/p>\n

This weekend, it\u2019s Ingram\u2019s turn. \u201cKingfish\u201d will be the main attraction at this week\u2019s edition of the 37th Annual Upper Merion Concerts Under the Stars series (Upper Merion Township Building Park, West Valley Forge Road, King of Prussia, concertsunderthestarskop.com<\/a>) on June 27.<\/p>\n

Many blues guitarists have been playing for decades. Ingram\u2019s guitar playing gives listeners the impression that he too has been at it for decades. In reality, he is barely two decades old. He was born in Mississippi in January 1999 and has been exposed to the blues since he was a toddler.<\/p>\n

Ingram is still touring in support of his latest Alligator Records album,\u00a0\u201c662.\u201d The tour — \u201cChristone\u00a0\u201cKingfish\u201d Ingram Presents\u00a0662: Juke Joint Live\u201d — will take the 24-year-old guitarist, vocalist and songwriter across the U.S. and Europe. The tour began in July 2021 and is still going strong.<\/p>\n

In addition to the Grammy nomination (his second in two years),\u00a0\u201c662\u201d\u00a0was named the #1 Best Blues Album of 2021 by UK tastemaker magazine,\u00a0MOJO.\u00a0Rolling Stone\u00a0declared, \u201cKingfish\u00a0is one of the most exciting young guitarists in years, with a sound that encompasses B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and Prince.\u201d
\nUpon its July 2021 release,\u00a0\u201c662\u201d\u00a0debuted at #1 on the\u00a0Billboard\u00a0Blues Chart, and it’s remained on the chart ever since. \u201c662\u201d\u00a0was recorded in Nashville and co-written and produced by Grammy-winner Tom Hambridge. It features 13 songs (and one previously released bonus track) displaying many sides of Ingram\u2019s personality, as well as his one-of-a-kind guitar and vocal skills. Ingram\u2019s debut,\u00a0\u201cKingfish,\u201d was named the #1 Best Blues Album of 2019.<\/p>\n

Ingram’s\u00a0latest single is the groundbreaking song,\u00a0Another Life Goes By (Mississippi Mix)<\/a>,\u00a0the newly remixed track featuring indie rapper Big K.R.I.T. The song blends the urgency of hip hop with the timelessness of the blues.
\nIngram creates contemporary blues that speaks to his generation and beyond, delivering the full healing power of the music.\u00a0No Depression\u00a0calls Ingram, \u201ca young bluesman with an ancient soul and a large presence in the here-and-now.\u201d\u00a0Living Blues\u00a0says, \u201cBy any measure, Kingfish is one of the brightest new stars of his generation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been out here on the road for a while,\u201d said Ingram, during a phone interview \u201cEverything is going great. I\u2019ve been selling out shows everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c662,\u201d which debuted at #1 on the\u00a0Billboard\u00a0Blues chart,\u00a0is the next chapter in the still-unfolding story of the Clarksdale, Mississippi native. Ingram describes \u201c662\u201d\u00a0(the number is northern Mississippi\u2019s telephone area code) as \u201ca\u00a0presentation of my life in and away from the Delta.\u201d\u00a0The album overflows with hard-hitting original songs, jaw-dropping guitar work and deep, soul-possessed vocals.\u00a0Ingram recently won the 2021\u00a0Living Blues\u00a0Award for Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar).<\/p>\n

He also won two 2021 Blues Music Awards (for Guitarist of The Year and Contemporary Blues Male Artist of The Year) in addition to the five he won last year.\u00a0In February 2021, Ingram guest hosted Spotify\u2019s popular\u00a0\u201cIn The Name Of The Blues\u201d\u00a0playlist, which featured him talking about and sharing some of his favorite songs.<\/p>\n

\u201c662\u201d\u00a0was co-written and produced by Grammy-winner Tom Hambridge. It features 13 songs displaying many sides of Ingram\u2019s dynamic personality, as well as his one-of-a-kind guitar and vocal skills.<\/p>\n

\u201cI actually recorded \u2018662\u2019 during the pandemic,\u201d said Ingram. \u201cWe spent a full week at Ocean Way Studio in Nashville, which was the same studio I used for my first album. We had writing sessions on Zoom from May through September and then went in the studio two weeks later.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt went pretty smooth. I learned a lot from making my first record. It helped having Tom produce both of my albums. He knows how to pull things out of me.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new album shows my growth. It was two years since my first record, and I had a lot of things happen in my life. My mom passed away. Then there was COVID.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to make a personal record. I wanted to show a different side. People know me for edgy and hardness, but I also have a soul and R&B vibe.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had 20 songs going into the studio and recorded them all. We used 13 and we\u2019ll use the other songs later.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ingram is slowly working on his next album.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still writing,\u201d said Ingram. \u201cEvery now and then I\u2019ll get a lyric. The new album will have some new songs and some older ones. It\u2019s like a big melting pot.<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t gotten into the studio yet. I work on ideas in my home studio. I have my own setup to put ideas down and then make them ready for the studio. When they\u2019re ready, I\u2019ll take them to Tom Hambridge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ingram grew up with the blues.<\/p>\n

\u201cI come from Clarksdale, Mississippi \u2013 the Mecca of blues,\u201d said Ingram.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember seeing the PBS documentary on Muddy Waters when I was pretty young. And I lived next door to a blues band. I was exposed to the blues a lot as a young child.<\/p>\n

\u201cI actually started as a bass player. My first paid gig playing bass was with the All Night Long Blues Band. I was 11 at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t take long for Ingram to switch from bass to lead guitar.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was playing bass, but I always wanted to play guitar,\u201d said Ingram. \u201cBut, when I was young, my fingers were too big for guitar.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was 14-15, I played guitar for a local band. I just wanted to do something different. I wanted to put my own thing together. I wanted to play guitar. Playing guitar was original.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started with a cheap Sears & Roebuck guitar. An Epiphone 335 was my first real guitar.\u00a0\u00a0I got it for Christmas when I was in middle school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ingram explained the origin of his nickname.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mentor from the Delta Museum gave kids nicknames,\u201d said Ingram. \u201cHe called me Kingfish. He said Kingfish who was a character on the \u2018Amos \u2018n\u2019Andy Show.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cMy biggest influences were Albert King, Little Milton, B.B. King, Son House, Freddie King and Skip James. I was also influenced by Ernie Isley, Jimi Hendrix, Prince and George Benson.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though I was influenced by Jimi and Prince, I never had an actual intent to merge rock and blues. I just want to experiment and see what I come up with. I just like to create stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ingram is known for making his guitar sing.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaking the guitar sing \u2013 that\u2019s when playing with substance comes into play,\u201d said Ingram. \u201cI love playing originals. I\u2019m still writing when I\u2019m on the road.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn tour, it\u2019s a three-piece \u2013 bass, drums and me. Both of the other guys in the band are from Mississippi. Bassist Paul Rogers is from Tupelo and drummer Chris Black is from Shelby.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Christone \u201cKingfish\u201d Ingram — https:\/\/youtu.be\/kDuIELUSzxU<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show, which has King Solomon Hicks as the opening act, will start at 7 p.m.<\/p>\n

Ticket prices range from $30-$69 with children 12 and younger admitted free with paid adult.<\/p>\n

King Of Prussia\u2019s live outdoor music series\u00a0Concerts Under the Stars\u00a0returned to Upper Merion Township Building Park for its 37th season back in May. The summer-long concerts will include live music for all ages, a beer garden featuring local craft brews and cocktails and local food truck options. Events will take place from 7-10 p.m. on select weeknights and 6-9 p.m. on select Sundays.<\/p>\n

Concerts Under the Stars\u00a0will be co-presented by\u00a0Upper Merion Township\u00a0and\u00a0Rising Sun Presents\u00a0\u2013 the event producers at venues including\u00a0Ardmore Music Hall,\u00a0Underground Arts,\u00a0MilkBoy Philly and\u00a0118 North.<\/p>\n

In addition to\u00a0Concerts Under the Stars, RSP is presenting the\u00a0Sing Us Home\u00a0festival in Manayunk (co-produced by Roxborough native and nationally recognized musician Dave Hause), as well as the\u00a0Bryn Mawr Twilight Concerts\u00a0series, the\u00a0Wayne Music Festival\u00a0and\u00a0Ardmore Rock N\u2019 Ride\u00a0this summer.<\/p>\n

Other shows in the 2023 Concerts Under the Stars series are Madison Cunningham with Shannen Moser on June 24, Craig Bickhardt Friends & Family on July 1, Unforgettable Fire (U2 tribute) on July 7, Keller Williams and KellerGrass ft. The HillBenders on July 16, Lisa Loeb on July 22, Tommy Conwell & The House Rockers with Soraia on July 28, Don McCloskey and Hoots & Hellmouth on August 5, Donna the Buffalo on August 12, Start Making Sense (Talking Heads tribute), Al Stewart & The Empty Pockets on August 26, Splintered Sunlight (Grateful Dead Tribute) on September 2, and Easy Star All\u2010Stars on September 16.<\/p>\n

Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, www.uptownwestchester.org<\/a>) is continuing to bring high caliber tribute bands to Chester County.<\/p>\n

On June 24, the theater in downtown West Chester will present Green River: Creedence Clearwater Revival Tribute. The band is considered to be one of the top tribute acts for the music of both Creedence Clearwater Revival and John Fogerty.<\/p>\n

Video link for Green River \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/-OUKtNV8cpo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Uptown will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $40.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times The play \u201cLettie\u201d had its premiere in Chicago in 2017. The show received rave reviews and appeared destined to have a long and successful run on Broadway. Then, COVID-19 changed all that \u2013 a pandemic that closed everything down. When the original production ran at the Victory Playhouse […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":33799,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3912,4058,4508],"class_list":["post-33801","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-featured","tag-kennett-symphony","tag-peoples-light"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33801","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=33801"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33801\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33802,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33801\/revisions\/33802"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/33799"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=33801"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=33801"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=33801"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}